From: KnightGal@aol.com Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 19:57:41 -0500 (EST) To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com Subject: Yet Another Night in Question (1-5/13) Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (1/?) Date: Tue, Jan 21, 1997 7:57 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L) Yet Another Night in Question (1/?) Copyright 1997 "Good evening, gentle listeners all, and welcome once again. Welcome, from your friend, the Nightcrawler. Tonight, my children, we meditate upon the subject of truth. Revered for centuries, sought after by wise men, we all claim a love for the truth. And yet, dear listeners, I have to ask you, how many of you do indeed worship at the feet of 'Truth'? When faced with it, how many of you willingly acknowledge it? How many of you dismiss it when it does not suit your purposes? Yes, dear hearts, from one corner of our mouths we honour truth, we say we love it, while from the other, we deceive ourselves and those we say we love. "You do not believe me, though, do you? "There is an old saying that a true friend is one who knows you, knows your deepest, darkest secrets, yet loves you still. So, my question to you is this: How many true friends do you have? Those whom you call 'friend', do they know *your* darkest secrets? Would they still love you tomorrow if they did? And those who care for *you* and tell *you* the truth - do you reject them? Hate them? Turn away from them?" Schanke leaned over and turned off the Caddy's radio. "Man oh man oh man," he exclaimed, "where does this guy get it from?" His partner, Det. Nick Knight, stared off into seeming nothingness on the road. "Nick? Earth to Nick!" Schanke nearly shouted, bringing Nick back to the present moment. "You're going weird on me again." "Sorry, Schank," Nick replied with a sad smile. "I was just thinking." "Yeah? Well, thinking on *that* kind of stuff isn't gonna do anybody any good. Keep it up, and you'll be popping Prozac." Nick laughed silently to himself. Between Lacroix and Schanke, no one could accuse him of not having any balance in his life. The only problem was, it wasn't Schanke's voice that stayed with him when he went home to the solitude of the loft or the privacy of his dreams, and it wasn't Schanke who knew his secrets, his deception, his crimes. He never would, for how could Nick ever tell him? His thoughts continued along this path until, without warning, his reverie was suddenly interrupted by a pain inside his head that caused him to come to an abrupt stop, just missing a nearby lightpole and giving Schanke a better view of the windscreen. Something was very wrong. "81 Kilo, 81 Kilo, respond please," interrupted the police radio only seconds later. A nervous Schanke grabbed the receiver and replied. "81 Kilo, over." "81 Kilo, we have a report of a shooting near John and Front streets, over." Even as the dispatcher spoke, Nick turned and headed in the proper direction. "We're on our way." Schanke returned the receiver to it's cradle while Nick, who looked as if he were recovering from a bad case of seasickness, automatically turned on the police lights. Suddenly, he turned to Schanke. "Did she just say John and Front?" "Yeah, why?" asked Schanke in return. "That's CERK." "Huh?" "You know, 'the Nightcrawler'??" "Oh, no, don't *do* this to me!" Schanke pleaded to some unspoken deity. He looked over at Nick. "You think the Nightcrawler's finally met his match?" "I don't know," Nick replied, feeling a strange mixture of regret and relief. "Well, what the hey? Wouldn't surprise me...The guy's good at egging people on." The Caddy came to a screeching halt in front of the station which was now bathed in the flashing lights of two police cars and an ambulance. Nick had barely made it inside when he saw the paramedics approaching him with the stretcher bearing the bodybag and its contents. He stepped in front of them to stop their progress. "What happened?" he asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. "Some wacko stormed in here and managed to shoot one of the station's DJ's - a 'Lucien Lacroix'. Ever hear of him?" "Yeah," Nick said pensively, "I have. Anything else?" "Just that the guy nearly took his head off, too." "Took his head off?" Schanke, who had finally caught up with Nick, looked disgusted. "Like I said," the paramedic continued, "a real looney tune." "Where is he now?" Nick asked. "Oh, you won't be getting anything out of him, Detective. The victim somehow managed to break the guy's neck before he finally snuffed it. Now, if you'll excuse me..." With that, the paramedics wheeled their cargo out to the ambulance for transport to the morgue, which is exactly where Nick knew he should be going. It wouldn't do for Nat to come face to face with a hungry Lacroix. He stayed with Schanke long enough to question the only witness they had - a member of the station's janatorial crew - then managed to drop his partner at his car after having made up an excuse to visit Natalie. It was near enough to dawn that Schanke didn't feel slighted. "See ya, guy," said Schanke as he shut the car door. Nick made his good-byes and headed in the direction of the morgue. It was going to be a long day. Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (2/?) Date: Fri, Jan 24, 1997 3:12 AM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L) OK, OK, so it's not great literature! Still, I hope *some* of you enjoy it!! Knishes, chocolate, and Lacroix's home number, please, to KnightGal@aol.com Yet Another Night in Question (2/?) Copyright 1997 Nick arrived at the Coroner's office only minutes later to find Lacroix's still form on one of the morgue's dissecting tables and Natalie peeling off a pair of latex gloves. She looked annoyed. "Nat?" Nick asked tentatively. "You know, Nick," she began, "I wish you could have handled this one yourself. You put me in a very difficult spot." "You mean, because you're having to cover for the Community again?" he asked with a sheepish look. "No - because I had to fight my first instincts and not finish what the would-be murderer started!" "Nat!" "Well, excuse me, Nick, but this *is* Lacroix we're talking about after all. How could you expect me to feel otherwise?" Nick drew closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know," he said in an apologetic tone of voice, "but, by the time I arrived, there were just too many people that I would have had to have hypnotised. I couldn't have possibly succeeded, and I didn't see any other way around it once they carted him off." As always, Nat couldn't resist that little boy look Nick took on whenever he was in an uncomfortable situation with her, and, losing all her inner resolve, quickly took him back into her good graces. Nick looked over at Lacroix. "He's still unconscious. I gave him as much blood as I thought he'd need," Nat told him in response to his unspoken questions. "Should it be taking him so long to recover?" "No...Well, honestly, I don't know, not with this kind of injury in any case. I've seen Lacroix and others of our kind 'bounce back' much more quickly, though, in every other scenario I can recall." "Well, the damage was *very* severe. I imagine it was on a scale with what happened to you the day they first brought you into the morgue. I just..." Natalie's ramblings were interrupted when Lacroix suddenly began taking in great gulps of air. Another moment, and his eyes began to slowly open. Nick thought. There was no sign of the vampire. Lacroix turned his head slowly to look at the two expectant faces standing to his right. "Lacroix?" asked Nick. He was tense, figuring that Lacroix would, in another instant, pounce on Natalie for nourishment. Lacroix squinted under the bright lights which hung over the table, and Nat made a move to turn them off. Lacroix's hand caught her wrist in mid-air. "Who are you?" he asked her. "Um, I'm Dr. Lambert. Don't you recognise me?" Lacroix shook his head. "You must remember me, though, don't you, Lacroix?" Nick queried. The elder vampire looked at him without a hint of recognition. "No. Should I?" Nat looked over to Nick and he returned her worried gaze. Both turned back to Lacroix and, in synchonised fashion, muttered a quiet, "Uh oh..." To be continued... Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (3/?) Date: Mon, Jan 27, 1997 9:40 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L) Thanks to everyone who's written me with their compliments! Thanks, too, to Nancy Bonilla, the person who helps me with getting in all the Nunkies I can! Yet Another Night in Question (3/?) Copyright 1997 "What?" Lacroix asked. "Nothing," Nick and Nat chimed in, once again in sync. Lacroix fixed his gaze on Natalie. "Since you are a 'doctor,' I'm assuming I'm in some kind of medical facility?" Natalie bit her lower lip. "Nnnnnot exactly," said Nick. "Um...You're in the morgue," Nat informed the elder vampire. "WHAT?!" Lacroix roared as he sat up on the table, the sheet Nat had covered him falling to waist level. "Hey, just put it down to one of those strange experiences no one can explain," she told him, trying very hard to look innocent and ignorant all at the same time. "Yeah, you might even make it onto 'Unsolved Mysteries.'" Nick's attempt at humour didn't seem to go very far. "May I ask what on earth happened to me?" Lacroix looked increasingly annoyed, a situation Nick was quite familiar with. Somehow, it was a comfort to him. "Someone apparently didn't like you very much," Natalie began. "They broke into your studio and shot you at point blank range, then tried to take your head off as well." "For what reason?" Lacroix asked, unable to imagine why. "That's something I'm afraid we'll probably never know," Nick answered. "Why not?" "Because," Nat interrupted Nick, "you killed him." Lacroix looked decidedly ill as he contemplated Nick's remark. "I...I don't think I want to hear any more about this just now." "But, do you remember anything?" asked Nick. "Apart from my name, nothing," Lacroix said as he looked about for his shirt, then fixed his gaze on Natalie. "I say, do you think I could have the rest of my clothing, Doctor?" "Well, the shirt's pretty much a loss," Nat explained. "There was quite a lot of blood on it." At Nat's mention of the word, both she and Nick froze as they gauged Lacroix's reaction. Nothing happened, although, by the look that crossed his features, it appeared he was wondering if this wasn't all a bad dream - or if the two people looking at him were slightly 'unbalanced.' "Wait, Nat!" Nick said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "I think I've got an extra shirt in the car..." "Uh, Nick..." "No, really...I'll be right back!" "NICK!" "What?" he asked. "There is no way *he's* going to fit into one of *your* shirts," she stated, then blushed bright red and suddenly burst into a very girlish grin. "Thanks *a lot*, Nat," Nick told her, feeling very much like the weakling at 'Muscle Beach.' "Besides which," Nat continued, clearing her throat and regaining her composure, "I think, Mr. Lacroix, we have your leather coat." She stepped over to a nearby table and picked up a very good specimen of just such an article. "Voila! This should do until you get home." Lacroix took it from her, his bad mood having died back a bit, only to be replaced by one of sad confusion. "It would, *if* I could remember where that is." "Uh, if you'd like, I can show you, Lacroix," Nick offered as he helped his Master off the dissecting table and into his coat. Natalie sighed in disappointment as Lacroix covered up. The detective looked at her through narrowing eyes. "Don't even *think* of going there, Nat," he warned her. She rolled her eyes, said good-bye to Lacroix, and was about to return to her desk and the boring paperwork which awaited her there when she heard Lacroix mention to Nick that he felt hungry. "What would you like?" Nick asked. "Well, a nice Filet de Boeuf en Croute and good bottle of wine wouldn't be amiss would it?" Nick quickly looked over to Nat, seeing that she shared the same dumbfounded expression that had to be on his own face. Surmising that Nick didn't know quite what to do, Nat rushed to his rescue. "Not *usually*, however, it *is* 5:00 a.m. and that poses a bit of a problem. Tell you what," she continued, "why don't you take Mr. Lacroix home, Nick, and I'll stop at the 24-hour quickie mart just around the corner? You can give me the address you'll be at and I can meet you there." Nat and Lacroix were now looking at Nick who, once again, stood frozen in place. Lacroix looked back at Natalie with a worried expression. "Do I *have* to go with him?" he asked her. Nat laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "Really, it's OK. He's just a little stunned by what's happened to you." "Uh, yeah," Nick said, finally coming out of shock. "I suppose I shall just have to trust you both then. Very well, detective, shall we proceed?" Nick led the way out of the morgue, while Natalie grabbed her coat, purse and a good quantity of slides for what she hoped would be some impromptu testing. How she would get her samples would be something she could worry about later. Chocolate and Uncle, please, to KnightGal@aol.com Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (4/?) Date: Fri, Jan 31, 1997 4:33 AM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Not based on an original idea!!! Yet Another Night in Question (4/?) Copyright 1997 Once Nick had given Natalie directions to Lacroix's home, he and Lacroix headed in search of the Caddy while Nat made for her own car and the nearby convenience store. For Lacroix and Nick, the drive was mostly a quiet one, punctuated by uncomfortable conversation. Lacroix wanted information, and Nick became increasingly aware that, apart from Lacroix's vampire history, he knew less than a "close friend" ought to. "What do I do for a living?" Lacroix asked. "You have a radio show," Nick replied. "What am I? A psychiatrist?" "Not quite," Nick said with a small grin, "though a lot of people *do* call you for advice." Nick thought to himself. Silence reigned once more between the two. Finally, after they had passed several more blocks, Lacroix spoke. "After all that's happened, I do hope I can get my job back," he said. "Of course, I wouldn't have a clue as to what to say at this point." "Actually, you just do it for fun," Nick interjected, thinking this would ease some of the stress of the situation. "You really don't need to work for a living." "Nonsense," Lacroix replied thoughtfully. "Everyone needs to work and contribute, to feel they have some purpose, some reason for being here. Otherwise, we merely exist." Nick looked sharply at his creator, wondering if he was actually seeing something of Lacroix's true feelings, the mask of stoicism and sarcasm now stripped away by the ignorance that held him in its grip. "You're a detective?" he asked Nick, to which Nick gave a nod of his head. "What kind?" "Homicide," Nick answered. "A very demanding yet worthwhile profession, I would think." Since he really was in a state of shock now, Nick didn't know how to reply, so he simply agreed with Lacroix. "It is, although it can be very frustrating when someone gets away with murder - literally." "Still," Lacroix said, staring at nothing in particular on the road ahead, "think of all the ones who *don't* get away. I would think that counts for something. You provide more of a service to mankind than any radio personality ever could," he added, almost sadly. "You simply get less of the attention and applause. Something very wrong about that, isn't there?" Looking at Lacroix out of the corner of his eye, he felt something akin to compassion for him. He hadn't felt that in a long, long time. "I guess so," he began. "I really haven't thought about it. Well, here we are." The Caddy pulled up in front of quietly elegant townhouse, complete with very well manicured yard, in a very good part of town. A light shone from an upper window. "I'm not married, am I?" Lacroix asked with a worried expression. "Why?" Nick asked as he broke into a smile. "Don't you want to be?" "No, it's not that," Lacroix responded, obviously relieved. "I simply hate to think how much more difficult this situation would be, under those circumstances." Nick nodded in agreement and the two exited the car and walked to the front door where Lacroix produced a ring of keys he had found in his pocket. Looking at the keys, Nick indicated the one which opened the front door, and they were soon inside. A parquet-covered foyer led to a living room richly appointed with dark velvet curtains, wooden floors, Turkish carpets, and comfortable-looking, overstuffed furniture. A small fire still burned in the large fireplace, lending an air of calm to the room. Thankfully, it appeared that the housekeeper had not had any word of her employer's adventures that evening. The bar in the corner quickly caught Nick's attention, and he immediately suggested checking out the upstairs portion of the house. Dawn was approaching, as well, and it wouldn't hurt to ready the rooms above for its coming. They were halfway up the staircase when the doorbell rang. Nick motioned for Lacroix to go on without him while he went to let Natalie in. She stood there, replete with grocery-filled plastic bags in her hands and two lotto tickets gripped between her teeth. Nick took the tickets from between her teeth and looked askance at her. "Hey, I just realised today's the day they have the drawing for the super jackpot. I couldn't resist," she said, feeling the need to justify herself. She held out a couple of the bags to Nick who took them and showed her the way to the kitchen. "What'd you get?" he asked as he reached into one of the bags. "Oh, just a few things," she said nonchalantly. Nick began to unpack one of the bags before him, finding bologna, a loaf of air-filled bread, diet soda, corn nuts and some pudding cups. "Nat? Are you feeling OK?" he asked. With a disgusted sigh, she replied, "Look. *You* go out at 5 a.m. and try finding decent food. Besides," she said as she began stuffing the items back into the bag, "those are *my* groceries you've just taken out. I brought this bag in by accident." "Sorry," Nick told her. "Can I open this one?" he asked, gesturing to another plastic bag. "Be my guest," she said. From this second bag, Nick produced some raw hamburger (and cringed at the memories), frozen vegetables, milk, tea, bread (better quality this time), butter and breakfast cereal. "Do you really think all this is necessary?" Nick asked. "Well, Nick, consider the circumstances," Nat said in a hushed tone of voice. "Lacroix doesn't have any idea he's a vampire. He actually asked for *real* food. This is the perfect time to test one of my theories!" "That being?" "That to some degree, vampirism is a choice. That you can exert mind over matter and overcome it, if you just try," she explained as she walked over to what looked like a pantry and opened it. "Uh oh," she said, surveying the racks of green, liquid-filled bottles that sat in a large wine rack. "What are we going to do with this?" "I think I have a way to solve that problem," Nick said, and, with a vampire's speed, quickly transferred the contents to a little out of the way nook in the basement. He had just returned from carting off the last of it when Lacroix stepped into the kitchen. To be continued... Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (5/?) Date: Sat, Feb 1, 1997 3:09 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU OK. I've gotten about four responses regarding this story so far. Is it *that* bad?? Does *anyone* else want me to continue??? You know us writers - er, wannabe writers, anyway - always looking for feedback! This next bit is for the narrative-challenged. Yet Another Night in Question (5/?) Copyright 1997 Lacroix tried to look cheerful as he stepped into the room, but it was clear he felt lost. "Sorry," he said to Nick and Natalie, who were standing quite close to one another. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything." "Oh, you didn't..." Nick began. "No, not at all," Nat agreed, smiling. "We're just friends," Nick added, trying not to fidget. Lacroix appeared to brighten considerably, then turned thoughtful once more. "So. What happens now?" he asked. "Nat and I were just talking, and we thought it might be a good idea if I stayed for the day," explained Nick. "Yes, then I can come over this evening and check on you. Perhaps the three of us could talk some more, and then..." "Well, um, Nat, that's going to be kind of hard," Nick interrupted. "Oh? Why?" the M.E. inquired. "Cohen says I have to attend a sensitivity training class, and the last one is tonight. I've managed to avoid them till now, but the HR people will have my head on a platter if I miss this one." Lacroix, whose head had been turning back and forth as though he were at Wimbledon, spoke up just then. "Not to worry, Nicholas. I was going to ask the very attractive doctor if she'd be interested in dinner and a movie." Nick exclaimed, "WHAT??!" while Nat blushed bright red for the second time that evening. Hey. It was nice to be the centre of so much male attention - even if one of said males was Lacroix. She wondered how she was going to extricate herself from this situation when Nick helped her to change her mind. "You don't want to do that," Nick warned Lacroix. "Why not??" asked Nat as she turned to glare at him. "Yes, Nicholas. Why ever not?" Lacroix asked with a mischievous look. Nick wondered if the 'old' Lacroix was back. Or was it possible he had never left? Feeling cornered, Nick stumbled through a series of reasons - everything from, 'Nat's been working too hard. I think she really could use a quiet night at home,' to 'Wasn't Sidney supposed to go in for that pigmented filament (hairball) extraction?' - none of them very satisfactory. Hands on hips, Natalie turned to Lacroix. "How does 9:00 p.m. sound?" she asked. "Wonderful," oozed Lacroix as he raised her hand to his lips and placed a courtier's kiss on it. "*Good-bye*, Nick," she said as she marched out. After the door slammed shut, Nick stared at Lacroix - with more than a little venom. "Thank you *very* much," he said as he put the groceries away. From: KnightGal@aol.com Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 20:03:02 -0500 (EST) To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com Subject: Yet Another Night in Question (6-10/13) Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (6/?) Date: Sun, Feb 2, 1997 12:07 AM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Ahem. Thanks to everyone who wrote to me and encouraged me to continue. The response was overwhelming! :) And now... Yet Another Night in Question (6/?) Copyright 1997 "Why are you getting your knickers in a twist, Nicholas?" asked Lacroix as he poured himself a bowl of cornflakes. "You said you and the doctor were 'just friends'!" He studied the pained look on Nick's face for a few minutes. "I see. It's becoming clearer now," he said between spoonfuls. "You're enamoured of the good doctor yourself, aren't you?" Nick didn't say anything, only turned and walked into the living room with downcast features. Lacroix, not caring for the taste of the cereal, rinsed the remainder down the garbage disposal and meandered after his overnight guest. He found him, slumped in a chair before the front window, staring at the approaching dawn. "Want to...talk about it?" Lacroix asked. "Not particularly," replied Nick in a hurt tone of voice. Lacroix wandered over to the wall beside the window and leaned against it. "Love is not such a many splendoured thing, is it?" he asked the detective. "How would you know?" Nick queried in return, in a tone that was harsher than he had intended, as he continued to stare off into space. Lacroix seemed to instinctively sink into the shadows at the question. "I'm not...certain," he began, his eyes taking on a wistful look. "It's really the only thing I seem to have a memory of: a beautiful woman, a garden, saying 'good-bye'. It's only glimpses, you understand - not a full picture - but it fills me with a sadness beyond all imagining. Do you know anything about this?" Nick had raised himself upright in his chair as Lacroix had spoken, suddenly feeling less sorry for himself, and now turned to look at Lacroix. "That was Fleur," he said, "my sister." Lacroix thought silently to himself for a moment. "She was very becoming, wasn't she?" he asked in a subdued voice, remaining yet in the shadows. "Yes," Nick agreed, "she was." "What happened?" "She died," Nick said simply. "Ah," was the only response forthcoming from Lacroix. Nick rose from where he was sitting and walked over to face Lacroix. Laying a hand upon Lacroix's shoulder, he asked, "Why don't you get some sleep? It's been a long night." Lacroix looked at his unknown friend, nodded once and headed upstairs, while Nick helped himself to the one bottle of blood he had carefully hidden in the bar. He savoured the contents only for a moment before closing the heavy draperies, settling himself on the sofa and falling into a very deep slumber. Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (7/?) Date: Sun, Feb 2, 1997 6:31 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Yet Another Night in Question (7/?) Copyright 1997 Nick awoke before Lacroix that evening, dressed quickly and headed in to the precinct. It was safer to make the call from his desk than to risk being overheard by Lacroix. Having dialed up the party in question, he now sat listening to the tirade at the other end of the line. "Absolutely not, Nicolas!" Janette said. "I will not play babysitter again!" "But, Janette," Nick began, "this is for Lacroix as much as for Nat. You know what happened to him. What happens if he suddenly comes back to himself in public? He hasn't..." Just then, Nick was interrupted by his partner's arrival. Schanke placed his coat on the nearby coatrack and sat down for his usual doughnut and cup of coffee. He waved at Nick, who was wondering how to remind Janette about the little problem of blood. "Say 'hi' to Janette for me," Schanke mouthed, then took a bit of the glazed dough. "As I was saying," Nick said in what he thought was a less audible voice, "he hasn't had any, you know, in a while..." Choking sounds erupted from the other side of Schanke's desk, and someone rushed to give him a hard pat on the back. He felt a sudden need to get a drink of water and rushed over to the cooler. "...and anything's possible," Nick finished while watching Schanke recover on the other side of the room. "*Please,* Janette." Silence reigned for at least the next 10 seconds, then Janette spoke up. "Very well, Nicolas," she said, "but I only do this for Lacroix and the Community." "Thanks, Janette," Nick said, relieved, then proceeded to give her instructions on where Natalie and Lacroix would be that evening. When he had finished, he turned back to the paperwork in front of him. Schanke had returned to his desk, a little worse for wear. "So," cough, cough, "how's" cough "Janette?" he asked Knight. "OK, far as I know," Nick replied. "Uh, are you going to be alright?" Schanke gave him the evil eye. "It's your own fault. You eavesdropped," Nick told him. "It was a perfectly innocent conversation." "Says *you*," Schanke replied. "You know, Knight, you should be more considerate of those around you." "I can't help it if your mind is in the gutter, Schanke!" "Knight! Schanke!! In my office!!! NOW!!!!" It was Cohen, and she wasn't looking happy. The two detectives skulked into their captain's office, wondering what they'd done to deserve her attention this time. Schanke closed the door behind them, and she motioned to the chairs in front of her desk. "Gentlemen," she began, "I was wrong." "Huh?" the two detectives asked at one and the same time. "I was going to force the two of you to attend that sensitivity training class." "And, now, Captain, we don't have to?" Nick asked hopefully. "No, you don't," she replied. "Well, thank you Captain Cohen," Schanke said, grinning from ear to ear. Anything was better than sitting in one of those Human Resources rigamarole courses. "Yeah, Captain," Nick began, "thanks." "Don't thank me *too* quickly," she told him. The joy that had been radiating from both men like rays from the sun now died. "I've decided to sign you up for this course instead." She indicated the chart sitting on her desk. The two men bent over to read it. Nick was the one to break the silence. "'Getting in Touch with Your Inner Adult' - a Course for Men.'" Nick and Schanke sighed. It was going to be *another* long night. Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (8/?) Date: Sun, Feb 2, 1997 6:34 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Yet Another Night in Question (8/?) Copyright 1997 Janette sat at the back of the darkened rep theatre, her chin resting on her hand, bored our of her mind. The credits were rolling, but people were still jumping up and down yelling, "Let's do the Time Warp now!!!" From where she sat, she could see Nat and Lacroix getting ready to leave. Fortunately, they headed up the aisle furthest away from her. She put her head down, temporarily, to avoid being noticed, but looked up as soon as she thought it safe. She attempted to follow them, but found herself unable to budge. "Merde!" she cried out, trying to lift her left shoe - a Chanel patent leather pump, no less - from the floor of the theatre. "I am going to *kill* Nicolas." She kept working away until, finally, a wad of pink goo stretched between shoe and floor, and she was able to escape, eventually catching up with Lacroix and Nat who had been looking in the windows of a nearby golf store. "Did you hear that?" asked Nat. "What?" "I don't know...It almost sounded like a couple of velcro pieces being pulled apart every few seconds," Natalie told him. They looked around but saw no one. In the darkness, Janette hovered just above the rooftops. It had been necessary, since the gum continued to stick to her shoe, thus sticking to the pavement briefly as she walked, thus causing the 'sound.' "Seems to have stopped now," Lacroix said. Nat just shrugged her shoulders and the two walked to her car for the drive home. Janette didn't sense anything romantic happening between the two, though they did occasionally put their heads together and, seemingly, share some private joke. As the car pulled away from the theatre, Janette followed at a discreet distance, careful not to be noticed. Natalie arrived at Lacroix's townhouse and he invited her in. She had decided she would stay until Nick got home, she told him. He had, after all, yet to regain his memory. The two talked at some length about the film they had seen, and, every so often one of them would break into a moment of song and dance, or come out with a line at the same time, then burst out laughing. About forty-five minutes into their joking, however, the laughter came to an abrupt end. Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (9/?) Date: Sat, Feb 8, 1997 10:12 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Sorry about the delay! Real life and all that... Usual disclaimers apply. Yet Another Night in Question (9/?) Copyright 1997 Janette attempted to reach Nick via her cell phone without success. She could only hope now that he had felt the searing pain cut through his mid-section, the very same pain she had endured as she watched Lacroix crumple and fall only moments before, and taken to the skies. A nervous Natalie bent down next to Lacroix who was doubled over, still in pain, no doubt brought on by a combination of a lack of blood and ingestion of solid food. He tried to speak but could not seem to get the words out. she thought. "Wait here," Natalie told him. "I'll be right back with something for the pain." What she really wanted to do was run - run for her life - but the trained physician part of her kicked in, held her emotions in check and nagged her to come to Lacroix's assistance. Remembering that Nick had 'relocated' all the blood in the house to the basement, Natalie made a beeline in that direction. Her heart turned to lead, though, when she found four blank walls - meaning that there had to be a hidden compartment in which the stores of blood were kept. Of course, that, in turn, meant she probably wouldn't find what Lacroix needed in time prevent her own demise. She had to find a way out. She had to find Nick. Before she realised it, however, an iron grip closed around her throat and shoved her hard against one of the walls. A gold-eyed, now fully-fanged Lacroix stared at her out of blood-rimmed eyes. She wanted to look away, close her eyes - anything - just to escape that raw, predatory look emanating from him. "A part of me doesn't want to hurt you," he said angrily. "Another part of me says I must if I am survive." "And that bothers you?" she managed to ask. "No. What bothers me is that there is a part of me that *doesn't* want to kill you. It seems...unnatural, somehow," he replied with a twisted grin. He waited for her to say something, but her fear had frozen her limbs and her vocal cords. "What *is* this??" he hissed. Natalie was on the verge of attempting an answer when a voice from behind Lacroix cut her off. "Lacroix! No!!" Janette cried out. Lacroix reeled about without letting go of Natalie so that he now held her as a kind of shield, unnecessary as Nat - and, probably, Lacroix - knew that to be. "Who are *you*?" he asked venemously, though beginning to feel something akin to recognition of the woman before him. Before his eyes, she underwent a transformation as dramatic as his own. "A creature just like you, Lacroix," she told him. "Now. Let her go." "Why? So that you can have her for yourself? I don't *think* so." He pulled her head to the side, ready to drink in the hot, sweet blood flowing just below the surface, when a figure moving faster than mortal eyes could see slammed him against the very wall to which he had pinned the good doctor only moments earlier. Taken off guard, Lacroix had released his hold on Natalie to deal with his attacker. "Janette, get her out of her!!" Nick roared without taking his eyes off Lacroix. "But, Nicolas..." she began. "NOW, Janette!!" he yelled again as he readied for Lacroix's counterattack. Natalie didn't want to leave, knowing that with his present lack of memory, there really was probably nothing that would stop Lacroix from killing Nick. Her arguments were useless, however, as Janette, with her superhuman strength, easily lifted her into the air and away from the coming melee. Comments, the real LC, and flowers, please, to KnightGal@aol.com Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (10/?) Date: Sun, Feb 16, 1997 12:00 AM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Usual disclaimers apply. More apologies for the delay in posting this next part. RL, etc. - you know the drill. Yet Another Night in Question (10/?) Copyright 1997 In one room of Janette's private apartments at the back of the Raven, Natalie paced back and forth across the floor, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Janette sat on a large, leather sofa, legs half-tucked under her petite form, idly sipping one of her better vintages from a cut crystal goblet. "I don't know how you can just sit there, Janette," Natalie told her in a strained voice. "You forget," Janette began to answer her, "I've been through this before." "Lacroix's lost his memory before?" Nat asked, incredulous, as she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Janette. "Non," Janette replied without looking at her. She took another sip from her glass. "His temper." Natalie rolled her eyes. "So, tell me something I *don't* know," she said, taking up her pacing once again. "If only I didn't feel so helpless! I wish there was something we could do." "Well, put it from your mind, Dr. Lambert. There is nothing you could do against Lacroix, and as for me, even if I *could* do something to protect Nicolas, I am quite helpless now that the sun has risen." Knowing the terrible truthfulness of those words, Natalie collapsed into a chair opposite Janette and began to chew on an already short thumbnail. ******* For some moments after Janette and Natalie had departed, Lacroix and Nick stood staring at one another in silence, both tensed and ready for the attack. It was Lacroix who spoke first. "So," he began in a scathing voice, "it seems there are a few minor details to my life that you neglected to share with me." "Nat was hoping...I was hoping...We thought, perhaps, that the attempt on your life had put an end to..." "The vampire?" Lacroix finished for him. "Yes, well, evidently not as we can all see." Nick saw the growing hunger in Lacroix's eyes, but there was anger there as well, an anger that seemed capable of reaching out and consuming him where he stood, such was its fury. "How long have I been like this?" he asked Nick. "How long have you?" "You came across - were made a vampire - almost two thousand years ago," Nick managed to say. Sometimes, it was almost difficult for *him* to believe it had been that long ago. "You brought me across in 1228." "1228. Yes. It makes sense of some of the memories I've had floating about in my brain these last two days." Without warning, Lacroix suddenly backhanded Nick. The blow sent him clear to the opposite side of the room, causing blood to flow from one corner of his mouth. In his anger, Nick rose quickly, but Lacroix still proved to be the faster of the two, and, with one hand, held Nick up by the throat against the wall he had struck moments before. "What was that for?" Nick growled. "That, my dear Nicholas," Lacroix hissed, "was for your sister!" Nick's countenance visibly saddened at the mention of Fleur. He missed her as much as Lacroix, but there seemed to be no way he could make him comprehend that. "On the other hand," Lacroix began to say, "*this* is for me!" With that, his hand grew tighter around his captive's neck, closing off his throat and beginning to fracture bone. Lacroix heard the first crack, and then, as a child might casually toss aside a toy he'd grown tired of, threw Nicholas to the floor. He crossed to where he now recalled his secret store of blood lay hidden and, with some uncertainty, began to press on one concrete block after another, finally locating the correct one. He stood back to watch as the wall began to swing open. Nick began to sit up as he felt his body begin to mend rapidly and watched as Lacroix drained one bottle and then another, the hunger growing in him as his body expended energy in the healing process. Resisting the urge to follow Lacroix into the makeshift hiding place, Nick managed to make his way out of the basement, emerging torn and bloddy but by no means ready to give up the fight. Soon after, Lacroix ascended slowly from below in pursuit of his quarry, an aura of confidence and power radiating from, it seemed, the very core of his being. He found Nick standing in a corner of the living room near the large, now heavily-curtained windows, recovering what strength he could following Lacroix's merciless attack. Nick held up a hand in a halting gesture, eyes now returned to their normal blue. "Don't come any closer, Lacroix," he warned. Lacroix sneered at him. "Or you'll *what*?" "Please, Lacroix. We must talk." Lacroix made a move towards Nick. "I don't want to talk, Nicholas. I've spent far too much time talking with you, it seems, and not enough time doing what needed to be done. Besides," he said, this time sounding weary of the world and as if he were speaking to no one in particular, "talking doesn't make the pain go away, does it?" He made a move towards Nicholas who pulled on the curtains, bringing down pole and all. The sunlight burned and temporarily blinded Lacroix so that he didn't notice until too late the wooden chair leg Nick had broken off and now thrust into his chest. A river of blood poured forth from the wound and out of Lacroix's mouth as he looked at his son in disbelief before falling to his knees, thence to the floor where his body landed on one side, still in full sun. Nick was sorry he had been forced to such a measure, but there was nothing else for it. Rushing out from the shadows to which he had earlier retreated, he lifted the incapacitated Lacroix out of the burning rays and returned him to the basement, the darkness, and the blood. From: KnightGal@aol.com Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 20:03:21 -0500 (EST) To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com Subject: Yet Another Night in Question (11-13/13) Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (11/?) Date: Sun, Feb 16, 1997 10:09 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Usual disclaimers apply. All comments, chocolate and Uncle, please, to KnightGal@aol.com. Yet Another Night in Question (11/?) Copyright 1997 Even in the basement, Nick easily heard the engine of the car which pulled up the driveway and parked. He hoped it belonged to someone who would go away quickly, but annoyance turned to anxiety when the front door opened and the familiar beat of Natalie's heart grew louder in his ears. Lacroix was still unconscious, but not for much longer. "Nick!" she shouted from above. "Down here, Nat," he replied, not daring to let Lacroix out of his sight for a single moment. She was halfway down the basement stairs when he stopped her. "Don't come any closer, Nat," he warned. "You shouldn't have come back." He didn't look at her, but kept his eyes focused on Lacroix. From where she stood, Natalie could see the purple marks in the shape of fingers on the side of his neck, the dried blood at one corner of his mouth and, a little further down, a large wet spot on his burgundy-coloured shirt. She had not a doubt but that it was blood. "Nick, let me help you..." she began as she took a few more steps toward him. "If you want to help me, Nat, then stay back," he cautioned, but she had descended far enough to see Lacroix - correction, a staked Lacroix - resting on the floor. "Oh my god," she said. "Is he dead?" "Only figuratively," Nick replied. "But when I remove the stake..." "Nick, you can't..." "I have to, Nat," he interrupted her. "Funny. The last time I thought I'd killed Lacroix, and he turned up, I felt as though I'd been plunged back into a nightmare, but now...Now that I've seen him so changed..." "Nick, it looks as if he nearly killed *you*," Natalie said, worried that Nick's 'good deed' would only get him murdered. "You have no guarantees he won't 'lose it' again and, this time, you might be the one with a stake through his chest." Nicholas looked hard at Lacroix's still form, then turned to Nat, but only as far as he could without losing sight of his master. "It's...difficult to explain, Nat," Nick started to say, "but there are some things I've learned about Lacroix since the shooting, things I hadn't realised. I can't let matters end at a point such as this." Nick wasn't looking at Nat now, too afraid he'd find anger there rather than understanding. "Alright, Nick," she said sounding resigned to the situation. "I can't stop you, but I *am* going to stay." "I'm hoping that what I'm about to do will help restore some of Lacroix's memories." He looked at Nat finally, but found neither condemnation nor support. "Just remember that I warned you." With measured steps, he crossed to the 'wine cellar' and pulled out three green bottles, uncorked them, then drank the contents of each one. The pleasure of the experience was written in every feature of his face. This was human blood. Nat forced herself to stay silent as she watched Nick down the last of it, breaking his own self-imposed rule. They had tried to take one step forward, and now, it appeared, Nick was taking two steps back. She wanted to cry. Swiftly, he grasped the stake firmly in both hands, one foot on Lacroix's right shoulder, and pulled it from his chest, the act accompanied by Lacroix's screams and the sound of tearing flesh. Nick quickly bit into his own wrist and held it over Lacroix's open mouth. As the first few drops fell, Lacroix's cries of pain quickly turned to gasps of pleasure. Nick knelt down now, and held his arm closer so that Lacroix could pull it towards him. For her own part, Natalie found that the scientist in her marveled at the 'renewal' of the life before her, while the mortal grew embarrassed as she watched the two vampires share what appeared to be a mutually enjoyable experience, feeling she was somehow intruding on an intimate moment not intended for public consumption. A moment later, and Nick had wisely retrieved his arm, then moved quickly so that he now sat behind Lacroix and was able to place an arm around his shoulders and help him to a sitting position. "Nicholas," he said wearily. "Help me upstairs." Nick complied and, as they turned towards the stairway, saw Natalie retreating to the floor above. Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (12/?) Date: Sat, Feb 22, 1997 10:26 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Alright. I hope I haven't lost all of my faithful readers! This bit has been begging to be written all week, but work and housepainting have gotten in the way. Here's more for all of you who have 'hung in there'! Usual disclaimers apply. Yet Another Night in Question (12/?) Copyright 1997 Despite Nick's persistence, Lacroix steadfastly refused to be carried up the stairs but gladly accepted Nick's arm about him for support. By the time they had reached the kitchen, Natalie had somehow managed to cover the windows with the now rodless curtains - enough, at least, to block out most of the sunlight. She had also apparently located some bath towels and was in the process of dampening one of them at the kitchen sink as Nick and Lacroix passed behind her, then went to stand behind Nick as he helped Lacroix settle gratefully in one of the living room's large wing chairs. Silently, she handed the towel to Nick who used it to clean the half-dried blood on Lacroix's hands and face, then his own. In Lacroix's case, it made only minor improvements to his appearance as the front of his shirt was blood-soaked and ripped apart by the stake that had once resided in the centre of his chest, courtesy of his son. Lacroix closed his eyes as if in sleep while Nick motioned to Natalie to follow him back to the kitchen. They sat at the rarely-used table which was placed near a heavily-curtained, bay window. "I think everything will be alright now," he said to Natalie as he cast a glance in Lacroix's direction, then turned back to face her. "Do you think he's starting to regain his memory?" "I think my blood carried may have enough memories to at least allow his mind to begin the process. As for the rest..." Nick's voice trailed off. "It would probably be better if you left now," he said, suddenly changing the subject. "Excuse me?" Natalie asked, somewhat irked. "I'm not going to go off and leave you again, not until I'm convinced you're not in any danger." Nick smiled, knowing she was only concerned for his welfare. Still, he knew that Lacroix did not like to be caught in a weakened condition by anyone - he would find it humiliating, especially so if it were in front of a mortal. And there were other...things - things he had read in Lacroix's blood which indicated that Natalie's presence would be an added burden to his recovery. He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. "Nat, you have to trust me on this one. Lacroix's weak, and besides," he said, grinning, "you need your beauty sleep." "You don't play fair, Nicholas Knight," she told him as she rose from the table and went to gather the few things she had dropped by the front door in her haste to find the two vampires. Looking back into the living room for one last, quick look, she spoke to Lacroix. "I had fun," she said in earnest, referring to their earlier outing. A raised eyebrow was his only reply. Comments, virtual home improvement loans and constructive criticism always welcomed by KnightGal@aol.com! Subj: Yet Another Night in Question (13/13) Date: Sun, Mar 2, 1997 6:43 PM EDT From: KnightGal@AOL.COM X-From: KnightGal@AOL.COM (Cousin Jules) Sender: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: KnightGal@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Hi, everybody...Well, it took much too long for me to get this last bit too you. RL - which has included a possible job layoff - had me rather preoccupied this week and, in the interest of fairness to you, the audience, I thought it only right to try and tie things up. I don't know when I'll next have another opportunity to work on anything!! Thanks for all the encouragement and praise you've continued to send me. Hope I can 'repay' you with something a little more involved next time! BTW...Permission granted for this and any other stories I've written to be archived at Mel's fiction site and the ftp site. Later!! :) Comments, chocolate and our favourite Uncle, please (Annie! Bons! This *includes* excerpts from the Nunkies Fantasy Manual; and, June, this includes airline tickets to TO - no coach seats, please!), to KnightGal@aol.com Yet Another Night in Question (13/13) Copyright 1997 The following evening, Natalie arrived at the morgue, only to find Nick waiting for her. "You haven't been raiding the refrigerator again, have you?" she asked with mock severity. Nick grinned, then raised his right hand in Boy Scout fashion. "I promise I've been good," he replied with equally fake seriousness as he approached Nat's desk. She had deposited on it a number of what looked to be dry, scientific books. "A little 'light reading'?" "Anything *but*," Nat responded. "Actually, I wanted to get back to my favourite research project - in other words, *you*, Nicholas Knight - during my lunch hour. I've gotten a bit behind, what with all the strange goings-on of the last few days." She looked up from her desk only to find Nick was apparently 'drifting.' "Nick?" she asked as she laid a hand upon his arm. "I'm still here, Nat," he answered. "Just thinking about Lacroix." "Oh," Natalie said, "and how is he this evening?" "Fine," Nick replied without hesitation. "Maybe a little subdued..." "Subdued?? Well, on second thought, that's not really strange, considering what he's been through. Hasn't quite been his usual self, has he?" "That's certainly an understatement. Just think: a kinder, gentler Lacroix." Nick smiled at the memory. Natalie moved around her desk to stand beside Nick. "Um, Nick?" "Yeah?" "Does he remember any of what he's done since the shooting?" "Oh, *yes*," Nick told her, a wicked gleam in his eye. "What's that supposed to mean?" "You mean you don't know?" he asked, appearing as though he were trying to stifle a laugh. "If I knew, would I be asking? Come on! Out with it!!" Natalie demanded as she punched him playfully on the arm. "He is *so* scared." "Why?" The last thing Natalie could conceive of was a frightened, 2000 year old, master vampire. "Do you realise what a ribbing he's going to take if the Community ever gets wind of the fact that Lacroix was doing the Time Warp? And in public?? With a *mortal*, no less???" At this last, Nick burst into gales of laughter and clutched at his abdomen. "Oh! It hurts!! It hurts!!" He looked over at Natalie who didn't seem to be quite so amused. "So what's wrong with doing the Time Warp in public?" Natalie asked. "After all, the choice of movie was *mine*." Realising the mistake he had just made, Nick desperately tried to back-pedal. "Well, Nat, um, nothing...Nothing at all." "And, so, *you'd* love to do it as well, I take it?" Once again, Nick found himself in an unenviable position. "I didn't exactly say that, Nat..." "I see. So you're trying to tell me Lacroix is a lot more fun to be with than you, eh?" At that point, Nick knew this was turning into one of those days where anything he said could - and probably would - be used against him; therefore, he chose the course of least resistance. "I'm sorry," he said, turning on the innocent, boyish charm. "I didn't mean to be unkind. Actually," he continued as he took her hand in his own, "I think that if Lacroix could bring himself to see you again, he'd tell you he had a good time." "Get outta town!" Natalie exclaimed. "No, it's true," Nick told her. "So why doesn't he? I mean, apart from the fact that I'm a weak mortal, unworthy of his notice?" Nick looked away, a pensive mood overcoming him once again. "He'll never admit it to me, but, in so many words, his blood told me that he had enjoyed being rid of his 'memories.' When he began to recover, the weight of two millenia worth of suffering was dropped on his shoulders." "I suppose it's one thing to accumulate all that over 2000 years," Nat added. "It's another to have it, almost literally, thrown in your face all at once, even for someone like Lacroix." Nick nodded his head in silent understanding. "Oh," he said as he reached into his pocket, "I almost forgot. Lacroix told me I should give this to you." He handed Natalie a small card which read, 'Glow-in-the-Dark Creatures of the Deep - Sea Anemone - The Sea Anemone looks like a plant, but is really an animal with no brain or bones.' At the bottom of the card stood the Cracker Jack logo. "You a collector?" he queried with a broad grin. She smiled in response. "No, but my niece is. Lacroix told me he'd consider sacrificing it for a 'price' after the movie." "A price?" asked a worried Nick. "Yes," she answered. "We never got to that part, though. I don't know what he had in mind." Natalie looked at Nick who continued to appear somewhat apprehensive. "I'm sure it was something innocuous, Nick. After all, he still appeared 'mortal' at that point. Now," she said as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "you have to tell me, seriously: Do you really think Lacroix enjoyed being, for lack of a better word, 'mortal'?" "Seriously? All I know," he began as he wrapped his arms about her waist and looked at her thoughtfully, "is that, for the first time in a long time, in spite of the difficulties he was facing, he was happy. And now," Nick added, giving Natalie a quick kiss on the lips, "have I ever told you about the fact that the de Brabant Foundation owns some Cracker Jack stock???"