The song is "Sail Me Away" - music by Elton John & Lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is from the musical "Lestat" and sung by the exquisite Hugh Panaro. If you want to hear the song, I will be more than willing to upload a copy for you to hear. It really is beautiful. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, or the song. I am just borrowing them for a li'l bit. Permission is given to archive on the ftp site and fkfanfic2. It will be posted on my own site. Questions, comments, tickets to the revival of Les Miz can be sent to nicholas_debrabant1228@yahoo.com Flames will be used to torch the executive offices of Mercury Records for not releasing the Cast Recording. The story begins right at the end of Dark Knight II. Sail Me Away 01/01 by Amanda Berendt Copyright September 2006 Lacroix fought the pain as he willed his broken body away from the loft. He thanked the gods the door had been metal, thus not allowing the flaming stake to pin him. In his rush to attack him, Nicholas had not aimed true. The stake had not fully pierced his heart. It was still a very grave injury, but not life threatening for one as powerful has he. Sensing the coming dawn, which in this weakened state would surely mean death, he needed to find shelter. He was not strong enough to reach his home and he would not go to the Raven. He would not allow the community to see him in such a position. Finally deciding to seek shelter in one of the nearby abandoned warehouses, he easily found a secure place in an underground storage area. He settled himself the best he could on the dusty ground, careful not to disturb the stake, and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, the pain was not as bad as it had been that morning. The blessed curing actions of a vampire's sleep. Lacroix stood and grunted with pain as the stake bumped against the wall. He needed to feed desperately. And then he needed to leave the city. Before he even left his hiding place, he easily found two victims. Vagrants who had, like himself, sought shelter in the abandoned warehouse. With this added bit of strength, he was able to pull the stake from his chest. The pain was excruciating, but ebbed as soon as the wood left his body. Examining the wound, he found that it would heal, but not quickly. He pulled his coat tightly around him and made his way outside. Stepping out into the darkness, he looked up at the clear sky. The stars gazed coldly back at him. What mockery, he thought. * When stars are born Are they cast out To wander cold and lonely lost in space A loveless point of light That can't return Forever fixed within one place * Lacroix stopped briefly at Nicholas' loft. There were no lights on. His son had probably gone to work, or at the very least was staying elsewhere. The fire had done quite a bit of damage to the apartment. At the thought of what had happened the previous night, the ancient vampire flinched. Perhaps the wound in his chest would heal in time, but what of the wound in his heart? * When love is lost and dreams are cast Like bruised and battered pieces left to die When hands that reach out are betrayed How can my tortured soul survive? * A mere twenty-four hours later found him standing on the docks of the city, preparing to board a ship. It still amazed him what money could accomplish. Yes, it would have been easier and faster to book a flight, but he needed time. And he also needed the privacy ocean travel still afforded. Before stepping onto the gangplank, he looked out over the glittering skyline. Cloaking himself, he reached out to find Nicholas. His son thought him dead. Foolish boy. The independence Nicholas believes he has gained, has only put him in more danger from the community. * There's only one thing left And that's the one thing that you needed most of all But the freedom that you gained Is the loss that led you aimless to the shore * Lacroix stayed below deck in his cabin until the ship reached the open ocean. He had arranged for a sufficient amount of stock to be placed in his cabin. In these current times, it was noticed if a passenger went missing on an ocean liner. He stood on deck as the ship left the St Lawrence and turned south towards New York where it would meet up with the QE2. The cold spray from the waves coated the railings. The North Atlantic was not a gentle sea...the rough seas and frigid waters and taken many lives over the years. Gazing out towards the horizon, his emotions were as torrid as the churning waters below. His relationship with Nicholas had been difficult, to say the least, from the beginning. But he had truly not expected this. He had finally pushed his son too far, and the younger vampire had finally pushed back. * And I'm borne high on these waves Swept by the wind and alone Sail me away, carry me back to my home I'm tired, I've been torn A cruel wretched storm churns like a gale in my bones Oh, sail me away Carry me back to my home * Several days later, Lacroix stood in his cabin aboard the QE2. The liner would soon arrive in Southampton and from there he would make his way to the continent. He stared at his reflection in the full length mirror. The wound in his chest was healing. It was still open and bled freely when he fed, but it was healing. It was the deeper scars that would perhaps never heal. Would he ever be able to face Nicholas again? Or was their bond, such as it was, forever severed. Lacroix thought back over the years. His tortuous attempts to bring Nicholas back into the fold. It had been his own arrogance that had brought each one on. It was his own vanity that would never let Nicholas leave. Finally, it had been his own fault that Nicholas had risen against him. He had failed to see the warnings, failed to see the pain he had inflicted. Now he was paying the price. * These scars run deep The future holds a hunger for an innocence that passed away My callous shadows mock And make it clear some things were not enough to make you stay The moment time stands still Is the moment that the writing's on the wall The words are clear as ringing bells That pride is present right before the fall * It was the final night at sea. Tomorrow the ship would dock at Southampton. It had been nearly two weeks since that fateful night. Lacroix stood in his usually place on the bow, looking out at the horizon. The shock of the event was beginning to wear off and he could feel other emotions coming to the fore. Sadness for loss of the fragile relationship with Nicholas, confusion over how he had let this happen and, of course, anger. The anger would always be pushed away. Now was not the time for revenge. Now was the time for reflection and healing. He needed to regain his strength and that would take time. And time was something he had plenty of. * And I'm borne high on these waves Swept by the wind and alone Oh sail me away Carry me back to my home I'm tired, I've been torn A cruel wretched storm churns like a gale in my bones Oh sail me away Carry me back to my home * ~Fin~ Questions, comments, etc, can be sent to nicholas_debrabant1228@yahoo.com "Life after life, you won't need flowers on your grave You won't need prayers, you have no mortal soul to save." --- Dracula the Musical http://www.darksideoftheglass.com