Date: Sat, 2 Sep 1995 23:22:38 -0500 From: Julie Randolph Subject: City of Lights (One of One) **Remember a loooooong (well not that long) time ago when Susan gave us the challenge to write a cliffhanger for the second season, leading us into the new season? Sure you do. So I did. I just want it to go down on the record that it was Susan herself who stated that we did not necessairly have to write an ending to this cliffhanger. I'm hoping this won't be very long. Shouldn't be...doesn't take long to make people wish they hadn't read it at all. HHEE!! JCR City of Lights Julie Randolph A blonde head popped up from behind the bar, triumphantly waving a bottle of what looked like glow-in-the-dark green slime. "Hefuss...yous guys, slokes wfrunt I frnud." Nick had been slowly, but steadily draining the last of the blood that Janette kept heavily in stock all night long, and now he was completely and utterly plowed. The "others" in the group, mostly the usuals, Miklos, Alma, Schanke (to everyone's genuine surprise a very drunk, but happy and dancing Amanda Cohen) Nat, who was freverently trying to keep Nick from breathing on her while they danced (well, she had been dancing, he was leaning), and LaCroix. Generally, LaCroix's arrival at any kind of party function was not expected, but this time it would have seemed strange had he not been there. He maintained his usual decorum as he calmly watched Nick climb back over the bar and fall onto the floor with a loud "umph." He did not laugh, his eyes, on the contrary were tinged with sorrow, even with the laughter that whirled around him. Of course, he could not blame Nicholas for wanting to wash his troubles away since Janette had announced that she was selling the Raven and going back to her city of lights. He almost moved forward as Nick uncorked the bottle of Chartreuse he had managed to find and then stopped himself. Let him get drunk, let him forget his worries, no doubt the alcohol would make his incredibally sick, but not for a while and at least for a moment, Nick could forget his loss. Nick laughed loudly in Nat's ear and she winced, trying to place him gently on a bar stool, which he promptly fell off. The bottle of green, glowing Chartreuse did not touch the floor, it never wavered in his iron grasp, as if somewhere in his muddeled mind he knew that this was the only thing that kept him from facing the inevitable pain that she was going to leave him. He took a long drink, his glazed and drunken blue eyes taking on that green glow that only Chartreuse could cause. He set the bottle down and waved to Miklos who was having enough trouble prying a young vampire femal off of the front of his shirt. "Yes, what is it Detective Knight?" "Ifm neesth a bfr." "Excuse me?" Miklos never doubted his hearing, but he had absolutely no idea what Nick was asking for. If it was blood, it was too late, he had pretty much dranken it all, and what was left had to go with Janette on her trip. Nick's voice got louder, as if somehow his drunken words would make more sense if they had a bit more volume. "IFM NEESTH A BFR!!!" "It's all gone, Nick. Why don't you go lie down." The blonde head shook violently back and forth until he had to grasp the edge of the bar, the world went spinning, and Nick began laughing hysterically. he grabbed miklos by the collar and basically screamed in his face. "No! no! A BFR...A BFR!!!" "A BEER???" "Jyesss." Nick looked tired frmo the exchange, sat back on the stool and fell over again, greeting the floor, which at this point was a very close friend. Miklos look skeptical, his eyes wandered over to LaCroix who simply nodded and looked away. Miklos shrugged, who was he to say what an 800 year old man could or could not drink? He looked over the bar where Nick was slowly pulling hiself back to eye height with the edge,"Do you want bottle or draft." Nick actually stopped, his brain so muddeled it could not assimilate the words, so he spit out the only thing he could think of in that condition. "BUD!" Miklos sighed and poured him a drink setting it on the bar, figuring that if he actually managed to stand long enough to drink it, he'd probably be okay. Nick finally managed to sit up, he took the bottle of Chartreuse, poured enough into his mouth to drown a goat and then drank the beer with it, the combination was obviously revolting because he gagged and the started laughing again and hazily made his way over to Natalie, who had just about had enough of one drunken vampire for the evening. Nick stopped in mid-stride, his body began to shake violently, his hands grasepd for his head, trying desperately to claw out the creature that was inside trying to eat its way out. He fell to his knees, LaCroix instantly at his side. From somewhere in the distance he heard someone yell,"Damn head rush from hell huh Knight," from deep within his throat, Detective Knight growled, the green glow in his eyes turned toward the voice, he moved forward, until a hand stopped him,"Nicholas." "BACK OFF." LaCroix started to make some smart retort when he looked into his sons eyes. They were fire and ice, filled with hatred and rage, pain, anger and sorrow, as if 800 years of denying what he was had come raging into his body at that moment. LaCroix knew it was the alcohol, but he had not been paying attention and he did not know how much Nicholas had drunk, or what exactly he had had. "We have to get out of here." It was strength beyond anything that LaCroix had ever seen. Nick ripped out of his grasp and ran at full speed for the officer who had just made the biting comment moments before. He slammed into him with the speen of an oncoming train, snapping his neck, killing him instantly. Nat looked up from where she had been sitting,"Nick?" Nick turned, looking into her eyes, into her mind and into her soul. He saw the love there, he felt it, and he didn't care. He turned away from the party, drained the dead man he was hondling in his hands and with blood dripping from fangs and the eyes of an animal, sent a message out with his mind. A telepathic skill that no one had realized he possessed, or perhaps he didn't, perhaps it was the animal that now consumed him that had the power. All they heard as it smashed through a nearby window was,"Don't come near me. I NEVER WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU AGAIN!" ***************************************************************** ************* spams, letters of reference, definitions of "irony", hate-mail, and any attempts to make me finish this cliffhanger before Stptember 17th to randolph@tenet.edu (Oh and you can throw in "Sheesh, your in a crappy mood.") When it comes right down to it, I still win--LaCroix ***************************************************************** *************