Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 12:34:02 MST From: Megan Hull Subject: Joshua (1/?) To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu Disclaimer: The Forever Knight characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them. Joshua is mine, and if you want to use him for anything, please ask me first. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living, dead, or undead is probably mostly unintentional. I have never been to Toronto, so please forgive my ignorance regarding the city. I hereby give permission to archive on Mel's page. Anyone else, please ask, if just so I can brag about it. Special Thanks to: My little sister Rose and my best friend Leena, for their constant encouragement and patience. Also, to my beta-reader, Karen, for her wonderful insights, sound suggestions, and extremely picky editing skills. Feedback is more than welcome at . Constructive criticism is met with open arms and compliments with a pleased blush. Flames shall be raspberried and promptly discarded. Before reading: Remember that every story is a piece of a writer's soul. Please be gentle (and forgiving) with mine. Joshua (1/?) The moon was just rising above the trees as the car bumped its way down the barely visible road. It pulled to a stop in front of a very old, small cabin. "Are you sure you want to do this, Trace?" Vachon shifted uneasily as Tracy turned off the car and got out. "It's pretty rustic, and I haven't been here in years." "That's OK," Tracy chirruped as she opened the trunk, "I like rustic." Vachon sighed and got out to help Tracy with the bags. Tracy grinned. After two weeks of chasing the same case in circles, she had leapt at Vachon's invitation to visit his cabin in upper Ontario. She looked around. "Vachon, this is beautiful land! How did you get it?" "Squatter's rights. I was living here when the government surveyors came through. They gave me 150 acres." "Wow, that much?" "It wasn't all that much back then. About the size of a normal farm." Vachon shouldered the bags and closed the trunk. "Watch out when you open the door. No telling what's living in there." Tracy gingerly tried the door. It stuck for a moment, then opened with a creak and a groan. She waited, not sure what to expect, but when nothing came out at her, she carefully stuck her head inside. Dust and cobwebs covered everything, and she could hear the faint squeak of mice under the floor. "Maybe we should wait until we clean up a little before putting our stuff inside." "Yeah, sure," Vachon said, dumping the bags next to the door. "So where do we start?" Tracy was at a loss. Where do you start on what could be labeled a natural disaster? She sighed. At least they had thought to bring cleaning supplies. "Umm, let's start with the floors and walls," she said finally. "Sure," Vachon grabbed a broom from the pile by the door and headed in. The old floorboards squeaked beneath his boots, but held firm. More carefully, Tracy followed. , she thought, eyeing the open fireplace and shuttered windows. They didn't even have glass! She rolled up her sleeves and began to sweep the collected dust and dirt from the back wall. Soon the flying dust had them both coughing and sneezing. They stumbled out the door, gasping for breath. After a few moments, Tracy said, "If there's water nearby, we could tie wet rags over our faces." Vachon groaned. "You're really going to do this, aren't you?" he said with a pained look on his face. "Of course I am! Now where can I get some water?" "There's a small stream behind the cabin," Vachon said, sighing. He knew better than to argue. "The water should be clean." Tracy hopped up and headed around the cabin. Vachon shook his head and smiled. Once Tracy had decided to do something, heaven help whoever got in her way. Minutes later, they were back inside, sweeping for all they were worth. It was still hard to breath, not to mention see, but two hours later, Tracy proclaimed the small cabin livable. "What are you laughing at?" She exclaimed as she turned around to see Vachon chuckling. "You. You have a layer of dirt all over you." He rubbed a clean cloth over her forehead and showed her the smudge. "Well you're no better. It'll take hours to wash your hair out!" she teased. "Is there anywhere bigger than the stream to wash in? It's pretty small." "Yeah. Go downstream and you'll find a pool where this stream joins another one." "Good," Tracy said, snatching up a towel and some bio-soap. A she turned to leave, Vachon stood up to follow. "Just where do you think you're going?" she demanded. Vachon gave her a lecherous grin. "Uh-uh. You stay here." "Aw, c'mon Trace. I'll wash your back. It'll be fun!" Vachon used his most wheedling voice, but to no avail. "No. You can go wash when I come back. And no following me!" Vachon's face fell. Tracy smiled as an idea occurred to her. "Why don't you make a fire while I'm gone. I like fires. They're... romantic." Then she slipped into the forest, headed for the stream. Vachon pondered this suggestion for a moment, then grinned and set out to find firewood. Vachon looked down at where Tracy was snuggled up against him. "Not too hot?" He asked quietly. "No," came the answer, muffled by sleepiness and his shirt. Vachon looked back at the fire. Tracy had assured him that it was indeed cool enough to warrant both a fire and a blanket. Not that he had any objections. He looked down at Tracy again, now fully asleep. The sun had risen half an hour ago, but Vachon could tell there was still a bite in the air. Carefully, trying hard not to wake Tracy, he leaned back until they were both lying on the floor. He rearranged the blankets to cover her more securely. Then, wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He smiled. he thought, just before drifting off to sleep. That evening, after they had finished their respective dinners, Tracy proposed they go exploring. "Exploring? What for?" asked Vachon. "Because I've never seen this place, silly. And don't you want to see what's changed in...." "Thirty years," Vachon supplied. "Yeah, I guess." "Good." Tracy pulled on her jacket and picked up a flashlight. "What do you need that for?" Vachon exclaimed, trying to look offended. "You've got me!" "Well, excuse me, Mr. I-can-see-in-the-dark-better-then-a-cat, but unless you plan on carrying me around, I'm taking it. I don't want to kill myself on any roots." Tracy flipped the switch on the flashlight to make sure it worked. Less then a moment later, the flashlight clattered to the floor as she was swept up by an enthusiastic Vachon. "VACHON!!!! PUT ME DOWN!!!" Vachon couldn't help but laugh as he set her gently back on her feet. "Well, you're the one who suggested it." Muttering, Tracy bent to retrieve the flashlight, then looked at the still grinning Vachon. Somehow, she just couldn't stay mad at him. Reluctantly, she allowed a small smile to creep across her face. "Well, what are you standing there for?" she demanded. "Let's go." "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimer and other assorted info. Joshua (2/?) The night was clear and beautiful. What stars Tracy could see through the trees shown like pinpoints of fire, and the air was so perfect it seemed it would shatter if she spoke too loud. Quietly, she had questioned Vachon about everything they saw, from the rocks to the plants and animals. Now they walked leisurely back toward the cabin, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company. Through a break in the trees, Tracy could see a small clearing, and at the edge of the clearing were some beautiful white and pale blue flowers that Vachon had said only bloomed at night. "Wait here a second," she whispered, pulling away from Vachon. He nodded and watched as she walked to the clearing. At the edge, Tracy pulled up short and peered into the center of the small area. She looked back over her shoulder. "Vachon, come here," she called softly. Puzzled, he made his way to where she stood. There, in the middle of the clearing, a boy was sitting, clutching his knees and rocking back and forth. They could hear small whimpering noises coming from him. "He must be lost," Tracy said, starting forward. Suddenly, Vachon's hand closed on her wrist like a vice, yanking her backwards. Too shocked to protest, Tracy just stared up at him. "Stay here," he hissed. He walked carefully to where the boy sat. Kneeling down in front of him, he grasped the boy's chin in his hand and gently forced his head first right and then left, peering at him intently. Tracy gasped. In the dim light of the stars, she could see crimson tear tracks running down his face. Without looking up, Vachon called to her, "Tracy, go to the cabin and get some of my supplies. Three bottles should be enough." Numbly, Tracy nodded and turned, then suddenly started running toward the cabin. Bursting in, she threw open the old suitcase the Vachon had brought and snatched up three of the bottles inside. Without bothering to close the door behind her, she raced back to where Vachon was waiting. She stopped abruptly at the edge of the clearing, unsure of what to do. Vachon walked over to her and took the bottles. "What's wrong with him?" Tracy asked anxiously. Vachon shook his head. "I'll explain later." Then he went back to the boy in the center. Uncorking one of the bottles, he held it out, but the boy didn't even respond. After a few more unsuccessful tries, Vachon grabbed the boy's hair and yanked his head back, pouring the blood into his mouth. Coughing and sputtering, the boy shoved Vachon away. Vachon let him. A moment later, he snatched the bottle from Vachon's hand and began to drink as fast as he could. Two and a half bottles later, he finally sagged backwards onto the grass. Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Tracy secured the shutters against the rising sun as Vachon carefully lay the boy on a folded quilt. Tracy walked over and looked down at the sleeping form. Now that she could see him better, she could tell that he was less a child and more a youth. Fourteen, maybe fifteen years old, he was just starting to get the gangly look that comes from too much growth in not enough time. She scrutinized him more carefully. He was a handsome boy, sandy blond hair, well-proportioned features, and tanned skin that would all too soon fade into an almost translucent pale from lack of sun. "So what happened?" she asked quietly, looking at Vachon. He sighed. "It's called first hunger. When a new vampire first wakes up, they're ravenous, out of control. They can be very dangerous." "But he wasn't even moving." Vachon shook his head and glanced at the sleeping form. "I don't know. Maybe there's something wrong with him." "Wrong? Like what?" "How should I know?" Vachon shrugged helplessly. "We'll have to ask him when he wakes up." Tracy nodded, then looked confused as a thought occurred to her. "So who turned him into a... vampire?" she asked hesitantly. "And why wasn't he with him?" "Who knows? Tracy, there are a lot of things that could have happened. Maybe the guy didn't know he had brought the kid across. Or maybe he just didn't care. It happens." "But he could have died if we hadn't found him!" Tracy insisted, clearly upset by the thought. "Yeah, he probably would have. Like I said, it happens. Life isn't fair, Trace," Vachon gave an ironic smile, "and neither is death." Tracy let out an exasperated sigh. Vachon put his arms around her, comforting her as best he could. "Look at it this way. We did find him, he is still alive, and we're going to do our best to keep him that way. I'd say the kid just got a lucky break." Although still scowling, Tracy nodded, confident that Vachon would know what to do. Vachon, on the other hand, was not so sure. "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (3/?) The air was cooling with the onset of night before the boy's sleeping form stirred. With a sigh, he sat up on the makeshift bed and looked blearily around. "Hey," Tracy called gently from where she sat next to the fire. "Glad to see you're finally awake." "Yeah," he mumbled, then shook his head and took another look at his surroundings. "Where am I?" "In my friend's cabin." "What am I doing here?" The boy still seemed a little vague, but more awake with every moment. "We found you alone in the woods and brought you here. What's your name?" "Josh. Joshua Carter. How long have I been asleep?" "All day. It's just after sunset." "Oh, no! My dad's going to kill me! I've got to get home!" Joshua cried as he jumped up and headed for the door. "Not so fast, kid," Vachon was coming in the door with a load of firewood and caught Joshua by the arm. "You're not going anywhere yet." Joshua pulled his arm away and began backing away from Vachon. "Wh-why not? What are you going to do to me?" he asked fearfully. Vachon chuckled. "Nothing, kid. Calm down," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "We just want to ask you a few questions, that's all" He walked over to the fireplace and dropped the wood. Leaning over, he quietly spoke to Tracy. "I don't think he realizes what's going on." Tracy nodded in agreement. He looked back at Joshua. "What's the last thing you remember, kid?" "Umm..." Joshua thought for a moment, then just shrugged, looking confused. "OK," Vachon said, at a loss. He ran a hand through his long hair. "OK, let's try something else. When was the last time you ate?" "Last night, I guess," Joshua said with a shrug. He couldn't see where this was going. "We had spaghetti." "Ok. Starting from there, tell me everything you can remember." Joshua took a deep breath and began. "Well, I helped Mom clear the table, and then I went upstairs to do my homework. At eight, I watched the game on TV, the Bulls won again, and then I went to bed. No, wait..." he paused as the memories returned. "I was supposed to go to bed, but I went out with my friends. I snuck out my window and met them in the park. We all had crosses and stuff. See, there's this crypt in the old graveyard that's supposed to have a vampire trapped in it, and we were going to see if it was true." Tracy and Vachon exchanged a meaningful glance. Joshua's forehead scrunched up in thought. The memories were becoming harder to recall. "We got to the crypt and broke the seal. I remember wishing we had some more light. We didn't turn on our flashlights because we were afraid Mr. Young, the groundskeeper, would see us. We all had to pull together to get the door open, and then..." Joshua paused and closed his eyes. His head hurt. Why couldn't he remember? He continued slowly, struggling with each word. "Something moved inside the crypt, something dark. The door was only partway open and I...I stopped pulling. Something came out." He was frightened, but unable to stop. The room began to spin as memory flooded back. "It grabbed me, I couldn't move" "I tried to yell" "I didn't get much of a look at it" "It did... something." His hand flew on it's own to his throat as he gasped for breath. "It hurt" "I must have passed out" Joshua stopped, and for a while the only sound was their own breathing. When he finally resumed speaking, it was in a quiet monotone, as though he was in a trance. He no longer saw Vachon or Tracy, or the cabin. "When I woke up, it was dark. I was in an enclosed space. Small. I reached out. The ceiling was right in front of my face. There was something on it. Cloth. I was in a coffin. I was scared. I tried to get out. The cloth and wood tore away like paper. There was dirt, but I climbed out through it. It was night, but I could see everything perfectly. Mr. Young was coming towards me. He looked scared. I waited. I was hungry. I-- I-- " His steady voice faltered for a moment as he broke off the sentence. He had begun to shiver violently, but, swallowing, continued. "When I was done, I looked at him. He was dead. He had been nice to me, and he was dead, because I had killed him." Tears, unnoticed, began to make their way down his cheeks. "I started to run. I couldn't stop. I ran into the forest and kept going. I ran until everything was a blur and nothing mattered anymore, just running. I thought if I kept running, I wouldn't have to remember." He was crying in earnest now, great heaving sobs. "I didn't want to remember what I had done!" Tracy, also with tears in her eyes, looked helplessly at Vachon. He nodded and walked over to where Joshua sat, putting his arm awkwardly around the boy's shaking shoulders. No one said anything for a long time. End part 3 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See Part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (4/?) When Joshua's tears finally subsided, Vachon persuaded him to feed, and then, exhausted by the effort and pain of remembering, he fell back to sleep. Tracy looked up sadly as Vachon took a seat next to her. "So what now?" she asked. "I guess we keep him here until he's strong enough, then take him back to Toronto with us," he said slowly. Tracy nodded. Silence reined for a few minutes before she spoke, nervously. "What usually happens when a... young vampire... is abandoned?" Vachon had to smile at her hesitance. "We call them fledglings. What happens all depends on the person. About two-thirds of the fledglings brought across don't even know who their master is. Maybe half of them survive. They muddle through as best they can, sometimes with the help of other vampires, and figure things out as they go along. The other half make stupid mistakes or just can't handle what's happened to them, and they die." Vachon kept his voice carefully matter-of-fact. "Sometimes, when one is very lucky, they find someone willing to take them in, teach and care for them until they are old enough to survive on their own." Tracy looked at him hopefully. "Then you-" she began. "No, Trace," he looked at her firmly, "I'm not interested in the job. Among other things, fledglings are notoriously expensive, and I'm just a poor, lazy slacker, remember?" Tracy was about to protest when Vachon held up a hand to stop her. "But..." he continued, smiling a little, "I know someone who might be... persuaded." "NO!" Joshua glared defiantly at Vachon. "I won't drink it!" Vachon sighed. This was proving harder than he had thought. "Why not? You're hungry, right?" Joshua only scowled. Vachon took a deep breath and tried to be patient. "I know it's not easy to get used to, but blood's what you need now. Look, you really want to starve?" "Maybe," was the belligerent answer. Vachon gritted his teeth and reminded himself he wasn't going to toss this exasperating kid out into the daylight. He tried again. "Look, kid, you don't really want to die, do you?" he softened his voice. "I mean, really, given the choice." The sullen look finally left Joshua's face as he looked down at his hands. "No, not really," he admitted, "It's just that I hate this. Don't you understand that? I don't want to be a vampire! I never wanted to be a vampire. Some of the other kids always thought it would be cool, like when we were messing around, pretending, but I didn't. And it's just as bad as I thought it would be. I hate being cooped up in here all day, I hate not being able to eat real food, and I..." his voice cracked and he swallowed, "I miss my family." "I know, kid." Vachon felt he had to do to cheer this kid up. "But, well, look at the bright side. You're stronger then the strongest mortal, you can move like lightning, fly, hypnotize people, and you'll live forever." The scowl returned to Joshua's face. "Yeah, great," he spat. "I get to spend the rest of eternity looking like a 15-year-old." Vachon looked surprised for a moment then began to laugh. "Y'know, that's something I hadn't thought about. You have my sympathies, kid." He was silent for a moment, letting Joshua just think about his new situation. "I guess it won't be all bad," Josh finally admitted. "It isn't," Vachon assured him with relief. "You ready for something to drink now?" "If I have to." "OK, everyone ready? Did we forget anything?" "Let's go, Trace." Vachon couldn't wait to get back to Toronto and his favorite haunts. As much as he liked Tracy and as fond as he had grown of Joshua, the Spaniard wasn't sure he could take one more day in an enclosed space with them both. Somehow a cabin that had been plenty big for two was far too small for three. Joshua sat silently in the back. He didn't relish going so far from the only home he had ever known. And he was nervous. It had been explained that he would stay at Vachon's place until someone could be found who would take care of him. He didn't doubt that he needed it, but who would it be? What would they be like? He contemplated this as the scenery rushed by the windows. "Yeah, Nick Knight. I'm either in bed or incommunicado. Leave a message." BEEP "Knight, its Vachon. We gotta talk. Meet me at my place at 8:30 tonight." Nick frowned. What could Vachon want? Tracy had been at work the night before, and she seemed fine. Maybe not as perky as she usually was, but certainly not hurt in any way. He glanced at the clock. 7:45. End part 4 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (5/?) The church was mostly dark when Nick pulled up, but he could see a little light coming from the back. He let himself in and made his way to where Vachon had set up residence. "Hey, Knight, nice to see you." Vachon said with a nervous smile. Nick regarded him suspiciously. "What did you need to talk to me about?" In answer, Vachon gestured across the room to where Nick could see a boy stretched out on a couch, asleep. "That's Joshua Carter," he explained. "Tracy and I kind of stumbled across him at my place up north." Nick looked at the boy again. A fledgling, very young. He nodded and Vachon continued. "He was in shock or something, it was a pain getting him to feed. Anyway, he's not going to survive without someone to teach him, and I promised Tracy that I'd try to find someone. I didn't mention you!" he hurried to add as Nick glared at him. He continued in a low voice. "But, honestly, I can't think of anyone else. This kid hates the idea of being a vampire about as much as you do. I just can't see handing him over to one of the other members of the Community." Nick took a long look at Joshua, then Vachon. "No." Vachon blinked in surprise at the outright refusal, but rallied gamely. "C'mon Knight, why not? He's a nice kid, real smart. You'll like him." "Absolutely not." Nick turned to glare at Vachon. "I've spent the last few centuries trying to become mortal again. Taking on a fledgling would mean giving that up, and I'm not about to!" "Really?" The word was a challenge, unusual for Vachon, but he was running out of ideas. "I thought your doctor friend was trying to find some scientific way to bring you back across. If she ever does, this kid would be happy to join you. Meanwhile, you can keep him out of trouble." By now, Vachon was almost pleading. He didn't have a backup plan, and really didn't want to tell Tracy it hadn't worked. Nick seemed to waver a little, looked at the young boy for a long moment, then shook his head decisively and turned to leave. "Sorry. Find someone else." Vachon took a deep breath and played his trump card. "How about LaCroix? I'm sure he wouldn't mind a smart kid like Joshua." He paused as Nick stopped suddenly, stiffening. Then he continued more softly. "Of course, it might be a little hard on Josh." Nick whirled around and stalked back to where Vachon stood, stopping centimeters from his nose. "You wouldn't," he hissed venomously. Vachon held his ground. "I would." As Nick's eyes began to tinge with gold, Vachon barely resisted the urge to flee. He hoped desperately that he hadn't overplayed his hand. Finally, Nick stepped away from him, glaring. "I'll get back to you." Then he was gone. Nick frowned as he leaned back into his couch and looked at the woman sitting at the other end. "That's all there is to it, Nat," he finished. "Wow." Natalie Lambert shook her head in disbelief. "So what are you going to do?" "I don't know," Nick said tiredly. "I don't know Vachon well enough to say whether or not he'd follow through on his threat. But there's more then just that to think about." He shifted restlessly. "Taking on a fledgling would mean changing everything." "Like what?" Natalie had some idea, but she knew that Nick needed to talk this out. "Well, for one thing, fledglings have to drink human blood. There's no two ways about it. And..." he hesitated, "and I'd have to as well." "Oh?" Natalie said with surprise. "Why?" "Animal blood is OK for day to day stuff. I usually don't do much more then a normal mortal. But teaching and protecting a fledgling is completely different. I'd need the energy human blood provides... which is the main reason I don't want to do this." Natalie nodded but didn't speak as Nick poured out his worries. "Besides, he's only 15. People would notice that he doesn't age a lot faster then they notice me. I'd have to move around more. As for teaching him, how much time would I have to take out of work? Could I even afford to have a job? Besides, I'm not exactly what you'd call a model vampire, do I even know enough to teach him right?" Natalie stopped the flow of words with a quiet hand over Nick's mouth. "You sound just like my cousin when he found out his wife was pregnant." She whispered with a smile. Nick removed her hand and smiled back. "Oh? And what did he do?" "He decided to simply do his best and not to worry about things that might never happen." "Ah." "And I think that you decide to take Joshua," she continued carefully, "you would make a pretty good teacher and an awful nice friend. And it sounds like he needs both." "What about finding me a cure?" he asked with apprehension. "From what you say, Joshua won't mind in the least if we keep working on it," she reassured him. "Besides, I just finished that last batch of tests. Drinking animal blood wasn't doing you a bit of good." "What?" Nick groaned. "You mean I drank that stuff for no reason?" "Well, not no reason. After all, when you started, there was no such thing as a blood bank." She looked at Nick pointedly. He smiled. "Nope, there wasn't." End part 5 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (6/?) Nightfall found Nick back at the abandoned church that Vachon called home. Not bothering to knock, he walked back to the living area. There he spied Vachon and Joshua sitting by a crate, playing cards. Vachon looked up as he walked in. "Knight! I wasn't expecting you back so soon," he said as he jumped up and walked to where Nick stood in the doorway. Joshua watched them carefully. "So?" "I thought I should meet Joshua before making any decision," Nick said evenly. Vachon nodded and motioned for Nick to follow him. Joshua stood quickly as they approached, eyeing Nick uneasily. "Joshua, this is Nick Knight. Knight, Joshua Carter." The two shook hands uncomfortably. Vachon glanced at first Joshua and then Nick. He cleared his throat. "I'll just let you two get acquainted," he said, making a fast exit. Nick smiled ruefully. "That's Vachon for you." Joshua looked up curiously. "How long have you known him?" "I met him in passing about 300 years ago," Nick said with a shrug, "but it's not like we're good friends or anything." "How did you meet him?" Joshua wanted to know. Nick's mind drifted briefly into the past. -Flashback- The coast of France 1652 Nicholas stowed his bags in the corner of his small room and checked the time again. It was still hours until daylight, but for once he wished the sun would hurry and rise. LaCroix would be furious when he realized his son had left again, the second time in three years. Nicholas hoped that by the time anyone noticed he was missing, the ship would be well on its way to Spain. Suddenly, Nicholas stood upright, his senses tingling. There was another vampire nearby. Although he felt nothing of his family, LaCroix was very good at hiding himself. he worried. Cautiously, he opened the door of the cabin and looked out. He nearly laughed with relief when he saw his companion, a sullen-looking young Spaniard working the ropes to the sails. The Spaniard had apparently not noticed that he was there until that moment, for he stiffened in surprise and looked around with alarm. Then he noticed Nicholas watching him and the two stared at one another for a long moment. Though not a word passed between them, they shared the unspoken agreement of silence that is common between two individuals who are both running away from something. Nicholas saw the young vampire several more times during the week-long journey, but they each had their own worries, and never spoke more than a polite greeting. He was glad to leave the ship behind when they landed, and eager to get on to the city of Madrid. He wondered briefly how long his freedom would last this time. -End Flashback- Nick smiled a little before answering Joshua's question. "Oh, he was working on a merchant ship at a time when I was doing some traveling. We crossed paths only briefly, and I didn't even know his name until recently." "So how do you know him now?" Nick eased himself gingerly onto the aging couch before answering. "Tracy's my partner." "Partner?" Joshua paused, considering. "You mean you're a cop? Wow." "Does that surprise you?" "Well, I didn't think... you know, vampires don't usually... I mean, everyone knows that vampires are rich! Why do you work?" Nick had laugh. "Some are rich, some aren't," he explained. "Vachon's dirt poor, if you hadn't noticed. It's because he refuses to work other then playing his guitar sometimes. He's a self-proclaimed slacker." "Yeah, I had noticed that," Joshua said with a smile. "So what about you?" "Well, I have plenty of money, but I like working. It makes me feel good, because I'm contributing something to society. I use some of my savings to supplement my income, and the rest is part of a charity foundation." "Wow, cool." Josh paused before asking, a little shyly, "How old are you, anyway?" "About 800 years. I was born in 1194. And you? What do you like to do?" Joshua bit his lower lip as he thought. "Umm... I like to play basketball, and Nintendo, and I like to read sci-fi books, and I'm a brown-belt in Tae Kwon Do." Nick smiled. "Great," he said, then frowned. "Uh, what's 'Nintendo'?" "It's a video-game machine," Josh replied, trying hard not to laugh. "Almost everyone I know has one. You really don't know what it is?" Nick shook his head. "This world changes way too fast." He wracked his mind for something else to ask. "Anyway, what's your best subject in school?" "Oh, I don't know. I do OK in all of them, but I don't really like any of them." He thought for a moment, then continued. "I always thought I could really like history, but they don't teach it right." "What do you mean?" Nick asked, curious. "They make you memorize all these stupid dates and places and stuff, but they don't really tell you why it's all important." Josh shrugged. "You know, how it's connected together, and what it did to change things, not just for the rulers and those guys, but for the people and how they lived." Nick gave a nod of agreement. "I taught archeology and history at a university for a while, and it always amazed me how little students knew about everyday history." An incredulous look crossed Joshua's face. "You were a teacher, too?" "And a doctor, and an archeologist, and an actor. I've done a little of everything. I started out as a crusader." "No way!" Joshua leaned forward excitedly. "You mean like with King Richard and everything?" "Not really. I was only five when King Richard died. I remember because my father held a feast like none other." "A feast?" This seemed to perplex Joshua. "Because the king died?" "He was an English king, and my family was very loyally French." Nick smiled, glad that this was his night off. This looked like it was going to take all night. It was nearly sunrise when Vachon finally returned. He was surprised to see that Nick was still there, and even more so that he and Joshua were still talking animatedly. "Well, it looks like you two are getting along well," he said with a relieved smile. Nick stood and greeted him. They moved a short distance from Joshua to talk, but not so far that he couldn't hear. "Yeah, we had an interesting night." He glanced back at Josh, who had a kind curious, hopeful look on his face. He turned back to Vachon. "You're right, he's a nice kid." Vachon nodded encouragingly. "And that means..." "It means I'm not saying 'no' right now. But I'm not saying 'yes' either. I'll be in touch." Nick turned and was gone. Josh looked confused and a little hurt. "I don't get it. We had fun talking, I thought he liked me." Vachon sighed and rested a comforting hand on Joshua's shoulder. "Knight's not the kind of guy who takes changes very easily, and we're asking him to make a very big change. It'll take a while before he decides whether or not he can handle it." End part 6 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (7/?) Nick sighed as he hit the button that closed the metal shutters, blocking out the light for another day. He tossed the remote control onto the coffee table and headed to the kitchen. As he poured himself a glass of blood, he looked around the loft. He wondered idly what the place would look like with a teenager around. Messier, definitely. Nick smiled. What had Nat called it? Ah, yes. The 'lived-in' look. The smile faded. What would something like this do to their relationship? That was one concern he hadn't told her about. Where would he find time to spend with her? She obviously wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, she seemed to like it. He shook his head. Time enough to think about that later. But he couldn't keep himself from wondering what would happen if he said 'yes'. How would he explain Joshua's sudden appearance? His records showed that he had no close relations. Nick mused on this for a while, then shrugged it off. Aristotle could figure that one out. And he could clear out one of the rooms at the bottom of the stairs for a bedroom. He'd probably have to get one of those... what were they? Nintendo's? A smile began to creep back across his face. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Still, he reminded himself, there were a lot of things to consider. He had a lot of thinking to do before he made up his mind. "Knight, you're late!" Capt. Joe Reese did not look happy at all. "Sorry, Cap. I was up late and slept in." Reese looked at his star detective. It was obvious he wasn't in peak form. His hair was mussed, and he hadn't bothered to shave. "Yeah, well, not on my shift you don't," he grumbled. Nick gave the captain one of his patently charming smiles. "Don't worry," he assured him. "It won't happen again." He looked around curiously. "Where's Tracy?" As if on cue, Tracy Vetter burst though the door, red faced and panting. If anything, she looked even more disheveled than Nick. "I'm so sorry," she blurted out as she came up to them. "I was visiting a friend. I guess I didn't notice the time." Nick hid a smile. He could guess that she had been over to see Vachon and Josh. Reese shook his head. "Well, you're here now. Looks like it's going to be quiet tonight, so you can start getting caught up on your paperwork. Knight, I want that Simmons report on my desk by morning." "Sure, Cap." Nick and Tracy looked glumly at each other as the captain went back to his office. This was going to be a long night. Midnight found both detectives still at their desks, but neither working. Tracy fiddled with her pen as she worried. Vachon had said that he had talked to someone, but hadn't gotten any reply yet. she couldn't help but wonder. Tracy hoped not. She liked having the kid around. Across the desk, Nick struggled with the answers to her questions. End part 7 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (8/?) Nick pulled his eyes away from the ceiling to glance at the clock. 2:19 p.m. He groaned and rolled onto his side. Why couldn't he sleep? *You know why *, some part of his mind chastised him. *You've made your decision about the boy, why don't you tell Vachon? * , Nick argued mentally. *So why didn't you pay him a visit this morning? You knew then. * Nick struggled to shut out the voice, but he still heard the knowing whisper. *Because you're scared. * -Flashback- France 1228 "Are you afraid, Nicholas?" He glanced up as LaCroix's voice hissed in his ear, then shook his head uneasily. "N-No, Master," he lied, "I've just never been so far from the ground before." Nicholas looked down again at the three-story drop. He swallowed and started to move away from the edge, but LaCroix pushed him forward insistently. "Come, my boy," LaCroix said pleasantly, "There is nothing to it. Simply step off the edge, and allow your new power to exert itself." "Like this, mon cher." Janette demonstrated, floating easily in front of him. Nicholas looked somewhat more encouraged, but glanced nervously at the empty air between her and the ground so far below. "What if I don't fly?" His voice cracked just a little as he looked back at his master. LaCroix smiled. "Why then you will fall, and be little the worse for the wear." When Nicholas didn't respond, his gaze turned severe. "Nicholas," he continued softly, "if you do not jump, I will push you. Either way, we will not be up here all night." Nicholas nodded; he quite believed that LaCroix would do just that. Taking a deep breath he edged forward, but faltered as he again gauged the distance. Janette smiled encouragingly. "Do not look at the ground, Nicholah. Look at the stars." Nicholas obligingly looked up. The sky was beautiful tonight, clear with just a sliver of a moon. "Do you not wish to be among them?" Janette's voice was little more than a whisper. He nodded. "Then come." Not taking his eyes off the sky above him, Nicholas gritted his teeth and stepped out into empty air. -End Flashback- Nick looked around the deserted church before opening the door that led to Vachon's living space. Suddenly, he wasn't as sure as he had been. Joshua looked up from a book as Nick entered, and his face lit up. "Hi, Nick! How's it going?" he told himself firmly, and forced a smile for Joshua. "Where's Vachon?" "Here," was Vachon's answer as he came from somewhere behind Nick. He smiled encouragingly at Joshua, then turned to Nick. "Well?" Nick closed his eyes and nodded. "OK, I'll take him on two conditions." Vachon, despite his relief, was wary. "And those would be..." "Number one, you have to keep an eye on him while I'm at work, at least at first." "Uh-huh, OK. And?" "Two, YOU get to figure out how we're going to break this to Tracy." Vachon's eyes widened as he considered the implications of this. "Yeah. Great." He managed a weak smile as Nick turned to leave. End Part 8 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (9/?) "Aristotle!" The older vampire looked up from his computers as Nick descended the stairs. He smiled in welcome. "Ah, Nicholas. What can I do for you? It's not time for you to move on already, is it?" Nick shook his head. "No. Something else completely. I'm taking a fledgling; I need you to set up a background for him." Aristotle just stared at Nick for a moment. "Well," he said at last, "Well, um, yes." He turned to tap a few keys, then looked back at Nick. "I can do that, yes." He hesitated for a moment longer then decided he had to know. "Nicholas, I do not understand. You? I thought you had done with the vampire's life. Why in the world would you take a fledgling?" Nick smiled a little at his old friend. "I guess 'taking on' would be a better way to put it. Vachon found an abandoned fledgling out in the parks, and I agreed to take him." Aristotle looked dubious. "That doesn't really answer my question, Nicholas. Why?" Nick pulled up a chair and sat down. "A lot of reasons. First and foremost, because the kid needs someone like me. He's smart, and he listens. Maybe I can help him avoid some of the mistakes I made." Aristotle forbore from pointing out that most of those mistakes had been made at the prodding of LaCroix. "And he's adamantly against the idea of staying a vampire one moment longer than necessary, and I'm the only one I know of who can understand that." "I could name a few, but go on." "Besides, I've been feeling lately that my life's, I don't know... too quiet, I guess. Like there's more I could be doing. Joshua was brought across and abandoned. If I can make this easier for him, I want to." Aristotle chuckled derisively. "You're a homicide detective, and you're complaining that your life is 'too quiet'? I don't think I'll ever understand you, Nicholas." He tapped a few keys on the computer in front of him and pulled up a blank screen. "Ok, let's get started then. Name?" "Joshua Carter. Do you think he can keep it?" "It's a common enough name. Age?" "15." Aristotle raised his eyebrows at this but continued. "Background?" Nick supplied everything he knew about Joshua's family. The questions went on for a while longer before Aristotle was satisfied, though he frowned when he heard where Joshua was from. "And you're planning to stay in Canada? Risky business, Nicholas." "Canada is a big place, and his family lives on the other side of the province. We'll be OK." Nick spoke with more confidence than he felt. "Very well," Aristotle said with a sigh of resignation. He pulled a piece of paper off the printer and handed it to Nick. "Here's what we'll do. He's your cousin's son. Your cousin and his wife just died in an auto accident, and since you are the only living relative, they left everything to you, with the stipulation, of course, that you care for the boy. Sound plausible enough?" Nick nodded. "It'll work." "Fine," Aristotle went on briskly, "I'll have all the papers and records ready in two days. Meanwhile, I'd suggest you get this settled with your boss." Nick turned to leave. "Ah, Nicholas?" Nick paused and looked back. "I actually have a few more questions." Aristotle continued at the questioning look that Nick gave him. "First off," he paused, trying to phrase the question as carefully as possible, "Have you told LaCroix of your decision?" Nick scowled. "No, and I don't intend to. He probably knows already, and if he doesn't, that's his tough luck," he snapped. Aristotle decided not to pursue the question further; he understood that Nick's anger was more defensive than anything. With a placating gesture, he continued. "Secondly, and merely out of curiosity, are you planning to re-bond him?" Nick hesitated, then nodded. "I wasn't going to tell anyone yet, but yes. Anything else?" "Just this: Nicholas, my friend... are you really sure you want to do this?" Nick's face softened into a smile. He knew that gentle Aristotle understood what he was giving up. "Yes, my friend. I'm sure." Captain Reese looked up in surprise as Det. Knight walked into his office, unsummoned. He wanted to ask, but instead just put down the file he had been holding and waited for Nick to speak. "Captain, I'm going to need a week off." Reese raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh? Any particular reason, Knight?" Nick handed him the official-looking letter Aristotle had given him. "My cousin and his wife just died, and they named me executor of the estate." Reese skimmed the letter quickly, then looked up at Nick sympathetically. "Well, Knight, I'm truly sorry to hear that." He looked at the letter again and frowned. "But your records don't list any close relatives." Nick shrugged casually. "'Close' is the operative word here, Captain. I haven't seen Dave since his wedding, and I was only 12 then. We haven't exactly stayed in touch." "So why would he make you the executor?" "Our family's pretty small. I'm his closest living relative, and his wife didn't have any family." Reese nodded understandingly. "OK, I'll book you off. But why a week? A lawyer could take care of this in a few days." Nick looked a little uncomfortable. This was the hard part. "I've already seen the will, Cap," he said. "They've left everything to me, with the understanding that I'll use it to care for their son." Reese looked up in surprise. "Son? As in 'child'?" "Sort of. He's not a little kid; he's fifteen already. They didn't want him to end up in Social Services, and I agree. Besides, he has the same sun allergy that I do. It runs in the family," Nick hastened to add as an incredulous look came over Reese's face. "I just seem to be the best choice." Reese let out a low whistle. "A teenager. Well, I hope everything works out OK. And my sympathies about your cousin." He handed the letter back to Nick. "Thanks, Cap." "Good luck." Reese said as Nick turned to leave. Nick smiled and nodded his thanks. As he closed the door, he heard the Captain mutter, "you're going to need it." End Part 9 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to those mourning for Stormborn. I regret to say that, other than through her fiction, I didn't know her. I wish I had, she sounds like someone well worth knowing. Molly, your talent and warmth will be missed. Say 'hi' to Lynn for me. Joshua (10/?) "Alright, everything's set up," Nick announced as he came through the door. He looked at Josh. "You ready to go?" "You bet!" Josh exclaimed, jumping up. "I guess I don't have any luggage to worry about." Nick looked around. "Where's Vachon? He's not supposed to have left you alone." Josh shrugged. "He went out to find a phone to call Tracy. He figured it would be all right because you had just pulled up." "Well, then, let's go." Nick led the way out to his car. As they exited, Josh smiled. "Man, this is a relief. I mean, Vachon's nice and all, but there is NOTHING to do around here." He stopped short as they approached Nick's car. "Is that yours?" he asked in disbelief. "Yup," Nick answered proudly. "'62 Caddy." Josh peered at the car, first from one angle, then another. He scratched his head. "Just what do you call that color?" Nick glanced at the car, then at Josh. "What do you mean?" he asked, a little annoyed. Josh ignored the annoyance. "Well, it's certainly not blue or green, but it's not turquoise, either. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite that color. What's it called?" "It's aqua, now get in," Nick snapped in exasperation. As he got in the driver's side, he glanced over to see Josh unsuccessfully hiding a grin. he thought as he rolled his eyes, Tracy was just rolling out of bed when the phone rang. She fumbled with the receiver for a moment before answering. "Yeah, Vetter here." "Trace, it's me." "Oh, hi, Vachon. What's up?" "Do you have anything planned for your lunch break tonight?" She glanced at her calendar. "Nothing that can't be put off. Why?" "Meet me at the park on Second and Jessup at 1 a.m. I've got some news for you." "What, you can't tell me over the phone?" "Just trust me, Tracy." She sighed. So much for going downtown for some 'real' Chinese food. "OK, I'll see you then. Bye." Joshua gaped as he looked around the loft. "Jeez, this place is huge! You could fit my whole house in here! But why is it so dark?" "I just never saw the need for much light," Nick said with a shrug. "Cuts down the electric bills. Your room will be over here." He led the way to a door just beside the stairs. The windowless room was clean, but empty. "I thought you would want to pick out your own furniture." Joshua nodded absently. "There's no closet," he observed. "We'll take care of that later. What I think we need to do right now is get you some clothes. You've been wearing those for how long?" Josh looked down at his grimy clothes and smiled sheepishly. "Almost a week." "That's what I thought. While we're at it, we'll get a bed and dresser. You can add more later." "Will anything be open this late?" Josh asked, still trying to figure out time references. "I mean, it's summer." "I know of a department store that closes at midnight. It's not the greatest quality merchandise, but it should suffice." Nick thought for a moment. "After that, I want to stop by the coroner's office to introduce you to Natalie." "Natalie?" Joshua searched his memory. "She's the one trying to figure out how to turn vampires back into normal people, right?" "That's her." "Cool." "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimer and other assorted info. Joshua (11/?) Grinning evilly, Nick motioned Joshua to keep quiet as he slipped through the open door and moved silently up behind Natalie as she bent over some paperwork. He paused for a moment and glanced back at Josh, wriggling his eyebrows for effect. Joshua had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from snickering. He had pulled this trick on his sister often enough to know that the slightest noise would ruin it. Nick leaned carefully over until his mouth was less than an inch from Natalie's ear. "Hey there," he said softly. Natalie jumped up with a small shriek and whirled on him, red-faced. "Nick, for the hundredth time, DON'T DO THAT!" But she couldn't seem to stay mad in the face of that enormously pleased grin. She sat back down with a sigh of annoyance. "What do you need? You're off for the week." "I thought you might like to meet someone." He turned and motioned Joshua into the room. "Nat, I'd like you to meet Joshua Carter. Josh, this is Dr. Natalie Lambert." Josh extended his hand with a mischievous smile. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am. Nick's told me a lot about you." "Oh?" Natalie asked as she shook his hand. "What exactly has he told you?" "Just that you're the sweetest, most brilliant, most beautiful, most incredible person he's ever met. He's right about the beautiful part." By this time, Nick's face had taken on a decidedly pink shade. Natalie grinned at Josh and then at Nick. "A real charmer, isn't he? I think I like this kid already." She tuned back to address Joshua. "Did Nick tell you that I'm trying to find a cure for vampirism?" At his nod, she continued. "You wouldn't mind if I took some blood samples, would you? I'm anxious to see what differences there are between your blood and Nick's." Josh looked from Natalie to Nick. "I guess not." Natalie patted the metal table. "Just sit down here." A few moments later, she was labeling a new vial as Josh watched the small needle hole close up. He looked up at Nick, who was standing nearby. "I guess this is what you meant when you said you felt like a pincushion." Natalie just laughed. Nick opened the door slightly and smiled at the sight of Joshua sprawled out on his new bed. The boy had been exhausted after only a few hours awake. But then, that was normal. Nick remembered how everything had seemed to take twice as much energy as it should have those first few weeks. The ringing of the telephone interrupted his reverie. He picked it up before the answering machine could come on. He expected that Joshua would sleep right through it, but there was no use in taking chances. "Hello, Knight here." "Hey, it's me." The familiar voice made him smile. "Hi, Nat. What's up?" "Oh, I was just wondering how Joshua was holding up." "He's doing surprisingly well. He's asleep right now." "I didn't want to ask when you were here, earlier, but why hasn't he reacted like Richie did?" Nick could hear a suppressed note of resentment in her voice. "He will, Nat. Believe me, he will," he said, unable to keep the regret out of his voice. "I'm guessing that in the shock and fear of his first few hours, he managed to lock away the vampire part of his awareness, and keep it there while his future was still uncertain. But now... well, the vampire doesn't like to stay hidden very long." "Oh." The resentment had been replaced by chagrin. Nick let his thoughts wander for a moment. "What's worse," he muttered, "is that the re-bond will start the whole thing over again." "The what?" Natalie's voice brought him back to himself. "What are you talking about?" Nick cringed inwardly. He hadn't meant to say that aloud. "It's nothing, Nat. Really," he tried to assure her. It didn't work. "Uh-uh, Nick, you're not getting away with that this time. Spill." Nick considered for a moment. He could refuse to answer, but that would just make Natalie mad. Besides, there really was no reason not to tell her. "It's not something I can talk about over the phone," he said at last. "Do you want to come over after you get off? There's a lot I'll need to explain." "Sure, I'll be there." Nick glanced at the clock as he hung up the phone. Almost 1 o'clock. He hoped Tracy would take this whole thing as well as Nat seemed to be. "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (12/?) Tracy looked around the unfamiliar park. It was a classic place for a secret meeting, large enough for privacy, but too small to get lost in. She heard a quiet *whoosh* and spun around before Vachon could sneak up on her. "So what is it?" Vachon smiled nervously and ran a hand through his long hair. "Well, I've got news you're going to love and news you're going to hate." "Don't you mean 'good news and bad news'?" "No. They're both good news, really. But you're not going to like one of them." Tracy sighed, exasperated at his stalling. "Just tell me, OK?" "Well, the news you're going to love is that I found someone to take care of Josh, and it's someone who lives here in Toronto." "Really?! That's great!" She grinned excitedly and then checked herself, looking at him suspiciously. "So what am I going to hate?" "Umm, well," Vachon shifted his weight nervously. "It's who I found to take care of him..." "Yeah?" "It's, umm..." he swallowed, "y'see, well..." A familiar voice behind Tracy made her whirl around in surprise. "Actually, Tracy, it's me," her partner said as he stepped out of the shadows. Tracy stared first at Vachon and then Nick for a few moments. Images from the last 5 months came flooding back. Nick, hurrying home before sunrise, shaking his head when he was offered anything to eat, wincing away from the sight of blood, staring off into space... "Is this some kind of joke?" she asked weakly, begging them to tell her she was wrong. Nick and Vachon glanced at each other, then turned back to Tracy. Nick answered for them both. "No." Tracy gaped at him for a few moments, unable to do anything else. Some part of her mind idly cataloged meaningless details. The soft-looking white shirt he wore, the way the lamplight glinted off his hair, and his eyes, those strangely deep blue eyes that she had tried so often to understand, were wary and uncertain. Her head dropped as she struggled to understand. Nick watched Tracy cautiously as her heart rate jumped. When she finally looked back up at him, her face was nearly purple. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!!!!!" Tracy screamed as she launched herself at him. Nick grabbed her arms, careful not to hurt her, and held her immobile. Within a few minutes she stopped struggling and went limp in his grasp. He set her down gently and stepped away from her. Tracy looked up at him with tears of hurt and anger in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me!?" she cried. "We're supposed to be partners!" Nick looked away guiltily and then answered. "There were several reasons, the most important being your safety." He cut off Tracy's protest with a rueful smile. "I know, you can take care of yourself. And you can, normally. But try to understand. It was bad enough that you knew about Vachon, but not really serious. The problem is, the more you know, the more likely the Enforcers are to notice you." "Enforcers?" "They're a kind of vampire version of police. They make sure knowledge of us don't get out to the general public. They do anything they think is necessary." "Anything?" That didn't sound so good to Tracy. Nick nodded grimly. "You mean they'd do something like... kill me?" Tracy squeaked. "Just because I know about you guys?" She looked at Vachon for confirmation, which she got. "And us, too, for letting this get out of hand," Vachon assured her. "The less you knew, the better. That's why I didn't say anything." Tracy glanced nervously at the shadows. "What about now? I mean, you're telling me plenty." Nick was a little relieved. At least she seemed to understand how serious this was. "Vachon and I will vouch for you," he said reassuringly. "It's a tricky business, and if anything goes wrong, we're all in for it. But so far, you've proven not to be a threat. As long as you stay that way, everything should be fine." "Wow. Ok, I get it. You won't hear a word from me, huh-uh." She looked at Vachon. "Now I get why you never wanted to explain anything." "Well," he said, shrugging, "That, and Knight told me not to." "Why?" she asked, turning back to Nick. "I mean besides that... stuff. You said you had several reasons, what are the other ones?" Nick had the good grace to look abashed. "Well, I've kind of gotten used to being treated like a normal person. I didn't want to ruin it." Tracy smiled a little. "That I can understand. You're the first person since I joined the force to treat me like myself, not like 'Commissioner Vetter's Daughter'. I guess I wouldn't want to loose that either. I'll make you a deal. You stop keeping secrets, and I'll be careful not to treat you any different." Nick chuckled. "Deal. Now come on, you're going to be late. See you later, Vachon." Tracy continued to pepper Nick with questions as they walked toward the parking lot. "Natalie knows about you, right? I mean, she'd have to..." End part 12 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimer and other assorted info. Note: The fact that this is the 13th segment seems oddly appropriate, because when I tried to open my 'Joshua' file, the computer went squirrly on me. I managed to salvage most of it, including today's posts, and I do have most of it backed up, but don't be too surprised if I don't post for the next few days. I have a huge mess that needs straightening out. Joshua (13/?) Nick put down the book he had been trying to read and shook his head in surrender. It was impossible; his mind kept wandering all over the place. As he stood to put the book back on the shelf, he noted that Joshua's breathing had changed, signifying that he was awake. With a frown, he called up the memories he knew would be there. Yes, Joshua had been awake for a while now, but had not stirred from his room. That was odd, he should be hungry. Fledglings were always hungry. Concerned, Nick went to the door and knocked lightly, but there was no answer. He opened the door and looked in. Joshua was sitting forlornly on the bed, hugging the pillow to his chest. Nick crossed the room and sat lightly across from him. "Something wrong?" The only answer was a shrug. "Homesick?" A nod this time. Nick nodded understandingly. "It's always hard, the first time you leave home." Joshua was silent for a few moments, then sighed in frustration. "It's not just that. I mean, sure I miss my family, and my old friends, too. And besides you and Vachon and Tracy and Natalie, I don't know anyone here. But there's something else." He bit his lip as he struggled to define what he was feeling. "It's like something's missing, and I don't even know what it is. And it's awful!" Nick sat back in sudden understanding. Of course. He should have expected this one. "Your master," he said quietly. Joshua looked at him in confusion. "It's the absence of your master that you're feeling. Since he's the one who brought you across, made you a vampire, you're a part of him, and vice versa. The loneliness is because he's not nearby." "Oh." Joshua thought it through for a moment, then said in despair, "But I don't even know who he is, how will I find him?" Nick shook his head. "You won't. He's probably on another continent by now." Nick could see that Joshua was struggling not to start crying again. "So when will I stop feeling like this?" "In the morning." That got Joshua's attention in a hurry. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked up in surprise. "Why? What happens then?" Nick paused, torn between wanting Josh to know what would happen beforehand, and not wanting to give him time to get scared. He opted to start with middle ground, and see where it went from there. "We're going to do something called a 're-bond'," he considered, then added, "It will make you my fledgling, permanently." Joshua considered for a moment. "Will it make me stop feeling so lousy?" "Yes. And it will connect us, so I'll be able to teach you better and know if you're ever in trouble." Nick decided that this was not the time to try to explain everything sharing a bond would do. Some of it was just plain unexplainable. "So how does this re-bond thing work?" Joshua pressed him. "What's going to happen?" So far, he kind of liked the idea. "It's hard to say, really," Nick hedged. "I know how they're done, but I've never seen one, and I've only met one person who was part of a re-bond. He was a friend of mine years ago." "What did he say about it?" After a moment's hesitation, Nick answered. This was getting into the area he wanted to avoid. "Just that it was scary." Josh suddenly wasn't so sure about this. After all, what could scare a vampire? "Scary?" he said uncertainly. Nick smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, but it's over quick enough." "Kind of like going to the dentist when you know you're going to get a filling?" Nick had to chuckle at the analogy. "I suppose it's something like that." Joshua nodded. Having put it into words, he felt a lot better. "I'm hungry," he declared, getting up and heading out of the room. He paused at the door and looked back. "You want anything?" "No, but thank-you." He really was a nice boy. Nick wished there were some way to better prepare Josh for what was coming. Somehow he doubted going to the dentist was anywhere close to this. -Flashback- Italy 1467 The city was noisy with revelers as Nicholas and Lorenzo made their way through the torch-lit streets. "Happy Festival!" they called to a group of young girls walking hand-in-hand. Lorenzo's eyes followed them and he nudged Nicholas pointedly. Nicholas glanced back, then shook his head. "Too young for my taste. Come, Lorenzo. You were going to tell me how you were brought across. You said there was something extraordinary about it." Lorenzo grinned and swayed drunkenly. "Oh, yes, I did, didn't I. Well, my friend, it wasn't really that, being brought across I mean, but rather what happened soon afterward." He paused to take yet another drink of bloodwine. "You see, my master was rather young himself, no more than a century, really, but I was very much in awe of him just the same. Did I ever tell you about how he-" "Lorenzo," Nicholas interrupted. He had to get the truth out of Lorenzo tonight, as this was the only time he had ever seen the other vampire drunk, and he refused to talk about it when he was sober. "What happened after you were brought across?" "Oh, right, right, of course. You needn't be impatient, you know. I was just going to-" "The story, Lorenzo," Nicholas insisted impatiently. "If you insist. Anyway, as I said, my master was rather young, which would explain why those awful mortals found us while we were asleep. Someone had seen us go into the barn where we were hiding and got suspicious. It seems I had made quite a mess one night, though I don't remember it... I was drunk." His attitude had become quickly subdued. He looked at the bottle in his hand with look of sad contemplation, then set it carefully on a low wall, and left it there. "He fought them, of course, but one of the scoundrels came up behind him and stabbed him with a stake. He died in an instant. They were satisfied that they had killed their 'monster', and never thought to look for me, under the haystack. They almost would have found me though. I had to bite my hand to keep from crying out. He told me, when we heard them outside, that I mustn't make any noise, no matter what. And I didn't." Lorenzo paused for a long moment, and then the alcohol took over again, letting him continue to talk. "Anyway, word got around, though I don't suppose it really needed to, and that night, my master's older brother shows up. Much older brother." Lorenzo laughed at own cleverness. "He said his name was Antoine and he would become my master now, because I was so very young, only a few weeks, you see. And he said that in order to become my master, he had to do something called a re-bond. I had no idea what he was talking about, and he didn't explain. He just did it and that was that." The hilarity had passed again, as quickly as it came. Nicholas' eyes widened in disbelief. This was not what he had expected when he had asked Lorenzo about his past. He certainly hadn't known that Antoine wasn't Lorenzo's original master. "Truly?" Nicholas asked, partly in awe, "I had heard that such a thing existed, but I have never met one to whom it happened. What was it like?" Lorenzo stopped walking and looked at Nicholas very seriously, and, to Nicholas' surprise, rather soberly. "Think of the most horrible, terrifying thing that has ever happened to you," he said quietly, "and then imagine something ten times worse. Add to that the inability to even try to fight against it, and you will still have only the vaguest notion of what it was like to be re-bonded." Nicholas was silent, trying to imagine. He shuddered even as he failed. Lorenzo began to walk again, and Nicholas hurried to catch up. They came onto the main thoroughfare and turned to walk to the building where they were to meet LaCroix and Antoine. "Lorenzo," Nicholas hesitated, not sure he should continue, but Lorenzo looked at him to as if to ask what he wanted. "You say it was horrible, but I know you love Antoine a great deal. Was it worth it? Would you do it again?" Lorenzo grinned as he waved at the two master vampires waiting down the street. "Yes." -End Flashback- End part 13 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Joshua (14/?) Nick helped Natalie off with her coat and tossed it over the back of the couch. She looked around expectantly. "So where's Josh?" "Asleep again." "Again?" Natalie asked incredulously. "I thought you said he slept all day, and most of the night. How much sleep can one kid need?" Nick just shrugged. "It's always that way. They just sleep and feed for a while." Natalie couldn't hide a smirk. "Like any new-born, I guess." "I suppose, if you can call it that," Nick said with a shrug. He smiled at a sudden thought. "Except that this lasts about three weeks instead of a year and a half. I made some coffee, I thought you'd be tired." "You were right," Natalie said as she helped herself to a cup. "So what's this thing you couldn't talk about over the phone?" Nick frowned. "Well, I'm not sure where to start. It's kind of complicated." "How about with 'what's it called'?" Natalie suggested, settling herself of one of Nick's overstuffed chairs. "I didn't quite catch it before." "The most common name for it is 're-bond'." He smiled briefly. "Mind you, that's the English translation of a French translation of Latin, translated from who-knows-what. A re-bond is only used when a vampire, for one reason or another, 'adopts' a fledgling not their own. In other words, very rarely." Natalie nodded, leaning forward expectantly. "So what's it do?" "I told you about the bond that exists between vampires in the same family, remember?" He waited for Natalie's affirming nod. "Joshua has that bond with the person who brought him across, however weak it may be, which is not very helpful to me or Josh. The re-bond will do exactly what it says; it will create a completely new bond, between him and me. In the process, the old one will be destroyed, freeing Josh from the other vampire's influence." Natalie sat back, looking impressed. "Sounds pretty important." "It is." Natalie bit her lip as she thought. "So how is this accomplished?" she asked. "What do you do?" "I've been asking him that all night," came a new voice. They turned to see Joshua emerging from his room with a shy smile. "But he keeps dodging the question." Nick looked a little embarrassed. "I hadn't thought you'd noticed." Both Joshua and Natalie simply looked at him for an answer. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, then decided to pose his answer directly to Joshua. "What do you remember about being brought across?" Josh looked surprised at the question. "Not much. I remember pain, then I blacked out." Nick nodded. "OK, I guess I should start there, then. When a person is brought across, the vampire takes almost all the blood, then returns some of their own to the body. It happens by accident sometimes, like in your case." Joshua nodded his understanding. "The thing is, unless the person is near to death when they take in the vampire's blood, the effects are only temporary. In order for the re-bond to take hold, I'm going to have to do the same thing. In effect, you'll be brought across a second time." Joshua's eyes went very wide as he considered this. Then, visibly shaking himself, he nodded sharply once. "OK, then." Natalie looked at him in astonishment. "You're OK with this?" Joshua shrugged a little too casually. "Sure. I mean, it wasn't exactly fun the first time, but I can handle it." He stood up more quickly then was necessary and went into the kitchen. "Can we talk?" Natalie asked, eyeing Nick suspiciously. "Outside?" Nick nodded and they took the elevator to the roof. As soon as they exited, Natalie turned on Nick. "Why didn't you tell him the rest?" "What do you mean?" Nick asked, not willing to admit anything until he knew exactly what she was asking. "Nick, I've seen vampires suffering from blood loss." She made an effort to lower her voice before continuing. "I've seen suffering from blood loss. It isn't pleasant!" "No, it isn't," Nick replied somberly, "and this won't be. But it is necessary. And the less frightened Joshua is going into it, the easier it will be." Natalie looked like she was about to protest, then nodded in surrender. "So how will you control him? I mean...." "Vachon should be here anytime now. I've asked him to help. And I was about to go ask LaCroix to come too." Natalie quirked an eyebrow at this news but didn't question it. "Then you'd better hurry," she stated. "The sun will be up in half an hour." Nick realized she was right and decided he'd fly. "Thanks. You should go home now. I'll call you when it's over." Natalie jumped a little as he disappeared from her side. Re-entering the loft she went to get her coat, but Joshua stopped her. "Natalie? Can I talk to you?" he asked nervously. End part 14 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for discliamers and other assorted info. Note: I realize this is considerably shorter than my previous posts, but I'm almost to the end of the story (at least this peice of it), and want to do the last two parts in one shot tomorrow. If I can untangle them (see note in part 13). Joshua(15/17) LaCroix was supervising the removal of the last few customers when he felt his son's approach. He waited patently until Nick had come inside. "Nicholas," he said smoothly, "how good of you to visit. I've been hearing quite a bit about you lately." Nick stood stiffly before his master. "Then you've heard that I'm taking in an abandoned fledgling." "Indeed I have. Honestly, Nicholas, you never cease to surprise me. A fledgling is perhaps the last news I expected to hear about you." He could sense that Nick was starting to get defensive, so he smoothly switched tactics. "Not that I disapprove. Quite the contrary, in fact. Perhaps it will teach you some responsibility and do something to dispel your rather annoying tendency towards melancholia." Nick's anger had turned to exasperation, which was fine by LaCroix. His son tended to get stubborn when he was angry. "LaCroix, can we skip the lecture for now?" Nick said, barely managing not to roll his eyes. "I need to ask you something." "Certainly, my boy. What is it?" Nick forced himself to meet LaCroix's gaze evenly. "I'm going to re-bond Joshua today. I was... hoping you'd come and help." LaCroix allowed his surprise to show. He was silent for a moment, respecting the enormity of the request, and the pride it had cost Nicholas to ask. "I would be honored." End part 15 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." Hello all, Megan is having problems with her server and asked me to forward this to the list. Cousin Alanna ********************* Joshua (16/17) Nick and LaCroix arrived together at Nick's loft, barely beating the sunrise. Josh was sitting on the back of the couch, looking apprehensive. Vachon had arrived, but Nick was disconcerted to see Natalie still there. "Nat," he said, pulling her aside, "you really should go home. You don't want to see this." Natalie shook her head firmly. "I'm staying." When Nick started to protest, she shook her head again. "Please don't argue. Josh asked me to, and I'm going to stay." Nick nodded reluctantly. "Fine, then. But go upstairs; you can watch from the balcony. Any closer wouldn't be safe." Natalie complied. Nick turned around to see Vachon hiding a smile. LaCroix looked both amused and annoyed, but refrained from saying anything. "Joshua," Nick said with a quick gesture, "this is my father, LaCroix." Joshua looked up uncertainly at the imposing figure and hesitantly held out his hand. "H-hello, sir," he said. LaCroix shook his hand, then turned to look at Nick. "Shall we get started?" Nick nodded and led the way over to the low Japanese table he had pulled out of storage earlier. It was about 18 inches high, made of carved granite and red coffery. The top of the table was covered with a single piece of perfect obsidian. One end was propped up with a piece of cement. "Take off your shirt, Joshua, and lay down near the edge." Joshua moved to obey. "Why is one end higher then the other?" he asked, pulling his T-shirt off. "To make the blood run to your head. Your heart's not beating fast enough to do it." "Looks like a sacrificial alter or something," Josh said as he carefully stretched out on the table, trying not to look scared. "Funny you should mention that," LaCroix replied wryly, ignoring Nick's murderous glare. Nick knelt next to Joshua and spoke reassuringly. "Just close your eyes and try to relax." Josh did so, taking a deep breath and forcing the muscles in his shoulders and back to relax. Nick glanced up at LaCroix and Vachon, standing on either side of the table. Both nodded their readiness. Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath, filling his mind with the scent of Joshua's blood. He felt the Vampire rise in him, hungry, demanding. Opening his eyes, he gently turned Joshua's head to the side, exposing his neck. He leaned over and bit carefully into the taut flesh, beginning the red flow that would make Joshua his. Forever. Joshua stiffened in shock as a bolt of electricity shot through him at the first touch of Nick's fangs. As Nick began to drink, he felt his own fangs begin to lengthen in response as a shiver of sheer pleasure ran through him. Wave after wave of sensation washed over him, making him gasp for breath and struggle not to return the embrace. His blood sang even as it left him, and every fiber of his being cried out Yes! as his body gloried in the delight of another vampire's touch. Natalie leaned over the balcony railing, watching the scene below her. So far, nothing really seemed to be happening, though she couldn't really tell. Nick had begun draining Josh, and she watched with fascination for a few moments, then glanced at the other spectators. Vachon looked like he was just as curious as she was. LaCroix was as impassive as ever. Nick continued to drink, fifteen years of memories filling his mind. Images of Joshua's family and friends danced through his mind, memories love and home, school, work, and play. He watched the last week pass by in a matter of moments, a medley of fear, loneliness, confusion and uncertainty, tempered by the growing fondness and trust Joshua held for his new friends. Nick couldn't help but smile in pleasure at the taste of Joshua's blood, like honey and poppies, sweet and rich. The thought passed through his head that he wouldn't have been able to stop if he wanted to. But that was the point; he didn't want to and he didn't have to. And so he continued. Joshua felt incredible. He no longer felt anything but a wonderful sleepy languor, riding high on a tide of euphoria. So very sleepy... tiny alarm bells began to go off in the back of his head, but he ignored them, shooing them away like gnats. But like gnats, they kept coming back. He found himself wondering; how long had this been going on? Ten seconds? Ten minutes? Longer? He had no way of knowing, hadn't kept track. Resolutely, he pushed the thoughts back. Nick knew what he was doing, he assured himself. Didn't he? Nick could taste Joshua's growing uneasiness, and mentally braced himself. Joshua tried to squirm a little, but Nick held him firmly, wrapping his arm around Joshua's chest. Joshua begged himself as he realized that he was beginning to shake, his instincts screaming at him to get away. He could feel his strength seeping away, the deadly weight in his limbs. He bit the inside of his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight off the terror that was quickly building inside of him. It was no use, he could feel his grip on reality begin to slip as he opened his eyes again and saw the dark shapes that seemed to swarm around him. -no- It started as such a small word, almost whispered, but it echoed through his head, bouncing off his skull, getting stronger with each repetition. no-no-no-no-No-No-No-No-NO-NO-NO-NO-NOOOOOOOO!!! Joshua screamed as his mind slipped and he plunged into blind panic. He thrashed once, almost dislodging Nick, before LaCroix and Vachon were on him, pinning him to the table and making it impossible for him to move. Even so, he struggled, every muscle straining against the impossibly strong hands that held him immobile. He screamed until his voice was raw and beyond, a harsh sound that was painful just to hear. Blood tears began to course down his cheeks. To Nick, Joshua's terror became a physical pain, invading his mind and body. He resisted his mind's urgent demand that he stop, and instead bit deeper, drank faster, hoping Joshua would forgive him for not telling the whole truth. Natalie sat scrunched up with her back against the balcony railing, eyes screwed shut and hands covering her ears as tightly as possible. It didn't help; the sound penetrated the inadequate barrier and pierced her mind. She had heard those screams before, when she was an intern. She was on duty in the ER when the victim of a devastating car accident was brought in, burned and horribly mangled. He had screamed, too, not in pain, she had realized, but in fear. Because he was dying, and he knew it. Joshua struggled vainly, unable to do anything else, until his strength was spent. When he could struggle no more, he simply lay and cried, not sobbing, but the helpless, empty cries of one who knows they are lost. And finally, having no strength left even for tears, he closed his eyes, and waited for the darkness to come. Nick sat back, gasping for breath, striving to regain his presence of mind. He nodded to LaCroix and Vachon, who immediately moved away from the nearly-dead fledgling. With great care, Nick unbuttoned the sleeve of his shirt, opened the thick vein in his wrist with his fangs, and put it to Joshua's mouth. For a few breathless moments, time stood still; then the Vampire in Joshua recognized the chance it was being given, and Drank. Slowly, his hands rose, griping Nick's wrist and pulling it more firmly against his mouth. Soon, his fangs re-emerged, and he tore at the flesh of Nick's wrist, desperately trying to get more blood. With a growl of frustration, he flung the arm away and lunged, tearing at Nick's collar and sinking his fangs deep into his neck. Nick simply wrapped his arms around the small vampire and let him feed. With one hand, he gently stroked Joshua's hair as he murmured both apologies and reassurances. Natalie let out a long, shaky breath as she peered through the bars of the railing. Her head was spinning, and she wasn't sure her stomach wasn't about to rebel, but it seemed to be over. Movement caught her eye, and she looked over to see Vachon rise. Or start to; he rose halfway, faltered, then stood on shaky legs. He was whiter then she'd ever seen a vampire before, and seemed none too steady as he snatched up one of the bottles of blood from beside the low table and downed half the contents in one swallow. Curious, she glanced at LaCroix. He stood to the side, watching Nicholas and his new son, but his face was carefully neutral; his eyes betrayed nothing. After a minute or so, Nick gently pushed Joshua away and pressed a bottle of blood into his hand, then proceeded to feed as well. When he was sated, Joshua fell into the deep sleep that always accompanied First Hunger. Nick picked him up and carried him into his room, laying him carefully on his bed. When he returned to the living room, Natalie had descended the stairs and was collecting her coat and purse. Nick moved to meet her as she started to the door. She looked up, not bother to hide the slight tremor in her smile. "I think... I had better go home now," she said carefully. Then she collected herself and nodded behind him. "It looks like you've got enough company to keep you occupied for the day." Nick grimaced slightly at the observation, making Natalie smile as she left. Nick's head was buzzing and he really didn't want to deal with this. He turned around, wondering what he was going to do with the two extra vampires for the day. Vachon had already taken care of himself; he had flopped down on the carpet in front of the fireplace and was already asleep, leaving only LaCroix. They just looked at each other for a moment before Nick decided to be gracious. "You can take upstairs, if you like." LaCroix shook his head. "Indeed not, Nicholas. I will be quite comfortable on the couch, and you have worn yourself out." Nick allowed a small smile of gratitude before climbing wearily to his room. End part 16 "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day." See part 1 for disclaimers and other assorted info. Note: Well, here's the last of it, folks! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you are interested in a sequal, write me. Otherwise, I'll assume you've had enough of this particular storyline. (Yes, it's blatent, but what's a girl to do?) Joshua (17/17) In the darkness of a room sealed from sunlight, Janette was sitting on a plush couch, holding her head. She poured herself an extra glass of her 'Special Reserve' to steady her nerves. The raw emotion that had poured through her bond with Nicholas was unlike anything she had ever felt before. After a moment's thought, she picked up the telephone sitting on the side table and dialed a number. "Yes, Robert, it's me. I'm afraid I will be unable to accompany you to the theater this evening, something has come up.... No, it's completely unavoidable; I must go out of town.... You might say it's a family emergency.... Yes, I will call when I return.... Thank-you, Robert. Tell Patrick I said 'hello'. Good-bye." She hung up with a sigh. The first thing Joshua was aware of was warmth. All-over, inside-to-out warmth. It wasn't that he had been cold before, just that he was now warm, and he liked it. The second thing he was aware of was a Presence nearby. He opened his eyes and saw Nick sitting on a chair beside the bed, watching him. He sat up carefully, one hand to his head. When the expected headache failed to appear, he looked groggily at Nick, then down at himself, then back at Nick. "I'm still alive?" Nick smiled a little at the sleepy surprise in his voice. "Insofar as it goes, yes." Josh seemed even more confused. "I think I remember... dying. Or I thought I had died." "Almost. That's what had to happen for it to work." Nick looked intently at the boy. "I would not have let you die," he said quietly. Joshua thought for a moment. "I think... I know that." There was silence for a moment. "You're hungry," Nick said. It wasn't a question. Joshua just nodded. Nick picked up a bottle and a glass that he had set on the floor and poured Joshua a drink. Joshua drank quickly and held out the glass for a refill. After two more glassfuls, he was full. Nick took the glass back, but didn't leave his chair. "Now go back to sleep." Josh started to lay back down, but stopped and looked at Nick, a question in his eyes; a desire he didn't understand well enough to voice. Nick understood. He motioned for Josh to scoot over, sat beside him on the bed, and offered his wrist. Josh looked at him uncertainly; he's never fed this way except through sheer instinct. At Nick's nod, he took Nick's wrist in one hand and bit. Though he was too young and inexperienced to see the memories in the blood, the love and comfort flowing into him were unmistakable, and he realized that this was the source of the warmth he felt. He let go when he felt Nick tug his wrist away. "If you gorge yourself, you'll be sick," he warned gently. Joshua smiled, sleep already reclaiming him as he lay down. Nick pulled the covers up around him and brushed the hair off his forehead, recalling LaCroix's advice before he left that evening. "Be careful how you treat this fledgling. You are his master, and therefore his role model. What you say and do in the next few days will determine who he will be for his first century, at least, and perhaps forever. Do not underestimate the influence you have over him, it is not to be taken lightly." Nick had been surprised at LaCroix's seeming interest- and even more surprised that he said nothing more- but had seen the sense in what he said. He smiled at his sleeping son. End part 17 End Joshua "Eternal nights too short, How quickly melt away, With all the love we shared once, Forever in a day."