Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1998 22:38:56 -0500 From: Lady Selinthia Subject: Christmas: Ghosts of Christmas Past [01/01] To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU All disclaimers, ect. Permission to archive upon Mel Moser's site. All comments are welcome. Ghosts of Christmas Past ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Selinthia Avenchesca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ zelna@sprint.ca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was the first Christmas since. . . No. He would not think of that, he simply wouldn't. But, it was so easy to do so, so easy to remember things. Christmas had most certainly not been LaCroix's favorite holiday, derived at it was from religion, but there had been times, when upon a Christmas night, he would wish his son a Merry Christmas, with a light laugh, or a sneering chuckle, walking away before Nicholas could react. The younger vampire was then left to wonder if LaCroix was even somewhat sincere, or simply mocking him. There had been one Christmas, centuries before this day, this age, upon which Nicholas, and Janette, and LaCroix had sat before a fire, gazing into the dancing flames, eyes half hooded, like a family of well contented cats. Nicholas had smiled, and for a moment, it had all seemed to normal, so very . . .mortal. With a fierce frown, he had shaken himself as the thought invaded his mind, quick to dismiss it before LaCroix could pick up upon it, quick to scold himself for even brushing upon such a notion. 'Mortal, he had scoffed to himself, what vampire would want to be mortal!' With a scowl so very similar to the one which had appeared upon his face those many years ago, Nick Knight jerked upright in his deep black leather chair. "What vampire would want to be mortal?" he echoed his long ago thought out loud, into the deathly silence of the loft. Deathly. . . The vampire grimaced, thinking of those who had died in this place. Natalie Lambert's brother, Richard, the museum curator, Alyce Hunter, and- No. He would not think again of that event. But thoughts of LaCroix in the past inevitably turned to thoughts of LaCroix when last Nick had viewed his father. Pressed up forcefully again the hard, cold metal of the loft's sliding door, fire crackling all around him, warm blood dripping from his mouth, golden eyes so very wide with anger, shock, and most of all, betrayal. That same betrayal echoed itself in Nick's dream's, in his thoughts, in his memories. There were times, a day, a week even when he could go on without thinking of that look, that expression, and then some event would occur, some statement would be made, something would happen, and the vampire's mind would return, inevitably to that final expression. It stood out, over so may others. And there had been others. . . It had been a wild, wintry Christmas Eve night some three centuries ago, and Nicholas, Janette, and LaCroix had been hunting. The prey was fiesty, spirited, the blood hot and rich and thick. Drunk on their satisfaction, the vampire trio had reeled into their current dwelling on the wings of exultation, laughing and chatting between themselves in a rare moment of peace. As the door slammed shut behind them, LaCroix had swung Nicholas around, right beneath the mistletoe that the master vampire had allowed his son to hang above the door, in a moment of indulgence. Before the younger vampire could exclaim in the surprise he felt, LaCroix had pulled the other close, and pressed a searing kiss to his lips, pulling back a moment later, an impish expression written all over his face. "Why so surprised, Nicholas. That is what the weed is for, is it not?" * * * Sharply, Nick Knight jumped to his feet, dismissing the memory with equal sharpness. But he could not help but let his gaze be drawn the heated scar that violated the coolness of the metal door of Nick's loft. Those eyes, so full of betrayal, flashed once more in his mind. A bitter chuckle escaped Nicholas's lips. Lifting his glass of blood wine in a mock toast to the air, he whispered, "Merry Christmas." Only the silence answered him. end Selinthia Avenchesca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Love is like a rose. It looks pretty for some small while, but soon wilts, dies, and falls to dust." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cousin/UF/Dark Knightie/CotK