A Game to Lose (Sequel to Witness) by StormyNite Written in June 1998 Part 1 The man strapped in the chair screamed in pain as the baseball bat arched into the air and smashed into his arm stretched tight against the restraints. The tormentor laughed when he heard the bone crack and started to swing again. "No!!!!!!" Pierson screamed as the maniac raised the bat once more. "Anything!!! I'll tell you anything." Blood dripped from every orifice on his face and both legs were already broken. Pain ripped through every fiber in his body as he fought to stay conscious. The dark haired man who'd stood at the rear of the room silently raised one finger. The guard stepped back and placed the baseball bat on the table. Valvetti wore a $2000 hand-made Italian suit of pure black silk that made a slight swish as he walked forward into the light. He stopped before the bleeding CWPP agent they'd kidnapped 3 days earlier. "I must say , Mr. Pierson, I am impressed with your stamina. Most would have broken two days ago after we cut off your little fingers. Your loyalty is admirable, but as you can finally see, resistance is futile and we can always use a little truth serum on you..." Valvetti turned to Arnold his guard, who'd been using the baseball bat, and smiled. "...but Arnold needed to hone his skills, so I decided this might be more fun." Valvetti laughed insanely as Pierson cringed, then coughed blood. "Now, Mr. Pierson, tell me just exactly where Natalie Lambert is." Anger washed through Valvetti's voice. He'd spent 6 months in jail awaiting his bond hearing while his appeal was submitted and approved. The little bitch had succeeded in doing something no one else had ever done. He'd been put behind bars...and she would pay for it. His appeal date had been set and his bond approved, with the greasing of the right palms. Money could buy everything, and if you had enough of it, anything was possible. Pierson was the 3rd CWPP agent he'd captured and tortured in the last 2 months. There were only 2 months left to find Lambert, and he was becoming impatient. She had disappeared, and even the CWPP had no idea where she was. Of course that meant possibly she wouldn't show up for the trial, but he couldn't count on that. With her testimony on the stand, he would go back to prison for 20 years no matter whose palm he greased. Even he was smart enough to know that. They'd barely managed an appeal based on their inability to re-cross her the third time at the closing of the trial, and that had cost him big bucks. Natalie Lambert had to die, but first he had to find her. "So, Mr. Pierson, where is Natalie Lambert?" Valvetti waited patiently as the man coughed blood once more and the pain wracked his beaten body. "I.....I...don't know." Valvetti motioned to Arnold and he picked up the baseball bat one more time. "No.....please......honestly I don't know...but she left with that cop, Nick Knight. They both disappeared together. They were lovers or something, and no one can find either of them. We did checks on him and couldn't find anything either. His records are meticulous, almost perfect. Like the kind we do when we give someone a new identity. We tried tracing him and couldn't. We did backgrounds, and couldn't." Arnold raised the bat to swing. "NO!! Wait!!! There's only one link to Knight. It's the club called the Raven. The guy who owns it, LaCroix, has some connection to Knight. That's all we could find out, but when we sent people in to talk with him they came out weird. We finally gave up." Arnold put the bat down and backed off. Valvetti smiled. "Very good, Mr. Pierson. Finally, some information worth keeping. For that you deserve a gift." Valvetti pulled out his 9mm. "A merciful death.....that seems fair, doesn't it?" The gun erupted effortlessly through the silencer and Pierson was dead. Valvetti turned to Arnold with a sense of satisfaction on his face. "Dump the body somewhere noticeable and find me every piece of information you can on this man LaCroix...yesterday. Part 2 Natalie stared into the microscope amazed, yet depressed at what she saw. The cells were changing back slowly. She'd discovered the answer. After all the years of research, it had been right there before them and she just hadn't seen it until now. It was her endorphins that calmed the beast and made the cells change, but why only hers? She didn't understand, and why only the endorphins her body produced after she and Nick made love? Why not her endorphins all the time, and why couldn't she reproduce them in vitro when she tried? Natalie pitched the slide in frustration across the room. She had the answer but she'd never live long enough to reap the benefits. She'd be old and gray a long time before Nick ever became human at the rate the cells were changing. "Damn it!" She screamed in frustration and let the tears slide down her cheeks, then slumped to the floor, and gave into the depression she felt. Her eyes raised to the ceiling as she sobbed verbally. "Why did you let me find the answer, God? Why, if we can't be together? Why torture us both? Why let us have this little bit of joy together only to have it ripped away by time and my mortality?" The cold Alaskan wind whistled around the building in response to her pleas. No other sound but her weeping, enveloped in its own sadness, could be heard echoing through the empty halls of the university lab in Fairbanks, Alaska. Nick could feel the raw pain of grief wash through him and he knew Natalie needed him. Each time they made love and he drank from her, their bond became stronger. Each time, he wanted less blood but more of the woman. Every moment they spent together was a gift he didn't feel he deserved, but he couldn't refuse. He loved Natalie with every fiber of his being and he'd finally come to accept she loved him in spite of what he was. Nick landed the plane and flew to her side. As he entered the building, her sadness took his breath away causing him to stager from the emotion he felt washing through their link. He pushed open the door to see her sitting on the floor sobbing. Her arms were wrapped around her upper body as she rocked back and forth openly crying, now in visible pain. "Nat?" Nick rushed to her side, sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. She immediately responded to his touch and buried her head in his shoulder. Unable to understand what she mumbled in his shoulder, he was confused. Her rubbed her back, then pushed her hair out from her face and neck as she continued to weep. Her pain overwhelmed him and he felt helpless in the face of some unknown force he couldn't fight. "Nat? Tell me what it is?" He brushed her face with his fingertips and followed them with his cool lips. "Tell me, Nat. Let me help." Tired bloodshot, blue eyes looked up into his. "I found the cure, Nick." She watched his face for a reaction. Surprise and shock washed through him followed by joy, then despair. "What aren't you telling me, Nat? I know you love me and this is what we both want. What aren't you telling me?" Nick could still feel the pain and grief in her heart, and waited for her to answer. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear it, but he had to. They both had to. "The cure is the endorphins produced by my body after we make love. It changes your cells enough that they reject the vampire gene attached to your blood cells. When the endorphins disappear the gene reattaches but not to all the cells. Slowly, you are becoming mortal." She hesitated. Nick placed both hands around her face gently and forced her to look him in the eyes. "But what, Nat?" Natalie tried to pull free because she couldn't look at him, but he refused to release her. "No, I want the whole story. We said no more secrets. I've kept my end of the bargain. Now you keep yours." "I won't live long enough to see it, Nick. It's happening so slowly that I'll be dead, buried and dust long before you are mortal again." She waited for her words to sink in. "Then I'll bring you across." Nick searched her eyes for acceptance and found only sadness. "I know you've thought about it and so have I. I won't....." She placed her lips to his to silence him. "No, Nick! It's my human body producing the endorphins, and I only produce them after we've made love. Only then are they strong enough to defeat the vampire gene and breaks its hold on your blood. If you bring me across, I won't produce those endorphins anymore. When I age, I won't produce them either. So you see the dilemma. You need my human blood to make you mortal and my mortal body won't last long enough to finish the job." Another tear escaped her eye. He gently wiped it away, then pulled her lips to his. Passion laced with pain enveloped his heart as he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. She was his life, his heart, his soul and he wouldn't let her go. Not like this....not after they'd come through so much. He broke the kiss, then pulled her head back on his shoulder and buried his head in her auburn curls when he spoke. "I'll never leave you, Natalie. I love you more than life itself. If I can't be mortal again, then I'll bring you across." She held him tightly trying to get even closer but it wasn't possible. "You don't understand, Nick. You will eventually become human again, no matter what happens between you and I. Your body is changing in reaction to not only my body, but yours as well. You've learned to love again. The more endorphins I pump into your system, the faster it works, but it will not do it fast enough to be of benefit to us." She pulled away from his shoulder and forced a laugh while she ran her fingers down his soft face to his lips. "Unless you're into old ladies of 150 plus. You will become human after a hundred years give or take, even without more of my blood. The process has already started. I was just trying to speed it up so we could stay together." She kissed his lips softly through the blood tears now running down his cheeks. "So you see, my love, if you brought me across, in two hundred years you would be mortal and I would be the vampire. Another catch 22, I think." Sadness washed over her face and heart and she tried to be strong. Raw pain flashed through Nick's eyes that she was sure was matched by her own. They would only have a short time together and he would be forced to move on or watch her grow old and die. She couldn't let him do that. She wanted him to be happy. She caressed his face with her fingertips and he leaned into her palm, then he kissed it. Their time together would be measured and they both knew it. "Take me home and make love to me, Nick. Make love to me until we are both so tired we can't walk and you are a part of me that can never be erased by time. I love you, Nick Knight, defender of the faith, homicide detective, and charter pilot of Northern Alaska. I need to pretend we can be together forever...at least for tonight." She leaned over and kissed him softly. He responded with passion as her lips met his and he opened his mouth to hers. Their tongues dueled in a lovers dance and their bodies reacted to a heat only pure carnal lust could ignite. He pulled her up without releasing her lips, ran his hands over her small form memorizing every inch with his fingertips, making her moan into the sweet recess of his mouth. He released her lips reluctantly and scooped her into his arms. "Tonight, Natalie, I will make you see that nothing will ever make me change the way I feel about you. Tonight, I will show you that love is the only thing that is immortal...not my beast or age will ever change that." Her lowered his lips to hers and kissed hers softly once more and read acceptance in her eyes, then pushed open the door to the hallway and headed for home. ------------- The following morning: Natalie listened carefully to the woman's heartbeat and smiled. The free clinic was really busy today. Since coming to Alaska 6 months earlier, Natalie had spent 3 days a week at the free clinic and all the rest of the time at the university lab doing research. Her primary goal, of course, was to find a cure for Nick, but in the mean time, she'd discovered a strange anomaly in the children's blood from the free clinic. After some pain staking microscope time, she'd discovered an unusual toxin in the paint they used to coat most of the buildings in Alaska to prevent them from freezing damage. Most of the street children were showing signs of toxemia and heart problems from it. She'd been working on a way to neutralize it along with Nick's little problem. Mai Chen eyed Natalie closely as she finished writing down the results in her notebook. The doctor was so beautiful and so kind, but sad. It broke her heart to watch her sometimes when she doctored the children. She didn't understand the problem with her and her husband. He was so handsome. He cared as much for the street community and the children as the good doctor did. Maybe there was something physical that prevented them from having a family of their own. Mai Chen was raised never to intrude, so she never asked, but she always repaid her debts and today would be no different. Natalie smiled brightly at the young Chinese woman before her and the small child that stood quietly at her side. "Well, Mai Chen...both you and little Min are finally in tip-top shape. Your heart rate and Min's are both back to normal and your blood work all showed up normal." Natalie held her arms out for Min and smiled. Min immediately came to the doctor and welcomed her embrace. Natalie brushed the dark locks of hair out of the child's face and laughed. "Well, I see we've made improvements all around. I remember when you wouldn't even touch my hand, let alone sit on my lap." The small child beamed at Natalie. "Doctor...friend. Min feel happy again." Mai Chen rose from her chair and bowed deeply in respect. "I can neverrepay you, Doctor, for what you have done for me and my child." She leaned over and picked up a leather bound volume out of her valise. "So I give you a gift in hopes it will bring you great happiness as it did my great-great grandfather." She handed the book to Natalie. Natalie looked at the book recognizing the age of the leather. "Mai Chen, I can't accept this. This is very old and probably worth a great deal of money. You may need it for Min and yourself." Natalie pushed the book across her desk toward the young Chinese woman. "No, doctor! The book is now yours. I was to give it to someone who had the heart of an angel seeking enlightenment. One who could use the word of healing for the good of mankind. That is you, Doctor. It is the only payment I can offer you. I only hope it is enough for what you have done for me." She placed the leather volume back into Natalie's hands. "It is the book of ancient Chinese cures for the believers. It is said to possess the magic and knowledge of the ancients and is to be guarded with your life. I do not give it lightly, but I feel you are the one destined to show the world that there is another way." Mai Chen picked up Min and headed for the door as Natalie stood speechless watching her retreat out into the cold night air. When Mai Chen walked out the door, Natalie lifted the cover and glanced at the book's contents. It was written in Chinese and Nat smiled. "Guess that means I need a translator for this one." She closed the book reverently and placed it in her drawer. Maybe Chin Lee at the university would translate it for her. She glanced at the waiting room, then picked up another file. --------- Chin Lee walked into the lab the following night carrying the book under his arm. He smiled as he approached Natalie and laid the leather bound book down beside her microscope. She glanced up from her slides to notice the smirk on his face. "Well, out with it? Stop standing there like the cat that swallowed the canary. What's in the book?" "Just as I told you, Doctor Lambert. It's an old Chinese Doctor's journal. It's full of lots of old remedies for colds, flu, gout, mumps, etc. They are all natural herb remedies as most of my people like to use because it's less expensive. I jotted down the symbols for quantities and herbs so you could try them if you liked." He handed her a small white notebook filled with the translations. "Then there's the section on how to live to be a 1000 like the ancients supposedly did." He smirked, then chuckled to himself. "Of course, you'd need the blood of a real life vampire to make it work, and since they don't really exist, I guess that's not even worth translating. Sure would be nice to live to be a 1000. Think what you could do with technology in the 29th century." Chin plopped down on the chair beside her. Nat's eyes widened in surprise, then she slammed her professional mask back in place. "What did you say, Chin? Ancient Chinese cure for old age......vampire blood? Just exactly what did it say?" Nat's eyes widened in disbelief, but her pulse leaped into her throat and she found herself telling herself to calm down. Chin flipped open to the page and thumbed through the 3 pages written specifically on the topic. "It says here, Doc, that if you mix the blood of a willing vampire with these herbs you will possess the power and life span of the vampire, but not his bloodlust. That given on a regular basis you could technically become immortal just as he is, only you wouldn't have the drawbacks...You know, like needing blood to survive, and not going out into the sun. That you would essentially still be mortal as long as you took the concoction and the vampire willingly gave it to you. Says here that it's not really likely, since most mortals ended up dead or for dinner when they were around vampires." Chin closed the book with a smile. "If you know any friendly vampires, Doc, you can live to be a 1000 with no sweat. Just have to live long enough to get him to donate." Chin laughed out loud now. "Well, it was fun reading, Doc, but I've got to get back to work. Next time bring me a book that tells me how to pick up chicks and I'll read it in less time for you." Chin popped back off the chair and headed for his cubicle on the other side of the room with a light skip in his step. Natalie touched the book in awe, quickly flipped to the pages and pulled out the notebook to translate the herbs and quantities. It was worth a shot. At this point, she would try anything. Part 3 ----------- Tracy walked into the Captain's office and stopped in mid-stride when she recognized the two men standing beside the Captain's desk. "Come in, Detective. You remember agents Malone and Harrick from the CWPP?" Reese nodded at the two men standing beside him. Malone reached over and offered his hand to the young detective he remembered fondly from 6 months ago. "Pleasure to see you again, Detective Vetter." Malone smiled, then shook her hand. Harrick never moved, flinched or did anything to acknowledge Tracy in any way. He was his usual charming self, leaving all the social amenities to his partner. "Trace, the Valvetti case has been approved for appeal and he's out on bail. We need to find Nick and Natalie as soon as possible. Agent Malone seems to think you might know their whereabouts or how to contact them." Reese glared at the two agents letting his disapproval show in his face. The CWPP had done a poor job of protecting Natalie the first time. They had gall to even think metro would trust them to protect Nat under any circumstances. Trace smiled sweetly. "Well, MR. MALONE, you are incorrect. I've only heard twice from them in the last 6 months, and each time the card was postmarked from somewhere different in Europe. So I'm afraid I can't help you." Tracy turned and headed for the door. When she reached the handle, a hand touched her shoulder gently. "Please, Detective. I know you think we botched things up last time. Frankly, I have to agree with you, because I think Detective Knight and Doctor Lambert had a legitimate excuse for ditching us. Knight has made them disappear off this planet. We can't find them anywhere. Believe me when I say we've tried but we have no choice. If Dr. Lambert doesn't show up for the appeal, all her testimony from the original trial will be nullified and thrown out. Valvetti will walk. He knows it, you know it, and I know it. We've lost 3 agents already from his ruthless behavior and found what's left of our men floating face down in the lake. We want him bad, and Doctor Lambert is the only chance we have of putting him away. The trial is in two months. Help us!" His green eyes pleaded with Tracy's as he spoke. The words he spoke had the ring of truth in them, but it could mean the death of her two best friends. She looked at the Captain and he nodded his head in agreement. "All right, Agent Malone. I'm suppose to contact them in the paper if it's an emergency. Nick said no matter where they were they would pick up the Sunday Toronto paper and I should give them two weeks to return. Valvetti will try and kill them, you know that." She waited for him to deny it, but he didn't. "I won't deny he'll try, Tracy. But your partner has the unique knack of knowing how to conceal her better than anyone I've ever met. That's never happened before. I'm willing to bet he still can protect her better than we can, but it's not our decision, is it?...It's Doctor Lambert's. Only Natalie has a choice here. I don't know what's happening in their lives or if it's worth the risk, but I have to try. Two of those agents who were tortured and killed were my friends. I have to try and seek justice for them. I have to for my own peace of mind." A great sadness washed over his face and Tracy immediately touched his arm in support. "I'll place the add. That's all I can do. The rest is up to Nick and Nat." She smiled then walked out the door. ---------- Nat finished crushing the herbs in the small mortar and gently tapped the contents into the beaker. She added the necessary oils and stirred. Slowly she brought the mixture to a boil, then set the timer. Calmly she walked to the freezer and brought out one of the frozen vials she had of Nick's blood from the first time she'd started working with him. She smiled when she thought of her foresight. Thank God the scientist in her had paid off. She draw the equivalent of 3 full units of blood from Nick the first week she'd started working with him. She'd frozen them in 1 ml ampoules to use as controls as the research progressed. Now, she would use them for another purpose. Tonight she would try the impossible. She would try to become immortal without the price-tag. She knew it was wishful thinking, and in her mind she wasn't sure she should have kept it all to herself. But if it didn't work, she didn't want to crush Nick yet again. His need for her was stronger than his will to live, and that scared her but thrilled her at the same time. When she sat down and analyzed it, her love for him was just as strong. Wasn't it she, that said she would rather live eternity in darkness with him than an eternity in light without love? Yes, this was the right thing to do. Finally, she understood Nick's desperation over the years when he'd come so close only to have mortality torn away with the morning sun. The timer sounded and she approached the beaker with caution. Quickly, she removed the container from the heat and let it cool 5 minutes as directed. The ampoule of Nick's blood thawed quickly in the heat of her hand. At the end of 5 minutes she dumped the contents of the ampoule into the concoction and stirred. As she stirred, the solution began to bubble and hiss turning a bright orange, then fading to pink and finally completely clear. Nat stared in amazement. Fear griped her heart, but then Nick's blue eyes appeared before her in a haze. She grasped the beaker with determination, said a silent prayer of hope and drank. For some reason, the mixture tasted sweet, very sweet, and she liked it. Without further hesitation, she tipped the beaker up and drained the contents into her mouth and swallowed. She waited and nothing happened. Suddenly a tingling sensation started in her fingers, then raced throughout her body. It wasn't painful, but rather pleasant and exhilarating and she waited not quite sure what to expect next. She sat the beaker carefully on the table as her heart began to speed up and her breath became labored. All of a sudden she could feel her own blood pumping through her veins and the noises in the room became deafening. Her muscled spasmed and suddenly she felt ill, very ill. Then the cramps came. She screamed as she doubled over in pain and fell to the floor. "Nick!!!! What have I done?" The words ripped from her throat and echoed in her mind over and over again. ------ Nick had just parked his car beside Nat's when he heard her scream his name, then physical pain overwhelmed him. He went straight up to the roof and down through the skylight into the lab on the 3rd floor. Natalie writhed in pain on the floor as Nick landed softly beside her. Quickly, he pulled her into his arms as the convulsion overtook her. She tried vomiting but nothing came up. It felt like hot knives cutting through her abdomen and she screamed in pain once more. "Nat? What's happening?" Nick watched Natalie's eyes turn golden, then red as she convulsed again. She reached to claw her face and Nick grabbed her hands. She fought him with incredible strength, then he felt their bond sizzle with electricity and knew she'd ingested his blood. Her body screamed for his blood and he tore open his collar and sliced his throat with sharp fingernail. His blood permeated the room and the smell drove Natalie mad with desire. "Take it, Natalie, it will stop the pain." Nick pulled her head toward his neck. Deep inside her, something snapped. The blood called to her as did Nick through their link, but there was something else. Her body convulsed one more time, then her mind took control. Nick's blood was not the answer. Nick's love was the answer. "No!" She pushed back from him. "I need to feel your love, Nick...not your blood. Let me feel your love." Natalie pulled open her own collar and pulled his head toward her neck. "Please, Nick. For us...do this for us." Unable to understand the problem, he hesitated but her entreaties beckoned the man as well as the beast so he sank his fangs gently into her neck. With the first drop of her blood, he felt the power of the beast and the knowledge of what she'd done. He pushed into their link and let his love for her overwhelm them both as he drank greedily from her neck. She began to fade into the darkness, peaceful and free of the pain, then he released her. Afraid he'd taken too much, Nick quickly checked her pulse and found it strong but fast. He pulled her into his arms, rocked her like a child, and wept. Part 4 Adult ----------- Valvetti stared at the man before him, who only seconds before, stood across the room. He'd not seen him move, but he'd heard rumors of a strange group of people within Toronto who had unusual talents. He could use a man like this and greed was written into his eyes even now as he sat quietly across the desk. Yes, this was a form of evil he was used to. This was something he could understand. "Interesting trick, Mr. .......?" "Let us just say, that I have some information you might find useful, Monsier." The tall dark figure gracefully stood, then leaned over the desk and locked onto Valvetti's heartbeat. "You will go to the Raven and tell LaCroix that you know everything. You will tell him that if he doesn't give you what you want, you will go to the press. Is that clear?" His velvety smooth voice oozed over Valvetti and he started to give into it. Each time the desire to repeat what the man said grew stronger, "NO!!!!!" Valvetti screamed and pushed the dark creature before him away. "I do no man's dirty work. You will do mine instead." Valvetti pulled out his 9mm and prepared to fire. The ancient vampire, Zalin, laughed evilly. "You're a fool, Valvetti. I give you everything you need to get her back and you want more. You want to control a power that you can't possibly imagine. LaCroix will eat you alive, and spit you out without blinking. You must give him something he wants...something we all want." Zalin stood gracefully then lifted slowly into the air before him. "Speak the words as I commanded and you may prove useful. Do not and LaCroix will kill you for the sheer joy of bleeding you dry." The dark figure of a man disappeared without a sound, leaving only the silence of death behind. ------------ Nick paced back and forth across the room for the 10th time. "If you don't stop pacing, Nick, we are going to have to replace the carpet before the night is over." The Toronto Sunday paper lay on the kitchen table besides Nat's coffee mug. "It's a trap, Natalie, and you know it. I checked with my sources. Valvetti's out on bail. Three CWPP members have been found dead after being tortured, and the trial date is set for 6 weeks from now. He will do everything in his power to see you dead." Nat walked over and wrapped her arms around her husband of 6 months and forced him to stop pacing. "I have to do this, Nick. You know that. Innocent people have died because of me and more innocent people will die if I don't testify again. It's something I have to do. You knew it would come to this sooner or later. We both did. I just need a big strong blond vampire there to back me up." She reached up and kissed his nose quickly. "We've been given another shot at doing things right....together. It's what we do, remember? We are the good guys...and they are the bad. Good guys win over the bad guys or die trying." She waited patiently for him to come around to her point of view. "It's too risky, Nat. Your metabolism is going crazy. We have no idea how long that concoction is going to work, and your reactions to things are....." She pressed her soft body into his groin and her lips to his to silence his protests. She ran her hands up under his shirt and plunged her tongue into his mouth causing him to groan in mild protest and pull away from her lips. "Not this time, Nat. That is not going to work." Her fingers slid around to the front and she rubbed his hard stomach slowly with the palm of her hands, then licked her lips slowly only inches from his. She let her fingertips briefly touch his nipples and they hardened instantly. "Really, Nick? Are you sure?" She brought her lips back to his and ran one hand down his flat stomach to his groin stopping only inches from his now hard shaft. She caressed his thigh through his jeans. Her slick tongue tasted every corner of his mouth without protest until she felt his fangs drop. She sucked gently, pulling his tongue into her own mouth and he was lost. His hands pulled her hard against him as he cupped and kneaded her ass making her groan with desire. She wanted to feel his cool skin next to hers. She wanted him out of control. She wanted the man and the vampire all together now...without pretense or precaution. She ground her lips hard into his, then plunged her tongue back into his mouth and caressed each fang until he gasped in need. "Nat, that's not a wise idea...." She ripped his shirt, then placed her head on his now hard nipples and sucked causing intense pleasure to cascade through him. His eyes glowed golden as he gave into the sensual creature causing him such exquisite pain. Her hands kneaded his balls through the tight jeans and she growled in frustration at the hindrance of the cloth. She unzipped his pants and pulled him free, letting her fingers caress his shaft in hard, long strokes until her mouth found his lips once more. Finally, she pushed his jeans over his hips in an effort to gain free access to him. Her tongue caressed his fangs as her hands did magical things to his shaft, and he grew larger and harder in her hands. The growl from his chest only excited her more, then he broke the onslaught and pushed her backwards toward the kitchen table. He swept the dishes to the floor in one motion and ripped her skirt from her lower torso along with her lace thong. She stood before him half naked and he liked what he saw. She saw pure carnal lust in his eyes and the vampire waiting for his due. She reached up and tore her blouse open, letting the buttons dance on the floor in the light and his head was at her breasts before her next breath. He sucked the first rosey tip through the lace bra she wore, then unhooked it from the back and tossed the offending garment away. He rolled one nipple between his fingers and suckled the other until the hard nub beckoned his fangs to pierce it. He scratched it lightly and sucked her sweet honey into his mouth. His hand rubbed her mound as his mouth worshiped her breasts. She gasped in sheer pleasure when he plunged two fingers inside her wet core. She wanted to taste him, all of him and the need was growing stronger each day. "Please, Nick. Let me taste you. Let me feel you as you come to me." "Nat, we don't know what that will...." She silenced him with a kiss, then bit his lip. His blood mingled with hers as she sucked his cold blood into her warm mouth. Fire shot through him along with intense pleasure and he wanted more...She wanted more. She sucked his bleeding lip as he buried his shaft deep within her. When he moved, the warmth and friction between them only increased each other's need. Each stroke forced him deeper within her until he touched her very core causing her to cry out in pleasure. He couldn't get enough and she wrapped her legs around him giving him better access to what they both wanted. He stood while she lay flat on the table with her legs grasped tightly around him. He pounded her soft supple body harder and deeper until she began to contract around his hard shaft. Lost to the feel of her and the blood connection which now raged wild between them, he screamed her name in release as his seed poured deep within her body. The beast raged with need and he fought for control just to prolong the feel of the man deep within the woman that he loved. Her blood beckoned, and he needed the feel of her love to calm the beast. Natalie gave into her own baser needs and rode the tidal wave of emotion Nick's blood brought to her. Pure carnal lust laced with love flowed like a wave cascading onto a beach. Each stroke and each drop of his blood, promised eternity and commitment she'd never dreamed possible. His love for her was complete in body and soul and he could not survive without her. It drove her over the edge as her body began to climb the sweet release of passion when his seed poured into her with such warmth she'd never felt before. When she opened her eyes to the vampire, she was no longer afraid, because he loved her as well. They were now one for all eternity. She offered her neck to him and he sank his fangs deep within her throat letting her body become one with his. When Nick released her neck, guilt washed over him. What had he done? The introduction of more of his blood into her system was sure to bring her across. She was certain to become a creature of the darkness if they continued like this. The herbal concoction had sped up her metabolism causing her cells to regenerate at a much more rapid pace, but his blood was causing her beast to appear as well. He could feel it in her blood and in her mind as they mated. He caressed her face with his hands but did not remove his shaft from within her. The feel of her around him gave him a peace he'd never known, and he just couldn't give it up easily. Worried blue eyes met hers. "It's okay, Nick. It's only your blood that I crave. Only you that makes the fire within me burn brightly. This power and bloodlust that I now possess is based on love...your love... and it will give me strength to do the right thing. I know it. It scares me more than I can say, but I have faith in what we have together, Nick. Let yourself enjoy what we feel when we're together and that love will grow stronger and so shall we." She kissed his forehead, then his nose, and finally his lips. "You are my heart, and my soul, Nick Knight, now and forever." "I will remind you of that often in the next 1000 years, my love" He kissed her softly causing his now soft shaft to wiggle inside her, bringing a smile to her face. He noticed the broken dishes on the floor and the angle at which Natalie lay on the kitchen table. "You think maybe, next time we should take this upstairs? It might be less expensive this way." He eyed the broken china on the floor. "We could, but then again....it might not be as much fun!" She squirmed on his shaft causing him to laugh and stiffen a little within her. "I think my knight in shining armor is not quite ready for real food." She pulled his lips back to hers. He lifted her up and flew them upstairs. Part 5 Valvetti paced the floor before the man who'd brought him the report. "Honestly, Mr. Valvetti, this guy LaCroix is a real mystery. He owns the Raven by a transfer of deed from a Ms. Janette DuCharme who left last year sometime. He's very mysterious, only seen at night, no misdemeanors, not even a traffic ticket. Actually, he doesn't even own a car according to the DMV. Oh, I did find out he is the voice of the 'Nightcrawler'. You know the weird guy on super late at night. Apparently he has a big following and he broadcasts out of a booth in the back of the Raven." "No one will give me anything else and his records are meticulous. Just like Knight's. They are so good, in fact, they have to be fake, but you couldn't prove it. Another thing...there's lots of traffic in and out of the Raven after it closes. I think some of them live there with him because you don't see them leave until the next night. They are all night people and they are really scary. You feel really weird around most of them, like there's something evil, then they just disappear." "I followed one guy for two blocks and lost him in a dead end alley. Another girl just walked around the corner of the building and she was gone. I don't like this. I don't like this at all but I noticed they all drink the house special when they order. It's a dark red wine of some sort. I asked the bartender for a glass and he brought me a dark burgundy but it didn't look like what they were drinking. When I questioned him, he threw me out for complaining. He picked me up like I was a feather and tossed me on the street." Valvetti stopped pacing for a moment and looked at the large man before him. He must have weighed 220 and stood 6 feet tall. He'd seen pictures of the bartender. There was no way unless there was something going on. Of course, there was more going on. He already knew that. What was he thinking? It was time for a meeting with Mr. LaCroix. ----------- It was already past 4am and the bar was closed. He had been surprised when LaCroix offered to meet with him after the closing of the bar and his final monologue of the Nightcrawler. It wasn't that difficult. It was his name, he was sure of it. He opened the door at the Raven and walked in. The lights were dim and the bar deserted. He could hear the soft music from what sounded like a violin coming from the back of the establishment. LaCroix must live here just as Stanley had suspected. He wondered how many of the others did as well. He saw no one else, but that meant nothing. He checked his 9mm laying loosely in his pocket for comfort. He was prepared. The music stopped and a tall man dressed completely in black appeared at the door toward the back of the room. He carried a glass of wine in one hand with the grace and ease of one used to power and wealth for years. His aristocratic bones and piercing blue eyes made you feel like an animal under scrutiny for the next meal. A feeling of cold and death silently engulfed the room. Valvetti gasped at the feeling as it washed over him slowly, taking his breath away. What was this man? Or should he say creature? When his eyes met LaCroix's a smile spread across the ancient vampire's face. For the first time in his life, Valvetti experienced fear. LaCroix laughed and moved forward with the grace and stealth of a panther. He reveled in the fear he felt from the man before him. So this was the man who had created such chaos in his son's life. Pity, he wouldn't be more fun to dispose of. He so enjoyed a quick wit and a little tension in his quarry. LaCroix placed his wine glass on the bar after draining it slowly in front of his prey. Then another thought occurred to him. He toyed with the idea as he twirled the stem of his goblet in his hand, and watched Valvetti regroup. Valvetti forcefully push his fear behind him, then moved forward into the room uninvited. "Mr. LaCroix, I presume." Valvetti squared his shoulders with confidence. He was Anthony Valvetti, surviving son of the great Georgio Valvetti, largest dealer in the northern continent in drugs, gambling, prostitution and illegal alcohol. He was a man to be feared and respected no matter where he was, and this was not to be an exception. Bolstering his own ego, he pulled his 9mm out and laid it on the counter top for effect, then sat down and poured a glass of wine from the bottle sitting on the top of the bar. With the calm of an assassin readying for a kill, Valvetti poured the wine into a nearby glass without spilling a drop. LaCroix chuckled, then produced another bottle from behind the bar and poured his own brand of sustenance. "What is it that I can do for you, Mr. Valvetti?" LaCroix's smooth velvet voice echoed through the room as he projected only a slight amount of the power he possessed in the tone of his voice. Valvetti felt it immediately and grabbed the 9mm and pointed it directly at LaCroix's chest. This brought another laugh and a look of skepticism to the ancient vampire's face. "Am I suppose to be frightened?" LaCroix motioned toward the gun in Valvetti's hand. "You obviously are quite misinformed, Mr. Valvetti, or you wouldn't be so foolish as to point that pitiful little toy at me." This time Valvetti smiled and gloated. "Really? I understand quite well what I'm dealing with. You see, Mr. LaCroix, I'm not bothered with all the petty details and social graces required by most to obtain what they want. I simply ask for it, and if I don't receive it...I kill you. It's really quite simple. When you have no morals to get in the way, life is so much easier. More profitable as well, I found." The gun did not waver as he spoke. He watched LaCroix's eyes intently looking for the fear, but found none. This was not normal, but he would have his due non-the-less. "So you see, Mr. LaCroix, if you don't give me the information I seek, then you are useless to me." The annoying little mortal was beginning to grate on his nerves, but his brass impressed him. Maybe he could use him after all. "Well, let me see...you think if you threaten me with your BIG GUN there..." LaCroix smiled as he nodded toward the gun in Valvetti's hand. "...that I will tell you where Dr. Lambert and Nicholas are. Is that about right? And if I don't...you'll shoot me. Does that about sum it up?" LaCroix raised one eyebrow on his stoic face. "Very good, Mr. LaCroix. And they said you were difficult to reach." Valvetti smirked. In a blink of an eye, LaCroix was behind him with a deathlike grip around his throat. His eyes glowed golden and his fangs descended, but he waited letting the fear overwhelm the man as Valvetti fired into the space where LaCroix stood moments before. "I have killed men for less reason than your threats, Mr. Valvetti, and I enjoyed doing it." LaCroix crushed Valvetti's wrist causing the gun to fall to the floor as he screamed in pain. LaCroix's hold on Valvetti's neck and upper body kept him from collapsing to the floor. Panic rose in the back of Valvetti's throat as LaCroix growled into his captive's ear. "Now listen very closely, Mr. Valvetti. You will do exactly as I say and I will let you live. You play games with me and you will find you and your entire organization dead within a week. Do I make MYSELF perfectly clear?" LaCroix tightened the hold on Valvetti's throat until he choked and nodded in agreement. When his voice returned in a whisper, he reiterated the words spoken to him from the creature he'd met earlier. "You will not kill me, LaCroix. I know everything and I will go to the press. I have made arrangements already." LaCroix tossed him across the room like a rag doll and fought the irritation the mortal created. Valvetti scrambled for the gun on the counter and fired point blank into LaCroix's chest. LaCroix stepped back only one pace from the blast, then laughed, projecting his full power around the room. Valvetti screamed in terror as he looked at the hole in LaCroix chest heal right before his eyes. "What are you?" He screamed as he backed hard up against the bar behind him. Bright gold eyes glared back at him and LaCroix hissed through his fangs. "Something you should already know about if you are so bright, my evil friend. But then again this was only a test, and you passed admirably." LaCroix stalked forward letting his power wash over his prey as he soaked in the fear he felt from the man. Terror gripped Valvetti as LaCroix grabbed the lapels of his collar and pulled him within inches of his face. "Now that we have an understanding of who has the real power here, my little protégé...I have a job for you." ---------- Nick had rented an empty warehouse over on 4th street prior to their arrival and had the furniture and essentials delivered by an unmarked van. As much as he hated not being able to drive the caddy, he rented a plain gray sedan from a local leasing company. When they arrived, he ushered Natalie into the car without ever stopping for luggage. "Nick, what about our luggage?" Nat questioned as he opened the car door for her. "I've arranged to have it delivered. I want to check in at the precinct after I've got you safely tucked away. Everything is listed under the de Brabant Foundation name, so no one can track us that way." He started to slam the car door when the pain washed through him. Pure agony tore through him stronger than he'd ever felt before. He dropped to his knees as a scream ripped from his throat. "Nick!!!" Nat screamed and jumped out of the car as she felt the pain from her husband wash over her. The enormity of it took her breath away even though she experienced it second hand through Nick. "Tell me what it is!" She knelt beside him for support and pushed into their link with her strength. "It's...it's LaCroix...Someone is torturing him..." Nick gasped as another wave passed over him. He tried to stand with the aid of Natalie's strong arms only to collapse back to his knees when the pain from his father sizzled with electricity through their connection. Nat reached into her medical bag on the floor board of the car and grabbed her scalpel. Quickly, she sliced her wrist and shoved it into Nick's mouth. First he rejected it, then sank his fangs into her gratefully. Her blood stopped the pain and her love strengthened them both. Moments later, the pain stopped all together and he released her wrist. Nat helped Nick into the passenger's seat and slammed the door. She glanced around the parking lot looking for witnesses and found none, due to the wee hours of the morning that their charter had arrived. Having money certainly made travel arrangements much easier. Nick simply hired a charter to have them arrive by 4am. Enough time to get to the warehouse and still beat the sunrise. This, however, was another unexpected problem. Part 6 ---------- Nat and Nick pulled into the warehouse unobserved at 4:30am. Stepping out of the car, Nat kept an eye on Nick as he checked out the warehouse for intruders. "It looks good, Nat." Nick reached over and pulled the switch on the alarm box. "I'll reset the code before I head for the precinct." His worried blue eyes met hers. "It's okay, Nick. I understand. I know you have to go find out what's happened with LaCroix, but do me a favor.....be careful. I don't trust him any more than I do Valvetti." She stood there looking a bit fragile but afraid to let him see her fear. He was at her side in a heartbeat. "I know what he is, Nat....and whether I like it or not...I do owe him." Nick pulled her into his arms and buried his head in her soft chestnut curls. "I'll be careful. Remember, we've taken precautions. Don't worry!" He pulled her head into both his hands, then kissed her gently on the lips. "We have everything to live for now...no chances...no heroics on either of our parts. We do what we have to do and then we go back to Alaska." She nodded in agreement, then kissed him passionately before releasing him. ----------- It was almost 5 am and the precinct was rather quiet. Nick walked into the main detectives room and pleasant memories assaulted him. He actually took a deep breath to enhance the smells and the memories and let them wash over him freely. He really did miss this place, just as Nat did. It's where they met and they had friends here. It was hard to walk away from that, but they would do what was necessary to survive and stay together. He glanced into Reese's office and noticed a blonde head and 2 other men talking animatedly with Captain Reese. Once he was closer, he recognized Malone, then slipped in the door silently behind them. "Captain, this is not an option any longer. The trial is in 3 weeks and we have to find Doctor Lambert. Without her testimony..." "She will testify, Agent Malone." Nick's soft controlled voice echoed behind them. Four heads turned immediately. Tracy beamed a smile at her old partner, then flew to his side and hugged him hard. "I missed you, Nick." She whispered in his ear as she hugged him. Nick released her and smiled. "I missed you too, Trace. I guess you found out that your new partner isn't any better at doing the paperwork than I was." The comment brought a look of sarcasm to her young face, then she smiled. "I really miss that dry sense of humor of yours, partner...and for your information I haven't taken a new partner yet. I still have an old one and he hasn't officially resigned." She watched the startled reaction on his face and it pleased her. She'd finally managed to surprise her unflappable, calm, cool, 800 year old vampire partner. She was making progress. Malone abruptly pushed between Trace and Nick to break up their reunion. "Doctor Lambert is with you?" Malone looked out in the precinct briefly and saw no one, then turned questioning eyes back to Knight. "She's here, Agent Malone, and she will remain in my protective custody until this is over. You have entirely too many leaks in your department and I won't put my wife's life in anyone's hands but mine. Is that perfectly clear?" Nick waited for the announcement to sink in. "I understand completely, Detective. Under similar circumstances, I would feel the same way. Since you managed to keep us all away from her for the past 6 months, I happen to believe you can pull this off." He reached forward and offered his hand to Nick. "Let me offer my congratulations on your marriage as well. I told my superiors they'd made a mistake in trying to keep you two apart, but somehow I think you managed to circumvent that as well... didn't you?" Knowing eyes met Nick's cool blue ones filled with respect and admiration. "Nick, when this is all over, we are all going to celebrate something that was way overdue with you two. For now, we have to keep you both alive." Reese's worried brown eyes met Nick's. "And this will be over because I'm not losing the best detective and ME this city ever had for some slime ball drug dealer." Reese glared at Malone when he finished. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Nick handed Malone a piece of paper. "Post this message in the paper the day before the trial. Change the numbers to match the correct time and it must be at night. If you set the trial for the daytime, Nat will not show up." Malone read the message, then nodded in agreement. "It will be as you requested, Detective Knight. If there's anything we can do to help, let us know." "Keep the courthouse building vacant through the entire trial. Let no one in for observation and for safety sake, don't use the courtroom that we used last time with the windows open to the building next door. Use Courtroom 4 on the back side. No windows in the halls and the room has two exits." "Understood and done. We will be in touch, Detective." Malone and his partner walked out of the room. "You know Valvetti will do anything to kill Natalie, Nick." Reese verbalized what they were all thinking. "We know, Cap. But Nat won't let more innocent people die if she can prevent it. She has to do this and I have to back her up. As much as I want to go back to the safety and peace we had, I understand what she feels. We'll be careful." Nick walked over to Trace and hugged her gently. "You take care, Partner. I'll expect you to protect our backsides once we are inside the courthouse." His faith in his partner made this a lot easier and Tracy beamed with the knowledge that Nick trusted her. "You got it, Nick! I get special invites to the wedding party after this is over." She beamed brightly and tried to lighten the situation. You could have at least invited me when you guys finally broke down and did the deed." Nick appreciated what she was trying to do and smiled. "I know, Trace. There wasn't enough time, but you can be the maid of honor when we do it right after this is over." Nick watched the glow appear in Tracy's eyes and smiled. -------- It was almost dawn, but Nick had to know about LaCroix. Down deep inside he knew the vampire wasn't dying, but he couldn't let anyone torture him for something he hadn't done. Then again, maybe it would make up for all the cruelty and inhuman things LaCroix had done to other people over the years. Maybe this was justice, but Nick knew he couldn't walk away anymore than Natalie could from Valvetti. They had to play the game out to the end if they had any chance of happiness together. That meant dealing with LaCroix, the enforcers and Valvetti. Nick stopped the unmarked sedan in front of the Raven and let himself in with a key. LaCroix was here. He could feel it, but so were several others. Before he could move, two enforcers grabbed him from each side. Pure instinct made him struggle, and he was tossed hard up against the wall for his efforts. "That will be enough, de Brabant, or I'll put this stake through your heart BEFORE we get the answers we want." Desai grabbed Nick by the neck and choked him for effect, only Nick refused to struggle and defiance glared in his blue eyes. "Foolish, de Brabant....you have always been a wild card in the community...now it's time to pay up." Desai growled and let his fangs extend, but Nick refused to give in to his beast or the threats. "Your master is in the other room. Go to him!" It was a command not a question and Nick was smart enough not to hesitate when Desai released the grip on his throat. Nick walked into LaCroix's private chambers to find him lying incredibly still on the bed covered in his own blood. He was actually breathing in short rapid breaths which Nick had never seen him do before. Quickly he went to his master's side and checked the wounds which were healing slowly. Several bottles lay empty beside the bed and three others on the floor. Nick turned to the enforcers as they stood analyzing him next to his master. Nick's anger flared as he touched LaCroix's side causing the older vampire to moan in response. "Who did this?" Nick growled as his eyes flared golden. "The mortal, they call Valvetti, drugged him, then tortured him. He has threatened to expose the community with his knowledge if you do not turn over Doctor Lambert to him." Desai and his cohort grabbed Nick by the collar, pressed him up against the wall, then shoved the stake he carried into Nick's abdomen. Nick groaned in pain as Desai removed it quickly, then prepared to plunge it into his heart, yet there was still no fear in de Brabant...only anger. "Which will it be, de Brabant...your master or your mortal lover? We can save your master with but a little of our blood if you turn over Doctor Lambert." Desai waited for Nick's answer. Anger raged through him as all the pieces finally fell into place. He relaxed in Desai's grip enough to fool him, then lunged sidewise out of his grasp. Desai reacted immediately as did Damon. They both pounced, but Nick rolled to the floor and came up beside LaCroix's night table. Another stake lay silent and deadly on the corner. Nick picked it up without a second thought. He would die before turning over Natalie to them, and he would kill himself before he let them taste his blood to find the answers. Desai appeared beside him in the time it takes to blink, but Nick swung in an arc planting the stake firmly in Damon's chest just as he appeared behind him. Startled, Damon pulled at the stake frantically as Desai ripped a hole in Nick's side with his now extended sharp claws. Pain washed through him as the venom and power of the older vampire hit his bloodstream, but he would not quit. Desai was on Nick in seconds as he exposed Nick's throat and went in for the kill. Just as his fangs broke the skin, he grunted in pain when a stake appeared through his chest. Desai stared at the offending object, then turned surprised green eyes to see LaCroix standing over them both. "Did you think I would let you kill him?" LaCroix growled, then kicked Desai off Nicholas. LaCroix groaned in obvious pain with the effort, then collapsed to one knee. Pain screamed through Nick's side and abdomen while his altered metabolism slowly began to heal the wounds. He watched in amazement as LaCroix collapsed to the floor. Something was wrong here. This was all wrong. ------- Natalie had paced the floor of the warehouse for over 2 hours when she felt the bond between her and Nick sizzle with electricity, followed by pain and confusion. He was at the Raven, she knew it. Grabbing the phone in her purse she dialed for a cab and ran for the door. By the time she'd reached the corner, the cab was there and she jumped in. Fear gripped her heart when they headed west to the Raven. ------------ Nick crawled to LaCroix's side as his master finally sat fully on the floor in exhaustion. "LaCroix?" Nick's voice was barely a whisper as he fought his own battle with the pain trying hard not to let it pass to Natalie. He was too late, she was on her way. He could feel it, and there wasn't much time. LaCroix's blue eyes met his son's. "You are so unpredictable, Nicholas. Why do you make things so difficult?" LaCroix coughed, but stiffened with pride refusing to give into the weakness in his body. Nick watched him in amazement. He felt Natalie the second she stepped through the door and his eyes darted toward the entrance. LaCroix followed his eyes and listened for the scream. -------- "Nick?" Natalie yelled as soon as she stepped into the darkness. A shadow moved to her right and she ducked just as a hand flashed by her head only grazing her versus knocking her out. She rolled on the floor and let her new skills and agility play a big part in her survival. A bullet whizzed by silently coming from the far side of the room and she dove for cover one more time only to be hit from behind. "Nick!!!!!!!!!!"Natalie screamed as her world went dark. Part 7 --------- Nick struggled to his feet as Natalie's scream was cut off. The poison Desai's claws carried slowed Nick's progress as he flew to the other room. Sunlight flooded the room through the open door but Nick rushed forward ignoring the burning fingers of light, refusing to let it stop him. The door slammed shut in front of him when he was body slammed from the side into the darkened wall opposite the bar. LaCroix's blood red eyes met his. "Enough, Nicholas. Let her go, or we are all doomed." LaCroix growled as he held his weakened son up against the wall in the darkness. "It is better this way!" Enraged now beyond control, Nick pushed his own 9mm into LaCroix stomach and fired. The force pulled LaCroix off Nick giving him only seconds to continue the assault. Nick's own sharp nails now extended, he ripped a gash through LaCroix's throat, momentarily stunning his sire. Nick smashed a chair and grabbed the table leg, only to be slammed from behind, then tossed across the room away from LaCroix. Nick picked his beaten body off the floor slowly, still filled with anger when LaCroix and the ancient vampire, Zalin, forcefully grabbed each side of him and held him firmly against the wall. Zalin pressed his long iron-like fingers into the bleeding wound in Nick's side causing him to scream in agony, but he valiantly fought the blackness threatening to engulf him. "Enough, de Brabant! He is your father and you will obey him or die! It is the law!" Zalin hissed in Nick's face. "Then I die..." Whispered Nick between ragged breaths laced in pain. "...but I will take you all with me. Tonight is the night of total enlightment for our kind. If I die or Natalie dies, the community will be unmasked." Anger still flared in Nick's eyes, but his wounds and slower metabolism couldn't compensate for the loss of blood at such a rapid pace. LaCroix pulled Zalin's hand from Nick's side, knowing full well Nick was not bluffing. Zalin turned disbelieving eyes to his evil cohort of over 2000 years. "You cannot believe what he says, Lucien? He is not strong enough to..." LaCroix released his son and stepped back. Somehow Nick managed to stay standing and faced them both defiantly. LaCroix eyed his son closely and felt the resolve and truth in his words through their blood connection. "He does not lie, Zalin. He may not have the strength of you and I, but his power is based on position and we have been out maneuvered." LaCroix smiled at Nick. "You never seem to disappoint me, Nicholas. You have always been a challenge." Slowly, Nick's strength began to return as he coughed blood and reached for the table to steady himself. LaCroix leaned forward to steady him and Nick batted his arm away disdainfully. "I don't need any help from you, LaCroix. Once again you have gambled with something you don't own...only this time you will pay dearly for it. Did you honestly think I would trust you or believe Valvetti could do that to you." Nick eyed the rapidly healing wounds in LaCroix's shoulder. "Listen to me well, LaCroix. If anything happens to Natalie or myself, a very revealing log and tape will be delivered electronically to all the major news networks in the Northern Continent. It won't matter if they report us as missing...or dead. Even Felix isn't fast enough to wipe them all out before they are delivered. The community really will be exposed and they will have to go into hiding for a hundred years. Our kind will have to return to the time of the hunted, where you spend half your waking hours in fear for your life and the other half scrounging for food....and they will have YOU to thank for it." LaCroix reached once more to steady his son as he wavered and tried to gain control of the raging pain coursing through his body. Nick brushed his hand off his arm like an insect after he straightened himself once more. "Don't even let it cross your mind that I was foolish enough to trust you or believe that Valvetti was a threat to you or the community. You and I alone have wiped out bigger vermin without the help of the Enforcers. You would have simply killed him and half his people for the sheer joy of feeding off his evil blood...but he had a purpose...He had value! So you decided to play another game. A game in which Natalie's life would be forfeited, leaving me no other choice but to return to the community, and you, for solace. Well you lost, LaCroix! If I die or Nat does tonight, the TRUE Enforcers will come after you and your ancient evil friend here, not those lackey's of yours...and they will not be as easily killed as Desai or Damon." Nick let his anger feed his own beast, but he needed blood to heal his battered body, and quickly, if he were to help Natalie. He pushed past LaCroix and headed for the bar. With great effort he reached over the counter and grabbed the first bottle of reserve under the counter. He pulled the cork and downed the contents in two gulps. He let the human blood course through his veins and heal his weakened body. Without hesitation he reached for another and then the third. Anger was soon replaced with admiration as LaCroix watched Nick down the 3rd bottle of blood. Somehow, deep inside, he was glad his son had outsmarted him in this little game, but they had a bigger problem now. Calmly he walked to his son's side as he watched the blood do it's magic and heal the wound in Nicholas' side while he watched. "I would assume you have a plan at this point?" LaCroix raised one eye in a question. Nick glared at his father, then Zalin, who stood silently behind him. "You'd better hope it works or we are all dead." Nick pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tracy. ----------- Natalie woke up slowly with the motion of the car and the mumbling of the voices through the cloudy haze that circled around inside her head. She listened carefully without moving as a garage door squeaked on its hinges and the car drove slowly inside. She forced herself to remain limp when they jerked her body out of the car and tossed her hard on the concrete floor beside the black sedan. The man driving the car slammed the door and grabbed one arm to drag her lifeless form across the concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse. She could hear footsteps approach but concentrated on remaining limp. "She's not dead already?" Valvetti almost screamed in anger as he watched Arnold drag the young woman's body across the floor. "No, boss! She's just out with chloroform. She struggled, so I had to drug her. You said no damage, so aside from a few bruises, she's perfect." Arnold dropped her arm and Valvetti knelt down beside his worst nightmare. "She doesn't look very threatening now, does she, Arnold?" Valvetti pulled a stray lock of hair away from her face while she lay limply on the floor. "Maybe I'll have a little fun with her before I kill her. She is a pretty little thing." Valvetti caressed her face, then her throat noticing two small scars on her neck. "It would appear that our little doctor friend here has had some sort of problems over the last 6 months. I don't remember every seeing anything like these on her neck before the trial." His mind tried to remember something similar but couldn't grasp it. Valvetti ran his fingertips over the scars and watched Nat's flesh quiver in response, then smiled. "Yes, I think a little exploration is just what is in order." He turned to his guard with a knowing eye. "You disappear for awhile, Arnold. I'm gonna have some fun." Valvetti ripped open Nat's blouse, watching in fascination as the buttons flew across the room and Natalie's lace bra peeked through the non-restricted folds of the material. "How lovely, Doctor. I would never have guessed you were into lace." He ran his fingers over her smooth skin to the lace bra, then began to massage her breasts. A small wrist wrapped around his already sore one and stopped his motion. He looked toward Natalie's face to find her bright blue eyes staring at him. A strange glow surrounded the blue of her eyes and Valvetti fought to remember where he'd seen it before and when. "I'm glad you approve of my lingerie choice, but frankly...I'm not interested." Her voice was calm with no trace of fear. What was it about these people? Didn't they have any fear of dying? He could feel the warmth of her skin and the beating of her rapid heart. It was the only sign of stress she exhibited, but it was irrelevant. She was his now, so he smirked as he squeezed her breast. "Come, come, Doctor. You don't actually believe I care whether you're willing or not." Instantly he heard a snap, followed quickly by the pain from his wrist. Stunned, he stared at the limp appendage now dangling loosely in her grasp. "Obviously, MR. VALVETTI, you didn't understand my refusal or lack of interest." Natalie sat up slowly still holding his broken wrist in her hand. She met him eye to eye now and watched the pain turn to rage in his eyes. She let her own take control, stood and pulled away from him. "You little bitch!" Valvetti screamed and raised his other hand to slap her. She caught it easily, smiled, then tossed him across the room. "Arnold!" He screamed getting the reaction he wanted. Loud footsteps could be heard running down the hall. Arnold burst through the door seconds later. "Kill her and do it messy!" Valvetti cradled his broken wrist in his good hand as he spat the words vehemently to his guard. Arnold charged Natalie and she side-stepped him easily, but he rolled and caught her foot, uprooting her and pulling her to the floor. Natalie landed hard on the floor knocking the wind out of her and Valvetti was at her side immediately. He kicked viciously into her side as Arnold continued to hold her ankle. She grabbed Valvetti's foot and pulled with all her new found strength. Kicking a straight hard blow to Arnold's face with her heels, she rendered him unconscious in a matter of seconds. Free at last from his grip, she rolled to her feet to face Valvetti once more. She rose to face his 9mm and a sneer on his face. "That was very good, Doctor. I see you have learned a few things since we'd met. Well, I'm bored now." The door exploded open with a force shattering the hinges and Valvetti's attention strayed. Nat kicked at the gun as Nick burst through the door in full vampire mode followed by LaCroix and Zalin. The gun landed 10 feet from her and she watched Valvetti dive for it. He rolled firing at anything in his path in a fight for survival. Nick threw his body across the room to cover Natalie with his own as the bullet meant for her buried itself deep in the tissue of his back. He grunted with pain momentarily, then gained control. He rolled them to the side, pulled them to their feet, and turned to face Valvetti with Nat behind him. LaCroix ripped his fangs into Valvetti's neck from behind and drained his life away. When he was finished, he tossed the lifeless form in a heap on the floor and slowly wiped the remaining blood from his lips. He faced Nick and Natalie with neither remorse nor jubilation. "It would appear, Nicholas, that our little game might continue after all since the good doctor still lives." Part 8 Natalie watched Valvetti's lifeless body fall to the floor and felt no remorse what-so- ever. She stared at LaCroix and the dark haired vampire behind him and felt the tension within Nick. Once again, she understood how manipulative LaCroix could be, and just how strong Nick had to have been to survive with his sanity intact over the years. She'd had enough and the game was over. Nat walked directly to LaCroix, stepping over Valvetti's body and stopping only inches away from the man she'd grown to hate over the years and she finally understood him. "You have lost, LaCroix. The game is over! Nick has learned what makes humanity so strong. It's why mortals will always be superior to vampires and why you fear exposure so much. The price of immortality is not based on bloodlust and strength, but something more powerful. Something that never dies no matter what happens, and lasts for eternity. The only thing you have feared for centuries...Nick's ability to truly love again. That's what will make him mortal again, not me, not science, not magic. He is becoming human because he truly loves me ...and no matter what you do...nothing will stop it. If I live or I die makes no difference, because in his heart he will always love me and you can never change that." She stepped back only one step to read his body language and watched the truth of her words hit their mark, then she smiled. "So get used to me, LaCroix. Eternity is a long time to be alone or at war with each other!" She smiled sweetly. "Besides I'll grow on you in a 100 years or so." --------- The news broadcast was turned up to volume 6 in the precinct as Tracy and Reese stood glued to the screen. "The body of Anthony Valvetti was found this morning on the courthouse steps, drained of blood with a broken neck. Several hours earlier 5 men were found dead at his mansion on the south side. All the victims had broken necks. No valuables were taken. All the victims were known affiliates of Anthony Valvetti and it is rumored that his entire organization is in chaos. Needless to say Mr. Valvetti's appeal, scheduled next week, has been cancelled. The star witness, Dr. Natalie Lambert, respected ME of the city of Toronto, can sleep easier and finally return to her normal life." A picture of Natalie was flashed on the screen. "It's been a long 6 months and this station and the city of Toronto want to welcome Dr. Lambert back and thank her for her bravery." Reese reached over and flipped off the set as a cheer arose from the precinct when Natalie walked in followed by Nick. Tracy ran to hug Natalie. "Welcome back, Nat." Tracy hugged her again. "We missed you guys." She turned to stare at her partner. "And I missed the blond paper shirker over there, too." "Thanks, Trace. It's good to be back." Natalie smiled and breathed deeply. It was good to be home. She'd loved Alaska, but this was home. She watched Nick being slapped on the back and welcomed back into the fold. Everything else would work itself out in a few years and they would deal with it then. She smiled, then walked over to her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist possessively. Nick smiled, then held up his hand for silence. "Just so you all know, and there are no rumors. Natalie and I got married 6 months ago, but since we've already gotten flack for not inviting anyone." Nick eyed Tracy and winked. "We are going to do it all over again and have a big party. Everyone is invited and expected to be there." Cheers went up and lots of 'about times' could be heard throughout. Reese walked over and extended his hand to Nick, then Natalie. "I'm proud to know you both. You have renewed my faith in justice and in true love." He smiled broadly, then hugged Nat. "I think I'm going to call Denise and give her the good news. She loves weddings!" Nick laughed as Reese excused himself, then he pulled Nat into his arms. "Well, Mrs. Knight. You willing to marry me all over again and do it right this time?" He brought his lips to hers and kissed her passionately getting whistles from the assembled crowd. When he finally broke the kiss so she could breathe, she saw no signs of the vampire in his eyes. "I see you are making improvements by leaps and bounds. I think a proper wedding is just what the doctor ordered and a few lessons on tossing bad guys." She smiled broadly. "For research purposes you understand." "Anything the doctor orders. You know what an obedient subject I am, and we both know its your body next to mine that makes me improve so quickly." He pulled her up hard against him, then he whispered into her ear. "I know who I want you to toss first...and where!" The End. Author's Note: If you enjoyed the story, why not read some more? Come join the fun and visit my Fiction page at: >http:www.plantnet.com/~nitewind/Fiction2.html Better yet go UNDERCOVER & enjoy the ride with my new novel! Available NOW in paperback, pdf & CD versions: See my webpage above! Or go direct to the sources at: >http://www.virtualbookworm.com/undercover >http://www.amazon.com Type in B.W. Starmer or UNDERCOVER >http://www.barnesandnoble.com Type in B.W. Starmer All comments to: ****StormyNite at: nitewind@plantnet.com**** ***The Truth is out there!*I just can't find it!*** **NNPacker*BlackHatWatcher*XFileTruthSeeker** *Andromedans*CroweFan*SorboDrooler*GWDFC*