Date: Sun, 20 Oct 1996 14:43:31 -0400 From: "Lisa P." This short story is something that came to mind when I read an old Gaelic Blessing. Naturally I thought of our beloved FK characters, which actually don't belong to us but to TPTB. Send any virtual chocolate or comments to LadysAVamp@aol.com Love Hurts 1/1 by Lisa J. Patnaude * * * * * * * * * Nick limped into the Raven and headed straight for the bar. Javier Vachon was already there downing a glass of the house special. He barely made notice of Nick's presence and seemed to be entirely focused on his now empty glass. Seeing how he was really in no mood for small talk either he gave the bartender his order. This did grab Vachon's attention as he never had seen Nick order human blood before. "Women problems?" Vachon asked, though he never looked up from his glass. He heard a hiss next to his ear, which startled him out of his own thoughts and turned to see Nick in a very un-Nick-like state. /Guess so/ he thought, but felt it wise to keep that thought to himself. Nick regained control of himself and began his own contemplation of his glass. "Sorry Vachon, I'm just not myself today. Yeah, you could say women problems. You'd think that after all these centuries we'd have some understanding of them, yet they continue to elude our grasp." "Tell me about it." Nick turned to Vachon. "You too?" Vachon looked sheepishly at Nick then back at his glass. "Yeah, me too. Though I'll be damned if I know what I did, or didn't do, according to Tracy." Vachon caught the attention of the bartender and ordered another round for the both of them. "Whenever I ask Nat what it is that she expects from me, she says she shouldn't have to tell me. That I should know what it is. I should know what to say." Nick absently began rubbing his ankle as he thought back to their last argument. Vachon remembered that Knight came in walking with a limp and made the connection when he saw him massaging his leg. "Hey, did Nat stake you in the leg or something? How come you were limping when you came in here?" Nick hadn't even realized what he was doing. "No, she didn't stake me, though that was probably only because there was no convenient pieces of wood around. I didn't even realize I was limping, though now that you mention it my ankle does hurt." /I'm sure Nat would be overjoyed/ "Careful Knight, you know what they say about hell, fury and a woman scorned. She's probably got one of those voodoo dolls and is pricking it with a needle", Vachon tried to say with humor but failed pretty miserably. "I'm outta here Knight", Vachon said as he moved off the stool and nearly fell head long into Nick's lap. "Ouch!" Vachon cried out as he grabbed the bar to steady himself. With his other hand he began to rub his ankle. Nick couldn't help but to grin at the spectacle in front of him. Vachon was swearing in his ancient tongue as he pulled up his pant's leg to see what was causing the pain. He tried rotating his ankle but that only made it worse. "Perhaps Tracy bought the doll at the same store Nat did", teased Nick. It was Vachon's turn to hiss at Nick. It's true what they say, thought Vachon, misery does love company. Nick tentatively put weight on his own foot and noticed that the pain had gotten worse. Well, so much for walking out of here gracefully. "Come on, let's go" Nick said as he grabbed Vachon's arm. Arm in arm Nick and Vachon wobbled their way through the crowd. Lacroix had been listening to the conversation between his son and the spaniard. He had waited for them to leave as he came out from his office to get a bottle of his finest. With everyone's attention on the two wobbling vampires, Lacroix limped his way back into his office. If anyone near the bar had been paying attention to him they would have heard him mutter "Women"! But there were three very attentive women who had been observing the whole scene. All that could be heard was their giggling and their efforts to remove a blessing plaque that had been placed on the wall behind the bar and that had gone unnoticed by all, but had been felt by three certain vampires. * * * * * * * * * Ok, if you're wondering what this was all about, read below this authentic Gaelic blessing. May those who love us, love us And those that don't love us, May God turn their hearts; And if He doesn't turn their hearts May He turn their ankles So we'll know them by their limping * * * * * * * * * What can I say, I have a "twisted" sense of humor. Now I'm not saying that Nick and Vachon don't love Nat and Tracy, but I thought it would make an amusing story. As for Lacroix and the "third" woman...I'm not telling!