UNCOVERED Jarvinia (jarvinia@gmx.com) September 2000, posted January 2001 This story follows two other stories I've written, 'Hunted,' and 'Death and Life.' Once again, many thanks to my beta-reader, David, for all his time and suggestions. The characters of Forever Knight do not belong to me, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. Other characters not part of Forever Knight are mine. Please do not archive without permission. ~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~ Uncovered - (01/08) Detective Francis Terrell watched as the pair of detectives arrived in tandem. For the last six months, they had almost always arrived together. If one was late, then they were both late. But, tonight that wasn't the case. They'd arrived at their usual time, just making it, not early, not late. Nothing had changed. Their routine seemed practiced, but prior to the past six months, they wouldn't have been able to stay on the same page. Not only did they not arrive at about the same time, but once together, it was nearly a miracle to keep them that way. Yet, that had changed. She wasn't the only one that had noticed either. The rampant speculation ranged from his giving her rides to work, to the possibility they were an item. Thinking about the last speculative possibility, she nearly doubled over laughing. Her and about half of the precinct doubted this possibility. Something had definitely changed within the pair's relationship, but it wasn't that. Besides, from what she'd seen of Knight's friend, the coroner, they were the item, and had been now for nearly seven years. At least, that's what she'd heard. Five years. That's how long she'd worked in Toronto. Her and her partner had been transferred to the 96th precinct just before Knight and his partner, Don Schanke. The two had made an unlikely pair: Schanke, the bumbling detective with an affinity for souvlaki, and Knight, the high profile cop who didn't like the attention. Despite their differences, they had become a team by the time of the plane crash. With the deaths of Schanke and Cohen, came a change in the 96th, a change that had been particularly hard for Knight. New Captain, new partner, and there were several other changes in personnel about that time as well. She wondered what exactly had caused him to stay after putting in his resignation. She figured Dr. Lambert had something to do with that. As she watched the two detectives sitting at their desks, she began to think of what it was like after the crash, and even before it. Tracy Vetter was young, possibly the youngest to become detective in the city. Her father had seen Knight's commendations, and figured who better for her to both learn from and be protected by. She was quickly assigned to the 96th precinct when Schanke flew to Calgary. The other officers quickly avoided her. Her father was Commissioner Vetter, and they believed he'd pulled strings to get her there, that she didn't have the knowledge, or ability needed for the job. Then, came the crash. The partnership became permanent. Knight had been the only one to accept her for what she was, a detective. With his ex-partner's death came an inconsistency. Sure, he would disappear at times, but usually, it was case related. Everyone had thought he was losing ground on reality. His concentration was slipping on his cases, and he was disappearing more frequently, often for hours at a time. Even Dr. Lambert was getting annoyed at his actions, the precinct often being the stage for a short argument. Reese was at a loss of how to get the two detectives in sync, and was debating breaking up the partnership. Yet, after his injury while saving his partner's life, they had been asked to do an undercover job. Cops were being killed, and they were the best team that could pull it off. They did so with flying colours. With their experience, they apprehended the murderer with only a bruise for Vetter. Within hours, both detectives, and Dr. Lambert had disappeared without a trace, only to show up mysteriously several days later. No one in the hospital had even seen Knight's partner leave. Then, the three had been extremely quiet for a couple of weeks. The two women worked their way back into their normal routines. However, Knight hadn't done so. He'd stayed quiet, slowly pulling himself away from them. Other than business, he rarely spoke, and then he often cut things short. Six months ago, another change had suddenly taken place. For a couple of weeks, he seemed to be on edge. Then, both he and Lambert went on vacation. However, when one of his cases fired up, they were both called in. A few days later, she'd seen the coroner storm from one of the conference rooms. Knight hadn't run after her, and because of the strain of the case, not to mention that his partner was working non- stop double shifts, Reese had ordered both detectives onto mandatory vacation. When they came back, so had Lambert. Their first action was a long talk with Reese. Apparently, it had to do with assigning them permanently to the night shift. Knight already was because of his allergy. Now, it turned out the other two had mysteriously, and abruptly contracted it as well. When they'd exited the office, it seemed there was something different. Both his partner and the coroner seemed younger than they should be. Vetter looked the same as when she'd become his partner, but then the detective was still fairly young to begin with. Lambert looked a little younger than when she'd first seen her, nearly five years ago. The observation had at first been a curiosity, but now, it was only confusion. On the previous morning, their flawless appearances suddenly struck her. This time she'd looked up all of their records. Vetter was supposed to be twenty six, Knight forty, and Dr. Lambert, thirty five. They all looked between two and five years younger. Knight looked younger now than he did in his badge photo from seven years before. If she didn't know better, she would say Knight wasn't aging. She continued to watch from across the room, and suddenly the younger detective's eyes were centred on her. Vetter's eyes were clear and seemed to see right through her. A second later, Knight also saw her, their eyes locking for a split second before he muttered something. The two both returned to their work, and she did as well, a chilly feeling coursing through her. They knew they were being watched. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. As the night wore on, the two detectives constantly felt someone's eyes watching them. Detective Terrell's were the most common, however, other's suspicions were building as well. Miranda Park, the desk sergeant, often had her eyes on the detectives, although their appearance wasn't what she'd noticed. She'd noticed them apparently working as a team. As this was in great contrast to her earlier observances, rarely seeing them together, she'd begun to watch closer. Two fellow detectives, Mitch Ayer and Chris Mason, had made similar observations. Although their eyes were not as noticed, they were the beginning of the speculation that Knight and Vetter were a couple. They had noticed Knight's protective nature toward his partner, and from that, had decided there had to be more than friendship between the two. She had been one of the first to notice the slight change, and agreed there was something more. But, she didn't think they were a couple. To her, they seemed much more like brother and sister. As they finished their shift, she left as well. --- As Nick dropped Tracy off at her apartment, he could see Terrell's car in his rear-view mirror. She ended up following him the rest of the way to the loft. When he had noticed Natalie was back, he was pleased. At least his shadow wouldn't be able to see her arrive there, as Natalie had not taken her car that night. --- Parking as close to the dark warehouse as she could, she got out into the early morning chill. Shivering in her thick winter coat, another detail popped into her thoughts. Knight's coat was a full length duster. It was thin, and he should have been freezing in the cold weather, especially considering it was usually flapping in the breeze. His partner's was the same, her jacket not enough to keep out the chill, at least not for a normal person, and in the dead of Toronto's winter. Looking up into the large windows, she could just see into the interior, the room appearing to be large and open. A few lights were on, but it was far from bright. The dim light suited him, just as his car did, the location of his loft, and his clothes. Together, they created an eccentric man, one who she believed would blend in better with the upper class than the officers of Metro. Considering his stuff and demeanour, she faintly wondered if he was upper class. But why work as a cop? It couldn't be for the money, and he had turned down promotions, so it wasn't that either. Once again, her thoughts strayed, and as she returned her attention to the window, she noticed dawn was approaching. The majority of the windows had been covered, but one had remained clear. Through it, she could see Knight, staring in the general direction of the sunrise. As the false dawn illuminated the window, he turned away. A few seconds later, she could see some type of blind, or shutter sliding into place blocking her out along with the daylight. Rightfully so, as she had no reason to be there. The warehouse was dark, and was surrounded by other warehouses. Once again, she shivered. The cold air hadn't been what caused it though. Instead it was from the cold, dark nature of the building before her. It took a few minutes before she decided to leave. She would come back the next night before work. Uncovered - (02/08) Natalie had gone to the morgue, leaving merely minutes before Nick did. Pulling out into the street, he noticed the dark blue car following him - Terrell's car. She followed as he picked his partner up and drove the rest of the way to the precinct. They entered quickly, and after sitting down, Nick scribbled a few words down, and passed the note to her almost before she got her coat off. The note read: 'We're being watched. She is suspicious.' It wasn't stated who their watcher was, but he had to be talking about Francis Terrell. She'd just entered the bullpen, and walked by their desks. Tracy forced herself not to look at the other detective. Almost responding aloud, she saw Nick tap his fingers on the desk. He wanted her to write her response. She did so, and taking it, the first thing he saw was the contrast in their writing. After working for two years together, he'd often seen their handwriting next to each other, yet it always struck him. In her neater, more modern characters he read, 'How suspicious? Enough to leave? If so how long?' It only took Nick a couple of seconds to write his response. 'Not sure. Not yet, need to know more.' There was just enough time for her to read it before he snatched it back, stuffing it in his pocket. The night was used solely for paperwork, and as mid-shift came, she could feel the stress in her partner. It was the same thing that she'd felt when working for the first couple of weeks after she'd been brought across. It had taken a month before she figured out how to tune out the noise around her. Before she'd been a vampire, she had no idea how he was always the last to hear about anything despite his enhanced hearing. Now, she knew. With the vampire, one could hear everything in the room, every word, every person, and every scratch on paper. It nearly drove her crazy, and as a result, she'd tried everything to block it out. But, instead of blocking it out, Nick was purposely searching through the room, listening. They took their break and went over to the morgue, as had become routine. Once Natalie had found a good place to stop, they went to the lunch room. None ate a bite, nor could they, but the blood still bothered Tracy. Nick had grown somewhat used to it over the years, and although Natalie worked in it all day, she took every chance she had to distance herself from it. After Nick had explained what had been happening, anger showed on Natalie's face. He hadn't told her about Terrell following him home. But then, there really wasn't much reason for it either. Now, when he'd been followed to work as well, it was a little more important. It also explained his rationale behind asking her to drive to work. If Natalie had been seen darting off into the night, it would only cause more suspicions to form. They'd stayed too long, and they all knew it. Once Natalie and Tracy had been brought across, they should have made immediate preparations to depart. Instead, they'd pushed their stay to its absolute limit. Now, they would be forced to leave in rather short order. It was quickly decided that they would act as normal as possible to avoid more suspicion. Before they got any further, Natalie suggested, "Why can't you just make Terrell not notice our differences?" Nick didn't answer right away. He had a solution, but the question startled him coming from Natalie. As a mortal, she never would have asked, but now, it came out simply. Looking at her, she saw nothing wrong with it, and frankly neither did he. But, there was one problem. "She might be a resistor. If I try to persuade her of her mistake and it doesn't hold, we'll have even a bigger problem." They both nodded. If Terrell was a resistor, then she'd know something was really up. "I was thinking of doing a few tests, to see how easy she is to influence, but I can't do too many, or others will notice." Catching a glimpse of the clock, he told Nat that they had to leave, and he gave her a peck on the cheek, again as had become routine. His relationship with her had changed little over the past several years. First it had grown apart. Now, it was growing together once again, but slowly. Despite the fact she'd been living at his place for the past half of a year, they'd gotten no closer than they had when she'd been mortal. He'd been sleeping on the couch every night, giving her the bedroom. Occasionally, she would wake to find him in the room, either sitting asleep in the chair, or lying next to her. After her first reaction to when he instinctively, yet accidentally, tried to control her thoughts, he'd stayed back from her. He never touched her, or did anything else to her without first asking her permission. She watched them leave, and once again something in Nick overwhelmed her. It had happened nearly every time they met for the last week or so. Love. That's what it was. He'd been suppressing it from her for years. As she stood alone in the room, she recalled events that had occurred nearly four years ago, ones that she hadn't remembered until about a month before. Azure. She remembered the card and flowers from before. But not Nick. They hadn't been from him. LaCroix had been the writer of the message. Arriving, she had been stunned, but had played his little game. Then, her view had become a little hazy. She had been able to speak, but she couldn't react, not even as the vampire had caressed her. Then, Nick had come. He had pulled her away from LaCroix, but it hadn't seemed like him. She listened to the conditions of a promise, one between the two of them. If Nick ever truly loved a mortal, then he was supposed to leave. After that, things became hazy once again, but she remembered feeling his fangs against her throat, felt his hands caress her. He was allowing the vampire reign, and was going to bring her across. LaCroix realized that he wouldn't if he truly loved her. Nick's apparent willingness to do so confused him, and he left. After that, she hadn't remembered much, but she had heard an apology from Nick. He had told her how much he loved her, then for several reasons, he took her memory away. She assumed whatever had caused her inability to react, had assisted his task. Later, she realized he'd done it to protect her from both LaCroix, and what his own feelings would eventually do to her. Now, they didn't have to worry about that, yet he still kept distant. She looked down to her hands and saw them shaking slightly. It only took a minor amount of concentration to end it. Pretty soon, she wasn't going to be able to handle this near, yet far relationship. Either Nick would have to show his feelings, or she'd have to go back to her apartment. Uncovered - (03/08) Nick had already tried one test. He'd asked Francis if she would mind helping Tracy for a few minutes while he was gone. Instead of nearly repeating his question back to him, she was completely surprised by the inquiry. After nearly a minute, she'd answered, 'sure.' It hadn't worked. She'd shown absolutely no sign of complying. She'd helped Tracy for about five minutes, her expression puzzled as to why he'd asked her when the help really wasn't needed. Now, it was nearly the end of shift, and Nick was debating whether he should try another, or wait until the next night. After his little 'test,' Terrell had started to observe him more closely. In the end, they had left that night, leaving behind a highly suspicious, and eager Francis Terrell. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Although their shifts normally started and ended at the same time, she took advantage of her vacation time. Instead of following them back home, she again went to records. No matter what, she was going to find out what was going on even if she spent more time at the precinct than was normal for work. Three hours later, she sat staring at a record she'd found. It was a bank record, several years old, but the account, Nicholas B. Knight's checking account, couldn't have changed much since then. At that time, there had been over a million dollars in it. As it had turned out, a record of his other accounts had also been pulled, merely a couple of days after the first one. The next record was for his savings account. When she read it, she was shocked once again. He had four and a half million dollars in that account. Between the two accounts he had over five million. Given the relative inactivity, she assumed Knight probably had more in other accounts. After that, she'd gone to get recent records of Knight, Vetter, and Lambert's bank accounts. She also wanted to find out what his full name was. Not once had she seen the 'B' written out, and it seemed odd. Although she was technically on vacation this week, Francis had decided to come in to do some work. Her partner, Ben Himes, was also on vacation, but he was out of the country, visiting family in New York. Until they were back on duty, her presence in the precinct would only minimally be noticed. One way or another, she would find out what was going on with Knight, his partner, and the coroner. A hour and a half later, Francis had little luck. When she'd called Chicago to verify he'd worked there, she'd discovered more inconsistencies. He was in their computers, but no one ever remembered working with him. She couldn't find birth, school, or medical records. Lambert had been his physician since coming to Toronto. If he'd lived in Chicago, he either didn't pay taxes, or he was living there under a different name, yet worked under Knight, both of which were unlikely. Now, she was going through old case files, trying to find more information on the detective. Perhaps, something might be mentioned in them that would be useful. The sun had already began its decent by the time she'd finished skimming the files. Most of the stuff wasn't useful. Yet, many things caught her attention. On more than one occasion, Knight had been either referred to as having glowing eyes, or as having impossible abilities. He'd been a suspect in a murder about three years ago, and they'd gone through his loft. Looking at the things that had been noted were particularly a grand piano, the large number of antiques on display, several paintings, and the large entertainment centre. About as much detail was spent on the loft as a whole, as on the contents of the refrigerator. Bottled blood. Bottles of steer's blood, and nothing else. He had no food, nothing to drink, nothing. His partner had asked about the blood, and was told that it was paint thickener. Paint thickener. She'd never heard of the technique, but then she wasn't an artist. Apparently, the investigating officers hadn't thought much of the explanation either, considering it was underlined in the report with a question mark and explanation point. Yet, 'plausible' and 'Raphael' were also scribbled in the margin. Perhaps the blood really was paint thickener, but then, why was nothing else in his refrigerator? Several reports later, she found another note, this one made on his rapid healing after he was shot. Even though he had suffered memory loss, the wound itself had healed almost immediately. People had noticed then, and she was taking note of it, along with the blood and the unusual items. Then, she took into account the things that others around him, including herself, had noticed. He was never seen outside during the day, not unless it was extremely important. She believed it had happened three times. For a court case that he and Schanke had been on. On another occasion, Stonetree had made him come in early. Then a month ago, he'd had to go to court again. No one knew how the trio arrived at the court house, none had taken their cars, and once there, they were extremely careful. Another big one was his temper. All members of the precinct had witnessed it at least once, most thankful it was not directed at them. He'd been the 'Knightmare' since before she'd worked for Metro. When she'd asked about the name, it's origins had been explained. Apparently, when he'd started working for Metro, the other officers were wary of him. He was an American, and he had a temper. Although the distrust was quickly replaced by respect, the name had stuck. Rumour was, that Schanke had used it during interrogations a couple of times for intimidation, and Knight hadn't commented on it. But, then he wouldn't either. Lately, both Vetter and Lambert had been on edge a little more than usual, both when they were getting frustrated, or at a crime scene. Come to think about it, so had Knight. And then, there were the other little glitches. None of them really seemed to get either cold or hot. Sometimes, they would come without a vehicle. Many times, they would arrive somewhere in less time that it should have taken. Instead of ten minutes, two minutes would pass, and they would suddenly appear. Several suspects on the latest cases had first described one of the detectives as having glowing red eyes. Later that had been changed, the suspect having no memories of that ever occurring. All of them were extremely pale, more so than most people who had fair skin. At times, it would seem almost normal, but their complexions would quickly fade back to its usual pale state. Food. They never ate, or drank anything, at least not in the past six months, and in public view. Before that, Knight had been the only one with that characteristic. Abruptly, a file was dropped on her desk by a messenger. At first glance, she saw that it was the bank files she'd requested. No one but her knew what was in the thick envelope, one much thicker than she'd expected. The contents were things that she shouldn't have, much like most of the files she'd gone through, yet wasn't really authorized to do so. Quickly, she dropped all planes of thought, and opened the envelope carefully, not wanting to rip it too much. She pulled out the records, Knight's being on top. There were several pages, the documents going back a year. The oldest record for his checking account had a balance of about a million. Now, there was only about two hundred thousand in it. She looked through, and discovered that it had merely been a couple of weeks since the money had been taken out. Keeping that information handy, she checked the other account. Same things. Roughly the same amount a year ago, but now, just over two hundred thousand. The money was taken out at the same time. And all at once. Looking at the other's accounts, she noticed that there were three for each of them. A savings account, one for checking, and another for savings. A year ago, the first two were completely normal, about the same as her own. But the third account was different. It was a separate account, and it contained a half a million for each of them. The money undoubtedly had to come from Knight. Then about five months ago the accounts were terminated, the money ending up in their other savings account. Once again, a couple of weeks ago, the bulk of the large sum was transferred. These didn't say where, but she remembered that Knight's did make such a reference. It was to a Swiss account, that much she knew just by looking at it. By the time she'd found the identity of the account, it was nearly Knight's shift time. The money had gone into the De Brabant Foundation. She'd never heard of it, but it was listed as a charitable organization. Also unlisted was the balance, or any of its donations. She quickly sent in a request for that information, along with the foundation's head, and other organizing officers. As she noticed the two detectives enter the precinct, Francis quickly put the files back into their envelopes, and out of sight. They had left about a half hour later to investigate an unusual incident, possibly a murder, and she took the opportunity to follow. Although she'd been awake for nearly thirty hours, she felt no different than if it had been three. Until she figured things out, she wouldn't rest. Uncovered - (04/08) Tracy still had to run a little to catch up to her partner, his pace as quick as always. Very few were present at the scene, meaning that it wasn’t drawing too much attention. Natalie was waiting for them, but they couldn't see a body. The air held a faint odour of smoke, as if there had been a fire in the area, yet it was only noticed once they got close to Nat. Nick looked at the apparent crime scene. Ashes were scattered in a small area, a wooden stick sitting in the middle with a little bit of blood, and a few ashes on its top. She leaned in close to him so few would hear. "Is this what I think it is?" "Depends. If you think one of us was hunted and killed, yes, I believe that's what happened." Tracy bent down and looked at the ashes, puzzled. "Why are only ashes left? Vachon didn't do this when he was...." She didn't finish the sentence, the words getting caught in her throat. "You took the stake out too soon, slowing the process. By now, he's probably ashes. It's what happens when we die. This one had to have been young when it takes less to kill us. Besides, there is a witness." She nodded. The wooden stick found within the remains lent itself to murder. The witness's presence had made that a possibility as well. Unless, the source of the inhuman scream had not been the owner of the equally inhuman remains. They could hear the frantic explanations of a young man. Turning their attention to him, the two detectives approached and listened. "....two creatures...I'm sure they weren't human...their eyes, they glowed, golden, like a cat's...." "Have you been drinking or...." "No," the young man sharply told the officer. "I wouldn't touch the stuff, and I don't do drugs either. I am sure of what I saw. A third arrived, almost from the sky, and he killed the one. The scream, it was terrible. Never heard anything like it before. I watched as the body seemed to disappear, and once I got here, all that was left was a pile of ashes." "And what did this victim look like?" the officer continued. Nick interrupted, and they took over the line of questioning. At first, the witness simply stared at him. Nick repeated the other officer's question. The detective somehow reminded him of what he had witnessed, not the actual events, but the feelings from it. He shook the feeling off, and told him what he'd seen, this time describing those involved. The victim had light brown hair, short in length, and the man himself had been of average height and build. There had been nothing to positively identify the victim, except for his unusually pale skin, and his changed appearance. His attackers all had dark brown hair, and seemed to be stronger and paler than the other. Enforcers. They sounded exactly like Enforcers. Then, before they left, one had turned to the witness, eyes golden, fangs clearly visible, and they disappeared into the night. The discovery of one of their executions, if it indeed was one, was unsettling. That along with a witness that had seen them, one they had also seen. By the Code, the mortal should already have been taken care of, either killed, or his memory wiped clean. Even though they were Enforcers, the ones who enforced the Code, most of them strictly upheld it. From what he'd heard, those that didn't received long painful deaths. Their dismissal of the mortal didn't necessarily mean they had disobeyed the Code. It depended on their orders. Nick quickly wiped the mind of the mortal, planting a seed of doubt. The man had been drinking. When he'd seen the fight, everything must have gotten out of proportion. He would be useless, and the case would remain unsolved. They should not have even been called. The mortal should not have remembered events one way, or the other. Unless.... This had been a warning to him. A warning of how easy it was to be discovered when careless. Something that their extended stay in Toronto was slowly leading to. LaCroix would know what the reason was, either that, or he could find out fairly easily, and with more success than he could. The Enforcers weren't exactly on his side. This time, they meant business. The infraction wasn't merely a single mortal knowing their existence. Unless the situation was contained, knowledge of vampires as a whole could be unleashed. After briefing Natalie on these events, he and Tracy started walking, not toward their car, but to a deserted area. As his mind was occupied with the new twist of events, they didn't even make sure the area was truly deserted. Almost immediately, they took off into the dark air, disappearing into the dark sky. --- Francis Terrell just about fainted from behind the tree she was using as cover. She'd been in a position to hear the entire conversation with the witness. The description of the creatures, monsters that had killed the victim who was one himself, and the words that sent the man to forget. Knight had hypnotized the witness, removing memories of the night's events. The ease with which it was done suggested years of practice, and it had been done without a single thought. Then, she had watched the two detectives as they found a secluded place and did as the victim's attackers had. They just disappeared into the night. Knight and Vetter, or at least Knight, were the same as the victim and his attackers. Creatures of the night, that's what they were, as she had no other name for them. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. The Raven was dark as usual. The two detectives found LaCroix at the bar, observing his patrons. "It's amazing how much you can learn about someone simply by watching them." Nick nodded. His father was referring to several things, he knew. Not only from LaCroix' literal observations, but the event his son had tried to correct, and about the watchful eyes of the precinct as well. Yes, he knew about the rumours that were spreading around. They weren't aging, and it was becoming more and more noticeable. "The Enforcers are still watching me aren't they?" "Yes. All of us. We have stayed here too long, especially you, Nicholas. You know what happens when we overstay our welcome, and we have tarried here far too long. The Raven will be in operation for a few more days. After that, we must prepare to leave. Choose if you will come with me, or not, before then." "The Enforcers executed one of us. A mortal observed them, and was caught while doing so, but his memory was not taken," Nick related. "It was a warning. Act quickly before you are discovered by your coworkers." His focus shifted from his son to Tracy. Despite her young age, she knew the danger of staying. Her emotions travelled through his son, and he was able to feel a hint of them. Time was running out, and they all knew it. Once again, his eyes locked on his son's. After an almost imperceptible nod, Nick left the club with Tracy following close behind him. Instantly, they were airborne, heading for their destination at a speed which Tracy could handle. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Terrell had quickly gone back to the precinct, hoping to beat the detectives back, and was pleased that she had done so. Her information request had surprisingly been filled, and now, she was staring at a _really_ big number. This figure was much larger than those in any of the other accounts. It was a little more than half a billion dollars, and that was just in this account. Apparently, several other accounts were linked into it, keeping the balance about the same over long periods. The head of the organization was a Nicholas de Brabant. He took care of most of everything, except for the meetings between the foundation and other organizations, and the actual transfer of the donations. That was handled by someone else. Looking through the information, she discovered that she'd been given a lot more information than she'd expected. The donations were always made anonymously, and in huge quantities. Millions of dollars were given at a time, sometimes to only one organization. It had been around for the better part of the last century, and included was a biography of the founder. His name was the same as the present head of the organization. The biography was extremely short, with only a few sentences stating the name, birth, death, and place of origin. Apparently, he was from Belgium, and the organization had always been based there. Turning to the next page, she could see a decent sized picture of the founder, and once again, she nearly fainted. The face was familiar, very much so. Undoubtedly, the man in the picture was Knight, even the expression was one that she'd seen often. But, how could that be? The picture was taken decades before Knight was even born. She looked at the name again, and finally realized the connection. Nicholas de Brabant. Nicholas B. Knight. The 'B' stood for Brabant, it had to. It made perfect sense, and also explained why it was never written out. Knight was an alias. Remembering back to the crime scene, she faintly wondered if Knight could have been the original founder. If he was, he was at least a hundred years old, possibly older. He would be immortal. Suddenly, she remembered the creatures she had heard the witness describe, and the wooden stick that had apparently killed the victim. Her mind kept screaming vampires. Within the description had been glowing eyes, and more importantly the fangs. And she was sure that a wooden stick would be just as effective as a stake. But, vampires didn't exist. Or did they? After staring at Knight's face, the photo of another time, only then did she question her beliefs. Myths were just that - myths. Nothing more. But, either she had hallucinated, or they were now real. She had seen what she'd seen. A creature, which the more she thought about it, seemed to be a vampire. Not only did it explain why Knight never went out during the day, but it explained everything else. The references to him being a monster, why he never ate anything, the blood that had been found in his refrigerator, and his apparent agelessness. But, if her conclusion was correct, that meant that both his partner and the doctor were also vampires. He had probably done this to them. None of them were mortal, but only their unchanging appearances gave them away. As she remembered, that issue was the whole reason behind her suspicions. It gave more credence to her guess, that they were indeed immortal, vampires, true creatures of the night. Looking across the room, she could see them at their desks, and quickly put the stuff away, glancing once more at the head of the foundation, and its balance. She had to talk to Knight. One way or the other. If she told anyone, they would think that she was crazy. Completely off her rocker. They'd put her in a straight jacket in an instant. Yes, she would go over to Knight's place that morning. It would be during the day, and she would have to bring a few things. As Frances thought about what she was doing, she thought herself crazy. She didn't need to be told. Pretty soon, she'd be placing herself in the straight jacket and would be asking for a padded room. One with nice _thick_ padding. Uncovered - (05/08) The loft was dark as it had been two mornings ago. She knew they were home. After all, where else would they go? She cautiously got out of her car, the chilly air feeling colder than it should have. Walking in the direction which she'd seen Knight go the other night, she passed by both cars, and looked for the way in. A red glowing light alerted her to a security system, and once she'd reached it, she saw a buzzer and intercom. She pressed it and waited. In seconds, she was asked who she was. "Francis Terrell. I work at the 96th." She hoped that was enough to let her in, and thankfully, it was. She was told to get in the elevator and take it to the second floor. Getting in, she could feel her heart rate rise, and as it journeyed upward, she tightly gripped the items in her pocket, not knowing what to expect once she got there. It stopped, and she pulled the door open. Knight was standing waiting for her, Lambert, not that far away. Both stayed silent as she stood there. Knight was wide awake. Lambert seemed to be tiring. Since she'd now been up for more than forty hours, and had begun to feel her own tiredness, Terrell knew she probably looked worse. He seemed to be waiting for her, waiting for her to explain why she was there. "I...I know who and...what you are." Her discovery was crazy, and she expected the words to be denied. Yet, they both just stood there, almost as if they already knew about her knowledge. They were waiting for more information. She could do that. "You are Nicholas de Brabant, head of a foundation by same name." Lambert had a reaction to that, and she knew that she was right about that. Knight, however, was still waiting. "You are sometimes referred to as creatures of the night, but much more commonly vampires." From Lambert's slightly panicked reaction, once again, she could see the truth, and they both looked to Knight for his reaction. His eyes locked on hers for a moment. She wanted to turn away, and after a momentary flash of gold appeared in his eyes, she did so. He faintly nodded, in response. Her guesses were completely correct, she wasn't crazy. Then, she realized what that meant. If he was a vampire, then, they were real creatures. Swallowing, she felt fear creep in. He was a vampire, most likely the doctor was as well, and she was a mortal standing before them, blurting out what they were. "Who have you told?" Knight asked her. Quickly, she answered, not sure what else to do, "So far, no one." "Who are you going to tell?" That one was a little harder than the first. She hadn't decided yet. "Perhaps Reese, IA, one of the commissioners. Perhaps no one." She did her best to hold her position, to not run like the devil was chasing her. As she thought, that might not be far off. Knight was a vampire. To some people, vampires were the devil incarnate. She hadn't decided what they were yet. That's one of the reasons she'd come. "Why are you here?" Knight moved, not toward her, but to the side, keeping the distance between them the same. At first she thought it was meant as intimidation. But, when he stopped at Lambert's side, and allowed her to lean up against him, she noticed how tired the other woman was. Francis realized that Lambert seemed to be falling asleep, whether she was tired or not. The question was repeated, and pulling herself away from the thought, Francis told him, "A combination of curiosity and the need to know for certain. I couldn't just let what I knew sit there. My mind has to know for sure what is happening, that I wasn't just crazy." He seemed to believe her answer, and after a faint nod, he whispered something to Lambert. She left, walking up stairs, and into a room. Now, it was just her and Knight. Lambert's presence made her more comfortable. She knew more about her. She didn't know anything about Knight, nothing more than what people said from observation. "Where did she go?" she asked, her mind wondering what the answer could possibly be. "To sleep. She is young. The sun makes us tired and weak. This is the longest that she's managed to stay up so far." Terrell looked at her watch. It was about an hour and a half past sunrise. But then, why didn't he look tired, not at all? "How come it's not affecting you?" "Because I'm older, much older. It's been centuries since the sun has had that much control over me constantly." Their eyes once again locked, and within his, could see some of his age, his power. Centuries. Knight had lived for centuries. Although he made no move toward her, it was too much for her to take. She started backing up toward the door, and at Knight's first step, she ran for it. Suddenly, he was right there, his hands gripping her upper arms. The grip wasn't too tight, just enough to keep her in one place. She could feel the suppressed strength within his hands. Strength that could kill her in seconds without a thought. "Are you going to kill me?" she asked, her voice barely audible, even to her own ears. "No," came the simple reply. But when she didn't relax, he added, "I'm not going to harm you." Once he released her arms, she finally relaxed, but made no other movement. "What are you going to do with me?" He looked at her for a second before turning away. "I don't know." He walked into the room more, and sat down. She'd silently followed him, sitting on the edge of the couch. "By our laws, our Code, I have three choices. To kill you, bring you across, or make you forget." She didn't like the sound of any of them. She didn't want to die. She figured that being brought across meant becoming one of them, and she didn't think much of that either. She wasn't thrilled with the third option either, but at least, she wouldn't die. There would be no memory of any of her discoveries. But, she didn't want her mind to be tampered with. Attempting to suppress a yawn, she asked, "Why don't you know what you are going to do?" "Because I really only have a choice of the first two options. You are a resistor. As such, you can't be hypnotized under normal circumstances." She didn't like the news. Her best option seemed to be something that wasn't possible. At least under normal circumstances. Once again, she yawned, and abruptly, it felt like the room was spinning. As she fell back into the couch, Terrell didn't even notice the hands that caught her. Within seconds, was sound asleep. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Francis started awake to unfamiliar surroundings. The room was much darker than before, and as her eyes adjusted, she realized exactly where she was. Knight's place. Now, she was laying on the couch, and she quickly noticed that her coat was gone. She'd been covered up with a blanket, and as she sat up, she could just faintly see her coat. It was on the nearby chair. Quickly checking the contents, she found nothing missing. It was mid-afternoon, still about two hours till sundown. She turned on the table lamp, lighting the room up slightly. For the first time, she was able to get a good look around the spacious room. The layout matched the reports' descriptions, but somehow she had expected it to be a little more lively. The most colourful things she could see were a stack of paintings. About to look at them closer, she was startled by a noise. It was faint, but she was pretty sure that it was Knight's voice. She followed it even after it had stopped, and as she reached the upper level, she could hear something else. Arriving at the room Lambert had gone into earlier, she paused before opening the door. This was undoubtedly Knight's bedroom, and hoped her concern was valid. Her grip tightened, and after cautiously turning the knob, she entered the room. The room was lit faintly with a lamp on the lowest setting. Lambert was awake, her words soft and quiet. Knight was still asleep, but not calm. A nightmare. That could be the only explanation. Yet, she'd never seen anyone so controlled by it. One usually woke up before things got too bad. Listening closer, she was able to hear the words as Lambert alternated between trying to rouse him, and assuring him that everything was okay. They weren't working. She was wiping his forehead with a washcloth, and as Terrell's eyes adjusted to the dim light, she could see that the washcloth was tinted red. Blood. He was sweating blood. Lambert barely paused to acknowledge her, her attention quickly going back to Knight. Suddenly, he became still. Then, a couple of seconds later, he sat up, apparently awake. He focused on Terrell in an instant. His eyes shifting from blue, to green-gold, to amber, finally ending with red. As he hissed at her, she could feel her heart skipping several beats. He smiled at her fear, and for a second time, she could see the long canines. Vampire. Now, she had absolutely no doubt in her mind that they existed. But, she wasn't thinking about that notion at the moment. All she wanted to do was run. Run as far as she could, out into the sunlight. She knew that he couldn't follow her out there. Take a step back. That's what she needed to do to start her way out. One step, and once again, she froze. Knight was now standing merely a couple of feet from her. She wasn't sure how he got there, his movements had been too fast to follow. This time, she didn't move. She barely even remembered to breathe. At his first movement toward her, Lambert appeared, standing slightly in front of him. Standing in his way. She called his name, but he ignored her. He was focused entirely on her, nothing else existed. Lambert stepped right up to him, their bodies nearly touching. Finally, he stopped and looked down at her. The eyes held little sanity, then, Francis noticed the need expressed there. He was hungry, hungry enough to go for the first thing he saw, and that was her. Once again, he stared at Terrell, and tried to advance on her, this time running into Lambert. She turned her head to the side, revealing her neck, undoubtedly an invitation of sorts. He seemed to pause for a second, her actions catching his attention. Then, he was drawn in, and in seconds, his fangs were embedded in her neck, holding her as he drew deeply. It was only seconds as she watched, and then he withdrew. His eyes had now reverted to amber, and within a few more seconds, they were once again blue. Natalie was unconscious, the blood loss and weight of the afternoon too much for her to bear. Breaking away his stare from Terrell, he gently picked Natalie up, placed her in the bed, and tucked her in with the comforter. When she woke she would be hungry, but for the moment, he had to finish satisfying his own need. He remembered going for Terrell, but Natalie stood in his way. He took her blood instead of the mortal's, and as soon as he realized what he'd done, he stopped. He still needed more, and that was downstairs. Walking toward the door, Terrell backed out of his way, but not toward the door. He passed by her, and continued down the stairs. She followed cautiously. The refrigerator was his destination. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle, and within only a few seconds it was empty. Blood. The thought of drinking it make her sick, yet she'd rather him take it from the bottle than her. Abruptly, she remembered the morning's conversation. He'd told her that he had three choices. To kill her, make her one of them, or make her forget. He couldn't do the last, and he'd just had the perfect chance to kill her, yet he didn't. Instead, he'd passed it up, going to bottled blood instead. He closed his eyes, and she stood and waited, wondering what should be said if anything. She was an intruder who had no right to be there, let alone, witness what she had just seen. Finally, she forced the issue, "What are you going to do?" A puzzled expression slipped over his face before he realized what she was talking about. "Nothing, for now. You should probably go home. It would be better if you slept at your own home, than here. Mention nothing you've seen here, or suspect. Nothing about who, or what I am." The voice was deeper than she was used to hearing, and she could feel the threat behind the words. Nodding, she fearfully grabbed her coat and left, his eyes on her the whole time, able to see the almost imperceptible shivering beneath her clothes. The lift descended, and once it had reached the ground floor, only then, did he relax. Terrell had nearly been breakfast. If it weren't for Natalie, she'd be lying, dead on the floor, her blood completely drained. Instead, Natalie had practically offered it to him. She offered, and he took. He didn't seem to be able to get away from that cycle, especially in this life. As he sat down, not trusting himself to go back to sleep, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Natalie's blood was still affecting him. Every feeling was still crystal clear, and in them, he felt her love for him. She needed him, but was it her choice, or was the vampire master/child relationship responsible for the feelings? He didn't know. This was the first time that he'd taken any of her blood since he'd brought her across, and he couldn't tell if it was real or not. Keeping his eyes shut, he turned his attention to her presence. Five minutes later, he was once again asleep. Uncovered - (06/08) Francis was nervous. The night had not gone good. Knight hadn't done anything, not other than telling her what time to meet at his place. There wasn't a whole lot for her to do, but she still had a problem. The files she'd pulled up on Knight, Vetter, and Lambert, were gone. All of them. They weren't in the drawer she left them in, on her desk, or anywhere in it. She hadn't taken them home for fear of what Knight might do. Now she had to destroy the records, at least she figured it would be better if she did, but they were gone. Someone had taken them. When she'd gone over to Knight's place, once again, it was just Knight and Lambert. Correction, Nick and Natalie. They'd both quickly insisted that she use their first names. Once they'd all sat down, she mentioned the missing papers. Nick was annoyed, but not angry, at least not at her. It seemed like this event was going to complicate whatever they had planned. Natalie just cringed at the news, also aware of what it meant. Someone had the papers. If it was the Enforcers, then they might go after Terrell. If it was someone at the precinct, they could put the pieces together and discover his true identity at the very least. He'd have to go talk to Aristotle to see all of what'd been accessed, both by Terrell, and whoever was now in possession of the papers. The phone rang, and Nick found LaCroix on the other side. "What do you want?" he asked, softly enough so that Terrell wouldn't hear. "Just something that might be of interest to you. While I was wrapping up my identity, Aristotle discovered something that you might want to know about." "My records are being searched." The statement seemed to surprise the ancient, something that rarely happened. "Yes, and he is working to diminish the trouble their searching is causing." "By whom?" "Mortals. To be precise, your Internal Affairs. If they discover you, the others will not be pleased. You must keep this quiet." LaCroix paused, then mused aloud, "It is ironic, is it not?" "What is?" Nick questioned. "I have told you often that your blood money would bring misfortune. Yet, you persist in keeping it. Ah, Nicholas, you should have let it go when you had the chance. Now, it inconveniences us all," he lectured. Nick merely shook his head at the words. Only LaCroix would bring such matters up at a time like this. No, he had held onto the money for centuries, and, since it was benefiting others, he would hold onto it for a while longer. "I am taking care of the situation, LaCroix. Leave it be." "Make sure that you do so, Nicholas. We don't need the Enforcers, or a manhunt to follow us when we do indeed depart." "I said, I'm taking care of it." LaCroix allowed himself a bit of satisfaction. His son had not yet returned, but he was taking care of his own business. He could wait a while longer, eternity if need be. "Have you decided if you are coming with me? If so, you need to decide within the next two nights." Nick nodded, not voicing his answer. His father would be able to feel his response easily through their link. A similar feeling to the one LaCroix undoubtedly felt washed over his mind, and with that, they both hung up. Natalie had heard every word, and realized they would have to leave. If not with LaCroix, it would be shortly thereafter. Francis Terrell had watched the entire conversation. Nothing was heard, and the only emotion she saw was a slight hint of concern. "IA has the papers," he stated for Terrell's benefit. The knowledge was not needed, but this way, she'd know what was happening. It would make his next explanation easier. "Others of my kind know you were the one to originally gather the information, and will not tolerate your involvement." "You mean my knowledge, specifically of what you are." The words were flat. She could imagine the troubles that her knowledge would cause, perhaps not in accuracy, but at least, in concept. They didn't want the possibility of her slipping, suddenly allowing information to be known to curious minds. Information had already slipped to IA due to her carelessness. The records should have been locked up, or better yet, she should have brought them with her. She had placed them in her top drawer, and anyone could take them without her knowing. He nodded to her comment, and she could see he was deadly serious. Her knowledge and involvement would not be tolerated. Once again, she was brought back to what Knight had said before. The three choices, of which none was fully satisfactory. The phone rang for a second time, interrupting their thoughts. Once again Nick answered, but this time, she could hear a bit of annoyance, almost anger creeping into his voice. It was Reese, telling him that IA were on their way over to his place. Reese wasn't supposed to tell him, but he thought that his officer should know. He asked Nick to stay where he was, that if he ran, they would be forced to arrest him. The conversation was quickly related to Terrell, and he told her to leave. It would be bad if IA found her here when they arrived. Natalie was there, and he couldn't do anything about the blood in the refrigerator. Once again, he would have to think of an explanation for it. This time Terrell left casually. Her fear was gone, even her curiosity had been put on hold for the moment. Internal Affairs had found the records, and now because of it she had created a problem, and not just a little one either. Nick and Natalie stood still. Their thoughts were concerned with the upcoming confrontation with IA. Before they decided if they were going to go with LaCroix, they had to talk to Tracy. Natalie didn't think she would mind going with him, but Tracy might. The ancient seemed to put fear in her, even as a vampire. The buzzer sounded, and Nick answered it. Sure enough, it was IA. He hesitantly let them into the elevator, wondering what they would say when they entered the loft. The elevator door was pulled open, and the two men stepped out. They were the same ones that had been on his case several years before, Rogers and Wilkinson. They were a pair who already didn't like him. Although he had not been charged for the murders which they'd pinned on him, they'd seen his loft before, and had discovered several interesting things. This time, they weren't fazed by the grand piano, fireplace, and other expensive items strewn about the room. They knew Knight had money, and now, they had the proof of it. The only possibilities for this situation were that he was a dirty cop, or that he'd inherited it. Given the other records, the latter was the obvious explanation. Not only had he inherited the money, but a foundation as well. He glanced down at the foundation's history and saw a picture of Knight. No, not Knight, probably his grand, or great- grand father. Yet, they still looked identical. The resemblance was remarkable as their eyes fell upon the man in question. One pulled out a tape recorder approaching them, and the other spoke, "Knight, do you know why we're here?" "I have a general idea," he told them. After all, what harm would it really do? "Your name really isn’t Knight is it?" He didn't answer that query, but rather, waited for the next comment. "It's Nicholas de Brabant, correct?" Nick nodded in response Yes, he was Nicholas de Brabant. That revelation would hopefully save him from complete discovery. "You flaunt your money here, why? Why are you not in Belgium?" Rogers asked, waving his arms at the objects in the room. The accusing tone was passed off as the questions were answered. "I do not flaunt my money. Most of these artefacts are family heirlooms, the rest I've either acquired myself, or have received as gifts. I do not enjoy publicity. I came here to be out of the public's eye, to be normal." "Do you qualify normal as a high profile cop who gets a lot of attention from his co-workers both for his uncanny luck and many eccentrics?" No, that didn't seem normal. "No, but it's a lot closer than I could ever get over there." They seemed to think about that, and surprisingly they both nodded in agreement. Yet, behind the nod was a questioning, and, for the moment, they passed it off, going on. "Does your government know where you are, and what you are doing?" "No, and I want it to stay that way," he told them, a hint of the vampire creeping into his voice, but not enough to be noticed. Rogers and Wilkinson looked to one another. They were IA, they were above Knight here, but that was just in the precinct. Knight, actually Brabant, would be considered above them in his own country, and they didn't know what to do about it. After doing some digging, they had found his Canadian passport and records were all false. They were good, but fake none the less. Seven years before, he'd actually come from Belgium, not the states. His passport was registered, and he'd only returned a couple of times in those seven years. The sparseness of his report was explained, along with his bank records, and collectible belongings. With his true identity out in the open, it explained virtually everything. Some questions were still left. Ones that they weren't expecting to get to, ones that now needed rewording. Knight had answered their first ones quickly, the time passing only being a few minutes, not hours as they'd expected. Behind Knight, they could see Lambert standing, most of her weight against him, her body clearly tired. Yes, they'd wait to finish, but only a little while. This would be finished at a meeting during his shift. Hopefully, they would know what to do about the confidentiality of the investigation by that point. They left, dismissing themselves, and although done for the day, the next night, they'd have more questions. Turning the tape recorder off, Wilkinson opened it, and discovered no tape. It had been empty, and they had no proof. He would double, triple check that there was a tape in it for the next night's session. As she fell asleep, Nick picked Natalie up, and took her up to his room. Tucking her in, he didn't return downstairs to the couch. Instead, he settled onto the bed as well. He woke up an hour before sunset in the exact same position. Quickly glancing at Natalie, he went downstairs, and called Tracy. He got her on the third try, and she was just barely awake. They waited about five minutes before Nick finally explained LaCroix' question. The idea of going with him was not something that she wanted to think about. Yet, she also saw the advantages. Nick wouldn't have his hands full all of the time with their questions. LaCroix could help, and he would be another familiar presence. A couple of questions later, she'd discovered that they didn't really know where they were going. It could be almost anywhere in the world. By then, she'd also made her decision. The same as Natalie's. They would go with LaCroix which meant leaving almost immediately. At the end of that night's shift, they would turn in their resignations, and leave the following evening. Nick explained the IA investigation, and that it would have forced them to leave within a few days in any event. They would be bringing nothing with them. What they absolutely needed would be delivered. After her shift, she was to go back to Nick's. Leaving was now a necessity, and they prepared as best as they could for the quick departure. Uncovered - (07/08) They made it halfway through their shift before tiredness began to set in. Nick was more tense than tired, and she more nervous. They hadn't been given any new cases, and were nearly done with the others. Only paperwork was left to do. When Natalie entered, he didn't even notice her. She could see his tense shoulders and back, so could everyone in the room. All three of them were tense, and given the situation, they deserved to be so. Since she was there, she figured Nick could use a break. Without warning, she began to massage his shoulders, causing a quick reaction. He pushed her hands away, but she persisted. After another failed attempt to stop her, he could feel the tenseness beginning to melt away. He sat for several minutes. Once she was done, he looked up at her for only a moment, just long enough for her to see the gold dancing in his eyes just beyond the blue, along with pleasure. The massage had gotten rid of his tenseness, but she'd also gotten his mind on something else - her. She knelt down next to his desk, to get a better view of his expressions, but it didn't work as suddenly, his lips were on hers. The kiss quickly became deep, and within a matter of seconds, she could feel both his fangs and her own. As it ended, they both waited several seconds before opening their eyes, a slight hint of green-gold left over in a couple of spots. Tracy watched with amusement, as did half the precinct. The rumour mills would now be satisfied as to their relationship. But, what would they think the next night, when they disappear? It no longer mattered. Beginning tomorrow night, Toronto would merely be a past home, a past life. Reese would be mad, losing his best detective pair. Natalie also knew he would miss them as friends. Tracy's father would panic when his daughter disappeared. Tracy hadn't spoken with him lately, and told Natalie she didn't want to. If she did, Tracy had explained, it would make things worse. Natalie had reluctantly left soon after that, having to finish up a report. Then, came the interview with IA. They only took Nick, their plans eventually leading to the end of his career. But, they never got that far. Moments later, the two left the conference room. Nick followed closely behind them with their folder in his hands, and tape in his pocket, a grin on his face. Rogers and Wilkinson were slightly dazed. They discovered that there had been nothing suspicious about Knight. Exiting empty-handed they wondered what they had on Knight to begin with, if anything at all. To themselves, they both wondered if they were losing their minds, or at least their grip on reality. 'Perhaps, another line of work would suit them better?' they thought. Then, Nick spoke with the Captain, only needing a few seconds to wipe the memory of the investigation. Upon leaving there, he went to Terrell, and led her into one of the conference rooms. As before, he unplugged the camera, cutting off the audio/video security. They sat across the interview table from each other. "I'm going to have to do something about your knowledge. Right now, I'm not exactly in the favour of the Enforcers, who make sure our rules are followed. You know of my three options." At first, she merely nodded, then she stated, "You either have to kill me, make me one of you, or make me forget. All of which aren't satisfactory." He nodded, feeling her heart rate rise. "Yes. The first two are too harsh in my opinion, and the third has a slight problem. You're a resistor, but there are ways past that." "How?" she asked curiously, not knowing that it wasn't a permanent problem. "If you turn your will entirely over to me, I should be able to remove your discovery from your memory. You will not remember what I am, nor any other knowledge you gained in your search." She really didn't want to loose any of her memories, but if it was the only option out, she would do it. "Will it hurt?" He grinned slightly at that, and explained, "No, it won't hurt. Even if it did, you would have no memory of the experience itself either." Neither said a word, then she nodded. "Look at me. Open your mind and allow me access." The command was almost instantly obeyed, and within seconds, he latched onto both her heartbeat and her mind. A minute later, and he was watching her as she left the room and walked over to her desk, her eyes still glazed over. By the time Nick finished with Terrell, he and Tracy had an hour to go, just enough time to clean out their desks. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Natalie stood staring out over the dark city, Sydney purring in her arms. This would be their last night in Toronto. Now, she was on her way to ask her neighbour, who usually watched Sydney, to take care of him. When she entered carrying Sydney, her neighbour was curious as to where she was going as usual. Natalie quickly explained that it would only be temporary until she got settled into her new place. Then, she had to explain why she was leaving. That was a bit harder. Eventually, Natalie told her neighbour that she was going with a friend who had lost a family member. The woman had sadly nodded, and eagerly accepted the task of caring for Sydney. Natalie mentioned she, or someone else, would soon be in contact with her. Walking back to her apartment, Natalie was glad that she was going to be able to keep Sydney. It had taken her several minutes to persuade Nick, but he had quickly given in. Faintly smiling, she wondered what LaCroix would think about her keeping the cat. Turning back to the window a moment longer, she grabbed a few things: clothes for the next night, and a few pictures which she tossed into her wallet. Everything else would wait until they arrived at their destination. Where that would be, she didn't know. Now, all she had to do was to say her good-byes, what few of them were left. Grace had left Toronto two years before, but they still talked often. Beginning tomorrow night, she was supposed to sever all contact with her past, but wasn't sure how she would do that with Grace. Perhaps she would ask Nick if she could periodically call her. After all, a phone call wouldn't hurt, would it? She ended up calling Grace that night, while Nick was with Tracy, and they talked for a couple of hours. Natalie had to explain that she didn't know when she'd call next. Hanging up, she sat still for a few moments before realizing there was someone else to call. Her sister- in-law. Happily realizing that the time in Vancouver was three hours earlier than in Toronto, she dialled Sara's number, and found herself talking for another hour and a half. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Tracy was standing on her roof waiting. Her father had called ten times throughout the day, having found out she was quitting. Each call was more impatient than the last. There was no way that she could leave without saying something to him. At dusk, she had called him. After agreeing to meet him at the house at nine that night, she had hung up. Then, she called Nick. At first he had been annoyed, but Tracy had quickly felt his mood change. He seemed to understand, and after a couple of minutes, she asked if he would go with her. If she went alone, she was afraid that her father would get too protective and try to stop her from leaving. Her temper rose at the thought of his potential reaction. No, a one- on-one meeting would not be a good thing. Nick had hesitantly agreed, and she knew why. He didn't really get along with her father either. No one did. And now, she was waiting for Nick to arrive so she could get this over with. Merely seconds later, she felt a faint tingle, and then Nick landed behind her. "Are you ready?" he inquired. At her nod, the two took off into the cloudless night to her father's. As they arrived, landing just out of view of the house's occupant, Nick reminded her to be calm, and they silently approached the house and knocked on the door. Commissioner Vetter quickly answered the door. He was surprised to see Nick standing with his daughter. "What are you doing here?" he demanded tersely. "I asked him to come," Tracy replied, before anything more could be said. The elder Vetter seemed to look the younger man over. "Very well, but I want to know why." Stepping aside, he let the pair in, and then led them to the living area. Gesturing them to sit down, he also did so. "Well....?" Hesitantly, she explained, "I'm going with Nick." She paused, but seeing the protest forming in his features, continued, "I am an adult, and can make my own decisions." Considering her words, he couldn't help but ask, "Why?" He looked to both of them, not caring who the answer came from. "Why, Button?" Tracy's voice nearly caught in her throat. She never thought about what her leaving would do to her dad. Before, she'd always just wanted to get away, to put some distance between them. Now that she was going to, she realized just how much that he cared for her. His protectiveness was much the same as LaCroix'. They couldn't bear to see their children leave, and that's exactly what she was doing. As Nick watched her, their bond crept to life. He could feel her thoughts, and realizations. They were remarkably accurate. "I recently lost my father," Nick explained, hoping the lie would help Tracy's father understand. "I don't have many friends, and Tracy offered to accompany me. I promise, nothing will happen to her." As Tracy's father thought about Nick's words, he once again looked the now ex-detective over. Every time he'd met his daughter's partner, he tried to decide what to make of the man. Each time, he had failed for some unknown reason. Knight was honest, he knew that. He might not be very good at following orders, but he did what he thought was right, and the Commissioner respected him for that. Not many were willing to put themselves on the line for a belief. He wouldn't, not if he wanted to keep his job. But, Knight had. Not only had he followed that belief, but he was usually right. On a couple of occasions, it had put his career at risk, yet it always worked out in the end. Knight hadn't been demoted, in fact, they'd tried to promote him, and he'd refused. Knight had also saved his daughter's live on more than one occasion, he couldn't just let that piece of information sit unremembered. He was in Knight's debt, and he'd never done a thing to repay him. Tracy would be safe with this man, but he still couldn't get a feeling out of his mind. He'd always known Knight was more than he appeared to be. For that reason, Vetter had failed in his attempts. Without knowing what else the man was, he couldn't make up his mind. Nick looked away from the mortal, and to Tracy. She was watching her mortal father, wondering what to say next. The silence was beginning to become uncomfortable. "This is my decision, and I will be leaving tomorrow night. Either accept it, or don't." He was speechless. Looking first to first his daughter, then to Knight, he wasn't sure what to do. He was losing his daughter. Suddenly, Nick stood, turning the attention full on him. "I should leave you two alone." Tracy stood as well, and caught Nick's arm as he started toward the door. "Nick, wait. You don't have to go." As Vetter watched their interaction, he could swear that they were still communicating despite the lack of words. The closeness mocked him. His own daughter was closer to her partner than she had been to her father in a long time. As Knight nodded and reseated himself, Vetter's eyes fell on his daughter. Over the past half year, she had gone to her partner for reassurance instead of him. Knight was more of a father to her than he was. Knight treated her like a daughter, no, more like a younger sister. Presently, he was backing her up, something he rarely did for Tracy. Instead, he constantly pushed her toward things that she didn't want. In a way, he had asked for this to happen. Once they had gotten past the awkward silence, they talked for a couple of hours. The conversation consisted of mostly Tracy and her father, with an occasional question for Nick. As they stood up, the elder Vetter asked, "Will you keep in touch with me, Tracy?" She hesitated in her answer, not knowing if she would be able to. Turning to Nick, Tracy awaited his answer. With a nod, she turned back to her mortal father, "Yes, I will. It won't be right away, but I will keep in touch." Vetter sadly nodded, recognizing his daughter's glance toward Knight. His approval ignited jealousy in his heart. He had lost Tracy. However, at least she was going to keep in contact. That, at least, he had triumphed in. They said their good-byes, and he watched the two leave the house. Watched them as the walked down the driveway onto the street, and disappear behind a section of bushes. Then, they were gone. Uncovered - (08/08) As the witching hour passed, Tracy and Nick arrived at Nick's loft with what she would bring. She had brought many of the same things as Natalie had, along with a necklace. Her father had given it to her just before becoming a detective, but she had never worn it - until now. Natalie had just finished talking on the phone, as they came in through the skylight. Tracy had apparently finished her good-byes, particularly the one with her father. She knew Nick had gone with her, and wondered how it went. But, that could wait. Now, they only awaited LaCroix' arrival. Nick had poured each of them something to drink, and handed two of the glasses to his fledglings. Nick took his time getting the other two goblets. LaCroix arrived just as Nick returned to the table. The elder vampire accepted the offered glass, and sat in the recliner with an approving smile. Nicholas' hospitality over the past months had improved greatly. Three months before, his son would not have offered any blood-wine, or even given him an invitation to visit. "Have you finished closing the Raven?" Nick asked his sire. "Yes, Nicholas. All is ready for departure." Taking a drink out of his glass, LaCroix' sense of pride in his son increased. The vintage was a fine one, one of his own. "How have your preparations gone?" "Well. Now, is time to discuss the future. We should at least have an idea of what our new lives will include." After a second, LaCroix nodded. Before they left, he wanted to have their new lives underway, at least in the formation of their identities. "Have you thought about your new...career?" Nick hesitated, hearing the distaste in the elder's words. "I thought it would be beneficial if we kept our present careers, at least for this life. I know that it is dangerous, but it would make it easier for Natalie and Tracy." Nicholas was pushing the limits of LaCroix' newly-formed goodwill. But, the words were correct. As long as they were careful, and their names were chosen with caution, little difficulty would be found in their new lives. "What do they think, my son?" As his eyes fell on Tracy, she squirmed under the scrutiny. "I agree with Nick," she softly stated. The vampire's attention then turned to Natalie, and waited. Her response was a simple nod. With that, he turned back to Nicholas. "I will speak to Aristotle about this immediately. I will return before dawn." With that, he stood, and left the way which he had come. "Who's Aristotle?" Tracy queried. "He is one of us. He establishes backgrounds and identities for us when it is time to move on. His quick thinking is what prevented IA from discovering more than just my identity." Seeing their desire for more detail, he added, "I set up my own identity in Toronto, and although I've had some help, I was not able to make it foolproof. Usually, I do not receive assistance when moving on, but with all of the technology, it will soon be required with every change of location." "Where do you think we'll end up?" Natalie asked, not knowing if Nick would be able to answer. He only had to think a couple of seconds. "Probably in an English- speaking country, most likely the United States. Somewhere near the west coast, by my guess. It would be the easiest to adjust to, but far enough away that we should be safe." She agreed. Nick was probably right, and they would find out soon enough. In a day's time, they would be in another city, awaiting their future. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Merely minutes after dusk, the four vampires stood on Nick's roof, watching the last tendrils of sunlight as it danced off of the distant clouds. Even LaCroix seemed to take pleasure in the sight. He looked over at the younger vampires, his son and granddaughters, and smiled to himself. In time, the two fledglings would bring his son back to him. Despite their leaving, Nicholas was content, more so than he had been in centuries. As a result, so was he. Natalie and Tracy wondered what would come. They were both Toronto natives, and had more or less lived there their entire lives. Now, although they had no permanent home, they had a family. One that, whether they knew it or not, would protect them from anything. What would be the hardest, would be starting over. And as they would discover, that was something that would never get easier. They turned away from the west, slightly to the left. Before knowing a permanent destination and new identities, they would fly to Detroit. That way, their departure would be untraceable. No plane tickets, or bus tickets. No one to see them as they left. For Natalie and Tracy, the flight would be long, but they would make it. From there, they would contact Aristotle for their final destination and start over, the first of many times for two fledglings. For the others, it was just one of many that they'd gone through over the past several centuries, and the many more eras come. ~fin~ Jarvinia jarvinia@gmx.com @>--,---`---