Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 07:48:12 -0500
From: Carolyn Price <pricec@CONNECTI.COM>
Subject: ERICA: Saturday Knight in the Park (1/1)

Usual disclaimers: FK characters are not mine, I just brought 
them out for a while to play. TPTB can have them back now. 
If anyone would pay money to read this I would be shocked 
out of my mind.  I hope you enjoy it. And Erica, I hope you 
are much improved and feeling Normal again.
                        #  #  # 
 
 
Saturday Knight in the Park
by Carolyn Price 9/13/96
 
Nick and Natalie strolled through the park arm in arm, 
chatting about inconsequential things (like her day at the 
office). The moon was full, not a cloud in the sky, and 
somewhere a nightbird sang sweetly. They came up to a park 
bench with a wino sleeping on it.
        "Would you like to sit down for a minute?" Nick asked 
Nat.
        She looked at him quizically, but didn't say a word.
        He walked over to the wino and tapped him too-gently
on the legs, "Hey, buddy," Nick said. "Metro police. Wake 
up, buddy, it's time to move on home."
        The wino raised his head "Huh?" he muttered.
        Then Nick vamped out -- the eyes, fangs, the whole 
bit. "I said it's time to move on out of here!"
        The wino screeched and scrambled all over himself 
trying to get up fast and then he ran, never turning to look 
back.
        Nat smirked at him. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"
        Nick just grinned his best brick-like grin and sort
of shuffled his feet, thrusting his hands into his pockets.
        They sat on the bench together in silence, enjoying 
the stillness of the night, Nick catching up on his 
moon-bathing. Just then they heard a soft rumbling, as of 
distant thunder or a distant train. But there were no clouds 
and not a railway for miles. The noise came closer. And 
closer. And Closer. Nick with his superior vampire hearing 
couldn't discern the source of the noise any better than 
Natalie, so all they could do was wait until whatever was 
about to happen, happened.
        Nick reached for Natalie's hand [I guess he was a 
little scared, or thought she might be, anyway...] just as a 
group of roller bladers came over the horizon on the 
footpath in the park. There must have been 20 of them, all 
decked out in their helmets and knee- and elbow-pads. 
[Safety first, right?]  <<Darn kids!>> Nick thought to 
himself, peeved that anyone had spoiled his night out with 
Nat.  As they got closer, Nick began to recognize one or two 
of them that he had seen in The Raven. <<Darn vampires!>> 
Nick corrected himself.
        What a site, vampires on wheels, with their wild 
hair, wild eyes, grinning and giggling like school kids, 
wearing their leather and Official Safety Gear [like they 
needed protection from potential injuries! They're 
*vampires*, after all!] Nick and Nat sat like observers at a 
tennis match as the skaters passed, looking left then right, 
left then right, left then...getting dizzy. 
        And trailing the pack, there came Lacroix, Vachon 
and Urs!  Nick and Nat were surprised, shocked, stunned, and 
otherwise amazed. 
        "Vachon!, Urs!" Nick exclaimed, "We thought you guys 
were dead! How can you be here now? And Lacroix, YOU on 
rollerblades??"
        "Well, Knight," Vachon replied with a sly grin, 
"It's the weirdest thing, but I guess it's like they say, 
the FanFic magic brought us back to life. Gotta skate!" 
        "Hee hee," giggled Urs, and then they skated away.
        Lacroix remained, the look-that-would-not-reveal-
his-emotions on his face. "Good evening Doctor...Nicholas."
        Nick and Nat looked at Lacroix, at each other, back 
at Lacroix, unable to find words to deal with this amazing 
situation.  Lacroix gave the slightest of smiles, the kind 
that barely curved one corner of his lips. "I can see that 
you have never tried rollerblading, otherwise you would 
understand what...*fun*... it can be. All sorts of interesting, 
delicious people are enjoying the sport. You would do well, 
Nicholas, to check it out, as they say." Then he gave a half 
smile and one of his quiet "Hmmmph" laughs and skated away.
        Nick and Nat sat silently staring after him, unable 
to speak or move for about 45 minutes, then finally Natalie 
spoke. "Well! how about we get a latte and then I think I'll 
head for home. I've got a big day tomorrow, lots of new 
--1customers.'I hate it when we have to make them take a 
number."
        As they started back for the car, they were shocked 
to see a Big Rat go running across the footpath! "Eeyewww!" 
exclaimed Nick, totally grossed out at the sight. 
        "Oh Nick, get over it! It's just a rat," said Nat. 
<<Really, sometimes he can be such a baby!>> she thought to 
herself.
        Just then a big golden dog came running after the 
rat. <<Looks like Jody's vampire dog.>> Nick thought <<Wow, 
didn't know they were back in town. Kewl!>>
        And then close behind the dog came running Screed! 
What a night of miracles!
        "Hallo, hallo, Defective Dicky-Nick!" Screed grinned 
and waved as he ran on after the dog and the rat. <<Wonder 
if he knows the dog is a vampire?>> thought Nick. <<Oh well, 
he'll figure it out.>>
        Nick and Natalie strolled back through the park arm 
in arm, chatting about inconsequential things (like his day 
at the office) as a bat flew across the moon. And somewhere 
they thought they heard a wolf howl.
 
                        # Finis #