Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 16:41:10 -0700 From: "Marisa SorBello: mas@cvsd.cv.com" OK, so "Fairy Tale" wasn't my last after all. I had one more idea. If you haven't read Fairy Tale, some of this won't make much sense. The usual disclaimers apply. -- Marisa (mas@cvsd.cv.com) LaCroix's Fate (1/2) "Did you really think I'd let you get away with this, Doctor?" Natalie expected LaCroix to appear as soon as she'd found the cure for Nick, but hadn't realized just *how* quickly he'd get to Vancouver. "LaCroix, can't you let him live in peace? You had him for 800 years; doesn't he deserve the life he chooses now?" Natalie pleaded. "You still have Janette, or have you forgotten her?" "Janette is no longer my daughter. And I will *not* lose my son!" LaCroix advanced on Natalie, his eyes and voice cold. "I will find him and bring him back across. But you will not be here to cure him a second time." LaCroix advanced on Natalie slowly, smiling in anticipation. He wouldn't just drain her life; she'd have to *suffer* for what she'd done! But Natalie was prepared for just this occasion. "What do you plan to do to me?" LaCroix was surprised at how even her voice sounded; she should be quaking in fear. "You deserve worse than even I can do to you, Doctor. I'll not let you destroy any more of us. Most of us died when the fever returned two years ago and very few mortals are worthy of the gift I have to offer. But it will do my old heart good to know that we are finally finished with you." "Have you told the Enforcers about the cure?" Natalie queried. LaCroix laughed. "Enforcers? There *are* no more Enforcers! They were too proud to come to me for help. Now *I* shall be the Enforcer." LaCroix took Natalie's neck in his hands, applying just enough pressure to cause pain, but not enough to completely cut off her air. Natalie begged him to allow her to call her children to say goodbye, trying to distract LaCroix long enough to pick up the syringe from her desk. The scream of agony almost knocked Natalie to the floor. "I *knew* you'd come to kill me, LaCroix. But now you'll have to try the old- fashioned way." Natalie watched as the gold faded from LaCroix's eyes. ********************************************************************* "No, LaCroix, I will not bring you back across. I am considering asking Natalie to cure me, too." Janette was almost amused by LaCroix's predicament. Of all vampires to suddenly find himself mortal, he was the last she expected to be able to adapt. "You *must*! I saved you from the brothel. You must return immortality to me!" LaCroix never dreamed he'd have to beg Janette for a favor, but found himself doing just that. In the two months since he'd been "cured" by Natalie, he found himself having to adjust to hunger, thirst, and a variety of other "ills" he'd been immune to for 2000 years. He'd even had a hangover! He abhorred weakness, in himself more than anything. But even LaCroix had to admit that being human did offer some advantages. He finally discovered what all the fuss was about over chocolate! And ice cream was definitely something to admire. "I admit, humankind has advanced in 2000 years, and there *are* many pleasures, but dying old and decrepit is not in my plan. Won't you give me what I ask?" Janette considered his fate; would he survive to old age? Could she give him what he wanted, or would he return to his ruthless ways? "Live a good, peaceful life for two years, then return to me. If I am still a vampire, and you have proven yourself worthy, I will give you what you ask." Janette turned to leave. "And I would advise finding an occupation. You could always go back to broadcasting. A mid-day talk show should be interesting." Janette stopped at the door. "You might also take it easy on the chocolate ice cream, cherie. You are beginning to -- expand." LaCroix fell out of his chair in his attempt to fly at Janette as she glided through the door. LaCroix's Fate (2/2) "Has anyone ever told you that you were born for radio?" asked Jason, the "gofer" at KVYR. "What took you so long to come back to it? Geez, you must have been a kid when you did that Nightcrawler show!" "Yes, I had to find a way to pay for college." LaCroix couldn't help but laugh at how easy it was to bamboozle most people, even without hypnotism. "But I do not intend to stay in radio forever. I have greater ambitions." "Yeah, with those eyes and that scary look you can do, you should try out for the local production of DRACULA. My cousin is the casting director. Do you want me to make an appointment for you?" Jason's enthusiasm for the stage was legendary at KVYR. "In fact, I'm trying out for the part of Van Helsing, but there's no way I'll get it. I just hope I get a speaking part this time." LaCroix couldn't resist the irony. "By all means, Jason, do contact your cousin for me. I always thought I'd make a fine actor. And people thought Barrymore had a profile..." "Who?" Jason looked perplexed. "How come you're always talking about stuff no one else knows?" LaCroix was a natural. Jason's cousin cast him immediately, and rehearsals went unbelievably smoothly. For a small, local production of a 40-year- old play, the audiences were huge, and the critics couldn't say enough about the delightful discovery of a local actor, Luke Cross. 'Luke Cross imbues Dracula with humor, intelligence, and just enough menace to scare the little old ladies in the balcony' raved the Vancouver theatre critic. 'He's an amazingly gifted amateur, and if those movie producers are smart, we'll lose him to Hollywood.' LaCroix relished the good reviews and the applause. Young women actually stopped him in the street and asked for his autograph! He couldn't believe it when fans sent him bottles of thick red liquid -- unfortunately, no one sent him good wine. It occurred to him that he *could* make a life for himself in these two years, perhaps even try to enjoy being human. The Vancouver theatre critic must have been prescient. A young actor turned director happened to be in Vancouver visiting family, and decided to catch some local theatre. He was mesmermized by Luke Cross's per- formance, and waited for him at the stage door on closing night. "Can I help you, young man?" Ah, that voice -- he'd dreamed of finding someone with a presence like that for his new film. "Mr. Cross? My name is Tony Alfaro. I'm a director, and I'm making a film about Lorenzo de Medici. I'd love to have you do a screen test for me. I think you'd be perfect. "Lorenzo the Magnificent? An interesting man. But I look nothing like him!" Tony laughed in astonishment. "You know what he looked like? There are so few portraits; you must be quite the historian." "You have no idea, Mr. Alfaro. No idea at all. I'd be delighted to do your screen test. Would you care to join the cast for our party? We're going to the local diner for ice cream." ********************************************************************* Natalie, Gary and the twins got all dressed up to attend the movie premiere. Natalie told Gary that the movie's star, an unknown in Hollywood, was a former patient of hers, but she was puzzled by the graciousness of the invitation to his film. "Why are you surprised, sweetheart? All your patients love you. Why would this Mr. Cross be any different?" Gary could tell Natalie was a bit nervous about going to the premiere. "And don't worry about your dress -- you'll dazzle all those Hollywood types!" "I just don't understand why he'd invite me! He was *so* angry with me -- we had a terrible disagreement about a treatment, and I was sure he'd never forgive me." Natalie couldn't decide whether to allow the twins to accompany her, but they were almost 21 and LaCroix couldn't possibly be a threat to them now. He was a public figure, after all. And still human, with no chance of returning to his former life since she'd cured Janette. As light bulbs flashed, and limos pulled up to the red carpet, Natalie turned to the astonished shout of "Natalie, cherie, you were invited, too?" Natalie hugged her friend and introduced Janette to Gary and the twins. "Janette is another old friend of La -- Luke's -- and oh, Janette, it's wonderful to see you again!" The twins thought Janette looked familiar, and asked if she was an actress, too. "Only an amateur, my dears, only an amateur" she said, as she winked at Natalie. Janette, Natalie, Gary and the twins found their assigned seats and were surprised to discover they were seated with the cast and crew of the film. LaCroix made a grand entrance, greeted Janette and Natalie as old friends, kissed them on their cheeks, and said he hoped they'd enjoy the movie. LORENZO was a huge hit. Tony Alfaro had had to work with unknowns, on a small budget, since there hadn't been a costume drama that had made money in years. But it spoke to audiences starved for intelligence in cinema, and the star of the film was considered by many to be the most natural actor to come along since Robert De Niro. He was better at doing menace, too, most thought. Luke Cross was flooded with offers. One producer had the brilliant idea -- over 20 years after INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE -- to finally film the last of the Anne Rice novels about the vampires, and asked Cross if he'd consider the role of Memnoch the Devil. LaCroix took the part; the movie made $340 million at the box office. Janette joined Natalie and her family around the TV the following March. They all turned as pale as vampires when Luke Cross began his speech: "There is one person to whom I owe my entire career. Natalie, this one is for you!" Natalie fainted as LaCroix hoisted his Oscar in the air and grinned.