Mimicking Pelicans (1/1)
by Sue O'Reilly
a Forever Knight story

"And the best thing you've ever done for me
 is to help me live my life less seriously."
                   -Indigo Girls, "Closer To Fine"


There was a bad one today.  Not that any homicide case is good, but this 
one was horrible.  Two kids, three years old and eight months old, both 
shot in the head by a robber who wanted money their mother didn't have.  
I saw her before the paramedics got her sedated.  She was hysterical and 
so far into shock that she probably couldn't even see.  And one look at 
those kids' bodies was enough to make anyone wish they were blind.  
Several of the uniforms had to leave the room, and I know Natalie was 
crying when she left in the M.E. van.

I've seen worse, of course--*caused* worse in my early days, to be 
brutally honest--but those kids got to me.  Got to me so hard that I 
didn't feel the slightest twinge of hunger at all the blood.

Some days I hate this job more than I can put into words.

Since the murderer had been caught leaving the scene, there wasn't much 
work for me and I went home early, so tired and sad that I had no energy 
left over to be angry.  It never fails to numb me when I see mortals 
commit acts that would make most of my kind wince.  Killing children, 
even for food, isn't high on many vampires' priorities.

Danny was waiting when I arrived at my warehouse.  She wanted me to go 
flying with her.  I almost laughed out loud when she asked, it was so 
totally the last thing in the world that I felt like doing, but she was 
persistent and I gave in.  I suppose I went along hoping (not very 
optimistically) that it would be a distraction.  I knew that spending 
the rest of the night alone wouldn't help.

It was a gorgeous clear night.  I wasn't seeing it, though.  Following 
behind Danny's small form, I was seeing instead the crime scene in my 
damned perfect memory, over and over again.  I was barely aware of where 
she was leading me.

It didn't register that we were over the lake until Danny made a sharp 
turn and dove straight into the black water.

I put on the brakes and hung in midair like an idiot, staring blankly at 
the spreading ripples until she surfaced a few feet away and shot up to 
me.  The ripples from her exit merged with the others, a sloshing 
chattery sound as if they were talking to each other.

"Danny, what are you *doing*?" I demanded, my voice cracking with 
incredulity.

The girl was wearing a half-smile through the water dripping down her 
face, happy and hopeful and a little anxious too. "Come on, Nick, it's 
fun.  Really."

"You're crazy.  It's October," I protested, edging away when she reached 
for my hand.

"So?"  Danny's smile widened into a full grin.  Okay, she was right; we 
can feel external temperature but our comfort zone is considerably 
larger than mortals'.  It was a lame excuse and I knew it.  When she 
gave me a teasing dare-you look and went down again, this time I 
followed.

I did a shallow dive, cruising a few feet under the surface.  I heard 
the air bubbles exploding around me in the instant before the cold 
soaked every inch of my body.  The drag of my suddenly heavy clothes 
pulled at me, slowing my speed, and then I angled upward and burst into 
the air.

It woke me up, that was for sure.  My skin was tingling, but in a 
pleasant way.  I swiped wet hair out of my eyes and peered around for 
Danny with the smallest beginning of a smile.  She was right; it *was* 
kind of fun.  A whistle sounded behind me, and I turned.

It is physically impossible to remain serious when someone hits you in 
the face with a trout.

I let out a strangled yelp and started laughing before I knew I was 
going to, wiping my cheek and trying to duck her next salvo.  I felt the 
tail of the second fish brush my hair before it fell twisting into the 
lake.  "You little rat!" I yelled.  "What was that for?"

Danny had her arms wrapped around her knees, roaring with laughter as 
she floated a few yards away.  "Nick, oh my god, you should have seen 
your face!" she sputtered between giggles.  "That was priceless!"

"Always here to please," I growled sarcastically, but I was grinning at 
the same time.  "I'll get you for that!"

"Oh, really?"  She cocked a dark eyebrow, all mock innocence and 
concern.  "Think you can?  It took me a while to figure out how to catch 
them.  Might be pretty tough for an old guy like you."

That kind of challenge just could *not* be passed up. Muttering, "Oh, 
no, you're really going to regret that one," I plunged back into the 
water.

I think I was pelted with half the creatures in Lake Ontario before I 
had any success.  Vampire vision and hearing made locating the fish easy 
but getting hold of them was harder.  We had already caused enough noise 
to make them wary, and the slippery little buggers darted away from my 
grasp like lightning.  Danny's gleeful interference didn't make things 
easier, but I picked up the knack after about twenty minutes.  You had 
to swim behind them and grab from their stomachs, closing your fingers 
around their heads so they couldn't wriggle free.  I finally caught my 
first one and waited below the surface until I heard Danny rise out of 
the water looking for me.

I scored a direct hit to the back of her head and got a double mouthful 
of the lake, howling at her yell of surprise.

Our fish-war continued until almost dawn, diving and hiding and trying 
to find new ways to attack each other.  Danny came out with the biggest 
fish; she caught a huge rock bass that almost knocked me out of the sky, 
but I won the prize for the most disgusting.  I chased her down and 
wrapped a slimy two-foot eel around her neck.  I bet they could hear her 
shriek in Montreal.  By the time we had to leave, both of us were 
laughing so hard we could barely fly.  Somewhere along the way I'd 
ditched my four-hundred-dollar overcoat for better mobility, but I 
didn't care.

Side by side we soared back over the city.  I glanced toward the horizon 
when we reached the area where our paths separated.  "You go straight 
home, all right?  It's close to dawn."

"I know, I will.  Thanks for coming with me.  I had a great time."  Her 
blue eyes shining, she gave me an impulsive hug.

"Me too."  I ruffled her still-damp hair affectionately before letting 
her go.

"You feel better, Nick?"

I had started away but her question made me freeze.  I turned back in 
amazement, and with dawning understanding.  "You knew?"

Danny shrugged: the teenage answer to everything.  "Knew something was 
wrong," she said simply.  "But it's better now?"

"Yes...it's better."  It wasn't a lie.  I kept looking at her, and for 
the hundredth time tonight I couldn't stop smiling.

The world was dark but her answering smile was full of light, and Danny 
flew away in a wide looping arc, calling goodbye to me, and I watched 
until she faded from sight, a four-month vampire child whose existence I 
still don't understand.

Then I turned toward home, and again I couldn't keep the smile from my 
face.

END


Author's note:  The piece was edited with the help of The Offspring's 
"Smash" album and a whole lot of cigarettes because my system kept 
crashing.  The music didn't suit the story in the slightest, but it did 
keep me from putting my fist through the screen.