Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 22:16:31 -0700 Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: clark Subject: The Hallowed Halls (01/02) To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu This story follows "JodySue Gets in the Way" and "Not Again". Anyone who might in some way resemble a real person used with permission. (More aptly put...they made me do it!) Thanks to Marci, Cheryl and the folks at the N&N Mini-Con for giving me ideas. But don't worry, I'll still take all the blame. Permission given to archive at fkfanfic website and the FTP site. No other permission is granted to repost/reprint/reuse. If you're interested drop me a line. As always, feedback is welcomed. This story is based primarily on characters and situations that aren't mine. Thanks to TPTB for their use. "The Hallowed Halls" (01/02) by S. Clark "Madam, begone!" He stood in the corner of the room and pointed towards the door. She looked up at him, fluttering her eyes in adoration. "Madam, I command you. Leave my chambers." She sat on the edge of the bed. "Excuse me?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I seek my slumber. Go away, and vex me no further." "I'll help your slumber." She leaned forward, jutting her generous chest in his direction. "Men always sleep well, 'after.'" "After?" he asked. "After?" "After smut," she said, smiling brightly. "Smut? Young woman, there will be no smut." She frowned. "But my dear Lucien..." "I am not your dear anything," LaCroix snarled. "But you could be." She batted her eyelashes again. "You could also be dinner," he muttered to himself. "If you didn't have that blasted protection." "I thank my writer." Her voice was as perky as her smile. He fumed. "I curse your writer." "So," she continued, "smut, smut, smut, smut?" He rolled his eyes, adding the daytime and fan fiction to his list of cursed items. Lisa Sue patted the bed next to where she was seated. The black leather sheets were something she hadn't experienced before. But, for their first time, she was glad he had outfitted the room with something special. ### Nick glanced at the answering machine. The light was flashing with thirty-seven messages. He'd unplugged the phone after LaCroix's first five calls. And, while one or two calls might be from someone besides his master, he decided it was safer to vacate the loft just as soon as was possible and check the messages from a remote location. He flew to Natalie's apartment. She wasn't home. She'd coated her balcony with garlic butter. Nick had a feeling this wasn't going to be his night. He decided it was best to be proactive. He flew to the CN tower and took a seat atop. The night was clear but his mind was foggy. He knew there should be some way out of this mess. He called into the precinct to book off for the evening, citing a death in the family. He didn't want to explain the death would be his own. Just as he began to feel he'd safely escaped his worries, Nick felt another of his own kind. LaCroix landed next to him. "Nicholas." As a vampire Nick was immune to the affects of weather. But there was no shelter from the cold tone in LaCroix's voice. "Hello, LaCroix." "We have a matter to discuss." Nick didn't respond. "You know about my," he paused, seeking a term. He finally spat out the word, "visitor?" Nick nodded. "And you know you are the nexus of these problems?" he continued. Nick shrugged. "I didn't ask for this." "But it is your doing nonetheless," LaCroix's tone was rising along with the tempo of his speech, both denoting his anger at the situation. "Yes," agreed Nick. "It's all my fault." "I have had no sleep, Nicholas. You may find it has affected my disposition." LaCroix grabbed his son under the chin, making Nick look him in the eye. "You will take care of this." Nick knew it was not a question but a command. He tried nodding but LaCroix's grip was like a vice. "I know," he said, forcing out the words. LaCroix released his grasp and took off, leaving Nick once again alone. And, once again in search of a solution to the problem of the smut brigade. Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 22:19:49 -0700 Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: clark Subject: The Hallowed Halls (02/02) To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Most of the disclaimers in part 01/02. If you need more non-story, check there. As always, feedback is welcomed. This story is based primarily on characters and situations that aren't mine. Thanks to TPTB for their use. "The Hallowed Halls" (02/02) by S. Clark Nick returned to the loft as dawn was breaking. He reached out with his senses. Best he could tell, the place was empty. He glanced at the machine. Another twenty-two messages. He realized while he could check to see what had happened while he was out, he'd really rather not know. Nick decided he'd attend to these things after he had a good night's sleep. He closed the shutters and went upstairs to his bedroom. In the room, on the bed, he found a woman. Her wrists and ankles had been secured with ducktape (feather side in). But otherwise, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Nick grabbed the note that laid next to her on the bed. "I neglected to mention I've left this little present for you. Enjoy. L." Nick closed the door and returned downstairs. He obviously had more thinking to do. Nick was startled awake several hours later by a loud 'Thud!' And then a second. Then followed several more. He looked over and saw LisaSue, the woman he'd last seen on his bed, sliding down the stairs headfirst. She took a bad bounce on the landing and continued down to the main floor, literally, of the loft. Nick rushed over to her, and cradled her head in his lap. "Are you all right?" She gazed up into his blue eyes. "I am now." Nick released her head, letting it drop to the floor with another 'Thud!' "Good," he said. He stepped over her and went up to his bedroom. Once inside he locked the door. The time had come for desperate measures. He had a plan that he thought just might work. A few moments later he heard some scuffling outside his door. He had no idea how she had worked her way back up the stairs. But, from the pawing sounds, he guessed she was still well-secured. Nick pulled a pillow over his head to block the chorus of "smut, smut, smut, smut..." coming from outside his room. And, in time, fell into a fitful sleep in which he dreamed of being in a room of women, all of whom clapped and cheered as he removed his pants. Nick flew awake, forehead drenched in bloodsweat. He hoped the arrangements he'd requested had been made. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He was relatively certain it couldn't get any worse. Then he heard the lift engage. >From the lower level of the loft he heard Natalie's voice. "Nick, are you home?" Nick tried to get out of bed so he could rush to her before she discovered LaCroix's little 'present.' Unfortunately, the initial momentum of his silk pyjamas against his satin sheets caused him to go sliding off the bed in a tangle of covers. He heard Natalie's footsteps on the stairs. "Nick?" she repeated. Followed by silence and a "What the?" Nick rushed to the door. And, although he dreaded the consequences, he opened it. "Nick, what are you doing to this poor woman?" Natalie indicated the woman who was still bound, wrist and ankle, by the ducktape (feather side in). Nick stepped over the woman and rushed to Natalie. "This is not what it appears." "It's not a bound woman outside your room?" Ok, that part is as it appears." Nick tried the puppy-dog grin. "But not for the reasons you might think." Natalie frowned. "Nick, you've decided my protein shakes aren't good enough. You've gone back to..." Nick was aghast. "No. I mean yes." Tears began to form in Natalie's eyes. Nick took a deep breath. "Yes, the shakes are," he forced out the final word, "good. And no, I haven't gone back to..." He looked towards where the woman had been, but she wasn't there. Then he felt something rubbing against his leg. She had moved over to him. "Quick, Nat," he said, grabbing her under the arm, "let's go downstairs. She can't manage the stairs too well." Natalie pulled herself away. "I will not let you continue to keep this woman hostage." Nick backed away. "Nat, I wouldn't recommend that." "And why not?" "She's part of the," Nick looked around to make sure they were alone, aside from the one extra person he and Nat already knew about. "The smut brigade." "Smut brigade?" Natalie lifted an eyebrow. "And just what is that?" "These women. They're always after me. It's awful." "Awful, huh? And why are they after you?" He threw up his arms. "They want me to sleep with you." Nat looked at him for a moment, stunned. Then she ran down the stairs crying. Nick replayed the most recent thoughts he could recall, trying to figure out what the heck he'd just said. But he got stuck on a stray thought of a woman from the seventeenth century. By the time he realized he had zoned out, Natalie was gone. He took a step, but tripped over the woman writhing at his feet, and tumbled down the stairs. Fortunately, at the bottom he landed on his very thick skull and was unharmed. As she struggled into a sitting position he heard the lift engage again. He hoped it was Nat, returning to him. It was one of the men from the fanfic patrol. "You called?" He was, as always, all business. After all, there is nothing funny about fanfic. "Did you get things worked out?" The man handed Nick a packet. "Here's the deed. Are you sure you want them so close?" Nick shrugged, and stood up. "It seems if they're drawn up here, anyway. We have good local control." He shook the man's hand. "Thanks for that. It's appreciated." "Well, with all that's been produced locally, it's been needed." The man presented Nick with an invoice to sign. "I'm sure your generous gift will be appreciated by the others in town." Nick smiled. Maybe now he could get some peace. And figure out just what had made Natalie so upset. The man turned to leave. "One second," Nick called after him. "I've got one for you. At the top of the stairs." The man nodded and vaulted up the stairs. He returned in a moment with LisaSue flung over his shoulder. "Thanks for the convenient packaging." "Thank my maker," Nick muttered. "Nicky, Nicky," LisaSue cried, "don't let him take me from you." "I think this one's a set along with the one we picked up last week," the man said. "We've had her in temporary storage. No one wants to claim her." "Other one?" "JodySue? You remember? We picked her up here, also." Nick tried to think back, but this time, it was a woman from the eighteenth century that derailed the ol' thought train. By the time he came back to the present, the man in black was gone. Nick looked through the packet. It wasn't cheap, but he'd bought a building. Another warehouse, this one on the opposite side of town. The newly established Hallowed Halls of Smutters Anonymous was in business. He thought that maybe now he could find some peace. And Natalie. But not necessarily in that order.