Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 17:49:36 +1000
From: Jayne Gleed <jgleed@comtech.com.au>

DISCLAIMER:
The characters of Nick, Natalie, Lacroix, etc. are characters of the Forever Knight 
show and as such are the property of Tristar et al.
They are not mine I am just borrowing them for a little while. Forgive me for 
what I do to them
 
Once More into the Breach

Lacroix paused; there it was again, that feeling that had been plaguing him for 
weeks. A feather-soft touch at the edge of his awareness, too insubstantial to 
recognise instantly and yet feeling so familiar. He `felt' down the link to 
Nicholas, just to be certain, but as with all the other times the sensation he was 
seeking was not there, just the ones he had come to expect; angst, regret, sorrow 
and that particular mixture of desire and denial that was the exquisite Dr 
Lambert's calling card. He checked the time, probably discussing a case in the 
morgue, he thought. For someone who, with one notable exception, had such a 
problem with the dead she had chosen an unusual profession. Still, lovely though 
she was, she was Nicholas' problem, not his, unlike this current discomfiture. He 
reached further, through Nicolas, to Janette but she seemed happy, or at least 
content. She did not appear to feel anything beyond that since she had rejoined 
the family. He made a mental note to discuss that with her, although she was no 
longer his daughter, she had been for centuries and that carried certain 
obligations. Nevertheless, if it was neither Nicholas nor Janette, then who? 
Perhaps some far-removed kin reaching for help? No, the entire web would have 
echoed with a call for assistance. Still, it was worth a try. He stopped in the 
street, oblivious as always to the looks from passers-by, and opened his 
awareness, trying to trace the feeling hovering at the corners of his mind. He 
coaxed it forward like a frightened animal and then as suddenly as it had 
appeared, it vanished, but not before he learnt two things. First, it was not aware 
of him and second, it was not a vampire. Lacroix's eyes widened with the 
realisation that someone, some human, out there could touch his mind without 
even being aware of it. A conundrum indeed, one he would have to solve. Not 
now however, not tonight, tonight was the Hunt and the absence of thought that 
accompanied it. 


Across town a young woman paid the bellhop and lent back on the closed hotel 
door with a sigh, she closed her eyes and for an eternal moment allowed the 
fatigue to claim her. It had been a long journey, and she had not yet reached her 
goal. She wondered for a moment if she ever would. Then with a defiant shake of 
her head she open her eyes and started to unpack. Close to an hour later after a 
quick shower and a change of clothes she headed downstairs, a slip of paper 
clutched in her hand, and asked the doorman to hail her a cab.

"Where to, miss?"

Consulting her watch and the choices the slip of paper offered her she replied, 

"The Coroner's office, please"


Natalie looked up into soft blue eyes, if they were an ocean, she thought, I'd be 
happy to drown. Then again I wonder what the lifeguards would look like? The 
though caused her to smile, confusing her companion.

"Nat, are you listening to me? Natalie." Nick reached out a hand and touched 
Natalie's shoulder, bringing her back to herself.

"I'm sorry Nick, I was miles away, what were you saying?"

"I was asking you about the report on the Kowalski case, did you confirm the 
initial findings?"

"Yes, triple murder/suicide, he killed them all and then himself, the angle of 
entry and powder traces confirm it. Sorry Nick, unless you've found a way of 
bringing charges against the dead, you're not going to be able to prosecute this 
one." Nat watched his face with concern; she knew how much he hated to let one 
get away, even if it was only into Death's clutches.

"It's alright, Nat. Look at it this way, it saves on paperwork" he smiled to take 
the sting out of his words but the regret in his tone was unmistakable.

"Still, he's beyond my jurisdiction now. Time to move on to the next one. I 
should get back to the precinct, I'll see you tomorrow, Ok" he said as he moved 
toward the door, but Nat's response stopped him.

"No, you won't, I'm not in tomorrow."

"Are you ok? Nothing wrong?" He said turning back, concern written over his 
face.

"Nothing like that" she said with a slight smile, "I'm meeting a friend at the 
airport, you don't need to worry."

"What friend?" he began when a quiet British voice interrupted him

"Doctor Lambert, I presume?"

Nick turned as Natalie got up from her desk,

"Yes, how can I.. Dr Greythorne?"  She said 

The newcomer nodded, a faint smile on her lips,

"Yes, I am sorry if I have disturbed you, but I just arrived and was eager to finally 
meet you. Please forgive me for interrupting your conversation but I overheard 
enough to believe it concerned me."  She replied.

"You're not disturbing me, I just didn't expect you until tomorrow, I was going 
to meet you at the airport," 

"Yes I know that was the plan, but to be honest there is only so much gung-ho, 
can-do American attitude one can take before feeling the need to flee to quieter 
climes, so here I am. I simply wished to inform you that I was in the country so 
you would not make a wasted trip tomorrow."

"Are you all right? I mean did anything go wrong on the tour?"  Nat enquired 
apprehension in her voice.

"I am perfectly fine, please do not misunderstand me, the tour was an 
unmitigated success. All of my lecture halls and seminars were filled to capacity 
and beyond. I have lost track of the number of nights I was engaged in heated 
discussions until the early hours of the morning. It is just that at some point the 
need to be left to oneself is irresistible. Unfortunately my hosts were so 
concerned with making certain I was having an enjoyable time that I had no time 
to myself."

While this conversation continued Nicholas studied Dr Greythorne. She was 
about 5'8" with a trim athletic figure. Her raven hair was pulled back into a loose 
bun, a few loose wisps outlining her face. That face was simply stunning, large 
almond-shaped eyes heavy-lidded and almost purple as they reflected the 
aubergine suit she was wearing. Well-defined cheekbones and a flawless English 
rose complexion, her mouth was sensuous without being overblown with 
perfectly straight white teeth. A seductive face, he thought. Yet there is 
something disconcerting about her, something almost familiar, he cast his mind 
back, trying to remember if Natalie had ever discussed this woman with him and 
drawing a blank. He knew he had never met her before in any lifetime but he 
could not shake the feeling he should know her. Lost in his musings it took him 
a moment to realise Natalie was making introductions.

"Nick, this is Dr Greythorne, a colleague of mine from Britain. Dr Greythorne 
this is Detective Nicholas Knight of the Toronto Police Department, an old 
friend." Natalie said

"Sabine, please both of you. Every time someone says Dr Greythorne I look for 
my father." She said, extending her hand.

"Sabine, it's Nick then," he replied taking her hand, noting with some interest 
the momentary shock and look of unwanted remembrance that passed over her 
features at his touch. Perhaps she was experiencing that sense of recognition too. 
On a whim he bent and placed a kiss on the back of her hand before letting it go. 
He was rewarded with a mischievous grin as he rose and the faintest suggestion 
of a dimple on those perfect cheeks.

"If you are an example of the gentlemen of Toronto Dete..Nick, I think I shall 
thoroughly enjoy my visit here," she said withdrawing her hand and turning to 
Natalie.

"If there is nothing else I think I will retire to my hotel. I am staying in one of the 
suites at the Park Plaza, if you would care to meet me there tomorrow?" Sabine 
said.

"Of course, you must be exhausted, I'll see you tomorrow, 10 am alright for 
you?" Natalie replied

"Perfect, until then." Sabine lent over and brushed a kiss on Natalie cheek, and 
nodding to Nick said,

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Nicholas, hopefully I shall see you again before I 
return home."

"That would be my pleasure, Sabine" Nick responded. 

With that she turned and headed out the door. Once she was out of sight Natalie 
turned to Nick with a raised eyebrow,

"Would you care to explain that little show?"   

"Since when did I have to explain being a gentleman?" Nick asked with an 
impudent grin. "Anyway don't you think you are the one that owes me an 
explanation?"

"For what?" Natalie said.

"For not telling me about Dr Greythorne." He said leaning back on her desk, 
crossing his arms and assuming his `I'm waiting' expression

"She's a viral microbiologist, we first got in contact when I posted a sample of 
your blood on the `net with the simple question, what is wrong with this 
picture?"

"My Blood!" Nick interjected.

"Do you want me to continue or not," Natalie replied and satisfied with the 
silence continued. "She responded almost immediately, and we've been emailing 
each other for almost 3 years now. This is the first time we have had a chance to 
meet face-to-face. I've really been looking forward to it. I didn't think it was 
necessary for me to explain all of my actions to you, Nick." Natalie finished 
curtly

"You don't Nat, you know that but I would have appreciated knowing, I mean it 
was my blood after all." Nick said placatingly,  "By the way how did she respond 
to that first question?"

"She said, I have no idea but I would love to find out and followed with a list of 
her qualifications just so I would know she was serious."

"How qualified is she?"

"She completed her doctorate in record time, has many years experience in the 
field, and she has a permanent open contract at the CDC anytime she wants to 
take them up on the offer, that's good enough for me." Natalie looked thoughtful 
as she finished her statement, as if trying to decipher what was wrong with the 
picture she painted.

"Does she know about me?"

"Of course not, she has no idea who the sample came from and she has never 
asked. I doubt it would ever occur to her to do so, it's simply not professional to 
enquire."

"I didn't mean where the sample came from, I meant about me?"

"Nick, be serious do you really think I'm going to spread that sort of information 
on the `net? I'd either be plagued by nuts, or called one. It would be a complete 
betrayal of the trust you have placed in me, not to mention the fact that it would 
be an open invitation for the enforcers to pay me a terminal visit." Nat's voice 
rose as she finished her statement, as if she could not believe Nick would think 
she was that stupid.

"Sorry, Nat I should have known better, sometimes I forget that, well. I just 
forget that you would never allow anything to endanger me." Nick said reaching 
for her. 

Natalie allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, she wasn't really angry 
with him, just exasperated. He really had to learn to think about what he said 
instead of just reacting. But then he was controlling everything else in his life so 
vigorously that he was allowed to make a verbal slip-up now and then. Nick for 
his part was simply resting in her presence; somehow she always managed to 
calm his fears, one of these days I'm going to do something to repay that he 
thought. But not now, now it was time to get back to work although he could 
have quite happily spent the rest of the night in her embrace. He pulled away 
with reluctance, took her upturned face in his hands and kissed her forehead. 

"I have to go, Nat. Have a good time tomorrow, I'll see you soon." He backed out 
of the lab, and was gone.

Natalie stared at the door for a few moments, her forehead burning with the 
memory of his kiss and his scent clinging to her. She shook herself and turned 
back to work.


Sabine awoke just as the sun rose the next morning, the remnant of a bloody 
nightmare still echoing in her memory. She raised her head and looked at the 
glowing clock beside the bed before dropping back onto the pillow with a groan. 
It was no use, she was awake now, and she may as well get up. She swung her 
feet out of bed, stood up and stretched, digging her toes into the luxurious white 
carpet. White, she thought, only anal-retentive control freaks, the fashion 
crippled and hotel managers carpeted on entire apartment in white.  She padded 
barefoot into the kitchenette, also carpeted she noted absently, grabbing a small 
package on the way. Opening the package, she poured beans into the grinder and 
set it going while filling the reservoir of the coffee machine. Turning back she 
took a small amount of the ground coffee and filled the expresso dispenser, 
placing a cup beneath it and hit the switch. Collecting the rest of the coffee into 
a filter paper she deposited in the percolator and turned it on. She grabbed the 
freshly filled cup of expresso and drank it straight, the caffeine rush hitting her 
like a brick through a plate glass window. Delicious smells were rising from the 
coffee machine as she headed toward the bathroom, "ah," she murmured "I love 
the smell of Blue Mountain in the morning".

Three quarters of an hour later after a long hot shower and changing into a sage-
green suit she sat at the dining table, a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and her 
laptop starting up in front of her. First she checked the news from home via the 
Telegraph home page, funny, she thought, the day they develop virtual coffee is 
the day many people will give up ever leaving home. This day and age everything 
is within reach if you have a computer and `net access. After reading a few 
articles she turned to her e-mail and groaned again. She had only been out of 
connection for three days, how did all of this pile up? She walked over to the 
phone and called room service, ordering a selection of light snacks to be sent up 
a 9:45, before diving back into her correspondence.  

The food arrived just as she was finishing answering the last of her messages, she 
stretched and checked her watch, Natalie would be here soon. She stood for a 
moment, a troubled expression passing over her face as she considered. Should 
she tell Natalie everything? In all the years she had been looking Natalie was the 
best lead she had ever found. The possibility that she could be reaching the end 
of her journey, or at least a signpost to point the right way was exhilarating, but 
it was more than that. After the days they had spent chatting over the web 
discussing everything from the viral content in the blood that had first caught her 
interest to the way life never seemed to turn out the way you planned, Natalie 
was more a sister than a colleague. The notion of keeping anything from her was 
almost painful. Still, until she could confirm her suspicions perhaps it was best. 
That did not salve her conscience, however. On the other hand perhaps she could 
reveal the information without the source, Natalie would never pry and her 
reaction to the information would be the best indicator Sabine could ever find. 
She quickly dug out the relevant hard copy and placed it on the table. She took 
the lids off the serving trays, lets see. smoked salmon and nibbly bits just as 
she'd ordered. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in, Natalie" she called 

Natalie slipped in the door, a smile breaking out on her face as she took in the 
selection on the table. She gave Sabine a quick hug and said, "Is that fresh coffee 
I smell?"

"Blue Mountain, would you like one?"

"Mmmm," she nodded her head whilst sampling the pate "let me give you a 
hand."

"Stay there, I'm the hostess here. How do you have it?" Sabine asked walking 
toward the kitchenette.

"Natalie glanced toward the laptop and papers stacked beside it and answered, 
"Black, I have a feeling I'm going to need it." 

"Coming up. I would usually serve it with chocolates but I thought it was a little 
early in the day for that." She called from the kitchen

"It's never too early for chocolate, Sabine. I would have thought you'd learnt that 
by now." Natalie replied with a smile.

"You are absolutely right, give me a minute." Sabine replied handing Nat her cup 
and heading to the phone.

"Send up a selection of Belgian chocolates would you please," she said into the 
phone "as soon as possible, thank-you"

She turned back to Nat and said "we don't have to work today you know, we do 
enough of that in our normal correspondence. We could go shopping or the 
theatre or whatever you wish."

Natalie looked thoughtful, "I suppose we could, I never really thought about it I 
just assumed there'd be something you wanted to discuss.  If you'd prefer to 
spend the day differently I'd have no objection. It's been a long time since I spent 
a day doing "girl" things, it might be fun."

"I propose a deal, we spend the day indulging ourselves and we work in the 
evening, how about that?"

"Deal" said Nat, a smile on her face "AMEX is going to love me,"

"That's why I have an expense account. Just let me grab my coat." Sabine said, 
heading into the bedroom.

Nat sat down in front of the laptop and sipped her coffee. This should be fun she 
thought, with all the darkness I share with Nick I've forgotten what it's like to 
spend a day in the sun like a normal person. 

Sabine breezed out of the bedroom, pulling on her coat. Dragging Natalie in her 
wake she headed out of the door, almost knocking down the concierge holding a 
tray of chocolates. "Oh, just put them in the room," she said over her shoulder, 
"could you turn the coffee machine off too please, thank-you so much." Then 
they were gone.

The rest of the daylight hours were spent travelling from shop to shop with the 
occasional stop at a street side caf‚ for a caffeine hit. They'd picked up a porter 
for the day, complements of the hotel, so they didn't have to carry any of the 
numerous packages they accumulated. He cleverly used the time they spent in 
each caf‚ transferring their purchases to the limousine, also complements of the 
hotel, or he would not have been able to walk. Sabine insisted in buying Natalie 
almost everything she tried on, much to Nat's chagrin. But as Sabine pointed out 
to Natalie, she had a platinum credit card for a reason, and truthfully it had been 
years since she had indulged herself like this so Natalie would just have to take it 
in stride. Nat argued for all of 5 minutes before giving in gleefully. Nicholas was 
going to love some of those new outfits, and she'd never afford them on her 
salary. She wondered briefly why she would concede so easily to Sabine when 
she fought against Nick spending money on her. She knew how much he had, 
and how small a dent she could make in that massive sum no matter what he 
bought for her. Is it because I really do not have anyone else I could spend a day 
like this with she thought, that's rather a sad reflection on my lifestyle. She 
looked up to see Sabine grab a sapphire blue velvet dress off the rack and head 
towards her, and she smiled to herself. She realised that Sabine was actually one 
of her closest friends, for all that this was the first time they had met.

"Natalie dearest, do try this on, it'll look stunning on you." 

Nat smiled and gave in to the inevitable, "Sure Sabine, why not?" She took the 
dress and headed for the change rooms shaking her head slightly at the twists in 
her life. 

Meanwhile Sabine walked back to the racks to find something for herself. That 
was her only concession to Natalie, for everything she bought for Natalie she had 
to do the same for herself. Since she had already decided the velvet would suit 
her friend perfectly she had to find something for herself or risk breaking a 
promise to Natalie, something she had already decided she would never do. Lets 
see something in forest green I think.

Natalie and Sabine finally made it back to the hotel as the sun was setting, 
leading a trail of heavily laden porters behind them. Walking into the hotel room 
they were rewarded with the sight of hundred of boxes and bags stacked on every 
available flat surface and some that weren't. 

"We couldn't have bought all this, could we?" Natalie said in a hushed tone. 
Staring wide-eyed at the spectacle in front of her.

"I think we did, remember we had a great many things sent directly to the hotel 
from the stores rather than subject poor Marius to any more backaches." Sabine 
replied with a smile. 

"It looks like the Christmas rush at Santa's workshop," Nat said as the porters 
streamed past her adding to the already impressive pile in the room. "If this goes 
on much longer you won't have anywhere to sleep"

"Think of all the fun we are going to have unwrapping it all, "Sabine said

"God, how am I going to get mine home? And where am I going to put it all?"

"I will lend you the limousine to transport it, but after that you are on your own."

"Gee, thanks" Nat replied with mock sarcasm, "Thank God that some of my 
things are presents for Nick, I swear I'd have to move out of the apartment 
otherwise!"

Marius paused at the door as the other porters filed past, "will that be all" he 
asked, fatigue evident in his tone.

"Yes, of course, Marius" Sabine replied handing him two thousand dollar bills. 
"I am sorry but I have not had time to exchange the currency yet, but I want you 
to keep one of those and split the other between the porters who lent you 
assistance,"

"Yes ma'am, of course ma'am," he said his eyes wide as he accepted the money 
"this isn't really necessary."

"Nonsense, now go and rest, you have earned it." Sabine said motioning him 
toward the door. Smiling she turned to Nat as the door closed behind her on the 
shocked man and said, "Well, what is first, unwrapping, coffee or work?"

"I don't think I could contemplate starting in on that," she said indicating the 
massive pile of packages, "how about a coffee and work, and when that gets too 
intense we'll start on the mountain."

"Alright, I will start the coffee, you clear some of the packages from the table so 
we have somewhere to work." Sabine called walking into the kitchenette.

Natalie sighed and looked at the pile on the table, she dropped her bag and 
started clearing space. From the kitchen came the sound of the coffee maker 
starting up as she cleared the last of the boxes away and came to the pile of 
creased papers stacked next to the laptop. Why would Sabine need a hardcopy of 
my original file on Nick's blood, she thought, she looked closer and a chill ran 
through her soul. These weren't the samples she had posted to the `net, there 
were similarities but this was obviously another source. Unbeknownst to her 
Sabine walked back into the room as she picked up the sheets of paper, the 
shudder passing through her as the realisation of what she held in her hand 
obvious to Sabine from where she stood. She knows what they signify thought 
Sabine, she must. Natalie quickly flipped through the sheets, desperately hoping 
she was wrong, that they were just a bad copy of her files, but she knew better. 
Were these from someone Sabine knew or had she just found them floating in the 
`net and brought them to show to me, she had to know.  She turned, the papers 
clutched in her hand and shock still etched on her features to find herself face-to-
face with Sabine. Sabine looked down and whispered, "they are the same, aren't 
they? Like the ones you originally caught my interest with when you posted 
them."

"There are similarities, but they're not exactly the same. Where did you get them, 
what site had a copy?"

"No site Natalie, look at the sheets there is no `net address on them," Sabine said 
in that whispered tone, "I did not find them on the `net. I have had them for a 
long time."

"How long, Sabine, how long?"
 
"The date the slides were transferred to hard copy is printed on the bottom," 
Sabine's voice didn't seem capable of rising, Natalie had to lean towards her to 
catch the words. She looked down at the papers and checked the date.

"This is almost twelve years ago," she said, thinking furiously. I've only known 
Nick six years, could she have met him before, somehow obtained a blood 
sample. No, she remembered introducing them; they were obviously strangers. 
But then there was Nick's uncharacteristic behaviour towards her. She stopped 
herself; there was no point in useless speculation. She had to have answers. 

"Where did this come from? Whose blood is this?" The urgency was evident in 
her voice.

"You know I cannot tell you that, Dr Lambert." Sabine replied, her voice 
returning to normal as she stressed Natalie's title.    
 
"Of course not, Sabine I'm sorry." Natalie replied while thinking, damn there has 
to be someway to get the information without compromising the doctor/patient 
relationship. Well, at least I know it's one of Sabines patients. Does that mean 
that Sabine is like me? A doctor desperately trying to find a cure for vampirism, 
or does her patient keep that side of their nature from her?

"It is alright Natalie, the first time I saw your sample the temptation to enquire 
into it's source was almost irresistible. I understand your frustration, but we do 
not need to know who the source is to work on the information, don't you 
agree?"

"Agreed, so shall we start? I have a feeling you and I have a great deal to 
discuss." Natalie said, motioning toward the table.

Sabine nodded, "I'll just get the coffee and we can begin."

The conversation that ensued lasted until the small hours of the morning. Natalie 
learned that Sabines patient, whom she referred to as Louis, had been exposed to 
a series of infectious diseases during the course of his life but had failed to 
manifest symptoms to any of them. Which is what had first intrigued Sabine, 
especially as his blood sample showed the antibodies to the diseases themselves, 
which proved he had indeed contracted them. He had also noticed an increase in 
the speed of his reflexes, an enhanced healing capacity combined with an 
unusually low metabolic rate. He showed a decreased need for food while 
conversely his desire for liquids increased. He also noted a reduction in his sleep 
requirements, two to three hours a day sufficing to allow the normal train of daily 
activities. Although the sleep itself was of a particularly deep nature, without the 
usual cycle of light sleep, semi-wakefulness and R.E.M. that made up most 
peoples sleep patterns. With Natalie's cautious probing Sabine revealed that the 
patient had no trouble with strong spices like garlic or standing in direct 
sunlight, that although the consumption of food had decreased markedly it did 
not stop altogether or cause nausea after a few mouthfuls. She did confirm that 
the increase in reflexes also included an extension in the normal range of 
physical senses, but nothing that could be considered beyond the extreme range 
of human abilities. Natalie relaxed inwardly, it couldn't be Nick, unless Sabine 
was lying to her and there was no reason to believe that she was. Still, that raised 
another interesting question, if it was not Nick who was it? More precisely what 
was it? `Louis' had manifested some vampiric abilities, but not all. Was there 
some form of lesser vampire? She knew about Scree and the carouche vampires 
but they were only considered lesser in regard to their choice of prey, not in their 
abilities. Or were they? Even after all this time there was still so much she didn't 
know. Things she would have to ask Nick. Now the question was how much did 
Sabine know? Concern for her friend suddenly welled up in Nat, if Sabine went 
blindly into this her expected life-span would be extremely short, but she 
couldn't just ask her. Suddenly the answer hit her, all she had to do was get 
Sabine alone with Nick, and he could do the rest. I just hope she isn't a resister. 
Then again, there was always Lacroix; 2000 years of unlife had given him some 
amazing abilities, if he could be persuaded not to just kill her and save himself 
the inconvenience. She'd have to discuss it with Nick as soon as possible. Natalie 
looked at her watch and yawned pointedly, "it's after three, Sabine I think we 
should call it an evening" she said  

"Of course, Natalie forgive me, I need so little sleep myself I sometimes forget 
that others do not." Sabine replied rising from the couch. "Let me call the porter 
to give you a hand with these packages."

"Actually, I'd rather leave them here for the moment, I'll pick them up later today 
or tomorrow if you don't mind." Natalie responded, also rising and pulling on 
her coat.

"No problem at all, just give me a call when you wish to pick them up, all right."

They walked toward the door together, Natalie turned and embraced Sabine 
before leaving. She was on the phone to Nick before she reached the lift.

"Knight here,"

"Nick, it's Natalie, we need to talk."

"Nat? What's wrong?"

"Nothing I can discuss on the phone, I'll be at the loft when you get off shift, ok"

"Fine, I'll see you there, are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, I'll talk to you soon, bye"

"Bye."

Nat let herself in Nick's loft twenty minutes later, Nick wouldn't be there for a 
while yet so she relaxed on the couch and closed her eyes for a moment. The next 
thing she knew she felt a cool hand brushing her face and a voice in her ear 
whispering "Natalie, Natalie wake up." She opened her eyes and gazed up into 
cool blue ones, concern mirrored in their depths. She pulled herself up and said,

"Hi, I just closed my eyes for a moment, what time is it?"

"Almost four thirty, what's the matter?" 

Natalie explained the relevant details of her evening's discussion with Sabine, 
pointing out the danger that Sabine was in knowing what she knew. Then she 
explained what she wanted Nick to do.

"I don't think that I can, Nat" he replied rising from the couch where he'd been 
sitting for the last half-hour.

"What do you mean you can't, I've seen you convince people of all sorts of 
unbelievable things. What's different about this?" 

"It's not just a case of convincing her she didn't see something or even she 
doesn't know something. She has to have files at home, years of research. You 
said her sample was 12 years old. You're asking me to make her forget all of that 
and somehow not be reminded when she runs across her own notes. It's not a 
case of not wanting to Nat, I don't think that I can do it, I'm not sure that anyone 
can." He replied taking her hand.

"What about Lacroix?" she whispered

"I'm not sure he could do it either, Nat. Do you want me to ask him?"

"I don't want you to have anything to do with him, you know that. But I couldn't 
stand the idea of anything happening to Sabine. The way she is going she'll have 
to get the attention of someone dangerous sooner or later, probably sooner." 
Natalie replied squeezing his hand.

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she"

"More than I thought. Do you know what we did today?" she asked him

"I thought you'd be working."

"So did I, but that wasn't what we did. We spent the whole day shopping, just 
travelling from shop to shop buying everything we saw. We ate triple chocolate 
mousse cake with clotted cream, drank cafe lattes in eight different coffee shops. 
I spent the day in the sun like a normal person with a friend I never knew I had, I 
couldn't stand to lose her now, Nick, I just couldn't."

"I'll talk to Lacroix, if anyone could do this, he can."

"Make sure he knows she'd be missed if he just decides to end the problem 
permanently."

"I will Nat, don't worry I won't let anything happen to her." he said sitting down 
next to her

"What happens if he can't do it either, what do we do then?"

"We'll work that out if he can't, lets not worry until we know."

"I can't help being worried Nick, I just don't want anything to happen to her." 
She said leaning back into his embrace.

"It won't Nat, we'll work something out" he murmured into her hair.

He felt her relaxing in his arms, her breathing becoming more regular as the long 
day caught up to her. Her heartbeat was echoing in his ears, the pulse sending 
waves of apple and cinnamon through her skin to his enhanced senses. She 
seemed so vulnerable as sleep claimed her. His protective instincts came to the 
fore, and he knew he would not allow anything to harm her, and through her, 
Sabine. Natalie had so few true friends that the loss of Sabine would do 
irreparable damage, something he would not condone. There was so little he 
could do for Natalie, so few ways to show how he cared. His depth of feeling 
must by necessity be hidden both for her protection and his own. But he could 
do this for her. Her friend would not suffer for her knowledge he'd see to that. 
Natalie would not lose another loved one to the night. He felt her shifting in her 
sleep, and he smiled to himself, she felt so good in his arms. He would give all he 
had to be able to hold her like this for the rest of his life. For now he'd take one 
day at a time. He slid around, putting an arm under her he lifted her from the 
couch and headed upstairs, they were both exhausted and dawn was close. He'd 
indulge himself this one night and spend it in her arms.

Natalie awoke the next morning surrounded by cool, comforting arms. She 
turned her head and looked into Nicks sleeping face. How innocent he looks, she 
thought, like a little boy tired out from a day of getting up to mischief. Looking 
at him now no one would ever suspect his true nature. She sighed, one day I'll 
find a way of making him that little boy again, or die trying. She shuddered 
slightly knowing the people that Nick consorted with, that phrase took on a 
whole new meaning. She looked down at her watch, 11am, and contemplated her 
options. She could stay in bed all day with Nick or get up and go home. 
Maintaining the status quo felt like the best option but she knew she'd get up. 
She had to work tonight and there was no way she was going to do that without a 
change of clothes. Oh practicality, thou art a demon, she thought.  Manoeuvring 
around Nicks consoling arms she got out of bed and padded downstairs. Thank 
God she made sure Nick kept up a supply of coffee, now was there any milk? 
She made herself a coffee, black, and considered her options for the day, 
steadfastly refusing to look upstairs. First, home, shower and a change of 
clothes, then what? Contact Sabine with an invitation to dinner? No, she would 
have to wait to hear back from Nick about that.  Her stomach churned at the 
thought of danger to her friend, it was all she could do not to run to her and beg 
her to leave town. Not that it would be any use, enforcers were everywhere and 
vampires like Nick were the abnormal ones, here at least there was someone to 
protect her. She shook her head to clear her mind; there was no use worrying 
about it now. Nick was right; they'd find a way to deal with the problem one way 
or the other. For now she'd just have to keep going and act like everything was 
right with the world. She grabbed a pad and penned a quick note to Nick, asking 
him to contact her the minute he got back from Lacroix. Grabbing her keys and 
bag she headed out the door, pausing to take a last look at Nick's home as if 
drawing strength for a battle.

Nick awoke as the sun set, the bed beside him empty and cold. He concentrated 
for a moment and realised he could not hear her heartbeat. He quelled his 
disappointment as he realised she must have left hours ago. Unlike him she still 
had the option of doing things in the daylight. He pulled on a robe and headed 
downstairs, noting at once the message she'd left pinned to the fridge where he 
would be sure to see it. He poured himself a glass as he read it, 

Darling Nick,
		Tempting as it was to spend the day in your arms, I have 
things to do. Thank-you for being there for me last night, it was wonderful to 
wake up with you this morning. Let me know the minute you have worked out a 
plan with L. I can't stop myself worrying about Sabine.

Love, Nat.
  
It was wonderful to fall asleep with you in my arms Nat, he thought. With an 
unexpected feeling of optimism he decided that one day that was going to be 
common practice. Still, today he had other problems to deal with, if he was going 
to catch Lacroix before he went hunting he should go soon. He literally flew up 
the stairs and performed the fastest shower and change in recorded history, 
human history that is. 

Lacroix looked up in surprise as Nick walked across the dance floor of the 
Raven,

"Why Nicholas, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Lacroix purred, his 
finger tracing the top of a glass of his special vintage.

Nick debated for a moment and then decided honesty was the best way to go, "I 
need your advice, Lacroix."

The corner of Lacroix mouth lifted slightly in a sardonic smile "my advice. Well 
the best advice I could give you dear Nicholas is to leave your mortal paramour 
and return home where you belong, but I imagine that's not the advice you were 
looking for."

"Hardly," Nick replied  "I am actually having a small problem with a mortal, and 
the solution is beyond me."

"The solution to mortal problems are always the same Nicholas, you have just 
become too squeamish to deal with them effectively. Although I am surprised you 
would come to me to complete this little service for you" 

"It's not what you think Lacroix," Nick began

"What a pity."

Nick sighed and continued, "I need you to convince someone that she doesn't 
know what she knows."

"Is she a resister?"

"Not that I know of, but she could be."

"Nicholas have you lost your abilities along with your hunger? This sort of thing 
is well within your capabilities. Pleasant as it is to see you I really do not have 
time to be bothered by trivialities."

"Lacroix will you let me finish? Not only do you have to make her forget at least 
12 years worth of knowledge, you also have to make sure that when she runs 
across her own research it doesn't bring the knowledge back."

Lacroix eyebrows arched at this statement, "Who is she, and what does she know 
of us?"

"She is a colleague of Natalie's, they have been in contact for years over.my 
problem."

"Really Nicholas, this is becoming a nuisance. I have tolerated your infatuation 
with mortal life in general and the charming Dr Lambert in particular simply 
because the only one it endangered was you. But if she is sharing the information 
with colleagues she is trespassing into dangerous territory." Lacroix voice had 
taken on a menacing edge and then a look of confusion crossed his features as he 
recalled exactly what Nick had said, "12 years? You've only known her 6 years. 
What is going on here Nicholas?"

Nicholas spent the next hour explaining what had happen between Natalie and 
her friend the previous day. The information that Natalie had managed to pry out 
of her and the material she could not confirm. He also began to explain Natalie's 
fear for her friend at the possibility that Lacroix would simply rid them all of the 
problem 

"What makes you think I won't do just that, it seems the most effective way of 
dealing with the threat. For be under no illusions Nicholas, this woman is a 
threat to all of us."

"She's well known, Lacroix, well respected. If she went missing or turned up 
murdered questions would be asked. Very difficult questions." Nicholas 
responded reasonably, trying desperately to avoid revealing his vow to Natalie. If 
for no other reason than Lacroix would find some way to use it against them.

"Questions were are not prepared to answer, I believe." Lacroix growled as he 
paced the floor of the Raven. "All right Nicholas, I will help you with your little 
problem, for all our sakes" 

"Thank-you, Lacroix." he said heading toward the door of the Raven when 
Lacroix voice called him back

"But remember this Nicholas. If she is a resistor or I cannot implant a suggestion 
that she disregard her research a convenient accident is not out of the question. 
In fact I expect your help in accomplishing it."
 
Nick nodded acknowledgement and continued out the door. He knew that 
Lacroix was right, but just because he knew it didn't mean he had to agree with 
it, or with the obviously lethal means that Lacroix was contemplating to rid them 
of this particular problem. He knew that Lacroix would sacrifice Sabine without 
a moment's hesitation if he believed it was what was needed to protect the 
community and himself. Somewhere deep inside Nick knew that if it came to a 
choice he would help end her life, or at least make the explanation of her death 
easier to believe. It caused him no small amount of pain to realise that he could 
break his vow to Natalie that easily. Perhaps he wouldn't have to, for now he was 
going to take his own advice and stop worrying about what he could not change. 
He looked at his watch, still some time until he was due at work, he decided to 
head over to Nat's office, she'd probably be in early, worry always made her 
work.

Behind him in the Raven, Lacroix paced back and forth, a bottle of his favourite 
blend in his hand. Damn Nicholas, why was it that he could always come up with 
the most difficult problems at the worst possible time. He really did not have 
time for this distraction at the moment. That feeling had been getting stronger as 
each hour passed and he still could not place it. It hovering just beyond his grasp 
and the few times it made contact were never long enough for an accurate 
identification. He only had the remainder of this night to trace it; tomorrow 
would be spent dealing with Dr Lambert's inquisitive colleague. He could not 
shake the sense of foreboding; he was running out of time. He shook his head 
ruefully; who would have thought an immortal would begrudge the passing of 
time. Still, something was changing, there was a feeling of departure, similar to 
the one he experienced every twenty years or so, the need to move on, forever 
searching for something beyond the horizon. Was that why this feeling was so 
familiar, was he picking up on the longing of a vampire ready for the move? No, 
he knew it was not a vampire, but it was not truly human either. He banished the 
thoughts from his mind, in 2000 years he had confronted stranger mysteries; 
these would pass as all the others had.  It made little sense dwelling on 
something he could not resolve, he had a club to open and a show to air.


Nat was sitting in an empty darkened room, chewing on her hair when Nick 
arrived. She got up and turned as she heard the door open.

"Business is brisk, I can see." He said as he surveyed the deserted morgue.

"What did Lacroix say?" Natalie asked, not willing to engage in small talk.

He smiled slightly and put his arm around her, "It's all right Nat, he said he'd 
help."

She relaxed visibly into his embrace; "I was so worried." He felt her stiffen "you 
explained to him she was irreplaceable didn't you, that he couldn't just make her 
disappear" 

"Of course I did."

"And he agreed, right?" 

Natalie felt Nick tense as he tried to find a way to answer her without causing 
her any more grief. "He agreed that she would be, difficult to remove without 
raising suspicions." He conceded, "But you must understand he won't do 
anything that will endanger himself or the community."

"No, Nick I do not understand, and you don't appear to either." She replied 
pulling away from him, "I will not take a friend of mine into a dangerous 
situation. If Lacroix cannot be trusted to solve this problem without resorting to 
violence then he will never have a chance to meet her." She headed toward her 
desk and picked up the phone

"Who are you calling?"

"Sabine, I'm going to tell her to get out of town."

Nick's finger was on the receiver before she'd finished the sentence, "don't Nat, 
what good will running do? You said it yourself sooner or later she is going to 
run into the more dangerous members of the community.  Lacroix knows about 
her now, if she ran he would just follow, although I didn't tell him her name she 
wouldn't be that hard to find. We are the best chance she has to get out of this 
alive. At least here both you and I will be looking out for her, neither of us wants 
anything to happen to her. Trust me Nat, I'll do everything I can."

She looked up into his eyes and read the obvious concern. Pulling back from her 
first panicked reaction she nodded. "Of course, I know you'll do everything 
that's possible, but what if it isn't enough? Could you hold Lacroix off while I 
got Sabine out of there? Would you even try?"

"I don't know, Lacroix has a point. Secrecy is the one rule we all adhere to; it 
would be suicide to do anything else. With her current level of knowledge she is 
dangerous to all of us."

"Dangerous to the vampires you mean," Nat replied stepping back from him

"No not just us. Natalie, both Lacroix and I protect you every night. You should 
not be able to walk around with the knowledge you have. Lately you have earned 
the respect of a great many of us when you discovered the cure to the plague. But 
in the early days it was only through Lacroix intervention that you didn't just 
disappear." 

"Lacroix." Nat said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Lacroix. I'm not completely certain why he intervened on your behalf. I 
know some of it has to do with his quest to bring me back to his side. He knows 
if he caused or allowed anything to happen to you then he would lose me forever. 
As far as that is concerned he's just biding his time. You're mortal Natalie, and 
unless something radical changes one day I'll be without you. Protecting you is 
just one way of ensuring my loyalty until that day comes." He reached out and 
brushed her cheek, smiling as she lent into the caress. "Still, I have always felt 
there was more to it than that, perhaps he is fonder of you than he thought."

"Somehow I doubt that." She replied with a smile, "All right Nick I'll let you run 
this the way you want to, just promise me you'll do all that you can to protect 
her."

"I promise, Nat. All that I can."

She took a deep sigh, "ok so how do we do this? Invite her to dinner at your 
place and surprise her with an entr‚e of Lacroix?"

"I am not sure that he would appreciate being referred to as an entr‚e, but that 
seems the best way to go. I'll contact him and make the arrangements, if you'll 
do the same with Sabine."

She nodded assent as Nick headed toward the door, "Don't worry Nat, it'll be 
fine." He said as he left.

She looked at the closing door and murmured, "Why is it that I don't believe 
you?" Before reaching for the phone to invite Sabine to dinner.


The following evening was a cold one so Natalie was not surprised to see her 
friend wrapped up in a luxurious fur coat in the lobby of her hotel. Sabine smiled 
as Natalie approached, and held out her arms to embrace her.

"You look lovely, my dear. I told you the blue velvet would suit your colouring." 
She said taking in Natalie's attire.

"You should talk," Natalie replied reaching out to stroke the fur coat, "is this 
real?"

"Yes, but before you become indignant, it's very old. It belonged to my 
grandmother. There is no way in this enlightened day and age that I would buy a 
new fur coat, but it seemed such a waste to leave it mouldering in a wardrobe 
somewhere when I could enjoy it." She performed a little pirouette, the light 
shining in her eyes as she turned; "don't you agree?"

"Absolutely, Sabine. Shall we go?" she said indicating the front door,

"At once, dearest. I'm quite looking forward to meeting your young gentleman 
again."

Natalie smiled to herself as Sabine sailed past, young indeed. Sabine couldn't be 
more than 30 years old and Nick; well it's been a long time since he's deserved 
the moniker of young man. For a moment Natalie allowed herself to forget the 
purpose of tonight's meeting and considered the amusement she'd derive from 
having Nick and Sabine in the same room together. She pulled herself back to 
the present as she noticed Sabine waiting by the door, and headed over. Time to 
get this over with she thought.


Across town Nick paced through the loft, lighting candles and making sure the 
cutlery was all in place, when he felt a displacement of air behind him.

"Really Nicholas, is this pretence necessary." Lacroix said, indicating the table 
in front of him.

"It's what she'll be expecting when she walks in, I don't want her to be 
suspicious immediately."

"Do you really think that will be a problem?" Lacroix said as he walked into the 
kitchen and took a wineglass from cupboard. "You'll forgive me if I've brought 
my own supplies," he said indicating the bottle under his arm, "but I have a 
feeling this will be a tediously long evening and I could not stomach that swill 
you drink."

"No objections from me, Lacroix." Nick replied, "What ever makes you 
comfortable."

"Nothing about this evening makes me comfortable Nicholas, if it had not been 
for your ridiculous quest I would not have to subject myself to this waste of 
time." He replied, draining his glass in one swallow.

"Lacroix, is there something wrong? You seem..uneasy."

"Wrong? Why Nicholas, why should anything be wrong? You're only asking me 
to perform a task that I am not sure is within the capabilities of any vampire let 
alone myself. Then when the inevitable happens, as it will, I'll be expected to 
deal with an attack from you while Dr Lambert tries, unsuccessfully, to remove 
this menace from the premises. Having dealt with both of you I will then have to 
dispose of this woman without drawing suspicion, and then I shall have to 
contend with the guilt you will no doubt lay at my feet on a daily basis from that 
point onwards. Is that what you were referring to?" Lacroix replied, his voice 
turning into a snarl as he finished.

"To an extent," Nicholas replied refusing to be cowed, "but there seems to be 
something else. Something beyond tonight's activities."

Lacroix stood his ground from a moment before nodding in agreement, 
"sometimes I forget how perceptive you are. Yes, there is something troubling 
me. For the last few weeks I have been beset by a particular sensation, a feeling 
at the edge of my awareness that refuses to be identified. It is like hearing a 
fragment of music and being incapable of placing it, like noticing a specific 
odour and being unable to trace it to its source. It is especially frustrating, as it 
feels so familiar, I know I should be able to recognise it, especially as it has 
become stronger in the last few days, even as it seems to have also become more 
elusive. I am finding I cannot concentrate on any subject for more than a few 
moments without becoming sidetracked. That is one of the reasons I am so 
certain that tonight will be an unmitigated failure. I will not be able to convince 
this woman of things she knows to be the truth, let alone those things she 
recognises as lies." Lacroix poured himself another glass, seemingly exhausted 
by his outburst.

 "I had no idea, Lacroix. If there is any thing I can do to help" Nick offered

"Nicholas, I am twelve hundred years your senior, there is nothing you can do 
that I have not already tried and discarded. But I appreciate the offer, Thank-you"

Nicholas watched his father, a look of concern written on his face. It was very 
rare for Lacroix to open up to him in any way, hell from all he had seen over the 
years if was very rare from Lacroix to open up to anybody. Very few things ever 
ruffled that stony exterior he showed to the world, this strange feeling must 
really be affecting him. He was right when he said that the timing could not be 
worse, and if this thing was making him doubt his own abilities, it was nothing 
to be taken lightly. The silence in the room stretched to almost painful 
proportions. Lacroix nursed his glass holding it up to the candlelight as if 
looking for impurities in the liquid. Nicholas leant against the piano, watching 
him, knowing there was nothing he could do to help and feeling useless. He did 
not know how to comfort Lacroix, how to bolster his self-confidence. He was not 
even sure if Lacroix would want him to, admitting a weakness was not his style. 

Poor Nicholas, thought Lacroix, he still does not realise how much slips through 
the link between us. The feeling of helplessness that was emanating from him 
would have been amusing if it wasn't so familiar. I wonder how Nicholas would 
react if he knew that what he is experiencing now is exactly what I feel every 
time he tries to return to the light. Lacroix smiled wryly, the only time we share 
feelings are over things on which we can never be resolved. Something fluttered 
inside him, like dark wings in his mind. He concentrated, trying desperately to 
pin it down, but it was gone before he could grasp it, it was close, so close he 
could almost taste it. At that moment his prenatural senses picked up the sound 
of female voices downstairs, he looked up to meet Nicholas' eyes.

"They're on the way up, Lacroix."

"Perhaps I should fade into the shadows for the moment, as you pointed out 
making her suspicious would be foolish." With that he made to step back into 
the darkened space beneath the stairwell. 

"No, Lacroix. Having you appear out of the darkness unexpectedly would be 
questionable. I've set the table for four, she'll be expecting someone else to be 
here." Nicholas replied,

"As you wish, Nicholas." Lacroix resumed his place in the kitchen, his wineglass 
held comfortably in his hand.  Nicholas looked over the place again as the lift 
started its ascent. He prayed that their plan would work, he could not bear to see 
the hurt on Natalie's face if it did not. 


"So, did you ever find a place for all your purchases?" Sabine asked as they 
reached the top.

"Just," Natalie replied pulling the heavy steel door open, "but I am still 
contemplating moving to a bigger place." She ushered Sabine into the loft, 
smiling to hide her fear.

"Dr Greythorne, welcome to my home." Nick said as he walked forward to take 
her coat. Behind him Lacroix' head came up quickly at the sound of her name 
and his eyes widened in shock at the sight of her.

Sabine smiled as Nicholas came towards her, his advancing form hiding Lacroix 
from her sight and replied "Nicholas I've already told you Dr Greythorne is my 
father, I'm.."

"Sabine.." the interruption was more a whisper that a word, a mere exhalation 
from a body too stunned to respond. It was followed by the sound of breaking 
glass.

Sabine tilted her head to look beyond Nicholas, as her perspective changed she 
saw Lacroix standing in the kitchen, the broken wine glass at his feet.

"That's a terrible waste of blood, General." She said casually while inside she 
was screaming `it's him, by the gods, it's really him.' 

Natalie and Nick looked at each other in shock and for a moment silence reigned, 
then Lacroix moved. In a heartbeat he was in front of her, disbelief still etched on 
his features. He reached out a hand and tentatively touched her cheek. She smiled 
as she lent into the hesitant caress. 

"It's me, Lucius" she whispered. 

Lacroix slid his other arm around her and pulled her to him, closing his eyes as 
she rested her head on his chest. They stood like that for an eternal moment 
revelling in each other's presence and then his hand stole up and removed the 
pins from her hair. As it fell in ebony waves down her back he could feel her 
smiling into his chest. She tilted her head up and looked into his eyes, "You 
always do that, you know." She murmured.

"You always put it up," he replied

"That's only so you can have the pleasure of taking it down," she smiled and 
settled back into his embrace. For another long moment they were the only two 
people in the world, but then reality intruded,

"It seems that I do not have to make introductions," Nick quipped, trying to come 
to grips with the scene in front of him.

Sabine's shoulders rose in a silent laugh and she pulled herself away, reluctantly, 
from Lacroix' embrace. "No, Nick" she stopped, realisation flooding her face, 
"You are Nicholas de Brabant, aren't you?" She asked. To Nick's shocked face 
she continued, "the moment we met I knew there was something familiar about 
you I just couldn't place it. Now it all makes sense. Lucius has told me so much 
about you it's almost as if I know you already."

Natalie regained control of her vocal cords at that point, "You know Lacroix?" 
Disbelief evident in her voice.

Sabine smiled and took Lacroix hand, "yes Natalie I know him intimately. Don't 
be shocked dearest, did you think you were the only mortal who consorts with 
vampires?" 

"No, I mean I don't know." She looked at Nicholas helplessly. "I don't 
understand."

"Obviously," drawled Lacroix, "but is there any reason why you should?"

"Lucius.." Sabine began reprovingly when Nicholas interrupted her

"You know who I am, you know who we all are." He was obviously having 
trouble coming to grips with the concept.

"Yes, I do, although I was not sure of Natalie's connection until tonight." Sabine 
hesitated, "perhaps it would be best if I were to explain. With your permission, 
General?" She said looking back at Lacroix.

"If you believe you can please try, but I think we should make ourselves 
comfortable first. I predict we have a long night in front of us." He indicated the 
couch with a sweep of his hand.

A still stunned Nick and Natalie headed in the indicated direction whilst Sabine 
waited for Lacroix. He smiled as he offered her his arm. Obviously enjoying both 
her presence and the discomfort it caused his son and the doctor.  When they 
were seated comfortably, with Lacroix perched on the arm of the couch directly 
behind Sabine nursing a new glass and occasionally stroking her hair as she 
spoke, she began.

"Before I begin just let me ask this of you, what I am about to say will be 
difficult in some parts, so please let me finish before bombarding me with 
questions." She took a deep breath; "I first met Lucius just over twenty five years 
ago, when I was finishing my doctorate in London. He turned up at my favourite 
club one night and engaged me in conversation, I think our friendship began at 
that point." She stopped for a moment and looked back at Lacroix. But before 
she could begin again Natalie interrupted

"Twenty-five years? You couldn't have been more than five then, make sense 
Sabine."

Sabine smiled slightly  "suffice to say I am older than I look, don't worry Natalie 
I'll answer those questions that I can later. For those I cannot you will have to 
ask Lucius, as will I. Now where was I? Well, Lucius and I ended up spending a 
great deal of time together. I do not believe there was a single night while he was 
in London that we did not see each other. From the time we met until we parted 
ways we were inseparable. Of course it did not take me long to suspect his true 
nature, although confirmation took a little longer. However by that stage it would 
not have mattered to me if he were Jack the Ripper, he was my friend. The fact 
that he was my friend the vampire was irrelevant. I think it took him a while to 
realise that my attitude was sincere, but once he did it was if nothing had 
happened."

"That is not entirely true, Sabine." 

"Lucius, I am trying to make this as concise as possible. These two are fit to be 
tied with all the questions they have and if I was to go into detail of the night I 
finally had proof of what you are and the repercussions of that evening we would 
be here until well past the sunrise. You and I both know what happened, lets 
leave it at that." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then continued, "suffice to 
say that our relationship became deeper after that night, it could hardly have 
done anything else. Over the three years that followed I learned a great deal about 
Lucius, his life, his history, even tales of his wayward son." She smiled at 
Nicholas to soften the words. "I had made a deal with him you see, his words for 
my silence, and a few other things. I cannot remember how many nights I spent 
being lulled to sleep by his voice telling me of his life, of viewing history as it 
happened rather that some dry text in a musty tome. I liked to believe that I 
understood him, or at least I tried. So when he told me it was time for him to 
move on, I accepted it. It was a part of what he was and it had always lain 
unspoken between us. I bid him farewell and fully expected to never lay eyes on 
him again this side of the grave, but as I have learned life rarely conforms to what 
is planned." She paused for a moment as if gathering her courage. "About twelve 
years ago I began to notice some changes, or more precisely the lack of them. I 
had spent the preceding decade in and out of almost every country on the map, 
chasing diseases wherever they flared. Treating cholera in the slums of New 
Delhi, Ebola victims in Zaire, Hantaan virus in Asia. Wherever there was a 
deadly disease there was I also, and in all that time I never even caught a cold. I 
never got sick, I hardly ever became tired, it got to the stage where I could spot 
who was infected and who was clean just by looking at them. I was unstoppable, 
unfailing and unchanging, but it was not until `83 that I noticed something was 
wrong. I had returned to India that year. The place was always a hotbed for 
epidemics and I was liasing with a team I had worked with eight years before. We 
were trying to trace back the path of a particularly virulent outbreak and I kept 
noticing that one of the doctors on my team was always staring at me. It took me 
a while to realise that he had been on the earlier team, he looked so much older 
than I remembered him. It was then that I noticed that most of the other doctors 
who were on both teams looked older. Many of them were the same age as I, yet 
they all looked a decade older. I thought for a while that it had something to do 
with the climate or the poor living conditions of the country, but it did not take 
me long to understand that it wasn't them, it was me. I simply had not aged. That 
shook me to my core and I headed home almost immediately and ran some tests. 
The results were frightening"

In the silence that followed Natalie's gasp of understanding was as loud as a 
trumpet call. Sabine looked up at her and nodded, "Yes Natalie, that sample was 
of my blood, not some unknown vampire as I am sure you believed."

"Your blood?" The question came from three throats at once. She looked around, 
taking them in, all in one glance. "It seems you told them of our discussion, 
Natalie." she said

"What does it mean, Sabine." Nat asked

"That's what I have been searching for the last twelve years to discover. Tonight I 
may finally do so." She turned to a stunned Lacroix and asked, "So General, 
what did you do to me?"   

Lacroix pulled back from her, his face a mask, confusion and denial warring in 
his eyes. "It's you." He whispered.

"It's me, what Lucius?" 

"It's you whose presence has been haunting me, getting closer every day. 
Hovering at the edge of my awareness, but always so familiar. I should have 
realised but I just did not think it was possible."

"Did not think what was possible?" she asked rising and stepping toward him

Lacroix pulled himself together with a visible effort, "I do not think we should 
discuss this here Sabine." He said, "somewhere more private would be 
appropriate."

"Now just a minute.." Natalie began

"I don't think that's fair.." Nicholas responded

Sabine just looked at him for a moment without speaking, then steeling herself 
she said. "I have searched for over a decade for these answers, and just when I am 
about to be enlightened you ask me to wait. For what? The company we are in? 
Natalie is my closest friend and a doctor with a vested interest as well, and 
Nicholas is your son. I cannot think of a more worthy audience than they. Lucius 
we were lovers once, if for nothing else but the memory of those times, tell me 
what I need to know."

Behind her Nicholas and Nat shared their second shocked look for the evening, 
had they heard correctly? Lovers? How was that possible? Natalie found her 
voice first whilst Lacroix was contemplating his answer "Sabine did you just say 
that you and Lacroix were lovers?"

"Yes Natalie, why should that surprise you? Is it so difficult to believe that I 
could share with Lucius what you obviously do with Nicholas?"

"I don't, I mean we don't" Nat replied indicating herself and Nick

"Why ever not." now it was Sabine's turn to look confused

"Because it's not possible."

"Yes, it is" Lacroix said

"What?" three voices echoed this cry, but only two were directed at Lacroix

"What do you mean it's not possible." Sabine asked Natalie

"What do you mean it is." Nick asked Lacroix

Lacroix waited for the noise to die down before he continued, "It is possible 
Nicholas, just not for you." He began when Nick interrupted. 

"Wait just a minute, Lacroix."

"No Nicholas, let me finish, it is not possible for you and neither is it possible 
for me, except with her." He said indicating Sabine. She turned to Lacroix, 
shaking her head in disbelief, "I think that I am missing some vital piece of 
information here." She said. Natalie provided the explanation.

"Humans and vampires cannot be lovers Sabine. Whether it is the expression of 
passion inherent in the act or the simple need to possess their partner completely 
I have never been able to fathom, but whatever the reason the beast within them 
cannot be contained at that moment. It has to feed and feed to excess. The result 
is either death or rebirth as a vampire, there are no other options."

"Natalie, do I appear to be dead to you?"

"No, you don't"

"Then I must look like a vampire, for all that I spent the day in the sun with you 
yesterday without being reduced to a cinder and blown away on the wind."

"Of course you're not a vampire, Sabine."

"Then would you care to tell me what is wrong with this picture. I am neither 
dead nor a vampire, but I was Lucius' lover for over three years more than twenty 
years ago. Can you fit that into your pat little theory?"

"No I can't because it shouldn't be possible.'

"Whether it should or should not be is irrelevant, what matters is that it is, why 
is that so hard for you to accept?"

"Because it does not happen, Sabine," Lucien replied, "making love to one of us 
is always fatal."

Sabine turned and looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. "You are 
serious. Have you always known? Did you want to kill me, that first night 
between us?" Her voiced was hushed and hesitant dreading what his response 
would be.

"Yes and no. I knew the risks but I had no intention of taking your life. Sabine, 
are you positive you wish to continue with this?"

To her wordless nod he continued. 

"That night you made me an offer, a surprisingly generous offer. You assumed I 
would not take what I needed, you trusted me enough to risk the unknown for 
me. No one had trusted me in that way for many years, but then I imagine I never 
gave them a reason to do so. I did not believe I had given you one, so I had no 
intention of betraying the selflessness behind your actions. Still, although you 
made the offer freely it was obvious you were frightened."

"Terrified, actually." she whispered

"Yes, I know. But you were not offering me your life that night, just the ability 
to heal. I could not simply feed from you, in the state you were in it would have 
been fatal."

"Why? What has my state of mine to do with your control of your nature?"

"Certain human responses cause chemical changes in the blood. Fear induces 
adrenaline and adrenaline works like a tremendous caffeine buzz on my kind, 
shocking and addictive. If I had fed from you while you were in that state of 
agitation I would have not been able to stop. I had to calm you down, quickly and 
unequivocally."

"Well I must admit I cannot think of a better way to take my mind off my fear 
than to make love to me."

Natalie and Nick exchanged glances at this comment, wordlessly deciding to 
listen in silence, knowing that if they interrupted they would break the spell 
between the previous lovers. If they were to learn anything they knew it was vital 
to keep up the polite pretence that Sabine and Lacroix were the only two people 
in the room. They turned back to the conversation as Lacroix answered Sabine.
 
"If you remember correctly, Sabine. We did not actually make love that night. 
That is what I meant when I said I did not intend to kill you. I was simply trying 
to distract you."

Sabine looked thoughtful for a moment. "All right Lucius, I'll concede that on 
that occasion we did not technically make love, but what of the evening that 
followed. There is no way you can deny the events of that night."

"I am not denying, I am simply clarifying," he corrected. "The instance you 
mentioned was something of a surprise to me. I did not really have time to react, 
time to allow `the beast' as Dr Lambert so colourfully puts it to rise to the 
occasion." He smiled slightly at the double entendre. 

"As you wish, since you seem to be intent on precision. I will award you that 
occasion as well, but I doubt very much you can give mitigating circumstances 
for the three years that followed those nights." She responded.

"No I cannot, and" he began as he moved toward her, "I would not wish to even 
if I could."  

"Thank-you dearest," she said reaching up to stroke his cheek, "but we still have 
not explained a great number of things. Why it is that I am neither dead nor a 
vampire? Exactly what it is that has happened to me? Whether or not you are the 
cause of it? Lucius, I need to know the answers."

"I understand your need Sabine, but I am not certain that I can provide the 
answers for which you are searching. I do not know why it is that you survived 
the years we spent as lovers. It is true that you allowed me to feed from you 
often, but when we were together I felt no compulsion to do so, something I have 
never experienced before or since. However as I have no idea why that should be, 
I also have no explanation for you. I believe that it impinges on the other 
questions you have, perhaps something happened between us to imbue you with 
the vampiric abilities you outlined to Dr Lambert. You as a doctor should be able 
to prove that better than I. As to whether it is because of me, unless you have 
been consorting with other vampires I cannot see how it could possibly be 
otherwise."

Sabine ran her hand through her hair and sat back heavily on the couch. With her 
eyes fixed firmly on the floor she said, "I do not know why it is that I thought 
you would have the answers that I sought. It has been the one constant in my 
search; the one thing I firmly believed would end my quest. It is a disappointment 
to find that you do not have the answers I need." She took a deep breath and 
raising her eyes to Lacroix face she continued, "but I believe you must know 
more than this. To the best of my knowledge the only way to become imbued 
with vampiric tendencies is to partake of vampire blood, am I right?"

Both Lacroix and Nicholas nodded in response

"Then I have run into a stumbling block. At no time during our relationship did I 
take your blood into my body. Although the same cannot be said in reverse, that 
should not have caused these changes. What is more I know through my own 
research that I have some anomalies in my blood that correspond to those in 
Nicholas'. I can only assume that those are the characteristics that impart 
vampirism and yet I can walk in the sun and do not feel the need to drain my 
neighbours of life. I am understandably confused."

Lacroix looked uncomfortable as he replied, "I believe I can help with that 
particular problem, although I had wished to never have to do so. Do you 
remember when I left for a month about a year after our relationship became 
serious?"

"Yes, of course. You were so hesitant with me when you came back I was sure 
something dreadful had happened. Did something happen?    

"In a manner of speaking, whilst I was away I took the opportunity to experiment 
a little. I was curious as to whether our relationship was as unique as I believed, 
or if something fundamental had changed within myself which would enable me 
to experience it with another."

"Lucius is that a verbose was of saying that you were unfaithful to me?"

"Yes, but not in the way that you imagine." he began but Sabine's laugh cut him 
off,

"Sometimes dearheart, you can be so human."

"I can understand you may be a little upset, but there is no call to be insulting." 
Lacroix countered indignantly. 

Sabine hid her mouth with her hand to stifle the impending smile, while behind 
her Natalie did the same,

"Please continue, Lucius. I apologise if I have insulted you."

"I spent a portion of my time away cultivating the company of a group of women, 
eventually taking a number of them to my bed to see if they would survive the 
experience, unfortunately for them they did not."

"How many is a number?" Sabine asked 

"Six." Lacroix answered, reluctantly.

"You condemned six women to their deaths to disprove a theory, surely you 
would have known after one or perhaps two, why six?"

"Remember my dear, you place a great deal more importance on human life than 
I. They were simply laboratory rats in an experiment. I had to be certain that our 
relationship was unique"

"Laboratory rats? They were people, not experimental animals! You know that I 
have never had any qualms about the life you must lead to survive, the killing you 
must perpetrate in order to live, but killing for the sake of an experiment is 
reprehensible." The reproof in her tone was unmistakable.

Lacroix waited calmly for her outrage to subside before continuing. "Be that as it 
may, my experiment did prove that our situation was unique. I made some 
discreet inquires amongst the community to ascertain if anything of this nature 
had occurred before. My search proved fruitless. We were, and are, 
extraordinary. It should come as no surprise to you that I was a little hesitant to 
resume out relationship when I returned. My investigation had proven how 
singular our relationship was, I could not be certain how long it would continue 
to be safe for you, I had no precedent on which to base an assumption. Much to 
my amazement I had found myself entertaining a passion for you that I had not 
experienced in many years, and I became extremely protective. The idea that I 
could inadvertently cause you injury or death was now abhorrent to me. So I was 
determined that that phase of our relationship must terminate."

"It did not terminate, though."

"No, you were more persuasive than I thought possible, or I was more easy to 
persuade. I have never been sure which."  

She smiled in remembrance and indicated that he should continue.

He took a deep breath and looked distinctly uncomfortable, "the night we 
resumed our relationship I was somewhat distracted, and you must remember I 
had not seen you in over a month. Normally that would be no more than an eye-
blink to me, but whilst we were parted I found myself missing you more than I 
thought possible. I.." He paused, "you overwhelmed me Sabine. Humans have 
always done that to my kind, the life force within you is irresistible, but you were 
amazing that night, so alive, so passionate. With your jasmine scent pulsing 
beneath your skin and the candlelight turning your eyes to fire, I was lost. I gave 
in when I should have stood firm, and all control was forfeited." He stepped 
forward and took her hands in his. "I surrendered control that night, and in doing 
so, I made a terrible mistake. I took too much from you, and by the time I realised 
what I had done it was almost too late. You were teetering on the brink, not quite 
far enough to be brought across, but too far for your body to recover on it's own. 
For the first time in a millennium I panicked. I knew you did not want to be 
brought across, you had made that plain before, and I could not take what you 
did not give. So I did the only thing I could think to do, I took some of the 
paraphernalia you had in your medical bag and I performed a transfusion. A 
vampire's blood is so much stronger than a human's I knew it would give your 
system the impetus it needed to complete your healing, and as you had not truly 
died I did not believe it would make you what I am. I was right it seems, you are 
not one of us."

Sabine had sat silently through Lacroix' explanation, gazing into his eyes and 
gripping his hands, but when he finished she pulled her hands away.

"No, no I am not one of you, am I? I'm a half-breed, a freakish monster that has 
no place in either world. This is what you have made me, I hope that you are 
proud of your creation." She pulled away from him, a look of horror on her face.

"Sabine.."

"No, monsieur Lacroix. I do not think I wish to hear anymore from you at this 
moment. I listened silently while you made your confession, now you will do me 
the courtesy of listening to what I have to say. I cannot believe that you never 
told me even after all these years, especially the ones we spent together. I thought 
that you knew me, damnation Lucius, I thought I knew you. What did you think I 
was going to do? Expose you? After what you had done I would have been 
exposing myself as well. Did you even consider for a moment the repercussions 
of your actions? The effect it would have on me, on the life I had chosen to live? 
You have destroyed everything I have ever worked for, my hopes, my dreams 
obliterated because of your selfish act. You say you could not bear to part with 
me, that I had become important in your life, what about my life? You were fully 
intending to move on one day, we both knew that. So where did you get the 
unmitigated gaul to believe you had the right to make a decision drastically 
affecting a life that you had already written an escape clause to? I imagine it 
brought you no end of amusement to think of my fate once you had departed. I 
have worked hard to get where I am, I sacrificed more than I thought possible to 
be the best that I could be. I have eared the right to be recognised for my 
achievements, but you have destroyed that. I cannot go back to what was, 
everything in my life is tainted by what you have done. My colleagues and 
friends have already noticed a distinct lack of change in me.  It took all I had to 
convince them that I was just one of those lucky enough to age well, but that 
won't last much longer. It seems I am to be condemned to become some sort of 
gypsy, wandering from place to place, never setting down roots for fear that 
someone will tear them up when the differences become apparent. You chose 
that life, Lacroix I did not. I did not want it, ever. I made that clear from the 
outset, I never wanted immortality at the price you must pay. I cannot believe that 
after all that we shared you thought you had the right to abrogate my choices. I 
gave you all of me except my soul, did you really need to claim that too?" She 
looked at him for a moment longer, then realising he was incapable or unwilling 
to answer her questions she turned away. Collecting her coat along the way she 
headed for the lift, but Lacroix was there before her. He reached out a hand and 
placed it on her shoulder to halt her progress, without bothering to look up she 
said,

"If you have something to say, please say it. If not please remove yourself, you 
are impeding my departure." Her voice was toneless, as if all life had been 
drained from her.

"We need to discuss this Sabine," he began, "there is so much you will need to 
know."

"I have survived twenty years without your tutelage, I believe I am quite capable 
of surviving the next twenty. Perhaps by then you will have the courage to face 
the consequences of your actions. I am sure that I will still be around when that 
day comes." For all that her words were recriminatory her tone remained the 
same, a dead monotone. 

Lacroix hand moved from her shoulder to her chin, tilting her face up to meet his. 
He almost gasped in shock at the change he saw there. Her face was a mask, all 
emotion, all feeling drained from it. A statue carved from lifeless marble would 
have possessed more animation, but it was her eyes that held the real horror. 
Those eyes that had shone with life were dead. Blank pools stretching away into 
the infinite. Nothing stirred within them. It was as if she had seen all she ever 
wished to see and now there was no longer any use for them. I did this, he 
thought. I caused this change in her, this loss of vitality. The repercussions of his 
action hit him like a hammer blow and in that moment Sabine slipped past his 
restraining hand and was gone.

"Sabine.." He whispered when she was long past the range to hear, "Forgive me."

"Perhaps that is something you should say to her face." Natalie's voice said from 
behind him.

He whirled around, his eyes blazing yellow to see her take an involuntary step 
back at his visage. "I do not believe I require your advice in this matter, Doctor 
Lambert." 

Natalie rallied her courage, "That's where you're wrong Lacroix, no hear me 
out," she said as he growled a denial, "Sabine is human, and in love with a 
vampire. There is no one in this world more qualified to give you advice on this."  

"You are wrong on both counts, Sabine is no longer human, and she was never in 
love with me."

"Lacroix, I have called you many things over the years but stupid was not one of 
them. Why are you behaving as if your intellect has taken a holiday? It may be 
true that Sabine is no longer entirely human, but her emotional responses are, 
and as for her not being in love with you don't be a bigger fool than you already 
have. Sabine has spent the last decade searching for you, and before that she not 
only kept your secret but also accepted your unusual lifestyle without hesitation. 
If that's not love I don't know what is, she said it herself, she gave you 
everything but her soul, her heart is part of that package." Natalie tensed hoping 
she had not gone to far, praying Lacroix would see the sense in her argument and 
not tear her to pieces for her impudence. She relaxed as she watched his eyes 
return to their normal shade.

"Even if you are right, and I do not concede that you are, what would you have 
me do?"

"That depends on how you feel about her. If you care nothing for her then let her 
go. It may take her a while but she will get over you, I imagine the scars will take 
a long time to fade but she will survive. If on the other hand she means 
something to you, then go to her. She's at the Park Plaza. Explain how you feel, 
apologise, get down on your knees if that's what it takes. Do anything and 
everything to let her know or you will lose her, make no mistake. The Sabine I 
know is strong-willed and proud and you have hurt her more that she thought 
possible, she will banish you from her life simply to retain any self-esteem she 
has left. If you want to be a part of that life, you have to get to her before she 
makes the decision to exile you. If you do not you will not be able to change her 
mind."

"You are right, she is strong-willed and proud, and she will heal if I let her. 
Perhaps that's what I should do, I would only cause her more pain if I went to her 
now."

"That's your choice of course, but the last time you felt like this was 800 years 
ago, do you really think you can stay sane if you lost it again?"

She saw Lacroix hands clench at her words and she felt Nicholas tense at her 
side, ready to step between them if the need arose, "Yes Lucien, I know about 
Fleur, Nicholas told me. You lost her, don't lose Sabine." 

Lacroix stirred and walked towards her, noticing with amusement her barely 
controlled impulse to flee, when he was less that a foot from her he reached up 
and cupped her chin gently with his hand. "I can see why it is that Nicholas is so 
fascinated by you, Natalie. Perhaps I was a little too hasty in my judgement." He 
allowed his thumb to trace the outline of her jaw for a moment before placing a 
gentle kiss on her cheek. He pulled back from her shocked face to nod to 
Nicholas, then with a rush of displaced air he was gone.

In the wake of his departure, Natalie raised a hand to her cheek and turned a 
stunned face to Nick, "did he just, I mean, did I see.." Words failed her at that 
moment and she allowed herself to be pulled into Nicholas' comforting embrace.

"It's all right, Nat." He whispered as he stroked her hair, "He's gone."

She pulled away slightly and looked up into his calm blue eyes, "I do not think I 
shall ever understand that man, just when I have decided that hating him is the 
only available option, he surprises me with something like this."

Nick smiled down at her "I've known Lacroix for eight hundred years, Nat, and I 
still don't understand him. What chance do you have in just six?"

She settled back into his arms, "I hope Sabine is going to be all right."

"Funny I was just thinking the same thing about Lacroix."

"Nick,"

"Yes"

"I think I need a drink."

"So do I, Nat, so do I" 


Across town twenty minutes later Sabine burst into her hotel room and slammed 
the door behind her. Throwing the keys across the room she screamed, an 
inarticulate cry of rage and sorrow. She clenched her hands at her sides, trying 
desperately to control her emotions. It would do no good to draw the attention of 
the hotel staff with her outburst. At this moment in time she knew she would be 
incapable of explaining her actions. She dropped to the floor, the pent-up tears 
welling from her eyes and her body wracked with silent sobs. Through her mind 
raced image after image, how he had looked tonight, dressed in black as always. 
The strength in his arms as he had embraced her, the feel of his hands running 
through her hair. Older memories intruded, the feel of his mouth on hers, the 
length of his body pressing her down on their bed, the nights they'd spent 
wrapped in each others arms, but through it all ran his voice, telling her what 
he'd done, destroying all her carefully laid plans. "Why Lucius," she whispered 
into the dark, "why did you do this?" She levered herself up from the floor. With 
the thought that she must be leaving make-up stains on the pristine white carpet 
running idiotically through her mind, she made her way to the bathroom and 
splashed water on hr face. She checked her reflection for damage and seeing 
none went to leave before she realised she hadn't turned the light on in the 
bathroom. She looked back at the mirror and saw the tiniest flash of gold in her 
grey eyes, she hugged herself as the thoughts raced through her mind. Had she 
always had that and never noticed, or was it something new? Did seeing Lucius 
again have something to do with it, or was she just being paranoid? She knew the 
only one who could answer those questions was miles away, and likely to stay 
there. Still she yearned for him, the strength of his arms, the sound of his voice. 
Forever forbidden to her now through her own actions. The tears threatened to 
spill again but she held them back, it was no use giving in to them. Crying may 
be cathartic but at this point it was simply a waste of time. She headed to the 
kitchenette, coffee was the best inducement to clear thinking she knew, and at 
this moment a clear head was essential. She hit the light switch as she went in, 
determined to rely on human senses. She grabbed a cup from the cupboard as the 
shakes hit her, her body automatically reacting to the fear her mind was 
suppressing, and the cup slipped from her hand. In that moment he was there, 
catching the cup in mid-air and placing it on the bench before turning to take her 
in his arms. Her hesitation lasted less than a second before she surrendered to her 
need for him. With his strong arms enfolding her she let the tears flow, wave 
after wave passing through her and still he held firm, running his hands through 
her hair and whispering her name over and over. She followed that voice back 
from the brink, back to the world of reality to find that he had carried her to the 
couch and had pulled her into his lap, held like a frightened child on her father's 
knee. She pulled back a little, gazing up into his face to see his eyes red-rimmed 
with unshed tears.

"Forgive me, Sabine." He whispered and with his words her resolve shattered.

She placed her hand on the side of his face, absently tracing the line of his 
cheek, and replied "forgiven, my love." There it was said. That word she had 
longed to say twenty years ago in all it's different combinations and had never 
said for the fear of losing him.

His eyes widened at her words and for a moment she thought her fear realised,

"You love me?" his voice held wonder, not reproach

She nodded, "For as long as I've known you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked

"Lucius you are two thousand years old. I am sure that in that time hundreds, 
thousands of women have been infatuated by you. I didn't want to be just another 
of their number. I hoped my actions would have spoken my feelings more 
thoroughly than any words could. I couldn't say how I felt. In all the stories you 
ever told me of your life there was only one woman you ever spoke of with love. I 
could not compete with an 800-year-old ghost so I didn't try. If she had been 
living perhaps, I could have fought for your love. But how could I against a 
woman who only lived in your memory. A woman you had made the standard by 
which all others had to be judged. No one could compare with Fleur; the years 
had made her perfect. You had placed her on a pedestal, unreachable, 
untouchable and sure as hell unexceedable. No one likes to know they are 
second best, so I never placed myself in the race. Do you blame me?" 

"No," he whispered, "I never realised."

"Apart from all of that there was also the simple fact that I never knew how you 
felt. I listened to you tell me of your life everyday but it was only ever the past 
you spoke of, the present was a mystery. No one likes to be rejected and I'm no 
exception, I was not about to subject myself to that sort of pain if it was not 
necessary. I could have you in my life and my bed without the need to admit what 
I felt, so I chose to remain silent." She looked up into his eyes reading the 
emotion revealed there, and smiled.

"Why now, Sabine?"

"After you left and I started my career in earnest. I realised how much of my life I 
had devoted to you. I tried filling it with the woes of the world, believing there 
were enough of those to fill the life of any one person. I was right, but there is 
only so much sorrow you can hold without something joyful to juxtapose with it, 
but the only thing that brought me any joy was the memory of you. I believed we 
would never meet again, and I could not help regretting my decision to not tell 
you how I felt. Especially when you were leaving, it could not possibly have 
made any difference then but I spent so long denying what I felt that revealing it 
was alien to me. When I saw you again tonight it all came back to me. All the 
regrets I though I would never have the ability to rectify, so I decided to tell you, 
but then the evening turned out so differently to the one I had carried in my mind 
for the past decade that I never got the chance. Until now"

"I shall have to remember to thank Doctor Lambert."

"Natalie? Why should you need to thank her?"

"I'm afraid I must admit that coming here tonight was not entirely my idea, I 
thought it would be best to spare you any more pain by pretending that this 
evening had never happened. I knew you were strong, it was one of the things 
that had always attracted me to you, I knew you would survive. But Natalie 
reminded me that I may not and that the responsibility for that lay with me. So I 
came to beg your forgiveness and ask if I still had a place in your life, since you 
have forgiven me, then the only question left to ask is if there is a place for me."

"Oh Lucius, that isn't really the right question, it should be do we have a place 
for each other? It has been twenty years, you have gone on a created a new life 
for yourself, you have obviously reconstructed your relationship with Nicholas 
and you've made a place for yourself here. I on the other hand have come to the 
end of my time in my chosen profession, the questions being asked are becoming 
hard to ignore, and much too difficult for my fledgling abilities to deflect."  To 
his raised eyebrows she continued, "I did not tell Natalie all of the abilities that 
my `patient' had manifested. I was not certain how much she knew, or how much 
it would be safe to tell her."

He pulled her back into his embrace, "I'll teach you all you need to know, if you 
will allow me, dear lady."

She ran her hands lightly over his face, "Is there anyone else who could?"

"I am not the only vampire in the world, Sabine."

"True my dear, but you are the only one I trust. Although I imagine that Nicholas 
rates rather high on that score."

"He is my son, after all." Lacroix smiled

"Somehow, dearheart, I think that had little to do with it."

"That is true enough, but other things are not. My relationship with Nicholas has 
not truly improved I have simply become more tolerant of his choices, he still 
searches for his lost mortality. Until he realises the futility of that search we can 
never be truly reconciled. As for my life here, lately I felt the need to move on 
again. I have been resident in Toronto twenty years and although I limit my 
human contact the questions are beginning. This is something you are going to 
have to get used to my dear, for as long as your youth holds you are going to have 
to keep moving to avoid suspicion."

"I know, Lucius, but how long will it hold? How many years will I spend on the 
run, lost between worlds?" 

"I do not know, but I know that I will be there, if you wish me to be."

She smiled as she stood and pulled him to his feet alongside her. "Wherever you 
are, my love, there am I also."

Lacroix stood for a moment, just looking at her in wonder, after all I have done 
and still she is willing to forgive. He opened his mouth to tell her how he felt, 
but her fingers on his lips restrained him, 

"I think we have had enough of words tonight," she said her eyes glowing with 
reflected moonlight. Lacroix smiled against her fingers, kissing them as they slid 
away to caress his face. Taking her upturned face in his hands he bent down and 
placed a kiss on her perfect lips, they parted beneath his touch and suddenly he 
was enveloped in the sweet taste of her. The heady scent of jasmine rose from her 
skin as her pulse quickened, her heartbeat pounding in his ears as the kiss 
deepened. He felt the fluttering in his mind again, but this time he knew what it 
was. It was the link between a fledgling vampire and it's master, broken before 
the bond could be established. He reached out and strengthened the link, forging 
the bond with his mind. He felt Sabine stiffen in his arms as the connection 
became permanent. "Now you're mine" he whispered, through the link her need 
tore at him like the hunger and his body responded in kind, crushing her to him. 
He lent down and lifting her in his arms carried her into the bedroom. Their lips 
parted as he laid her on the bed, and he looked down at her, concern and desire 
warring in his eyes. "Sabine" he growled. "It's all right, my love, I trust you." 
She said pulling his head down into another kiss, and the moment melted into 
madness.


The next evening Lacroix awoke to silence, she was gone, her heartbeat a fading 
memory and the link tenuous with distance. He leapt from the bed with a roar of 
despair and denial, and tore from the room looking for any sign of her. On the 
dining room table was a wineglass and a bottle from the Raven, a note attached 
to its side.

My Darling Lucius,

Tearing myself away from you is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but 
you and I both know that it is necessary. Too much has happened over the last 
day for me to simply continue on as I have before. There is so much I need to 
digest, to understand before I can contemplate returning to the life we shared. I 
know you would argue that you are the one best equipped to teach me, but I 
believe I must learn to cope with my new reality first before I can gain anything 
from your teaching. I am not even certain that you want me in your life, last 
night may have been an aberration, simply a response after not seeing me in so 
long. It is for all these reasons that I am returning home, to London and the 
townhouse I kept whilst we were together. I have always felt at peace there, I 
believe it to be the best place for me to come to terms with my new life. If you 
need me, or want me, that is where I shall be, waiting.

With all my love, forever

Sabine  


Crimson drops marred the paper as he read, how could she believe he would not 
wish to be with her. He picked up the bottle recognising at once the subtle hint 
that he would have affairs to conclude here before he could join her. A week, he 
thought, a week should be enough time to put The Raven on the market, enable 
Aristotle to activate his new identity and say his goodbyes to Nicholas and 
Natalie. He smiled at the last item, he was sure they would not miss him, unless 
they chose to join him, he was sure Sabine would not mind the company. One 
big happy family, he smiled to himself as he poured a glass. He knew they would 
not and was glad, I already have twenty wasted years to wipe from that slate he 
thought, I doubt I shall want to spend the next twenty with anyone but the 
woman I love. In the back of his mind he heard a whispered voice,

"Goodbye my darling, be happy."

"Goodbye Fleur," he responded as he reached for the phone to book a midnight 
flight to London.