Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 22:19:40 -0400 From: Casey Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, but are from the imagination of James Parriot. I borrowed them from Forever Knight, created by Tri-Star/Columbia and TPTB. No copyright infringement intended. A story for Nick/NatPackers, Vaqueras, Ratpackers, and the Denial Faction. Not the Last Knight (Part 1/4) by CandyPAC/MagicPAC Stooped beside Natalie on the floor, Nicholas waited. LaCroix stood over him with a stake. He couldn't face LaCroix in his final moment. After all this time, he realized how much a friend LaCroix had really been. Love and hate, they were both there. Now he would leave LaCroix just as alone as Divia had tried to make him. Do it! His mind cried out. He waited, but LaCroix did not strike. Nat would be dead soon. Her skin sickly pale, she labored for each breath. She had expected him to take a little blood, or share her eternity. Unable to stop, he had drained her. But he couldn't give her his blood. He couldn't curse her to his forever night. In the after-life, he would join her. Faith. He had it. They would be together forever. "I won't do it, Nicholas," LaCroix said. Nick pressed his lips together. He rose and faced LaCroix. He'd only seen LaCroix's face so distraught just once, when Divia had died. Could LaCroix love him as much? He who was only a son of blood, not of body? "I won't be the tool of your insufferable guilt. Nor will I allow you to leave me this easily. I made you and I will not snuff out your wretched life on a love-sick whim." Agony bombarded Nick. LaCroix just had to understand. Everyone he loved, everyone he cared about had died. Too many had passed on, leaving him alone to face new days, new places, new lives. "I'm depending on you," he said, putting his whole heart into his words. "I can't go on this way. My existence would be too much a burden without Nat." Anger filled LaCroix's face and he shoved Nick backwards, slamming him to the floor. Nick's head hit the stair's railing with such force his vision blurred. Pain radiated through his whole body. Dazed, he struggled to get on his feet, but stumbled to his knees. The railing held his head's imprint. He looked up, seeing LaCroix's form fading in and out. It looked as if LaCroix had stooped beside Nat. As if he had bitten into his wrist and held it to Nat's mouth. He was giving her his blood! "LaCroix! No!" he yelled, his voice husky. Stunning shock spread like a wildfire though him, numbing his body. He couldn't move. He didn't know if it was from the his head hitting the railing with such force, or from wanting Nat to live. LaCroix withdrew his wrist from Nat's red-stained lips, and glared at Nick. "Too late, my suicidal child. She has quenched her thirst from my fountain of youth. Her soul will escape the void . . . this time." He rose and tilted his head back, emphasizing his arrogance. "When you look at her and see her changed from the woman you love, you will remember how I loved Fluer. You will remember how you took her from me. This is fitting punishment. Live with your insufferable guilt, but train . . . her . . . well." Nick stood, not sure what to do. LaCroix glanced up at the ceiling. "LaCroix!" Nick yelled. But LaCroix vanished. "LaCroix!" Looking down at his beautiful Nat, his heart grew heavy. LaCroix was right. Guilt would always be with him. He couldn't blame LaCroix for bringing her across. It was his own fault. But could she stand the cravings for blood? She had hated his curse. She would hate him. He couldn't bear it! Nick picked up the elaborate stake that LaCroix would have used on him. He lifted it above Nat's heart. Violent tremors crossed his body, and his hands shook. The stake seemed as heavy as an anvil. His grip grew stronger, but he couldn't stop shaking. "No!" he cried out in anguish and hurled the stake away. He gathered Nat's head into his lap, cradling it. He stroked her hair. "I can't, Nat. I can't loose you. Maybe I wanted LaCroix to do this for me. Maybe I'm too weak to end your life. Don't hate me . . . please." At least an hour passed and he still held Nat. Nat breathed, sucking in deeply, and opened her eyes. The golden eyes of a vampire peered up at him. His beloved Natalie. A child of the night. This was all his fault. "Nick," she whispered. "Are you human?" "No." She blinked, and met his gaze. "Y . . . you brought me across?" "LaCroix did. I couldn't." Her face showed her turmoil. "I'll explain later. How do you feel?" She licked her lips. "I'm so . . . hungry that I'm staring at your neck and I can hear your heart beating." "It the hunger. The first hunger." Nick helped her to sit, leaning against the sofa. "You need to feed before it becomes uncontrollable." He knelt beside her. "Nat . . . take from me." "F . . . from you?" she asked, her gaze questioning. Spurred by the first hunger, she pulled him closer. She licked her lips again. "Oh, Nick. You don't know how you tempt me. But if I feed from you, won't I crave human blood? "Just drink, and don't think about it." "I . . .I shouldn't do this. I . . . ." She buried her face in his neck. A tiny prick. It didn't hurt. When they fed from each other, it never really did. But this time it was Nat. Maybe he should have given her cow's blood for her first thirst. Maybe she wouldn't hate him. Maybe . . . . When she finished, she pulled away. "I never thought I'd drink blood and enjoy it. It's as sensuous as you described it. I feel your guilt, your concern, your fears. What happened? How come LaCroix brought me across?" "It's my fault, Nat. I took too much. You were dying and I couldn't bear to make you share my darkness. He showed up. I gave him a stake to finish me and let me join you. He wouldn't accept that I would leave him to be with you in the afterlife." She looked thoughtful. He feared tears or anger. What would come? "I love you," she whispered. "This isn't what I would have chosen, but it happened. We can be together now." He encircled her with his arms. "Oh, Nat. Don't hate me." "Hate you?" she mumbled into his neck. She lifted her head. "I don't hate you, even if I'm disappointed things didn't turn out the way I hoped. I underestimated your hunger, your need. I can understand it now. It's . . . overpowering. I couldn't stop myself from taking from you." "Don't think of that now. We'll have our home together, my love. Anywhere you like. Anything you want. I've got an eternity to make it up to you. I'll get in touch with Aristotle tonight and we'll leave tonight." She smiled. "The only thing I ever wanted was for us to be together." "Together," he said, lowering his mouth to her lips. Teaser Part two. Tracy is in a coma. Will she be a vegetable? Or will she die? Vachon's dead and buried . . . or is he? Not the Last Knight (Part 2/4) by CandyPAC/MagicPAC On Toronto's waterfront, sandy soil stirred. A dirty hand poked through the soil's surface. Then another. Javier Vachon worked himself free of his grave. He had rejuvenated! Brushing the dirt from his clothes, he stood. The hunger! He had to feed and soon . . . before he became dangerous. He flew up into the breeze. After being buried and after feeling the earth pressing down on him, it was marvelous. He would have spent more time, sailing around the wonderful evening, but the hunger urged him to seek out sustenance. The hospital wasn't far. They'd have blood . . . lots of it! He zoomed into one of the emergency rooms. It was empty. It didn't take him long to find the blood supply. Wishing for a human neck, he gulped the cold liquid from the plastic pouch. Someone was coming! Clutching the blood bag, he hid behind a storage cabinet. A uniformed nurse barged into the room. She ransacked through some cabinet doors, only feet from him. Grabbing something, she slammed the door and left. Hospitals. He hated them. The smells were . . . foul, tainted with medicine and urine and sickness. His craving satisfied, he started to leave, but he heard a voice that he'd heard before. That southern drawl, he'd know anywhere. Captain Joe Reese. "How is she today?" Reese asked. His voice seemed strained, perhaps showing concern for a family member. "No better," the male voice replied. "Well," Reese said. "At least, that's something. She scared us, just like Nick when he got shot. Just like him, we all thought she was dead." "They were ready to sign the death certificate," the other man said. "Can you figure it? It just isn't like Natalie to make mistakes like that. The strangest things are going on around here. Nick and Natalie quit the same day, and disappeared to only God knows where. She gets shot. Well, at least she's alive. How much longer do you think it will be before she comes out of this coma?" "There's no way to know at this point," the man said. "Some people lay in a coma for years. When that bullet ricocheted, it lodged deep in her brain. Even if she wakes up, she may not remember much, or be able to do much. We just don't know what kind of brain damaged she may have sustained. She has brain activity, but it's weak. Detective Vetter took quite a shock to her system." Vachon startled. Tracy! In a coma! His recent meal shifted uncomfortably in his stomach. He had to find her. Driven by unclouded determination, it didn't take him long to find her room. Her special scent of calla lilies led him. There she lay, her creamy complexion paler than normal. Her thin body took up little room in the big bed. All kinds of contraptions hooked to various parts of her body. Gad! If he didn't know better, it looked as if they were trying to kill her. How long had she been here? How long had he been in the ground? What had the man meant? That she might be a vegetable? That just couldn't happen. Vachon opened the window. The night wind blasted into him. Four stories down. No problem . . . for a vampire. He scooped Tracy up into his arms and flew out. Screed's old home took only minutes to get to. Man! He missed that son-of-a-gun! He scanned the untidy room. Thank-goodness, it didn't seem that anyone had moved in. Dust had gathered on dust, and nothing had been moved. Even the stake, Tracy had used on him, lay on the floor. He shivered just looking at it. In Screed's old bed, he laid Tracy. She was so limber, so. . . . What if she died? What if she lived? Could he stand knowing that she couldn't communicate? Images bombarded him, Tracy in a bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Tracy in a wheel chair, unable to walk, to talk, being spoon fed. He couldn't have that. He sniffed her hair. Such a sweet scent. Such a waste. He leaned and bit into her neck. Sweet fruit. Forcing himself to stop before she died, he pulled away. Using a thumb nail, he slit his wrist and then held it over her mouth. The blood dripped, splashing darkly on her fair skin. She wasn't swallowing, so he coaxed her throat with his fingertips. She swallowed several times. It was enough. He sat back. All he could do was wait. Vachon had stretched out on the bed beside Tracy to watch her. Worry ate at him. She may have not had enough life left to spark. Was he just wishing or had her color improved in the last half hour or so? It took three hours for Tracy to awaken. Her eyes widened and she stared at him. "What the . . . ? You died! I killed you, no uh . . . you killed yourself. I buried you next to Screed." Her gaze focused in mid air. "Then LaCroix came. He told me I was confused. He told me that you had left town. But I didn't remember LaCroix coming to me . . . until now." He couldn't help grinning. Her surprised looks always amused him. He had always liked to sneak up on her, just because he could do it. "Well, you took out the stake. I guess Divia's poison must have disappeared from my system after you planted me. I'm back." Puzzle filled her face, and she glanced around. "How come things look so funny? It's dark in here and I see pretty good." Vachon pulled a small, broken mirror from the wall. "Look in here. Then you'll know why." Tracy took the mirror. Her lips parted when she saw herself. "What have you done, Vachon?" Her question made him nervous. Would she hate him like Urs had at times? He had made a mistake with Urs. Had he made one with Tracy? "I couldn't just let you lay there lifeless. I wanted you to be with me." Tracy dropped the mirror. "But you made me a . . . a . . . vampire." Vachon leaned and kissed her cheek. "And a lovely one too, I might add. Screed would be jealous." She pressed her lips together. "Daddy will be furious." Uh oh. He hadn't thought that she'd still want to contact her parents. "Uh, Tracy. I don't think you should tell Mummy and Daddy. We should go away. Leave here. You shouldn't have any ties to your parents now. What would you say to them? Uh, guess what, Daddy? I'm a vampire. Don't boss me around anymore or I'll bite you." Tracy stared at him for several seconds, and then she smiled. "I'm free. I'm really, really free." Javier laughed out and swooped her into his arms. His mouth came down on hers, seeking her softness. She didn't resist. Instead, she clung to him, returning his kiss with the same vigor. He parted and gazed into her lovely vampire eyes. "You're not mad?" he asked. "Not now . . . my master. That is, unless I have to go around obeying your commands all the time." She hesitated, looking thoughtful. "You really do care for me to bring me across. I hadn't realized . . . ." He hugged her, and then looked at her again. "I wasn't sure until I saw you laying in that hospital room." "Hospital room? I don't--". He placed his finger across her lips. "I'll tell you all about it. Anyway, when I saw you there, I just knew then that I didn't want to continue without you." She giggled. "I'll be around until you chase me away." "Then I guess we'll be together a long time. Hungry?" "How did you know? I could eat a horse. This . . . craving. It's growing stronger every second." He jumped up and retrieved a dark bottle from the fridge. "This is some of the stock I had. It hasn't been opened, so it'll still be suitable." She wrinkled her nose, looking sick. "I have to drink that now, don't I?" "Unless you would prefer rats, like Screed." She looked sicker. "No thanks." She took the bottle from him. Closing her eyes and holding her breath, she took large gulps. The bottle popped when she pulled it from her mouth. With the back of her hand, she wiped her mouth. Her nose wrinkling, she looked at him. "I can see that being a vampire has its disadvantages." "It gets better," he said, taking the bottle from her. "Especially if you can enjoy fresh blood." Looking as if she would throw up, she held her hand over her mouth. "I hope so," she mumbled. Teaser Part three. Nat set up housekeeping with Nick, and is surprised by visitors, who everyone thought was dead. Not the Last Knight (Part 3/4) by CandyPAC/MagicPAC Two months passed since Natalie became a vampire. She looked around her new home in Louisville Kentucky's exclusive east end. The house was lovely, far more extravagant than she would have had alone. Several rooms still needed furnishing. The dining room sat empty, as well as, three bedrooms, the game room, and part of the great room. She wanted very special things, things that would require attention in selection. Summer was a difficult time to shop. The nights were too short and most stores had closed by the time she could get out. Nick had a job as a detective again. Somehow, she couldn't picture him doing anything else. He had started last night. In two more days, she would begin work in a research lab, concentrating on AIDs research. Life was good. She laughed to herself. Maybe she should say Death was good. It didn't matter. She was with Nick. They could be together. They could share the intimacy that they never could before. Never had her relationship with him been so solid, so fulfilling. There had been a marriage, of sorts. She was as married as a vampire could be, wasn't she? Human laws didn't bind them, but their spoken vows bound them longer than human contracts. She had even changed her name to Natalie de Brabant, alias Natalie Coleman. Aristotle had insisted that they take new names. LaCroix had come to Louisville, too. Knowing that he was her master made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Oh, that reminded her. She needed to call him. Picking up the remote phone, she punched in his number. Someone answered "Antiquities Limited." "LaCroix please." "Who's asking?" "Nat." She said. The woman at the other end put the phone down. LaCroix needed to teach her telephone manners. LaCroix had opened an antique shop in one of the old downtown buildings. She had laughed when she heard his plans. LaCroix in antiques? It didn't seem to fit his character, although she had to admit he knew a lot about old things. Someone around 2000 years would. "Doctor," LaCroix said. "A real pleasure. What can I do for you?" "Just call me Natalie. Pleeease." "I'll try to remember that." His voice was sensual as usual. His words fell on her ear, almost making her forget his devious nature, or why she had called. "I . . . uh . . . wanted to ask you about the French dining room suit. Has it arrived yet?" "Not yet," he said. "I expect it most any day now. I gave it my top priority. It's one of my favorite sets." "Yeah, well. I understand. The pictures of it were beautiful. Nothing is cheap in your shop." "Many are my own things," he said. "I've shipped items from homes of mine around the world." "If you'd rather I didn't have it . . . ." "Quite the contrary, Doc . . . Natalie. I'm pleased that you will accept it. It was just getting dusty in my French chateau." Whew! That made her feel better. "Well, I suppose that you'll let me know when it comes in." "Most assuredly. You'll be the first to know. But, excuse me. I believe a customer just flew in." She hung up the phone. He probably had the only night-time antique shop in the whole country. As word got out to antique buffs, business began booming. She sensed someone. Her powers hadn't developed completely. Would that be Nick so soon? She turned, hoping that he had come home. Instead of Nick, Jeanette stood in front of her. Nat could only stare at the beautiful, dark-haired woman. "Good evening, Natalie," Jeanette said, her voice sultry as always. Mercy! Jeanette was sexy. She could make any woman nervous about her man. Would Nick wish to be with her again? Nat couldn't stand the thought of it. What could she say? How would Jeanette feel about her now that she had been brought across? "I uh . . . . Hi." "Would you rather I leave?" Jeanette asked. "Uh, oh," Nat managed to say. "No. Why would I? Nick'll be glad to see you." Jeanette looked pleased. "LaCroix says that Nicholi has taken another mortal job as a detective." "Yes. Uh . . . he has. That's why he's not here. When did you come back?" Jeanette took a couple of steps, looking around. "Only this evening. I thought I would say hello." She picked up a vase in the great room. "Lovely furnishings. Very homey, yet very expensive. Nicholi would like this." "Thank you," Nat said, wondering why Jeanette had come. "Are you here to stay?" "In Louisville? Hum . . . For a while. I much prefer larger cities, I think, but Louisville does have good points. It has a night life I can enjoy, and a low-profile vampire community." Jeanette turned to face Nat. "Well, I was surprised that you had been brought across. LaCroix told me about it." "I wanted to be with Nick, although I expected it would be in a much different way. I'm not complaining." "Oh, yes," Jeanette said, her voice cool, her gaze even cooler. "I can understand that. He loves you just as much, I believe. He's a very caring man. But, my dear Natalie, don't feel threatened by me. Nicholi and I are just old friends. We have a long past." "I know," Nat said. "Nick stills loves you in his own way." "As I will always love him . . . in my own way." She hesitated. "I have a friend with me." Nat didn't have a chance to speak before a man appeared. Startled she jumped back. The dark-haired man grinned. "Jumpy, isn't she?" he said. Nat swallowed hard and regained her composure. "I'm not used to people popping in and out." "This is Antonio," Jeanette said. "We are . . . very close." Seduction filled her gaze when she looked at him. Antonio was strikingly handsome with thick, wavy hair and dark eyes. He stood a head taller than Jeanette, but somehow they seem suited. They looked good together. Nat smiled. Interesting. Maybe Jeanette shouldn't be a threat after all. "Nick should be home just anytime." "I'm home now," Nick said behind her. "Jeanette, what a surprise." Nick hugged Jeanette, lingering in his hold. If Jeanette was back, would he regret the vows? "It's good to see you again. Are you angry with me for bring you back across?" Jeanette gave him a devilish smile. "I was at first. I wanted to die and kill you too. But I've forgiven you, for the most part. For months I didn't know if I could forgive you. The loneliness was unbearable. At least my would-be killers got what they deserved." Nat felt nauseated, but met her gaze. "You killed them." Nick must have sensed that it made her upset because he put his arm around her. "I had a hard time covering that up." "And you haven't had those urges to kill yet?" Jeanette asked. "If not yet, you will. Killing. It's part of us. LaCroix knew this and understood it. It's in our nature. You can not deny what you are, even if you try. I tried, but it didn't last." "Introduce me to your friend, Jeanette," Nick said, interrupting. Nat was grateful. She didn't want to defend herself to Jeanette. It would serve no purpose. After introductions, Nat offered sustenance. With all of them seated in the breakfast nook, Nick and Antonio talked about places they'd been. Antonio was a young vampire, no more than a couple of hundred years old. Still, he made her feel like a child. "I can't picture LaCroix in antiques," Jeanette was saying. "But he seems to like it. He's quite knowledgeable, actually." "What will you do now, Jeanette?" Nat asked. "I've purchased another club. Downtown Louisville, only doors from LaCroix's shop. It'll be called the 'Night Owl'. Everything will be just like old times. LaCroix is thinking about setting up his radio station in the back of his shop. I'm not sure that Louisville is ready for the Nightcrawler, or anyone like him." Jeanette and Nick rose from the table together. "Someone else is here," Nick said. In the middle of the empty dining room, four people appeared. LaCroix, Vachon, Tracy and Urs. "How can . . . ?" Nat asked, surprise swamping her. "They were dead. Tracy was dead. Urs was dead. Vachon. I checked Urs and Tracy myself. There were no signs of life." LaCroix smiled wickedly. "Do you think to know all there is to know about us with your modern medicine, Doctor? My people are survivors. We have come through much, though not much worse than Divia's rage." "But how?" Nat asked, looking at Tracy. "Tracy came out of cardiac arrest but went into a coma," Vachon said. "I rose from my grave and found her. I brought her across then." He pointed at Urs. "LaCroix visited your morgue after you left. He found Urs there and revived her." LaCroix looked cocky. She could've smacked him. "Sometimes, the smallest cinder of life can be rekindled," he said. "And I found it. Death was cheated again." "Nick," Tracy said, looking sad. "Why didn't you trust me? I wouldn't have told anyone." Nick frowned. "It's too dangerous for humans to know about us. It was dangerous for you to know about Vachon. But since you were a resister, there wasn't much he could do about it if he didn't kill you. Because you knew, he became responsible for you and your actions. He would have had to answer to the enforcers." "I thought he had left town," Tracy said, pouting her lip at Vachon. "I was really angry at him. I didn't remember that he fell on the stake until I woke up as a vampire." "LaCroix did that," Nick said. "He has a way . . . even with resisters." Tracy glanced at LaCroix. "I know. I remembered that too after Vachon brought me across. The only thing I don't remember is being in the hospital." "Don't worry, Tracy," LaCroix said. "All your memories are in tact, except those surrounding Vachon's death. Nick wanted it that way. I believe he called it Vachon's gift to you." "Well," Nat said. "We're almost one big happy family again." "Almost, but not quite," Nick said. "You and I are still missing some of our friends. Schanke and Cohen are gone." "And I miss Screed," Vachon added. Looking up at Vachon, Nat grinned. This could be fun. "I can't do anything about Schanke and Cohen, because they were human. But maybe I can do something about Screed." Everyone looked around at the others and then at her. No doubt they thought she had lost her mind. Maybe she had. Teaser Part 4. Can Nat deliver? Can Screed live again? His body is mummified. And Tracy is still squeamish. Not the Last Knight (Part 4/4) by CandyPAC/MagicPAC One month later. Vachon glanced around at the others, Tracy, Nat and Nick, who stood around a covered body on a table. A home lab took up a corner in Nat's basement. "Do you think it will work?" Vachon asked her. He missed his old buddy, but could Nat really bring him back? What if Screed had changed? Or what if he had truly crossed over to the after life or spirit world? He had told Screed he'd see him in hell. Maybe Screed wouldn't be able to return. Nat bent over Screed's body. They had brought Screed from Toronto only last night. At first, Nick hadn't liked the idea, setting up a home lab and bringing a body there. But when LaCroix agreed with Nat, Nick relented. Experiments on the undead's dead? LaCroix liked it. He said he'd clear it with the enforcers. Vachon smiled at Tracy, who looked a little green. Vampirism wasn't a cure for squeamishness. She had trouble taking her own meals, even after all this time. He helped her as much as he could, but what could he do for a finicky vampire? A swish of air sounded behind Vachon. LaCroix had joined them. "Is our community rat exterminator about to return?" LaCroix asked. Nat grinned. "Soon . . . if this works." "How will you do it?" Tracy asked. "A series of injections," Nat said, "besides using tissue and bone marrow transplants. Tissue and bone morrow from vampires, of course." Looking doubtful, Tracy glanced at Vachon and back. "But he's mummified. Instead of decaying and turning to dust, he dried up. That's like bringing an Egyptian back to life." "Not quite Tracy," Nick interceded. "But close. Few Egyptian were vampires, even though the bodies were preserved. As bizarre as this experiment sounded, it might work." "Well, Nicholas. Don't gamble the ranch on it yet," LaCroix said. "The enforcer I talked to had a field day with the idea of revamping a vampire. He said it could never be done. I'm somewhat inclined to agree. There's not enough of Screed's rat body left." Nat looked hopeful. "Don't write it off as a failure yet, LaCroix. You brought Urs back from what would seem nothing. Besides, people say vampires can't exist at all. We all know that's not true. I've already put the tissue and bone marrow in his body." She lifted Screed's arm and pointed to a live-looking square. "This patch is growing. The cells are reproducing." LaCroix studied her. "Would you be so bold as to say that this procedure would work on a non-vampire?" Hypodermic needle in hand, Nat glanced up. "Not likely, since the body decays so rapidly. If Screed had decayed more, this wouldn't have a chance to work." She injected the first shot into Screed's chest, where his heart should be. Tracy wrinkled her nose. "What's that?" "Blood," Nat said. "To be precise, vampire blood mixed with some special stimulants. Along with the live tissue and bone marrow, it should start regenerating his body." She withdrew the needle and reached for another one. She squirted a drop out of the tip and then looked around. "And this is the AID's virus that should cure his anti-AIDs problem." She injected Screed again. "This shot should cure him of the disease that killed him." She paused, looking around. "I hope." LaCroix moved close. "I must say that I'm intrigued, Dr. de Brabant. You've thought this through to the last detail." Her preparedness intrigued Vachon too. Maybe Nat would succeed. Maybe he'd see Screed again. They all watched and waited. Nothing happened. "I wish I could have tested it," Nat complained. Vachon laughed. "What would you have tested it on? A vampire rat?" Looking up at him, she grinned. "Did Screed leave any around?" "Not that I know of," Vachon admitted. Silence fell. Vachon held his breath. In a few minutes, Screed's body looked different. It didn't look so much like a prune. Vachon's hopes built. "Look!" Tracy said. "It's working." "Don't get too excited, fledging child," LaCroix said. "Screed has far to go before life ignites." "Something is happening," Nick said. "See?" Agonizing seconds passed into minutes. Screed's body filled out completely, but he hadn't started breathing. "Give him another shot," Vachon said. "Maybe he needs more blood." "Possibly," Nat said. "The body regenerated, but it might need more vampire blood to begin living again." After another blood injection, Screed's skin turned his normal vampire color. Another half hour passed before he sucked in a gulp of air and let it out. His eyes opened. No-one spoke. Screen's gaze scanned the room. "Well I'll be. It's a bloomin' holiday. Am I late?" "Welcome back from hell, Screed," Vachon said, grasping Screed's hand. Screed sat up. "Can't says I've been there, though I don't doubt such a place. Can't says I've been anywhere. If I have, I don't remember." He wiped his hand across his mouth. "But my mouth feels like a cotton patch. I could use a wee spot of refreshment." Surprising Vachon, Tracy handed Screed a squirming rat. "Just for you. Welcome back." Grinning, Screed took it and chomped into it. After swallowing and tossing the rat away, he looked around. "I take bit o' nap and what happens? All the world becomes vampires?" Laughter echoed in the room. "Welcome back, sailor," Vachon said. "This world just wasn't the same without you." Screed looked around. "Am I in someone's fancy domicile, V-man? This cost a few bills." "It's Nat's and mine," Nick said. "This is the basement. We're not in Toronto anymore. We thought it would be best to leave with so much happening." "I'm behind you, mate," Screed said. "I can rest these bones anywhere." LaCroix lifted an eyebrow. "I must say that I'm truly amazed, Natalie." Natalie smiled. "Thanks. Coming from you, it means a lot." Wrapping his arm around Nat, Nick hugged her. "It's like the last terrible events never happened," Nick said. "If only I could bring back Schanke and Cohen," Nat said. "THEN, it would be like none of this ever happened." "Yes," Nick said. "We could turn back the clock. We could deny that those last horrible days every happened." He glanced at Tracy. "Well, except for Tracy and Nat being brought across, we could erase everything before Divia tried to destroy our lives." "I'm not complaining, Nick," Tracy said. "This is pretty cool, being a vampire, I mean. I saw Mom and Dad, even though Vachon said I shouldn't." She giggled. "They thought I just woke up and walked out of the hospital with amnesia." LaCroix didn't looked pleased. "Don't worry, LaCroix," Tracy said. "After I put the whammy on them, neither of them will try to boss me again. I never had so much fun. Dad was my puppet for a change. Thanks to Vachon, I have a life of my own. They won't see me enough to catch on." "I should hope not," he said. "It would be dangerous for them." Clutching the sheet around him, Screed hopped off the table. "If you don't mind, I'd like some clothes. And another one of those rats, if it's no . . . what's the word? Ah. Imposition. It's not bloody likely I'll find many around here, I'll betcha." Nat led Screed to a nearby refrigerator. Showing his pleasure, Nick looked around. "Then we are just one big happy family," he said. Vachon smiled and gave Tracy a hug. Life couldn't be better, could it? Was Louisville ready for this vampire clan? The end. Thanks for reading it.