Yes, I've done another Forever Not story. (Definitely NOT the one I mentioned in my first FN posting!) I was speaking with a friend of mine - who I brought across a few weeks ago! - about the Forever Not stories, because I came up with another idea, but wasn't sure I could write it. We both decided to write versions (kind of a sub-challenge to the challenge!). I'll be posting hers later this week, since she's not on-line. Comments, plaudits, flames, etc. to lecf@aol.com or LucienLC@ix.netcom.com THE CURE (A Forever Not story) (Five Years From Now) LaCroix stormed into the Raven just before dawn, almost knocking the front door off its hinges in the process. A dozen of the club's residents stepped out of his way as Janette handed him a drink. He downed the goblet of pure blood in one gulp, holding out the glass for a refill. She refilled his glass, then she returned to the bar, with LaCroix at her side, and picked up her own. "Well?" she demanded. "Anything?" The other denizens of the Raven stood around them, listening apprehensively. LaCroix shook his head. "Nothing. I can't feel him at all, and there's no sign of him anywhere. Two whole days! Two days, Janette!" "You checked the loft?" LaCroix stared at her contemptuously. "You think me a fool? Of course I checked the loft. A dozen times. Nothing's been moved, or even disturbed, so far as I can tell. The idiots at the police station claim he's on vacation. They haven't seen him. I even checked his precious Natalie's apartment. He's not there either." "You don't think he's dead?" LaCroix shook his head. "I would have felt _that_." "Then perhaps the good Doctor succeeded at last," Janette forced herself to say. "Perhaps Nick has finally found his *cure*." "There is no cure!" LaCroix exploded. "It's not a disease, Janette." Janette shrugged. "With human science these days, who can tell what they might come up with?" She abruptly yawned. "We should perhaps think about some sleep, mon cher. We can renew the search tonight." She gestured to the others, and they all started to slowly file from the bar. The sound of the front door opening once more stopped them in their tracks. They uniformly stared as Nick jauntily walked in, unfazed by the early morning sunlight. He froze, surprised to find so many vampires up and about when he'd been expecting to find only Janette, but he smiled, apparently content to brazen it out. LaCroix recovered first. "What have you done?" he demanded, aghast. He could hear his son's heart beating, and as he approached, could even smell the blood once again coursing in his veins. Nick smiled a sunny smile of vindication. "I've done it!" he proclaimed triumphantly. "I'm cured." "There is no cure," LaCroix repeated mechanically, trying to deny the evidence of his eyes. "There was no cure," Nick corrected. "There is now. We did it. I'm human again." LaCroix shook his head. "Now, Nicholas, we've travelled this road before. You know, it's a dead end." "Not this time, LaCroix. That's why I waited to tell you. Two days. Two whole days, and I'm still human. This time, it's for real." "I presume your Dr. Lambert is responsible for this ... change," LaCroix remarked. For the first time, Nick looked unsure, as he surveyed the curious vampires watching their exchange. LaCroix nodded, finding Nick's silence a sufficient answer. "I thought as much. Pity she went to so much trouble for no reason. He nodded to Miklos and one of the others. "Hold him." "No! Wait!" Nick struggled to free himself, with notable lack of success as LaCroix approached. "You cannot do this! Let me go! I'm not yours any longer!" "This is for your own good, Nicholas," LaCroix continued imperturbably as he extended his fangs. "This is for your own good, Nicholas," LaCroix continued imperturbably as he extended his fangs. He started to feed, ignoring his son's protests, then recoiled in disgust. "What did she do?" He grimaced at the foul taste of the blood, then shrugged it off as unimportant as he slashed his wrist and forced Nicholas to drink. The vampires deposited their errant member into a chair. Then, at LaCroix and Janette's urgings, they departed for the cellar to get some rest while LaCroix and Janette waited for developments to run their course. The first hint that matters were not proceeding as expected came when LaCroix suddenly moaned. Janette looked at him curiously. "Janette, I feel ... I don't know ..." He suddenly gasped, as Janette stared in horror. "NO!" he screamed. "It's gone," he moaned, holding himself in shock. "It's gone." "I can hear your heart," Janette choked. "He's changed _you_!" LaCroix staggered over to his protigi, still slumped unconscious in the chair, and shook him. "Wake up! Wake up, damn you!" Nicholas stirred, then stared down at himself in unbelieving joy. "I'm still all right!" "But I am NOT!" LaCroix growled. Nick blinked. "Just what was this *cure* your Dr. Lambert came up with?" "A virus," Nick confessed. "A genetically mutated virus. It mutates the vampire cells back into normal human cells, which then reproduce themselves as human. I told you, it's a cure." "A virus." LaCroix sank back into his chair, and buried his head in his hands. Janette took up the questioning, though she had backed away from both men. "And is this *virus* of yours contagious?" "Contagious? Don't be ridiculous, Janette. It only affects vampires." Nick looked at her in puzzlement for a moment, then at LaCroix. Realization dawned. "Oh, no. I didn't ... He isn't..." "He is," Janette told him. Nick sucked in air. *Oh, God.* Just then, two of the vampires returned from downstairs. Both were among the youngest members of the community. "We're busy," Janette said, annoyed at the disturbance. "Can it wait?" "We don't feel well," the elder said in explanation. Janette glared at them, then her eyes widened. "Oh, no." Nick followed her glance. "Not them too?" She nodded. "I'm afraid so. Just what virus did your dear Natalie mutate anyway?" "I think she said it was one of the flu viruses. I'm not sure, I wasn't paying that much attent.." His voice trailed off, as five more confused ex-vampires stumbled up from the cellar. LaCroix looked up morosely. "You'd better send off a message, Janette, warning all of our people to stay out of Toronto, and place it under quarantine." He glared at Nicholas. "As for you, I think the first order of business is a telephone call to your dear Dr. Lambert, to see if she can reverse this appalling state of affairs." _Forever Knight_. The End. To be replaced by its sequel, _Days of Our Lives_ (Thanks, Celeste, for the title!): A Toronto community of former vampires, assisted by ME Natalie Lambert, who knows their secret, struggles against time to find a cure for humanity and regain their immortality. (This is for when JP and the writers run out of ideas for vampire stories (or the leading characters start showing their age too much!)) :-) As always, comments, etc. to lecf@aol.com or LucienLC@ix.netcom.com (Laurie)