Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 22:20:45 -0500 From: Christina Wadsworth Subject: Choices 01/04 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu Choices, part 01 of 04 Disclaimers: These FK characters don't belong to me, they belong to TPTB at Sony/Tristar. I'm just bringing them out to play with those who love them. I promise to return them in good condition, if a little tired. No copyright infringement intended. Thanx to Kusine (henceforth referred to as Jessica Rabbit), Patt, and Glennis for their use. All other names have been changed to protect the guilty. This is the posting of a series that proved quite popular on NA, but had to move for technical reasons. This is the re-post of what was already on NA. Since the move, these guys are in no way confined to LaCroix, so everyone will get to see their fave characters. Even Screed and Vachon, who come up later. Permission to archive at fanfic page. Tasha looked up at the ceiling of the Loft, trying to think. She absently ran her right hand over the back of Nick's soft, leather couch while draining one of his bottles which was upended in her left. She prayed that the blood would clear her tormented mind. She paused, rolling the alternative moo- juice around her mouth before swallowing. It reminded her of cold steak tartare, just without the solid meat. She let her gaze drift over to the window. Faint glimmers of morning tried and failed to sneak past the industrial-strength slats. As she raised the bottle to her lips once more, she paused in mid-motion, turning it so she could better see it. Green glass perfection entrapped the reddish-brown liquid inside. Thick, liquid, cold from the fridge, yet vital to life as she was about to know it. Blood. Cow blood, to be sure, but blood nonetheless. She set the bottle on the floor, then collapsed back onto the couch. She raised up her long-fingered hands to bury her face in them. "Oh, Anat," she thought to herself, "What have I done?" Nicholas Knight leaned over the upstairs railing and studied his new 'sister'. God, but she looked like Nat. Tasha had Natalie's chestnut hair, her high cheekbones and narrow chin, even the same eyes. In her attitude and mannerisms, though, she reminded Nick of himself. Tasha had Nick's sense of humour, Nick's dry wit, his taste in movies, his moodiness, even his dress sense. Nick's anger flared momentarily, then subsided, replaced by sorrow. "She should have been our daughter," Nick thought bitterly, "Mine and Nat's." As it stood now, Tasha was his 'sister by darkness', while also being his lover's niece. One corner of his mouth tugged up in a wry smile as he wondered what Sigmund would have made of that. Tasha, sensing her new sibling, looked up at the 800-year-old vampire. She locked eyes with him and saw the concern etched in his cornflower orbs. She expanded her gaze to take in more of him. His floppy blond hair was uncombed. A stray lock fell unnoticed between his eyes, the blue pools that had seen such terrible sadness, yet knew such great joy. She noticed that his black silken robe was rumpled and his feet were bare. "Did I wake you?" she asked. "You should be sleeping. How are you feeling?" Nick asked as he walked down the steps and toward her. "Rather deadish," Tasha replied with a wan smile as Nick stood behind the couch. Nick reached over the couch and tousled her close-cropped hair. "I just wish it hadn't happened that way." Tasha looked up at him again with resignation in her eyes. "Yeah, well, it did." she said softly. "It's my own smegging fault. I shouldn't have let Ms. Bunnycakes keep me there for so long. But, man, what a party." she breathed, shaking her head once. "How will we tell your aunt?" worried Nick. "Leave Anat to me." "Anat? The goddess?" "It started as a corruption of Aunt Nat. I've always thought of her as a goddess. She never seemed to mind, so it stuck." "Goddess? Of what?" "The dead." Tasha picked up the bottle, dropped her fangs, and flicked her eyes to gold. "Or, rather, the Undead." She took a swig from the bottle. Her eyes faded to their normal hue and began to fill with red. Large, wet tears fell silently down her pallid cheeks. With vampiric speed, Nick was on the couch. He opened his arms, silently offering comfort. He watched her debate, then accept his offer. He closed his arms tightly around her as she soundlessly sobbed into his shoulder. **************************************************************** ****** Christina socrates@ncn.net Disclaimers See part one. Thanx to Mids and Nora for more characters. All speaking bits get rewarded in my next story. Permission to archive on fanfic page. Choices, Pt. 2 The door to the Loft slid open and Natalie Lambert walked inside. She noticed her immortal lover cradling her sobbing niece, and knew there had to be something VERY wrong for Tash to break down in front of him. Nick spied Nat and raised a finger to his lips in a plea for silence. Natalie crossed over to the couch, worry plain in her eyes. "What's wrong?" she mouthed. Nick held up his hand, asking her patience. "Tasha, Nat's home." he whispered. Tasha sat up and scooted over to the other end of the couch. She wiped away the bloodtears with the sleeve of her black sweatshirt, praying that no stains showed. Natalie sat down beside her niece. "Tasha, what's wrong? You can tell me. Come on, tell Anat. I can have Nick hurt whomever it was that hurt you." she offered. "Nat!" chided Nick. "Sorry," she mouthed. "No," Tasha said softly. She stood up, walked directly in front of her aunt, and looked at her. She nervously glanced at Nick. He nodded, and Nat looked from one to the other. "Nick, Tash, what's going on?" she inquired hesitantly. "Anat, there's been an accident." stated Tasha. "To whom, Schanke?" "No, me." "Oh. What kind of accident? You seem physically fine to me." Tasha closed her eyes. Tears began to fall from them. When she opened them, they were bright gold. "Anat, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I was so scared." Natalie got a good look at Tasha's fangs as she spoke. "Nicholas, de Brabant, what the hell have you done to my niece?" Nat began it softly, but ended up shouting. "It wasn't my fault, Nat." Nick informed her. Nat began to shake. The embrace that Tasha had just broken away from was now being applied to Nat. Nat shook violently with sobs, then went slack. The pressure of the past few days had finally caught up with her. She passed out, grateful for the unconsciousness. Nick laid her onto the couch. "Tash, go get me a cold compress. See if there's an icepack in the freezer. She feels too warm." Nick eased off her shoes and undid the top two buttons of her high-neck blouse to give her room to breathe. Tasha came back from the kitchen with an icepack wrapped in a towel. She watched Nick lay it on Nat's forehead. "Tash, go turn on the radio. Maybe he'll have something for you instead of his usual me-bashing." Tasha hit the correct button on his huge remote, and flipped on the stereo. "Good evening, gentle listeners." His voice was low and melodious, with that special lilt that made all his monologues so personal to everyone who listened. "The subject for tonight is new beginnings. The discarding of the old, the commencing of the new. This is the beginning of the Roman new year. Now is the time to evaluate your lives, my children, and decide where you want to go from here. Would you like to travel to Paris? Maybe London is more your cup of Earl Grey. Rome has always been a favorite of mine. Maybe all the farther you need to go is the little restaurant on Queen street called the Jeweled Peach. I hear the Tiramisu is extraordinary. And the regulars *really* know how to party. My point is, enjoy what you can, while you can, for nothing lasts forever. As sure as Caesar was brutally murdered that fated March 15, everything ends. Or does it? What is your opinion, faithful listener? Do give me a call at 555-CERK and share your opinion with me." Disclaimers See part one Permission to archive on fanfic page. Choices Part 3 Back at the loft, Nick punched the 'off' button for the stereo. "Cretin. Can't go one night without a taunt." Natalie groaned as she began to come around. "Natasha Fleur Lambert, start explaining right now!" "Fleur....?" intoned Nick. "Not now, Nick! Tasha!!" Tasha kneeled down beside her aunt. "Well, it all started when I went to the Peach with Glennis and Jessica Rabbit for a party. It was getting really heavy. I was sent to find Patt. She was chasing a Mountie through the undertunnels of the Peach, when I met up with Him. LaCroix. He seemed nice enough. I just didn't realise what he meant when he said he was looking for some five-star cuisine. I thought maybe he had gotten lost on the way to the dining room. Guess not. He offered me eternity. I was so scared of dying, that I took it. Patt came out later that night. Her Mountie had gotten away." "Oh, if I had a good stake . . ." "No, Anat!" cried Tasha. "I don't know if I'll accept his offer, but please, don't kill him! You've been under a lot of strain, what with your friend taking her life, but please, don't go ending yours, or anyone else's." she pleaded. "Okay, so my niece is a vampire. Now what?" "Now, I have to go to the Peach to finish this. You have a choice to make too. It's like this: Nick loves you. He wants to be with you. You want him, too. Work it out. It IS possible tonight. I'll see you later. Vista la Hasta, great guardians of the coconut!" She loved quoting from her favourite book, even if it made little sense. She left. "Nick . . .?" "Well, Nat, It's like this:--" ************************************************************* Christina socrates@ncn.net Disclaimers: See part one. Thanx to everyone who let me use them, your big scene is now. Permission to archive on fanfic page. Choices Part 4 Tasha arrived at the Jeweled Peach. She looked like a normal 17-year- old teen, what with her baggy black sweatshirt, black jeans, sneakers, and ever- present backpack. She took a deep breath and walked in. The first thing Tasha saw was Patt sitting alone at a table, intently watching another table full of Mounties across the room. She slowly spooned Tiramisu into her mouth as she stared. Tasha walked over to her. Patt looked up momentarily, then back at the Mounties. She grunted a hello. "They all in the back?" asked Tasha. Patt grunted affirmatively. Tasha smiled as a wicked idea fermented around in her mind. She walked over to the Mounties' table and whammied each and every one of them into dancing with Patt. Tasha made sure they would take turns, of course, but she knew it would make Patt happy nonetheless. Patt gurgled her thanks as Mountie 1 of 15 took her past Tasha to the dance floor for his turn. Tasha smiled again and walked to the back room. She sped through the door with vampiric speed, assuring that nobody would see her. She found her way to the Tapestries, and seated herself in front of the one of Lucius in Repose and lost herself in her thoughts. She heard Jessica Rabbit, Glennis, and Jesse come into the room. "Tash!" they cried. They mobbed her and squished her hard enough to make a human ack. "Squish harder, guys! She's not squawking!" urged Glennis. Then the High Priestess walked in. "Un-squish her this minute." she commanded. "You cannot make a vampire ack." "Oh, yes, we can!" the trio chorused. They dashed out, and returned dragging a protesting Libby, who reluctantly pulled out her photo of Screed in Speedoes. "ACK!!!" cried Tasha. "See?" they demanded. "Sods, all of you!!! I'm trying to get into a mood, and you all are making me laugh! It's not fair!" "A mood for what?" asked Glennis. "The confrontation." "Confrontation?" the mortals repeated in confusion. "Yes." Every mortal female's eye in the room glazed over at the sound of that voice. The HP hit the 'Nunkies Alert' button, which caused a dozen or so helpless Addicts to come scampering into the room to throw themselves at his feet. "So it has come to this, Father." Tasha intoned. "Yes, it has. If you weren't as stubborn as Nicholas, this would be much easier." "Easier?" "You see, dear one, you must make a choice. Will you go out alone, on your own and be killed by some hunter, or will you come with me, with us, and start your new life of learning?" "Us? What about Anat?" Tasha was beginning to become confused. Nick and Natalie landed behind LaCroix. "Come with us, Tasha. Come and live with us. Your father, your brother . . . and me." offered Nat. "Anat? What have they done to you?" "He has made me. He has saved me. Now Nick and I need never to be apart. Join us, Natasha. Join your family. I saved Nick from the stake because I could not bear to see you both dead. Undead. Whatever. Natasha . . ." Sensing her hesitation, LaCroix called several Addicts by name. " Kusine! Mids! Kate! Jesse! Glennis!" They jumped up as their names were called. LaCroix beckoned for them all to come closer. They did, stumbling over other prostrated Addicts and falling against his rock-hard musculature. "I believe she needs a little . . . persuasion. Help her to see the way." he whispered breathily. "You will all be greatly rewarded." Every one of them grabbed onto a handy bit of Tasha and propelled her backwards. "What, are you crazy?" asked Kate. "Go with him. He loves you." urged Kusine. "Can he love?" inquired Tash. "YES!!!!" they shouted. Nora, having just stepped over from a private whisper with Lucien, said "Look. He wouldn't have made you if he didn't care. Trust me. The rewards far outweigh the consequences. He will keep you safe." "Really?" asked Tasha. "Yes," the others answered dreamily, all thinking of the rewards that their Nunkies would bestow upon them if they pulled this off. Tasha moved once more to stand in front of LaCroix. "I will go with you. I cannot abandon my family. I will learn much?" she asked. "Very much. Nicholas, see that she is cleaned, dressed, and delivered to the Raven in precisely one hour. The sooner we begin her . . . education the better." Tasha was uncertain what to make of this. "Wait a minute . . ." ********************************************************** Christina socrates@ncn.net