This story is part of my "Laurene" series and follows "Smiles of Fortune."  

As with all other stories in this series, this is 

a Nick & Nat story.  LaCroix *does* figure strongly in this one.


Rating: PG/PG13 -- story contains the aftermath of abuse for a 

young child.  Some mild swearing, clinical physical descriptions.


I give permission for this story to be archived at

WWW.FKFANFIC.COM, the FTP site and the N&NPack fiction page.

All others, please ask.


DISCLAIMER:  The characters of Nick and Co. are not mine.  They

were created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and are owned by

Sony/TriStar.  No copyright infringement was intended.  This

alternate universe and the characters Laurene, Krissy, Kayla and

Jeremy are my creations.  Please ask permission before playing 

with them.


I would like to thank Vickie Sykes for her kind permission in 

allowing me to immortalize her son in this story by

appropriating his name.  She's a real gem of a friend.  I would

also like to thank Mary Lou Manzie who insisted that one of the

twins *should* have been a boy, which led to the creation of

little Jeremy.  {{{Hugs}}} to you both!


Finally, I would like to thank my intrepid beta readers; 

Heather-Anne Gillis, Lynn Messing, Beth Gardner, and Carla

Martinek.  Thank you all for the help, guidance, and support!




Fortune's Favor -- Part 1 of 10

by Nancy Taylor

(c) November, 1998


     "Nicholas...."  The voice was familiar, calling him forward.

"Nicholas!  Come to me...."

     Nick paused in his wanderings through the darkness of the

labyrinthian hallways.  Cocking his head to one side, he strained

to hear the voice that echoed inside his mind.

     "Nicholas...."  The voice called to him hauntingly, taunting

him, drawing him onward.  With one hand gliding against the cold

stone wall to guide him, Nick continued on toward the beckoning

voice.  After weaving his way slowly through the passages, he

found himself standing in the doorway of a cavernous room.

     Bathed in an eerie blue glow in the center of the room

stood LaCroix, a half-naked young woman dangling from his arms.

Enthralled by her chestnut curls and wide blue eyes, Nick took a

cautious step forward and paused.  The siren sound of a beating

heart fluttering beneath her creamy breasts and the sweet scent

of honey-and-wine-laced blood drew him forward.

     "Very good, Nicholas," LaCroix crooned quietly.  "I knew

you would find us.  Come.  Here is your reward."  He lifted the

young woman higher, tempting Nick to drink.

     Nick was drawn in, resisting, yet unable to resist.  He

stood within inches of his master.  Reaching up, he cupped a

velvet-soft breast, feeling the warmth radiating from the woman's

body.  Like a man dying of thirst in the desert who sees an

oasis before him, Nick stared at the pulsing of the vein in her

neck.  The blood called to him.

     Eyes golden, fangs bared, Nick threw back his head and

struck, sinking his needle-sharp teeth into the soft, silken

flesh of her neck.  Blood flowed down his throat like nectar.

He continued to drink, past the point of any return for the

young woman.  He could hear her heartbeat slowing...slowing,

and finally stopping.

     Nick took a step backward, blood dribbling from the corner

of his lips to stain his chin, and looked at his master in

horror.  In LaCroix's arms lay the body of his one true love....


     Nick awoke with a start, a sheen of red-tinged sweat

covering his brow.  Wiping the moisture away with one hand, he

swung his legs off the edge of the bed and sat up slowly.

Slipping into his robe and padding barefoot into the kitchen, he

retrieved an unlabeled green bottle from the back recesses of

the refrigerator.  Uncorking the container, Nick placed his lips

tentatively to the opening.  After a brief pause, he upended the

bottle and drank hungrily from the contents.

     Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Nick put the

empty bottle on the counter and sat heavily in the nearest chair.

Elbows on the table, he leaned his head in his hands, rubbing his

brow and wallowing in the guilt he had been feeling more and more

lately.  

     This was not his first nightmare.  Since the birth of Krissy

and Kayla, these dreams had come with increasing frequency and

intensity.  Always there was LaCroix.  Always Nick fed, however

reluctantly, from the lovely mortals his master offered him.  He

was finding the offerings harder and harder to resist.

     'This isn't real!' Nick shouted to himself.  'They are only

dreams!'  Dreams that haunted his waking hours nearly as

frequently as his sleep.  Dreams that had brought back the

bloodlust with a vengeance.  Rising, Nick disposed of the bottle

in the trash with a savage throw that shattered the glass within

the container.

     Sweeping out of the kitchen, Nick headed for the bathroom.

He turned the shower on hard and hot.  Stripping, he walked into

the prickling needles of water, trying to wash away all traces

of the blood he had just consumed--washing away the blood sweat,

while blood tears coursed down his cheeks, mingling with the

steaming water which streamed down the drain at his feet.


     "What are you doing up so early?" Natalie greeted Nick as

he emerged from the shower.  

     Nick froze, like a deer caught in the headlights of an

oncoming vehicle.  The reaction was not lost on Natalie, who

walked over to him and gently caressed Nick's face with her

hand.  "It's those dreams again, isn't it?" she asked gently.

     A cloud passed over Nick's eyes and his countenance

darkened.  "I don't want to talk about it," he growled softly.

Reaching up to cover Natalie's warm hand with his cooler one,

Nick changed the subject.  "And just what were *you* up to

before you decided to barge in on my shower?"  His crooked grin

did nothing to cover up the agitation that Natalie could still

see lingering in his eyes.

     "I just came from nursing Krissy and Kayla," Natalie

answered.  She continued to search the blue depths of Nick's

eyes, looking for answers to questions left unvoiced.  "I heard

you come downstairs, but couldn't get away before now."

     "I'm okay, Nat," Nick tried unsuccessfully to reassure her.

"They're only dreams...."

     "I'm not so sure," Natalie mused, letting her hand slip

from his face and trail down his damp chest, coming to rest on

the towel he had wrapped around his waist.  Nick flinched

slightly at her touch and backed up a step.  Just then one of

the twins let out a wail, followed closely by her sister.

Natalie sighed and began to turn away from Nick.

     "Wait, Nat."  Nick stopped his wife with a hand placed

softly upon her shoulder.  All too aware of Natalie's exhaustion

since the birth of the twins, he turned her around and gathered

her in his arms.  Looking into her tired face, her eyes ringed

with purple circles of fatigue, he made his offering.  "Let me

take care of them, Nat.  You go and take a nap."

     "Are you sure?" Natalie asked, grateful for the offer.

     "I've never been more sure," Nick answered her, kissing her

on the forehead before releasing her.  Wrapping his robe

securely, he winked at Natalie as he slipped from the room.

With a weary smile, Natalie made her way to their bedroom for a

much-needed nap.


     Nick entered the nursery to the song of two wailing infants.

He marveled at Laurene's ability to sleep through the squall,

considering that her bedroom was right across the hallway.

     His sensitive nose led him to Kayla, who was most in need of

a fresh diaper.  She had done a little job in hers, while Krissy

was merely wet.

     Nick made short work of the diaper changes and sat in the

rocker with an infant cradled in each arm.  The warm bundles

looked adoringly up at their father, twin smiles gracing tiny

rosebud mouths.

     Nick smiled back, his own troubles temporarily forgotten in

the glow of love he felt radiating from his two tiny daughters.

"How about a story?" Nick asked.  Krissy gurgled happily, while

Kayla spit a noisy 'raspberry' with the drool that ran down her

small chin.

     With a chuckle, Nick started one of his favorite pastimes,

storytelling.  "Once upon a very, very long time ago, in a place

far away from here, when daddy was just a little boy...."  Nick

spun his tale of childhood for a good half-hour, rocking and

talking until, glancing down, he noticed the twins had fallen

asleep.

     Rising carefully so as not to wake them, Nick walked over

to the matching cribs and laid the babies to rest.  He returned

to the rocker and sat, listening to the rapid pit-a-pat of

beating hearts.  Nick had made a routine of listening in while

the twins slept.  He had never voiced his secret fear to

Natalie....

     Too many times over the centuries Nick had seen babies die

mysteriously, of no apparent cause.  It had happened even in his

own family, to an infant sister when he was but a boy.  Now the

doctors called it SIDS--Sudden Infant Death Syndrome--and it

haunted his days and nights with its specter.  Nick would not

rest easily until Krissy and Kayla were beyond the age of one

year.

     As he listened to the dual beating of the twin hearts, sleep

overtook Nick.  His head rested awkwardly against the back of the

rocker as he slumped in the chair.  An hour later Natalie found

him there, snoring softly.  She took a blanket from the shelf and

tucked it around her sleeping husband, a loving smile tugging at

the corners of her lips.  He looked so young and childlike in

sleep.  It was hard for her to imagine his innocence slipping

away.

     'Innocence?'  Natalie wondered to herself.  Where had that

thought come from?  Nick hadn't been 'innocent,' in many ways,

for centuries.  Natalie reflected on the progress Nick had been

making over the past couple of years--progress toward his coveted

mortality.  The road had been slow and arduous, but he had been

making measurable progress.  The twins, sleeping so peacefully

across the room, were the most recent proof of the course his

life had been taking.

     But recently...recently Natalie had seen a regression, a

fearful slide backward toward the vampirism he had fought so

hard to conquer.  The dreams had been the first sign.  At first

they had come only infrequently, but lately they would wake Nick

almost daily.  Natalie was more than a little concerned as she

noticed a drastic increase in the amount of blood her husband

was consuming and the related drop in the amount of solid foods

he could tolerate.

     Fortunately, perhaps, for her, she had been too exhausted

to make love to Nick in recent weeks.  She had noticed a marked

drawing away when she even hinted at being intimate.  Didn't he

trust himself with her?  The very last time he had partaken of

her blood was way back around Valentine's Day--nearly nine months

ago.  Of course her pregnancy had forced abstinence for a time,

but since the birth of the twins Nick had become even more

distant.  

     Natalie was afraid.  Somehow LaCroix was mixed up in this,

she knew.  For now she would keep her peace, but the tension that

was smoldering would soon have to be dealt with.

     Giving the love of her life one last brief glance, Natalie

turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 2 of 10


     "No!"  Nick backed away, shaking his head, holding his hands

out in front of himself as if to ward off the evil before him.

     "What is wrong, Nicholas?  Does his blood not call to you?

Do you not wish to partake of his innocence...his youth?"

LaCroix taunted Nick, holding the child out as an offering to

his reluctant offspring.

     Nick continued to back away until he found himself with

cold stone against his spine.  LaCroix continued to approach.

Nick eyed the child he was carrying: a boy of no more than four,

fair-haired and with a pale complexion.  

     LaCroix stopped within inches of his cornered son.  Nicholas

had not been allowed to feed for several days.  LaCroix knew the

bloodlust must soon overcome his son's weary mortal morals.

Enchanted, Nick cradled the child's head in one hand, noting a

sparkle of blue beneath the soft blond lashes of his half-closed

eyes.  

     With feral green eyes, Nick looked up at his maker.  His

fangs had descended and were aching for the feel of warm flesh,

the taste of sweet blood.  With a low growl of need he bent over

the toddler and licked at the pulsing vein on the boy's neck.

     Suddenly he looked up, pushing LaCroix away.  "No!" Nick

shouted once more.  "Not a child, LaCroix!  Not a child!"


     With a start, Nick woke up and found himself tucked

comfortably into the nursery's rocking chair.  Outside the room,

the phone was ringing softly.  

     Shaking away the cobwebs of fear and loathing left by his

recent nightmare, Nick rose and exited the room.  Picking up the

phone to silence the rings, Nick listened for a few moments.

"Of course.  I'll be right in," he assured the caller before

replacing the receiver in its cradle.


     Anna was waiting for him when Nick arrived at the shelter,

worry etched deeply around her eyes.  The middle-aged woman had

come to their shelter just last year, seeking asylum from an

abusive husband, and had stayed on to help with the women and

children who came through seeking temporary shelter from the

storms of life.  Her specialty was dealing with abused and

withdrawn children.  While she had no formal training, her

natural maternal instincts had made her an invaluable aide.

     "Anna?" Nick began, taking in the concern on the woman's

face.  "What's the problem?"

     "Come see for yourself," Anna answered, gesturing for Nick

to follow her as she started down the short hallway to Nick's

office.  Opening the door to the room, she pointed to the far

back corner.

     Huddled between two sets of file cabinets sat a small boy,

his head hung low.  The child looked up briefly as the door

opened, and Nick caught a glimpse of frightened blue eyes

peeking out from behind an unruly mop of golden curls.  Quickly,

the boy hid his face once more and tried to scoot farther back

in an effort to become invisible.

     "See what I mean?" Anna asked softly as she closed the door

once more.

     Nick shook his head sorrowfully.  "Is he here alone?" he

asked incredulously.  Anna nodded.  "Tell me."  Nick's soft

command pulled Anna's attention from the closed door.

     "He was brought in by his mother this morning," Anna began.

"All she had with her was the boy and this box."  Anna had led

Nick to an adjoining room as she was talking, and now indicated a

small cardboard box that contained nothing more than a half-dozen

large disposable diapers, a tattered blanket and an old, well-

worn teddy bear.

     "I showed her to an empty room and told her to make herself

comfortable.  I thought she might get herself and the boy

cleaned up and get some rest, but I guess she had other plans,"

Anna continued.

     "A couple hours later, we heard the boy crying.  I went to

investigate and found him alone in the room.  His mother had

taken off."

     Nick sighed at the inequity of it all.  "What was the

woman's name?" he asked.

     "We don't know, Nick," Anna answered apologetically.  "She

was so frantic and tired when she arrived that we decided not to

process her right away.  I really thought she'd do better after

a nap.  I'm so sorry...."  Anna's voice trailed off as she

realized how badly she must have disappointed her employer and

friend.

     Wrapping an understanding arm around Anna's shoulder, Nick

smiled.  "It's all right; we'll get this figured out somehow.

Did she leave anything else?"

     "Just this," Anna whispered, handing Nick a rumpled

envelope.

     Inside was a note written in a spidery hand:


     'Please find my son a loving family to care 

     for him.  I can't keep him safe anymore. I'm 

     afraid for my own life, but I have to go back.  

     Please understand.'


     Nick's eyes slid over the words as his heart pounded once,

strongly, in his chest.  "The mother just abandoned him here?"

Nick asked, unbelieving.  "Do you know the boy's name?"

     Anna shook her head.  "We've tried to coax him out all

afternoon, but he just ignores us.  It's like he's trying to

pretend he hasn't heard us.  He won't talk...."

     "Have you called Social Services?" Nick inquired.

     "No, Nick, we wanted to wait for you first.  Leesa and I

didn't think it would matter if we waited a few hours."  Anna

looked with hopeful eyes at her employer.  Nick nodded his

approval.

     Reaching down into the box, Nick pulled forth the tattered

teddy bear.  With one eye missing and an ear nearly ready to

fall off, the toy had definitely seen better days.  Obviously,

it must be a favorite.  "Let me try to talk with him," Nick

suggested.  "Maybe I can hit it off with him before Social

Services arrives."

     "I don't know, Nick; he seems particularly afraid of men,"

Anna informed him.  Still, she had to admit, there was something

boyish and tortured about Nick, as well. Maybe he *could*

actually break through the child's barriers.

     Holding the bear out in front of himself, Nick walked to

his office door and opened it.  The boy, no more than a toddler

of three, Nick guessed, looked up briefly at the interruption of

his peace.  "Hi there," Nick began softly, in his most

non-threatening manner.

     The boy pulled back and hung his head again.  Nick hunkered

down, trying to make his six-foot frame look smaller to the

child.  "Look whom I brought with me," he continued, holding the

battered stuffed toy out in front of himself like a shield.

     The toddler put his head between his knees and barely

breathed.  Several minutes went by before he ventured to look up

again.  When, at last, he did, he found Nick seated on the floor

in front of him, the worn teddy bear in his lap.

     "Hi."  Nick tried again, a warm smile gracing his boyish

face, his voice soft and low.  "My name's Nick.  What's yours?"

     The small child studied Nick's features from the safety of

his corner, then hung his head again.

     "I think I have a friend of yours here," Nick pushed on,

ruffling the boy's hair with the bear.  "I think he's been

lonesome without someone to love him."  Nick paused for a moment,

waiting for a reaction.  When he got none, he continued.  "We all

get lonesome when we don't have someone to love us.  Everybody

needs someone...."

     A small hand reached up and snatched the teddy out of

Nick's hand.  The child clutched the toy to his chest, rubbing

his face in the matted fur, taking in the familiar scents of

home.  "Jeremy."  The muffled voice was so soft that Nick

wouldn't have heard it had it not been for his enhanced vampiric

hearing.

     "Well, Jeremy, there are a lot of people here who care

deeply for little boys and their mothers.  I care about you a

lot."  Nick's sincere voice slowly began to penetrate the child's

defenses.  "I'd like to help you find your mum again, if I can.

In the meantime, I'd really like it if you'd be my friend."

     Jeremy raised his head from his teddy bear and, after a

short hesitation, crawled into Nick's waiting lap.  Flinging

small arms around Nick's neck, the boy buried his face in the

vampire's chest and cried.

     Nick wrapped strong arms around the tiny bundle in his lap,

patting and rocking gently to soothe the tears.  "There, there,

Jeremy.  Everything's going to work out fine, you'll see," Nick

reassured the child.  Finally Jeremy stopped his crying and,

looking up, wiped at his eyes with his shirt sleeve.  Clinging

tightly to the tattered toy with one arm and Nick with the

other, Jeremy stared into deep blue eyes that uncannily matched

his own.

     "What's your friend's name?" Nick finally asked, breaking

the spell.

     "Oh, this is Bear," Jeremy answered, a spark of enthusiasm

beginning to show in his voice.

     "Very pleased to meet you, Bear," Nick greeted the toy

solemnly. 

     Jeremy beamed a big smile at Nick.  "You're silly!" he

giggled.

     "Am not," Nick pouted.

     "Are so!" Jeremy giggled again.

     Nick smiled broadly and ruffled Jeremy's hair.  "How about

we go find you something to eat, Sport?"  Jeremy's vigorous

nodding was answer enough.


     Several hours later, Nick once again sat on the floor of his

office, surrounded by sandwich wrappers, juice boxes, and toys.

Jeremy had fallen sound asleep in his lap and he hadn't dared to

move since.  The soft rapping on his office door brought him out

of his reverie.  "Come in," he called softly.

     The door opened to reveal Mattie Harnish, a Social Service

worker who frequently visited the shelter.  She smiled warmly at

the scene before her.  "Well, Mr. Chevalier, you *do* seem to

have your arms full tonight."

     "Help yourself to a seat, Mattie."  Nick smiled at his

guest.

     "I take it this is the child that Anna called about?"

Mattie inquired.

     "One and the same," Nick answered softly.  "Jeremy and I

have become buddies over the last couple of hours."

     "I can see that."  Mattie smiled in response.  "Has there

been any luck in locating the mother?" she asked.

     Nick shook his head.  "Not to my knowledge.  You could check

with Anna to be certain.  We gave her description to the police,

but there's so little to go on that it could take a while."

     "We're going to have to find a home for Jeremy in the

meantime."  Ms. Harnish extracted a file folder from her

briefcase and began to shuffle through the papers.  "I think the

Pattersons would be a good placement," she murmured as she paged

through the foster family dossiers.  

     "Um...Mattie?"  Ms. Harnish looked up from her documents to

see Nick studying her intently.  "Would it be possible for me to

take Jeremy home?"

     "Oh, Mr. Chevalier...Nick...I don't think that's the best

option at the moment.  Didn't your wife just give birth to

twins?" the Social Service officer asked gently.

     "Nat wouldn't mind," Nick rushed on.  "It would only be

until the mother could be found or a proper family located for

adoption."

     "Nick, that could take weeks...months," Ms. Harnish argued.

"Jeremy is a boy with a lot of problems, from what I hear, and

he's going to need a foster family that can give him their

undivided attention and love."

     "We can do that," Nick insisted.  "Laurene has been wanting

a little brother ever since her twin sisters were born."  As

soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake.  Ms. Harnish's eyes

darkened slightly.

     "Mr. Chevalier, it is against our rules to even consider

you as a foster family at this time, much less an adoptive one.

This child is not a possession to be claimed or given away.  He

is a child who needs special care.

     "You are a good man, Nick, and your family is without

fault," Mattie said, trying to soften the blow, "but we can't

turn Jeremy's care over to you."

     The Social Service worker's voice woke Jeremy, and he

stirred in Nick's lap.  He looked up at the stranger with wide,

fearful eyes.  "Who is she?" he demanded.  "What does she want?"

     "Her name is Mattie Harnish," Nick explained, "and she

comes from the Social Services Department.  They make sure that

kids have safe and loving homes until their parents can be

found."

     "I want to stay with *you*!" Jeremy stated emphatically.

     "I want that, too, Sport, but Ms. Harnish here says we

can't do that right now."  Nick sighed, feeling defeated in the

face of the two powerful opposing forces.

     "I won't go with her!" Jeremy shouted, grabbing hold of

Nick's neck with tiny arms.  Nick embraced him protectively.

     "Isn't there some way we could work this out?" Nick

pleaded.  "Maybe for just a couple days?  Until you find a

suitable foster family...."

     "I'm sorry, Nick.  Jeremy will have to become a ward of the

provincial government until such time as we can find a placement

for him."  Ms. Harnish had sympathy for the pair before her, but

the law was the law and she had to stand her ground on this.

     Nick caught Mattie's eyes and held them with his cold blue

ones.  "Jeremy will stay with Natalie and me.  We will be his

foster family for the foreseeable future."  Nick's voice had

dropped an octave as Ms. Harnish's heartbeat echoed in his ears.

     "Jeremy can stay with you and Natalie for the time being,"

Mattie echoed flatly.  "Until we can find his mother, or a

family to adopt him."

     "Good," Nick told her.  "You won't need to make the

follow-up visits.  You know that we will see that Jeremy gets

the help he needs."

     "I don't think we'll need to make the follow-up visits,"

Ms. Harnish intoned.  "I know what a good family you have.  I'm

sure you'll see to all of Jeremy's needs."

     "That we will," Nick agreed.  "Thank you again, Mattie."

Nick spoke brightly as he stood, holding Jeremy and offering his

free hand for a shake.

     Ms. Harnish shook the proffered hand and smiled.  "Good

luck you two.  I know everything is going to work out just

fine."

     Nick closed his office door behind the departing Social

Service worker.  Leaning heavily against the doorframe for

support, he sighed with relief.

     "Looks like it's about time we head out, Sport."  Nick's

glance at the clock was unnecessary; his vampiric senses told

him dawn was near.  Grabbing the box of supplies in his free

hand, Nick carried Jeremy out to the Caddy and headed for the

safe haven of home.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 3 of 10


     LaCroix sat back from his bookkeeping, a feral smile

crooking the corners of his mouth.  He could feel the emotions

churning within Nicholas, could sense his protege's use of his

vampiric powers.  For months now, LaCroix had been actively

working to achieve a greater affinity to his son through their

bond.  At last his efforts were proving to be fruitful.

     The accounting book before him told part of the story.

Besides the orders of house stock were occasional orders of

special vintages...charged to the account of one Nicholas de

Brabant.  His son's blood consumption had gone up dramatically

in the past few weeks--perhaps his little subliminal

"suggestions" were having their desired effect.  

     Closing the books on his desk, LaCroix rose from his seat

with liquid grace and slipped out the back door of the Raven.

The sun was beginning to rise as he took to the sky, headed

homeward.  

     Now seemed a good time to press his advantage, while

Nicholas' mental defenses were down.  Another fatherly "visit"

seemed in order, LaCroix thought as he flew through the

half-light of dawn toward home.


     Laurene was in the kitchen, preparing her breakfast of

cereal and toast, when she heard the key turning the lock of the

front door.  Racing to the living room, she flung herself into

the waiting arms of her father.  "Hi, Daddy!" she chirped in

greeting.

     "Hi to you, too, Pumpkin," Nick laughed as he hugged his

daughter, then set her down on the floor once more.  "I've got

someone here I'd like you to meet."  Nick turned around and

found that Jeremy had fled back to the Caddy, which was parked at

the curb in front of the house.

     "Just a minute, Laur," Nick cautioned.  "Stay right here,

okay?"  At Laurene's nod, Nick walked slowly back out to the

street, holding out a hand in offering.

     "It's okay, Jeremy," he soothed the young child as he

approached.  "That's our daughter, and she's very anxious to

meet you."  Nick smiled encouragingly at the small boy.

     Jeremy took Nick's hand with some reluctance and allowed

himself to be led back to the front porch.  Upon seeing

Laurene's exuberant smile, Jeremy hid behind Nick's legs,

grabbing tightly to the fabric of Nick's slacks in an effort to

make himself invisible.

     "Hi."  Laurene managed to keep her voice reasonably quiet

so as not to startle the newcomer.  "My name's Laurene.  What's

yours?"  There was no response from the tiny body hiding behind

her daddy's legs.  "I was fixing myself some breakfast.  Are you

hungry?" she tried again.

     Jeremy peeked cautiously from his refuge behind Nick, the

mention of food drawing the hungry child from hiding.  "We've

got cereal, toast and orange juice," Laurene coaxed.  "Maybe I

can even talk Mum into *bacon*!"  She licked her lips and rubbed

her right hand in a circular motion around her stomach.  The

bashful child smiled at that gesture and stepped out into the

open.

     "Let's go, okay?" Laurene encouraged, holding out her hand

to take hold of the smaller one.  "Did I hear Daddy call you

'Jeremy'?" she asked.  Jeremy nodded and allowed himself to be

drawn into the kitchen with his new friend.

     "I'll be there in a minute," Nick called after them as he

saw Natalie emerging from the nursery.

     "Morning, Nat," Nick began cheerfully.

     "What was *that*?" Natalie asked, sounding mildly annoyed.

Kayla was squirming in her arms, biting painfully on Natalie's

breast with her one new tooth.  "Ow!" she protested, taking the

teething baby away from the nipple and sticking a finger in her

mouth instead.

     "'That' was Jeremy," Nick explained.  "His mother abandoned

him at the shelter yesterday afternoon."

     "What's he doing here?"  Natalie was feeling crabby.  Lack

of a regular sleep routine, two teething infants and a daughter

who needed to be off to school soon were wearing on her thin

reserves.

     "He needed a place to stay, Nat."  Nick gave his tired wife

a supplicating look.  "It will only be for a few days...until we 

can locate his mother."

     "Why didn't the Social Service people place him in a foster

home?"  Natalie really didn't need another distraction running

around the house, and she was just slightly peeved at Nick for

springing this one on her with no prior warning.

     "Nat, he needs medical care.  His mother's boyfriend beat

him," Nick pleaded.  "He's scared and lonely, and we hit it off

at the shelter.  I just couldn't see turning him over to

strangers again.  Please, Nat?  Just for a little while?"

     "Do I have a choice?" Natalie grumbled, a smile beginning

to twitch at the corners of her lips as she observed Nick's

woeful look.

     "Great!" Nick perked up, his grin lighting his eyes with

excitement.  "Jeremy's a great little kid.  You're going to love

him!" he enthused.

     Natalie shook her head and smiled.  "All right, you win.

Here," she added, handing Kayla to Nick.  "You get to change her

dirty diaper while I make sure those two in the kitchen aren't

getting into mischief."

     "It's a deal," Nick agreed, taking his infant daughter

lovingly into his arms, then grimacing at the odor emanating from

the wet cloth diaper.


     "Hi, you two."  Natalie smiled at Laurene and Jeremy as she

entered the kitchen.

     "Hi, Mum!  This is Jeremy," Laurene introduced her mother to

their newest guest.  Jeremy, munching on some toast with jelly,

timidly looked up at Natalie, a strawberry mustache adorning his

upper lip.

     "Hi, Jeremy," Natalie greeted him, crouching down to look

him in the eye.  She noted bruises around his left cheek and eye,

as well as several on his upper arms that looked amazingly like

fingerprints.  "Did I hear someone mention bacon?" she smiled.

     Jeremy's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.  As Natalie

prepared the pan and got the bacon from the refrigerator, she

contemplated needing to do a full medical exam on the boy.  How

could anyone beat someone so small and helpless?  This child

with his dirty blond curls and deep blue eyes reminded her

uncannily of a miniature version of Nick.  She idly wondered

whether the resemblance had even been noticed by her husband.

     After breakfast Natalie shooed Laurene out the front door

to catch her bus.  Once she saw her daughter was safely on her

way, she turned her attention to Jeremy.  "Now, Jeremy," she

began cheerfully, "mind if I have a look-see?"  When Jeremy

balked, Natalie tried reassuring him.  "It's okay," she coaxed.

"I promise, nothing will hurt you."  She led the reluctant child

toward her home office.


     Nick had changed the diapers on both twins before heading

to the bathroom to shower and change into his pajamas.  By the

time he came out, he found he had missed seeing Laurene off to

school.  Mildly disappointed, he looked around the room.

Natalie and Jeremy were nowhere to be seen, so he went to the

kitchen to rummage through the refrigerator for a bottle.  He

felt drained after the long, emotional day, and the blood flooded

his system with warmth and strength as he upended the bottle and

downed the contents in one long draught.  A second bottle

followed the first before the gnawings in the pit of his stomach

were eased.

     Feeling the beast appeased for the time being, Nick dragged

his weary body to the bedroom and turned down the covers on the

king-sized bed.  As he was checking his alarm, Natalie walked

in.  The scowl on her face meant no good news for Nick.

"Where's Jeremy?" he asked.

     "I put him to bed in Laurene's room," Natalie informed him.

"He needed a nap.  Nick," she began with a tentative note in her

voice.  Her pause caused Nick to look her directly in the eyes,

searching for elusive clues.  Natalie approached the bed and sat

on the mattress next to him.

     "Nick," she began again only to stop, as though she didn't

know how to present her news.

     "What is it, Nat?"  Nick's concern for both her and Jeremy

was genuine.  Putting an arm around Natalie's waist, Nick drew

her in to him, holding her close.

     Blinking back tears, Natalie faltered.  "Jeremy's...Jeremy

was....  He wasn't just beaten, Nick," she said, the horror of

her news choking and catching in her throat.  "He was *raped*!"

She stared long and hard into Nick's eyes, seeing her own

revulsion reflected there.  

     "We have to report this to Social Services, Nick," Natalie

continued in the face of Nick's stunned silence.  "Jeremy is

going to need special therapy."

     "He's going to need the love and understanding of a

*family*," Nick pressed.  "He needs to stay here, with us."  The

urgent undertone in his voice was strong and compelling.

     "He needs *help*, Nick, more than we can give him right

now," Natalie countered.  "But in the meantime," she said,

rubbing the back of Nick's hand with her thumb, "we'll take good

care of Jeremy right here.  Now, you get some rest. You look

exhausted."

     "Yeah," Nick agreed.  "Thanks, Nat.  I love you."

     "Love you, too."  Natalie kissed Nick tenderly, then tucked

him in for the day.


     He was hungry.  More than hungry...he was ravenous.  How 

long had LaCroix kept him prisoner in this deep hole, chained 

to these stone walls?

     The sun peeked in through a high slit of a window near the

ceiling.  It danced across the floor as the day progressed,

finally stopping within millimeters of Nick before winking out

to leave the room in darkness once again.

     Footsteps resounded in the empty hallway outside his

prison.  The wooden door scraped across a cobblestone floor,

protesting on rusty hinges as a hand exerted pressure to open

it.  Torchlight entered the room, carried by a ghostly figure

dressed all in black.

     "Tsk tsk, Nicholas," a familiar voice chided.  "See where

your stubbornness has brought you?"  

     Nick raised his weary head and spat in LaCroix's face.

"Ah, Nicholas," the master vampire responded, wiping the spittle

from his cheek with the back of an alabaster hand.  "Still have

a little fight in us, do we?"  His mirthless chuckle echoed in

the near-empty room.  "Perhaps not enough time has gone by to

teach my stubborn child his lesson?  Good enough, then."  LaCroix

turned on his heel and swept through the door.  "I will leave

you to ponder your circumstances a bit longer."  With that, the

door closed resoundingly, and Nick was once again wrapped in

darkness.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 4 of 10


     The morning wore on and the sun rose toward noon.  Jeremy

awoke in a strange bed, unfamiliar sights and sounds accosting

his senses.  All he could remember was fear.  Fear of the man

who had hurt him, fear when his mother left...then something

else when the tall blond man with the kind eyes walked into his

world.  Briefly, Jeremy had known kindness and love.  As he took

in his surroundings, he remembered being brought home by that

man, by Nick...his friend.

     Jeremy looked around to find himself alone in the room.

Climbing off the bed, he cautiously crept to the door and peeked

through a crack into the hallway.  Seeing the way was clear,

Jeremy tiptoed out and down the hall, inspecting each room as he

passed.  His third attempt brought success, as he saw Nick

asleep in a tangle of sheets in the room two doors down and

across the hall from the room he had occupied.

     Pushing the door open quietly, Jeremy entered the sleeping

chamber and stood, momentarily transfixed, just inside the room.

Nick was sleeping deeply, but not soundly, his thrashing and

moaning causing the child to pause.  

     Slowly, Jeremy approached the bed and stood quietly until

Nick's commotion stilled.  Climbing carefully up onto the

mattress so as not to wake his friend, he curled up next to Nick,

his head resting against Nick's chest.  With a smile, Jeremy

closed his eyes in contentment.


     Nick sagged against the chains, weak from the Hunger, the

bloodthirst gnawing at his gut until he cried out at the pain.

Through the fog his hunger had created, Nick caught the metallic

scent of the blood, heard the siren rhythm of a heart as it

slowly approached.

     The door to his prison swung open to reveal LaCroix once

more.  In his arms he carried the precious vessel containing the

most delicious bloodscent Nick had ever encountered.  

     Nick's eyes were red with desire, his fangs descended and

sharp.  He licked his dry lips and lusted after the delicacy held

just beyond reach by his master.

     Again the mirthless chuckle echoed in the room before

LaCroix began his tantalizing approach.  "Hungry, are we?" he

hissed, enjoying the red glow of Nick's eyes and the desperation

he felt from his protege across their link.  "I think that now,

perhaps, you are ready."  With tormenting slowness, LaCroix

approached, only to lay the mortal on the stone floor just out

of Nick's reach.

     Nick struggled, while LaCroix laughed at his feeble efforts

to escape.  "My, my, Nicholas, hunger has made you quite weak,

has it not?"

     "Damn you, LaCroix!"  Nick's voice was a guttural growl.

He struggled helplessly against the chains before exhaustion

caused him to cease.  

     LaCroix walked over, key in hand, and unlocked the

manacles.  Stepping back, he watched as Nick sagged to the

floor, unable, for the moment, to move.

     Slowly, with great effort, Nick lifted his head and beheld

the feast before him.  Dragging himself the few feet across the

floor to the unconscious mortal, he gathered his dinner within

the circle of his arms and sank aching fangs into the soft,

smooth skin at the neck.  Nectar sweeter than honey flowed

through him, revitalizing and strengthening him.  The blood

flowed freely and Nick drank of it...to the last drop.  Sitting

back on his heels, his eyes now golden flecked with blue, Nick

licked the last of the sweetness from his lips and sighed with

contentment.

     "Good, Nicholas, good."  LaCroix purred his encouragement

and approval.  "Perhaps now we can talk."  His tight lips curved

upward slightly in a smile that would chill the bones of a

mortal man.

     Nick smiled coldly back and rose gracefully from the floor,

his strength now returned in full measure.  Following LaCroix to

the door, Nick glanced back at the mortal husk which had

provided his nourishment and froze in horror.

     Lying on the cold stone floor was the body of the golden

child--the fair-haired, blue-eyed boy Nick had once refused to

kill.  His gut twisted at the sight.  Doubling over, Nick

emptied the contents of his stomach at the feet of the man who

had betrayed him.


     Nick sat bolt upright in bed, his black silk pajamas

plastered to his body by the blood sweat.  He was groggy, still

in the grip of his nightmare world, but shaken to his very soul.

Next to him a young heart beat quickly; the scent of fear tainted

the air as the blood sang to his heightened senses.  

     Instinctively, the beast blocking any rational thought, Nick

reached out for his prey with lightning reflexes.  The child's

screams delighted the monster, filled it with a sense of power.

     Drawn by Jeremy's cries, Natalie ran down the hall and into

the bedroom.  "Nick!" she shouted, trying to hear herself over

the screams of the terrified child.  "Nick!  Stop! Stop it!!"

She advanced into the room fearlessly, determined to free Jeremy

at any cost.

     The guttural growl that escaped her husband's lips, the

feral red gleam of his eyes, and the way he held the boy tightly

against his chest caused Natalie to pause midway across the

hardwood floor.  "Nick?" she tried again, softly.  She thought

her heart would break over the scene playing out in front of

her: that poor, abused child frightened yet again, and her

husband in the grip of something nightmarish that Natalie didn't

fully understand.

     Nick growled again and pulled Jeremy's head to the side,

exposing the vein.  White fangs flashed as they hovered above

the pulsing source of life.  For a few seconds, it was as if

time stood still.  There was not a sound, except the chiming of

the grandfather clock in the living room and soft footsteps

outside the door.

     "Daddy?"  Laurene had sensed something was terribly wrong

the moment she walked in the door, home from school for the day.

She had felt the discomfort earlier, but hadn't processed its

meaning until she entered the house.  She looked on the tableau

before her for a brief moment, taking in the situation.

     "Don't do it, Daddy."  Laurene spoke softly as she advanced

into the room.  "You don't want to hurt Jeremy.  You want to

help him, remember?"  She approached the bed and crawled up on

the foot end.  Nick looked up at the interruption of his meal

and hissed menacingly at his daughter.

     "You don't scare me, Daddy," Laurene persisted.  "Let

Jeremy go.  You don't want to hurt him," she repeated.  "You can

have me instead."

     Natalie gasped at Laurene's statement.  "No, Laurene, you

mustn't...." she whispered as she closed the gap between herself

and her daughter.

     "He can't hurt me, Mum," Laurene stated with conviction.

"He *won't* hurt me...will you, Daddy?" she asked, turning back

to the beast in front of her.  

     The compelling, confident voice of his daughter slowly began

to penetrate the fog of the nightmare world that still held Nick

in its grasp.  He loosened his grip on Jeremy and stared with sad

azure eyes at the self-assured child who now confronted him.  

     With a supple twist, Jeremy escaped his captor and ran to

Natalie, burying his face in her skirt.  Natalie wrapped

protective arms around the terrified child and picked him up,

whispering encouraging words in his ear, as she backed away

toward the door.

     Nick slumped where he sat on the bed, looking suddenly lost

and confused as Laurene's voice pierced through the mist and woke

him at last from his hellish vision.  "Laur?"  His voice was

shaking, but his eyes were now blue, his fangs retracted.

"What...what happened?" he asked, fearful of the answer.

     "Nothing bad, Daddy.  You didn't hurt anyone," Laurene

assured him.  "You were having another one of those awful

nightmares."  She crawled forward on the bed and climbed into

Nick's lap, totally fearless and confident.  Wrapping small arms

around his neck, Laurene held her father in a loving embrace.  

     Nick wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her

fiercely as his body was wracked with remorseful sobs.

     "It's okay, Daddy," Laurene said, comforting Nick with soft

words and gestures.  "Don't cry."

     "I'm sorry, Pumpkin."  Nick's voice caught in his throat

and he coughed lightly to clear the phlegm.  "I don't know what

just happened.  What happened?"  His confusion was clear as he

unconsciously repeated himself, trying to make sense of an

incomprehensible scene.  Shaking his head from side to side, he

attempted to rid himself of the last wisps of terror.  

     Without waiting for his daughter's answer, Nick rose from

the bed, setting Laurene gently on the floor.  "I'm hungry.  I

must have blood...now."  Nick's desperation was patent as he

brushed past his daughter and was gone.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 5 of 10


     The needles of cold water stung his flesh as Nick stood in

the shower, washing away the blood, trying to drown his shame.

It had taken three bottles of blood, and part of a fourth,

before he had felt sated.  Why had he needed to feed so heavily?

He had just fed before going to bed that morning, yet he had

felt as though he had gone for weeks without sustenance.  A

dream, no matter how nightmarish, couldn't have that kind of

power over him...*shouldn't* have that kind of power over him.

     He stepped from the shower and toweled himself dry.

Slipping into his robe, Nick walked barefoot into the bedroom.

The sound of voices across the hall caught the attention of his

sensitive ears.

     "What's the matter with Jeremy, Mum?" Laurene asked,

concern for her new friend coloring her eyes a darker shade of

blue.  

     "It's his way of hiding, Laur," Natalie explained.  Jeremy

was curled up in her lap, sucking his thumb and staring off into

space.  "He's withdrawing himself from everyone around him.  He's

off in his own safe place in his imagination."  She stroked the

boy's golden locks from his eyes and looked at him sadly.

     "I'm afraid we're not going to be able to keep him with us

after this," Natalie sighed.  "I just don't know what to do."

She looked up at the approaching sound of footsteps in the hall.

     Nick appeared in the doorway, looking contrite and a little

frightened.  "Nat, I...I'm sorry.  I didn't know what I was

doing...." Nick stammered.  "I can help now, if you'll let me."

He walked over to the bed and stood in front of Natalie, gazing

sadly down at the small bundle curled in her lap.

     "I don't know, Nick," Natalie hesitated.

     "It has to be done, Nat.  You know it as well as I do."

Nick cupped the boy's face in the palms of his hands.  Jeremy

recoiled from the contact with the vampire's cool skin.  He tried

to bury his face in Natalie's sweater, to hide from the demon he

had once called his friend.  Nick held the child firmly, not

allowing him to turn away.  He looked deeply into Jeremy's wide

blue eyes, capturing the fluttering of the tiny heart.  The

child's gaze changed from frightened to entranced as he looked

intently back at Nick.

     "You won't remember anything that happened, Jeremy," Nick

told the boy in a steady, low voice.  "Everything from the time

that Nat put you to bed until now will be like a bad dream that

will be forgotten when you wake up.  Do you understand me?"

Jeremy nodded mechanically.  "Then sleep now, and rest.  Things

will be as they should be when you wake up."

     Jeremy sagged in Natalie's arms.  His eyelids drooped closed

until golden lashes brushed against his cheeks.  Natalie laid him

gently on the bed.  "You."  Natalie pointed a commanding finger

toward Nick.  "Go.  Now.  I'll be out to talk with you in a

minute."  Her tone left no room for argument.

     Nick turned and strode out the door, pausing for a brief

glance back before heading to the living room couch.  Natalie

was tucking Jeremy snugly beneath the covers of Laurene's bed.

     "I'll stay with him for a while, Mum," Laurene offered.

"I'll make sure he's okay."

     "Thanks, Honey."  Natalie smiled and leaned over to kiss

Laurene on the forehead before rising from the bed to go talk

with Nick.


     Walking into the living room, Natalie saw Nick sitting on

the far end of the couch, looking isolated and miserable.  She

approached him silently, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as

she sat down next to him.  "Wanna talk?"  She smiled

encouragingly.  After a pause with no response, she tried again.

"What happened in there this afternoon, Nick?"

     "I don't know, Nat.  I just don't know."  Nick hung his

head in thought for a moment, trying to pull himself together

emotionally.

     "We were doing so well, Nick," Natalie reminded him.  "You

were beginning to eat solid foods, to drink less blood.  You

could tolerate small amounts of sunlight.  We were even able to

make love without your needing the blood....  Something has

changed, Nick.  *You've* changed."  Natalie paused and looked

deeply into Nick's sorrowful eyes.

     "Everything seemed fine until the twins were born," Nick

offered.  "After that, I started having these dreams...

nightmares.  At first they came less than once a week, but as

time went on, I had more and more of them.  Lately, I've been

having them nearly every morning."

     "Why didn't you tell me about this?" Natalie wanted to know.

"You said you hadn't been sleeping well, you even mentioned the

nightmares offhand, but you never did talk to me about them."

     "I thought I could handle it myself," Nick said miserably.

"I guess I was wrong."

     "I guess you are right about that!"  Natalie smiled and

playfully rapped her knuckles against Nick's forehead--her

private way of telling him he was being thick-headed again.  A

faint smile played briefly at the corners of his mouth.  "Tell me

about the dreams."  It wasn't a request, and Nick realized it.

     "They were always with LaCroix," Nick started, "and always

in some old stone building...a castle, perhaps, that reeked of

age.  I would be alone and LaCroix would call for me.  I needed

to use my vampiric senses to find him.  It was like when I was

newly brought across, and LaCroix was training me to follow the

thread that binds us together....

     "When I found him, he would reward me.  At first I refused

to kill the mortals he brought.  I think that's when I began

having the dreams more frequently.

     "Finally I was so hungry, so tired, that I fed upon the

woman he brought.  After I had drained her life and stepped

back...." Nick paused, rubbing the middle finger of his left hand

nervously.

     "Nick?"  Natalie looked at him, concern written in the

tension lines on her face.

     "It was *you*, Nat," Nick rushed on.  "LaCroix had led me

to kill *you*!"  A hand went up to cover his face; shame, regret,

and fear were all mirrored in his horrified eyes.

     Natalie gathered Nick in her arms and held him as she had

held Jeremy just a short time ago.  This was obviously a

struggle for her husband, for a good man who found his pleasant

life slipping back into darkness, unable to stop the descent.

"It's all right, Nick," she assured him, rocking gently as

though soothing one of her children.  "It was just a dream."

     "It was more than 'just a dream,' Nat!"  Nick broke away

from the comfort of Natalie's arms.  "LaCroix is involved in

this!"

     "LaCroix?"  Natalie was not entirely surprised by this

revelation.  They hadn't seen the master vampire for the better

part of four months, since the birth of Krissy and Kayla.  All

the same, she was confused.  "How could LaCroix be a part of

*this*?"

     "I don't know, Nat, but he must be.  The last dreams were

the worst."  Nick was becoming too agitated to sit still any

longer.  He stood up and began pacing the floor in front of the

couch, wringing his hands as he relived the memories.

     "LaCroix came to me with a child," he began haltingly.  The

nervous pacing ceased as Nick resumed his story.  "He tried to

coax me to feed on him, but I couldn't."  He sat back down on the

couch, capturing Natalie's hands in his lap.

     "A child?" Natalie asked, disgust and fear warring within

her.

     "Yeah, no more than three or four years old," Nick said.

"The frightening part was that he had blond hair and blue

eyes...."

     "Like Jeremy?" Natalie was aghast as Nick nodded his

acknowledgment.  "Was that the dream you had this morning?" she

wondered aloud.

     Nick shook his head.  "I had that dream *before* I even

knew about Jeremy," Nick informed her.  "That's what's so weird

about it."

     "Then what was this last nightmare?" Natalie coaxed when

Nick went silent once more.  He shook his head and stared

dolefully into Natalie's concerned eyes.  She reached a hand up

to cup his cheek.  Nick leaned his head into her hand,

encouraging her embrace, her support.  "Come on, Nick, tell me,"

Natalie coaxed.

     "Oh, God, Nat!"  Nick choked on the sob that erupted from

his chest.  "It was the worst of all....  LaCroix had me chained

in this dungeon.  I must have been there for days, weeks,

without feeding.  He brought the child in again.  God forgive

me, Nat, but I was so blinded by the bloodthirst that I killed

him to save myself!  And then...then I woke up and...and Jeremy

was there, just like in the dream...and, and I was so hungry....

Nat, I was starving!  I don't know what came over me.  I

could've...would've killed him if you and Laurene hadn't stopped

me.  I couldn't control it!  Oh, dear God, what have I done?"

His sobs ripped through his chest like a stake through the heart.

Natalie gathered him in her arms once more, and held him close

until he calmed down.

     "It *does* sound as though LaCroix had a hand in this

somehow," Natalie mused, when Nick finally sat back and wiped at

his bloodstained cheeks.  "But how?"

     "Through our link," Nick deadpanned.  "He was concerned,

before Krissy and Kayla were born, that I was becoming too

mortal.  He was afraid of losing me--afraid that you had

something to do with it."

     "But I did, in a way," Natalie interjected.

     "Yes, but not in the manner LaCroix thought.  You weren't

using protein drinks or experimental steroids this time.  It was

our lifestyle that was slowly changing me back."  Nick examined

his fingernails as he contemplated LaCroix's actions.  

     "He wanted me," Nick continued.  "He has always wanted me.

This time, instead of threatening you or the girls directly, he

seems to have found a way to get to me through my dreams.  Our

bond is the key, and it gets stronger with every nightmare.  Nat,

I can't resist him any longer.  I've grown too weak."

     "You're not weak, Nick.  You can fight this.  You've had a

little setback, but we're not going to lose this war!" Natalie

said with conviction.

     "Setback?" Nick scoffed.  "Nat, I've been backsliding so

far that we're back to square one.  I'm going to have to start

all over again...."

     "Then we'll start again," Natalie pronounced stubbornly,

"but I'm not giving up on you, Nicholas Brabant Chevalier.  I'm

never giving up!"

     "Then I must go speak with LaCroix," Nick sighed.  "I'd

better get started; it will be dawn in a few hours."  Rising, he

kissed Natalie passionately before heading for the door.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 6 of 10


     Nick entered the Raven and strode purposefully over to the

bar.  "I want to speak with LaCroix," he demanded.  The

bartender, intimidated by the aura of ancient authority emanating

from the being before him, scuttled off to do Nick's bidding.

After a short interval, LaCroix appeared, bottle in hand.

     "Nicholas, how delightful to see you here this evening,"

the master vampire greeted his son.  "To what do I owe the honor

of your visit?"

     "You can stop being coy with me, LaCroix," Nick snapped in

return.  "You know why I'm here."

     "I suppose that I do...."  The ancient one smiled grimly

and looked Nick directly in the eye.  "What, pray tell, do you

plan to do about it?"

     "Stay out of my life, LaCroix," Nick spat.  "Stay out of my

mind and my dreams!"  He paused briefly, eyeing the vintage

bottle LaCroix held in his hand, before pivoting on his heel and

turning his back to his maker.

     "Oh, Nicholas...how petty.  Why do you suppose I would even

care about your foolish dreams?" LaCroix's voice was smooth as

silk as he taunted his son.

     "Don't, LaCroix...*don't*!"  Nick spun back and shook an

angry finger in his master's face.  "You know full well what

this is about.  The deed is done.  I've lost all the ground I've

gained over the past few years; the bloodlust, the urge to

kill, have all returned.  You have me back, LaCroix.  Are you

satisfied?"  Nick's eyes grew golden around the edges as he

spoke, his anger igniting the renewed vigor of the vampire.

     LaCroix smiled sagely.  "Not entirely, Nicholas," he purred.

"You have returned to the fold, so to speak, but you have not yet

returned to *me*."  Turning to the bartender, LaCroix accepted

two filled glasses.  "Care for a drink?" he asked, offering one

of the goblets to Nick.  

     "I will not share blood with you, LaCroix," Nick hissed in

anger.  "And I will *not* come back to you!  You may have won the

battle, but you will not win the war!  I won't give up that

easily."

     Before LaCroix turned around, he heard the displacement of

air that signaled Nicholas' departure.  His smile slowly faded as

he sipped thoughtfully from his glass.


     Exhausted by his encounter, Nick arrived home and headed

straight for the kitchen, intent on feeding heavily before

getting some rest.  He found Natalie there, waiting for him.

     "I warmed some up for you."  Natalie offered Nick his large

coffee mug, filled with warm human blood.  "Feel like talking?"

she asked sympathetically.

     "Thanks, Nat."  Nick accepted the mug and drank hungrily.

Without being asked, Natalie refilled the mug he had set on the

kitchen table.  "Where do I start?" he asked miserably.  "I feel

like my life has just been turned inside out."  He sat heavily

in one of the chairs at the table, resting his head on his

folded arms and closing his eyes.

     Moving to stand next to Nick, Natalie stroked her hand

across the wild waves of golden hair.  "How about starting with

where you've been?  What did LaCroix say when you confronted

him?"

     "He said that I had returned to the fold, but had not yet

returned to him."  Nick sighed in defeat.  He no longer had the

energy to be angry; all he felt was tired, very tired.  "I will

*not* return to LaCroix, but I'm back to square one, Nat.  We

have to start all over."

     "I know," Natalie answered softly.  "But we did it once; we

can do it again, Nick.  Don't give up on us yet."

     "What about the kids?" Nick asked, lifting his head from

its resting place and looking, finally, at Natalie.

     "Laurene will be fine, Nick," Natalie assured him.  "She's

strong; she knows about you and she's proud of it."  Natalie

grinned at the memory of one Halloween when Laurene had dressed

herself as the 'Bride of Dracula' while making Nick attend the

Halloween carnival dressed as the Count.  It had been quite a

sight.

     "The twins are too young to know or care...." she

continued.

     "But what about Jeremy?" Nick interrupted.  "What about a

scared, abused little boy?  Up until now the worst things he had

to fear were beatings and rape; now he has to know there are

other monsters in the world even worse than those he knew before.

     "Nat, he trusted me.  I broke that trust.  What am I going

to do?"  Nick looked imploringly up at Nat, red-tinged tears

welling in his eyes, threatening to overflow.

     "Nick, you did what you had to do.  Jeremy doesn't remember

anything that happened today after I put him down for a nap.

Why don't you come and see for yourself?"  Natalie smiled

encouragingly and held out her hand.

     Nick looked doubtfully from Natalie's hand to her face,

before reaching out and grasping the lifeline she offered.

"It's going to be okay, Nick," she assured him.

     Nick stood slowly and wrapped an arm around Natalie's waist,

kissing her on the forehead.  "What would I do without you in my

life?" he asked rhetorically.

     "Go off the deep end?" Natalie bantered, half-seriously.

Nick smiled and tightened his hold on her to a hug.  Natalie

gave Nick a crooked smile and led him through the house to

Laurene's room.

     Standing in the hall outside the bedroom, Natalie made "go

on" gestures with her hands, until Nick cautiously pushed the

door open and stepped inside.  

     Jeremy was quietly playing with some Legos, building

something between a house and a castle.  "Need some help?" Nick

offered tentatively.

     "Nick!" Jeremy looked up and smiled broadly.  

     "That's the first I've seen him smile all day," Natalie

whispered from behind Nick.

     Nick walked across the room and sat cross-legged in front of

Jeremy, the building blocks between them.  He picked up a plastic

brick and placed it carefully on a growing wall of the building.

"What are you building here?" Nick asked as he sorted through the

pieces, looking for a window for the house.

     "A castle," Jeremy answered softly.

     "Why a castle?"  Nick was genuinely curious as to why this

small child had chosen to build a medieval fortress.

     "'Cause I wanna be the king and rule all the servants.

That way nobody can hurt me ever again," Jeremy answered with

honest forthrightness.

     "Nobody is ever going to hurt you again, Jeremy; I promise

you that."  Nick found the piece he was looking for and snapped

it home securely.  He looked up and smiled at the child, who

stared back at him quietly.

     A moment later, Jeremy had crawled around his castle and

climbed into Nick's lap, wrapping small arms around his neck and

hugging him fiercely.  Nick encased the small body within the

circle of his arms and hugged Jeremy back.  Natalie, who still

stood in the doorway of the bedroom, smiled.

     Backing away, Natalie stepped out into the hallway and

quietly closed the door behind her.  Nick was making a good

start on his road to recovery.  One step, one day, at a time.


     The doorbell rang.  Natalie emerged from the nursery

carrying Krissy and went to answer it.  Opening the front door,

she was confronted by a distinguished-looking woman in her

mid-forties.  "Hello, Mrs. Chevalier.  My name is Mattie

Harnish," the woman introduced herself.  "I'm with Social

Services, and I just dropped by to see how things were going with

Jeremy.  I talked with Nick at the shelter after the boy was

abandoned there, and I just wanted to see how he's settling in."

     "Come on in, Ms. Harnish," Natalie invited.  "I'll go get

Nick.  He's been in the bedroom building a Lego castle with

Jeremy most of the afternoon."

     As Natalie turned to fetch her husband, Ms. Harnish

followed along.  Opening the door quietly, so as not to startle

Jeremy, Natalie and the social worker were greeted by a warm

scene.  Nick, exhausted from his short night and long day, lay

asleep amid piles of colorful blocks, Jeremy curled on his chest

and held securely by encircling arms.  The duet of soft snoring

made both women smile.

     "I think I've seen all I need to see for now," Mattie said.

"I'll come by in about a week to see if you need anything."

     "Ms. Harnish," Natalie began, backing out of the room.

     "Call me Mattie, please," the social worker asked.

     "Mattie, we have to talk," Natalie said, pulling the other

woman to the living room.  "Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

     "Yes, thank you," Mattie replied, sitting on the couch.

"Black is fine."

     "I'll be back in a minute," Natalie told her and exited for

the kitchen.  A few minutes later she emerged with two steaming

cups of rich, black coffee and set one on the table in front of

Ms. Harnish.

     Sipping at the beverage as she sat down, Natalie looked at

her visitor with concern.  "Mattie," she said, setting the

coffee mug down, "I did a physical exam on Jeremy when Nick

brought him home.  Along with the expected bruises and

contusions, I discovered that he had been raped.  There was

tenderness and bruising around his anus, and I was able to

recover a semen sample."  Natalie's hands trembled lightly in

her lap as she relayed the information to the social worker.

     "I think if I can get the sample to a lab, we can get a DNA

workup on the perpetrator.  Meanwhile, Jeremy needs some serious

counseling and therapy.  Could you set us up with a psychologist

who is good with abused children?" Natalie asked.

     Mattie's face had gone ashen at the news.  Not that she

didn't hear this type of thing almost every other day, but it

never got easier, especially when the victim was one so young

and innocent.  "I know just the person you need to speak with,"

she answered, digging in her purse.  She handed Natalie a

business card.

     "Dr. Marjorie Hart?" Natalie read from the card.  "She's

good?"

     "She specializes in play therapy," Mattie informed her.

"That's sometimes the best with children who have been abused and

are withdrawn.  I'm sure she could help Jeremy.  Just give her a

call to set up an appointment.  The sooner, the better," she

added.

     "Thanks."  Natalie laid the card on the coffee table and

picked up her mug once more.  "You know, Nick and Jeremy have

really hit it off," she told her visitor.  "I wouldn't have

expected a child who was abused by a man to take to another man

so quickly."

     "Sometimes they do that," Ms. Harnish answered.  "Usually

they gravitate to the non-abusing gender, but, occasionally,

they can develop a close bond with a person of the same gender

as the abuser--if that person is loving enough."

     Mattie watched Natalie as she spoke.  "I think Nick is that

sort of special, giving personality that would appeal to a child

like Jeremy.  You're very lucky to have him, you know."

     "I know."  Natalie smiled and sipped at her coffee.  "Nick

is a natural-born father.  I've never known a man to be so

involved with kids.  He even helps with the diapers!"  Natalie

chuckled as she removed the cloth diaper she had used as a

spit-up cloth from her shoulder.

     "I have to admit," Mattie told her, "he was very compelling

in his arguments to keep Jeremy himself."  Natalie smiled

inwardly at Ms. Harnish's choice of words.  "I hadn't intended

to let him have the child," she continued, "but he convinced me

it was for the best."

     "I'll bet," Natalie murmured under her breath.

     "What?" Mattie asked, not quite hearing Natalie's comment.

     "Oh, I said, knowing Nick, I'll bet he did have some

convincing arguments!" Natalie chuckled.

     Mattie set her mug down and rose, putting out a hand in

farewell.  "I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time,

Natalie," she said.  "I see that Jeremy is in fine hands with

you and Nick.  Just make sure you get him an appointment to see

Dr. Hart ASAP."

     Natalie arose as well, and clasped the proffered hand.  "It

was nice meeting you, too, Mattie.  Come back and check up on

Jeremy anytime.  I'm sure Nick would like to talk with you

again."

     "And I with him.  Thanks for the coffee, Natalie," Mattie

said as she walked toward the front door.

     "You're welcome," Natalie smiled.  Closing the door behind

the retreating social worker, Natalie leaned her back against

the barrier and sighed.  'That was a close one!' she thought as

she walked softly back to the bedroom to check on the sleeping

pair.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 7 of 10


     Nick and Natalie watched through the two-way mirror as

Jeremy examined the small playroom, looking at the assortment of

toys available to him.  Picking a picture book off the shelves,

he curled himself into a corner and buried his face within its

pages.

     "He's a very bright child," Dr. Hart commented, walking up

behind the couple.  "It's a shame that such a sprightly

personality should be curbed by neglect and abuse."  She shook

her head slowly, a small frown caressing the corners of her lips.

     "What happens next, Doctor?" Natalie asked, turning her

attention from the room to look at the therapist.

     "We'll take our time, let Jeremy adjust to the new

surroundings.  Eventually, he will begin to work out his fears

and aggression in his play."  Dr. Hart smiled encouragingly at

the couple.  "I let the child lead the therapy.  He needs to know

that he has control of the situation, and that he's safe here.

This first visit is just to let him get used to the playroom.

I'll be going back in soon, to make friends.  He needs to know

there is someone here he can count on, someone who won't punish

him for his natural curiosity and his ideas.

     "You know, there's a coffee shop just down that hallway,"

Dr. Hart suggested, pointing the way.  "Just hang a right at the

end of the corridor and you'll bump right into it.  I'll bring

Jeremy there when our session is over."

     Reluctantly, Nick and Natalie pulled their attention away

from the child curled in the corner of the room, and turned

toward the coffee shop.  "You're sure he's going to be all

right?" Nick called nervously over his shoulder.

     "He's going to be just fine, Mr. Chevalier," Dr. Hart

assured him.  "We're going to have a good time getting to know

one another."  With a smile, she waved the couple off and turned

toward the playroom door.


     While Natalie sipped at her cappuccino, Nick kept shooting

nervous glances over his shoulder at the door to the coffee shop.  

     "Nick, it's only been twenty minutes."  Natalie reached

across the small table to grasp one of her husband's hands.

"Give them time."

     "It seems a lot longer," Nick sighed, turning doleful eyes

upon Natalie.  "I just don't like leaving Jeremy in the hands of

strangers."

     "Methinks your problem is that you don't like being *left*,"

Natalie observed with a grin.  "Nick, there are some things that

are better left in the hands of professionals, and this is one of

those times."

     "I want to be the one to make him feel safe," Nick

complained.  "I want--"

     "--to be his father," Natalie cut her husband off.  "Look,

Nick.  There's a slim-to-none chance that we'll ever be

considered as adoptive parents for Jeremy.  You know that."  She

patted the hand that she held, and looked intently into the

searing blue of Nick's eyes.  

     "I want Jeremy as badly as you do, Nick, but we have to face

the facts.  It isn't going to happen."  Natalie sat back and

watched Nick closely.  These were words she knew he didn't want

to hear.

     Nick's reaction was quick and vehement.  "We *will* get to

adopt him, Nat!  I'll see to it."

     "See to it *how*?" Natalie hissed, trying to keep her voice

down.  "Nick, you can't just go around 'influencing' the outcomes

of these things!  I thought you wanted to be mortal."  Her voice

had dropped to a whisper.  "Start acting like one!"

     The sudden change in Nick's demeanor unsettled Natalie.  He

went from determined vampire to whipped puppy in the blink of an

eye.  "I'm sorry, Nat," he apologized in hushed tones.  "I guess

I'm a little worried...about my own ability to be a good father

to a boy like Jeremy.  He's been abused all his life.  Then he

comes into our home, and I nearly kill him!"

     "Nick.  Nick?"  Natalie tried getting through the blanket of

guilt that weighed heavily on her husband's shoulders.  "Hey,

you," she whispered, waving a hand in front of blank, staring

eyes.  Nick was off in a flashback of guilt, and only time would

return him to the present.  

     "Nick?  Natalie?"  Dr. Hart walked up to the table, with

Jeremy trailing behind.  Nick snapped quickly out of his reverie,

turning to look at the newcomers.  "We're all done for tonight.

Jeremy is a great little boy.  I think we'll get along fine."

     Something in Nick's face startled Jeremy, and a dark stain

slowly began to spread from the crotch of his jeans, down his

left leg, to his shoe.  A small puddle formed where he stood.  

     Jeremy looked down at the puddle, up at Nick and Natalie,

then back down at his feet, freezing into a small statue.  The

look on his frightened face clearly told of the punishment he

expected.  Dr. Hart stepped back, waiting to see what the

reaction from the couple would be.  

     Natalie was immediately down on her knees in front of the

child.  "It's all right, Jeremy," she consoled the terrified

child, gathering him in her arms.  "We all have accidents of some

kind every now and again.  We'll take you home and get you all

cleaned up.  Okay?"  Jeremy relaxed slightly, and Natalie picked

him up.

     As Nick walked over to the pair, Jeremy reached out his arms

toward the reluctant vampire.  Smiling, Nick lifted the damp

bundle from Natalie's arms and hugged him close.  "How'd it go,

Sport?" he asked, totally ignoring the fact that Jeremy had just

wet his pants.  A tentative smile curled the corners of Jeremy's

mouth, but he remained silent.  "Well, good.  That's what I like

to hear."  Nick replied jovially to the silent smile as though

Jeremy had spoken.  The smile grew wider, and Nick knew he had

scored a point with the reticent child.

     Turning to Dr. Hart, Nick flashed his most charming smile.

"Thanks, Doctor, for giving of your time to come in this evening

for us."

     "No problem, Mr. Chevalier," Dr. Hart replied.  "Jeremy and

I had a good first session, didn't we?"  She turned her attention

to the quiet boy in Nick's arms.

     "Yep," Jeremy answered, then was quiet again.

     "Good.  See you all next week, then?" Dr. Hart asked.

     "We'll be here," Natalie assured her.

     "Well, good-bye then," the doctor smiled, turning to leave.

     "Bye," came a small voice from behind her.  The grin on Dr.

Marjorie Hart's face spread to a full-fledged smile as she walked

down the hallway back toward her office.


     After giving Jeremy a bath and changing him into clean, dry

pajamas, Natalie took him to his room and tucked him in for the

night.

     "I'm scared."  The small voice stopped Natalie in her

tracks, just as she reached the bedroom door.  Turning back, she

walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

     "Want to help me check out the room?" Natalie offered.

Jeremy's eyes went wide, but he nodded and took her hand.

     Sliding off the side of the mattress, Jeremy stood beside

Natalie as she got down on her knees and lifted the blankets to

look under the bed.  "Nothing under there except a few dust

bunnies," she announced.  "Want to look?"  Jeremy peered

cautiously at the underside of the bed, sighing with relief to

see nothing there.

     Taking Natalie's hand again, Jeremy pointed toward the

closet door.  Natalie led him across the room and slowly opened

the door, peeking through the crack into the darkness.  Jeremy

stood behind her, grasping tightly to her skirt in an effort to

hide from the monsters he was certain resided inside.

     Reaching into the closet, Natalie pulled a chain and the

light came on, illuminating a nearly empty enclosure.  "Would you

like it if I left the light on?" Natalie asked.  Jeremy looked

out from behind her skirt and nodded.  "Okay, then.  On it is."

Natalie left the door cracked open so that Jeremy could see the

safety of the light.  "Back to bed with you.  Need a story?"  At

Jeremy's nod, Natalie reached for "The Cat in the Hat" from the

bed's bookcase headboard.  Before she had finished the tale,

Jeremy was sleeping peacefully.  She put the book away and closed

the bedroom door softly behind her as she left.


     "He's afraid of monsters under the bed," Natalie told Nick

as she entered the kitchen.

     Nick set down his mug and refilled it with the contents of

a green bottle with the Raven's logo on the label.  "As well he

should be," he replied darkly.  "There are monsters in this

world, in this very house...."  His voice trailed off as he

stared into the thick, red depths of his meal.

     "Nick, that wasn't your fault!"  Natalie's voice went up in

pitch due to her frustration.  "You haven't been having the

dreams again, have you?" she asked fearfully.

     "No.  No more dreams."  Nick tipped back the mug and drained

its contents.  "The damage has already been done, Nat.  LaCroix

has me back where he wants me.  I'm a danger to you and the

kids."

     "Oh, no you don't, Nicholas Brabant Chevalier....  You are

*not* leaving this family.  You are *not* 'moving on'!"

Natalie's face flushed red at the very thought.

     "You know I could never leave you or the girls."  Nick tried

placating his angry wife.  "But maybe I should just go on a

retreat, or something, until I have this *thing* back under my

control."

     "A 'retreat'?  Just go on sabbatical from life?  For how

long, Nick?  A week?  A month?  Longer?  Maybe a year?  Maybe

two?"

     "Mum?  Daddy?"  Laurene walked into the kitchen with a

puzzled look on her face.  She had rarely seen her parents

fighting, and wasn't sure what to make of the spectacle.  "Are

you going on a trip, Daddy?"

     "Yes." "No."  The simultaneous answers assaulted Laurene's

ears.

     "Maybe, Pumpkin," Nick answered into the silence that

followed.  "The vampire has become awfully strong in me since I

had those nightmares, and I'm afraid I'll be a danger to you if I

stay."

     "You wouldn't hurt any of us, Daddy," Laurene assured him

with the naivete of youth.  She walked over to climb into her

father's lap.  "We need you.  Mum and I can't take care of this

family all by ourselves."

     "I wouldn't expect you to," Nick answered her.  "Your mum

could hire some help until I get back."

     "Don't go, Daddy!" Laurene's eyes began to well up with

tears.  "Let me help you!"  With a confidence born from

experience, Laurene lifted her arm, turning her wrist to touch

Nick's lips.

     Nick's emotional wall crumbled as he felt his fangs descend

at the scent of his daughter's blood.  Gathering her in his arms,

he wept openly, hugging her tightly to him until the emotion was

spent.

     "That won't be necessary," Nick told his daughter, his voice

tight through a throat constricted by emotions.  "I'll stay.  I'll

stay."

     Natalie smiled and gathered the pair into a family hug.  She

knew that with support and love, her family would pull through as

it always had.  



Fortune's Favor -- Part 8 of 10


     Natalie tucked Laurene into bed and went to look in on the

twins.  When she returned from checking on everyone, she found

Nick perched on the corner of the bed, dressed in his black silk

pajamas.

     "A little early for bed, isn't it?" Natalie quipped,

purposefully keeping her voice light and playful.

     Nick, still wallowing in his signature angst, didn't rise to

the bait as Natalie had hoped.  "Tell me what to do, Nat," he

started miserably.  "Tell me what I need to do to fix the damage

that I've done, that LaCroix has done to me."

     "I think you know perfectly well where to start," Natalie

said sympathetically.  Sitting on the bed next to Nick, she

brushed the back of her hand across his temple and wove her 

fingers through his hair.  "It was our love for each other that 

brought about the change before.  We can do it again."  She leaned 

over to nibble lightly on Nick's neck.

     Nick pulled away abruptly from her touch and widened the

space between them by scooting down toward the middle of the bed.

"Don't, Nat," he warned.  "It isn't safe.  I'm afraid I would

kill you if we tried to make love."  He paused briefly, looking

at Nat with sad longing in his eyes.  "I'm not even comfortable

sharing the same bed with you."  He stood slowly, and began

making his way toward the bedroom door.  "I think I'll stay up a

while longer.  I've got some reading I've been putting off."

     "Nick?"  Natalie's voice pulled at him, causing him to

pause.  "Please, Nick, we need to talk."  She patted the mattress

next to her.  "Come to me.  Let me help."

     Hesitantly, Nick turned back.  Walking slowly over to the

bed, he sat beside Natalie, gathering her into his arms and

burying his face in her fragrant hair.  Time seemed to stand

still as he gathered strength from the contact.  Finally, he

released Natalie and searched the azure of her eyes for her

consent.  Finding nothing but love and acceptance, Nick cupped

Natalie's face in the palms of his hands.  Leaning in, he placed

a soft kiss upon her lips, lingering just a moment before

breaking away.

     Drawing back from the tentative contact, Natalie could see

that Nick's eyes had turned golden.  Although his mouth was

closed, she could see the tips of his fangs softly indenting the

delicate skin of his lower lip.  The sadness in his eyes bored

deep into her soul.

     "I can't, Nat.  Not yet."  Nick closed his eyes, and Natalie

could see the struggle with the beast in the tension on his face.

When he finally looked at her, his eyes were once again blue.

     "Then we won't push it," Natalie promised.  She reached over

to squeeze Nick's hand in assurance.  

     The ringing of the bedside phone interrupted the moment.

Natalie lifted the receiver from its cradle, keeping a close eye

on Nick to make sure that he was going to be okay.  She listened

for a moment, then handed the phone to Nick.  "It's Anna, from

the shelter," she whispered.

     Nick took the phone, suddenly feeling back in a situation he

could control.  "Hello, Anna," he greeted his assistant.  

     Natalie watched as Nick's face grew grim while he listened

to the excited woman on the other end of the line.  She could

hear Anna speaking in upset tones, but couldn't make out what was

being said.  When Nick finally said his good-byes and hung up,

Natalie looked at him questioningly.  "What was that all about?"

     "They found Jeremy's mother."  Nick's voice was flat,

drained of emotion from the shock of the news.

     "That's wonderful!" Natalie enthused, happy for Jeremy even

though she knew what the news meant for Nick.

     "No, Nat.  It's not wonderful."  Nick stopped and took a

deep breath before continuing.  "She's the victim of a domestic

dispute.  She's dead."

     Natalie gasped at the news.  "Are they sure?  Are they sure

this woman is Jeremy's mother?"

     "Anna said the police called the shelter because the woman

matched the description she gave to Missing Persons.  She had to

go down and identify the body.  It's the same woman."  Nick

sighed and stood up, pacing beside the bed while he gave thought

to the news.

     "This means that Jeremy is going to need an adoptive family,

not just a temporary foster home," Nick mused.  "Nat, this is our

chance."  Nick's voice had taken on a note of excitement.

     "Stay calm, Nick," Natalie soothed.  "Remember, this still

doesn't change anything for us.  Social Services only let us

foster Jeremy because you 'whammied' Mattie Harnish.  There's no

way they'll consider us as a suitable adoptive family."

     "Why not?" Nick asked, his enthusiasm for the idea not

abating.  "We're as good as anyone.  Besides, Jeremy's used to

us.  He's happy here.  We've got him in therapy and things are

going really well.  Remember how Dr. Hart told us that abused

children need stability and continuity, not change?  It will be

better for Jeremy if he stays with us."  

     Nick might not have needed to breathe, but he did need to draw

breath to talk.  During the brief pause, Natalie interjected her

thoughts.  "Nick, we already have three children.  Krissy and

Kayla are only four months old.  I've got my hands full already."

     "I'll stay home and help.  We can hire a nanny to give you a

break.  We don't have to worry about the money, Nat.  Jeremy is

such a great kid!  Don't you love him, too?  We can do this, Nat.

I know we can."  

     Nick's whole demeanor had changed since he had spoken with

Anna.  Natalie found it rather eerie the way he clicked from

depression to excitement like the flipping of a light switch.

Still, she had to admit, Nick had always been this way.  It was

part of the war between the vampire and the man that made him

seem almost manic-depressive at times.

     A smile quirked the corners of Natalie's mouth despite her

efforts to remain the voice of sanity in the conversation.  "I'll

have to admit," she said with a note of reluctance, "that Jeremy

*is* pretty special.  Did you ever notice how much he looks like

you?"  The resemblance had haunted Natalie since the night Nick

had first brought the waif into their home.

     "Yeah, he does, doesn't he?" Nick grinned broadly.

     Natalie chuckled.  "All right.  You win.  We'll put in our

petition to adopt Jeremy.  Just try not to get your hopes up too

high, okay?"

     "Okay," Nick agreed with a sly grin.

     "So, are you ready to come to bed yet?"  Natalie affected a

huge yawn, and made a production out of crawling under the covers

and holding the blanket for Nick to join her.

     "Oh, I'm too excited to sleep, Nat!  I think I'll go

downstairs and watch some TV or something."  Nick was fidgeting

in boyish excitement, anxious to be on the move.

     "Okay," Nat agreed.  "Just be quiet...and try to stay out of

trouble!" she chided.

     "Yes, Mum," Nick teased as he made his hasty retreat from

the room.


     The coming of dawn had not quelled Nick's excitement over

the possibility of having Jeremy become a permanent part of their

family.  He was humming an upbeat tune while he scrambled the

eggs for the breakfast omelets.  He found the smell of his

cooking nauseated him somewhat these days, but he couldn't

disappoint Laurene, who lived for Wednesday mornings, when Nick

had his special midweek 'omelet day.'  

     Natalie shuffled into the kitchen, wearing her robe and

slippers and looking as if she had had far too little sleep the

night before.  Nick placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of

her.  He watched her face light up as the tantalizing aroma

teased her nostrils.  Grabbing his own mug, Nick pulled out a

chair to sit beside her.

     "Morning, Nat," he greeted her softly.  Natalie looked up

from her coffee with a decided lack of enthusiasm.  Nick grinned.

"Rough night?"

     "You might say that," Natalie mumbled.  "Had to take care of

two crying infants and an insane vampire who won't make love to

me, but thinks I need another child to raise."  Natalie tried to

sound grumpy, but the grin gracing her features gave her away.

     "Look, Nat," Nick said in all seriousness, "if you really

can't handle it, please say so.  I would never want us to make

this kind of monumental decision if we weren't both in

agreement."

     "How could anyone *not* love a kid as sweet as Jeremy?"  The

rhetorical question hung in the air between them for a few

seconds until Natalie continued.  "Of course I want us to adopt

him.  It's just that I've really got my hands full, and I'm going

to need that help you offered."

     "Anything, Nat.  You just name it."

     "Let's discuss it later," Natalie suggested.  "First we have

to petition for adoption.  I'll go out and get the process

started this morning if you'll stay home with Jeremy and the

twins."

     "You've got yourself a deal."  Nick's enthusiasm was

infectious.  He stood up to tend to his omelets, but leaned over

to give Natalie a quick peck on the forehead first.  Natalie just

grinned and sipped at her coffee.

     Their peace was interrupted by a shriek and giggles, and

something that sounded like a thundering herd of horses coming

through the house.  Jeremy and Laurene came charging into the

kitchen in a flurry of whirling arms and legs.

     Jeremy came to an abrupt stop in the presence of the two

adults.  The look of worry on his face spoke volumes to Nick and

Natalie of the behaviors that had gotten him beaten in the past.

Laurene, breathing heavily, plowed into the suddenly still boy,

as the laws of inertia and the waxed linoleum floor kept her from

stopping in time.

     "Sorry," Laurene apologized sheepishly, looking up from the

top of the pile.  Jeremy squirmed under her until Laurene got off

and let him up.  He stayed behind the older girl, peeping

fearfully around her skirt at her parents.

     "It's okay...." Natalie soothed.  "Now, why don't the two of

you find your seats and settle down for a little breakfast?"

     As Laurene made for her spot at the table, Jeremy followed,

sitting in the seat next to her.  He kept a wary eye on Nick and

Natalie, but no punishment appeared to be forthcoming.  

     Nick turned from the stove with a frying pan in his hand.

"Anyone ready for an omelet?" he asked.

     "Me! Me!" Laurene smiled broadly at her father and she waved

an excited hand in the air.

     "How about you, Jeremy?" Nick inquired, smiling broadly.

     "Yes, sir," the young man answered quietly.

     Nick dished up the omelets, while Natalie fetched the toast

and bananas and poured the milk.  While the rest of the family

enjoyed the food, Nick sipped quietly at the only substance his

body could tolerate anymore...human blood.  

     "What plans do you have for school today?" Nick asked

Laurene as she made short work of her omelet and started in on

her toast.

     "We're going to be having an assembly today.  Mrs. Wickem

told us it was going to be about birds of prey, and they're going

to have some real hawks and owls and eagles there for us to see!"

Laurene's eyes were bright with excitement.

     "That sounds really interesting!" Natalie commented.  "I'll

bet you're excited about that!"

     "Oh, yeah!" their daughter enthused.

     "What about you, Jeremy?  Have any plans?"  Nick prodded

gently, trying to get the boy to talk.

     Jeremy just shook his head and concentrated on his toast.

The omelet on his plate was untouched.  

     "Did you try the omelet?" Nick asked.  Jeremy shook his head

again, his eyes downcast.  "You should try it," Nick suggested.

"My omelets are Laurene's favorite breakfast."  He picked up

Jeremy's fork and offered him a small bite of the eggs.

     "I don't like eggs!" Jeremy cried, pushing the fork away

from his mouth.  In the process, he knocked over his glass of

milk.  Grabbing a fistful of the omelet, he heaved it at Nick.

     With lightning reflexes, Nick grabbed Jeremy's wrist and

stopped him from throwing more of the eggs.  Standing up, Nick

wrapped an arm around Jeremy's waist, lifting him out of his

seat.  Grabbing the chair with his free hand, he took both over

to the far corner of the kitchen.

     Putting the chair down facing the wall, Nick placed Jeremy

in it.  "We call this 'time out,' " Nick explained.  "We aren't

going to hurt you, but we can't tolerate acting out, either.

You'll sit here, quietly, for three minutes; then you can rejoin

us at the table."  With that, Nick left the startled boy and

walked back to sit with his family.

     Natalie had just finished wiping up the mess when Nick

returned.  "Do you think that was a good idea?" she whispered to

her husband.

     "He has to learn what is acceptable behavior and what

isn't," Nick defended his judgment.  "Just because he came from

an abusive home doesn't mean we should let him do whatever he

pleases around us."

     "I suppose you're right," Natalie said, glancing with

worried eyes at the small figure seated in the lonely corner.  

     Nick glanced at his watch and walked back over to Jeremy.

"Time's up.  Want to come back and finish your breakfast?"

     Jeremy stood up quietly and began to walk back over to the

table.  Nick brought the chair back and set it in place.  To his

surprise, Jeremy wrapped slender arms around his legs in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, his small voice muffled by the fabric

of Nick's pants.

     "That's okay, Sport."  Nick smiled and patted the child's

back.  "We all make mistakes.  If you don't like the omelets, how

about some cereal?"

     "Yeah!" came the enthusiastic reply.  Maybe they were on the

right track after all, Nick thought with a smile.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 9 of 10


     LaCroix peered through the curtains into the brightly-lit

living room.  Laurene and Jeremy were playing with building

blocks in the middle of the floor, while Nick looked on,

supervising their play.  What a cozy family Nick had, LaCroix

thought darkly.  And yet Nick continued to reject his *real*

family, and the father who gave him the gift of immortality.

     Nick was closer now than he had ever been, in the recent

past, at least.  LaCroix smiled when Nick glanced up, looking out

the window into the dark of night outside--sensing, perhaps, the

presence of his maker.  Perhaps now was a good time to talk.

     Squaring his shoulders, LaCroix approached the front door.

Nick met him there before he could ring the bell.  "What are you

doing here?" Nick hissed.

     "Uncle Lucien!" came Laurene's happy cry in the background.

Squirming her way between her father and the doorframe, Laurene

rushed over to give her beloved uncle a hug.

     "Laurene." LaCroix smiled, picking up the 10-year-old as

though she were a much younger child.  "How are you this fine

evening?"

     "Great!" Laurene bubbled.  "Did you know that Jeremy is

going to be a part of our family?"

     "Oh, is he?" LaCroix's silken voice asked.

     "Yeah!  Mum filed the papers over a week ago.  We've already

had an 'interview.'  I can hardly wait!  I've always wanted a

little brother!"  Laurene's enthusiasm was infectious.

     "You might as well come in," Nick offered reluctantly.

"Natalie is resting, and I'm watching the kids."

     "So you are."  LaCroix's voice was a purr of sarcasm.  He

stepped through the entryway into the living room and set Laurene

back on her feet.

     "Why don't you take Jeremy up to your room and show him that

new pinball game on your computer?" Nick suggested to his

daughter.

     "Aw, Daddy," Laurene complained.  "Can't I stay here with

you and Uncle Lucien?"

     "You can come down later," Nick replied.  "Uncle Lucien and

I have some things we need to discuss."

     "Oh.  Okay," Laurene agreed, understanding, but not happy

with her father's decision.  She helped Jeremy pick up the blocks

and place them back in their bucket.  Taking the younger child's

hand, she led him from the room.  Jeremy looked back over his

shoulder at the imposing visitor and shivered.


     "Why are you really here?" Nick asked, getting straight to

the point once the children were gone.

     "Just checking up on my 'family.' "  The tone of LaCroix's

voice sent shivers down Nick's spine.  "So, you are adding to

your little brood?"  LaCroix walked over to the couch and made

himself comfortable, crossing his legs and sprawling an arm out

along the length of the cushions.  He looked quite at home, while

Nick, sitting stiffly in the chair at the end of the couch,

looked more like the uncomfortable visitor.

     "Things are moving in that direction, yes," Nick answered

his master.  "The papers have been submitted, as Laurene told

you," he continued.  "The usual red tape is being waded through

at the moment.  There seem to be some obstacles, but I'm sure

that time and a little proper persuasion will change that."

     "And just *why* do you want to add this mortal child to your

stable, Nicholas?"  LaCroix's barbed remark hit its intended

target.

     "Careful, LaCroix," Nick snapped, leaning forward.  His blue

eyes were edged with gold, warning LaCroix away from pushing the

subject.  "I will not have you speak of my family as though they

were possessions!"

     "But are they not, Nicholas?" LaCroix asked lightly.  "You

have them for such a short time.  Then they die, and you...go

on."  He paused for emphasis.  "I continue to marvel at your

persistence in playing at the mortal life, Nicholas," he chided.

"You know you will only be hurt again."

     "I don't believe that, LaCroix.  What I do believe is that

given time, I *will* become mortal again."  Nick moved over to

sit next to LaCroix on the couch.  "These people are my *family*,

LaCroix--more of a family than you have *ever* been to me!"

     "Have you taken a close look at your lovely wife recently?"

LaCroix's words twisted like a knife in the gut.  "She has aged,

Nicholas, while you have not.  Don't you fear that she will tire

of growing older while you stay forever young?  Don't you fear

that she will leave you?  Hurt you?"

     "No, LaCroix.  You don't know Natalie, and you don't seem to

know me very well, either, to keep badgering me with this kind of

conversation."  Nick was angry.  It appeared that LaCroix had

come not to visit, but to bait him with words, as he always had.  

     "You don't know what true love is, LaCroix, and I feel sorry

for you," Nick continued, with a hint of exasperation in his

voice.  "All you have ever known is possession.  First you

possessed Janette, then me.  You can't coerce love from a

possession, LaCroix.  If you want me back in your life, you are

going to have to let me go, let me live my life as I see fit."

     "I don't know if I can do that, Nicholas," LaCroix replied

honestly.  "If I let you go, what guarantee do I have that you

would return?"

     "There are never any guarantees in life, LaCroix, but you

*are* a part of this family," Nick reminded him.  "We would

welcome you, if you would let us--if you would allow us to live

our own lives.

     "LaCroix, my changing was the outcome of my love for

Natalie, over many years."  Nick *had* to make his master

understand the damage that had been wrought in his life.  "You

have set that progress back, perhaps irreversibly.  I have to

live with that.  I have to learn to cope all over again, but I

have a wife and children who love me, and that love will heal

all.  No amount of meddling with my mind or my life is going to

change that.

     "We want to add Jeremy to that love, to give him the family

life he has never had, to allow him to grow into the wonderful

young man that I know he can become."  Nick watched LaCroix

closely as he spoke.  The expression on the ancient vampire's

face had softened somewhat, but he was still as hard to read as

ever.  

     LaCroix cleared his throat and gathered his dignity around

himself like a cloak.  "I think this is all nonsense," he began,

"but I see that you are determined to go through with your

charade of mortal life.  I suppose there isn't much I can do to

stop you if you are so determined."  LaCroix turned to take his

leave.  "Just don't think that I have given up, Nicholas.  I

haven't.  I *will* remain a part of your life."

     "I'd expect nothing less," Nick told his master's retreating

form.  He closed the door slowly, and locked it.  He was still

trying to sort out what had just occurred when another familiar

voice intruded on his thoughts.

     "What was that all about?"  Natalie stood at the base of the

stairs, running a hand through sleep-mussed hair.

     "I'm not sure, Nat," Nick answered her, still dazed by the

unusual encounter with his master.  "I think we've got a

reprieve."

     "That's a new one."  Natalie's voice dripped with sarcasm.

     "No, really," Nick assured her, still thoughtful.  "I think

he's satisfied with the damage he's done and is willing to let

bygones be bygones for the time being."

     "And what happens when you start becoming mortal again?"

Natalie asked skeptically, walking over and putting her arms

around her husband's waist.

     "I guess we'll have to wait and find out."  A smile teased

the corners of Nick's lips as he bent to kiss Natalie warmly.



Fortune's Favor -- Part 10 of 10


     "I'm very pleased with Jeremy's progress over the past

month.  He's opening up nicely here in therapy.  We've been

working through the issues that bother him most."  Dr. Marjorie

Hart sat at a child-sized table in the playroom, with Nick and

Natalie perched on tiny chairs beside her.  Jeremy played happily

with some toy trucks in the middle of the room, oblivious to the

adult conversation going on a few feet away.  "The fact that he's

acting out at home shows that he's becoming more comfortable with

the two of you as well."

     "I wish he wouldn't be *quite* so comfortable, sometimes,"

Natalie sighed with a tired smile.

     "He'll get over that soon," Dr. Hart reassured the weary

mother.  "He's just testing the water, so to speak.  Once he's

certain that it's safe, he'll settle down."

     "He's talking more, too," Nick observed.  "He and our

daughter, Laurene, get along like they've known each other all

their lives."

     "Children are very adaptable," the doctor agreed.  "Jeremy

has been through some extremely rough times in his short life,

but he's beginning to see that proverbial light at the end of the

tunnel.  It won't be long until the emotional scars will be

barely noticeable."

     Jeremy put down the fire engine he had been pushing around

the floor and ran over to the table, clambering into Nick's lap.

"Nick! Come see the trucks!" he said excitedly, kneeling in

Nick's lap to look him in the eye.  With that, he slid back down

and grabbed Nick's hand, pulling him out of the small chair.

     Nick went willingly, folding his long legs under him as he

sat on the floor to examine Jeremy's latest love.  "See?  The

ladder goes up and down, and you can squirt things with the

hose!"  The child fairly bubbled over with excitement.  Jeremy

pushed the small pump handle a few times, then flipped a lever on

the hose.  A small stream of water decorated the front of Nick's

shirt.  Jeremy paused to see Nick's reaction, a look of concern

on his small face.

     "Hey, yeah!" Nick agreed.  "That works pretty well.  Here,

let me try."  Nick took the hose from Jeremy and squirted the

front of the child's shirt.  Jeremy giggled.

     "How much water does this thing hold, anyway?" Nick

wondered.  "Let's see, shall we?"  He rolled the truck over to

where Natalie and Dr. Hart were still seated at the table.

     "Oh, no you don't, Nicholas Chevalier," Natalie warned when

Nick pointed the hose in her direction.  "Don't you dare!"

     "NICK!!" she screeched a moment later as the hose shot water

down the front of her blouse.  Wiping at the wetness, Natalie sat

back and laughed.  It started as a chuckle, but quickly grew to

an uncontrolled hysteria.

     "Looks like it works pretty well."  Nick turned to Jeremy

and smiled.  Natalie's infectious laughter soon turned the smile

into chuckles, and then to belly laughs.  Jeremy joined in the

mirth.  The whole family laughed until tears ran from their eyes.

Nick was careful to keep wiping at his own eyes, as the blood

tears welled up against his will.

     Dr. Hart was laughing as well.  "It looks like that's it for

this session," she chuckled.  "You all had better get home and

get dried off!"

     "Thanks for your time."  Nick picked Jeremy up, holding him

with one arm while sticking the other hand out for a handshake.

     "You are always more than welcome," Dr. Hart said warmly,

clasping Nick's proffered hand between both of her own.  "Jeremy

is a joy to work with.  We have good times here, don't we?" she

asked the child.

     "Yes, ma'am!" the little boy agreed enthusiastically.

     "Good night, then."  The doctor waved her farewells to the

departing family.  "See you next week!"


     The couple were greeted warmly upon their return home.

"Mum!  Daddy!  Hi!"  Laurene threw herself into her mother's

waiting arms.  Nick put Jeremy down and collected his own hug.

     "How'd your evening go?" Nick asked his excited daughter.

     "Ms. Harnish called while you were out!" Laurene chattered

excitedly.

     Nick looked up from his daughter to their neighbor, Marie

LaFollette, who had been kind enough to watch the children while

Nick and Natalie took Jeremy to his therapist.  "Yes, she called

about an hour ago," the French woman agreed.  "She is most

anxious to meet with you."

     "Thanks, Marie," Natalie said sincerely.  "I wonder what Ms.

Harnish could want at this hour?"

     "I don't know, Natalie," Marie answered, "but she wanted you

to call her as soon as possible.  I will be going now.

Good night!" She made her way to the front door, which Nick opened

for her.

     "Good night, Marie, and thanks again!"  Nick closed the door

behind their neighbor as she left, and turned to Natalie.  "I'm

going to call Mattie and see what's up," he said, walking over to

the phone.  Just as he was reaching for the receiver, the phone

rang.  Picking it up, he answered.  After a few moments, he hung

up and again turned to Natalie.  "That was Mattie.  She's on her

way over here."

     Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.  Natalie was

cuddled on the couch, nursing Kayla, while Laurene and Jeremy

watched cartoons in the corner of the room.  Nick answered the

door to find Mattie Harnish standing, flushed and excited, on the

porch.  "May I come in?" she asked, brushing past Nick into the

living room.  "I've got some great news!  Rather astonishing

news, actually."  She set her briefcase on the coffee table and

opened it.  Nick walked up to her and peered over her shoulder.

     Mattie withdrew a sheaf of papers and laid them carefully

upon the table.  She was obviously very excited as she glanced

between Natalie and Nick.  "This is all so extraordinary!" she

exclaimed.

     "What's going on, Mattie?" Nick asked, as he seated himself

next to his nursing wife.  He took a moment to stroke a loving

hand over the fine, silken hair of his youngest daughter before

turning to the Social Services worker.

     "The adoption went through!"  Mattie was nearly breathless

in her excitement.  She sat heavily in the overstuffed chair next

to the couch and watched for the reaction from the couple seated

next to her.  Their blank looks of astonishment didn't surprise

her.

     "I thought you told us there were problems...because of the

twins, because of some red tape with Nick running the shelter

where Jeremy was abandoned...his biological father...."  Natalie

stammered in surprise.

     "That's what I mean!" Mattie exclaimed.  "It's all so

astonishing!  Even if all those problems were worked around, it

usually takes months for an adoption like this to go through.

This is totally unprecedented."

     "What happened?  Do you know?" Nick inquired.

     "No.  That's just it.  It's like someone turned on a light,

and everyone realized that your family was the perfect match for

Jeremy."  Mattie Harnish was clearly confused over the sudden

reversal of circumstances.  Shaking her head in amazement, she

pushed some papers toward Nick and Natalie.  "All that's left is

for you to sign these, and bring them to the Magistrate's office.

All the legal paperwork is finished, just the finalization of the

process....  Sign right there," she clarified, pointing to the

signature line on the document.

     "Well," Nick said with a huge smile across his face, "who

are we to argue with fate?"  With a flourish, he signed his name

to the adoption papers.  Nick relieved Natalie of her small

burden while she, too, signed the papers.

     "That's all there is to it," Mattie announced, "except for

your visit to the Magistrate."  Her smile of pleasure was

genuine.  She had always liked this close, loving family.

Secretly, she had hoped for this very outcome.

     "Laurene.  Jeremy.  Come on over here," Nick called to the

two children.  "We have some good news for you."

     "Can it wait, Daddy?" Laurene called.  "Our show will be

over in five minutes...."

     "Well, it *could* wait, but I think this is something you're

going to want to hear," Nick coaxed.

     "Oh, okay," Laurene agreed, reluctantly.  She stood up and,

taking Jeremy's hand, walked over to where the adults were

seated.  "What is it, Daddy?"

     Nick lifted Jeremy into his lap and wrapped an arm around

his daughter, who stood close beside him.  "Tonight Jeremy

became an official member of our family!"  Nick beamed his

pleasure at the children, watching for their reaction.  It only

took a moment.

     "You mean he's *adopted*!?" Laurene squealed.

     "That's exactly what your dad means," Natalie confirmed with

a happy grin.

     "Oh, *YAY*!!" Laurene screamed with joy, dancing around the

table with glee.

     Jeremy watched Laurene with obvious delight, then looked

up into Nick's shining blue eyes.  "Can I call you 'Daddy' now?"

he asked shyly.  "And 'Mummy'?" he added, glancing timidly at

Natalie.

     "You sure can, Sport!" Nick said with conviction.  "Welcome

to the family!"

     Jeremy threw small arms around Nick's neck and hugged him

for all he was worth.  Nick considered that it was a good thing

he didn't *have* to breathe, because taking a breath right now

would have been a challenge.  When he was done with Nick, Jeremy

slipped off his lap and climbed into Natalie's, next to Kayla.

He wrapped happy arms around mother and baby, hugging, but not so

hard this time.

     "I can stay here forever and ever?" Jeremy asked, hardly

comprehending his good fortune.

     "Forever and a day."  Mattie Harnish smiled down at him.

"Well, it looks like I've overstayed my welcome for this evening.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family.  I'll just

let myself out."  She packed her briefcase and started for the

front door.

     Nick was off the couch in a flash and standing beside the

departing social worker.  "Thank you, Mattie, for everything.

You've made us all very happy tonight."

     "You're more than welcome, Nick," Mattie responded.  "You

know I'd do anything I could for you...but this wasn't *my*

doing.  You'll have to find someone else to thank for this one."

     "But who?" Nick asked, still wondering who their guardian

angel might be.

     "I couldn't even venture a guess at this point," said Ms.

Harnish, "but I wouldn't question my good fortune if I were you.

If I hear anything, I'll let you know."  With that, she turned

and waved good-bye to the children and walked through the door

into the night.

     "Wow," Nick sighed, as he walked back toward the happy

little family, which had just grown by one.  "What do you make of

that?"

     "I've got a *brother*!!" Laurene crowed, hugging Jeremy

tightly.  Jeremy returned her hug and gazed up at his new sister

with adoring eyes.  

     "I guess that about says it all, doesn't it?"  Natalie was

elated.  The addition of Jeremy to her little brood had suddenly

become a blessing, one of which she hadn't previously been aware.  

     "Laurene, why don't you take Jeremy upstairs and get his

bath ready?  It's time for the two of you to get ready for bed."

Natalie had suddenly become conscious of the time and her own

weariness.  

     Once the children had retired upstairs, Nick settled back on

the couch next to Natalie.  He put an arm around her shoulders

and pulled her, and the sleeping Kayla, into a warm hug.  "So,

what's next, Mum?" he asked playfully.

     "Sleep," Natalie murmured into his shoulder, as she rested

her head against Nick.

     "And then?" Nick persisted.

     "And then we get back to work on *you*," she said, lifting

her head so he could see the suggestive glint in her eyes.  She

kissed him on the cheek and rose to put Kayla to bed and check on

Laurene and Jeremy.  


     As his wife disappeared upstairs, Nick felt the

unmistakable presence of his master.  Walking to the front door,

he opened it cautiously.  LaCroix stood, a silent statue, on the

sidewalk in front of the porch.

     As Nick approached, LaCroix's mouth pulled tight into the

imitation of a grin.  "Well, Nicholas," he greeted his son, "you

are once again in my debt."

     "And how do you figure that?" Nick asked, defensively.

     "Oh, come now, Nicholas, surely you suspect?" the master

vampire taunted.  

     "It was *you*!" Nick exclaimed, as understanding finally

dawned.  "You were the cause of the adoption going through!"

     "Consider it a peace offering, of sorts."  LaCroix's silken

voice wove a tapestry of foreboding within Nick.  "I will leave

your family in peace, for the time being, but I *will* collect,

Nicholas.  Never doubt that."  Without waiting for a response,

LaCroix took to the sky. 

     Nick watched as his master flew quickly from view, then

turned and reentered the house, intent on a new beginning. 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your troubles will cease and

fortune will smile upon you."

--Chinese Fortune Cookie Proverb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


THE END


Please direct comments and critiques to:


Nancy  --  NATaylor@teleport.com

Knightie/NNPack/GWDFC/FMFC/FkN/FPO  

     "He was, as always, all business.  After all, there is

      nothing funny about fanfic." Sue Clark

http://www.teleport.com/~ldt/fkfanfic.htm</fontfamily>
</x-rich>