From GILBERTK@MTC.MID.TEC.SC.USTue Dec 17 17:08:31 1996 Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 11:02:33 -0500 From: Katherine Gilbert To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: XOVER: Shadows of Night (1/5) The following story is a crossover between FK and Dark Shadows, although the DS characters will not appear (for the most part) until part 2. This story takes place before "Ashes to Ashes" and "Last Night." None of the major characters are mine, and no infringement to any copyright holders is intended with the following. This story was scripted with a great deal of help from my sister, Armida, to whom (for this and all of her well-tried patience and devotion) this story is gratefully dedicated. Since I'm not on the other FK lists, please send all comments to GilbertK@mtc.mid.tec.sc.us. ******************************************************************* Shadows of Night (1/5) By Katherine Gilbert Natalie Lambert let out a deep sigh, leaned back in her chair, and rubbed her eyes. She'd been greatly enjoying some of the advantages of internet access she'd had, since the city had gotten computers for the coroner's office. If you knew where to look, vampires could be a very popular subject on the net. Much of what she was finding, however, really didn't help her attempts to cure Nick. Natalie gave up on the web temporarily. She exited from a site which contained any number of vampire sex stories, many of which were fascinating, but none of which were particularly helpful. She decided to check out the newsgroups instead. While she did this fairly frequently, and had yet to get any useful ideas (except for one, which gave in-depth detail on how to remove bloodstains from carpets--she had decided that she was happier *not* knowing how the author had gained this knowledge), she was eternally hopeful. Natalie tried alt.folklore.vampires again, just to see what new material may have surfaced. To her surprise, she saw one message entitled "Vampire cure?--journal" and pulled it up. It read: Uh, hello. I feel a little silly writing here, but I thought someone out there might be interested. I'm the president of the Collinsport Historical Society in Collisport, Maine. A few weeks ago, I went to look at some houses on an estate which went up for sale recently, and I found something rather odd there. Now this particular estate has been in the hands of one family for hundreds of years, and there have been a few rather strange stories about the place--none of which anyone took seriously. It does have a rather odd feel about it, though. Anyway, the owner, who is now back in England, wanted to see if the society would be interested in buying the place, to make sure it's well looked after. We didn't have the money, as it turns out, so the place is now on the market. Natalie sighed. She was beginning to wonder if this woman was *ever* going to get around to talking about vampires or if she'd gotten lost on her way to rec.architecture.maine. She continued reading. Oh dear, I'm getting off topic, aren't I? Alright, what I was getting to was what happened at the house. "Finally," Natalie thought. When I was visiting what was sometimes referred to as "the Old House" (although all the houses have a bit of history to them), I went down into the basement. There, along with some coffins and what looked like old laboratory equipment (which seemed rather odd), I found a journal. Now, very possibly, this was either a work of fiction or someone's idea of a practical joke, but the journal included the detailed accounts of someone called Dr. Julia Hoffman. In it, she described her attempts to cure vampirism (most of which seem to have been unsuccessful). Now, I'm not sure this is what people usually post here, but I thought I'd tell you. I'm a bit new to this whole "information superhighway." Charlotte McGuffin ChaMcG@Collhistsoc.chatterbox.com Natalie blinked. In her time on the internet so far, this was almost the first hint of something useful she'd found. Was it worth investigating, though? Charlotte McGuffin seemed a bit windy to be a joke, and Natalie doubted whether Ms. McGuffin had ever heard of the concept of kidding someone. It seemed likely to be a real post, then, but what about the journal itself? Could it possibly be real? "It isn't as though vampires began when I found out about them," she muttered to herself. "What was that?" an assistant in the lab asked. "Huh? Oh, nothing," Natalie responded, a bit startled. "I'm just talking to myself." The assistant looked a little worried and moved off. "Maybe if I try running it by Nick," she thought, making a mental note not to mutter about vampires in the lab. ***************************************************************** Early the next morning, Natalie went to visit Nick, who had just come home. She told him about the odd post. "Nat, it's sure to be a joke," Nick said. "But, Nick, isn't it at least worth trying?" Natalie pleaded. "How many leads like this do we come across? We can't afford *not* to try." "Natalie," Nick tried to reason, "all we're going to end up with is some nightmare of a trip to the middle of nowhere in Maine, where we'll have to attempt to explain my phobia of the sun to the inhabitants of a town where everything probably closes at 5. . . Besides, how will we ever keep Lacroix from coming along? If he knows what we're up to, who knows what he might do?" "Give him an ultimatum," Natalie suggested. "Tell him that you're going to try going on a short vacation with me and that, if it doesn't work out--without *any* interference from him, you'll consider leaving Toronto forever to go with him." "And should I go with him, then?" Nick asked. "If this works, you won't have to," Natalie replied. "And if--ask it probably won't--it doesn't?" Nick contended. "Then you'll consider and still say no," Natalie smiled. Nick shook his head. "Oh, come on. Don't you think he'll see right through that?" "Of course he will," Natalie continued intently, "but he'll be too happy to see how tortured you'll be when you return to say `no.' He's bound to agree just for the opportunity to watch you twist in the wind." Nick nodded slightly and looked at her. She had Lacroix's personality down. "How can we make sure he won't follow us?" he asked. "Get Vachon to watch him," Natalie suggested. "What good will that do? He'd be incapable of stopping him," Nick went on. "Besides, you want me to entrust a secret to him?" "No," Natalie agreed. "Just give him the same story as Lacroix. If Lacroix leaves, Vachon can at least come along to warn us." "It's an insane plot," Nick objected. "Nick," Natalie looked closely at him, "do you want to be this way forever, or do you want to take a chance?" Nick shook his head but said, "Alright, we'll try it." At the Raven that night, having already told his (partial) plan to Vachon and gotten his agreement, Nick had made his pitch to Lacroix. "So, Nick-o-las," Lacroix said with unpleasant sarcasm, "going to have a vacation with your little human friend?" Nick was avoiding eye contact. "My mind is made up, Lacroix." Lacroix smiled amusedly. "And can I expect you to bring her or her drained body back home with you?" "Your faith is touching," Nick replied. Lacroix stared at Nick until he finally made eye contact. Lacroix smiled again (a rather distasteful sight). "Go Nick-o-las. I anxiously await your return." Nick left. ********************************************************************** Two days later, Natalie and Nick had discovered the advantages of having government jobs and never having taken much time off before; they had quite a bit of vacation time coming. They arrived in Collinsport, having driven from Bangor, after, with some difficulty, having found a night flight into the larger city. They stopped off at a place called "The Blue Whale," as it appeared to be the only open building in Collinsport. There were only a few tables, and the song on the jukebox sounded like it had been playing since the mid-sixties, but they did find directions to the local hotel (there appeared to be only one in town--a family-run affair which also seemed rather old). They checked in. Once they were upstairs, Nick looked at Natalie closely. "Why did you check us into only one room?" Natalie smiled. "I wish it could mean something more than we're putting on a front," she replied. Nick went to look out the window at the view of fishing boats in the harbor. "Couldn't we have pretended to be historians? I've got a bit of knowledge about the past, you know." Natalie laughed. "Oh yeah? How much of that past did you spend in Collinsport, Maine?" Nick turned back to her and smiled. "Very little. So, what's the plan?" he asked, walking toward her. "We've come to consider buying the estate, but we want to know its history first--thus our interest in the historical society," Natalie answered. "I've already set up a time to view the place tomorrow evening." "How'd you manage that?" Nick asked. "You're a millionaire, remember?" Natalie answered. "They expect a bit of eccentricity. I'm going to see if I can get the woman from the historical society to join us as well." "Nice work," Nick smiled. "Now, about the sleeping arrangements," he said, putting an arm around Natalie's waist and drawing her close. Natalie kissed him. "I think I'd feel safer if you took the floor," she said. The next evening, after dark, they met the realtor at the estate-- Collinwood. The realtor was an attractive woman in her mid-twenties with soft brown hair. "Let me tell you a bit about the place," the realtor--Meg Haskell-- said, after she'd finished admiring Natalie's tan pant suit. "It's belonged to the same family since it was built. All of the houses and cottages were built in different periods and have their own unique architecture." "What happened to the family?" Nick asked. "Well, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard died a few years ago," Meg informed them. "Her daughter--Caroline--and nephew--David--had both moved off some time back and didn't really want to return. She left part of the estate to a family governess, as well, but she said the house held too many memories for her. The only family member left here was Barnabas Collins, but he went back to England recently and has decided to sell, although I believe he wants to be able to approve the new owners." She smiled. "You know, he's rather a nocturnal man, as well. He never came by the office but at night." Nick and Natalie exchanged looks. "He was nice, though," Meg continued. "He tried to give me a music box once." She looked at Nick and smiled. "Do you suppose a tendency toward the night is a trait of the very wealthy?" Nick looked a little nonplussed. "It might be," he responded. Meg led them into one of the houses. It seemed to have been empty, of furniture and people, for quite some time. "This is the main house." She smiled. "My mother used to know all the people here. She was very close to some of them. I think my father even dated the daughter of the family at one time." Natalie broke Meg from her reverie by saying, "Charlotte McGuffin is supposed to be meeting us here. Do you think she'll be able to find us?" "I'm sure she'll be along soon," Meg replied. "Why don't you two search around on your own? I'll just wait in the living room in case you have any questions." "Thank you," Nick said. Once Nick and Natalie were out of earshot, Nick asked, "Nat, where is this getting us?" "Until Ms. McGuffin gets here, not much of anywhere," she admitted. "We might as well have a look around, though. It's a lovely house, in an eerie sort of way. We might as well spend our time here creatively." Nick shook his head, but followed her. After seeing several rooms, Natalie happened upon another door. "Want to try another one?" she asked Nick. "Why not?" he agreed, as Natalie opened the door to reveal a flight of stairs. "It's just a basement," he said. "Oh, come on," Natalie prodded him. "Where's your sense of adventure?" "I left it in the crusades," Nick answered, a bit bored. The stairway was fairly dark, and, going down it, Natalie and Nicholas both felt odd. They had a sensation of dizziness, of disorientation. For Nick especially, it was an odd feeling. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw a young boy staring at them curiously, with eyes which seemed to see much further than his years. "So, whose ghosts are you?" he asked. [End of Part 1] From GILBERTK@MTC.MID.TEC.SC.USTue Dec 17 17:08:35 1996 Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 18:35:28 -0500 From: Katherine Gilbert To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: XOVER: Shadows of Night (2/5) Introductions, etc. are in part 1. The following is a crossover between FK and Dark Shadows. No infringement of any sort is intended. Please send any comments to Gilbertk@mtc.mid.tec.sc.us. If any in-jokes in this part lose you, please ask. When we last saw Nick and Natalie, they were in a basement in the main house at Collinwood, confronting an unknown boy. ************************************************************ Shadows of Night (2/5) by Katherine Gilbert Nick and Natalie looked at each other and then back at the boy. "What are you doing in here?" Natalie asked. "How did you get in?" "I live here," the boy insisted. "Now, I asked you a question." "Do you think Ms. Haskell could have a son?" Natalie whispered to Nick. He shrugged. "It's possible," he said. "Is your mother upstairs?" Natalie asked the boy. "No," he replied, "she's--she's not here. My governess is upstairs, though." He paused. "Why don't you tell me your names?" He shook his head. "You're not very cooperative ghosts." Nick and Natalie looked at each other with concern. The boy seemed delusional. "Will you take us to your . . . governess?" Natalie asked him. He shrugged. "Why not?" he agreed. Natalie and Nick followed the strange boy back up the stairs to the main floor of the house. "I'll go get Ms. Haskell," Natalie whispered, as she approached the living room. When she went in, however, no one was there. Then it sunk in; the house was furnished. It looked lived in. She went back to Nick, who had noticed the same thing. "What the hell is going on here?" he whispered to her. Natalie shook her head, dumbfounded. "Aren't you coming?" the boy called from the stairs. They both followed mutely. "Dumb ghosts," the boy muttered. When they got to the second floor of the house, a young woman-- perhaps in her late teens or early twenties--saw them. She was wearing a demure, but very short, dress and had her hair up in a rather odd fashion with a bow. "David!" she said to the boy. "Where have you been?" "Around," the boy answered. The woman looked at Nick and Natalie, expecting David to introduce them. When he didn't seem as though he would, she said, "I'm Victoria Winters," as she extended her hand towards them and looked at David. "I'm very sorry about David. Sometimes, his manners aren't all they should be." She shook their hands. David looked surprised. "You can see them?" he cried. "Well, of course I can, David," Victoria answered. "Why wouldn't I?" "I found them in the basement!" David said. "They're ghosts." "In the basement? Ghosts?" Victoria replied, astounded. "Oh, David, you've been letting your imagination run away with you again." She looked at him worriedly. "Oh, Vicky?" a voice from down the hall called. An attractive woman with long, blonde hair, dressed in much the same style as Victoria, emerged from another room. She stopped when she saw Nick and then approached him, looking like a hungry cat who had just spotted a bowl of cream. "Vicky, who are your friends?" she asked, looking Nick up and down. Natalie broke gently inbetween them and extended her hand. "I'm Natalie Lambert, and this is Nicholas Knight." She paused, waiting for inspiration. "We're historians," she said finally. The blonde woman rounded her and continued to close in on Nick while introducing herself. "I'm Caroline Stoddard," she said. "Historians?" Vicky asked. "Then you must know Julia Hoffman. She's staying here while she does some research on the family." Nick and Natalie exchanged a rather stunned look, not for the first time that day. "Dr. Hoffman?" Natalie asked. "Doctor?" Vicky replied. "No, I don't think so. Did you come to see Mrs. Stoddard? I think she's downstairs." "Uh, yes, we did," Nick agreed, trying to escape the not-so- tender mercies of Caroline Stoddard. "May we see her?" "Of course," Vicky said and then looked at David. "Why on earth did you bring them up here instead of telling your aunt?" she asked him. "But I met them in the basement!" David whined. "Oh, really, David," Vicky replied. "Come with me," she said, smiling at Natalie and Nick. "I'll take you to her." Nick and Natalie followed mutely. Downstairs, in the living room, a beautiful middle-aged woman stared out of a window. She seemed transfixed by the view. "Mrs. Stoddard?" Vicky said from behind her, twice. "Oh, Vicky, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you," the woman replied. "There are some people here who'd like to see you," Vicky told her. "Hello, I'm Elizabeth Collins Stoddard," she said approaching them. Natalie went pale. Nick lost what little color he usually had. Natalie forced herself to respond, almost mechanically. "I'm Natalie Lambert. This is Nicholas Knight." As Natalie introduced herself, a tall, arrogant-looking man entered the room as well. "I see we have guests," he said, as he made his way toward the brandy tray. "Yes, we do," Elizabeth said. "Thank you, Vicky. That will be all." Vicky left. The man looked at Natalie with some distaste and poured himself another drink. "Won't you sit down?" Elizabeth asked. "What can we do for you?" Natalie pulled herself together. "We're historians, Mrs. Stoddard. We've been researching the area lately, and we know that your family's history intertwines with the history of this entire area. We wanted your permission to examine some of your family documents." The man rolled his eyes. "Oh really, Liz. We've already got one female researcher bothering us, and at least she has the decency to wear a skirt. Do we really need any more?" "Roger!" Liz answered, shocked. "I'm sorry, Mrs.? . . . Miss?" "Miss," Natalie provided. "Miss Lambert," Liz continued. "I'm afraid my brother sometimes forgets himself completely," she said, eyeing him. "We live in a very small town here, and I'm afraid we do rarely see women in such untraditional clothes." Natalie looked down at her pant suit. "If only I knew I'd be time travelling today," she thought. Nick smiled at Elizabeth and Roger. "I'm afraid that Miss Lambert's ideas are affected a bit by supposedly progressive trends. However, since we frequently spend much of our time climbing ladders in old libraries, her attire is more a matter of convenience." Roger looked disgusted, poured himself another brandy, and took a seat. Natalie wasn't at all sure if she approved of Nick's defense of her or not. Elizabeth smiled at them. "Of course. I'm afraid we have a tendency to be a bit provincial here. Now, how long do you think you'd need to do your research?" "Perhaps a few weeks," Nick suggested. "That seems fair," Elizabeth replied. "Are you staying with someone in town?" "We're staying at the Collinsport Arms," Natalie caught herself saying, then paused, hoping that wherever they were, whenever they were, the hotel was part of the landscape. "Of course," Elizabeth said. Natalie let out her breath. "But you'll of course stay with us instead," Liz continued. "I'll get Mrs. Johnson to make up two rooms." Roger snorted. "We don't want to inconvenience you," Nick said. "Not at all. You can drive into town and get your things tonight," Liz insisted. "I'm afraid we took a taxi, and our luggage was lost on the way to town," Natalie threw in. "On the bus?" Roger asked. "They believe someone else picked it up," Nick explained. "Caroline can drive you into town to buy a few things tomorrow," Liz suggested. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind." She got up and went over to the phone, picking it up before it rang. "Hello? Yes. Yes. Alright. Let me take this call in the other room." She turned back to her guests. "It's the plant. Would you excuse me?" Just as she was leaving, a loud squealing noise, like wheels running over the entire house, could be heard. Nick and Natalie looked startled. "What was that?" Natalie asked. Nick was in pain; his extra- sensitive hearing made the sound much more painful to him. Liz and Roger looked confused. "What was what?" Roger asked. Natalie and Nick looked dumbfounded. "Nothing," Natalie said softly. With a look of concern, Liz left. "So, I suppose you'll want to see your fellow historian, Miss Hoffman?" Roger asked, rather bored. "She's over at the Old House with Barnabas. I'll get Vicky to show you the way." It seemed a good way to be rid of them for awhile. "Thank you," Natalie said in a small voice. Once Roger had left, Nick looked at Natalie and asked, "What the hell is going on here?" Natalie shook her head. "The only explanation I can come up with seems ridiculous. . . Nick, do you suppose we've gone back in time?" Nick shook his head. "Natalie, things like that don't happen." "Nick," she insisted, "a house we know is empty and abandoned is filled with furniture and people. People we know are dead are alive. All of their clothes and attitudes bear it out." Nick still looked skeptical. "We were only in that basement for a few minutes, Nick," she continued. "This change, even if someone had a motive to pull a joke like this on us, isn't possible in that short a space of time." Nick shook his head again. "But Natalie, this isn't possible!" "Nick," she replied, "so are you! How likely do vampires sound?" Nick nodded slightly. Vicky entered the room. "Ready to meet Miss Hoffman?" she asked brightly. Nick and Natalie nodded dazedly. As Vicky put on her coat, preparing to go out, Nick and Natalie stared at a painting in the hallway. Its subject was a noble-looking man holding a wolf's-head cane. A large signet ring was evident on his finger. Vicky noticed their interest. "Isn't it an interesting portrait?" she asked. "Who is it of?" Nick asked. "Barnabas Collins," Vicky replied. Nick and Natalie looked at each other. "Oh, not the Barnabas Collins of today, of course," Vicky went on. "That's his ancestor. Although Mr. Collins' family resemblance is very strong." She smiled at them. Nick and Natalie exchanged a knowing look. In the Old House, Julia Hoffman was having a familiar argument with Barnabas Collins. "But we must continue the treatments!" she insisted. "Dr. Hoffman, my patience is wearing thin," Barnabas said menancingly, when there was a knock on the door. He broke off from her, still glaring, and went to answer it. "Victoria," he said, smiling, "how pleasant to see you." "Good evening, Mr. Collins," she returned. "Please come in," he insisted, looking at her companions with less pleasure. "Hello, Miss Hoffman," Vicky said, when she saw her. "I brought two fellow historians for you to meet." Julia and Barnabas exchanged looks. Vicky smiled and continued, oblivious. "Barnabas, Julia, this is Miss Natalie Lambert and Mr. Nicholas Knight." Barnabas approached Natalie, took her hand, and kissed it. "I'm very pleased to meet you," he said. "As am I," Natalie managed. Julia exchanged greetings distantly. "Just what is it you're here researching?" she asked. "The Collins family history," Natalie replied. "Victoria, my dear, why don't you leave Miss Lambert and Mr. Knight here to discuss history with us?" Barnabas suggested smoothly. "I'm sure they can find their way back on their own." "Alright," Vicky agreed. "I'll see you at the house," she said to Nick and Natalie. Natalie was looking at Barnabas. "Is he a . . .?" she whispered to Nick. "Definitely," he interrupted. When Vicky had left, Barnabas invited his guests into the living room. "It's rather dark in here," Natalie said, standing close to Nick, figuring a vampire was the best defense against another vampire. "Yes," Barnabas replied. "I rather like it like this. I've restored it to its original state, but I've decided against modernizing." "Electricity does take awhile to get used to," Nick agreed. "I think that a rather poor joke," Julia said, staring defensively at Natalie and inching nearer to Barnabas. "It wasn't meant as one," Nick replied, deciding to take the direct approach. Barnabas laughed. "I may be getting on a bit, but I'm hardly a museum piece," he smiled. "I rather think we both are," Nick continued, staring at him intently. "Whatever do you mean?" Barnabas inquired, now much more curious. Nick suddenly thought of something. "You don't think you're the only one, do you?" Julia put her hand on Barnabas' arm and had it quickly removed by him. "I believe you've come here under false pretenses," she said. "Perhaps I'd better speak to Mrs. Stoddard about you." "I believe we'd all have some rather shocking things to say, if we did," Natalie suggested. "False pretenses seem to be the order of the day." "Whatever do you mean?" Julia asked. "*Dr.* Hoffman, I believe you understand us perfectly," Natalie responded. Julia reached for her necklace and began to twirl it in the light of a candle in front of Natalie. "Don't try it," Nick said. His eyes were yellow, and his fangs were exposed. Barnabas looked at him seriously. "How unattractive," he said. Julia dropped the pendant. "Oh--my--God," she said finally before collapsing into a chair. One vampire she was prepared for. Two left her a bit winded. "So, I'm not the only one," Barnabas said softly, lowering himself into a chair. Nick smiled, his appearance human again. "Hardly. There are thousands of our kind." "Both of you?" Julia looked at Natalie. "No," Natalie replied. "I'm rather like you, Dr. Hoffman. My name is *Dr.* Natalie Lambert. I've been trying to find a cure for Nick's vampirism for a few years now." "How did you know?" Barnabas asked. Nick and Natalie smiled at each other and took seats. "It's a rather long story," Nick said. Then, the two time travellers began to explain. [End of Part 2] From GILBERTK@MTC.MID.TEC.SC.USTue Dec 17 17:08:40 1996 Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 15:50:47 -0500 From: Katherine Gilbert To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: XOVER: Shadows of Night (3/5) Explanations, etc. are in part 1. The following is a Forever Knight/Dark Shadows crossover. No infringement of any sort is intended. Please send all comments to GilbertK@mtc.mid.tec.sc.us. ************************************************************* Shadows of Night (3/5) by Katherine Gilbert After Nick and Natalie left the Old House to take up their rooms in the main house, Barnabas and Julia were left to try to decide a course of action. "What do you think?" Julia asked. She was still a bit shocked. "It must be real," Barnabas replied, "but I'm not sure whether they can be trusted. Why would they come back in time to help us?" "I don't know," Julia responded, "but I'm going to keep a close eye on them." Back at the main house, Natalie was attempting to make herself comfortable in the nightgown and robe Liz had leant her. She was thankful that the fashions Liz was comfortable with were rather loose; most of the women of the house seemed to be of rather anorexic proportions. She sighed, pulled the robe tightly around herself, and went to look out of the window. A soft knock on her door pulled her out of her reverie. "Nat, are you decent?" Nick's voice said softly. "Come on in," Natalie said in full voice. Nick came in, put his finger to his lips, and pulled the door closed behind him. "Nat, remember where--when we are. I know we're far away from the rest of the family, but we still need to be careful. I don't think Liz would take it well if she found her two new, unmarried historians in the same bedroom." Natalie rolled her eyes but spoke more softly. "Nick, it's hard to get more platonic than we are." She smiled, and her eyes softened. "I know we need to be careful. It's just a bit of a strange adjustment." Nick put his arm around her. "Tell me about it." Natalie put her head on his shoulder for a second and then pulled away gently and looked at him. "Where did you get the robe and pajamas?" Nick looked down at them as well. They weren't exactly the silk he was used to. "They used to belong to Liz's husband. He ran off or died or . . . something. I couldn't quite get the story straight." "I'm not sure that's encouraging, given that we're supposed to be historians," Natalie said. Nick smiled. "I have a feeling there's a lot around here they'd rather keep to themselves. Now, about Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman--how do we go about this? What kind of read did you get off them?" "I don't know," Natalie admitted. "They're both a bit sinister. Barnabas actually reminds me a bit of Lacroix." Nick thought. "I know what you mean. He hasn't tried to start his own family of vampires, though." "As far as we know," Natalie pointed out. "I'm going to try to get Julia to take me into her lab tomorrow." She looked down at her attire. "After I buy some new clothes," she added. "Alright," Nick nodded. "I'll try to see what I can get from Barnabas on the experiments so far." He was about to leave, when he turned and said, "Be careful around Julia. Her knowledge might prove useful, but I'm not sure we should entirely trust her." Natalie shook her head. "Don't worry. I don't." Nick was about to leave again when he stopped and listened. He came quietly back over to Natalie and whispered to her, "Heartbeat. That boy's out there. If they find us together, it could be difficult." He thought for a second. "I could hide in the closet." "What, all night?" Natalie replied. She looked toward the window. "It's the only way," she said. Nick sighed, opened the window and flew back to his room. Just then, Natalie heard outside the door, "David! What are you doing?" "I saw him go in!" she heard the boy reply. "He's in there! I'll show you!" He ran up to Natalie's door and opened it. "Where is he?" he asked, confused. Victoria followed closely behind. "Oh, Miss Lambert, I'm so sorry. David, stop that!" David was throwing open closet doors in a search for Nick. "Thank God we didn't go for the closet," Natalie thought. Verbally, she said, "It's not your fault. David just seems to be a very-- active child. And call me `Natalie,' please." David was searching under the bed when Vicky got to him. He looked disappointed. "David, apologize to Miss Lambert," Vicky ordered. David suddenly noticed the open window. "He went out there!" he cried and ran to it. Vicky followed him, looking out it. "David, there's no one there, and there's no way anyone could use it to escape. Now, apologize!" David, not finding the evidence he wanted, shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry, Miss Lambert." "That's better," Vicky said. "Now, go to bed--now!" Once he'd shuffled out, she turned to Natalie. "I really am terribly sorry. David has the most active imagination." "That's quite alright, really," Natalie insisted, as she eased Vicky out of her room, still remonstrating about David. She closed the door. "Poor kid," she thought. "They all think he's nuts for knowing the truth." She laughed softly. "I think I know how he feels. We really will have to be more careful tomorrow." ******************************************************************** The next day, Natalie was preparing to be taken shopping by Caroline. She had made the excuse that Nick needed to start their research, so she would take his sizes and buy a few things for him. Roger had snorted at the idea, but everyone else bemusedly agreed. Nick was now ensconced in the part of the library which was the furthest away from the window and its sunlight. Julia sat closer to the window, eyeing him. He'd managed breakfast by claiming he never ate it, but he was completely stumped as to how to handle the rest of the family's meals, not to mention his real nutritional needs. Caroline popped her head into the library to make one final effort to get Nick to join them. "Are you *sure* you won't come?" she asked in her sweetest tone. "It's a lovely day out. It hasn't been this cloudless in . . . well, for about as long as I can remember." "Just my luck," Nick thought. "No, thank you," he said. "I really should get to work." He pretended to be deeply engrossed in the book he was looking at. Julia smiled malevolently at him. "Why don't you join them, Mr. Knight? The sun would do you good. You're so pale at the moment." Nick fixed her in his stare. She wasn't going to be easy to win over. "No, I really don't think I can." Julia's unpleasant smile widened. "Thank you just the same," he said warmly to Caroline. After Natalie had pried Caroline away to get some clothes which both fit and fit in, Julia moved closer to Nick. "You haven't fed in awhile, have you?" she said, needling him. "You have that slightly weakened look Barnabas sometimes gets." Nick stared intently at her. "Did it ever occur to you, Dr. Hoffman, that if you provoke me too much, I may not care *where* my next meal comes from?" Julia smiled. This was the sort of relationship she understood. "Why are you two really here?" she asked. Nick sighed. "We told you. Natalie and I have been working on a cure for years now. We were hoping that your knowledge might be able to help us. We weren't expecting to meet you, however." "And just what have you tried?" Julia asked. "I don't think I'll tell you that until I'm sure of your cooperation," Nick countered. Julia smiled and moved off. ************************************************************************ When night fell, Natalie and Nick went back to the Old House. Nick had managed to skip lunch with the excuse of being too caught up in his research, and Natalie had stolen a raw steak from the kitchen for him while pretending to ask Mrs. Johnson for family information. Nick had managed to get it down, but he was looking a little green when they arrived to talk to Barnabas. When they got to the house, Julia answered the door and led them down to the basement. Natalie let Nick go first. In the basement, there was an elaborate array of laboratory equipment, which looked like something out of a Frankenstein movie. Also, in the corner, there was a coffin. "Where's Barnabas?" Nick inquired. Julia looked bemused at his lack of knowledge. "Over there," she said, pointing to the coffin. "You're kidding!" Nick exclaimed. He went over and lifted the lid. Barnabas was inside, just waking up. Nick shook his head. "How cliched!" he commented. Barnabas sat up and glared at him. "And where do you sleep?" "In a bed--on satin sheets," Nick replied, looking amused. "How on earth did you ever end up sleeping in this thing?" he asked Barnabas, as Barnabas stepped out of it. "Force of habit," Barnabas replied with some distaste. He looked more closely at Nick. "You don't look at all well," he observed. "Have you fed?" "Not on what I'd have liked to," Nick replied. Then he considered. "How do you manage to feed around here?" Barnabas shuddered. "Livestock, mostly. People are too easily missed." Nick nodded. He understood the problem. "Would you care to help me frighten the sheep?" Barnabas asked. He wasn't at all sure he liked this Nicholas, but keeping him alive might be in his best interest for now. "Why not?" Nick agreed. He gave Natalie a look which said "Be careful," before he left. Outside, Nick was about to fly off when he turned back to Barnabas. He had turned into a bat. "What the hell are you doing?" Nick asked the creature. Barnabas returned to his normal form. "I'm about to fly to our supper. Would you rather walk?" he asked caustically. "No," Nick replied. "I simply don't know why you're taking on animal form to do it." "How else would you do it?" Barnabas asked. "Like this," Nick replied, levitating. Barnabas was amazed. "How did you do that?" he asked. "Simple," Nick replied. For the first time, he was slightly grateful for having had someone around to teach him to ins and outs of his new lifestyle. Barnabas began to think that this Nick fellow might not be so bad after all. Back in the lab, the tension was almost visible. Natalie felt it neccessary to watch her back. She finally asked, "Dr. Hoffman, why are you so set against me? Don't you want to cure Barnabas?" Julia looked at her but said nothing. "You are in love with him, aren't you?" "As you are with Nick?" Julia responded quickly. "I've never denied it," Natalie agreed. "I've spent much of the last few years devoting my time to trying to cure him, watching him with a female vampire he's known for centuries longer than me, knowing that we can't even get too close. I want a cure for him more than anything else in my life, and I will work with you or the Devil himself if it brings that cure to me." She sighed, folded her arms across her chest, and looked at the floor. "Now, if you want to cure Barnabas, I'll help you. If you want the glory or the scientific acheivement, that's fine--you can have it." She looked Julia in the eye. "And if you want to cure Barnabas so you can be near him, I just might be the one who can help make that happen. Whether you like me or not, I can help you find this cure. Now, do you want to work with me or not?" Julia looked at her intently. Natalie Lambert was very much unlike every doctor she'd known. She wasn't at all sure she liked her. "And Barnabas?" she asked. Natalie looked confused. "What about him?" she asked. "You're not here to try to take him away?" Julia inquired. Natalie couldn't help laughing a bit. "Julia," she said finally, "do you think I'd have done all this just to end up with someone other than Nick?" Julia nodded. "Alright, we'll start tonight." Barnabas and Nick had returned much better friends than when they'd left. Nick had conviced Barnabas not to drain the creature they'd found. He decided to try to keep more to Natalie's original plan-- less blood, more attempts at real food. He'd even hypnotized the sheep to believe that nothing had happened. (He could just hear what Lacroix would say: "Oh, Nick-o-las, compassion from a vampire?"). When they came back, Natalie and Julia were busily working, comparing notes and talking over old attempts. They left Nick and Barnabas to discuss their different experiences, only interrupted by an occassional cure attempt. That night, they only succeeded in giving Nick (their official lab rat) a case of the hiccoughs--something he hadn't missed about being human. When morning was about to dawn, they left off till the next day. [End of Part 3] From GILBERTK@MTC.MID.TEC.SC.USTue Dec 17 17:08:42 1996 Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 17:00:45 -0500 From: Katherine Gilbert To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: XOVER: Shadows of Night (4/5) The following is a FK/original Dark Shadows crossover. Please see part one for introductions, etc. No infringement is intended with the following. Please send all comments to GilbertK@mtc.mid.tec.sc.us. ******************************************************************* Shadows of Night (4/5) by Katherine Gilbert Their nocturnal pattern continued for the next week. When excuses to avoid meals at the main house became hard to come by, Nick and Julia hypnotized the inhabitants into believing that he had eaten--it made matters much simpler. One afternoon, Nick and Natalie were discussing their progress-- or lack thereof--alone in the library. "Well," Nick asked. "Do you think there's any hope?" "Nick, of course there is!" Natalie responded. "We've barely begun." "Nat, all we've succeeded in doing so far was turning my hair green for about 15 minutes. I've downed more concoctions in the last few days than in my entire life--and that's saying something." "I know," Natalie agreed, putting her hand on his arm, "but we've got to keep trying." Nick sighed. Natalie took his hand. "Nick, just think of the results if it works!" Nick looked at her and gently touched her face. "I know. We'll keep trying." ********************************************************************* One night, about a week and a half after the experiments began, Julia and Natalie were going through Julia's journal, discussing past attempts. "What about this one?" Natalie asked, pointing to an entry. "No," Julia remarked. "That one just made him appear as old as he is--and he was still a vampire." Natalie grimaced. "If Nick looked as old as he is, he'd be a pile of dust," she thought. She looked around the room in frustration and noticed a shelf she hadn't before. It was covered with bottles of powder. "Julia," she asked, walking over toward it, "what is this?" Julia approached it, looking unsure. "I haven't a clue," she replied. "I'll go ask Barnabas." A few minutes later, Barnabas came down (with Nick in tow), looked at the shelf and appeared horrified. "Those," he said, "are the herbs of a sorceress who once used to live here--Angelique--a very poisonous woman." The others looked at him. "It's a very unpleasant tale," he responded. "I'm sure that, whatever is there, it won't prove helpful to anyone." Julia and Natalie looked at each other. "We'll see about that," Julia said. Two days later, having checked out some of the less-used volumes in the Collinwood library, Julia and Natalie had found some information on casting spells with herbs and roots. They took the information back to the laboratory to mix with their more scientific experiments. They worked feverishly most of the next day. By the evening, they had a concoction which mixed the ancient and the modern. Cautiously, they brought it to Nick. "Nick," Natalie said, "this may be our last hope. We haven't got a clue what it will do. Angelique's powders are dangerous, for the most part. I'm sure that, if either Julia or I tried this, we'd die." She took a deep breath. "We're kind of hoping that it will have the opposite effect on you." Her hand, holding the potion, was trembling slightly. "Natalie," Nick said, taking the mixture from her, "I've already been feeling less bloodlust since I've cut back on blood. I've even gotten some food down. . . Even if this kills me, I want you to know that it was worth it, if just for a chance of living with you." He took her hand for a second. "I love you." Julia put a hand on Natalie's shoulder. Barnabas said, "If anything should happen to you, Nick, we'll look after her." "How comoforting," Natalie thought facetiously. Nick looked at Natalie one last time, before he drank the mixture. He felt its effects almost immediately. His entire body felt like it was on fire. His blood was boiling; his heart hurt; his nerves were in torment. He screamed. Natalie was horrified. Nick had dropped the glass which had held the mixture and was now holding his head, screaming. He fell to his knees, writhing in pain. "Nick!" Natalie yelled, trying desperately to get his attention. Nick opened his eyes to look at her. They were yellow, and his fangs were extended. Then, as she watched, the yellow drained from his eyes; his fangs withdrew. He looked--human. He collapsed. "Nick!" Natalie called. Trying to find signs of life, she put her fingers on the artery in his neck. She felt something. Natalie's mouth fell open in surprise. She put her ear to his heart; it was beating--*really* beating, not just its usual one or two beats per minute. His skin felt warm to the touch. "My God," she whispered. "He's *alive*." She looked up at Barnabas and Julia. For one of the few times in their lives, they were dumbfounded. A few minutes later, Barnabas had carried Nick back up the stairs and laid him on the couch. When he started to come around, Natalie was sitting beside him. He opened his eyes. "It didn't work, did it?" he asked. Natalie smiled. "Why do you say that?" "Because I feel like hell," Nick replied. "Welcome to the land of the living," Natalie beamed. "Temperature 98.8--to be expected considering the shock your body's just undergone. Blood pressure--fairly normal. Your heart's beating." She stroked his forehead. "I think you're going to live, Mr. Knight." Nick smiled weakly back at her. "How often do you get to say that?" he asked. "Not enough," she replied. Nick looked at Barnabas and Julia. "Are you really sure?" he asked. "There's only one more way to tell," Barnabas said. "The sun will be up soon. Perhaps you should see if you can greet it." Nick nodded and took Natalie's hand. All he could do was wait. When the sun rose, Nick stood in a darkened corner of the living room with Natalie beside him. Julia watched from across the room; Barnabas, wisely, decided to wait in the basement. Nick approached a sunbeam carefully. He reached his hand out toward it, still expecting to feel his skin burning. Nothing happened. He stepped into it completely. The sun shone on his skin, but nothing bad happened. He looked back at Natalie and then ran outside, directly into the sunlight. "Nick!" Natalie called, conditioned against this reaction. When she got outside, Nick was staring, looking directly into the sun. Natalie approached him from behind and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know that's bad for you, don't you?" she said. Nick smiled and looked at her. "Sorry, it's an excess born of a few hundred years of waiting." He raised a hand to touch her cheek. "Natalie," he said, as his eyes grew softer, "I've never been able to hold you without fear before." Natalie smiled. "Well, I've had men who were afraid of me before, but never for the same reason," she joked. Nick put his arms around her, drew her close to him, and kissed her. For once, it was a kiss free of fear. No monster raged inside him, asking for her death. The only desire he felt was for her life-- to become one with it for as long as time might allow. For once, free of fear, the kiss grew deeper. ********************************************************************** That morning at breakfast, Nick ate . . . and ate . . . and ate. Mrs. Johnson was getting a little peeved at having to cook so much, and Liz was beginning to wonder about the wisdom of inviting this man to stay; she hadn't remembered him eating quite so much before. "Nick," Natalie whispered. "You may be cured, but you're not invincible. You better watch it, or you'll have a stomachache which'll last another few centuries." *********************************************************************** That night, back at the Old House, Nick and Natalie talked to Barnabas and Julia about the future. "Are you going to return to your own time?" Barnabas asked. "I don't know," Nick admitted. "There are problems with returning." "Lacroix," Barnabas suggested, having been apprised of this detail. "Yes," Nick continued. "Besides, being a cop is a bit more dangerous now." He looked over at Natalie. "I want to see some other parts of the world once again, too," he said, taking her hand. Julia looked at Barnabas. "Are you going to take the cure now?" she asked him. Barnabas stared at Nick and Natalie. "Not quite yet," he said. "I have something I want to do first." *********************************************************************** Later that night, Nick had snuck into Natalie's bedroom. "It's not as easy moving unnoticed when you can't hear people coming," Nick observed. "We'll try to be quiet," Natalie said, putting her arms around him. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Nick asked. Natalie rolled her eyes. "Nick, I've been living in a state of unresolved sexual tension for so long I could be its poster child," she replied. "Are you really that desperate to leave?" Nick pulled her close with one arm and ran a hand over her hair with the other. "No," he said, "I just wanted to make sure this was what you wanted." Natalie laughed softly. "You are from another century," she joked, before she kissed him. "Anything else you want?" he asked after the kiss. "Yes," she replied. "Don't try nibbling at my neck just yet--its associations are too recent. Oh, and there's a condom on the nightstand." "How did you get one here?" Nick asked. "I brought it with me," Natalie answered. He looked at her. "Well, you never knew when my cure might take effect," she added. "Hope springs eternal." Nick's eyes sparkled at her. "Anything you want, Nat." [End Part 4] From GILBERTK@MTC.MID.TEC.SC.USTue Dec 17 17:08:48 1996 Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 15:31:37 -0500 From: Katherine Gilbert To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: XOVER: Shadows of Night (5/5) Okay, here's the last part. Introductions, etc. are in part 1. The following is a FK/Dark Shadows crossover. SPOILER WARNING: The following contains spoilers for both "Ashes to Ashes" and "Last Knight." No infringement of any sort is intended. Please send all comments to: GilbertK@mtc.mid.tec.sc.us. I will be away for awhile after Dec. 17, so please don't be offended if I fail to answer immediately. Enjoy! ************************************************************ Shadows of Night (5/5) By Katherine Gilbert The next evening, a very relaxed Nick and Natalie, dressed once again in their more modern clothes, met with Julia and Barnabas at the door to the basement. "This might not work a second time," Julia whispered. "It's worth trying," Barnabas suggested. Nick opened the door, looked at Natalie, and went in. As they went down, they again felt an odd, disorienting sensation. By the time they all reached the bottom of the stairs, they were rather dizzy. "Has it worked?" Julia asked. "The feeling is familiar," Natalie observed, drily. "Yes, but when are we?" Julia persisted. "Mr. and Mrs. DeBrabant?" they heard a voice call from the floor above. "Mrs. McGuffin is here! Would you like to meet her?" Nick smiled. "I think we got it right. That's the name we gave the real estate agent. We'll go up and see." Nick and Natalie ascended the stairs. "Ms. Haskell?" Nick asked, when they reached the top. "Oh! Mr. DeBrabant! You frightened me," Meg said. Nick smiled. "There's nothing to be afraid of in me anymore," he responded. Meg smiled, confused. "Um, of course, would you like to meet Ms. McGuffin?" "Actually," Natalie said, "while we'd love to talk to her, we believe we need a little time to think about what we've seen first." She started angling Meg away from the basement door. "If we could have a few days to consider," she said, taking her further away. "By the way, whatever happened to--Caroline and David, was it?" "Oh," Meg responded. "I think Caroline's living with her third husband now. David, I believe, is a psychical researcher . . . or something like that." "How interesting," Natalie remarked. Barnabas and Julia made their escape outside. ********************************************************************* Natalie and Nick managed to sneak Barnabas and Julia back to the hotel, then onto a plane and into Toronto. Barnabas and Julia's skills at mesmerism worked very efficiently with customs. After a bit of further plotting, a note from Nick got Lacroix to his apartment, where Barnabas and Julia waited for him. Lacroix was a bit disturbed. He'd noticed, for the last day or so, that his mental link with Nick seemed to be missing; it had never happened with Nick before, and experience suggested that it was only death which could cause the break. He had been about to try to trace Nick's movements, when the note arrived. Lacroix never wondered what happened again. By the next night, Nick, Natalie, Sidney, Barnabas, Julia, Vachon, Urs, and Tracy were all in Collinsport. Barnabas had convinced Meg that he had returned, temporarily, from England and that he wanted to see that the property was being looked after. When they had returned to the main house, and were lucky enough to have the stairs work again, Nick and Natalie emerged from the basement door. "You were down there again!" a voice yelled. "I'm going to tell Vicky!" Temporarily distracted, David didn't notice the much stranger sight, as the rest of the motley group emerged from the basement and then dashed across to the Old House. Nick and Natalie walked up innocently to where Vicky and David were standing. "I don't understand," Vicky was saying. "I tell you, they were coming from the basement, where I originally saw them!" David insisted. "Oh, really, David," Vicky countered. "I don't know what's going to become of you." Natalie smiled. "He'll be fine," she assured Vicky. Later, when Natalie and Nick had joined the others, Nick's curiousity could hold no longer. "How did you keep Lacroix from following us?" he demanded. Julia laughed. "Well, it began with some drugged wine. Angelique's potions come in helpful again. Then, Barnabas and I worked together to change his reality." "What did you tell him?" Vachon asked. "Oh, some cockamamie story about all of you dying," Julia continued. "First, we had his long-lost daughter kill the two of you," she said, looking at Urs and Vachon. "Then, Tracy was killed as a result of a stray bullet; Nick accidentally killed Natalie by trying to bring her across, and, finally, Lacroix killed Nick, because he asked him to. It was the wildest and least believable yarn you've ever heard." "Won't he follow us once he figures it out, then?" Natalie asked. "I doubt it," Barnabas answered. "He's too wrapped up in knots about `killing' Nick. If he ever does figure out what happened, he'll have nothing to follow. Your bonds with him were broken when you returned to humanity, Nicholas. Even if he makes it to Collinsport, you aren't there, in any way he could trace. You're safe." Tracy looked at Vachon and Urs. "Are you going to go through with the cure?" "Yes," Urs said immediately. "I never asked for this `life.' I'd like a second chance at a real one." Vachon looked a bit chastened. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're right. I shouldn't have brought you across without your permission." "Don't apologize," Urs replied. "It's too late to change any of it now." "So, where will you go?" Vachon asked. "It's the late sixties?" she asked, looking at Julia and Barnabas. They nodded. "San Francisco, then," she said. "There was a lot going on there then." She looked at Vachon. "Is this really a life you're ready to give up?" she asked him. He nodded. "It's been amusing for the past couple of centuries, but I think it's time for a change." "Where will you go?" Tracy asked him. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe back to Spain. Barcelona can be lovely." He paused for a second. "Are you sure you can leave your family behind like this?" he asked Tracy. She nodded. "Yes, I'm a little tired of the whole police game anyway, and I'm really tired of being daddy's little girl on the force. I told them I was going off to find myself." She paused and looked away. "I hope it will all work out." She looked back up at Vachon. "Javier, I don't suppose you want some company on that trip?" "I thought you'd never ask," he smiled. He looked back over at Nick. "What are you two going to do with the rest of your--lives?" Nick smiled and looked at Natalie. "Oh, I don't know. See the world. Go exploring." Sidney meowed. Nick looked at him. "Get a home, so we have somewhere to leave the cat." "They're a few homes in Collinsport that you might like," Julia suggested. "No," Natalie said, "I think we've seen enough of Collinsport for now." Urs looked up. "I just thought of something," she said. "How are you going to avoid Lacroix in this time period?" She paused again. "How are we all going to get passports and documents without Aristotle's help?" Julia smiled. "I bet that Nick remembers where to go to avoid Lacroix's moves for the last 30 years. As for passports, I have a medallion here which can be very persuasive. A few documents should be easy." ******************************************************************* After the treatments were done and everyone had gone their separate ways, Nick had brought Natalie to a Doors concert in Florida. "Any regrets?" Natalie asked him, just before the concert began. Nick smiled. "Not yet," he said. Natalie looked around. "Nick, this seems familiar, somehow." "It's a rather famous night, in rock circles," he replied. "This isn't--this isn't the night Morrison gets arrested for exposing himself, is it?" Natalie asked. Nick smiled again. "Nick," she replied, "I have a feeling travelling with you is going to be very amusing." "I hope so," he said. [The End]