Okay this story means nothing, it’s brought on by cold medication
mixed with...what was it I just drank?

All Right then, with Susan’s ‘sorta’ story challenge of ‘Was a dark
and stormy rat.’ Combined with Erika’s Tracy in really high heels idea
(that I’m stealing, but she already knows and is letting me, so there)
to guide me, I produced this Dark Perkulator—Valentine Story.

>>Legal stuff-I don’t own FK, someone else does, I’m making no money,
and I probably won’t even remember writing this in the morning so no
copy right infringement is intended. Enjoy!

Happy New Years (1/1)

By: Cousin Mary

Jan. 1998

T’was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled, thunder crashed,
tornadoes sucked up trailer park residents and volcanoes destroyed
major metropolitan areas. Well, at least that’s what was happening on
Nat’s TV. In the real world Nat and Tracy were watching videos, eating
ice cream and generally feeling sorry for themselves. This was –not-
the best New Year’s Eve either had ever spent.

Their respective boyfriends were at the Raven, alone, with all of
those scantily clad vampire women. It was the first New Years since
Jeanette had returned to take back over the popular night club, and
she was celebrating by throwing a huge party. And since the blood wine
was flowing freely, no mortals were being allowed in. 

Both women understood the logic behind it. Drunk vampires and mortals
didn’t mix well, at least not from the mortal’s perspective. But
still… Visions of Jeanette and Urs danced before Nat and Tracy. It
wasn’t the mortals they were worried about. 

"Pass me the Crunchy Monkey will you?" Nat asked, stretching her arm
lethargically toward the coffee table, the pint of banana flavoured
ice cream was mere inches from her fingers. 

"Ugh! I’m sick of this!" The blonde declared.

"Yeah, but what are we going to do about it?" Nat mumbled. Nick had
explained that Jeanette would take it as an insult if anyone she
invited failed to attend. So here they were, alone. She leaned
further, trying to catch the edge of the carton with her finger-tips.

Tracy stood up suddenly. "If they can go to a party so can we!"

"Oh no we can’t!" Nat said, not liking the gleam in the younger
woman’s eye. If they showed up at the Raven they’d be drained, no
matter how Nick or Vachon might object.

Meeting Nat’s eyes Tracy knew what she was thinking. "Maybe not –that-
party." She allowed, "But surely two young attractive women can find
–something- to do on New Year’s Eve!" 

"I don’t know Trace." Nat said, "I don’t exactly feel like going to
some seedy single’s bar." She added.

Tracy sunk back into the sofa, her head in her hands. "We can’t just
stay here! It’d be like admitting defeat."

Not particularly liking that sentiment, Nat started to wrack her
brain. Where could they go? "Well, there is –one- place." Nat said
slowly, not quite believing she was even going to suggest this.

Tracy’s head snapped up. "Yeah? Where?" She asked eagerly.

"There is that big masked shin-dig at the old Damson Building." Nat
said. She’d done it in her college days and vowed never to do it again
but, then again…it was better than staying in and watching Tracy climb
the walls. "I’m sure we could sneak in." She offered in a whisper.

Tracy began to grin. "Yes! Get dressed, then we’ll swing by my place
and then…" She paused, eyes gleaming. "We’ll crash it!" 

>>>>>>>>>>>>

An hour and a half later the two women, heads swimming with their own
bravado, stood outside the Damson Building. Thirty-five imposing
stories of steel and concrete loomed above them. Natalie had let Tracy
fix her up, so there she stood in a full-skirted blue ball gown, her
hair flipped up in a huge bun, and wearing entirely too much make-up
under her half-mask. Nat wanted to turn around. She was having serious
doubts about their scheme, they looked ridiculous and they were now
planning to crash the fanciest party in town. 

Of course Tracy hadn’t faired much better at Nat’s hands. She was in a
tight silver cocktail dress, black tights and three-inch high heels.
Nat had curled and teased her hair into a huge cloud of yellow fluff
around her painted face. Nat had used some old Halloween grease paint
to transform the mild-mannered Tracy Vetter into something very
exotic. She’d painted peacock feathers all over her the upper portion
of her face. The final touch had been the tiara she’d found sitting on
one of Tracy’s teddy bears, she’d pinned it into her hair and forced
her to wear it. Tracy personally thought she looked like the old
Barbie doll<tm> her brother had once put through the dishwasher. But
she saw the building as a challenge to be conquered, and she sure as
hell wasn’t going home now!

So, the intrepid pair approached the front doors. And were promptly
turned away.

"No ticket, no admittance." Had declared the stony-face guard. 

"Well, we tried." Said Nat, secretly relieved.

"We’re not done yet!" Announced a determined Tracy, her chin jutting
out. No party was going to get the best of her!

Despite the fact that they were both normally pretty level headed
women, Tracy and Natalie were under considerable strain. They were
both in demanding, traditionally male-dominated careers, they were
both dating complicated older men, and said men were unholy blood-
sucking creatures of the night. So maybe they can be excused their
next, not-so-sensible actions. 

They walked around the side of the building, trying all the doors.

Eventually they found an open one, however it led–not- to the party.
The two slowly slid into the dark room. It was some sort of storage
room. It was full of decrepit looking crates, of who-knows-what. There
was no way into the party from here. Dejected, the women left. They
walked around the building but all the other doors were either guarded
or locked.

"Well," Tracy said, "Only one thing left to do."

"Go home?" Nat sighed, she didn’t want to give up now. There was a
principle involved dammit! She didn’t quite remember what that
principle was, but she was sure it’d been a good one.

"No," Tracy stubbornly said, "The sewer." She’d learned a thing or two
from Screed. "There’s probably a way into it from the basement."

Nat’s eyes went wide. "No way am I crawling into the sewer!"

Her protests fell on deaf ears though. Minutes later our dynamic duo
slipped under the city through a storm drain. They were in luck, a
tunnel led directly into the basement of the Damson Building. They
slowly crept up the stairs toward the party.

They could hear the party goers through the door. They were almost
there.

Suddenly, out of no where, a rat leapt into Tracy’s hair. The blonde
muffled a scream and shook her head violently. The rat went flying,
Tracy slip off her heel and impaled it. 

"Well that was a dark and stormy rat!" She whispered, trying to smooth
her locks into some semblance of order. She had no idea where the
tiara was. She didn’t care either, they were going to that party if it
killed them both!

"Tracy." Nat started, "We should leave now, we shouldn’t be here. We
weren’t invited, your shoe is covered in rat blood, and we look like a
couple of drag queens!" She threw her hands up in a defeated gesture. 

"You want to go home?" Tracy’s eyes went wide. "After all we’ve been
through?!"

"No." Nat admitted, "I said we -should- go." Hopefully there would be
no one here that would recognise either of them. She sighed. "Okay,
Let’s go in."

With that, they both took deep breaths and slipped into the party. 

Streamers were shooting through the air, masked and costumed dancers
cavorted on the wide dance floor. Everyone was having such a good
time, no one noticed the two extra revellers, rat’s blood or no rat’s
blood. 

Mission accomplished, the two women began dancing with complete
strangers, each other, any one they came across. Nat helped herself to
the free champagne. Eventually both met up again at the buffet, where
to their delight they found chocolate covered strawberries. They
promptly set about devouring the out of season delicacies. 

"So who’s throwing this thing anyway?" Tracy asked around a mouth full
a strawberry.

"I have absolutely no idea." Nat laughed, this was much better than
watching the ball come down on T.V. from her apartment! 

As the two friends were busily chatting about nothing in particular,
and enjoying the hospitality of their oblivious hosts, they failed to
notice the approach of an elegantly dressed man.

"The TA of B," Lacroix smiled as both women spun around in shock. "The
Toronto Association of Broadcasters is ‘throwing this thing.’" He
clarified.

Tracy’s eyes went as wide as saucers. Natalie choked on her champagne,
barely stopping herself from spraying it all over the front of the
ancient vampire’s black silk suit.

"Shouldn’t you be at the Raven?" Tracy asked in a small voice.

Lacroix shrugged, "I was there, I decided to make an appearance here
as well." He smiled, "Though I did not expect to meet either of you
here."

Tracy’s mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out. 

"The jig is up." Nat said in a defeated voice. "We snuck in." She told
him.

Lacroix’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Many of those here were not
involved in broadcasting, merely friends of the hosts. He hadn’t
realised the two before him had come, uninvited. His lip began to curl
in amusement. "Indeed?"

"Are you gonna tell on us?" Tracy asked in a child-like voice, her
eyes were sparkling now. Her original fear had dissipated, she thought
the whole situation was kind of funny.

The ancient vampire appeared to consider that a moment, then said. "I
suppose not." He then looked at both women sternly, of course that was
a difficult task now that he’d noticed how they were dressed.

"It was a dare." Nat explained, what showed of her face was bright
red.

"I shall demand a payment for my silence of course." Lacroix hissed.

"Oh?" Natalie asked, eyes wide. Maybe it was all the champagne, but
she felt no fear at the moment. She was having a wonderful time.

"A dance from each of you." He announced with debonair flair.

Both women grinned. And Lacroix swept Tracy onto the dance floor. Nat
was a bit perturbed that he’d taken the blonde out first. She consoled
herself with another strawberry.

When they returned Tracy was breathless, but smiling broadly. When he
wanted to be Lacroix could be the most charming man in the world!

He next claimed Nat in his arms. He smiled down at her.

She wasn’t smiling however. "Why’d you dance with Tracy first?"

Lacroix looked surprised. Was that jealousy he heard? "My dear, I was
merely getting the timing correct." His eyebrow rose and he smiled.

At first Nat was confused. "Timing?" 

Suddenly the music stopped and the countdown began. "10-9-8-7-" Began
the crowd.

"Timing." Lacroix repeated, with what could only be called an evil
grin.

"6-5-4-3-2-1 Happy New Years!" The crowd finished. Everyone began
twirling noise makers, shaking hands,…kissing their dates.

"Oh." Nat said, looking up into his eyes. 

He bent down and kissed her. She kissed him back. It was a long and
passionate kiss. Their tongues met. Natalie entwined her arms around
his neck. Lacroix pulled her tight against him. When they finally
parted, both were most dishevelled.

Their eyes met in confusion. Lacroix hadn’t meant for anything like
–that- to happen, he’d merely been teasing Nicholas’s good doctor.
But…

Natalie felt so confused. What had just happened? Why had she reacted
like that?

"Uh, Happy New Year Lacroix." She said lightly, turning she
disappeared into the crowd.

"Happy New Year Miss Lambert." He whispered.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Okay, I’m not sure what that was…blame it on the cold medicine! All
nice comments should be sent to anteros@juno.com Bad ones can be baked
up in next year’s fruitcake <g>