The Price of Love! All rights reserved by StormyNite January 1998 Part 1 San Franscisco-1998 The scream tore from her lips as pain racked her body. Margo lunged at the manacles in frustration, baring her fangs at the man in the white coat in front of her. Each movement was torture, but he continued toward her again with that stupid little knife in his hand. She would rip his head off and drain him in an instant, if she could free herself. She eyed the steel clasps that surrounded her arms and ankles, as well as the waist clamp that covered her thin lower body, then growled in frustration. "Now stop that! You know you can't break those. I just need a little more, and then we're done for the day." The middle aged man in the lab coat slowly opened the stopcock on the IV line and let the yellow fluid flow into her struggling arm. She lunged again tearing her own flesh when he came near. He stood mesmerized while he watched the tissue regenerate right before him. She watched in frustration as the fluid flowed into her veins and the lethargy overcame her once again, followed by the inability to move. She knew what would come next. Her mind screamed in pain when the knife touched her skin and she found herself wishing for death yet another time. When he probed and sliced, blood flowed freely causing the fire and heat burning throughout to explode in her mind, freeing her once and for all. She convulsed once, and he stepped back to watch her lose the final battle. Only then did he reach over and remove the tiny sliver of wood implanted in her shoulder. The door slammed behind him, and he turned slowly with a sigh of regret when he met the eyes of his boss. "I see she died, Carl. Pity....she lasted longer than the last one. Maybe her age has something to do with it." The short stubby man sat his briefcase down quietly on the desk, then took the chair behind it. Fill me in, Carl. Get Fred in here as well. I want a full report on everything. "Yes, Mr. Schaumburg!" Carl walked over and hit the intercom without a second thought. "Fred, did you get all the readouts when she died? Mr. Schaumburg wants an update. Bring them with you." Carl glanced quickly to the short man at the desk while he spoke nervously into the little box. Within seconds the outer door opened and Fred entered carrying a long white printout of data. He walked confidently to his boss with a smile on his face. "Well, Fred? Give me some good news." Schaumburg leaned back, propped his feet on the desk, and opened his briefcase. "It's definitely interesting sir. She was 90 years old and she lasted a good 12 hours longer than the last one. Her DNA is similar, but different at the same time when you break it down. The key is in their blood. We just have to figure out how to use it to our advantage, but we need them alive. It appears that age gives them strength and the older they are, the longer they can tolerate the tests. Of course, the pain is increased but the drugs take care of that." Fred smiled when he handed his employer the printout. Carl grabbed his partner's shoulder and spun him around. "Are you crazy, Freddie? Look at this!" Carl's hands shook as he shoved the paper into his partner's hand. "She was in agony, the whole time. Look at the monitor spikes, those are adrenaline levels. She would have torn us apart, if she could have just to stop the pain. Those drugs only...." "Enough! Schaumburg screamed at his employee, then stood impatiently. "What she felt is irrelevant...She was an animal....Animals are nothing to us. Now tell me what you are going to do next." He slammed his briefcase closed and glared malevolently. "Toronto! We need to go to Toronto. She said the older ones were there." Carl backed off and stood slightly behind Fred afraid of the explosion he was sure to come. "How old? Did she say?" Both men looked helpless, then shook their heads negatively. "Then we go Toronto....and you get our answers." ---------- Toronto 3 weeks later: "What do you have, Jerry?" Nat pushed through the yellow tape and entourage of police uniforms standing around holding the people back. "Oh, hi, Dr. Lambert....real weird one. Lots of blood and I think this wooden stake is what did her in." Jerry stepped away from the body. "I had them call you when I saw the body. You're much better at figuring out this weird cult stuff than I am." Nat smiled at the compliment, and then stared at the body at her feet. Bile rose in her throat when she looked at the young woman's body before her. Out of sheer will, she caught her stomach before she gasped and embarrassed herself. Raw fear engulfed her and she took a deep breath before plunging on. Speed was of the essence here now. She had to get the body out of here before sunrise or there would be more questions than answers...and she didn't want to be the one responsible for coming up with them. Where the hell was Nick when you needed him. "Are you okay, Natalie?" Jerry touched her arm as she paled before him. Coming back to her senses, Nat went into professional mode and knelt down by the body before she responded. "I'm fine, Jerry. You go on back to Castle. I'll handle this from here. I just thought I knew her, but I was wrong." She managed a week smile, slipped on the rubber gloves with proficiency, then started to work on the body. "Okay, I'm out of here then." Jerry couldn't wait to split. He hated the bloody ones. Made him sick, even now, after all these years. Nat surveyed the area, then glanced at her watch. She had 60 minutes and she needed Nick for crash control. She picked up her cell phone and dialed as she knelt by the body. "Knight!" Nick answered on the second ring. "Nick, I needed you down her 5 minutes ago. I know it's close to dawn, but I need some of your special talents." Tension radiated through her voice while her heart did the rumba. Nick could feel the tension and hear her heart like he was next to him. There was no time for discussion. "I'll be right there. Where are you?" "13th and Hale...Don't drive, there isn't enough time." She hung up and busied herself with bagging the hands. Nick landed on the other side of the small clump of trees and ran to the scene. He could feel Nat's heartbeat increasing as she worked and the fear that was slowly overtaking her. He rushed to her side and knelt down brushing her shoulder gently to let her know he was there. "What is it, Nat?" Her blue eyes turned to his and she stood up, pulling him with her. "She's one of the community and if that sun comes over the horizon, she's going to toast right before 100 witnesses. I, for one, don't want to have to answer any questions on how and why?" Nick finally glanced at the body, and gasped when he saw her face, then turned away quickly. Nat grabbed his arm in comfort. "You knew her?" It was more a statement than a question. Of course, he knew her. She was a vampire or at least, she was until someone staked her. The question was why was she still here? He took a deep breath, then turned back to the body. "Her name was Eileen. She'd been at the Raven a few times when I was there." Nick started examining the body closely, trying to understand. Nat leaned over to whisper softly. "Why hasn't she disappeared. I thought you guys evaporated or something when you were killed?" Nat searched the area for listeners nervously. "I don't know, Nat, unless she was drugged. If that's the case, when it wears off....." "Don't say anymore. I get the picture. We have to get her body out of here. Can you do a little of your whammy magic and convince them that the body is ready to be bagged and hauled off. I've only been here 10 minutes. They'll think it's strange if I tell them to move her already." She glanced at her watch with a worried look. "And you don't have much time either!" Nick shook his head and headed for the coroner's wagon and applied a little persuasion. Nat rushed to bag the hands and feet and collect samples around the body before Mason came over with the body bag. Ten minutes later, the body was headed for the morgue. It was almost dawn and Nat began to search for Nick. He had been systemically going through all the official personnel making certain suggestions. She spotted him with a group of uniformed officers near the fringe of the scene and the woods. "Nick?" Natalie walked up quickly behind him just as the officers dispersed and headed away from the yellow tape. "You'd better get going." Her heart rate was still up and Nick worried. "Nat, are you okay?" He glanced at her with a worried look. "I'll be fine, once I know you're back at the loft. Now get out of here before you go poof and I have another thousand questions to answer." She stared at him exasperated. He ran his hand down her arm, smiled, then leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You do care....and here I thought you only wanted me here to cover up things." He chuckled and stepped back before she decided to hit him. Worried eyes met his and it pleased him. He knew it shouldn't, but it did. She actually cared and that meant more to him than he was willing to admit. "Okay...okay! I'm gone. I'll make a few calls when I get home. Can you cover from here." "Just go!....Yes, I've got it." She finally smiled and started to relax. Nick started for the edge of the trees and had a second thought. "Nat, don't remove the stake if she's still in the body bag when you get her back. I need some answers and she can't come back as long as it's in place." She shook her head in agreement, then he disappeared behind the trees. Part 2 --------- Tracy knocked softly on the morgue door before she entered. Natalie still stood over the body taking tissue samples. It was almost 5 p.m. and she'd been at it all day. The dark circles under her eyes denoted the fatigue …..and something else that overwhelmed her. Tracy eyed Nat closely as she approached her unnoticed. Apparently Nat was so engrossed in what she was doing, she didn't hear her Tracy knock. "Nat?" Tracy spoke softly watching the young coroner jump and flip the scalpel onto the floor. "Trace!" Nat almost jumped out of her skin and then watched the scalpel fall helplessly to the floor. "Sorry, Nat. I tried not to scare you, but you were so intense. I guess you didn't hear me come in." Tracy looked apologetic as she approached the body, not really wanting to view it. She'd been told on the phone when they called her in early, that it was gory and strange. It wasn't high on her list to take a close look at a mangled woman that had obviously been beautiful once. "Sorry, Trace. I'm running pretty low on all cylinders right now." "You've been at it all day, haven't you?" Tracy stated with certainty. "I don't know how you do it. I can't function on less than 6 myself. I need my beauty rest." Tracy smiled and tried to hide her nervousness about the body. Nat eyed the young woman before her, knowing full well Tracy hated looking at dead bodies. She'd hate this one even worse if she figured out what she was. The body was still intact, but starting to decay rapidly now that the curare was wearing off. That's why she'd stayed. She couldn't get the answers she needed if the body disappeared. "It's okay, Trace. You don't need to look at her." Nat quickly pulled the sheet over the young vampires corpse as Trace came closer. "No, Nat!" Trace pulled the sheet back. "I need to deal with this." Trace locked eyes with Nat only to see sympathy and fear. Trace did a double take, but Nat had turned away and headed for her desk. Tracy first took in the gaping wounds on the torso and the needle marks. It would be easier if she didn't look at the face. She'd found that out earlier...Make it impersonal. As she continued up the body toward the face, she noticed the thin wooden stake protruding out of the upper left shoulder. Odd, Nat hadn't removed it yet. Then she noticed how the tissue was aging right before her eyes. It was like the woman had aged 10 years as she watched, then she looked at her face. "Oh, my God!" Tracy gasped and stepped back. It was a vampire. She'd seen her at the Raven talking with Vachon on several occasions. Javier said she was a young one. She couldn't remember exactly what her name was, but she was less than a 100 years old. Frantically, she looked back at the wooden stake, then turned to Nat sitting quietly at her desk with her head in her hands. Did she know? Is that why she didn't remove the stake? She needed answers and there was only one person she knew who could fill her in. Nat listened to Tracy gasp, knowing full well she recognized the girl as a vampire, but she couldn't let on. She needed time to think. There was just to much going on for her to deal with when she was this tired. She watched Tracy recover quickly out of the corner of her eye and walk toward her desk. Putting her professional face on, she waited until the young blonde made a decision. Tracy sat down in the chair next to Nat before she spoke. "Okay, Nat, tell me what you know." Tracy waited. It was an open ended question, and Nat could take it several ways. How much did she really know? Pushing her hair out of her face tiredly, Nat began. "She's female, late twenties with no obvious problems. She was cut, torn, mutilated and finally staked. She died from loss of blood and a chemical that was injected into her. I don't know exactly what it was, but I'm guessing it was a combination of curare and a DNA sequence separator. I haven't a clue as to how long she's been dead, but her tissue is deteriorating rapidly as I'm sure you noticed. That's why I stayed all day. By tonight she will probably be only bone, and tomorrow she will be dust. It must be a side affect from the drug. I won't really know until I get the tox report back late tomorrow. Aside from that, I can't tell you much except....she didn't die peacefully." Nat's eyes registered a sadness that was not lost on Tracy. "You don't think the stake killed her?" Trace glanced back at the still corpse only a few feet away. "No....I think the loss of blood coupled with the chemicals caused her cells to almost explode. I haven't any idea why the stake is there, but I'm almost positive that it didn't kill her." Nat watched Tracy closely. Tracy knew, but how much did she believe of what she'd been telling her? So, she waited to see just how far she had to go to convince her. "Why didn't you remove the stake?" It was a simple but unnerving question. "I just haven't gotten that far. The tissue was deteriorating so fast, and the stake barely touched her heart. It just didn't seem as crucial as the tissue samples. We could remove it now if you think it's beneficial to the case." Nat's well schooled face left no room for doubt or question. She'd practiced it thousands of times in front of the mirror in med school. Show no fear, and no lack of knowledge. It designated weakness and a lack of trust. It was the one lesson drilled into them their freshman year, and she'd mastered it well. Tracy eyed her closely then backed off. She stood and headed for the door. "No, that's fine, Nat. If you say it's unimportant, then I believe you. You're the best. You'll get Nick and me the tox reports as soon as they come in, right?" "No, problem, Trace...tomorrow at the latest. Are you going to wait on Nick to get in?" Tracy already had her hand on the door when she spoke. "No, I've got a source I need to check with. Maybe he's heard something. He's into this weird stuff. Nick won't be in for a couple of hours yet. They just called me in early to do some of the leg work, so that's what I'm going to do. If you see Nick, tell him I'll be back after awhile. Hopefully with some answers, or at least some insight." Trace smiled sadly when she glanced at the body, then pushed out the door. --------- Nick hung up the phone even more confused than before he went to bed. He heard the lift kick on, and Nat's familiar heartbeat washed over him. He indulged and gave into it only for a moment. It gave him a sense of warmth he never completely understood, but gladly welcomed. She pulled open the door and he recognized the fatigue and edginess that accompanied her. Without thinking, he was at her side enveloping her in his arms. She finally relaxed when she laid her tired head on his shoulder. His hand found its way into her hair as he held her close with the other. Neither of them spoke. It felt so right. Why did it have to be so wrong? "You've been up all day, haven't you?" He whispered into her ear as he continued to hold her absorbing her warmth and passion for life. She nodded her head while it lay on his shoulder, yet refused to let go and wrapped her arms around him tighter. She needed his strength right now, and her body gave into its own need and desire that she felt when he held her. She knew why he didn't do it often, but sometimes the heart just didn't want to accept what the head tells it, and she was no different than any other warm-blooded woman. "The body is falling apart rapidly now, and I was afraid to leave it without getting everything I could. She was mutilated by someone who was looking for something. Her body was loaded with curare and some substance that I think is used in DNA sequencing. The cells still left in the body were ruptured. Almost like they exploded or burned apart. I don't know yet. I slotted some time on the electron microscope over at the medical research institute to find out." Sad blue eyes finally met his. "She died in agony, Nick. I don't think the curare could have possible done anything but immobilize her. What happen to her cells is like putting an egg without a hole in the microwave. The pain would have been enough to drive her insane. Why would someone do that? How could someone get close enough to do that to a vampire? " She watched his face closely before she continued. "I removed the stake to see if she'd come back and she didn't. Her body is turning to dust as we speak." He pushed her back away from him at arms length. "Nat, are you crazy?" As quickly as he pushed her away he pulled her back against him. "She'd have killed you if she'd come back." Gently he cupped her face in his hands. "Promise me you won't do that again....promise me!" The hand she held over his heart felt it beat 3 times rapidly as she watched the fear in his eyes and it gave her hope. She needed that right now. "I promise, Nick." He leaned over as kissed her forehead, then watched her face to make sure she wasn't just giving him a line. Finally, he accepted her promise and released her. "Tell me what you found out, Nick. Does the community know anything?" Nick walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of orange juice and poured a glass, then handed it to her. He grabbed his bottle and a glass and headed for the couch. Nat accepted the juice and followed. "Not much, I'm afraid, except 2 others are missing as well. The community is starting to get nervous. All three of the vampires that are missing, well two are missing now, disappeared during the daylight hours. LaCroix seems to think we have a hunter who has zeroed in on the Raven. He's laying a trap, and they are taking shifts at the Raven during the day when they sleep. All three of the vampires were young and careless. It makes for a bad combination. I'm going to go over there tonight and talk with a few of the older ones and see if I can find any common thread between the last time they saw them, and who they were with. They have to have something in common aside from all being vampires." Nick stared at the fire and sipped his wine while Nat sat quietly beside him. "I'm staying here, Nick." She said calmly and placed her empty glass on the table in front of them then waited for him to object. "You can stay her anytime you want, Nat. You know that. As tired as you are, you shouldn't be driving anyway. Why don't you take the bed and get some rest while I try and find out some more details." Nick stood and offered his hand to help her up. "Nick, I'm not just staying the night. I'm staying during the day as well. I'll be your daytime bodyguard until we find out what's going on." The look in her eyes let him know it wasn't up for discussion. He smiled, and the thought of Nat in his bed both thrilled him and terrified him, so he pushed it back. "You go get some rest. We'll discuss it tonight when I get back." He turned her around and gave her a little push toward the stairs. "It's not up for discussion, Nick. I'll be in later on tonight and we can discuss it then, but understand this. No one is going to use you as their guinea pig..... except me." Nat glared at him and then headed up the steps. Nick chuckled as he grabbed his coat. "Nat?" She turned at the top of the steps. "There's no one else I'd rather play guinea pig for.... than you!" He smiled letting his blue eyes twinkle in the low light, then stepped into the lift. Part 3 --------- Tracy stepped out of the car just outside the church and looked up at the run-down building and shook her head in dismay. Finally, she locked the car door and headed into the building and up the steps. "Vachon? Are you up?" She reached the top of the steps to find him restringing his guitar. "Hi, Trace! Do what do I owe the pleasure?" He continued working but patted the cushion beside him for her to sit. "I just decided to check on you. I hadn't seen you for awhile and thought I'd stick my nose in." She sat down nervously beside him. He caught the rise in her heartbeat and the nervous fidgeting with her hands, and immediately put the guitar aside. He watched her wring her hands for a few minutes then enfolded them in his before he spoke. "Okay, Trace! Out with it. What's bothering you. You don't show up here unless there's a problem. You don't like dust and dirt remember. Gives you germs and diseases." His warm eyes smiled and she relaxed and patted his hands. "You're right. I always make you come to my place, don't I?" She stood up quickly and started pacing the room. "Vachon, there was a vampire killed yesterday and we found her body. She's down at the morgue. Well, actually she's probably dust by now, but she was found early yesterday morning around 5 a.m. with her body mutilated and staked. There was a lot of blood missing from her body and a lot more all over the ground where they found her. Natalie spent all day going over the body. She said the woman was tortured and loaded with chemicals. Were still waiting to see what kind. She was the young woman you introduced me too about 2 months ago. She worked part time at the Raven. I can't remember her name but she was...." "Her name was Eileen." Vachon picked up the guitar and started working on the strings to keep himself busy and not look at Tracy. Tracy knelt down on the floor in front of him and made him stop. "They're are others, aren't there?" She knew without asking. She'd been around Vachon enough to know when he knew something and was keeping it from her. "Tell me. Maybe Nick and I can help. We're already involved." Vachon knew he shouldn't involve her more but just maybe with Nick's help they could stop this whole thing. The community was very nervous and when young vampires get nervous accidents happen. They needed all the help they could get, and they need daytime help more than anything else. Nick couldn't do that. "There's a hunter working the community, or maybe more than one. Three more vampires have disappeared since Eileen. Her friends said the last time they saw her was 4 days ago. We're losing 1 a day. Somehow, they are finding their daytime hiding places and snatching them while they sleep. It's fairly easy with the young ones. They sleep like the dead almost until dusk. The older you get, the less sleep you need." He waited for the information to sink in before he continued. "They are sleeping in shifts at the Raven to protect the young ones that stay there. We could use some daytime help, if you catch my drift until we find them." "The owner of the Raven, LaCroix, is one of you isn't he?" Tracy stood and returned to pacing. "Can you trust him and the others to protect you while you sleep or are they part of the hunters?" Worried blue eyes met his. "LaCroix would never betray his own, Trace. Neither would any of the other older members of the community. It's against the code. Besides, they can't go out in the daylight either. Toast is toast, if you catch my drift. These are human hunters and they've zeroed in on the Raven. Everyone is incredibly nervous, and that's a problem. The General has kept them pretty much in control for now, but it could get worse." "The General?" Tracy looked puzzled and Vachon realized his mistake. LaCroix would kill him for letting his mouth run, but he guessed this whole thing had him a little rattled. He'd never been hunted before. Now he had a little more sympathy for his prey. It wasn't pleasant. "LaCroix was a general. Sometime people call him that." "How old is LaCroix?" Vachon debated and then decided against totally honesty. "Let's just say you really don't want to know, and he's not the vampire of choice to pick on. There's only one person I know that has ever stood up to him, and he pays the price for it regularly, and has for a long, long time." Vachon finished the guitar and laid it down ending the discussion. "Anything you could find out would be helpful, Trace." "I'll check further with Natalie. Tell me what does curare do to a vampire?" Vachon thought carefully trying to remember things he'd heard. "I don't have any personal knowledge of it, but I'm told in small quantities it acts as a pain killer but in larger doses I think it immobilizes us. Of course, that would depend on the age and stature of the vampire. Why?" "Natalie said she found curare and some other substances in Eileen's body. She thought that was why the body was deteriorating so fast. I know that's not why but she's looking for a scientific explanation. There was a stake in her heart. If I'd removed it would she have recovered?" Tracy felt guilty already if she could have brought her back to life. "Maybe....I don't know, Trace. If you had though, we wouldn't be having this discussion. She would have ripped yours and Dr. Lambert's throat out in order to survive. Fresh human blood would have driven her over the edge while her body tried to recover." He laid his arms on her shoulders and made her face him. "Promise me if you find one of the others, you won't remove the stake. Come get me. I'll take care of it." Tracy smiled. "You actually care, Vachon. That's comforting to know, and here I thought all vampires had a cold heart." He shrugged in defeat and reached for his coat. "Come on, lets go over to the Raven. You can give me a ride in that 'fine set of wheels' you drive." He chuckled with mirth as she smacked him hard on the shoulder. "Don't make fun of my car or you can walk!" She glared, but the mischief was still in her eyes. It felt good to spare with him. The sense of evil was completely gone when the real Javier Vachon was in control. --------- "There he is Carl. That has to be him...long brown hair, Spanish, not very tall." Carl and Fred sat quietly in the dark sedan across the street from the Raven as Vachon and Tracy parked her car and headed toward the door. "Look he's with a blonde. They said he had a blonde human girlfriend. That has to be him. This is perfect. We can get everything we need now. Mr. Schaumburg will be pleased. Run the plate number on the car and we won't have to hang around. This place gives me the creeps." Carl wrote down Tracy's plate number, then they pulled out slowly away from the Raven. ------- Tracy stared at Nick's green caddie setting at the curb. "That's trouble! Nick must have found out Eileen worked here. We've got to keep him away from LaCroix. I don't want him saying the wrong thing and pissing him off. I don't think Nick would do well as a creature of the night." Vachon choked and stumbled trying to keep a straight face. When he finally got control, he followed her in. Tracy scanned the room looking for Nick. She spotted him over by the bar having a drink with LaCroix and talking casually. Odd, she'd never seen Nick drink before, but then she didn't spend much time with him socially. Actually, she didn't think Nick spent anytime socially with anyone at the department except Natalie, and that was a complete different story. She started toward them only to feel Vachon's hand on her arm. "Why don't you let them talk for awhile, Trace. It doesn't look like your partner is in any danger, and LaCroix does not take to working women very well. He's from the old school." "How old, Vachon?" Tracy waited but kept her eyes on her partner. Maybe Vachon was right. Nick had this unique ability to get people to talk to him, and LaCroix seemed pleasant enough toward him. ------ "I will not tolerate it, Nicholas. No one hunts in my domain without repercussions. I expect you to give me any information you find. This is your community as well. Don't forget that." LaCroix sipped his wine showing very little agitation, but Nick could feel it sizzle through their link. He almost felt sorry for the hunter now. He'd chosen the wrong community to wage war. Turning slowly, Nick felt a familiar heartbeat and he spied Tracy standing by Vachon staring directly at him. When their eyes met, she advanced. "Play along with me, LaCroix. My partner just showed up." "I see you got here before me. Detective Tracy Vetter, Mr. LaCroix. We met once before." Tracy offered her hand. LaCroix accepted it gracefully, then leaned over to kiss it gallantly on the back of the hand. "Ah, yes I remember. The dreadful headless body in my beer refrigerator. I am in your debt along with Nicholas here. Please accept my thanks." His chivalrous attitude shocked Tracy and she watched his cold eyes dance with electricity. He exuded male charm and warmth like a blanket, yet she could feel the evil that surrounded him. It was unnerving. She was amazed Nick couldn't feel it. Of course, he wasn't as open to the unusual as she was. "You're quite welcome, Mr. LaCroix, but Nick did most of the work on that one." She glanced at Nick who stood casually watching her smiling at her discomfort. "I take it you've been talking with the people who saw her last." She turned her attention back to LaCroix. "How long had Eileen been working her, Mr. LaCroix?" "I think I've covered all that with your partner, Ms. Vetter. You can get the details from him I'm sure. I have a business to run and an program to put on in 15 minutes. Please, make yourself comfortable and talk with anyone you like. I'm not sure they will be of much help, but I'm always willing to help out the local constabulary." LaCroix drained his glass and looked directly at Nick before he spoke. "Good luck, detective. I expect to be informed of any further developments concerning my people." "Well, be in touch as soon as we know anything else." Nick grabbed Tracy's arm and headed for the door. "Wait, I thought we were going to talk with some people?" "I already have, Trace. I'll fill you in on the way to the precinct. We need to do some computer checks on several people." Nick opened the door and stepped out. "You know about the other 3 that are missing then?" Tracy looked shock that he could find that out that fast. She didn't think LaCroix would be overly helpful to a mortal cop. She'd underestimated Nick again. "Let's go, Trace. We've got work to do." Part 4 ------------ Nick's cell phone rang as they pulled out of the parking space in front of the Raven. "Knight. Yes, Captain....I understand. Nat's at my place. The answering machine is down stairs. She was exhausted. I doubt very much that she could hear the phone. She said she was going over to the research center when she got up. You might try here there. She said she needed time on the electron microscope to look at the blood samples." There was a slight pause and Nick caught the smug smile on Tracy's face as he drove. "No, I don't have that number but I know her pager doesn't work in that building, nor her cell phone. It has something to do with the lead lining and safety insulation in that lab. You have to call the main research desk. The guy's lab she uses is Dr. David Paulson on the third floor." Nick glanced back at Tracy and watched the humor get the best of her. Quickly she placed her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. They stopped at the light just as Nick hung up the phone. "Okay, what's so funny, Trace. I could use a good laugh." Nick already knew the answer, but he was going to make her spit it out anyway. "Oh, nothing, Mr. Innocent. It's just that the whole department knows that if they can't find you or Nat, they should call the other one. To top it all off, you just told the Captain, Nat was in your bed....just friends, right? I always let my friends use my bed when their tired." Tracy waited for him to deny it but instead that famous cold mask drop swiftly into place, and it frustrated her. "Why don't you two just admit how you really feel about each other and get married?" The light turned green and Nick hit the gas without responding. He slipped off into deep thought again without a word. "Nick? You're not even going to deny it?" "It's complicated, Trace. Just leave it at that." Nick glanced back at his partner somberly. "My relationship with Nat is personal and I like to keep it that way...end of discussion. We have other pressing problems to take care of. The preliminary tox reports are back, and they need Nat to decipher them. We're going to swing by the research facility and pick her up." "What ever you say, Nick, but if you ever need anyone to talk with...I'm here." Nick smiled as he turned the corner. "Thanks, Trace. I'll remember that." --------- Tracy pulled into the small parking space outside her apartment. It was 4 a.m. She was suppose to have been off by 2 because she'd come in early. She should have known better. With the preliminary's, the initial tox report, and Nat's information on the chemical's effect on the blood cells in Eileen, there was a lot to digest and they needed a connection. It was obvious from the computer search, that the other 3 women who had disappeared where somehow connected to the Raven. The fact that they were all vampires was another problem, since she couldn't impart that little bit of information to her partner. This was going to be very difficult without filling Nick completely in, and she couldn't do that. Tracy turned the key in the lock and hit the light switch. A strong arm grasped her neck while a rag was stuffed over her face. She grabbed for the rag but not in time, as the sweet odor made her drift off into the darkness. Her body fell limp against the man holding her. ---------- Vachon sat at the bar sipping his bloodwine with LaCroix as they went over the rotation for sleeping during the day. Since he was older and didn't require the same number of hours of rest as the young ones, he was going to remain at the Raven. Jacob, the bartender, carried a small box in his right hand and deposited it on the bar in front of Vachon without a word. 'Give this to the Spaniard' was neatly printed on the top of the white box. Vachon picked it up slowly with more than one question on his face. Jacob held up his hands in defeat before he asked. "I haven't a clue. I found it at the door when I went to lock up. You're the only Spaniard I know, so it has to be for you." Vachon ripped it open. A pristine white sheet of paper lay over a hard metal object. He opened it slowly. Javier Vachon: Come to the warehouse on 5th and Travis. Come alone and tell no one. If you're followed or you call the police, your young blonde 'human' friend dies. And since she's a cop, if her body is found with your name on it, a closer look into your background will be in order. We wouldn't want that, would we? It was left unsigned and Tracy's badge nestled quietly in the paper in the box. LaCroix watched the young Spaniard closely and felt his unease, then fear as he lifted the badge from the box. It was Nicholas' young partner's badge. He read the name quickly. They had branched out. They were no longer just interested in young vampires. He grabbed Vachon's arm as he rose without a word of explanation. "It's a trap, and you know it." LaCroix rose to go with him. "No, you can't go. They'll kill her and then open the community up for investigation with evidence. We can't afford that, and I don't want her hurt. They want something, and I think it's something more than me...otherwise why kidnap, Tracy. They're hunters and they know exactly what their looking for and dealing with. We can't take any chances. I have to find out what that is." Vachon stared at LaCroix, looking for understanding that he was sure the older vampire would not have in connection to a mortal. "If I'm not back by dawn, we all need to disappear." "Understood, my young Spanish friend." LaCroix felt the slight brush of wind as he disappeared. Interesting how much Vachon had changed since meeting Nicholas. He would never considered sacrificing himself for anyone before...mortal or vampire. Maybe our young friend had finally grown up and realized that self preservation at any cost was not prudent all the time. LaCroix drained the remaining fluid from his glass and started to the lower chamber to set up guard for his shift. --------- Tracy awoke to screaming and cursing. Magda, a young vampire that worked at the Raven struggled valiantly against the restraints on her arms and legs. Tracy watched in fascination as she lunged hard against the manacles ripping her own skin in the process. Blood poured from the wound in her side that hadn't healed, and a slim wooden stake was imbedded in her shoulder just above her heart just as Eileen's had been. Each motion seemed to create unbearable pain, but she continued anyway. She cursed loudly as the man in the white coat added a yellow syringe of fluid to her IV lines leading into her arm. He seemed non-pulsed that she snarled and lunged at him in full vampire mode. "Now, now, Magda. Just give it a little time. This will ease the pain for awhile." Magda watched in anger as her eyes flared red. "You stupid, son of a bitch! I will kill you! It doesn't stop the pain. It just...." She began to cease struggling as her arms and legs became immobile, finally losing all function. A red tear streaked down her face when he injected the purple fluid into the IV line. "Carl, you got the monitor's running." Fred spoke through the small microphone attached to his collar. Within seconds, a small hum could be heard, and the monitors above Magda's head kicked on. Fred watched in fascination as the lines increased in frequency quickly and spiked only to flat line shortly thereafter. Perplexed, he tapped the monitor and checked the connections, then returned to her side to find her dead. "Damn!" He threw the clip board across the room toward Tracy who stood manacled to a vertical table watching quietly. "Carl! Get down here...She's dead! The new dosage is still too strong." Within seconds, a second man in a white coat entered the room. He took one look at the still corpse of the vampire and sighed. "They just can't tolerate the separation process. It has to be the age." Carl turned to meet the bright blue eyes of the young blonde woman they'd kidnapped earlier. "Fred, you really think he'll come to save her. All the rest of them don't give a fig about mortals." Carl and Fred both walked to inspect their captive. "We'll soon find out. From what Magda said there's a chance, and if that's the case we've got a shot at the other one." The outside door never moved but the rush of wind blew the paper out of Carl's hand. Both men turned to face Javier Vachon. Both men stepped on each side of Tracy manacled to a similar table as Magda. Each one pulled out a syringe and placed it on opposite sides of her neck. Vachon froze in place. "One or the other of us will kill her before you can take both of us out. It won't be pleasant either." Both men eyed the Spaniard before them closely. Vachon retracted his fangs and let the brown return to his eyes before he spoke. He noticed Magda lying limply against the restraints, then recognized Angela's body decomposing slowly on the floor behind her. "What is it you want?" Fred smiled in triumph. It was true, the older ones had more control, and this one obviously cared about his mortal pet. "What we want Mr. Vachon is for you to carry a message for us....nothing more. You see, we discovered that there's one among you that may have all the answers we need, and we want you to take him a message. Tell him that we'll stop experimenting with the rest of you if he comes willingly and brings his doctor friend...and all the research. You tell the one they call Nick Knight, if he wants us to keep quiet about him and the community, that he'd better come. Our employer has a great deal of influence in this country and the U.S. Supplies could get very tight for you and your kind if Knight decides to take a hike. You tell the rest of the community, if they want to stay alive, Nick Knight and his doctor friend will be at 11th and Dawson tomorrow night or we send a well placed package with some video footage to the papers. You tell him that, and we won't kill your little pet here." Fred pushed his needle into the skin and smiled with glee. Tracy's twisted away slightly from the needle and Vachon moved slightly. A multitude of darts flew through the air. Two implanted themselves in Vachon's upper arm. Fred and Carl lunged but Vachon was still faster. The curare slowed his reflexes, but he was still in control and brushed them off as they passed. "Get out of here, Vachon! They want to torture you just like the rest. The affects of the curare were taking affect slowly as Vachon fought to stabilize himself. His beast surfaced quickly burning up some of the drug and he started for the men on the floor only to find them at Tracy's side again. Terror gripped them as they realized their mistake. Vachon's age and ability to control the beast made him tolerate the curare longer. Before them stood a very pissed off vampire and they only had one wedge. Fred grabbed a knife on the side table "What the hell does my partner have to do with this mess?" Tracy struggled to get away from the sharp blade as she growled at her assailant to no avail. Carl stared at the blonde completely stunned. Knight was a cop? "It couldn't be!" Fred pressed the blade hard against her throat until a thin line of blood appeared and the scent permeated the room. "Move again and I'll slit her throat!" Fred's hand shook as he stood his ground against the creature in front of him, then suddenly realized the blonde was a bigger wedge than he thought. "Think about it vampire. If Knight's her partner and he's as old as they say, he wouldn't take kindly to you getting her killed. I'm told he's very attached to his mortal pets." A wicked smile etched his face as he watched the young Spaniard fight off the curare. Age apparently affected the effect of this drug as well. They would have to remember that. Vachon fought the dizziness and felt Tracy's fear and confusion. "It's okay, Trace. I'll be back." Hatred glared in his golden eyes when he met Carl's, then he was gone. Carl regained his senses first and pulled Fred's hand with the knife away from the young blonde's throat. Fred stared at his partner, then began to laugh hysterically. "Do you realize what we have here, Carl." He stared at Tracy who stood still manacled to the vertical table. "She's his partner and didn't even know. He's got the answers we're looking for. None of the others we've seen could have pulled that off. You realize what kind of control he has to have to work with mortals day in and day out? What kind of knowledge he has in order to look and act like a mortal? If we can analyze his blood and separate his DNA, we will have found the answer to immortality. Then we can get out of this nightmare. Mr. Schaumburg will have his immortality. We'll have our money, and then we won't ever have to worry about dying again." Fred stared at the blonde, then began laughing once more as he walked out of the room. It was too much to absorb at once...Nick, a vampire. It wasn't possible. She would have known. Sure he spaced off like Vachon and couldn't tolerate sunlight, but that's where the similarity ended. There was no evil in Nick, even when he was pissed. She'd have felt it, yet there was always something different about Nick. The way he never spent anytime socially with anyone except Natalie. The way he kept his personal life a secret, but that didn't make him a golden eyed, blood sucker that flew at will. She stared at Carl as he stood watching her emotions play actively across her face. He could imagine what was going through her mind and marveled at her control. He'd give her that...she was not a hysterical female. "You really didn't know, did you?" He waited and saw the answer in her eyes. "You're insane, both you and your partner. Even if Nick were a vampire, he wouldn't give himself up to have you torture him." When the words passed her lips, even she knew she lied. Nick would risk anything to save another human being. She'd seen it numerous times. He always did what was right, no matter what it cost him. Carl watched her eyes and knew the truth. Part 5 Adult Nat leaned against Nick as they rode the lift up to the loft. With only four hours sleep, she was exhausted. It was almost dawn and fatigue was getting the better of both of them. "You should take the bed, Nat. I'll take the couch. I'd tell you to go home, but you wouldn’t listen anyway." Nick snuggled her against him in a possessive manner. She relaxed and laid her head on his shoulder when the lift finally stopped. "At least you’re learning. Who said you were a slow study when it came to women?" She smiled wearily at him and relished the comfort of his arms around her. Nick threw open the door and they stepped in. Instantly, Nick felt the presence of another vampire and searched the loft quickly with his vision. A slow groan came from in front of his couch, hidden from his view. Using vampire speed he knelt down beside Vachon collapsed on the floor. Checking him over quickly, he found nothing but a vaguely familiar smell. He searched his memory, then quickly looked for holes in Vachon's skin. "Vachon!" Nat rushed around to his other side and checked him quickly with a professional eye. "I don't see anything, Nick." "It’s curare. I can smell it….not strong enough to immobilize him, but enough to make him groggy." Nick went straight to the refrigerator and returned with a bottle. Placing it to Vachon's lips, he forced him to drink. Within seconds, Vachon started coughing and gagging. "Knight? What the…..?" He opened his eyes to see Nick and Nat at his side. Slowly the blood dispelled some of the side affects of the drug. "The least you could have done was give me something besides that swill you drink." He motioned toward the bottle in Nick's hand. Nick released him, stood, then offered him a hand to rise. When Vachon looked stable Nick shoved the bottle in his hand. "You'd do well not to look a gift horse in the mouth, or in this case a cow. Drink it, and it will get rid of the fuzzies, then tell me what you know, and who did this." Nick waited as the young Spaniard drained the bottle. "They've got Trace. They’re scientists or something. They killed Magda and Angela to get information. They snatched Trace to get to me. I'm not sure if they wanted me as a messenger or a guinea pig, but they want something bigger." Vachon stared at the blonde vampire and the doctor in front of him. They didn't deserve this. He admired Nick for standing up for what he believed in. Nick was both ridiculed and respected in the community for fighting for his freedom from LaCroix and his own nature. The doctor had saved all of them because of what she believed in and because of Nick. Vachon had no doubts that she wouldn't have been so persistent in finding a cure if Nick hadn’t been involved. Her feelings for Nick and his for hers were apparent to everyone, but Nick had saved the community to many times for them to object now. Maybe they'd work it out, but now another obstacle stood in their way. "What are they looking for, Vachon?" Natalie grabbed his arm to steady him on one side and Nick grabbed the other. With sad eyes and remorse in his voice, he braced himself to tell them. "They want both of you. I don't know why, but I'm betting it has to do with all your research on Nick's condition. They said you were both to come and bring the doc’s research or they would turn a video over to the press about the community and kill Trace. I don't know what’s on the video, Nick, but they tortured Magda and her fangs were still extended in death. All they needed to do was film that, and it would be enough. They said if you turned yourself over to them they wouldn't take anymore of us, and they'd release Trace." Vachon watched Nick closely. His professional face was the only thing he'd let the public see. "Where were they, Vachon?" "I was at 5th and Travis, but they'll have left by now. You are to go to 11th and Dawson tomorrow night, and the killing will stop. They said 4 a.m." Nick headed for the door and grabbed his coat on the table. Nat chased after him. "No, Nick you can't go. It’s almost dawn. They were counting on this. They will have already moved her before you get there. You'll be weakened and stuck for the day." She forced him to look at her. "And you're not going without me….They want both of us…and my research." "You're not going, so don't even start on me! This is a trap and you're my safety net." He pulled her into his arms and rested his head on top of hers. "But you're right. I need to make a plan." She pulled away and started to object. "No, Natalie! It's not up for discussion." He looked at Vachon recovering quickly now. "If they catch me, it will be up to you and Vachon to figure out a way to do damage control and get Trace out. LaCroix can handle the community. It will just disappear….again." Nick watched the first rays of sunlight streak into the loft and the electric shudders kicked on. "We all need some rest. You take the couch, Vachon. Nat and I will take the bed upstairs." He didn't wait for her to object, but grabbed her hand and started for the stairs. "Nick?" Vachon stopped them at the top. “They told Trace about you. She'll know what you are." "Oh, great! Now if they don't stake me….she will. This just keeps getting better and better. Come on Nat. I need some sleep with someone who doesn't want to stake me. You don't have any ideas about that, do you?" His dry humor was not lost on her. "Well…." Nick eyed her closely when she hesitated. "At least not tonight, Nick. I admit there have been times I thought about it." She chuckled and brushed past him while he stood at the top of the steps "Goodnight, Vachon." She offered her hand to Nick and they disappeared into the bedroom. -------- Nick shut the door quietly and felt Nat's heart skip a beat. "You really have felt like staking me at times?" He asked softly when she turned. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist, then laid her head on his shoulder. "At times, Nick, you are the most infuriating man I've ever known, but also the most intriguing as well." She raised her eyes to his before she continued. "I care very much about you, Nick, and I don't want to lose you to some weirdo who thinks you have some big secret that will make him millions. How are you going to prevent them from loading you with curare? You know they will make it stronger next time. Even at your age, you're not impervious to the immobilizing effects in strong dosages." Worried eyes met his. Nick marveled at her strength and control. She was terrified not for herself, but for him and he was thrilled. She'd actually said she cared, and he let himself go to the warmth that she offered. Softly he ran his fingers down the delicate skin on her face and memorized the feel of it, then he felt the wetness and it tore at his heart. "Nat…." he pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his arms around her, molding her body to his. "….don't cry, please don't cry. I'll wear a vest. I didn't live to be 800 because I was completely stupid." He whispered into her hair as he let her scent envelope him. He wanted her beyond rational thought and that was dangerous, way too dangerous for both of them right now. She couldn't get close enough to him. She wanted him next to her skin, making love to her, telling her how much she meant to him, but she knew it couldn’t be….at least, not tonight. They both needed each other’s strength now. "Take me to bed with you Nick, and hold me until you have to go. I want to sleep in your arms and know that we have something more than friendship, more than what's here right now, that we have a future of some kind together." He picked her up and carried her to bed. He removed his jacket and shoes and laid down beside her. Facing her on the bed, he gently pulled a stray curl our of her face and caressed her cheek lightly with the back of his hand. Without thinking, his lips found hers. A warmth he'd never known surrounded him when she opened up to his touch. Slowly her tongue traced his lips then found his, and he was lost the sensation and desire that shot through him. His hands had a mind of their own as they molded her willing body into his. Her blood called to him and he pushed it back, back to the far recesses of his mind behind the pleasure he felt when she moaned into his mouth and dueled with his tongue. She broke the kiss to breathe and his eyes found more than lust in hers when she ran her fingers through his hair. "I want you, Nick….anyway I can be with you. If all we can do it hold each other all night that will be enough, just don't close me out. Let me be with Nicholas de Brabant Knight, man and vampire this night." She pulled his lips back to hers and the banked fire between them exploded into bright flames. His hands found her breast and reveled at the feel of the silky warmth that grew hard beneath his touch, and he wanted more. He trailed kisses down her neck as he undid her blouse and lace bra, then let his lips replace his hands until she gasped in pleasure and her nipples hardened to his touch. He sucked gently and then more forcefully as she pushed further into his mouth demanding more. She wanted to feel his bare skin against hers flushed with desire until she gave up and ripped the buttons off his shirt. His lips found hers almost like he knew what she wanted and rubbed his hard chest against her bare breasts while their tongues dueled for supremacy. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and the feel of his bare skin sent small chills of pleasure rippling through her until pure lust was in control. A groan escaped his lips when she massaged his hard manhood through his tight jeans, and he pushed harder into her hand. His logic told him to back away, but her body called to him beyond anything rational. With each stroke he grew larger until his need was almost painful, and she whimpered when he backed away. "Nick, don't…." She pulled him back to her, noting the golden color of his eyes. She knew she was playing with fire, but she couldn't stop. She had to know how far she could push him before his control snapped. His hands massaged and caressed her until she found her self lying naked before him. She couldn't remember how he'd done that, and she didn't care, except how much she wanted to feel him completely naked lying on top of her. She undid his jeans with one hand and massaged him with the other and he gasped in need, barely in control. She could feel it in his body and in his breathing. The man still controlled the vampire, and he wanted her badly. She pushed his jeans over his hips and cupped his balls in her hands enjoying the feel of his silky skin. He groaned in frustration, then stood to remove his clothes quickly. She reached for him, and he surrendered all logic and laid down on top of her. She felt so good, so hot, so filled with need and desire. He let his hand trail down to her mound and slipped his finger into her already wet core until she gasped with pleasure. Her hand found his shaft and stroked him until he thought he would die with pleasure and the beast surged forth. Just a little more, he would not harm her….just one taste, just the feel of himself deep within her. He wanted to feel her warmth, her love, her desire for his body….all of it. She writhed beneath his touch as he stroked her with his finger until she whimpered in need. Her hand guided him to her, and he knew he would be lost if he entered. "No, Nat….we have to stop….I won't be able to stop." Her lips captured his protests and she pushed up with her hips. The tip of his cock entered her….and she wanted more….he wanted more. Heat touched his shaft and he lost all rational thought. He plunged deep within her and then retreated. The silky feel of her beckoned to him as did the blood pounding in her veins, and he plunged hard back into her until she gasped his name in pleasure. The gold in his eyes was replaced with red. He gave in to the beast, and the feel of her body around his. He wanted all of her, all that she was. He wanted to taste her love for him, become one with her and it drove him onward. Each stroke deeper than the last until he touched her core, and she began to contract around him. His heightened sense felt her body give into his and it wasn't enough. "Natalie!!!!" He tried to slow himself as he stroked her even more with his shaft deep within her. Lost to the pleasure of him within her, she exploded with every nerve in her body….yet it wasn't enough. She wanted to feel him give into her, release himself within her and make her one with him. In the back of her mind, she knew he would kill her to do it, but somehow it didn’t matter right now. He felt so good. His cold shaft buried in her hot core, and she wanted it all. The color behind her eyes began to diminish when she heard him call her name. Red eyes met hers and she knew she’d pushed him to far, but each stroke drove her back up the ladder of desire to what she truly wanted. He pushed her hair away from her neck as his fangs descended and he continued to plunge deep within her seeking his own release. She could feel his need for blood just as she could feel his cock stroking her toward another glorious climax…and she wanted that too. She turned her neck and offered it to him willingly as her body arched to meet him stroke for stroke. He felt her surrender to him and the beast reveled in it. Her blood surged hot through her veins calling him to completion. His head started for her neck when her words echoed into his brain. "I love you, Nick. I love all of you." She turned her neck to offer him better access without a second thought and he stopped….Terrified and disgusted with himself, he tore his body away from her and threw himself against the wall in the corner. "Nick?" She bounded from the bed after him. "No! Nat!….Don't…..please stay away! I don't have control….please." Blood tears poured from his eyes. Quickly, she grabbed his robe on the back of the chair and flew down the steps to the refrigerator. Ignoring Vachon's questioning eyes from the couch, she grabbed 3 bottles and ran back up the stairs. She slammed the door, ran to his side, and shoved the bottles into his hand. Within seconds, the first bottle was gone and the second well on its way. Half way through the 3rd his eyes returned to a golden hue and his breathing finally slowed. Closing his eyes, he laid his head back against the wall and waited for the blood to do it's work. Finally, winning the battle, he opened his eyes and drained the remaining half of the bottle. Blue eyes finally met hers and she let out a sigh of relief, then offered him her hand. "I think we both need some rest now." Nick looked at her in disbelief. "You'd trust me to get in bed with you after I almost…..?" She pulled his naked body up against hers where the robe gapped open. Her hands caressed his tight ass and his manhood responded immediately. "The key word here, Nick Knight, is 'almost'." She looked down and smiled at his hard-on. "You could have told me you had to have blood to get off. I wouldn't have let it go that far if I’d known." She led him over to the bed. "I meant what I said, Nick. I love you and I’m not afraid to admit it. So what ever happens between us is okay as long as I know how you feel." Scared eyes met his. She'd been honest and laid it on the line. It was his turn and she couldn't make that decision for him. He pulled her tight against him and buried his face in her hair. Her scent washed over him and became one with his soul. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Natalie." He gently placed her head in his hands and made her see the truth in his eyes. "I love you, Nat, beyond all that is rational, beyond all that there is….and I will throughout eternity. To say that it scares the hell out of me would be an understatement. No matter what happens, I want you to remember that." He kissed her gently, then released her, and led her back to the bed. "Now, I'm going to hold you in my arms all night and wakeup with you in my bed. The way I've dreamed it for the past 7 years." He laid down and she followed, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He reached over, pulled the satin sheets around them and they slept. Part 6 Natalie helped strap the vest on Nick quietly. She hadn't spoken a word for at least 15 minutes. Nick could feel her hands shake and for the life of him, he couldn't think of anything to calm her fears. His odds weren’t good and he knew it. This men were true hunters and they'd learned every trick in the book. This would take more than cunning, it would take luck. He just hoped his hadn’t all run out. When she finished, he put his shirt over it then his jacket. He turned for her inspection. "Well….can you see it?" A single tear escaped her eye and he pulled her quickly into his arms. "I have to do this, Nat. You know that. I can't let Trace or the others die.” He caressed her hair as she spoke. Vachon's brown eye’s met Nick's, and he knew Nick probably wasn’t coming back. Nick finally released Nat and put her hands in Vachon's. "You guard her for me, my friend. Don't let them near her or yourself. If I'm not back by morning, I won't be back. Tell LaCroix and the others to disappear and take Natalie with you." He waited for Vachon to agree. "I will guard her with my life, Nick. She'll be waiting here for you when you return. Try to bring that little blonde partner of yours with you, okay?" Vachon smiled, but Nick recognized the need in the young Spaniard's eyes. He was sure they matched his own. Maybe he'd misjudged Vachon after all. Nick headed for the door and turned one last time to look at Nat. She fought the tears bravely and squared her shoulders before she spoke. "You'd better come back to me, Nick Knight, or I'll come looking for you with that stake. Understood?" "I love you too, Nat!" He smiled and closed the door. Nat turned, buried her head in Vachon's chest and sobbed openly. ------- Tracy watched them move around the room checking their equipment and traps. They were nervous and it showed in their speech and their movements. They were scared of Nick. She'd seen Nick pissed and it wasn't pretty, but these men were terrified. They were mistaken. She knew it. She only hoped Nick would play along with it and have a plan. She had to have faith in him. Nick was more than good, he was the best she'd ever seen. They returned to her side and checked the manacles encircling her wrist and ankles for the 3rd time in an hour. It must be close to dusk. The last fading light of day danced on the window in front of her and she said a silent prayer. Without so much as a breeze, Nick appeared in front of her. Her eyes started in surprise and the two men caught it. Without turning they lunged to each side of her and placed the needles at her neck once more. Each one stepped on a floor switch as the turned, sending numerous darts toward the center of the room. They turned to find it empty. Fred placed his hand on the plunger and inserted the needle in Tracy's neck causing her to grunt in pain. "You twitch, Knight, and she’s dead. Show yourself! I know you're here!" Sweat poured from his skin and he wanted desperately to wipe it away but didn't dare. Carl turned to survey the room yet one more time. When his eyes returned the center of the room, a solitary figure stood quietly. He walked into the light letting the fluorescent beams reflect on the blonde in his hair and the gold flecks in his eyes. They turned steel blue while he watched and he stood transfixed. A power he'd never felt before rippled through the air and was projected like a weapon from the man in front of him. Carl stepped back involuntarily. Fred tensed when Nick's power washed over him and he readied the plunger. "All I have to do is inject 1 cc and she's dead, so cut the crap. Stop what ever it is you’re doing." Within seconds, the deathly calm and the power that encircled the blonde man in front of them retreated and finally disappeared. Tracy stared at Nick in disbelief. She'd felt the power wash over her. It was the evil she'd felt so often from Vachon and the others….only 10 times stronger. How old was Nick? If she lived through this she would personally stake him for lying to her. Fred was the first to recover. "Where's your doctor friend? She was suppose to come with you." Fear was still laced in his voice, but he'd finally gotten control of the shaking. "You really didn't think I would bring her along….now did you? Release Tracy and I'll consider talking with you. Don't and I'll rip you apart for the sheer pleasure of it. I've always hated hunters. They bring out the wrong side of me. A side I don't think you would like very much." His bright blue eyes glistened in the overhead lights and Carl's hands began to shake once more. "Fred! I vote we release her." Her reached for the release bar as Fred screamed and lunged at his partner. Nick took advantage and sprang toward Fred. The release fired small darts straight forward hitting Nick in the chest as he moved. Carl and Fred hit the floor together and rolled out of the way. Nick stared at the darts implanted in his chest, then gazed at Tracy in defeat. He staggered then collapsed to the floor. Fred and Carl waited and watched the vampire before them freeze in place on the floor. They waited for 3 minutes before they approached, then Fred began to laugh hysterically. "See Carl. I told you he wouldn't be any harder than the rest of them to fool. Just needed back ups, that's all." He kicked Nick's still body lying on the floor with his eyes still wide open. Both men picked his stiff body off the floor and placed him upright on the vertical table next to Tracy, then manacled him down. With those safely locked in place, they added a waist clasp and a hip restraints as well. They stared at their handi-work as Tracy cursed and struggled against her own restrictions. "You go get the truck. I’ll get the serum and call Mr. Schaumburg. Maybe by tomorrow we'll be rich men." Fred slapped Carl and they strolled happily out of the room. Tracy struggled valiantly cutting deep into the skin as she cursed. "Damn you, Nick!" She turned to find bright blue eyes watching her and he smiled. Quickly, he popped the wrist manacles and then the ankle. Using a little more strength he ripped the waist and hip restraints free like they were tissue paper. Tracy marveled at his strength and power. He was in front of her within less than a minute. Unable to speak, she stared at her partner before her in awe. "How old are you, Nick? " "That’s kind of an odd question at a time like this, Trace. Here I thought you’d just be glad to see me." He reached over and popped open her restraints to set her free. He eyed the blood on her wrists and quickly suppressed the beast and its needs. She caught the action and watched him recede behind his wall. Of course, all those times at crime scenes when there was so much blood, she thought he was just overly sensitive, but he was fighting his own urges. How much control did he have? She’d watch Vachon have to leave when there was fresh blood. What kind of vampire was a homicide cop? Questions kept darting through her mind as she stared at him. "I really haven't shown you my fangs, Trace, and I haven't grown a second head. I know you have a thousand questions and you probably want to stake me yourself, but I'd rather you did….than them. So let's get out of here before they get back." Nick pulled her toward the door. Tracy glanced at the sun starting to filter through the dirty window in front of them. "Nick, it's after sunrise. You'll fry!" She ran beside him. He stopped and skirted the sunbeam. "Besides, why didn't the curare work on you?" Nick smiled and popped open a front button. "Police vest…..Nat's idea." "Great! Any ideas about the sunlight "Mr. Vampire Homicide Cop?" "My cars just outside." He tossed her the keys. "62 Caddie….largest trunk space ever made. Mine comes with all the proper insulated seals." He smiled that boyish grin that always disarmed her. "You drive….I'll ride in the trunk….go easy on the bumps….I bruise easy." She reached for the door and started out. Nick heard the mechanism click before he saw the darts. Using all his vampire speed, he lunged to cover her body. Two darts connected with his skin on his arm followed by two more in his neck. Collapsing to the floor on top of her 4 more darts flew from the door frame and found their way into his skin. The effects were immediate. Groggily, he pulled himself off her and she rolled to her feet. The sunlight that touched his skin caused him to scream in pain as the smoke trailed off his slowly debilitated body. Making the only choice he really had, he lunged back toward the dark confines within the warehouse before he became completely immobile. "Get out, Trace! Get help!" His words slurred as the drug began to take effect. With the last of his strength, he fought the drug and slammed the door, blocking out the deadly rays of the sun. Swiftly, he lost all feeling in his legs, then darkness engulfed him. Part 7 Carl ran into the room when he heard the alarms sound at the door. He watched the blond vampire throw his body over the woman to protect her from the darts. He screamed in agony as the sun's rays kissed his skin and he began to smoke. Transfixed by the scene before him, Carl watched in awe as the vampire chose to save the mortal woman instead of himself. He slammed the door and collapsed within seconds. Fred reached Carl's side and grabbed his arm as the younger researcher started toward the man lying at the door. "Don't, Carl. Give the drugs a chance. If he's strong enough to throw the effects off of that first batch, we have to be careful." Both men waited a full minute before approaching the still form ahead of them. They checked him quickly, noting finally the vest underneath his shirt, then injected him again with another dose of curare. Each picked up an arm and dragged Nick's stiff body toward the back door and the waiting van. ----------- Tracy ran for the caddie and grabbed the radio mic. "Dispatch! This is 81 kilo. Officer down….I repeat….officer down." Tracy looked at the street sign and the warehouse trying to determine her location. "We're at the warehouse on 11th and Dawson. I need backup….yesterday." She left the mic switch on and threw it into the seat, then ripped open Nick's glove box. She knew he kept an extra revolver there. Where was it? She pulled everything out quickly, finding the gun attached securely in a clip at the bottom. Grabbing it and releasing the safety, she bounded back toward the door she'd just come from. Two quick shots shattered the lock , then a white unmarked van screeched around the building heading toward the street. She planted her feet and fired 4 shots directly at the van. Two connected into the metal but it didn't slow. Giving it up for a lost cause she pushed back inside in hopes of finding her partner. The sirens could be heard in the distance as she searched the warehouse, but Nick was gone. Frustration laced with fear washed over her when she realized what was in store for Nick. She checked the dead vampire strapped to the table that was deteriorating rapidly. The one they'd called Angela was merely bone and scraps of cloth. Trace pulled the stake from the once young vampire before her and watched her body turn to dust. The stake slowed the process, but whatever drug they'd been giving them completely messed up their system, allowing the bodies to remain in tact for longer periods of time than usual. ------ Tracy pulled Nick's car into the garage next to Natalie's. She knew from dispatch that Nat had booked off. No one wanted to tell her, not even the Captain. Maybe it was better anyway. At least she could talk openly with Natalie about what they could do. She'd gone through the resentment, then anger stage about Nat not telling her about Nick. After some long hard thought, she realized Natalie had known for a long time and like Vachon, they were trying to protect her from something. Other vampires was her first suspicion, but others already knew she had knowledge of their existence. She knew Nat well enough to know she wouldn't break Nick's confidence. She had that, and probably a lot more. Vachon opened the lift door when it stopped. His brown eyes met Tracy's with a great sadness. It was well past 10 a.m. He did a quick check to make sure she was alright, then offered her his hand. She accepted, realizing that Vachon had been trusted by Nick to protect Nat. Somehow that pleased her. Nat knew Nick wasn't returning. She'd called the precinct to see if they'd heard from Tracy or him, and Evelyn on dispatch said there had been a problem. Tracy was in route. It meant only one thing. Every breath she took seemed harder than the last, and her heart felt like a dead weight in her chest as she stared at the fire. "Nat?" Tracy walked to her side and rubbed her arm gently. Tears streaked down Natalie's face unchecked. "He's not dead, Trace. I'd know if he was dead!" Pain-filled eyes met Tracy's when she turned. "We have to get him away from them." "I know, Nat….I know….and we will. I've got a trace on their boss' holdings. They have to be somewhere close. They still want you and your research. They won't leave town without it. You're our wedge, Nat. They have to contact you to get what they want." Tracy waited for her words to sink in. "We can follow you after they make contact and then we'll have them." Natalie stared at the young woman before her. "You have no idea what they will do to him, do you? They'll torture him until he’s insane. That drug they're using is meant to rip his cells apart. When they do, even Nick's 800 year old metabolism won't be able to compensate. He'll die screaming inside and with the curare, they won't even know or care. I can't wait for that!" She stared a moment at Tracy, then headed for the door. "Nat! Where are you going?" Tracy ran after her friend. "To get help. The kind of help that Nick needs." She put on her professional face, wiped her eyes, then hit down on the lift. ------------- After several stops, Natalie finally arrived at her destination. She pounded furiously on the door of the Raven. Someone was up. Vachon said they were on shifts. "LaCroix, let me in! It’s Natalie Lambert!" She pounded again. Most of the street was deserted but a few pedestrians noticed the woman pounding adamantly on the door. "LaCroix….I know you’re in there! Let me in." The door opened slightly and she pushed it open immediately. Alma stood behind the door away from the sunlight that flooded the room. Natalie closed the door immediately shutting out the harmful sunshine and the vampire breathed a sigh of relief, still not quite sure if she'd made the right decision. "Where's LaCroix?" Natalie demanded. "In the back, Dr. Lambert, but I wouldn't…." Natalie had already started for the back door into his private chambers. "LaCroix?" She pushed open the door and stepped in. Numerous bottles littered the counter in front of the bar, but only one glass. She searched the room to find him standing by the fireplace in a deathlike trance. He gripped the mantel with one hand and a glass with the other, yet he didn't move or acknowledge her presence. She walked closer to watch his hand grip the mantel with such force that it crumbled beneath his fingers. The bloodwine was crushed in his grasp and he struggled to stay upright. Natalie tried to steady him only to be greeted by cold blue eyes of agony. He grabbed her shoulder with such intensity she was certain it snapped. "It's Nick. You're feeling Nick." He pushed away from her and stumbled to the bar. He grabbed the first bottle filled with anything and drank. She watched in horror as the man she hated sank to his knees in agony, and she knew it wasn't his alone. "Tell me what to do, LaCroix." She knelt beside him on the floor and watched him finally gain control. Gold flecks of anger tinged his eyes. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him barely controlling the rage that built within. "What are they doing to him? What kind of monsters are these people that they can afflict this much pain and not just kill him?" She watched the pain pass in waves through him until finally they subsided and he began to breathe evenly. She helped him up, then handed him another bottle. "I don’t know, except they are doing research on vampires. They are injecting them with curare to keep them immobile, then dosing them with some chemical that they use for DNA separation. If I’m guessing, they are trying to pull free the fragment in your blood that makes you a vampire. They are ripping it off chemically. That's what's causing the pain. Nick went to try and get Tracy out and buy time for the rest of the community to disappear. You have to help me find him. We have to get him out. You're connected to him, you can find him without the police." She locked eyes with the devil and stood her ground. She wasn't leaving until he agreed. Quickly gaining control, now that the pain was gone, LaCroix brushed himself off then headed for his private stock. The good doctor was tenacious, he would give her that. Most of the community was packing, but she wasn't buying it. "Normally, Doctor, you would be right, but I can't seem to track him. It must be the curare. It diminishes our link. Only the pain that he's feeling seems to be coming through. It almost blocks out everything else….and in case you hadn't noticed the sun is still quite high in the sky. I must wait until tonight, and I assure you, they will not live to see the morning, if I have to search every corner of this city to find him." Red tinged his eyes and she gasped at the rage the was projected around the room. "Nick doesn't have till tonight. If my calculations are right, they are increasing the concentration of the chemical according to their age. When they find out Nick's over 800 years old, they'll pump it up 10 fold. He'll go insane before it kills him. There has to be a way to track find him quicker and make sure we're in time." She began pacing the room in front of him and then stopped. "When you take someone's blood, you are connected to them aren't you?" She waited as he eyed her like a specimen under glass. "Yes, Doctor. The more blood that I consume, the longer the connection." He waited, already following her train of thought. She walked over and faced him with determination and something else that he couldn't decipher. "Then take my blood and follow the link to me. They want me and the research I've done on Nick. They'll call and set up a meet. You can follow me through the link and we can get him out. They'll feel safe until dark, so I expect they'll call early this afternoon and arrange a meet. Maybe I can slow them down enough until you get there." She turned and started to pace again as he contemplated her suggestion. When she turned to face him again, she was willing to plead if necessary. This was Nick's life. Surely that meant something to LaCroix. He spent centuries trying to truly possess Nick. There had to be something else there. "It's the only chance he has. You know, and so do I. If we wait for the police, it will be to late." "And just how far are you willing to go to save Nicholas, Doctor? Are you willing to die? Are you willing for me to bring you across?" He smiled evilly thrilled at the idea he could possess her instead of Nicholas. "You don't have to kill me to track me." She walked over and glared into his eyes. "Even I know that. Just take enough to establish a link and then when it's dusk, you follow me." He smiled and eyed the petite woman before him totally astounded. "You would trust me to stop, Doctor? That is foolish." "You will not drain me, LaCroix, because I'm the only hope you have of finding Nick. If you kill me, I won't come back and then you've lost him forever. We will both have lost him. There are a lot of things I'm sure of, LaCroix. The fact that you’ve spent 800 years trying to possess Nick tells me he's more important to you than anything else in your life, and I'm willing to bet my life on it." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard against him, letting the gold shine in his eyes for effect. "Are you, Doctor? Be sure of what you say, because once we start there will be no turning back." She jerked her wrist from his hand, but didn't pull free from his embrace. "I'm sure, LaCroix. You see I freely admit I’m in love with Nick, and I know….even THAT has a price! The difference between you and I is the fact that I don't think the price tag is too high." He let his fangs extend and started toward her neck. She twisted free. "No! I won't let you touch me that way." She extended her arm and pushed up her sleeve. He eyed it with distaste, then smiled. "As you wish, Doctor." He sank his fangs deep within her wrist. Her blood poured into his mouth and the sweetness overwhelmed him. Warmth followed with each swallow, intoxicating him as her blood poured thousands of piece of information about her body and soul. He drank deeper and her love for Nicholas overwhelmed him, and he tried to push it away. Images from the night before Nick left flooded his mind and he was entranced. They had managed to be together physically without him killing her. Her strength and determination surrounded him and he craved to possess it. He wanted all of her, to possess her and make her one with him. She was unique and unusual. Something he’d never known in his 2000 years, and he wanted her, now more than ever. When he sank his fangs deep within her, she felt the pull of his power. The seduction to come to him. Pleasure washed over her and images began to filter back to her. Images of Divia, Nick, Janette…mostly Nick and their fights and the pain he felt being rejected by his son. Each swallow gave her more insight and she felt the desire to give into to him until pain washed through her. It was Nick's pain. The pain he'd felt earlier. "No! LaCroix, you must stop now." He released her wrist and went for her throat. He was enthralled with her blood. The beast was in control and he reveled in it. "No!" She tried to twist away from him to no avail. He pulled her hard against him and pushed her neck to the side baring the sweet nectar he so craved. She struggled even harder and then relaxed. "Wise decision, Doctor. You know you want this as bad as I do." He started for her throat. With her free hand she reached into her pocket and uncorked the vile. She had one chance. Quickly she doused the side of his face with holy water. He released her with a shriek. Blisters formed on the side of his face instantly and he cursed loudly. Once again red eyes met hers and she paused only for a brief second. "Get control of it, LaCroix. Who’s in control….the man or the beast? " She stepped back as he came forward. "Do you want me enough to lose you son? The son that you love beyond anything else." He reached for her and pulled her back into his embrace and let her images dance in his mind. He let himself feel what and who she was. Her hatred of him and her love of Nicholas played havoc with her emotions, yet love won the battle and she would sacrifice everything to be with him. Her devotion to Nicholas was unwavering and the courage to ally with him, her most hated enemy, made him pause. As quickly as he entrapped her, he released her. She didn't move, but waited only a foot out of his reach and watched him grasp what he felt in her blood. Blue eyes returned before her, and she realized what a virile, handsome man LaCroix actually was in spite of the evil he possessed. Finally, he stepped back and put some distance between them before he spoke. "I see I underestimated you again, Doctor." He walked calmly back to the bar and poured yet another glass of blood. He sipped it slowly savoring the taste and then returned his attention to her. "Not as sweet as yours, Doctor, but it will have to suffice it would appear." He reached behind the bar and pulled out some orange juice and poured a glass. He handed it to her and touched his glass delicately to hers. "To Nicholas' health, Doctor." He drained his glass and watched her drink hers. "I will follow you as soon as it’s dusk. Make no mistake, Doctor. If Nicholas dies, you will take his place." She sat her glass on the bar counter, then looked up to find him gone. Part 8 -------- Natalie paced the floor of the loft in front of Vachon and Tracy. There was nothing left to do but wait. Vachon checked at the Raven, and all had been quiet, except LaCroix. Alma was seriously concerned with his blood consumption until she'd picked him up off the floor cursing. He was in horrendous pain and everyone knew the reason why, yet could do nothing. The community had already started packing and awaited nightfall. Shortly after 3 p.m. Natalie's cell phone rang. This was it. She could feel it. Waiting for the second ring, she answered. "Lambert!" She used her best professional tone. "Dr. Lambert, I have something you want, and you have something I want. Bring your research to the corner of 5th and main. No cops, no wires, no tails or I go public with your not so young blond friend. You have 10 minutes." The line went dead. Tracy and Vachon waited and watched her closely. Natalie hung up the phone and took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come. She walked over to Tracy and handed her a disk. "Take this and place it in locker 14 at the train station downtown. Here's the key." She turned to Vachon before she continued. "You go to the Raven and stay with LaCroix. Tell him to follow as soon as it’s dusk. Come with him, I'm afraid we might need your help if Nick's still alive. You can ride in the trunk of Nick's car." She flipped the keys to Tracy, then headed for the door. "He's still alive, doc. Alma said she'd picked LaCroix off the floor twice in the last hour and it’s getting worse. You'd better make this convincing and quick." ------- She waited quietly at the curb watching everyone intently, yet restraining herself from pacing. She had to be calm for this to work. Think 'professional doctor face', Lambert. You’ve done this a thousand times. She watched the black limo round the corner for the second time and knew her ride had arrived. Of course, it had to be someone with money. This was not a cheap operation. The door opened beside her and she stepped into the dark interior. "Welcome, Dr. Lambert!" The shadowed face spoke, but did not move into the light. With a quick motion of the hand, the lean young man across from her dark host, did a thorough check for wires and weapons. "No wires, sir. She's clean." "Thank you, Jason." The car stopped at the next curb and the young man stepped out. "It would appear, Doctor, you are smarter than I expected…or at least more cautious." Schaumburg switched on the light and lit a cigarette in front of her, then poured her a glass of wine. "Well, it would appear that I’m a great deal brighter than you sir. At least I wasn't stupid enough to enrage the entire vampire community." She accepted the wine without hesitation. " I expect you really aren't ignorant enough to spike the wine or you wouldn't get what you're looking for." She smiled coyly, then tipped the glass and downed the contents. "Very good, doctor. I'm glad to learn that I've not underestimated human nature. Everyone has a price." He laughed and then downed his own glass of wine as well. "My name is Schaumburg, and I believe you have something I want." "What I have, Mr. Schaumburg, is a desire to live with the knowledge that I possess…..and you've made that quite difficult." "How so, Good Doctor?" He was genuinely surprised at her comment. She was in no danger from him if she came up with the information he needed. Natalie stared at him understanding for the first time since it started. Finally, all the pieces fit. Wealth and power were nothing if you couldn't keep it. "You haven't any idea as to what you've done, have you?" She reached over and poured another glass. She let anger blaze from her blue eyes as she spoke. "Let me explain it too you. First of all, your stupid little researchers are barking up the wrong tree. You can't isolated the vampire gene from the human cell without it virtually imploding….I should know, I've tried. Second of all, the process you are using is killing the patient. Not that it's a big deal since they've already been dead for quite sometime to be in their state anyway…..but you overlooked one big singular problem. The man you call Nick Knight is not just any vampire, but an 800 year old vampire with a very mean sire who's already seen the kinder side of 2000. You don't get to be LaCroix’s age by being Mr. Congeniality". She sat back in her seat, sipped her wine, and waited for the words to sink in before she continued. "So you see, Mr. Schaumburg, I don't have a death wish. In fact, I rather like the idea of living a long time with a great deal of money. I can't do that if you kill LaCroix's son. He will not only hunt you down, but me as well. I've seen LaCroix ticked off. Believe me when I say it’s not pretty, and it’s something I don't want personal, first-hand knowledge of." "Well, what an interesting turn of events, doctor. Here I thought you came along to save our errant blond detective because of some emotional attachment, when in actuality it's only money that you’re interested in." He laughed and poured himself another drink. "So you are telling me that you have discovered the key to their immortality, and it's now available for sale. Pity I didn’t know that earlier. I'm sure you would be a lot less expensive than my bungling scientists have been." "Let's just say that I’ve found a way to make Nick mortal again, so therefore I can reverse the process. That is what your looking for isn't it, Mr. Schaumburg? The answer to becoming immortal without paying the price of being a vampire….life forever without any consequences. An eternity to spend all your money and manipulate your power into something more than just a financial kingdom….world domination maybe…or do you aspire above and beyond that?" She eased back into the soft leather seat of the limo confidently. "It will cost you 10 million now, and another 10 million when I complete the process." He smiled wickedly. "I like you, doctor. You're a woman after my own heart. All business before pleasure. So where is it?" "It's on a disk, and you can have it's location as soon as I have three things." "And what might that be?" He asked snidely. "A 10 million direct transfer into my Swiss account, a new identity off this continent, and the release of Nick Knight….alive." She waited and prepared. "Why would I do that, doctor. I thought he was nothing to you or do I detect a hint of attachment after all." She tossed the empty glass at him in anger. "You are completely insane! You have been dealing with young vampires, and you don't have a clue to what you have done! LaCroix and Nick are connected by blood, therefore he feels everything through Nick. I personally don't have a death wish. If Nick dies, he will hunt you down like a dog, and then come after me. There will be no place you can hide, no place to run, and no mercy. Nick is not only his son, but his favorite obsession….and you have been torturing him by degrees. I simply want to keep him alive long enough for me to reap the rewards of the last 8 years of sacrifice. You see, Mr. Schaumburg, it has nothing to do with attachments….but self preservation. She glanced out the window, then back at the smug man seated across from her with anger in her eyes. "For your sake, Mr. Schaumburg, I hope Nick is still alive….because if he isn't….the deal is off." For the first time a moment of fear crossed Schaumburg's face. What if she was right? Was this older vampire that dangerous? She certainly thought so, and she'd been around them for a long time. Discretion was always his strong suit….if he got what he wanted. He didn't care if the beast lived. It would still be a cheap investment. "We shall see, doctor." He tapped on the glass. "To the laboratory, Thomas." ------- Carl stared at Fred when he injected yet another dose of the curare through the IV line. "That's the 10th dose in 2 hours, Fred. Even his system can't handle that." Fred pitched the empty syringe across the room in anger. "Stop your whining, Carl. You want him twitching around when we start cutting on him. He's burning it off. He metabolism is so much faster than the others, it's wearing off. I for one don’t want him mobile"…..do you?" Fred glared at Carl and headed for the door. "Schaumburg called and said he was bringing his lady doc. Apparently, she's convinced him she knows the answer. We're suppose to wait till they get here before we proceed. Just watch him! Make sure he doesn't start coming out of it again. I don't want him breaking free and killing the money man. I haven't been paid yet." He slammed the door leaving Carl alone. ------- Natalie followed the scientist Schaumburg referred to as Fred in to the large laboratory. It was really a warehouse redone in smaller compartments to handle a testing lab that was secure, and a computer room. No much really, but efficient if your patient was manacled to the table with titanium cuffs and a waist guard. When the inner door locked behind them, she noticed the seals around the windows as well. They could flood the room with gas at any time. It was a room built for the security of the personnel behind the glass on the other side. She tried to brace herself for what Nick would look like, but she still hesitated when she saw his limp form manacled to the table. Concentrate, Lambert….Professional attitude or you’re both dead. She immediately glared at Fred with banked anger and frustration. Without hesitation, she went to the table and disconnected the IV line attached to Nick's wrist. The monitors above his head echoed only flatlines with no heartbeat or respiration. Of course, with Nick that didn't mean anything since his heart only beat once every 10 minutes on a good day. Quickly, she moved to his left side and jerked the thin wood stake imbedded in his heart. The sucking sound as the stake pulled free made her own heart ache, and she said a silent prayer. Rage began to build as she analyzed his condition. An angry arm turned her around and jerked the stake from her hand. "You can't do that if you shut off the curare. He'll rip us apart when he wakes up." Fred stared at Nick's limp body with fear etched into his face. Natalie recognized it immediately. "I see you been graced with Nick's alter ego. Good, at least you're not totally stupid." She grabbed the stake from his hand and pitched it across the room. "You think Nick's bad when he's angry, you should meet his 2000 year old daddy. To say that he's evil would be an understatement, but I can tell you this much. He truly enjoys his work. You kill Nick and you won’t live past midnight. Even you can understand the motive of revenge, and mercy is not in LaCroix's vocabulary." She noticed the computer on the desk and started for it. "I suggest you set up a shunt and give him blood directly to his digestive system. Maybe when he awakens, he’ll show mercy." She didn’' wait for him to answer. It was a command and the only option she had was to push ahead. She turned her attention back to Schaumburg, almost completely non- pulsed by the anger surrounding Fred. "I assume you have a modem." She sat down at the desk and logged onto web, then typed numerous commands until she smiled, satisfied. She stood and offered the chair to Schaumburg. "My Swiss bank is on line. You can wire the money now, and as soon as I verify it, you may have your disk." She stared him straight in the eye. "No money, no immortality….do I make myself clear?" Schaumburg smiled. He admired this tenacious woman. Such a pity they hadn't met earlier. "As you wish, my dear." He sat down and pressed several numbers, then hit enter. Within minutes the funds were transferred. Natalie watched Carl administer to Nick while Fred stood by fuming, but afraid to push his boss. "It is done, Doctor." Natalie reached over and verified, then quickly shut the system down and pulled the plug. Without a second thought, she pushed the monitor and hard drive onto the floor and let them crash. She walked to the lab table beside Nick and picked up some sulfuric acid and returned. She poured it inside the hard drive, and watched it smoke. With that done, she smiled coyly and returned her attention to her host. "Can't have you tracing anything, can we?" She glanced at the window, guessed the time till dusk, and once again said a silent prayer. Walking over to the desk, she wrote down an address and reached inside her pocket. She handed a key and the note to Schaumburg. "The address and key to the disk as we agreed. Another 10 million when it's administered to you." Schaumburg laughed until a growl echoed from Nick. "It would appear, Doctor, that your patient is still very much alive. I think I shall leave you to him now. If you survive, then I’ll contact you. If not, then I'll let Fred and Carl here work on your ideas." He laughed and headed for the door rapidly. It was almost dusk and he wanted out of here before Knight became completely mobile or this LaCroix appeared. "Fred, you and Carl collect all the data and meet me at our usual place." Fred nodded in understanding while Carl stood mesmerized at the man coming to life before him. Pain was carved into his face as the curare burned out of his system. Red eyes met his, and Nick immediately lunged at the manacles, only causing more pain. Carl ran for the door. "Nick!" Natalie spoke softly watching him struggle and start to breathe heavily as the pain washed through him. With each breath the fire burned brighter until he thought he would explode. A familiar heartbeat beckoned him and he locked onto it in need. Her soothing voice only caused him more pain and he fought not only the pain but his beast. He needed blood and hers was like a siren call enticing him into sweet release. "Nat?" His voice broke as a wave of fire engulfed him and he screamed in agony for release. "Nat….I….I….need blood. Please get out of here. I can't control…." This time the pain was so intense his legs refused to hold his weight. The waist guard completely supported his body as his limp form struggled internally in it's own battle. "It's okay, Nick. I'm here." She tried to hold him up until it passed. It ripped her emotions apart to see him like this. "It won't be much longer, now. Help will be here soon." She caressed his face and made him look into her eyes. "We'll be okay, Nick. We can do this together. Just stay with me for a little longer." "Naaaaattt!!!!!!" Nick screamed in agony this time as blood tears flowed freely down his face. "Nick! Nick!! Don’t you do this. Stay with me." She tried desperately to free him from the manacles to no avail. She turned in frustration to look for something to pry them open and a key appeared in front of her face. Carl stood holding it before her, then placed the key in her hand. He stared at Nick briefly in shame, then handed Natalie 3 blood bags and a syringe. "That’s all the blood I have. Fred never let us keep very much since he never intended to feed them….I….I….I'm sorry. I thought they were animals….not like us. I didn't know it hurt them until Magda. I thought the curare numbed the pain, when all it did was keep them from showing it. The syringe is a neutralizing agent for the chemical. I know it sounds strange, but it’s sodium penethol. It’s not enough to neutralize it all, but it may help ease the pain enough until you can get some more." He glanced at Nick writhing in pain and then scurried for the door. When he reached the handle he stopped and faced her, confident for the first time since she'd met him. "There is no cure, is there?" He waited for an answer but he already knew. "You didn't keep the money, and you're in love with him." He motioned to Nick still manacled to the table. He saw the question before she asked. "It was the look on your face when you saw him for the first time. It wasn’t doctor/patient. It was love. I'm sorry….I was wrong. I hope that helps." He nodded to the blood and syringe, then quickly stepped through the door and locked it. Part 9 Nat hurried to Nick's side. He could smell the blood and his eyes glowed with hunger. She ripped the top of the bag with scissors from the lab table next to him and put it to his lips. Within seconds, it was empty and he needed more. He drained the next two and his body felt very little relief. Quickly, she injected him with the syringe and the reaction was immediate. When his breathing slowed and he began to relax, she released the manacles and freed him. Without the restraints, he almost slid to the floor. Nat used her body to break his fall and propped him against the wall beside the table he'd been chained to.. "Nick?" She caressed his cool skin as his eyes slowly blinked open. Gold met blue as she pulled his head to her shoulder. "Stay with me, Nick. LaCroix will be here shortly. It's dusk. He'll find us." She held onto him tightly and rubbed his shoulders as she spoke. Her sweet scent enveloped him and the warmth that she offered helped ease the pain. He was so tired and his body needed rest and blood. The fire inside him had cooled to a tolerable level but the beast refused to be hampered. Blood surged through the veins in the warm body holding him and he wanted it. He wanted to feel her blood surging into his mouth and into his veins. He wanted the sweet nectar that was only hers to become one with him. His fangs descended as he kissed her neck. He could taste her fear in the salt on her neck and the beast was thrilled. The fire began to burn again and the beast needed blood, but the man fought for control. Violently, he threw himself away from her, and she ran to him. "No….Stay away, Nat. Get out of here." He growled in frustration as he pushed her away from him. "I can't control it….I can't….stop myself…." Pain engulfed him again as he screamed her name. "Please!!! Natalie!!!" She was at his side forcing him to look at her through the red haze of desire that was rapidly winning the war inside. "I love you enough to die for you, Nick Knight. Love me enough to live. We can do this together….you and I….together. I'm willing to live in darkness with you but not in the light without you. Take my blood, Nick. Let it take away the pain until we can get some more sodium penethol." She scooted closer to him on the floor and then pulled her hair away from her neck. "I love you, Nick. Give us a chance to make it together." His hands shook as his heart fought against her words, but the beast surged onward. "I….don't know if I can stop….Nat….I can't live without you." Pain engulfed him and he gasped again and fought for control. She pulled his head to her neck. "Love me, Nick….make us one. You'll stop because you love me, too. Save us both, Nick….bring me across." Unable to fight the pain and her or his own desire, he sank his fangs deep within her throat. Her blood flooded his mouth with sweet ambrosia and he was lost to the feel of her. He drank deeply and her warmth embraced his weary body, giving him the strength to go on. Her past was now his. Her love for him caressed him with such pleasure, he was lost. Each swallow made him want more. He saw what she'd done with LaCroix, what had transpired until now and he still wanted more of the warmth that she possessed. Her heart began to weaken and he couldn't stop. His body united with hers and the pain disappeared. Sweet release was wrapped in her blood and the beast was greedy. She faded slowly and her voice echoed in his mind. "Save us both, Nick. You'll stop because you love me, too." Love….yes, the man loved the woman, and he would not destroy it. He released her only to be engulfed by the pain once more. Her blood was the balm to the fire within his veins, but the woman was his heart and soul. Life without Natalie was not life, so he pushed away. "Nat….Nat…." His voice was weak as he fought the pain that returned with a vengeance. "Stay with me, Nat. Come back to me." Weakly he raised his wrist to his fangs and sliced it, only to double over in pain with the effort. Blackness washed over him as his body gave into the enemy within. --------- The sun had just begun to slip beyond the horizon when LaCroix bolted from the Raven. Vachon followed quickly, trying to keep up. Nick's pain in the last half hour virtually drove LaCroix mad, and he could not follow his son's link because of the intensity. So instead, he concentrated on the weak link to the good doctor. Giving into the heady desire to once again possess her, he followed her heartbeat as he flew. He landed outside the small warehouse and felt not only Natalie, but a new wave a pain from Nicholas that brought him to his knees. LaCroix gave into the anger he'd festered all day long and disappeared within the walls of the building. He followed the rapid heartbeats to the computer room to find two men throwing equipment and paper into small boxes. Neither one sensed his presence until the low growl escaped his lips unintentionally. Both men turned together and froze. LaCroix was on them instantly, ripping his way through Fred's neck, enjoying the thrill of their fear. When he sank his teeth into his neck and drank, Carl screamed and bolted for the outer door. Vachon grabbed him by his lapels and held him effortlessly off the floor. "Where's Knight and the woman?" Golden eyes turned red before the terrified man as he watched the young man they'd tried capturing before give into his primal needs. "In….in the other room." Carl glanced to the other door. LaCroix ripped Carl from Vachon's grasp and pulled him into a death grip. "How many times have I told you ,Vachon, not to play with your food." His voice a deadly whisper as he drained the man and snapped his neck effortlessly. Within seconds, Carl was a mass of useless flesh dumped at his feet when a scream laced in pure agony tore through the building. Both men reacted immediately. LaCroix caught Nicholas' head before it reached the floor. Vachon checked Natalie immediately. LaCroix noticed Nick's bleeding wrist and could feel the doctors heart failing. He stared at his son in amazement and disbelief. Nicholas strength of will never ceased to astound him. He laid Nicholas down gently and sliced his own wrist. He pulled the doctor onto his lap without hesitation. She would make a fine member of the family. Letting the blood flow freely, he pressed it toward her lips. Strong fingers clasped his wrist with determination, eliciting a growl from the older vampire. LaCroix wrenched it free in anger. "Don't interfere, Vachon." His lips were in a sneer as his body had already begun to prepare for the anticipated bonding. To his surprise, Vachon pulled Natalie free from his grasp, and the young Spaniard prepared to fight a battle he could not win. "This is not your affair, Javier. I will not let her die. This is not your decision." He reached for her only to have his hand locked in a vice-like grip of restraint. "She loves him, LaCroix…not you….think what you are doing. She won't come back for you!. You know it….and so do I. If she dies, then you lose both her and Nick. He loves her and if for some reason he survives and she doesn't, he’ll walk into the sun. Is that what you want?" Vachon's brown eyes met ice blue eyes of cold steel. "Do what should have been done a long time ago. Finish what he started, it's the only chance either one of them have and you know it!" Vachon waited for the elder vampire to see the truth. LaCroix turned and lifted Nick's limp unconscious body off the floor and brought him next to the dying body of the woman they both treasured. LaCroix's fangs extended slightly. He slit his son's wrist forcing it to bleed freely by massaging his arm, then placed it over Natalie's lips. Vachon was right. It had been in Natalie's blood when he tasted it earlier. She would not come back for him, only Nicholas. "Drink, Natalie." LaCroix whispered hypnotically into her ear. "It's Nicholas’ blood. Come back to him. Share his life and his heart. Only you can save him." He opened her lips and let the blood drain down her throat, yet she did not drink. "Drink it, Natalie. If you die, Nicholas dies with you. Is that what you want? His life is in your hands….drink." He felt a slight tug on the wrist as she began to suck, gently at first, then more earnestly. LaCroix held Nick's wrist to her lips as she began to draw down on his power and bring him toward the surface of consciousness. They had connected, the bond was formed. She continued to drink and Nick moaned her name softly as the pain began to surface again as he awakened. LaCroix sliced his other wrist with Nick's head in his lap, and offered it to his weakened son. Nick's need for blood overwhelmed him. He sank his fangs deep into his father's wrist and drew in his strength in order to survive, while Natalie fed from his own. The more awake he became, the more acute the pain. Vachon pulled Natalie away from Nick's wrist when Nick broke contact with his father's blood. Nick's pain filled eyes met LaCroix's. "Don't….hurt her, LaCroix. I beg you. Don't force her…." His voice was so weak as he fought for control over the pain. "Anything….I will do anything….if you don't…." Each breath was torture and tears of pain rolled down his face. "Don't make her part of you….I….beg you…."He doubled in pain and couldn't stop the scream that tore form his lips as the fire exploded inside him again. His mind was unable to cope with the assault on his body, and he collapsed in his father's arms into the blessed darkness of escape. "Bring the doctor!" LaCroix stood and picked his son's lifeless body up from the floor where they'd sat and flew out the skylight above them. Vachon followed with Natalie. ------- Tracy paced the floor helplessly as she waited. The fire had gone out and she restoked it, quickly giving her hands something to do. She'd spent most of the time analyzing Nick’s paintings in the loft as she waited. Nick was talented and had obviously studied under some of the greats. She noticed a Monet in the corner of the room, and a DeVinci she was certain that had never been recorded. Both styles were present in Nick's paintings. The fire had roared to life again when LaCroix dropped through Nick's skylight carrying Nick, followed by Vachon with Natalie. Both lay lifeless in their arms. LaCroix flew Nick to the bedroom when Vachon's eyes bid Tracy to be silent and he followed. LaCroix placed his son on the black satin sheets and turned to take Natalie. Vachon hesitated then released her to him. Unexpectedly, LaCroix placed Natalie’s still form next to his son's and rolled her body slightly until her arm draped over Nick's chest. Then he turned to give orders. "Go to the Raven and get several cases of my private stock. Tell your little blonde friend down there we need a great deal of some drug called sodium penethol." He looked at his son and the woman Nick loved more than life, then back to Vachon. "Do it quickly. She will be awake soon and need to feed. She'll also feel his pain if we can't stop it." Vachon disappeared downstairs. ------- She didn't wait for him to speak. "What happened? Are they going to be alright?" Tracy grabbed his arms in need of answers. "I need for you to find a drug called sodium penethol. We need lots of it. Can you get it?" Vachon held her arms as she stared at him. "Sodium penethol….that's truth serum. Why do you need that? What's happened?" "Listen to me. Trace. There's no time, but somehow Nick knew what would help him. LaCroix felt it through their blood exchange. I don't know anything else. It’s the only shot he's got, and if Nick dies….Natalie dies. Their blood connection right now is very strong. I don’t think either one will survive without the other. I have to go to the Raven and get supplies for all of us." Vachon started to leave then thought again. "Trace….stay away from Natalie for awhile. Don't go near her. It's the first hunger and she won't stop because you're a friend. Do you understand me?" "She's a vampire?" Tracy hesitated but had to know. "It wasn't LaCroix?" Her eyes pleaded with his. "Tell me he didn't do that!" She was afraid of the answer. "No! She gave her blood to Nick to save him. It’s Nick's blood in her veins, not LaCroix's." Relief flooded her face, Vachon smiled, then disappeared through the skylight and Trace ran for the door. Part 10 ------- Tracy returned a half hour later. She'd broken into Natalie's drug cabinet at the morgue and brought all the sodium penethol she could find. She put in a call to a snitch who owed her a favor. He said he would find more. She ran the steps instead of waiting for the lift. Vachon paced the floor waiting. His eyes filled with doubt, he ran to her side. "Tell me you got it!" She shoved two bottles in his hand with several sterile syringes. "That's all I could find for now. I have a friend looking for more. Will it help?" She could feel the fear in Vachon, she didn't have to see it in his face. "I don't know. Nick’s really bad. Do you know how to give a shot?" Hope was present in his eyes. "I've done it a couple of times." Determination was written in her eyes. "I can do it, Vachon. Let's go!" They both ran up the stairs. ------- LaCroix had bound his forearm to Nick's with a belt letting the blood pass slowly between them. Nick writhed in pain calling Natalie's name. She lay silently in his arms not moving as the agony of the chemical within him continued to try and rip his cells apart. With LaCroix's blood aiding his metabolism, they repaired themselves quick enough to keep him alive. LaCroix drank blood from his private stock continually to keep his own strength up, but the drain was beginning to show. Dark circles shaded his naturally pale skin that now almost appeared gray in color. Nick's color was a darker shade of gray than his master's as he continued his fight. "Stay with us, Nicholas. You must fight the demon within. You must fight the chemical within your blood." A wave of pain washed through LaCroix, bringing him off the chair to his knees. If they hadn't been strapped together the connection would have been broken. His son fought hard to survive, and LaCroix knew the only reason lay beside him. He would not leave her willingly. His love for the woman was the only driving factor keeping him alive. LaCroix did not fool himself into believing anything else. Their blood had been intertwined for over an hour now. Tracy gasped as she entered the room. LaCroix was picking himself off the floor and virtually inhaling the blood in the bottle in his other hand. Tired blue eyes filled with something Tracy had never seen before greeted her. "Tell me you have the drug!" His voice ragged and fatigued as he spoke. She nodded and grabbed the syringe and bottles from Vachon's grasp. Quickly, she filled the syringe to it's max. "I don't know how much to give him." She looked at the pale vampire strapped to Nick and noticed him holding his son's hand. "Just inject it all. I'll know when it helps. Just do it! And do it quickly! He's dying!" Sorrow and regret were plainly visible on his face. Something few people had been privileged to ever see. "Hold him, so he doesn't move." Quickly, she injected it into his wrist that held Natalie and they waited. Not seeing any differences, she refilled the syringe and injected another. After the first bottle was empty, she reached for the second. When she started on the second bottle, cool fingers stopped her. "Wait, he is feeling the effect. It's working!" LaCroix's famous stoic mask was firmly in place when Tracy met his eyes. "We wait now and see if it wears off." He made no effort to remove the strap binding them together, then Natalie moaned softy. LaCroix looked directly at Vachon, then Tracy. "You must leave now, Detective. It would be unsafe for you to be in this room when she awakens." He turned to Vachon. "Make sure she stays downstairs or out of the building." Vachon grabbed Tracy and virtually pulled her out of the room. "Wait!" Tracy grabbed the drug and syringes. Quickly, she filled three of them and handed them to LaCroix. "In case Nick needs them!" She turned then fled from the room. -------- Flashes of burning pain touched her consciousness as she struggled up toward the voices, then they eased to be replaced with a warmth that made her feel treasured and loved like she'd never known. She pushed into it and it enveloped her like a warm blanket and she wanted more. Images touched her mind of her and Nick at his loft, the department picnic, her apartment, in the morgue when he awoke the first time. Fear touched the fringes of her mind until she felt her own hand touch his face and electricity passed between them. The warmth increased and Nick's voice echoed in her mind. "Nat….Natalie….stay with me….come back to me….I love you, Nat….I love you." It was his love pulling her through the deep fog and protecting her. She reached out to it, craved it, and wanted him to know how much she loved him in return. More images of the night he was brought across, fights with LaCroix, images of Janette and their relationship, the pain he'd experienced throughout his life fighting what he was, all became clear vivid images in her mind. The bloodlust, the hunger, the regret, the desire to be forgiven and become one with her. It was both physical and mental and he held nothing back from her and she wanted to share with him. How could she share her love and herself with him? Parts of him were terrified of her leaving, not loving him in return, and hating him for what he had done, but he pushed into their link sharing it all. She wanted more, so she struggled to the voice calling her to consciousness, then small waves of pain washed through their link. Was it his or hers? She couldn't tell, everything was so intensified. It was so fast, but she wanted the warmth back and she knew that it was Nick's love that protected her as she came forth into the red haze. She opened her eyes to see red and feel an intense hunger. Not a simple desire to snack, but a burning to desire to eat or die and it increased with each breath that she took. A bottle was shoved in her hand. "Drink it, Natalie!" It was a command, and she searched for the owner of the voice. It was familiar, yet different. The bottle was pushed to her lips and the scent of the blood overwhelmed her. She drank with fervor and the burning stilled slightly but she wanted more, lots more. Another bottle replaced the one she had, and then another. After the fourth, the warmth that she felt before began to return and the red haze became golden. Her breathing had almost stopped and her heart did not beat, but she could still hear the blood rushing through her veins. Then she saw LaCroix sitting in the chair beside Nick's still form on the bed beside her. "Nick?" Her voice cracked with emotion as she tossed the bottle aside and tried to sit. She almost fell backwards from the momentum. Her reactions and motion were so exaggerated, she couldn't stop. A strong arm kept her from falling off the bed. "Easy, Doctor. You need time to adjust to your new strength and abilities. You don’t need nearly the energy you had before to move. Try everything very slowly." He handed her another bottle and she took it willingly, concentrating on moving her hand much slower this time. "Good! You learn quickly." "Nick? Is he alright?" The golden haze had finally disappeared and everything became clear once again, only sharper than before. She reached to caress Nick's face and feel the texture of his skin beneath her fingertips. She thought his skin felt wonderful before, but now it was like silk beneath her fingers and she wanted desperately to see his blue eyes shining back at her. "Nick…." she whispered his name and then brushed her lips softly to his. When he didn't respond, fear clutched her heart like an iron claw and she sought answers from the only source she knew. "Tell me he's going to be alright…..that this is only temporary." A single blood tear escaped her eye as she waited for LaCroix to respond. "I can't answer that, Doctor." He finally undid the strap between their arms and released his son's hand. "His body has been fighting for survival for almost 24 hours now and I don't know if the drug we gave him will keep it from returning." He looked at the vial on the bedside table with the syringe. Natalie picked up the bottle and read the label. Then she looked puzzled when she returned her gaze to his. "How did you know?" LaCroix nodded his head at Nicholas and the healing wound on his arm where they had been blood connected. "He knew, Doctor, and I'm guessing it's because it was in your blood. My link has been diminished by the constant onslaught of pain from him, and his desire to be with you. I cannot determine his actual condition right now. I'm to weak, just as he is." He reached over and lifted her hand off her lap and place it on Nick's chest. "Only you can tell his condition right now. His bond with you is at it's strongest right now. Relax and push into the warmth that you feel when you think about him. Give into the feeling and let your mind leave your body." Natalie laid down beside him and caressed his face, relaxed, and thought of them together. Within seconds they were connected and the warmth she so craved earlier returned. Nick let her caress him both body and soul. She felt his exhaustion, but the pain had disappeared. He would recover. She opened her eyes and sat up slowly. "The pain is gone and he's exhausted, but okay. His body isn't fighting itself anymore. He's healing slowly. We need to get some blood into him." She rose slowly and looked for her bag. She spotted it on the far corner of the room where Tracy had dropped it earlier when she returned with the drug. Quickly, Nat set up an IV line with a shunt and then looked for a way to get the blood from the bottles into the line. She searched her bag and found an empty blood plasma bag and twisted off the top. She began pouring the blood from the bottle into the bag, then attached it to the IV line. Within seconds the blood flowed effortlessly into Nick's stomach and he responded immediately. "Nat…." He moaned softly and moved. "You have to hold still, Nick. I'm right here." Hands appeared on Nick's shoulders and gently forced him to lie still. Natalie glanced at LaCroix and watched something she'd never seen before wash across his features….love. For the first time since she'd met him, she finally understood. It wasn't domination that forced LaCroix to continually try to manipulate Nick, but love. He loved him without question. There was much to learn about the ancient vampire before her, and the relationship between him and Nick. With the sound of her voice and the touch of her hand, he stilled and let himself fall into the deep healing sleep his body needed. With a sigh of relief, she laid down beside him once more and slept. Part 11 ---------- Tracy sat on the couch before the fire as Vachon added more logs. She jumped involuntarily when LaCroix appeared before them. She grabbed the arm rest tightly when he turned to inspect the noise that had escaped her lips. The anger and evil followed his body as he moved. She could almost feel the rage within him and it took her breath away, yet when he turned to look at her, his face was an unreadable mask. He looked directly at her, but the words were meant for Vachon. She felt like a deer caught in a headlight and she couldn't move. "I must go out for awhile. Nicholas and the Good Doctor are sleeping. They both will recover." He smiled at her reaction, then returned his gaze to Vachon. "They will both need a great deal of blood in the next few days, as will I. Return to the Raven and make arrangements for my entire private stock to be delivered here today." He waited for no acknowledgment and disappeared. Tracy stared at the blank space in front of her and waved her hand through the air to make sure he was gone. "Does he do that often? Jeez! I thought you were fast, but you blink and he's gone." Vachon offered his hand to Tracy and assisted her off the couch. "I'm going over to the Raven and make sure everything is taken care of. I want you to go home and get some rest." He glanced back upstairs with a worried look. "I’ll stay here. Nat's passed the first hunger. She'll stay upstairs with Nick and she wouldn't hurt me. You need me here in case there's a problem." She followed his gaze up the stairwell. "If there's a problem, Trace, you wouldn't be able to help, and you would probably be the next meal. Nat may be past her first hunger, but her tolerance to humans won't be good at all….and Nick may not be in control either. It's too dangerous for you to be here now. Go home! That's not a request." He grabbed her coat and walked her toward the door. "Home! I'll call you if there's a change. I'll only be gone about a half hour." Reluctantly she climbed in the lift and pressed down. "Promise you'll call me. I'm going to the station. I need to cover for Nick and I. I'm sure the Captain is already coming unglued over us both disappearing." ------- Nat awoke to a burning hunger and searched for the bottle. She'd run 2 full bottles into Nick's stomach, then she was overwhelmed with the need to sleep. The changes were happening to rapidly and she was having a hard time coping, but in sleep her bond with Nick increased. The warmth she felt lying next to him made her whole, and for the first time in her whole life, she felt like she was part of something….part of someone…and she liked it. She found the last bottle sitting on the nightstand beside her. LaCroix was gone, and just as well. She was getting such confusing signals from him. Where was the evil creature she’d known for the past several years? Why was he being so kind to her and Nick? He had to be up to something. She was sure it would surface sooner or later….sooner if she knew LaCroix. She drank the blood greedily then sat the bottle down gently. She would not give in to the anxious, excessive energy she felt. The burning sensation slowed but didn't disappear. It wasn't hunger for nourishment, but something else. Her body craved something as it changed, she just didn't know what. She checked Nick and his color had improved. Periodically his heart beat beneath her fingertips. She kissed his soft lips and he moaned her name. It pleased her to know that even in sleep, he wanted her. Without thinking she licked his lips to taste him and found it so pleasing and sensual that she wanted to do it again. This time she kissed him more forcefully and he opened his mouth to hers. She let her tongue trace the inside of his mouth and a burning flame erupted within her. His body began to react to hers and she stretched out beside him and began to caress his chest as she kissed him. The slick feel of the inside of his mouth only made her want to delve more into the sensations that began to run wild through her own body. She could hear the blood rushing through his veins and she wanted to taste that sweet nectar, to feel what he felt when she kissed him, but he wasn't strong enough for that. Her mind knew it, but her body resisted. She stroked him openly with her hands and her lips as the fire inside engulfed her into something almost painful. It wasn't nourishment her body craved but Nick's blood. The blood of a vampire. The joining of both mind and body, but he wasn't strong enough yet. She fought the urges and the burning increased to the point of pain. Disgusted with herself for even considering taking Nick's blood right now, she pushed away from him. "Yes, Doctor…you are correct. Your body craves to join with his." LaCroix stood behind her and watched. Part of him had hoped the new supplies would have arrived by now, but another part, the part that had touched her earlier wanted to taste more of this unique creature. How fitting that he should be the one to teach her the sensual pleasures of being a vampire instead of Nicholas. She turned to meet him and she found her body betraying her mind. She could hear LaCroix's blood coursing through his veins calling to her, beckoning her to his side to complete the circle of blood. Without thinking, she was beside him. His lips found hers and his hands wove a magic spell around her body. He stroked her openly and her body responded to his touch. Her nipples hardened as his fingers rubbed gently through her clothes, then more forcefully. His tongue plunged into her mouth and she wanted more of him. She forced her tongue into his mouth and caressed his fangs. He pulled her hard against him now as his body responded. He released her lips and licked his way down her neck as his hard body caressed her openly making them both groan with pleasure. "Yes, my lovely Natalie. I will teach you the pleasures of the flesh….and the pain you feel will go away." His hard manhood rubbed against her thighs as he ripped open her blouse and bared her flesh to his eyes. She tore open his shirt and pressed her cool flesh against his and the fire burned brighter. Her fangs dropped and she nipped his neck, then licked the blood slowly into her mouth. Lust flooded her mind with the taste of him, and she wanted more. She wanted to feel and be a part of him. A part of the vampire that he was. His lips found hers and he plunged his tongue into her willing mouth and dragged it slowly across her fangs letting his blood flood her senses as he ground his ever growing need into her groin. He wanted her naked and writhing underneath him. He wanted to feel the love she possessed for Nicholas caress him. He wanted to possess a piece of her that Nicholas could never reclaim. He would make her part of him as well as his son, then they neither one would leave him. She sucked the blood from his tongue into her mouth and savored the sensual feel of it, then images of what LaCroix wanted to do danced through her mind. The burning desire to complete the blood circle was growing with each movement of his hand and body. He wanted a part of her, a part she'd promised to share with Nick…then he would have his revenge. It burned brightly in her mind and her body responded to each touch, each kiss, each inciting movement of his body. His blood burned with betrayal, revenge and lust. He would posses her to prove domination over Nicholas and herself. He was the master and they were the children. He would prove it once more and use it to control them both. With every ounce of strength she possessed, she flung herself away from him. He stared at her, stunned, then he stalked her. "You cannot fight me, Natalie. Your body knows what it needs. You see, being a vampire creates two kinds of lust….blood and sensual pleasures. Your body has just discovered that it needs others of it's kind to make you whole again. You need vampire blood to complete the blood circle or you will go insane." He glanced at Nick on the bed, then growled. "Nicholas is in no condition to help you out in this little problem….so I'm offering myself." He smirked. "In the interest of keeping it all within the family, of course." She had backed into the corner fighting her own body's reaction. He now stood in front of her. He grabbed her hand and laid it on his bare chest. "Don’t fight it, Natalie. We shall all be a family, then." Anger flashed in her eyes and they turned instantly red. She pushed him hard with the hand on his chest, sending him flying across the room. He hit the wall hard and she came after him. This time she pressed both her hands on his chest and held him flat against the wall. Her fangs dropped and she growled in rage. Instead of ripping at his throat as she wanted to do, she tossed him back across the room. His own anger now in control, he rebounded quickly. She paid no heed and came after him again. When he reached for her, she kicked him hard in the groin. He doubled over in pain and fell to his knees. She watched him closely, then laughed and knelt down in front of him. "That, LaCroix, is the closest you will ever get to touching me! Was it good for you?" She stood and walked to Nick's bedside and then turned to watch LaCroix slowly get up off the floor. " As far as controlling me….neither you nor Nick will EVER do that! No one is my master!" She returned to Nick's side and fought the pain that burned brighter with the denial of its needs. "I love him and I will not betray him. He's had enough pain in his lifetime. He loved me enough to sacrifice the one thing that meant more to him than anything else because I couldn't live without him." She picked up Nick's hand and held it against her bare chest. "He was willing to die to save me, but I couldn't live without him. He brought me across against his own will because I couldn’t live without him. He loved me enough to sacrifice everything to be with me. I won't betray that love now for lust…not now…not ever." She pulled a stray lock of hair off Nick's face and took a deep breath to calm herself and control the burning pain. "You see…everything has a price….even love." LaCroix walked slowly to the bedside and watched her lovingly caress his son and fight the pain that he knew ravaged her body. She was so strong and he marveled at her control. This was not normal but he could not deny what he saw or felt from this young woman. The vampire did not control her…not even now. He reached into his pocket and removed a small knife. Before she could react he sliced the underside of her arm and Nick's. She hissed and pulled free from his grasp. He stepped back as the blood began to flow from both of them. "Place your arm over his and it will ease the pain, Natalie…until he is capable of making you one with him." He walked toward the door and stopped when he felt her bond join Nicholas’. He would have to settle for enjoying her through his son it would appear. An emptiness he'd never gave into before touched his very core, and he sighed with regret. He turned to see her clasping their arms together. The pure joy that she felt played across her face and surrounded her with a light that he couldn't explained. What his son and this woman shared was beyond his understanding, but he had to accept it now. She felt his eyes on her through Nick. They were all so connected. They could feel each other through Nick. He was their link, and that, she would have to learn to accept. Her blue eyes met his. "Thank you, LaCroix." She whispered the words but knew he could hear. He raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "Nicholas is a lucky man. I envy you both." He started to open the door, then stopped, and turned. "I'm glad the price wasn't to high, Natalie." He watched her closely and they both smiled. Part 12 finale ------- Nick awoke slowly feeling Nat's blood flowing through his veins. She sat in the chair holding their arms pressed together letting their blood mingle with each other as she clutched them both to her bare breasts. He watched in fascination at the beautiful creature before him and he wanted to touch her. He reached out to touch her hand wrapped on top of his, and her eyes sprang wide open. "Nick?" Her voice was like music to his ears, but stress filled him instantly. He pulled her to him, never once losing eye contact and pushed into the link between them. Images of what happened with LaCroix and the fear she harbored for him tore at his heart. He pulled her lips to his and they were both lost. The silky softness of her skin beckoned to him and her need to be with him cried out through their link. He pulled her on top of him and let his body respond to hers as he kissed and caressed her. He was in no shape to make love to her, but the need to be one with each other drove them on. Her fangs dropped and he responded by licking them slowly driving her wild with desire. They were so sensitive and his tongue so sweet. She bit into him and sucked gently. Sweet ambrosia flooded her senses and her body responded immediately. He broke the kiss and offer his neck to her. She hesitated and he pulled her head to his throat. "Love me, Natalie as I love you….now and forever." The feel of her fangs within his flesh made him quiver with pleasure. She sucked gently at first and the rush of sensation within him exploded into sheer lust and then love. She drank deeply as his body began to cry out for it's own satisfaction. Each drop of his blood sent her spiraling with sheer pleasure and she couldn't get enough, but she knew there was more. When his fangs sank into her shoulder, her whole body orgasmed with intense pleasure filled with light and love. He drank deeply and it increased until she screamed his name in release. The blood circle was complete and they were finally whole. He released her and found her lips once more. She moaned into his mouth as he built the need between them again while he let his hands have free roam of her body. Each touch of his fingers sent shivers of electricity through her and she wanted him buried deep within her. She could feel his hard shaft rubbing against her thighs and wondered at the feel of him. How could anything feel any better than what they just shared, but her body wanted to know. They ripped each others clothes off, then she slid her naked body over his to find out. ------------- Tracy sat quietly reading the book in front of her as they both slept in each others arms. It had been 2 days since she seen Nick and Nat, and she had to know they were both alright. Vachon slept downstairs on the couch, and she's slipped into the room only an hour ago. Vachon said Natalie had incredible control and he wasn't worried any more. Nick's strength was slowly returning but she had to see for herself. When she looked up, Nick's bright blue eyes sat watching her. "Nick?" She whispered. He smiled, then shifted Natalie into a little better position for both of them. "Is she alright?" Her eyes watched Nat closely as he covered her up. Nick ran his hands through Nat's hair and cuddled her closer to him without thinking about what he was doing. They'd spent 2 days loving, healing, and learning about what pleased each other. She had no regrets and hated the fact that he did. It would take time for both of them but they had eternity now. Then he thought about what Tracy asked. "I honestly don't know, Trace. This wasn't what we planned, it wasn't what we either one wanted, but we're both alive. Well, at least we're not…." He struggled for the right word. "Ready for the grave?" Tracy smiled at his discomfort. "Yeah! Ready for the grave." His eyes turned sad and it tore at Tracy's heart. "It's okay, Nick. I forgive you for not telling me you're a vampire." She tried to lighten him up, even though she knew that wasn't was caused the pain in his eyes. He chuckled softly while he continued to pet Natalie as she slept in his arms. "I'd almost forgotten that. You're not caring any sharp sticks with you, are you?" He tried to look behind her. "No, but I can remedy that if you like." "I think I've seen enough of those for awhile." He glanced around the room, then closed his eyes to concentrate on his link with his father. "Where's LaCroix, Trace?" "He had something else to take care of. He left early this morning. I think it had to do with Schaumburg. They found the two dead bodies in the warehouse and Schaumburg was caught trying to cross the border by car. They flew him back up here about midnight last night. He was released on bail around 4 a.m. I don't think our little rich friend will ever make trial." There was no remorse in her voice, nor denial that she knew what was happening. "Trace, that's not the answer. Revenge only feeds the evil within us. Don't let yourself be conned into the idea that it is justice….It's not." Nick's eyes were so sad. He pulled Natalie closer for comfort without even thinking. "I saw what he did to you, Nick….and the others. If he hadn't been searching for immortality, none of this would have happened. You and Nat almost died. How can you forgive someone for that? How can you say it's not justice but revenge when…." Nick reached over and stopped her. "I've learned a great deal over the past 800 years but until 2 days ago, I didn’t understand what really living was. I've spent most of my life believing that vampires were immortal and the price for that was the evil they carried with them. I was wrong, Trace. Vampires don't have to be evil and they don't live forever. Only love is immortal….and even that has a price." Sad blue eyes met hers and then he smiled. "No one lives forever….but if you love someone enough everything else becomes inconsequential and that love will never die." He caressed Natalie openly and ran his fingers through her auburn hair. "Without Schaumburg and his little quest, Natalie and I would have probably never risked what we did, but we have a chance now. A chance at something we both want." He kissed the top of her head and then looked back to his partner. "A life together and an eternity to love each other. I have no regrets now and neither does she. I don't have any need for revenge, just gratitude." Tracy sighed then smiled. "Okay, partner, I concede." She put up the book and headed for the door. "I suppose you'll be taking some time off to get some rest." She looked at Nat's naked shoulder peeking out from under the sheet and Nick's bare chest, then smiled broadly. "You think 2 weeks bed rest will give you enough time to get your energy back, or should I tell the Captain you need a month? By the way, I had better be invited to the wedding!" Nick tossed the pillow across the room as her laughter echoed down the hall. The End The Price of Love All comments to: StormyNite**nitewind@www.plantnet.com** **NN Packer to the End ** Hopelessly Hopeful Romantic** **Light Cousin***MadNatter*** X-File DieHard***Xenite**GWDFC** ******Only Love is Forever and Death Shall Have No Dominion******* >http://www.geocities.com/Area51/2012 FK SciFi Window >http://www.geocities.com/Area51/2012/Fiction.html StormyNite Fiction >http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/7035 Stormy's Gerthering Pics