A little knowledge can be dangerous

Karen Gunther 
October 2000

Disclaimers: the characters and situations depicted in this story are
inspired by 'Forever Knight' which is a neglected property of Sony/
Columbia/ Tri-Star.  No profit is being generated, and I promise to
put them back when I'm done...

Permission is granted to archive this story at fkfanfic.com, the ftp
site, darknn... and it will be on my web archive at
www.crosswinds.net/~kannegun

Special thanks to Stephane Plante for beta-reading and to Linzy for
the ideas to get me out of writers block. You guys are great!

Rating: PG-13.  There are a few innuendos of honeymoon activities but
nothing explicit (you can use your imaginations though!)

This story follows two of my previous stories: 'Eternity' and 'Now and
Forever'.  Both are on my webpage. It is not necessary to have read
them, but some things might make more sense if you have.

And now.... As we left 'Now and Forever'...

"You got married?" Tracy questioned, the surprise evident in her
voice. The engagement ring was a given. The wedding ring, though, was
another thing altogether.

"Yes we did," Natalie said softly. "And we've not told our supervisors
yet, so you are to keep quiet. Understood?"

Tracy nodded, taking her eyes off the rings momentarily to meet
Natalie's gaze. Was it her imagination? Was Natalie paler than usual?
Had something happened during her vacation *besides* a vacation?

Chapter 01/

"Sure, Natalie, I can keep it confidential," Tracy replied, standing
as the morgue attendants rolled in a shrouded gurney. "You know that
you won't be able to keep this secret for long." She warned, giving
her a knowing look as they both watched Grace bustle into the room.

"I.. I know," Natalie said softly. She could see that Grace was fairly
bursting to find out what she'd been talking to Tracy about. The
wheels were spinning. 

"I'll let you get back to work. Let me know when you're ready to, umm,
talk," her eyes twinkled as she watched Natalie's nod. 

Taking the folder from the attendants, Natalie checked the ID tag on
the toe against the forms and signed a paper, handing it to the
attendant. "I'll take it from here, guys.  Thanks."

Grace slid over the tray and began to set out the instruments. So far
she was keeping quiet. She had her own suspicions what would make
Natalie so cheerful and wished she'd arrived just a few minutes
earlier. 

It would have been very interesting to hear just what she'd been
discussing with Tracy. The young woman who just happened to be
partners with a certain blond detective from the 96th precinct.  The
fact that the usually temperamental detective was also in a *very*
good frame of mind tended to confirm her thoughts.  It might be more
fun to see how long Natalie could avoid talking about it.

They had shared everything over the eight years that Natalie had been
a coroner.  Grace had seen many of Natalie's relationships falter over
those years and had always been there to help Natalie put her life
back together.  None had the lasting power that this one did. None had
*ever* put such a smile on her face. 

Snapping on her gloves, Natalie flicked on the tape recorder and began
the autopsy.  The scent of death had tickled her senses as soon as the
body was wheeled in.  It was not a pleasant scent. 

The sooner she was done, the sooner she could put the body away and
sneak out for a snack. So far, she'd been able to finish each case
completely before her eyes changed to amber and her fangs tingled. A
quick trip to the cooler had replenished her before it became
noticeable. This case was fresher, and the blood scent stronger, as
well as other scents. It amazed her how the enhanced senses told her
just where to look, where the bullets were hiding. Instinctively she
knew precisely where to probe.

"Goodness, you don't waste any time," Grace exclaimed, peering into
the open cavity as the clink of the bullets hitting the metal basin
echoed the lab. The only sounds had been Natalie's terse dictation. "I
don't know when I've seen you with this much energy.  Off hand, I'd
say that vacation did you some good."

"Isn't that what a vacation is for?" Natalie asked with a hint of
sarcasm.  She knew exactly what Grace was trying to find out. Until
she conferred with Nick, she didn't want to say anything more.  It
would only be fair to let him know that the teasing was coming. If it
was merely coworkers joking, she wouldn't worry. With any revelation
she now made about her private life came the risk of disclosing too
much.

Considering how long it had been department speculation that the
relationship between the coroner and the detective went well beyond
being professional colleagues, Natalie was sure that a huge fuss would
be made. Not to mention the fact that the inter-department pool was so
large that they'd opened a bank account. Nick's previous partner had
slipped that fact shortly before his death over a year ago. 

"You've had vacations before and never were this cheerful." Grace
observed, carefully making note of her friend's avoidance of eye
contact or direct answers. "You never did tell me where you went,
hmmm?" 

"I have samples ready for histology," Natalie announced, pointing to
the row of slides and specimen jars that she had ready. 

"OK, fine.  I'll take care of these, and *then* you can tell me all
about it," Grace said teasingly.

"About what?" Natalie asked with a sigh, not looking up as she took a
last look around the open body.

"Your vacation, of course."

"What about it?" she inquired with an 'oh-so-innocent' smile. As if
she did not know *exactly* what Grace was trying to determine.

"Oh, just the basics. Where, with whom? What you did.... Or didn't
do," her voice trailed off as she picked up the tray and left the
room. Just the thought of what Grace wanted to discuss was bringing
very fresh memories to mind. Memories of events that Grace would not
understand, and could not know about. 

"Maybe," Natalie mumbled as her hand hesitated over the long curved
needle that she used to close the y-incision. She could feel the
increasing pressure in her upper lip as her fangs tingled.  Hearing no
one approach, she ran over to the cooler and pulled a bag out of the
back. Her eyes were completely amber now, her fangs had dropped. With
her back to the door, she quickly drained the plastic bag. 

Closing her eyes and leaning on the cold steel door, she felt her
system absorbing the blood, soothing her desires. Reining in the
vampire again, she went back to the table and finished closing the
incision. Now was not the time to discuss her relationship with Nick,
at least not with Grace.  That particular discussion would require
careful thought and preparation. She did not think she'd be able to
hold herself back under the scrutiny and innuendo any longer.

She covered the body and peeled off the gloves, crossing the room to
her desk. Dialing a number, she propped the phone against her shoulder
and turned on the computer. "Detective Knight, please," she said as
soon as the phone connected.

"So what is this I hear about you humming?" she asked without
preamble.  Nick's laughter was music to her ears as she put Nick on
speaker-phone so that she could keep working.  She knew that she'd
hear any visitors coming toward her lab long before they'd reach the
door. 

"Guilty as charged, I'm afraid," he acknowledged. "What's up?"

"You going to be ready for lunch soon?" she asked, punching her
password into the computer, tapping her pencil against the desk in
frustration at the time she wasted daily having to log in repeatedly.
It was supposed to be a security measure that the system would shut
down if she was away from her desk for more than a half hour, but
Natalie found it to be an annoyance. Scanning the list of emails that
filled her box, she mentally calculated how many days it would take to
get through them all.  After her month off work, there had to be
several hundred messages, not all of which were work related. From the
subject lines, she could tell that her co-workers already suspected
quite a bit. There was very little of a purely professional nature
from the morgue's night staff, at least not among those sent in the
past day. 

"I could be," he said slowly. She could hear the background noise of
the precinct, even to the distinctive sound of Tracy's laugh. "You
trying to escape before Grace begins her interrogation?"

"You read me like a book."

"I try," Nick replied, his voice husky with unconcealed desire. "I'll
come up with an excuse to come over shortly. Got anything business
related that I could use?"

"Your partner didn't even try to make up an excuse.  She just came
over.  You could do the same." Natalie pointed out.

"What was she doing over there?" Nick's voice dropped lower, now all
business.

"Snooping, I presume. She made a point, and I agree with it. We
*won't* be able to keep this a secret. She saw my rings, and just
watch... she'll be looking for yours."

"Duly warned. Thank you." He replied. "I'll be over shortly, okay?"

"Sounds good." Sensing Grace's imminent return she picked up the
receiver and murmured "I love you."

*****
Hanging up the phone, Nick looked around the room.  Tracy had been
circulating around the bullpen ever since she'd returned from her
'errand' which he now knew was a trip to the morgue. Every so often
she'd glance at him before engaging in another conversation. 

Standing quietly, he walked up behind her silently tapping her on the
shoulder. Predictably, she jumped a mile. Turning quickly, she swatted
him on the arm, "Don't sneak up on me!"

"What is so interesting, Detective?  Anything that I should know
about, partner?" he asked with a very innocent looking smile.

She turned from her conversation with another detective, and they both
studied him intently. Even Nick could see the eyes wandering to his
left hand, which was tucked in his pocket as he leaned on a desk. "I
don't know. Partner, you tell me."

"Tell you what?" he asked, taking her arm and leading her toward an
empty office... a room that did not have an observation area or an
audience. 

"Well, that was rude. I was talking to Dave."

"Sure you were," Nick replied sarcastically. "About me. Right?"

"Well," she hesitated. Her gaze was drawn again to his hands. The
glitter of a gold ring caught her eye. She had never known Nick to
wear jewelry, and the newness of this ring matched Natalie's. 

"I know where you went, and what you discussed," he said softly,
holding the hand out. "I don't want to be accused of deceiving you, so
here it is.  I trust that you'll respect our desire for privacy and
not point this out to everyone in the precinct."

"They'll figure it out soon enough, Nick." She studied his hand
admiring the simplicity of the gold wedding band. "You know there is a
pretty sizable pool going?"

"I figured," he sighed. Pools were started all the time, usually to
predict births... somehow this did not surprise him. "And how long has
it been going?"

"At least five years. I was a rookie when I got in on it." She giggled
at Nick's look of shock. "Oh come on, everyone could see how you felt
about Natalie. We were just waiting for *you* to figure it out and do
something."  

"Well, I did do something about it, but let me talk to Natalie before
you go around announcing it."

"OK, but that won't get you off the hook you know."

"Off the hook for what?" he looked at her, truly puzzled. What more
could they all want, once it was announced that he'd married Natalie?

"You may have eloped or something, but you'll still have to have a
party here to celebrate."

"Have to have?" he questioned.

"Come on Nick, it'll be fun. Hey, either you plan it the way you and
Natalie want it, or we'll surprise you."

"That sounds like a threat," Nick observed quietly. His voice was that
of the vampire- still, emotionless. 

"No, it's a promise," she returned. His tone puzzled her. She had
always known that Nick was a very private person, but didn't he
understand that it was not solely his decision. Why would he deprive
Natalie of a wedding celebration with her friends? With a finger
against her mouth in a gesture of silence, she nodded and left the
room.

CHAPTER 02

Parking the Caddy in a dark parking lot along Toronto's lakefront,
Nick leaned back and reached into the back seat to grab a insulated
lunch bag. Opening the bag, he pulled out two thermal bottles.
Handing one to Natalie, he opened the other and took a deep draught. 

"Doing okay?" he broke the silence as they watched the water lap
against the rocky beach.

"Fine," she nodded. "I've done two cases so far. Everything's fine."

He studied her expression intently before saying cautiously, "I knew
you'd handle routine cases, Nat, but you've not been to a scene yet.
Doing a post in the relative privacy of your lab is not the same thing
as a recent homicide."

"I know. You've warned me.  Lucien's warned me." She sighed with
frustration. "Unless we move on, I have to try.  I'm not going to just
sit around and do nothing."

"I wouldn't want you to," he whispered, draping an arm around her
shoulders and pulling her closer on the vinyl seat. "But you know that
I will help in any way that I can." He snuggled her against his
shoulder and gently kissed her forehead.  "Now, before we go back,
what's up with Tracy?"

"She saw my ring," Natalie shrugged.  "I'm surprised she hasn't seen
yours."

"She has," Nick said grimly. 

"And?" she prompted.

"And what?" he asked, mystified. 

"We are not going to be able to keep a lid on her enthusiasm long.
I'll be surprised if Grace doesn't figure it out by the end of the
shift. Truthfully, I don't think it's right to keep this secret.
We're married, and I for one, am not embarrassed about it."

"So what are you saying?  You want to announce it?"

"I think if we give the green light to Tracy and Grace, we won't have
to announce *anything*. Both departments will know within hours.  For
all I know, the bankbook will be turned over to the winner of the pool
by tomorrow."

"You know about that?" he asked, incredulous that Natalie knew and had
not said anything to him. 

"Of course," she laughed. "Schanke told me about it. One night when he
was trying to set up a vacation, he tried to weasel information out of
me.  Said he wanted to place the winning wager so he could take Myra
to the Caribbean."

"It's *that* much money?" Nick asked with amazement.

"With interest," she shrugged. It did not bother her and never had,
but she knew what a private person Nick was. "To be truly
professional, we should officially notify the department. Change our
next of kin and insurance."

"Nat, I've listed you as next of kin for several years already."

"And I've had you as emergency contact since Richard died," she
acknowledged. That their relationship was now formalized would
surprise no one that she could think of for that very reason. Besides
coming together to many department social functions over the past
several years, neither had had any other relationships. In many ways
they had been a couple for years. Just not in the ways that either had
wanted. "But I do need to file a change of address."

"Yes, you do... I'm not about to let you out of my sight, my love," he
whispered, drawing her tighter into his embrace. Their lips met with a
kiss of affection, of growing passion and need. 

All too soon, the crackle of the radio sounded its call. "81-Kilo, 81-
Kilo, please respond"

With a sigh, Nick picked up the radio's microphone and thumbed it on,
"81-kilo,"he replied briskly. 

"Gunshots fired, one victim down. Report to alley south of Riverdale
Park, off Gerrard."

"81-kilo responding. Dispatch, is the ME needed?"

"That's affirmative. You are instructed to bring her with you." The
radio crackled off quickly, but Natalie could hear the faint echo of
laughter. Evidently they entire department knew they'd be together.

"On my way." Nick switched off the microphone and stuck the light on
the dashboard. Nodding to the bottle, he motioned to Natalie, "Drink
up and then finish mine." Starting the engine, he turned on the siren
and sped away. 

Draining the bottles obediently, she tucked them both into the bag,
which she slid under the seat. Unhooking the gold chain around her
neck, she suspended the jeweled ring and fastened it around her neck. 

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously. Was she that embarrassed by
his ring?

"Nick, this ring is priceless. I am *not* going to mess it up with
powder from gloves, or blood, or body fluids of any kind."

"Oh." He replied, flustered that he'd not thought of that. "Would you
rather have something simpler?"

"No.  I love this ring. I love you. Simple is our wedding band and
*that* I won't take off, ever." She reached over and took his hand,
kissing it lightly to punctuate her thought.

*****
The usual profusion of spotlights and flashing emergency lights
surrounded the corner of the park, giving it the illusion of daylight.
Parking amidst the marked police cars, Nick turned to Natalie and
grabbed her hand. Squeezing it briefly, he whispered, "I love you,"
before getting out of the car. Flashing his badge at the officer
guarding the perimeter, he walked toward the crowd at the center. 

She watched him make his way toward the cluster of officers before
getting out of the car. Taking a deep breath, she clipped on her ID
and followed, walking briskly toward the tarped area that protected
the body laying on the ground. The blood scent was stronger with every
step she took. Nodding to the attendants who stood ready with the
gurney, she silently approached the body, trying to not betray the
changes that had taken place over the past month. Steadying her hand
only through force of will, she stepped behind the tarp. 

Slipping smoothly into 'professional mode', she began her practiced
routine for homicide scenes. Ignoring both the rhythmic sounds of the
many hearts beating around her, and the tantalizing scent of the blood
that puddled the ground around the body took great concentration. So
much that Nick's approach went unnoticed until he tapped her on the
shoulder.

"Nat?" his voice was soft, as he could feel her struggle.

"What?" she jumped at his voice, standing to face him, her eyes
beginning to glow. 

"Relax," he soothed, seeing her shut her eyes tightly. "You ready to
report?"

"Oh, uh, sure," she stammered, glancing between Nick and Tracy. Her
hesitation did not go unnoticed by the young detective, nor did her
mannerisms toward Nick. There was more going on here, Tracy knew.
"Umm, okay.  Male, 40s, multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, probably
a 9mm." 

"Not self-inflicted?" Tracy prompted. While it seemed obvious, they
needed, at minimum, a verbal coroner's declaration that it was a
homicide to open a case. That was usually part of Natalie's initial
report, but she seemed out of sorts tonight. It was as if something at
the scene was bothering her.

"No, it doesn't look like that," Natalie replied, annoyed that Tracy
would need to ask. "You have a case. I'll get the paperwork to you by
the end of the shift." She turned away from them and yanked the
plastic tarp back around the body, gesturing to the attendants to
begin their work. 

"You okay, Nat?  You seem distracted."

"I'm fine," she said emphatically.  "Now, if you don't mind, I have
work to do. Nick, I'll go with the van." She abruptly walked away and
followed the attendants back to the van.   

******
Natalie had finished her examination and was starting to compile the
official report.  It had been a long night and she truly hoped that
Nick would be alone when he came to pick her up. She'd managed to
deflect most of Grace's more probing questions. Knowing how open
they'd always been with one another she hated keeping secrets.

"Nat?" Nick tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

"Wh-what?" she startled.  "Jeez Nick, don't DO that!!"

"Exactly which century were *you* in?" he teased. That had become her
standard greeting when he drifted into memories.

"Ha ha, very funny," she replied sarcastically.  "I don't have your
paperwork done yet."

"That's okay. Tracy's working on the witness statements and physical
evidence. I said I'd start on the forensics."

"She didn't think that suspicious?  I'm surprised she let you come
here alone." 

"Well, I didn't invite her," Nick shrugged. "I set up a 5:30
appointment downtown. Would you like to come?"

"An appointment? I thought personnel didn't come in until 8, at least
that's when the Medical Division comes in. What strings did *you*
pull?"

"No strings, I promise," he grinned, knowing how she did not like him
using either his wealth, or vampiric powers to get his way. "I think
her name is Teri. She's the benefits specialist that comes in at 5 for
the night shift for the Police Department.  I just spoke to her about
adding my wife to my insurance policy. Changing my beneficiary. Like
you mentioned earlier."

"Like we need insurance, Nick," Natalie eyed him curiously. She didn't
think Nick truly paid attention to such mundane matters as life
insurance.

"No, but that is the very *mortal* thing that is done when one gets
married."

"Oh, I get it," she smiled mischievously. "See how long it takes for
some secretary downtown to start talking." 

"Precisely." He took her arm and pulled her against him. "Not to
mention the fact that I've waited all night for this." Drawing her
tighter into his embrace, they kissed with an intensity and passion
that foretold future activities.

CHAPTER 03/

The sun had barely crested above the horizon when the phone's
insistent ringing jarred them both from a sound sleep. 

"Let the machine get it," Natalie mumbled, snuggling against Nick's
chest. His arm was wrapped around her waist holding her close. They
listened as the machine clicked on and the outgoing message played.

"Nick? Nick? Either you pick up the phone or I'm coming over," Tracy's
insistent voice sounded loudly. At their continued silence, the
machine clicked off. 

"We don't have to let her in, you know," Nick said softly, drawing the
sheets higher and closing his eyes. He could feel Natalie relax, her
arms slack against him and her breathing slow to barely perceptible.
He'd slipped closer to sleep when the phone rang again. Natalie
jumped, shocked at the sound.

"Nick... I'm warning you.  I can be very, very annoying. This is just
the beginning." Tracy's voice came over the phone machine loudly.
"Take your pick... a phone call or a personal visit.  Remember that I
do have a key, or did you forget that detail?"

Natalie sighed and nodded to Nick as he picked up the receiver.
"What?" he said harshly.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything," she responded sarcastically. Her
voice was loud enough that Natalie could hear every word easily.
Someone in the downstairs living room would have been able to hear it,
as aggravated as Tracy sounded.

"Only sleep," Nick said impatiently. He hoped his voice adequately
expressed his annoyance. If he was going to be sleep deprived, he
wanted it to be because Natalie was playful. In the short time since
their marriage, she'd shown an adventurous side that he'd never
imagined. Just the thought was enough to make him want to get off the
phone as quickly as possible. "What is it?"

"So you made a trip to personnel this morning?"

"Yes, we did. Who told you?"

"My father, that's who. He wanted to know why my partner didn't invite
him to the wedding. He was even more shocked to know that *I* wasn't
invited to the wedding."

"Tracy, it's not like you didn't already know that we were married.
Nat told me about your conversation."

"Well, you could have told me that it wasn't a secret any more." Her
annoyance was more for the fact that she was not the one to 'leak'
such good news.

"Tracy, its not a secret," he parroted, grinning broadly. This was
going exactly as planned. "Tell the world. You know I don't like
attention, so I'm not going to do it."

"Who won the pool?" Natalie asked sleepily.

"Natalie wants to know who won the pool."

"I don't know, but I'll find out," she replied eagerly. "Last I knew
the desk sergeant at the 27th was the treasurer of the fund."

"Jeez, Tracy... that can't be something the department is going to
condone." He said with dismay.

"Well even my dad knew about it, so don't worry. Remember... you two
aren't off the hook. Either you come up with a suitable celebration
for all of us, or Grace and I will plan it."

"Really Tracy, we aren't big on parties. We don't want a fuss made."

"Forget it, buster. I'm ready for a party. Besides, Natalie promised
Grace." Nick looked at Natalie suspiciously. She still looked very
relaxed but he knew that she was not asleep.

"I did." Natalie admitted, her eyes still closed, and her voice low.
"That was a long time ago. I joked with her once that when and if I
got married, she'd get to dance at the reception. All I said recently
was that she'd be the first to know."

"All right, all right. We'll talk about it. Later." He clicked off the
phone and sighed heavily. "So much for low key."

"Nick, this can't come as a surprise. I think we do have a choice.
Either we plan a reception our way, or it will be done for us. We may
have deprived our friends here of witnessing our vows, but we
shouldn't stop them from celebrating."

"So you want a formal thing?" he asked with obvious dismay. "You know
how hard that's going to be. There are a lot of customs that go with
wedding receptions that neither of us can really do. I hate to tell
you this, but cake *will* make you ill."

"Yes I want a formal thing. I'll even wear my wedding dress and you
can wear your tux. If we dance, they won't notice that we don't eat."

"What about the wedding cake?" he prompted. 

"We'll have to suffer through that tiny bite that we have to feed each
other," she sighed and rolled on to her back. "I don't know, I'll have
to think about that. Maybe I should practice or maybe we can have a
special concoction just for the two of us." She sat up, as if to start
working.

"Later Nat. Later." He whispered, pulling her back to his side, his
caresses becoming bolder. His intent becoming obvious as his lips
trailed across her body to meet her eager mouth. 

"We have plenty of time," she murmured, sliding her arms around him,
eagerly meeting his advances. 

****
Tracy hung up the phone, and stared out the window at the rising sun.
Something about this entire adventure still bothered her. Based on her
own observations and some of Natalie's cryptic comments, she had been
convinced that Nick was a vampire but the revelation that they were
married cast doubt on that conclusion. Could a vampire really marry a
mortal?

She had seen Vachon hypnotize Nick, or at least that's what it looked
like. Was it another elaborate charade? Vachon never had given her an
absolute answer, but deflected any of her questions, never really
saying whether or not he knew Nick. She had seen matchbooks and
napkins from the Raven both in the caddy and on Nick's desk which led
her to believe that he'd been there. More than once. That they both
seemed to go to the Raven made her think that the two men *did* know
one another, but did not want her to know it. 

Early in her partnership with Nick, she'd found a piece of paper stuck
in the bottom drawer of her desk. Scrawled in Schanke's firm hand were
penciled notes about a 'John Doe 199'.  At the time the notes made no
sense to her but having met Vachon and learning his secret, she saw
the clues in the notes that equaled 'vampire' to her. Who was Schanke
*really* investigating? Something told her to keep quiet about what
she'd found, so she'd not shown it to Nick. Instead, she'd brought the
paper home, and hidden it among her own files. She couldn't remember
why she'd done that but Vachon had always warned her of the need to
keep his secret. It made sense that any reference to the darker side
of the world shouldn't be readily available.

She now knew enough things that she could honestly say with no
hesitation, that Nick had been the target of Schanke's work. Even
someone who did not, at least to her knowledge, know about the
existence of vampires in the modern world, had seen the same things as
she. At least, she didn't think that Schanke had real evidence. Not
that she'd ever be able to find out. In her mind, that gave credence
to her observations. Too many things did not add up. 

Just how old was her partner? And how wealthy?  The wedding bands that
she'd seen both of them wearing were simple gold bands. The engagement
ring on the other hand, was no simple diamond solitaire. On quick
glance, she could not tell the quality of the stones, but knowing how
particular her partner was about his clothing, she was certain that he
would not have given his bride a poor quality stone for the mere sake
of its being big. A two carat diamond flanked by one carat sapphires
was not a cheap ring. No, that ring was worth a fortune. 

While Nick had been in the department several years before her and
would take home a larger paycheck, she knew where a detective's salary
peaked. If one was using the traditional guideline of two month's
salary for an engagement ring, no detective could have bought that
ring. So where had the money come from?

Pulling the unlabeled manila folder out of her private files, she
opened it and re-read Schanke's notes, adding a few of her own to it.
Maybe it was time for her own investigation. She was not sure what had
caused Schanke to initiate  such a search, but she had her own
reasons. They were purely personal and centered around a certain
Spanish guitar-playing slacker. 

What now puzzled her more than anything was this marriage. Was it
possible for a vampire to be intimate with a mortal? If Natalie could
marry Nick, where could her relationship with Vachon go? 

Or was Natalie no longer mortal? 

The question came to her as she stared at her notes. She doubted that
anyone would simply answer the question. No, this would require a
plan. She would have to figure it out on her own.

CHAPTER 04/

Grace was waiting in the lab when Natalie arrived that evening. It
came as no surprise that the word had spread. Rapidly. Standing next
to the steel table, she had her arms folded across her chest and wore
a determined expression. There was no way that Natalie was going to
get out of talking this time.

"So..." she began, an accusing tone piercing the air.

Hanging up her jacket, Natalie turned with her left hand extended.
"Yes?" she prompted, all too aware that her friend's gaze had shifted
to the ring that sparkled in the fluorescent light.

"Just friends?" Grace questioned, the biting sarcasm clear. She knew
that this marriage was inevitable, but could not help but feel a sense
of betrayal that her friend had chosen to exchange wedding vows
secretly. To make matters worse, had gone through an entire shift
without saying anything.

"Well, shouldn't a husband be a friend first?" Natalie said softly.
She was aware of Grace's disappointment. That had been the only thing
about the ceremony in New Orleans that she regretted. 

"I suppose," Grace agreed, her focus remaining on the diamond and
sapphire ring that adorned her friend's hand. How had she missed
seeing *that*? 

"So who won the pool?"

Grace looked up sharply. The hurt disappointed look had been replaced
by a gleaming smile. Somehow it did not surprise her that the word had
gotten back to Natalie about that. "Pool?"

Natalie sat down at the desk and pulled a folder out of her briefcase.
"Schanke told me about it," she shrugged.

"He would," Grace sighed. "Well, he wasn't even close. Neither was I."
She pulled a chair closer and sat down. This conversation was not
going to end this quickly. "Since I was one of the original investors,
I've decided that it will be announced at the celebration of your
marriage.  You *did* say I'd be the first you invited."

"So I did," she nodded, remembering their conversation that last shift
before Natalie made the decision to embrace immortality.

"That leads me to my next question," she began, plopping her planner
on the desk. "Evidently I was not invited to the nuptials." She gave
Natalie an accusing glare.

"Yeah, well, it was, umm, not exactly a planned event." She confessed
sheepishly. "We didn't have time to invite friends. It just, sort of,
happened. We had a few witnesses, that's all"

"Natalie!" she exclaimed with delight. "You mean to tell me that Miss
Organized-Planned-to-the-minute ME *eloped*?"

Giving her an embarrassed shrug, she nodded. "I guess you could say
that."

"So what did you do? Run off to Vegas?"

"No, New Orleans."

"Oh, Natalie, that sounds so fun," she exclaimed, sliding her chair
closer to Natalie's desk, studying her friend's expression with great
interest.  "I love New Orleans. There are some great clubs in the
French Quarter. Did you get to any?"

"Not exactly. We, uh, weren't there very long." Natalie explained,
trying to figure out how to describe her wedding.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, um, we had to get back to work," she explained.

"Oh... the plot thickens," Grace smirked, leaning closer.  "So this is
a very recent event?"

"Sunday," she nodded, turning away from Grace's probing look. Somehow,
for a mortal, Grace was entirely too skilled at getting information
out of her.

 "More, tell me more," she pleaded.

"Ummm, it was a candlelit ceremony in a garden," Natalie replied. She
hesitated to say more, but thought that a little detail would deflect
major questions.

"Pictures?" she prompted. She didn't think it probable, but you never
knew.

"No. Remember that we didn't plan it. It was a rather sudden decision.
We were having a romantic weekend, and Nick said let's get married
now, and I said yes. So we did. Right there. Right then."
 
Smiling uncontrollably, Grace popped open the planner. "Okay, now that
I've heard about the wedding... at least the basics. Just so you know,
this conversation is *not* over. We do, however have more important
things to discuss.  I have to know. When is the party?"

"It will be three weeks from Saturday," Natalie replied, her mood
lighter. This was something that she'd willingly discuss. The wedding
and the circumstances behind it was something she was still shy about.
How could she explain the intense emotional bond that had been forged
by the exchange of blood with LaCroix and Janette? Not to mention the
very public bonding with Nick that tied them for all eternity. "We've
reserved a ballroom at the Four Seasons and booked a caterer. All
that's left to organize is musicians and a photographer. We're meeting
with some candidates before shift tomorrow but we have a great wedding
coordinator. I even have the invitations."

"Natalie, what about a dress?" Grace asked, amazed that they could put
together a wedding reception in less than a month.

"I have a new dress that Nick bought me in New Orleans. You'll love
it."

"Hmm... I would bet that it did not have a train, nor a veil." Her
eyes narrowed. Somehow, she knew that Natalie would avoid wearing a
white wedding dress if given the choice. It was just not her style. 

"No. It isn't white either." Natalie turned and clicked on the
computer. "Not that I really *should* wear white. At least not any
more according to my grandmother's rules."

"Ah, so, now we get to the interesting part.  Tell me. How *was* the
blond wonder cop?" she leaned back in her chair and watched Natalie
smile secretively. "Worth the wait?"

"Absolutely," she breathed, her eyes taking on a glazed, dreamy
appearance. Her reverie was quickly broken by Grace's laugh. "What?" 

"Oh, girl, if you could have just seen yourself," she chastised. She
had never seen Natalie so flustered.  Yes, she had it *bad*! "Details,
details. I have been waiting years for this!"

"Not tonight, Grace," she said firmly. "We have a wedding reception to
put together. That is, if the criminal element will let us,
invitations to address."

"How did you get invitations already?" Grace asked, incredulously
watching the box emerge from her briefcase.

"Nick's father has connections," she shrugged. 

"Father?  I thought he had no family?"

Knowing that the relationship would come out when he appeared at the
reception, LaCroix had agreed upon the story that Nick had felt
plausible. "Adoptive father actually." 

"Why has it taken this long for us to hear about this?" Grace asked.
Her irritation that Natalie would not readily share any of the more
intimate details of her vacation was lessened by the surprise
knowledge of Nick's family ties This was news that was more intriguing
than the usual 'girl talk'.

"Well, he and Nick were sort of estranged for years. You know, the
adolescent battles that escalated beyond repair." She looked as Grace
nodded. It was a story they were all too familiar with. Unfortunately
many of the clientele that ended up on their fit that scenario. "Well,
the fences were mended. Lucien wants to be part of our lives, and
well, Nick is talking again. Lucien is even paying for the wedding
party."

"Well that's great. So do you get along? What about his mother?" Grace
began to pepper the questions, eager to hear more.

"Yes we get along," Natalie replied, leaving it as simple as possible.
Handing Grace a pad of paper, she said briskly, "those are the home
addresses that I don't have. I want to get these posted this morning
if possible. Could you see how many you have and check the department
directory, please?" 

Grace sighed. It was obvious that Natalie was not going to share
anything more. At least not tonight. She was patient. They would talk
more on another night. Besides, it gave her the idea for another pool.
This time, she was sure to have the inside scoop. "Sure, consider it
done. I don't think they left any pending cases for you. Dr. Emil from
the University wanted your opinion on something. It should be in your
in-box."

****
Nick signed in at the desk, surprised by the serious atmosphere of the
precinct. He'd really been expecting *some* fuss to be made. Maybe
Tracy had not been as chatty as he'd expected. With a nod to the desk
sergeant who seemed pre-occupied with one of his manuals, he strolled
into the bullpen and hung up his jacket. Tracy was at her desk, busily
pounding on the computer. 

"Forensic evidence on that shooting last night is in the top folder."
She said briskly, not looking up. 

"Good evening to you too, Tracy," he looked around the room. Everyone
seemed to be hard at work. With a shrug, he sat down, and opened the
folder. The usual police forms droned on, saying very little.
Frustrated, he flipped to the second page. Printed in bold red letters
was a single phrase, "TURN AROUND." Puzzled, he looked up, and saw
Tracy's wink. As instructed, he turned his chair around. In the brief
moment that he'd been reading the report, a sign had been strung
across the back wall. Emblazoned on it was 'CONGRATULATIONS NICK AND
NATALIE'. 

Before he could say anything, Captain Reese leaned out of his office.
His usual worried expression was now one of joy. "Knight. Office.
Now." He called out in his typical voice of command. 

Obediently, Nick rose and followed the captain into the office. A copy
of the personnel form that he'd filled out that morning sat in the
middle of the desk blotter. "So were you planning on telling anyone?"
he asked without preamble.

"Eventually," Nick replied. 

"Hmm. Neither of you thought that any of us would be interested in
this development?" the stern voice contrasted with the happy
expression he wore. It was very hard to chastise the man for doing
something they all knew was right.

"We are planning a reception for our friends," Nick said hastily. 

"And the vows?"

"We had a private ceremony on Sunday in New Orleans," Nick confessed
with a smile. It was hard for him to *not* smile these days. "It just
seemed right."

"Well, all I can say is, it's about time." Shaking his head, the
captain, motioned for Nick to follow him down the hall, "it's not like
this is a complete surprise. I've been expecting you two to tie the
knot eventually." As they approached the break room, Nick could hear
the excited, rapid beating of many hearts. So it was beginning
already. Pausing outside the room, Reese turned to Nick, "After a
reasonable time here to celebrate with your co-workers, you can take
the rest of the night off since you do have a party to plan and all." 

"Uh, thanks, but, Natalie is on duty so, umm," he replied, hesitating
slightly as he felt her approaching. 

"You sure about that?" Reese questioned, seeing Natalie coming down
the hall.

"Captain? What's up? I don't have anything to report yet," she called
out, without preface as she saw the captain standing with Nick,
apparently in conference. The sudden summons to the 96th precinct came
at a good time. With her paperwork caught up, she was left to Grace's
merciless questioning. A little girl-talk went a long way and she was
reluctant to discuss any of the more intimate details of her marriage.

"The summons was not exactly for 'Doctor Lambert', Natalie. It was for
'Mrs. Knight,' or didn't your clerk tell you that?" Reese teased, a
broad grin lighting up his face.

"Uh, no, she, umm, didn't say that," Natalie stammered, as Nick's arm
wrapped around her waist.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Knight, you have some unfinished business with the
officers of the 96th precinct," he stated, opening the door and
gesturing for them to enter the room.

As soon as the door opened, a loud cheer arose, peaking as the guests
of honor walked into the room, followed by Captain Reese.  A large
sign hung on top of the bulletin board congratulating them. A table
pushed against the wall held a variety of soft drinks, and snacks. The
cheers rapidly turned into a chant of "Kiss the bride! Kiss the
bride!"

Smiling broadly at Tracy, mouthing 'this is not over'. Nick turned and
pulled Natalie into his embrace. Tilting her chin up, their lips met
in what was intended to be a chaste public peck, but Natalie was
determined that it would be more. If they were going to be goaded into
a performance, she'd make sure it was a good one. Sliding a hand up
his neck to tangle his hair, she held him close, running her tongue
across his closed lips until he allowed her entrance. It did not take
much persuasion for Nick to dart his tongue into her mouth, caressing
the moist cavity with a fierce passion that he'd never shown in the
precinct.  A soft moan escaped from Natalie as Nick's tongue teased
her teeth. Her fangs tingled and she could feel her eyes begin to
change.

Breaking away, she gazed at Nick's clear blue eyes. His hands remained
around her tightly, their vision only on each other. It was as if no
one else existed. 

"Ahem... remember us?" Tracy scolded. For a moment, she'd thought they
were going to get a free show. That had not been a typical 'kiss the
bride' moment and it had shocked the audience into unusual silence.
None of them had ever seen the quick tempered detective display that
much passion. He'd certainly never been so public!

"Yeah, umm... well, you did tell me to kiss the bride, right?" he
joked.

"Uh huh," she acknowledged, handing him a long knife. "Now, I know
you'll do this at your reception, but you get to cut the cake here
too."

Giving Natalie a warning look, Nick took the knife. "Got a scalpel for
Natalie?" he joked before clasping his hand over hers. Together they
sliced into the large sheetcake. Well, she'd wanted a public
celebration he thought to himself. He could only hope that the solid
food would not choke her. 

After making the first slice, Natalie grabbed a stack of plates with
her other hand, and set them in front of Nick. Together, they filled
the plates which she then passed out to the waiting officers. It was
only after everyone had been fed that she took a plate for herself. A
very small piece, mostly frosting adorned the plate. Taking a small
bite, she placed it on her tongue cautiously. She had not attempted
'real' food since her conversion, and was not sure of her reaction,
but knew that to refuse chocolate cake would be suspicious. At least
Tracy would be sure to notice and Natalie was beginning to worry about
the detective's growing investigative interests. 

The sugary mixture sat on her tongue, no longer melting, and no longer
holding the sweet, inviting taste it once had. It was like sand,
gritty and tasteless. She managed to swallow without choking, but felt
it sitting like a lump in the bottom of her stomach. She could only
hope it would stay down. Was this what Nick had endured in her
attempts to make him eat mortal food these past few years?

Nick watched Natalie's reaction to the cake intently. The precinct was
accustomed to him not eating and would think nothing of his refusal to
take more than a bite. Would anyone notice that she did not now
demolish the dessert as she would have previously? He had no doubt
that she would stop at one bite. He could feel the growing nausea and
could only hope that he could get them out of there quickly. He feared
that Natalie would bring up the cake, along with any blood she'd
ingested that morning. 

"So..." Tracy began, seeing Natalie set her fork down. It surprised
her that she'd taken such a small piece, and scarcely ate any of it.
"Tell us all about the wedding. Where? When?"

"You really aren't interested in that, are you?" Nick asked, wrapping
an arm around Natalie's waist. He was all too aware of the interest
that the other detectives had in his now-public relationship with
Natalie. Like she had said, he was not ashamed either to declare
publicly that they were a couple, but hoped the novelty would soon
wear off. 

"Yes, details, man. We want details!" the clamor from other officers
made Nick sigh reluctantly before nodding to Natalie.

"We were married Sunday evening, in New Orleans," Natalie began,
hearing some murmurs of surprise. She was not sure if it was the
timing or the location that drew the greater surprise. The assumption
had been, she supposed, that they'd gone to Las Vegas or Reno a month
ago when first going on vacation.

"So you took the honeymoon before the wedding, eh?" one of the vice
detectives teased. He'd been one to flirt mercilessly with Natalie for
years.

"I suppose you could say that," Nick replied, feeling Natalie's
embarrassment at the innuendo. If she could have blushed, she'd be
crimson. That was one thing that he did miss. She used to turn the
most delicious shade of bright red... 

"You are having a reception, aren't you?" 

"Of course. The invitations are right here," Natalie declared, pulling
the box out of her briefcase which Tracy took eagerly and began to
pass out. 

"Now, if you don't mind, my bride and I have a party to plan," Nick
said, taking Natalie by the arm and leading her out of the room. 

She was alarmed by the speed that he guided her out to the parking
lot, but was even more surprised when he loosened his collar and drew
her closer. "Nat, that frosting is going to make you ill. Drink."  His
voice was a command, and she did not question it. Brushing his lips
across her mouth, he guided her to his neck. Her fangs had dropped and
she lightly scraped his skin, licking the drizzles of blood that
appeared. It merely intensified her hunger, and she sank her fangs
into his neck drinking of his nectar. 

Pulling back, she gazed at him with shining eyes. "How did you know?"
she asked softly.

"I could feel it. I'm sure LaCroix did as well, and will be waiting to
chastise you." Nick replied, turning to unlock the car. 

*****
The image stuck in Tracy's mind as she stared out the window. The
parking area was dimly lit from street lamps. Was it her mind playing
tricks?  

She had seen Nick pull Natalie against him, leaning on the caddy. She
had kissed him on the lips briefly before focusing on his neck. His
expression was one of ecstasy, of supreme pleasure, to the point that
Tracy felt herself a voyeur.

What was obviously a moment of private passion puzzled Tracy. Their
kiss in the precinct had been more traditional, but the encounter in
the parking lot had seemed to give Nick more pleasure. Was the neck an
erogenous zone that she did not know about? Or was it one that only
appealed to a certain segment of population? 

CHAPTER 05/

Nick felt his presence first, but Natalie detected him as soon as they
stepped into the lift. "I told you," he grinned as she gave him a wry
smile. It did not need to be said that LaCroix was there, nor the
reason. Natalie still felt the food sitting like a lump in her
stomach.

LaCroix rose from the chair as soon as the door opened. His children
had returned to their home. He had done his best to not interfere with
his newest offspring's desire to have a degree of normalcy. After a
month of constant supervision, he'd allowed her to move from under
*his* roof to her lover's home. Since their return from New Orleans
earlier that week, he'd not made contact. It was time for Nicholas to
be her mentor. For a time, at least. There were still lessons that
he'd give to Natalie. Someday. When she was ready. Perhaps by then,
Nicholas would be ready for those lessons he'd skipped so many years
ago. He knew that by allowing his son to guide and assist Natalie, he
was ensuring Nicholas's return to him as well. And seeing Janette once
more had made it even more satisfying. Once again, he was the
patriarch. It was a good feeling.  

"So," he began, seeing Nick's nod to him. Natalie was more direct,
coming up to him to kiss his cheek. He handed her the filled goblet
immediately. He'd sensed her hunger. He'd also felt the sharp and
growing nausea that could mean only one thing. She'd eaten mortal
food. Solid food. 

"Thank you, Lucien," she smiled, ignoring Nick's questioning look. 

"What is this that I felt from you tonight, my child?" he scolded.
"Did you attempt to ingest something?"

Natalie was silent but looked away. Frowning, he approached her,
standing directly in front of her with his hands on her shoulders,
willing her to look at him. "Did I not warn you?"

"You said I was to consume only the blood of humans," she parroted.
"No animal blood was to pass my lips. It still hasn't."

"Hmm, yes. I should have remembered to be more literal with you, my
dear. I did say that. Let me be more precise then. You are not to
consume the blood of animals in any form. Further, no other substance,
nutritive or not, is to pass your lips unless mixed with human blood.
You cannot tolerate it." He turned to Nick, eyes glowing with
annoyance that was bordering on anger. They had been lucky. He did not
know what sort of audience had been there, but he figured larger than
either of them could easily have hypnotized. "You took an unnecessary
risk, Natalie."

"I kept it down," she protested. "It was simply a forkful of frosting.
Tracy would have said something if I didn't take anything."

"You've kept it down so far, but that is only because Nicholas fed you
immediately. What would have happened if you'd lost it in front of
your mortal colleagues, along with your true lunch? They would have
thought you ill. Very ill. Vomiting blood is considered ominous,
remember, Doctor? They would have insisted upon medical attention."
His voice was becoming deeper, more serious, and his eyes glowed with
the amber that signaled the release of the vampire power within him.
It was enough to give anyone a chill, but Natalie felt too ill to
notice. "You won't digest it... and you won't feel better until you
get rid of it," he said sternly.

 As if on command, she felt the sudden pain and nausea intensify. She
barely made it to the bathroom in time to bring up the bite of cake,
along with a good portion of blood. Leaning over the sink, she
shuddered, heaving with waves of nausea until nothing more was left.
Wiping the blood sweat from her face, she sat down on the cold tile
floor. Her blouse was ruined by the rivulets of sweat that ran down
her back. 

"Nat?" Nick helped her up, and guided her to the couch, sitting her
next to Lucien. 

Wordlessly, the elder vampire bit down on his wrist and drew the blood
to the surface before thrusting it under Natalie's nose. Grabbing it
with a ferocity she'd not felt since the night of her conversion, she
sucked the wound for several minutes. The last time she'd taken her
master's blood was at her wedding, to seal her marriage and strengthen
their bond. Now it was to heal. To strengthen her physically. 

"Better?" he murmured, pulling his wrist away and buttoning the cuff
of his shirt.  She nodded and leaned back against the cushions of the
couch. "You should know by now that I do not make up arbitrary rules.
This is for your own good. If you cannot hide yourself better, perhaps
we should consider moving on."

"No," she exclaimed, eyes open wide. "No, I'm not ready. I promise, I
won't do that again!" She looked at Nick for help. 

"I don't think that will be necessary, LaCroix." Nick had been pacing
the room as Natalie fed, and now returned to her side, crouching on
the floor in front of her.

"I'll be watching both of you. Your control and emotions are still
quite fragile. Disclosure is a much bigger risk. I don't want to have
to interrupt a broadcast again because I feel your distress, Natalie.
I can only protect you to a certain point. It is also your
responsibility to use good judgment regarding your actions." He stood,
his gaze going between them both. "You'd best figure something out for
this party next week. I do believe a cake cutting ceremony will be
expected by your mortal colleagues." 

With a stern nod to Nick, he rose through the open skylight. Nick
moved slightly to sit next to Natalie, his arm around her shoulders to
keep her close. "What will we do?" she whispered. "I didn't think that
just a little taste would hurt so much. You've eaten more."

"I'm a lot older than you. You are more advanced than most month old
vampires but you are still young," he replied. That seemed to be the
answer to everything and he knew it frustrated her. "So what did it
taste like?"

"Sand. Gritty and tasteless," she replied mournfully. Good chocolate
had been her comfort food. How would she suddenly develop a dislike
for chocolate? 

"Exactly. Unless mixed in blood, food has no taste for us. It has no
nourishment, either. Yes, I could take small quantities and keep it
down for a time. It always came back though."

She looked at him sharply. He'd consumed a wide variety of foods at
her urging over the years and had never told her that. She'd always
believed that he'd tolerated it. "Even the protein shakes?" 

"Not usually. They were tasteless at best, but they'd stay down. The
raw meat was okay usually, I think because of the blood, but only in
very, very small quantities. We do not have the enzymes necessary to
digest solid foods." He stood and went out to the kitchen, bringing a
small bowl and spoon, as well as a bottle of bloodwine. Setting them
on the table, he reached into his pocket, he pulled out a napkin that
was wrapped around a small piece of the cake. 

"Nick!" she exclaimed. She'd not seen what he'd done with his piece.
When had it made it's way into his jacket pocket?

"OK, let's figure something out," he declared. He was sure that there
was a way that they could have the illusion work to the satisfaction
of their mortal colleagues. "I'll sample it."

Taking a spoonful of the frosting she poured a quantity of blood into
the bowl and stirred in the frosting. The white sugary mixture took on
a deep pink hue and a more liquid consistency. She dipped a finger
into the bowl and held it out. He took her hand and licked the
frosting mixture. His expression was cautious for a moment before
nodding. "Try it this way," he instructed.

She hesitated for a moment before taking a small spoonful. After her
last experience with cake, she was not eager to repeat that. To her
surprise, it was palatable, although not something she'd consider a
'comfort' food. 

"OK?" he asked, watching her neutral expression closely.

"Yeah, I think so. So, how do we get blood into the cake?" 

"I'll have someone prepare a special top layer, just for us. It will
be plasma mixed with frosting. No cake." He leaned over and gave her a
light kiss. He could feel her exhaustion, despite leaving work early.
He knew all too well what that first experience with solid food could
do. He'd been not much more experienced than Natalie when he'd tried
to consume roasted boar. His reaction had been even more immediate and
violent than hers. At that time, LaCroix had not been terribly
understanding or patient with his protégé. Had the ancient master
mellowed over the centuries? He was, so far, more patient than Nick
had ever seen him. He still had flashes of anger, but nothing like
what he'd remembered.

*****
Since her partner had signed out early, Tracy decided that a long
lunch was in order. She had some investigating to do. First stop, the
abandoned church that her friend, Vachon, called home. In some ways, a
vampire living in a church seemed odd, but Vachon never had been one
to follow the 'rules'. At least that is what he told her.

She heard the music coming from his guitar as soon as she got close to
the stairs. As usual, it was unlit, although she could see the faint
glow above, which she presumed was from candles. Clicking off her
flashlight, she climbed the stairs as silently as possible. She
doubted her ability to sneak up on him, but it would be fun to try.

Before she could push aside the cloth curtain, she heard his amused
chuckle, "Nice try, Trace, but your heart's beating a mile a minute."

Frowning, Tracy strode into the room, seeing him leaning against the
opposite wall, grinning broadly. "No fair," she declared. 

"I said it was a nice try," he protested. "I can't help it that you
have a very loud heart beat." Giving her a leering glance, he strummed
a few chords before saying casually, "You know, I could do something
about that." 

"As in..?" she prompted, not sure that he'd really meant what she
thought he meant. He had never made that offer before. She was not
sure if he was serious about it, or teasing.

"I think you know what I mean, Tracy." He put down the guitar and went
over to give her a hug. He was not sure where she wanted their
relationship to go, but it was inching ever-so-slightly toward being
physical. That would lead to one thing ultimately. They were not at
the point of no return yet. But neither had she shown any sign of
backing away whenever he displayed the vampire. Eventually, his
opinions of eternal life and those of her partner would clash. He just
hoped that he was able to convince Nick to let Tracy make her own
decisions. "So, what brings you to my humble abode? I thought you
didn't like bugs and dirt."

"I wanted to talk," she began, following him to the stack of crates
that he used as chairs. 

"About?" he prompted, knowing precisely what she was leading up to. 

"You are very good at not answering my questions, you know that?" she
hesitated. "You go to the Raven a lot, right?"

"Yes, and my band plays there on Thursdays," he nodded.

"So you would know other people who hang out there, right?"

"I might," he shrugged, picking up the guitar to strum a few chords.

"Like my partner, Nick. He goes there, right? You know him?"

"You've pointed him out to me, so yes, I know what he looks like. I
did meet him once. Not that *he'd* remember," he gave Tracy a knowing
glance. "Yes, I have seen him at the Raven on occasion. Before you
ask, no I don't know why, or how often, much less who he was with," he
acknowledged. That he'd known him as long as he'd known Tracy was a
topic that was not up for discussion. At least not the manner in which
they'd really met. Vachon still remembered the power and intimidation
that the 800 year old vampire had unleashed. That was when he was
drinking cow. Knowing that Nick now consumed LaCroix's special blends,
he didn't want to see what he was capable of if angered. Nick had said
that he did not want harm to come to Tracy because of her knowledge.
He knew as well as any vampire that the more vampires a mortal knew,
the more likely the Enforcers would find out. Ultimately that was the
worst 'harm' that he could imagine. Far be it from him to anger
someone 300 years his senior. 

"You know his girlfriend?" she continued, hopefully.

"No, I don't think I've seen him there with anyone." Vachon said
smoothly. He hoped his answers were not as practiced as they seemed to
him.

"You know, Natalie... the coroner. You've heard me talk about her,"
Tracy prodded. He seemed intent on playing his guitar, and not paying
attention to her.

"If you say so," he said evasively. 

"I know you have, Mr. Perfect Memory for 480 years," she shot back
sarcastically, giving him an exasperated look. "Well, are you doing
anything a week from Saturday?" she continued. She could tell that he
was not being honest with her. His answers were just too quick. Why he
was being so evasive she did not understand, but for now, she'd go
along with his minimalist answers.

"No, I don't think so, why?" 

"They got married over the weekend and they're having a reception,"
she paused, staring at him intently until their eyes met. "I'd like
you to go with me." 

"Uh, yeah, sure," he stammered, trying to hide his surprise that Tracy
would want him to escort her to a wedding. That wedding in particular.
He knew that Natalie was no longer living at the Raven and figured
that she was living with Knight, but marriage? Now he really needed to
see them both. Had they actually done a formal bonding? That was the
rumor that was floating around the Raven. Or was this simply another
one of Aristotle's efforts to make the illusion real to their mortal
colleagues? 

"You'll need to find a suit, this is formal," she warned. She'd
detected the reaction, even as subtle as it was. Was he surprise
simply that she'd asked him to escort her to a wedding reception, or
did he really know Nick? If he *did* know them, and he was surprised
at the marriage, why was that? None of their mortal friends were
shocked in the least, so it must be something about the act of
marriage that Vachon was questioning, and not the relationship that
Nick and Natalie had.

"I'll see what I can dig up," he smirked. So the game was afoot. He'd
already warned Knight once. Maybe it *was* time to see just how good a
detective Tracy Vetter was!  

CHAPTER 06/

The night was clear, the air was crisp. Signing out of the precinct at
5 am, Nick could not help smiling with uncontrolled happiness. Who
would have thought, when he first came to Toronto nearly a decade ago,
that his life would turn around like this? In less than 18 hours, he
and his new wife would celebrate their marriage with their mortal
colleagues and friends. While it would not be as erotically
pleasurable as the exchange that had bound them for all eternity in
the eyes of the vampire community, this event would be as memorable.

Nick picked Natalie up at the coroners office and they stopped by the
loft to pick up their overnight bags as well as the garment bags with
their formal attire for the reception. They had decided that it would
be easiest to book a suite at the hotel for the day so that last
minute details could be done in person. 

Neither said much. He could sense her excitement. She was not as
nervous as she'd been in New Orleans. The month that had passed had
calmed her in ways that the month under LaCroix's tutelage had not.
With the link they now shared, he could sense her mood with incredible
clarity. More than he'd ever felt Janette, even when they'd lived
together for 97 years.  

****
Settled into their hotel suite, the last minute details confirmed,
Natalie sunk into the pillows with a tired sigh.

"Sure you want to do this?" Nick murmured as she snuggled under the
covers.

"After all the work we've done? You bet I do, buster. I am ready to
party!" her voice, while tinged with fatigue, was emphatic. 

"What about the rest? The wedding traditions?  We can party without
the extra things. They don't have the same meaning for me, you know." 

"Yes, I know," she acknowledged. "I know it isn't the same for you. I
haven't been a vampire as long as you remember? Just as the ceremony
in New Orleans was something we did together that bound us within the
community, the traditions we do tonight will bind us in the eyes of
our mortal colleagues. They have meaning for me. I never fantasized
about a white gown and a cathedral, but I have always dreamt of a long
slow waltz in the arms of the man I love. Plus it will give us an
album of wedding photographs." She turned slightly, dropping a brief
kiss on his cheek. "Truthfully, I don't know why I'm nervous at all."

"Because you're in the spotlight, and as I recall, you aren't fond of
that except in your professional mode. Because our friends are here,"
he said simply. "Other that Janette and LaCroix, you didn't know
anyone in New Orleans."

"That's true," she agreed, pondering his words. It *did* make sense to
her.  "I did get to know both of them better that I ever dreamt
possible." She ran her hand along his bare chest, gazing up at him
through amber eyes. "Best of all, I got to know *you* in ways that no
mortal would comprehend." 

Nick smiled, his fangs bared, "I love you Natalie de Brabant Knight."
Turning his chin slightly, he exposed his neck to her, the invitation
unspoken. She needed no further encouragement. Kissing him with
intensity, her tongue caressing the vein on his neck, she allowed her
fangs to lightly graze his skin. Feeling the light nips, but not the
firmness of her fangs within him, he groaned. "Nat, I want to share
all that I am. Please, take me..."  

"I will, my love... in time," she said seductively, running her hands
lightly down his body. She had more in mind than a simple exchange of
blood. She wanted him to know the depth of her love. To feel her
passion.

******
She did not want to seem anxious, but Tracy couldn't help it. She
*was* anxious. This marriage had far-reaching implications for her.
Could she have a relationship with Vachon, like Natalie had formed
with Nick? Did she even want to have one?

Tonight she would push the envelope. Well, at least *one* envelope.
She would see just how far Vachon would go, with a little persuasion.
The confrontation in her mind with her partner was yet to come. She
wasn't ready. The time would come, and soon, that she confronted him
with her knowledge and suspicions, but not tonight.

The invitation had said 'formal attire', so Tracy wore her favorite
black cocktail dress. The one that she could not get away with wearing
at departmental functions because her father thought it too risqué.
Well, a wedding was the perfect occasion for this dress! She'd bought
it a year ago, when she'd gone on a cruise to celebrate getting her
shield. It was a black crushed velvet sheath with a v- front neckline,
and thin spaghetti straps criss-crossing her back plunging to just
slightly above her waist. The mid thigh length was designed to
accentuate her long legs. She didn't work out daily so that no one
would notice! 

Except for a single gold chain, her neck was bare. Intentionally.
Tonight she would see just how far she could push a certain Spanish
vampire. She'd never discuss vampire sexuality with him, but that it
involved blood seemed to be fairly obvious. Just as she'd worn short
or slim fitting dresses to appeal to the male of the human species,
she left her neck bare to appeal to the male vampire. She could only
hope that he understood what formal meant, and could scrounge
something appropriate.

Promptness had ever been her curse with dating. She'd never mastered
the art of making dates wait just the right amount of time, to be
tortured by her father. She was dressed and made up at least a half
hour before she expected Vachon to come pick her up. While waiting,
she pulled out the folder on 'John Doe 199'. Reviewing the notes, she
thought back on the exchange she'd witnessed in the parking lot, and
added a cryptic comment, <neck- ?erogenous zone?>.

"Yes, it is," a low baritone voice spoke directly into her ear.

Shrieking, she dropped her pencil and whirled around to see Javier
Vachon standing next to her chair, laughing with delight. He always
took great pleasure in sneaking up on her. "Why do you do that?" she
asked with unconcealed annoyance.

"Because I can," he said, flashing her an especially evil grin before
reaching over to run a hand down her side, resting it on her hip. "You
clean up pretty well."

"I could say the same for you. If you'd let me see the whole package."

"As you wish," he dropped his hand and stepped backwards, turning
around slowly.

"Nice," Tracy admired. She had never seen him in anything but denim,
nor had she seen anything remotely resembling a closet at the church.
Where had he found a tuxedo? Especially one that fit him like a glove?

"I have my ways, " he said, waggling his eyebrows, as if reading her
thoughts. "I do play weddings on occasion, you know."

She flushed, embarrassed that he'd figured her out so easily. "okay,
okay. I had my doubts how you'd interpret the word formal. Who knew
that you were hiding a tux?"

"So I take it that I pass inspection?"

"Yes," she replied impatiently. "Can we go now?"

"We'll need to take your car," he said, holding out his hand for the
keys.

"Let me guess, you came by bike," she sighed. 

"No, not exactly," he shook his head. "I flew."

"Hmm, of course.  How silly of me. You don't even *own* a car." She
rolled her eyes that she'd even bothered to ask. Lord knows, she was
not going to go to a wedding reception in this dress on a motorcycle
anyway. "Well, I don't think I want to use *that* method of
transportation, but I will let you drive my car.  These shoes are
*not* made for driving."

"Hmm," he glanced down, admiring what the 3 inch heels did for her
long legs.  "I can see that. Nice. Very nice."

"Get your mind out of the gutter," she warned, dropping the keys in
his hand. It seemed that the dress was having the desired effect on
him. This could prove to be a very interesting evening after all!

****
"So what were you working on?" Vachon asked cautiously as they drove
toward the downtown hotel. He'd seen part of the file. Not much, but
it was enough to cause worry. Just what or *who* was she
investigating? As if he did not have a really good idea!

"When?" she turned to look at him, puzzled.

"When I got to your place. You know, the neck as an erogenous zone?"
Smiling seductively, he allowed the vampire to surface. Flashing her a
fanged smile, he said with a deep voice, "It is, you know. Want me to
demonstrate?"

"Uh no, no thanks," she stammered, feeling her face flame. Somehow, he
had an uncanny knack for making her lose her cool. "Anyway, that was
just an old file. Something I found in a drawer. Nothing important." 

Vachon didn't respond, but had seen enough of the file to know that
'John Doe 199' was none other than her partner.  The fact that it was
in two handwritings meant that someone *else* had done a very similar
investigation. It was a dangerous path she was entering. He could do
nothing to stop her without revealing her partner's secret.  The
partner who was an 800 year old vampire, and did not want her to know
that he was a vampire.

This reception was going to be very interesting after all!

CHAPTER  07/ 
A steady stream of formally attired people were making their way
across the lobby and up the escalator. Seemed that this party was
bigger than Tracy had imagined. Joining in the crowd, she began to
introduce Vachon to the other police officers while keeping a careful
eye out for her father. Somehow she was not sure that she was ready
for that confrontation just yet and she most certainly did not want it
to be in public. She knew that a Spanish guitar-playing slacker was
not the kind of man that Richard Vetter would want his daughter to
date. 

Maintaining a friendly banter, Vachon relaxed in Tracy's company. He
recognized a few other vampires, but chose to ignore them. No sense
pointing them out to her, or trying to explain why they were included
on the guest list!

The ballroom was like a page out of history. A fantasy land or a
medieval castle. Lit entirely by candles, it had a warm sparkling
glow. Each table had a pair of tall tapers protected by a hurricane
glass flanked by four bowls of rose colored water that had several
candles floating in each. A single long-stem rose in a glass vase was
at each place. Separated from the other tables, a small table for two
sat at the front on the room, next to the dance floor. Tall tiered
candelabras flanked it as well as a forest of greenery behind the
table.  The only artificial light came from the music stands of the
band, that was now playing a light jazz tune  

They were greeted at the doorway by a waiter in formal dress who
escorted them to their table. To Tracy's amazement, there were
engraved place cards. How had Natalie managed to put *this* together
in only a month? She'd been to formal society weddings that were less
elaborate. Not to mention less of a fire hazard with all the candles!

Tracy found herself seated at a table with three other detectives and
their spouses. Two were also from the 96th, and one was from the 27th
precinct, but she knew him from her days as a uniformed cop on the
'crime scene unit'. Overall, a better table grouping than she'd ever
had at a wedding before! Something else to thank Natalie for! 

Looking around the room, she saw that most of the room was populated
by police department personnel or members of the Coroner's office
staff. It was to the point that she wondered if *anyone* was actually
on duty!

Command officers, including her father, were all on the other side of
the dance floor. She'd only looked long enough to see that, yes, he
was here. He was not with her mother. Not that she'd expected him to
come with Mum. A young blonde woman was seated to his right, but Tracy
could not tell if she was there with her father or with someone
else... not that  she was about to go over to find out. Perhaps if she
let her father have his own personal life, he'd let her do the same.

"What's your pleasure?" Vachon asked after Tracy had introduced him to
the others at their table. He'd already noticed where most of the
other vampires were being seated. The bar at that side of the room was
staffed by a pair of bartenders from the Raven. So, Nick *was*
providing for their needs... interesting.

"Vodka tonic with lime," she requested, doing a quick double take
before whispering, "what about you?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. Just don't try to share my wine, okay?" he patted
his jacket pocket, to indicate a hidden flask. 

"Okay, good." she said, scarcely paying attention to where he went as
she continued talking to the other cops.

Seated at tables on the far side of the room were some old, familiar
faces, all sipping their red wine and cautiously watching Vachon's
approach.

"Didn't know you were that friendly with Nicholas," mused a tall
blonde woman who was leaning against the bar. He knew her as 'Alma'
but didn't know if that was really her name. He had not seen her at
the Raven for a few years, but had seen her at other Toronto clubs-
those not owned by vampires, and therefore not considered off-limits
for the kind of hunting that Alma excelled at.

"We only met a few years ago. I am actually here as his partner's
date."

"Ah, yes, the current incarnation.... Homicide cop, isn't it? How
ironic, wouldn't you say?" Her voice was smooth, her mannerisms
seductive. He now remembered watching her special form of hunting
while playing at numerous clubs around Toronto. Her prey had usually
been culled from the men who frequented the club, looking for danger.
She was always happy to oblige.

"I suppose," he returned, politely. "I recall you as being more of a
friend to Janette."

"True," she acknowledged with a little laugh, "but Nicholas is still a
friend. I had been invited to the ceremony, but couldn't get there in
time."

"Ceremony?" he snapped to attention.

"Ah, yes," she assured him.

"I thought they eloped," Vachon commented motioning to catch the
bartender's eye. 

"That is what they want everyone to believe," Alma replied, taking a
long draught from her glass and pausing long enough for Vachon to
request the drinks for he and Tracy. "They chose to undergo the ritual
bonding ceremony."

"The what?" he asked, taking the beverages and moving away from the
bar.

"You've never heard of the eternal marriage?" she asked, curious that
any vampire of Vachon's age would not know community traditions.

"No, can't say that I have. I've never known a vampire that got
married."

"Hmm, most vampires don't," she agreed. "A vampire marriage is an
eternal bond. A couple pledges faithfulness to each other before
witnesses that include the Elders."

"What difference does that make?" he asked. "How is that different
from someone just going to Aristotle and getting some papers made up?"

"It is sealed in blood. The promises are eternal and monogamous. Even
if one perishes, the other is still bonded to their spouse." She
sighed, remembering the mystical energy she'd felt the one time that
she'd seen the ceremony. It had been over a century ago, but she
remembered as if it were yesterday. 

"So they really...?" his question went unasked as Alma smiled, with a
finger to her lips. 

"They did," she confirmed. "You will be able to tell when you see them
together. It is simply amazing, the power they reflect. I've never
seen anything like it." With a knowing smile, she walked back toward a
table, again gesturing for silence. Not that she needed to worry. This
was not anything that he had *any* intention of discussing. 

Taking his drinks from the bartender, Vachon went back to his table
where Tracy was already laughing at jokes told by the other guys. It
was a strange dynamic, as the other three women were as lost in the
humor as he was. 

"So who was that?" Tracy asked as Vachon handed her the glass, while
keeping a tight grip on his own stemmed goblet. 

"Who?"

"That woman by the bar that I saw you talking to."

"Jealous?"

"No, curious," she said emphatically. "I didn't think that you would
know anyone here." 

"She didn't introduce herself," he said casually. Well, it *was* true,
she hadn't... not that he really *needed* an introduction. "She said
she was an old friend of Nick."

"Uh huh, okay," Tracy responded, her voice clouded with doubt. She
knew that Vachon referred to other vampires as <old friends>. At least
she assumed that the <old friends> that he'd introduced to her were
vampires. They had the same pale complexions, and always were drinking
red wine. Was it just coincidence that he used that particular term
now?

****
Tracy had introduced Vachon to the other detectives and had initiated
a lively conversation. This time *not* centered around work, so that
everyone was involved and enjoying themselves. She was beginning to
wonder when the bridal couple would arrive, when she noticed something
unexpected. A tall, imposing figure dressed entirely in black walked
across the room and spoke to the band leader.  She could not help
staring, admiring the silk tuxedo clad man and then she recognized
him. 

"Hey, hey... Vachon," she hissed. "Isn't that, umm, you know, the
owner of the Raven?  The, umm, Nightcrawler?"

Following her gaze, Vachon froze.  Judging from his attire, La Croix
was here 'officially' which must mean that Nick was going to admit
*something* regarding their relationship. "Uh, yeah, it is," he
confirmed. He did not need to fake the confusion. 

"Why is he here?" Tracy demanded.

"You're asking me? He's *your* partner," he said swiftly. "I suppose
we'll find out soon." he mused, thinking to himself that this
reception was getting more interesting all the time.

The tempo of the music changed and Tracy saw Nick and Natalie standing
at the doorway. Nick was resplendent in a black silk tux that had
obviously been custom tailored. To Tracy's surprise, Natalie was not
wearing a traditional white wedding gown. Natalie did not seem as
bound by tradition but she'd always pictured Nick as being old-
fashioned enough to insist upon his bride wearing white, with a long
train. The dress that she wore was elegant, formal and fit the mood of
the room. The shimmering midnight blue silk gown very nearly glowed in
the candlelight. She'd never seen anything like it. Together they made
a striking couple and obviously very much in love. Their expressions
and simple gestures told more than Tracy had ever seen in the
professional setting.

*****
The low, steady thrum of many voices accompanied by the chorus of
heartbeats greeted Natalie as soon as the elevator door opened.
Wondering how Nick could appear so calm, she reached over to take his
hand. 

"You'll do fine, Nat," he murmured squeezing her hand in his. She'd
guzzled three bottles of uncut blood since arising shortly after dusk.
This would truly be her first time in the spotlight since her
conversion. She had every right to be nervous despite all of his
reassurances.

"You sure about that?"

"I am," he confirmed, taking her arm and tucking in the crook of his
elbow, and guiding her toward the ballroom. 

As soon as they appeared in the doorway, the bandleader announced,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas
Knight."

Cheers and applause rang throughout the ballroom as Nick led Natalie
to the dance floor. Pausing for a moment to acknowledge their friends,
he swept her into his arms and together they circled the floor in a
waltz. Every movement was smooth, elegant, and their eyes were focused
only on each other. The love was visible for all to see.

Seated at the table in the midst of the mortal police officers, Vachon
saw something more. They were each other. An indelible stamp that told
the world of their devotion to one another. Alma had been right. They
exuded a power that was hard to explain. 

As if on cue, waiters bearing large heavily laden trays emerged as
soon as Nick escorted Natalie to their seats, a cozy table for two set
apart from the other guests. While the waiters passed out the first
course, a string quartet began to play, providing the perfect
background music for the meal.

"This is amazing," Tracy breathed, seeing the salad of fresh greens
garnished by shrimp and lobster. Her mind began a mental calculation.
Fresh roses, purchased off season. Lobster for 150 guests. <How much
did all of this cost?> 

A second waiter was passing out flutes of champagne, with the
admonishment to wait for the toast.  She was so taken with the
surroundings that she did not notice that Vachon's goblet was filled
from a different bottle than hers. But he noticed. The waiter that
served their table was also a Raven employee who acknowledged Vachon
with a silent nod. 

LaCroix stepped forward to the microphone, holding a half full
champagne flute in his hand. A hush fell over the room with his
presence, before he'd said a word.  "Greetings, ladies and gentlemen,"
he intoned, his voice expressing deep emotion. "I welcome you to this
celebration of the marriage of Natalie Ann Lambert and Nicholas de
Brabant Knight." Applause broke out and some guest stood and cheered.
LaCroix waited with uncommon patience for silence to reign again. 

He was not accustomed to fighting to be heard, and had no intention of
doing so now. "It may come as a surprise to many of you, but I have
known Nicholas longer than anyone here. I challenged him to develop
into the man you see today. I have seen him search for a woman with
whom to share his life and his devotion once he'd found her. His love
for Natalie is unequaled. To see them together is to see two halves of
the same coin. To keep them apart would be a losing battle. As
Natalie's parents are no longer on this earth the express their joy in
their union, I share with you my good will toward this couple and ask
that you do the same." Raising his glass, he said simply, "To Nicholas
and Natalie!"

Musical tones filled the room as many goblets were touched together
and voices called out "to Nick and Natalie!" As Tracy drank deeply
from her goblet, she looked accusingly at Vachon. Setting the goblet
on the table she turned, annoyance having turned to anger. 

"OK Vachon, explain *that*!" she demanded.

"What?" he asked, the very picture of innocence.

"The nightcrawler as a 'parent' to Nick?" she kept her voice low, but
the emotion came through clearly. "You can't have missed *that* now,
can you?"

He shrugged, trying his best to remain low key, "What about it?"

"Why do I get the feeling that there is more going on here?" she asked
insistently.

"I don't know, Tracy.  Maybe you need to ask your partner." Taking a
drink from his goblet he challenged her with his cool expression. 

"Yeah, maybe I do," she agreed, turning her gaze toward the head
table. 

****
"Doing okay?" Nick asked quietly as the level of conversation returned
to its previous level. LaCroix had placed a black bottle bearing a
silver label on their table after completing the toast. They had both
detected the gasps of surprise at LaCroix's words. Tonight would be
the calm before the storm. Tomorrow the questioning would begin. If no
one else, Tracy and Grace were sure to be unrelenting. 

"I'm fine," she assured him, swirling the champagne flute to allow the
amber liquid to slosh against the sides. Unbeknownst to most present,
her glass contained plasma with just a small amount of the sparkling
wine.  They'd prepared several bottles of the special blend which only
a few waiters carried. She glanced around the room carefully. Even in
the dim glow of the candles, she could see clear as day. She
especially saw Tracy's intense look. "You do realize that your partner
is casting an eagle eye in our direction, as I speak."

"I figured. Well, acknowledging LaCroix as family *does* give me a
good excuse for going to the Raven and it isn't the excuse that she
thinks."

"Be careful." Natalie warned. "Your partner may just be a better
detective than you think."

"I can handle her," Nick said confidently. He was not exactly
surprised to see who Tracy's date was. At least this way, he could
easily find our what she said... and whether he truly needed to be
concerned. 

****
The main course was served with dizzying speed, in such a way that no
one noticed that the bridal table was skipped... as were several
tables in the periphery. 

Vachon and Tracy's plates were served almost simultaneously, but even
she noticed a difference. His vegetable portions were much smaller,
and simpler. More dramatically though, the slice of prime rib that
dominated his plate was so rare that the juices appeared almost
bloody. Normally one to avoid cow blood, he knew that this had been
done deliberately. This was meat he could appear to consume, without
becoming ill. 

"Jeez man, that thing is still mooing," the detective to Tracy's right
exclaimed. If he noticed other differences in the meal, he didn't
comment. "The waiters are still going around, I'm sure you can get a
piece that's better cooked."

"No, it's okay," Vachon said emphatically. "This is how I like it." He
was feeling more at ease with this reception. It was obvious that
preparations had been made with great care. Even his champagne was a
special blend, something he'd not even known possible. 

Tracy rolled her eyes and whispered, "behave yourself." She had
noticed that her meat was medium rare.. just as *she* liked it... but
also had seen that all of his courses had been slightly different. Not
enough that one would notice unless they were looking. It made her
wonder, though, what was going on, and who had arranged it?

****
With the meal cleared away, the string quartet was replaced by a band,
immediately starting to play lively dance music. With the band's first
song, Nick took Natalie's hand and led her out to the dance floor.
They were soon joined by other couples.

The party had begun, and never let it be said that cops do not know
how to have a good party!

The ice broken, Nick and Natalie began to make a circuit of the room,
greeting guests and accepting the congratulations of the many friends
who'd waited a very long time for this event.

It was as the couple approached that Vachon truly felt what that Alma
had described. Together they exuded a powerful aura, a distinct
vibration unlike anything he'd ever felt. He'd never seen the vampire
bonding ritual, or met anyone who had done it. Was this what he now
felt? The eternal bond that Nick and Natalie shared? Making an eternal
commitment was not something that he had ever imagined himself doing.
It did not surprise him that Nick had. If there was anything that he'd
learned in the short time he'd been in Toronto, it was that Nick was
an unusual vampire. 

"Nick," Tracy fairly bounded out of her seat as they came near. "This
is such an incredible party..." her voice was as perky and
enthusiastic as usual but her expression reflected a much different
sentiment. 

"Thanks, but Nat did most of the work," he grinned, stepping closer
and nodding toward Vachon.

"Uh huh, well, I must say that it has surprised me. In many ways." She
gave him a meaningful look and said in a lower tone, "We need to
talk."

"Later Trace, we'll talk later," he promised.

"We will.  We will indeed," she said emphatically as they walked to
the next table. 

As Nick led the way back to their own table for something to drink,
Natalie spoke low, "You're in trouble Nick. She is *not* going to let
go of this."

"If she knows what's good for her, she will," he replied grimly.

"Nick, she's a detective. She will figure it out if it kills her." 

"Well, it just might." His voice was grim. Some things were not up for
discussion. This was one of them. If Tracy learned more about
vampires, it would not be from him!

****
As Natalie did not have a bouquet to toss, so they chosen to forego a
tossing of the garter as well. Since Natalie's dress was rather form-
fitting, it was a deliberate decision. Not that Nick would have minded
making the attempt to reach far up her legs!

One tradition that could not be skipped was the multi-tiered wedding
cake. Her first attempt at eating cake made this had been the source
of much anxiety for Natalie. Nick was unconcerned and had told her on
more than one occasion that it was taken care of. The top layer had
been specially prepared for them so that all she need do was follow
his lead and he would make sure that she did not actually consume the
cake regardless... 

At the bandleader's cue, Nick took Natalie's arm and led her to the
long table where the cake was set up amidst stacks of plates. The cake
itself was a work of art.  Like the guest tables, it was adorned with
long-stem red roses and surrounded by floating candles.

Posing for the photographer, Nick took Natalie's hand and together
they cut into the uppermost tier, and placed a small slice on a plate.
They had agreed *not* to smash cake into each other's faces as so many
couples did. Natalie felt it barbaric and definitely *not* funny. She
had threatened him with major bodily harm if he got so much as a crumb
in her hair.  

Taking her fork, Natalie fed a forkful of the cake to Nick. She could
feel his mental caress, as well as that of LaCroix. Setting the plate
back on the table, Nick placed the morsel of frosting in Natalie's
mouth. Before she had a chance to swallow, or react, he pulled her
against him and drew her into a passionate kiss. His tongue pressed
forcefully against her lips until she gave him entry. Their tongues
meeting, touching briefly to exchange the edible morsel so he swept
the piece of cake out, swallowing it himself. 

The guest applauded wildly at the unexpected display as Natalie pulled
away slightly, fanning herself. He smiled sheepishly, "you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just wasn't expecting that to work so well," she replied.
This had been Nick's idea. Even though she seemed to tolerate the
mixture, he wanted to be safe and had suggested this maneuver. Each
time they'd attempted to practice the exchange, things had gotten a
bit *too* heated, and they'd end up late for work. Again. 

She looked up to see a profusion of cameras. It seemed that more than
just the professional that they'd hired were taking photographs. She
could only imagine how many copies of their kiss would be passed
around. 

"Ahem... may we have everyone's attention?" Natalie looked up and saw
Grace standing by the dance floor with a large manila envelope in her
hand. The night shift desk sergeant from the 27th precinct stood at
the microphone next to her. 

"As, umm, most of you know, we cops know a good thing when we see it.
Nick, here, might be a little slow, but he finally figured out that he
and Natalie belonged together. So, hey, buddy, we all wish you the
best!" A cheer rose from the assembled cops as Nick and Natalie walked
over to the edge of the dance floor. "And I am here to announce the
winner of the pool. Which, by the way, was the longest running bet in
the history of the Metro Toronto PD." 

Silence fell over the room as he pulled out a piece of paper and read
"OK, the wedding was actually a month ago, right?" he looked up and
watched Nick's nod. "So that makes the closest prediction by Joe
Stonetree. He might have been off by a month, but was the closest.
Most of us pegged this to have happened a long time ago and had
already entered repeat wagers." Laughter circulated the room as he
gave Nick a stern look. "Hope you aren't planning to make us wait as
long for the first little Knight!" 

Grace nudged him away from the microphone and held up the envelope,
leaning over the microphone. "It's all here, the longest running pool
in the history of *either* department. Complete with interest."
Laughter circulated the room as the captain of the 27th came forward
to claim his prize, along with a kiss from Natalie.

"I'll have you know that this was my third wager," he joked. Waving to
the command officer's table, he held up the envelope. "Just so all my
bosses know, I am donating this to charity. I *do* know the regs!"
Laughter circulated the room as Joe shook Nick's hand and murmured his
congratulations.    

CHAPTER 08/   

The party was starting to wind down when a long shadow fell over
Tracy's table. Vachon had just returned from a set with the band and
was entertaining the other officers with stories generated from years
of playing in bars.

"Tracy?" the stern voice got her attention quickly. Tracy looked up to
see her father standing stiffly next to the table.

"Yes?" she responded, sliding her chair backward and standing. With
her heels on, she met her father eye to eye. She knew his intimidation
tactics and was not about to give into him.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your guest?" he frowned. He'd
watched her all evening, wearing a dress that was too revealing for
his tastes. He was only too aware that she had avoided the area where
command officers were seated. He'd been completely surprised to see
her walk in with someone he'd never met. This man was most certainly
not a police officer! When he'd gotten on stage, that was the last
straw. Not only was her companion not a cop... he was a *musician*!
His daughter was *not* going to get involved with a musician, at least
not if he had anything to say about it!

"Oh, umm, sure. Dad, this is Javier Vachon." She rested a hand on
Vachon's shoulder. "Javier, this is my father."

Vachon stood, and extended his hand, "pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"Hmm, yes," he gestured for Vachon to sit, and led Tracy a few steps
away from the table. "Who is he?" 

"A friend," Tracy said simply.

"I was not aware that you were seeing anyone," he scolded. 

"May I remind you that I am an adult? Not to mention the fact that
I've not commented about your date? You leave me alone, I'll leave you
alone," Tracy kept her voice low, only too aware that she was in
public. "Besides Javier is a *friend*. I am not *seeing* him."

"Could have fooled me," he clucked disapprovingly. "That dress says
otherwise."

"Dad," she groaned. She should have known better to think that her
father would ever let her lead a life without interference.

"Tracy, if this man is a part of your life, I'd like to meet him.
Brunch at the Country Club next Sunday?" 

Tracy sighed. The confrontation was inevitable. Much as she'd like to
avoid it, perhaps it would be better to simply get this over with.
"I'm on duty next weekend, so that won't work. How about coffee before
I go on duty Sunday evening?"

It was the senior Vetter's turn to sigh. "Button, don't you think it
is time to put in for a day position? You've done your year on
nights."

"Dad, I'm very happy with my current position," Tracy protested. He
had been trying to get her out of homicide for at least the past six
months. When her first assignment as a detective had been posted, he'd
begun the protest. Homicide was too dangerous a job for his little
girl, and he wanted everyone to know it. 

"I could help," he offered.

"Remember Corporate Crime?" she said firmly. She had been bullied into
taking the transfer that he'd arranged once before. It had lasted less
than a week, and she was back in homicide. "No. I am not transferring
anywhere. Not now. Not until I say so."

"All right, I got the message." He held up his hands in surrender.
He'd trained her well, too well. He turned, to go back to his table.

"Dad? Coffee on Sunday?" she asked again. 

"Yes. That sounds good," he nodded. "I still wish that you'd let me
make some inquiries."

"No," she said firmly. Sitting down, she grabbed her drink and drained
it in one long swallow. She reached out for another, but her hand was
stopped by Vachon.

"That one's mine. I don't think you'd like it," he whispered with a
knowing grin. Leaning back in his seat, he watched Tracy's father make
his way across the room, talking to other guests along the way. "Well,
that was interesting."

She looked up with a sheepish smile, "So, umm, is that okay? Meeting
my father?"

"As long as I know the rules," he nodded, draining his own glass and
setting it on the table.

"Rules?"

"Yeah, dress code, cover story," he shrugged. While he did not have as
much experience as Nick interacting with the mortal world, he could
certainly schmooze one nervous father. "But I do agree with him on one
thing."

"What would that be?" she asked, not certain how much he'd listened
in. Surely he was not that concerned whether she put in for a
departmental transfer.

"That your dress is not something that you'd wear for a friend." He
raised an eyebrow and grinned as she flushed bright red. "Not that I'm
complaining, mind you."

****
"Are you ready to escape?" Nick asked, running his hand up her arm in
a smooth, stroking motion. She'd just returned to their table after
yet another set on the dance floor. Very few of the dance sets found
her at the table. She'd been a sought after date among the police
department detective division for a long time. While none protested
that she and Nick were right together, they all wanted the opportunity
to dance with her. This time it was with Joe Reese. 

"Absolutely," she breathed, staring into his deep blue eyes. She had
other ideas what they could be doing.

"Not so fast, my children," LaCroix said smoothly. He'd detected their
restlessness and knew they'd be leaving as quickly as they could.
Every time he thought it appropriate to seek her out, she was on the
dance floor with yet another police officer. "I've not had my turn on
the dance floor with the bride yet."

"Nick?" she prompted, holding his hand tightly while glancing between
the two men. She was all too aware that she'd spent more time
socializing with all of the other guests than with her husband. He'd
not seemed upset, as he also had been dancing with a fair number of
the spouses and female officers. 

"Yes, Nat. Go ahead... and then we'll dance our way out." He watched
as his sire gathered Natalie into his arms and swept her across the
dance floor. They made an elegant pair and their bond as sire to child
was all too clear to his eye. His own bond to LaCroix had steadily
increased since Natalie's conversion. To his surprise, he no longer
resented the senior vampire's presence in his life or his mind.
Watching the pair glide in tune to the music, he found himself
admiring them. Much as he thought himself a good dancer, he had to
admit, LaCroix knew how to dance and dance well. What was more, he
could sense the pleasure that Natalie felt in her new life.   

Waltzing their way across the room, Natalie felt the power of her bond
with her sire magnified. What had, at first, been an intrusion in her
mind was now a welcome presence. His support was now a vital part of
her life. She knew when he was angry, but also when he was calm, at
peace. 

"Lucien, did you mean it?" she asked softly.

"Mean what?" he responded, leading her away from most of the other
dancers. 

"The toast... that Nick and I are two halves of the same coin," she
began. She still had trouble saying some things to him, preferring to
have him take her blood.

"Yes, Natalie. I may have fought your relationship for a time, but now
you are both my progeny. You are a part of me, and I am a part of you.
That is the way it is, and shall always be." He was silent momentarily
before continuing, "but this is the last wedding that I shall
participate in." His expression was solemn, but his mood was light,
the amusement barely concealed.

She laughed at his stern look. There were times that he could act so
very stern, and yet be cracking a joke. "I understand perfectly," she
murmured, fighting to keep from breaking down giggling. "Trust me,
neither will I."

The song nearly over, Nick appeared at LaCroix's elbow. "Can I break
in yet?"

"I suppose," LaCroix intoned, stepping back with obvious reluctance.
He glanced between the two of them. "You will be leaving shortly?"

"Yes, we will," Nick acknowledged, giving Natalie an intense look of
desire. It did not take much imagination to know what Nick really
wanted at that moment in time.

"You are planning to tell your colleagues that I am your father?" 

"As we planned, yes," Nick agreed. "Adoptive father. You paid for the
wedding out of a trust that you'd set up years ago that I could not
access until I married." He repeated the story that they'd developed,
verbatim. With this many command officers attending, someone was bound
to become curious how a detective could pay for an elaborate wedding.
It had been LaCroix's suggestion to come up with a plausible cover.  

LaCroix nodded and stepped backwards to the edge of the dance floor,
watching as the couple glided away. Arm in arm, they danced their way
to the doorway and with a backward wave, left the room. 

Surveying the ballroom, LaCroix leaned on the bar, sipping a goblet of
blood wine. He had noted that Nick's young partner was in the company
of one of them. Perhaps he needed to have a few words with the young
Spaniard. Make sure he was abiding by the code. Their eyes met, and
shortly Vachon was coming toward the bar. 

"So... going public, eh?" Vachon commented, setting the glasses on the
bar and motioning for refills. He knew better than to refuse a
summons, and that penetrating glance from the ancient could only be
termed as a command meeting.

"Partially. To answer your question, I am to be termed Nicholas's
adoptive father. You may feign ignorance if you desire, but I doubt
young Ms. Vetter will believe you." He sipped his own beverage and
stood closer. "I trust that you remember the Code." He paused, noting
Vachon's startled look. "Be very, very careful. She takes her job
quite seriously. I would not want to make any unnecessary phone calls
because she saw something she should not have." Lowering his voice, he
warned, "I have intervened with Enforcers on behalf of Nicholas. I do
not have such a vested interest in either you, or Ms. Vetter."

"Duly warned," Vachon replied. Taking the full glasses from the
bartender, he returned to his table. Tracy had watched him intently
the entire time that he'd gone to fetch their refills.

"So what was that about?" she asked promptly.

"What?" 

"Talking to the Nightcrawler? I thought you didn't know him."

"His name is LaCroix. Lucien LaCroix," Vachon corrected her. "I work
for him. That is not the same as *knowing* him."

"Uh huh," she said doubtfully. "What were you talking about?"

"Nothing much," he shrugged. "I just said I hoped Nick was happy."
Tracy did not respond. Somehow she knew that there was more to the
discussion than mere pleasantries. She did not like being kept in the
dark and the more her questions were answered vaguely, the more
determined she was.

She *would* find out the truth!

****
Sweeping Natalie into his arms, Nick carried her into the bedroom of
their suite. It had been a very, very good thing that they'd been
alone in the elevator, as neither one could keep their fangs
retracted. 

Wordlessly, he unzipped her dress and pushed it off her shoulders,
kissing the exposed skin tenderly. Her hands were busy divesting him
of his tuxedo jacket. Frantically, she plucked at the studs on his
silk shirt. 

"Nick!" she growled impatiently. "Hold still. I can't get this off!"

"It's okay, Nat," he soothed, standing back slightly and unfastening
his shirt, letting the studs fly off, scattering around the room. The
shirt soon followed his jacket and cummerbund, making a trail to the
bed. He slid the dress from her hips and admired Natalie's shapely
body, clad only in a wispy silk garter belt and panties. 

"Your turn, Nick," she commented, seeing his reaction to her.
Grinning, he quickly shed his trousers and pulled her against him. 

"My turn for what?" he whispered.

"Use your imagination," she instructed, her eyes glowing amber.

****
Sipping the bloodwine from his corner of the ballroom, LaCroix closed
his eyes to savor the sensations he now felt. His children were making
love. This was not the first time that he'd been privy to their
passion but was the first time that he was consciously aware of
Nicholas dropping the barriers in their link. Usually he would
'listen' through Natalie, with a few added vibrations from Nicholas
only when he was at the height of ecstasy.   

Since the bonding, he felt both of them with incredible clarity. This
was, indeed, a time to cherish. He had no illusions that the peace
would last. At some point, Natalie would chafe under his supervision.
Nicholas would find some other excuse to fight him. They would leave
him alone. 

CHAPTER 09/ 

Having consumed enough champagne and vodka to sedate an elephant,
Tracy was now tipsier than she'd been since her university days. Being
a witness to her mother's alcoholism, she'd not been one to indulge
very often. Finding courage in a bottle was a completely foreign
behavior for her, but now was the right time. What she wanted that
night would take that kind of courage.

Giggling, she leaned on Vachon's arm, whispering, "Wanna come back to
my place?"

"Sure, Tracy," he laughed. "I don't think you find it otherwise." The
alcohol was strong on her breath. He'd stopped counting after the
fifth vodka and tonic, knowing that it was more than enough to affect
her. She was definitely feeling no pain... at least not now. On the
other hand, she was sure to regret this in the morning!

Keeping an arm snaked around her waist, Vachon guided Tracy to the
car. She hummed along with the radio for the entire drive home. That
was something that he could not help but laugh at. 

Traffic was light at this late hour, and he was at her apartment very
quickly while she still seemed oblivious to her surroundings. Closing
the door behind them, he guided Tracy to the couch. After lighting a
few candles, he sat next to her. Whenever possible, he preferred the
soft, flickering glow of a candle to the harsh light of an electric
lamp.

"Javier?" she leaned against him, resting her hands against his chest.

"Yes, I'm here," he replied, kissing her temple lightly. Holding her
so close intensified his desires. It was only with great concentration
that he reined in the vampire. 

"If Natalie can be with Nick, why can't I be with you?" she asked
plaintively, her eyes blurred from the alcohol as she tried to gaze at
him.

"I, umm, don't see what Knight has to do with me," Vachon declared,
trying to decide how he'd get out of *this* discussion. It was so much
easier to reason when she was sober. He was beginning to consider
hypnosis. Generally it was easier when someone was intoxicated, but he
hated the thought of resorting to mind control. If it worked would he
ever be able to look her in the eye again? Not to mention the risk
that he'd take too many memories and she would not remember the party.

"Oh, come on, Javier," she protested, pulling away to look directly
into his large brown eyes. "I know damn well that Nick is a vampire."

"Tracy, you're drunk," he said firmly. 

"Yep, I am," she hiccupped. "You... you didn't answer the question."

"What question?" he asked, the very picture of innocence. This was
precisely what he'd hoped to avoid.

"You're stalling," she declared, sliding a hand across his chest.
Those studs were just *too* small for her to unfasten in her
inebriated state, so she settled for simple caressing him. Maybe he'd
get the idea this way.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not," he replied, agreeably, thinking that just
maybe he could confuse her enough to leave it alone. 

"You are," she announced, slipping a hand up to undo his tie. "Why
can't I be with you?" she repeated. 

"Do you want to be with me?" he asked huskily, sighing with pleasure
at her touch. 

"Yes, Javier, I do," she breathed.

He was silent for a moment, gathering her against his chest. Running a
hand down her arm, relishing her soft sigh of contentment, he spoke
softly. "I want to be with you, in all ways."

She slid a hand more intently across his chest, sneaking fingers
between the studs to caress his bare skin. "Then lets take this
somewhere more comfortable."

"Not tonight," he murmured, his voice firm, barely hid his
disappointment.

"Why not?" she protested.

"Because you're drunk, Tracy. I don't want to do something that you'll
regret tomorrow." His voice was firm, but with a hint of sadness. He
wanted this as much as she did. For most of his long life, he would
not have hesitated to take an inebriated woman. In fact, he would
deliberately get the woman drunk before taking them to his room, or to
the nearest stable. The fact that only one woman had survived a night
with him did not matter. At least it never had before. This was
different. Tracy was not someone he would use and leave. 

"You aren't the first," she twined her other hand in his hair, kissing
him lightly. "I won't regret it."

"Correction, querida," he whispered, pulling her hand away from his
chest and bringing it to his mouth. Kissing each finger, he spoke
deliberately. "I am your first. Your first vampire."

"What difference does that make?" 

"All the difference in the world. For me to be with you, to make love
to you, I have to have blood." He paused to catch her attention, "your
blood."

"I sort of figured that was part of it," she confessed. "That's okay.
I don't mind."

"Tell me that when you are sober, and no one will keep me away from
you." He stood, gazing down at her with unconcealed desire. If he did
not leave now, things would start progressing beyond the point where
he'd be able to control himself. 

"So you won't?" 

"No. Not now," he said, his voice husky with desire. For the first
time since becoming a vampire, he put his own pleasures aside. If he
was going to have a relationship with Tracy, it would not be a one
night stand. "There are implications that you don't understand. This
is a bigger decision than you realize."

"Then tell me," she pleaded.

"When you're sober," he promised. "I'll be here when you get off
shift."

"Tomorrow?" she whispered, trying not to show her disappointment.

"Monday would be better. I think that you won't be very much in a
talking mood tomorrow," he responded, kissing her forehead lightly.
"You are most certainly not feeling any pain tonight, but tomorrow you
*will*." 

****
The letter was waiting at the bar when LaCroix walked in shortly
before dawn. Ink on parchment, sealed in wax. A style unchanged for
the past millennia. 

He took the summons up to his private apartment before breaking the
seal. His employees knew better than to touch his mail, especially
mail that was written in hand lettered with a very old style
calligraphy. Such correspondence was generally from the Elders or the
Enforcers, and was intended for the senior vampire of the Toronto
community. 

The note was not signed, as these notes generally were not, and was
written in Latin, loosely translated read <The Spaniard is in trouble.
If you have not dealt with his pet within 7 days, we will>. 

LaCroix held the parchment over a candle until the flames destroyed
the message. He did not doubt the authenticity of the message. Just as
he'd predicted, there would be no patience, nor delays addressing
Vachon's dalliance. Indeed, it was more of a surprise that Nicholas
had made it six years! 

CHAPTER 10/

Knowing that her partner would not report until sunset, Tracy had
decided that this would be an opportune time to do a little
investigating. Something that had been said at the reception stuck in
her mind. She'd spent the previous day and night pondering it, while
recovering from her hangover. It was amazing how much one could think
when flat on the couch, with a towel over one's head. Events,
discussions replayed in her mind, and the toast that LaCroix had given
repeated over and over.

Nick's middle name.

She'd never questioned what the 'B' stood for. Neither had anyone
else, to her knowledge. It was not in his departmental personnel file.
She knew. She'd looked. She seldom used her father's access codes for
personal business, but knew that no one would question a commissioner
for any file search. Neither was it in his driver's license records.
That struck her as odd. The Ministry of Transportation was known for
using full, exact names more often than not.

For some reason, the name 'Brabant' sounded familiar but until she
pulled up the computer search, she could not place it. Staring at the
screen in disbelief, Tracy printed the references and carefully filed
them in an unlabeled folder to take home. This was not something she
wanted to be seen reading.

Was it even remotely possible that her partner was connected to one of
the largest charity foundations in Canada?

*****
The shrill tone of the phone startled Natalie from a sound sleep.
Shaking off the heavy, drowsy feeling, she reached over to feel the
empty pillow next to her. Opening her senses, she heard Nick
downstairs. His voice was low, beyond her hearing. That was odd. He
normally did not worry about taking phone calls while she slept. If
the sun was high in the sky, she was nearly impossible to wake.

Rising quietly, she pulled on her robe and went down to see what was
so important that Nick had gotten up early. 

"Well, look into it. Thanks for alerting me." Nick said and clicked
off the phone. He glanced up to see Natalie sitting at the table
opposite him. "Sorry, Nat, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. I heard the phone ring." She reached over to grab the
bottle that he'd set on the table. "What's up?"

He frowned, leaning back in the chair. "Someone was pulling records on
me."

"How do you know this?" she questioned. There was a lot to the
underground vampire information network that she didn't know
specifically. She knew it existed, that was all. Someday it would
serve to give her a new identity, but she hoped that would not be for
a long time yet. 

"Larry Merlin flags files so we know if we are being investigated," he
explained.

"On you personally?" she questioned.

"Not exactly," he confessed. "The first search was simply 'Brabant',
but it originated here in Toronto. He called because there was a
second search, this time a genealogy archive. That one originated from
a public terminal so it'll be hard to trace. Could be coincidence, but
I think I know where to start."

"Oh?" 

"You don't think that Tracy picked up on my supposed middle name?"

"I'm sure that she did," Natalie replied. "I still say that she'd
cause less problems if she simply was told the truth."

"You're willing to take responsibility for her then?" he asked
sharply.

"You know I can't," Natalie protested. "But I do trust her, and I
thought you did too. Anyway, I knew the truth for six years and
nothing happened."

"You were a tool, Nat," he said flatly. He stood, staring away from
her. He'd never been so bluntly honest with her, but this was
something that she needed to know, to understand. "By your position in
the coroner's office and the fact that you'd covered for us, you were
safe. At least for a time."

"And Tracy?" Natalie asked softly. LaCroix had basically told her the
same thing. She knew only too well that a decision would have been
forced on her soon, but she had taken that step on her own volition.
Even if it was merely days before Enforcers had caught up with her.

"Doesn't have that advantage. If I *tell* her, then I have to take
care of her before the Enforcers find out. With my recent history, I
doubt they'll be very patient with me." 

"If she figures it out?" she probed. She feared that it was
inevitable. Tracy *would* soon put two and two together, if she hadn't
already. 

Nick hesitated. "If she asks me directly and I admit anything, that is
no different from simply confessing."

"If she doesn't ask?" Natalie was not sure that Tracy would actually
'ask'. It was more likely that she would investigate this like she did
her official cases. She would not actually say anything until she had
overwhelming evidence. And by that time, it would be too late to
change anyone's mind.

"Don't ask, don't tell." 

"What if she asks Vachon?" 

"He wouldn't dare say anything. He isn't that stupid. He is just lucky
that the Enforcers haven't figured out that she knows about him," Nick
shook his head. He knew what a thin line there was between acceptable
and unacceptable contact. He'd crossed it on more than one occasion.
"Now that he's been seen in public with her, they will be watching.
Vachon doesn't have an ancient for his master. That means he doesn't
have the same standing in the community as I do. They won't be as
patient."

"Have you ever considered what *she* wants?" Natalie prompted. She
knew full well that most vampires, at least not the ones she'd met,
rarely considered what the 'mortal' desired. Since her conversion was
so recent, she found herself more acutely aware of what the mortal's
viewpoint would be.

"I won't do it, Nat." Nick's voice was emphatic.

"All right, Nick," she said soothingly. "I'm not asking you to bring
her across." She knew how he'd struggled with her own decision to be
converted. It did not surprise her that he would resist action that
would force, or hasten Tracy's decision. A decision that Natalie felt
was inevitable. 

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Leave it alone, Natalie. I'm
serious."

"Yes, I know."

"If you reveal anything, then *you* are responsible," he warned. If
anyone could empathize with Tracy, it was Natalie. That was something
that Nick feared. Natalie was far too young as a vampire to get
involved.

"Nick, I realize that."

"Be sure of it. You are too young to attempt a conversion."

"I know. You're not telling me anything that I don't know. I would
kill her," Natalie admitted. "I've really only fed from you and
Lucien. The only living human that I've bitten, I killed. Rapidly.
Everything else has been bottled." 

"Exactly," he nodded. "There is a fine art to bringing someone across.
Even after 800 years, I've not mastered it completely. Even if she
asks you a direct question..."

"Yes, I understand." She took his hands and held them tightly in hers.
"What I don't understand is why we can't simply allow her to make her
own decisions."

"I can't condemn her soul," Nick declared.

"Nick, you wouldn't be," she soothed, holding him tightly. When he
calmed, she pulled away slightly, resting her hands against his chest.
"Especially if you simply stay out of it."

"Stay out of it?"

"Did you not threaten Vachon with bodily harm if he said anything
about you, or did anything to Tracy?"

"Well, yes, I did," he confessed, meeting her gaze with eyes filled
with love. She had a knack for saying things that made everything so
much more clear.

"Including bringing her across? Even if that is something they *both*
want?" she prompted. 

"How can she know what she wants, Natalie? How can she make that
decision?"

"How could any of us, Nick?" Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck,
holding him close as she spoke gently. "Perhaps the best thing to do
is to give Vachon the green light. Since he is ultimately responsible,
let him *be* responsible."

"Let him condemn Tracy's soul to eternal darkness? Simply sit back and
ignore what is happening before my very eyes?"

"You know, Nick, not all vampires have such a dim view of your
existence." Her voice reflected the exasperation that she felt
whenever they discussed vampirism. Natalie's decision to be converted
had been a relatively informed, knowledgeable one. Nick's had not. He
had not known the price that he'd pay for the 'thousand lifetimes'
that LaCroix promised.

Holding up her hand, as if to halt his protest, she spoke firmly, "If
I heard you correctly, Tracy is in danger of being forced into a
decision. Yes?"

"Yes," he nodded. 

"Then let her *make* the decision," she pleaded. The solution, to her,
seemed so simple. Their involvement made it more complex than it need
be. "Vachon won't act if he thinks you'll freak. Doesn't that place
her in greater danger?"

"I suppose, he hesitated.

"So-o-o-o," she began, taking a deep breath, as if to gather her
courage. "You'll stay out of it?" she waited for him to nod
reluctantly. "You'll support whatever decision that she and Vachon
make?"

"Yes, all right, all right. I'll talk to him," he huffed a sigh,
pulling her against him in a tender embrace. He knew only too well
what it was like to have external forces keeping him from loving a
woman. If, indeed, the Spanish vampire loved Tracy as he'd loved
Natalie, he did not want to be the one to keep them apart.

CHAPTER 11/

Whistles and catcalls greeted Nick as he entered the precinct. To
everyone's surprise, he simply laughed it off. "So, did everyone have
fun Saturday?" he called out, striding into the bullpen.

Tracy was already at her desk, files strewn over the surface of her
desk with an uncharacteristic chaotic appearance. "Oh, hi, Nick," she
looked up to greet him, shuffling some of the papers into a folder
before he could see what she was doing.

"What's up?" he asked, taking in the mess. Whatever she was doing, she
was in a hurry. He'd not seen such disarray on that desk since Schanke
had occupied it.

"Oh, umm, I'm just, umm, clearing up some old files," she stammered.

"Hmm, okay," he responded, knowing full well that old files would not
generate that degree of paper... and would certainly not cause an
increase in her heart rate and blood pressure. Her nervous behavior
confirmed his suspicion. 

Tracy was investigating *him*.

"Anything I can do to help?" he offered, getting a very brief view of
the printouts that she was hastily flipping over. He'd seen enough. 

The logo of the de Brabant Foundation was his own design, and stood
out starkly black on the white paper. That was no 'old case file' she
was working on.

Leaning back in her chair, Tracy did not have to feign surprise at his
offer. Generally her partner would do *anything* to avoid the more
routine aspects of their job. "Nick, I thought you were allergic to
paper."

"No, I wouldn't say that," he grinned. "Sunlight, yes, but I am
perfectly capable of putting pen to paper." 

"Uh, thanks," she hesitated. "But, umm, these aren't your cases.  I
can handle it myself."

"Sure?" he questioned, sitting and grabbing the contents of his 'in'
box.

"Besides, I'm sure there are enough of your own unfinished reports
sitting there to keep you busy for at least a week," she teased.

Nick gave her a mock salute, very dramatically picking up a pen

Neither said much for the next several hours, each lost in their own
thoughts and memories. So much so, that the ringing of Nick's cell
phone make them both jump.

"Knight," he said loudly, smothering laughter at Tracy's startled
expression.

"What's so funny?" Natalie's voice came across the phone clearly,
puzzlement in her voice.

"You'd have to be here," Nick replied sheepishly. "You could say that
we were not expecting the phone to ring."

"Ah," she mused.

"What's up?" he asked, watching Tracy open yet another folder, jotting
a few notes on her pad. He was still waiting the confrontation.

"Not a whole lot," she replied. "I think my eyes are numb from staring
at computer screens. But I am proud to say that I finally got through
all of the email from my vacation, and have caught up on case reports.
You able to take a break?"

"Whenever," he said agreeably. "We're just doing paperwork."

"You?" she laughed. "I thought that was too mundane an activity for
you."

"Nat," he protested. "Now you sound like Tracy."

At mention of her name, Tracy looked up and motioned to Nick. 

"What?" he asked, holding a hand over the receiver.

"Tell Natalie I need to talk to her."

Nick nodded, and spoke into the phone, "Get that?"

"Umm hmm," she agreed. "I'll come over around two. I'll talk to her,
and then we can go to lunch. Okay?"

"Sounds good." He clicked off the phone, and picked up yet another
folder. The paperwork was a necessary evil but that did not mean that
he had to enjoy doing it.

"Nick?" Tracy looked up, hesitating. "Are you at a good breaking
point?"

"Sure, what can I do for you?" 

"I just want to talk. How about some coffee?"

He nodded and followed her back to the break room. She filled two mugs
and sat at the corner table. He took a cautious sip and sat at the
table, waiting until they were alone before speaking.

"What's on your mind, Tracy?" he asked gently.

"Umm, this has been bothering me since Saturday," she began.
Encouraged by his silent nod, she continued. "Why did you make
everyone believe that you had no family?"

"It's a long story," he sighed. 

"I have time," she said flatly. "Look, I know all about overbearing
fathers, and I think you do too. At least now I know why you're so
understanding about my own family problems."

"That is putting it mildly," Nick nodded. "Yes, my relationship with
my father has been far from smooth for a long time. We have only
recently reconciled and Nat has a lot to do with that."

"So the 'Nightcrawler' is really your father?" 

"My adoptive father, actually," Nick confessed. "I don't remember my
natural parents. They died a long time ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"It's okay. Like I said, LaCroix is the only parent I've ever known."
He sat back, watching her reaction. 

"So that is why you always listen to his show?" 

"I guess," he shrugged, leaning back in the chair with his arms
folded. Her heart was still beating too fast, which told him that she
was not done with her questions.   

"He seems awfully well-read to be a bar-owner, or radio host," she
observed. So far everything that Nick had said could be easily
explained. Of course, if Nick was, as she thought, a vampire, he would
be well practiced at concealing his true identity.

"Yes, he reads a lot," Nick agreed. His brief, non-committal answers
were frustrating Tracy and he knew it. It was not in his nature to
offer personal information, even when asked. 

"Did he go to university?" 

"In Europe," he shrugged. "If you're that curious about his
background, why don't you ask *him*?"

"Nick, I'm just trying to get a better sense of who you are, who your
family is. We are partners, remember?"

"Yes, I know and I think your coffee is getting cold." He stood and
took her mug to refill. To his great relief, several of the
secretaries had entered the room. That put an end to Tracy's
questioning, just as she was getting started.

Frowning at the new occupants of the room, Tracy took the mug and
watched Nick head back out to his desk. She had only gotten part-way
down her list of questions... like where the Brabant came from, and
the wealth that he kept secret. Was he getting careless or did he not
think that she'd notice the very expensive engagement ring or the
elaborate wedding celebration? There had to be a connection. 

CHAPTER 12/

Natalie's arrival at the precinct increased the decibel level
markedly. It seemed that everyone she met had to stop and tell her how
much fun they'd had. Finally making her way into the bullpen, she went
straight to Nick's desk.

Standing, Nick loosely wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "OK guys,
feel free to gossip all you like. Natalie and I are going to lunch."

Tracy stood quickly, grabbing Natalie's hand. "Nick, wait a minute.
Remember, I need to talk to Natalie." 

"Okay, Tracy," Natalie agreed.  

"Alone," she declared.

Natalie raised an eyebrow, glancing at Nick before disentangling
herself. His expression confirmed what she'd felt through their bond.
She followed Tracy to the locker room silently.

They sat on opposite end of the bench in the quiet, empty room.
Natalie could sense Tracy's fear, the rapid beat of her heart. 

"What's on your mind?" Natalie asked without preamble. 

"What's on my mind... yeah, what's on my mind?" Tracy mused. 

"Tracy, there are other things that I could be doing," Natalie said
sharply. "You want to get to the point?"

Fidgeting with her hands, Tracy took a deep breath, "Okay, Natalie,
bare with me. I, umm, have a *friend*. You met him at the reception."

"The guitar player, right?"

"You don't need to play dumb, Natalie." Tracy said with obvious
annoyance.

"Fine," she declared. "What about your friend?"

"Well, umm," she stammered. "We both want to, umm, advance our
relationship." Her face flushed red as she finally admitted it aloud
to her friend. She wanted to make love with Vachon, no matter that he
was a vampire. She'd never been embarrassed to discuss sex with
girlfriends before so her reaction was puzzling.

"I'm not your mother, Tracy. You don't need my permission if you want
to spend the night with a boyfriend." Natalie replied matter-of-
factly. "If you need birt