From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMWed Dec 25 17:24:57 1996 Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 00:28:07 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: Christmas Knight (06/14) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #5 Episode Title: "Christmas Knight" "Air" Date: December 23, 1996 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 6 of 14 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Beth A. Washington -------------------------- CHRISTMAS KNIGHT "Earth to Nick, come in, Nick," came words from what seemed to be a far away place. Nick refocused on the group of people in front of him, Adam waiting for a response, Westwood looking curious, and Natalie looking at him in a knowing way. "What?" came Nick's feeble response. "I said, what part of your family is from France?" Adam repeated. His eyes met Natalie's. She appeared to be interested in his answer as well. He glanced at Westwood who looked as if he was going to fall over Natalie. Frustrated, he looked at Adam and hesitated. "Um...", he began, "My mother's family is from France. My uncle had a place there too...once." Uncomfortable with Adam's curiosity, Nick changed the subject. "Of the seven deadly sins, we have seen the killer use Envy and Idleness. That leaves Avarice, Gluttony, Lechery, Pride, and Wrath," Nick explained to his colleagues. "A potential for five more victims." "Actually, if this guy is a real copycat killer, he would consider himself Wrath. The murderer from this case..." Westwood indicated the paperwork spread across the two desks, "first killed all of his victims, then after he killed his last victim, he put a gun to his own head and shot himself. He believed himself to be the hand of God." "Look here!" Adam said, excited, pointing at some text on a sheet of paper in his hand. "Your guy left notes too. Do you have the notes so we can take a look at them and compare?" "Um...Yeah..." Westwood dug through the files, and found a set of 8x10 photographs and handed them to Adam. Adam accepted the photos with a questioning look. "He wrote his notes in blood on whatever flat surface was available," the psychologist explained. "He believed that God's work could only be explained in blood." Adam glanced at the pictures, a look of disgust on his face. Besides seeing a note written in blood on a wall, on a table, on the floor, dripping, he saw that the pictures also contained the victims, dead and mutilated, reminding him of what he had seen the previous night in John Meyer's apartment. "Let me see." Natalie held out her hand and Adam handed her the pictures. After flipping through them, she let out a heavy sigh. "This guy looks worse than the guy we're chasing. At least he writes his notes on paper. And he only kills his victims, though in somewhat creative ways, but he doesn't mutilate the bodies." Westwood added, "He attacked the part of the body he felt most contributed to the sin committed by each victim, similar to how our guy is killing his sinners...Only he was a little more...um....enthusiastic than our guy." "You can say that again," Adam agreed, disgust still coloring his expression. "Five," said Nick, who apparently had not heard anything Adam, Natalie, or Thomas had just said. "There will still be five victims." An absent stare on his face. Westwood inquired, "Detective? Not true, if he considers himself Wrath." "Especially if he considers himself Wrath!" Nick shouted. Adam could tell Nick was angry, but not over the case. He was angry over Westwood's attention to Natalie. Nick wasn't concentrating on the case. All he did was stare at how close one doctor got to the other. Natalie was all but ignoring him as well. There was no doubt in Adam's mind that Nick did not like the forensic psychologist hovering over Natalie. Seeing the looks on the other three, Nick stopped shouting and lowered his voice slightly. "Whether he kills another person, or kills himself, someone still dies. There is still a victim." He stopped. He sounded as if he was preaching. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed before Natalie, changing the subject, asked Adam, "Did you guys get a chance to talk to Nancy Meyers last night?" Adam's eyes shifted from Nick to Natalie as he answered, "Yeah. We found her at the diner. She was pretty broken up over it. We had a hard time getting her to tell us anything." "Understandable, I guess," Nat responded. "But if the guy was as bad as our killer suggested in his note, then why would she be so upset? You would almost think she would be glad to be free of him." Nick shot Natalie a look, then quickly looked away. Placing his hand on Nat's shoulder, Westwood said thoughtfully, "Maybe she loved him. Maybe there was something special between them that the killer didn't see." "Maybe," she agreed, then turning to Adam again, "Were you able to get anything useful?" Adam shook his head. "Nick and I gave up and had a uniform drive her to a hotel and set her up for a while. We asked her to come by the precinct once she was feeling like she could talk." The group fell silent for a few moments, each either reading a sheet or flipping through a folder. It was hard for anyone not to notice that Nick was not himself, that he was not contributing to the conversation, and that something was obviously wrong. No one broached the subject with him, though. The captain's door flew open, banging against the wall and rattling the windows as Reese came flying out of his office. His brow was furrowed and his steps were quick as he approached the small group studying a pile of paper. "Time to move, folks!" he announced. "There's been another murder. It's in that same neighborhood as the last one. It's in the alley next to a little store called Max's Corner Drugs." All four shot him a questioning look. "There was a note. Probably the same guy." Adam and Nick jumped up from their chairs and grabbed their coats. "I'll drive," Nick announced, apparently over whatever it was that bothering him. Adam moved in beside his partner, getting ready to walk out the door. Westwood grabbed his hat and coat, then jingling his keys, he said, "Thanks Nick, but I want to drive separately. I need to make a quick stop afterwards." "Can I keep you company?" Nat asked her fellow doctor. She glanced at Nick and he was just looking away, hurt etched ever so slightly into his features, in his movements, in his very presence. Natalie looked hard at Nick for a moment. Adam observed the exchange, but did not understand what it meant. He did not see his partner's inner torment. "Sure!" came the psychologist's response, a smile lighting up his expression. He glanced at Knight, who looked displeased. Adam knew that there was something between Knight and Natalie, but was never really sure of what exactly. He thought it was just a friendship, a little on the rocks at the moment, but just a simple friendship. However, after seeing Nick's reaction to Westwood's ever so subtle advances towards the pathologist, he realized that there was, or at least had been, something more. "Good. Just let me grab my coat and bag," Natalie scooted off to another room to grab her things. Nick stormed silently out of the precinct, with Adam almost running to keep up. **** The Caddie drove up, the red police light flashing on the dashboard. The street was already packed with police cars, an ambulance, and many onlookers. The two detectives stepped out of the car just as Westwood drove up with Natalie. Nick approached the officer who appeared to be in control of the situation. "Detective Knight. Metro Homicide." Nick flashed his badge. "What's the situation?" "Evenin', Detective," the officer responded, turning to face Nick. "A woman was shot and killed after leaving the drug store." "Anyone see it happen?" asked Adam, then added, "Detective Sakai. His partner." He pointed to Nick with his thumb. That still sounded funny to Nick. His partner. The officer nodded to Adam, then answered his question, "No one officially saw anything," the officer winked, "but the clerk in the store says he heard a gun go off and rushed out to check. I assume you'll be wantin' to talk with the man. He's right over here." The officer turned to lead the two detectives over to the murder scene, not waiting to see if they were actually following him. "Did he mention the note?" Westwood asked, catching up with Nick and Adam. "No, someone else must have it," said Nick, without turning to look at the psychologist at all. All three moved to follow the officer. "This is Max," the officer said by way of introducing the store clerk. "He's the owner of..." "Max's Corner Drugs," Nick interrupted. Adam rolled his eyes. "I'm Detective Knight, and this is Detective Sakai and Dr. Westwood," Nick continued, indicating each as he introduced them. "What can you tell us about what happened here?" The clerk wiped his hands on his apron. "Her name was Emily Shaff," he began. "Her and her family live in the neighborhood, just through the alley here. She comes here a lot to get her prescription filled, and to pick up a few goodies." "Prescription?" asked Westwood. Shifting his glance to look at the psychologist, the clerk answered, "Synthroid." Nick and Adam look questioningly to the doctor for an explanation. "It's for people who have a hypo-active thyroid. It puts back into the system what the slow thyroid should be putting there. It's a type of hormone treatment," Westwood explained. "That's right," chimed in the clerk, "but I don't think she took them." Putting a hand up to his mouth as if he was going to whisper some gossip, he added, "She's a big woman. I mean huge. And the Twinkies she buys. Heh! They don't help." With a look indicating that he disapproved of the man's 'gossip', Adam changed the subject, "What can you tell us about how she was killed?" Again glancing at all three gentlemen, he responded, "She came in, gathered her usual items, talked a bit about what she was going to do for her boys this Christmas. She paid for everything, said good-bye, and left. Not 2 minutes later I heard a gun. I ran out to see, and when I turned into the alley, I saw her lying there, blood everywhere." He stopped for a second. "And a man in a long, dark overcoat. I saw a man running around the corner in the back of the alley. That was when I ran back in to the store and called you guys." Nick turned his attention to the alley as the clerk gestured towards it, and listened. Having seen a flicker of movement deep in the corner, he concentrated his vampire hearing on that area. A heartbeat, just beyond the crowd milling around the body. Turning back to Adam and the clerk, he suggested to his partner, "Stay here and finish up. I'm going to check out the alley." Adam grumbled as Nick walked off, then returned to questioning the clerk. Westwood moved to follow Nick. Nick turned briefly and gave the psychologist a menacing look. Westwood thought better of following him, and changed direction, heading over to check out the body where Natalie was working. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMWed Dec 25 17:25:08 1996 Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 17:17:19 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: lilred@tiac.net Subject: V4S: Christmas Knight (07/14) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #5 Episode Title: "Christmas Knight" "Air" Date: December 23, 1996 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 7 of 14 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Beth A. Washington -------------------------- CHRISTMAS KNIGHT Nick walked slowly into the alley, past the body, past the crowd, into the darkness where the flashing police lights could barely reach. As he filtered out all of the other heartbeats in the area, he concentrated on the one he sensed further in the alley. It grew stronger in his ears, leading him to its owner's hiding place. It was coming from behind a large pile of garbage in the corner, where the alley turned to the right. Nick's sight turned to red, blurring the garbage and filth littered about the wet street of the alley. He concentrated his sight on the pile of garbage. He saw the warm figure that belonged to the heartbeat that was still throbbing in his ears. He moved closer, slowly, and when he was only a few feet from the pile, the figure moved. A man in a long dark overcoat ran from behind the garbage and down the alley, away from the detective. **** From a window high up in one of the surrounding buildings, a pair of eyes watched as the man with the policeman stalked another man in the alley. Through the window, the stranger watched both men go around the bend in the alley, into the darkness and away from the police lights. It was then that the watcher's eyes opened wide with disbelief. He saw the darkly clad police detective lift off the ground, and fly quickly over the fleeing man, landing in front of him. The running man ran straight into the officer, jumped back, stunned, then tried to maneuver around. He continued to watch as the officer grabbed the man's shoulders and physically lifted him up, off the ground. The captured man had to look down to see his captor's face. He imagined the fear that must have dominated the man's expression as he saw golden eyes staring up at him and fangs decorating the smile on his pursuer's face. The watcher in the window withdrew, having seen the vampire and not wanting to be seen himself. He hesitated to contemplate what he had seen: the flying man with the golden eyes and toothy grin. "What kind of demon is this?" he thought. "A vampire." His eyes shifted quickly right and left as if searching the room around him for answers. "The library. I must go to the library and study this," he thought, then smiled slowly, and withdrew further into the building. **** "Don't kill me! Put me down! I didn't do nothin'! Please don't kill me," the man dangling from the vampire's hands sputtered and begged, his whole body trembling with terror. "Oh Lord, please don't kill me!" The vampire gone, Nick put the man down on the ground and let one of his hands fall to his side. Nick took a closer look at him, and aside from the coat, he looked as if he hadn't had a fresh set of clothes in over six months. His clothes were tattered and dirty, and he smelled horribly. He weighed almost nothing in Nick's grip, telling the detective that this man also hadn't eaten much in the last six months. The man's heartbeat resonated in the vampire's head as he stared into the man's very soul through his gaping wide pupils. "Relax. There is nothing to be afraid of. I only want to ask you a few questions, and you will answer them truthfully. You will also not remember me looking any differently than I do now, or doing anything out of the ordinary. Do you understand?" came Nick's mesmerizing words. "Yeah. Understand," the man droned. Nick released him. He shook his head, then look startled to see Nick standing in front of him. He was visibly calmer than before, but he wondered to himself why he was still standing there. "First. What is your name?" "Um...Drake. Lyndon Drake," the man replied with a puzzled expression. "Did you see who killed the woman in the alley?" Nick asked. "I heard a gun. Blamo! I didn't see no one though. Only heard da gun," answered the man. He continued to babble, as if he hadn't talked to anyone in weeks. "She come through here a lot. Goes shoppin', she does, at Max's. Buys treats for her boys, she does. Nice woman, too. Gave me some money once, and I know she don't have mucha dat. Gonna miss her, I reckon. Poor boys without der momma. Whose gonna buy dem da treats?" Nick smiled a little, and answered, "I'm sure someone will take care of them." Then taking advantage of the pause in the man's speech, Nick asked a question, "Where did you get the coat?" The man grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled them tightly closed. "A man. He left it. I's freezin sittin' over dere, so I took it. He did trow it away. I didn't steal nothin', I didn't." One of his hands creeped into his pocket, checking to see if something was still there. "Did you see his face?" hope creeping into the detective's voice. "No...not really," the man started, "Too dark. Da light was behind him." He looked around, and pointed to a light behind Nick's head, "Dat light. Too dark t'see his face." Frustrated, Nick looked to the light, then turned back to the poor, destitute, old man, for that was how he thought of him now. This man was no killer, but he wore the killer's coat. He was certain of that. He could smell the blood that had splashed onto the dark green fabric. Fresh blood. "Lyndon, would you be willing to make a deal with me?" Nick ventured with a friendly smile. The man eyed him warily. "Depends." "Would you be willing to trade me the coat you are wearing in exchange for $100..." and after realizing that the man would be cold again without the coat, added, "...and you can have my coat as well?" The man eyed Nick's coat, admiring the black sleekness. Then trying to put on the air of a shrewd business man, he asked, "I got money in da pocket...I get t'keep it." It was more of a statement than a question. "Of course," replied Nick. "Is it a deal?" Looking pleased, the man nodded. After seeing the detective remove his coat and pull out five twenty dollar bills, he hurriedly removed the money from the pocket of his coat and took it off. The trade was made, and as the man was warming up again inside his new coat, Nick ventured one more question. "Are you sure there wasn't anything else you can remember about the man who threw away the coat?" The man stopped and considered what he did remember. "Dark hair. Yeah. He had dark hair. Dat much I saw...and he was shorter dan you. A little bit. That's all. He'as in an awful hurry. I didn't get t'see much." He shook his head as if disappointed. "My eyes ain't what dey used t'be." "Thanks for your help," Nick said. "Get yourself a good hot meal." Nick knew he should have pulled the man in for questioning, but he couldn't force himself to make the man's life any more miserable than it already was. It was Christmas time after all. If he really needed to, he could find him again. The man waved, and walked away down the alley out to the end opposite from the crime scene and disappeared around the corner. **** Nick made his way back towards the direction from which he had come with a small feeling of accomplishment. He found Natalie just finishing up with the body, Westwood discussing something with Adam, and the EMTs bringing a stretcher to take the body away. Nick stopped next to the body to see what had happened, and Natalie looked up from her clipboard. She noticed his was coat was missing and that there was a strange one in his hands, but she didn't say anything. She saw him looking at the corpse and explained. "She was shot through the mouth at point blank range. The bullet, probably a .38, exited the back of her head, at the base..." indicating on her own head with her hand. "I would say she died instantly, like the other two." "The note?" Nick inquired. "Ah, yeah," she looked around. "Adam and Thomas are looking at it now." Nick started to turn to walk over to the other two, then looking down, he turned back to Natalie. "Is this going to be the extent of our conversations from now on?" he asked. "What do you mean?" the ME answered with a question, then seeing the look on Nick's face, she looked away with frustration, then back again. "What do you want from me, Nick?" She almost sounded like she was growling. Nick started to answer the question, but Nat cut him off. "This isn't the time or place to discuss this. We are in the middle of a murder investigation, and we both have work to do." With that, she turned away, and started walking towards Westwood. "Nat, wait!" Nick yelled after her. She stopped, but didn't turn around. Nick caught up to her, walked in front of her and handed her the overcoat. She looked at him questioningly as she took it. "I believe this was the killer's coat. It has blood on it. I thought maybe you might be able to..." Nick started. "I might be able to find something to help you find the murderer," she finished for Nick, with a slightly amazed look on her face. "I'll work on it and get a report to you as soon as I know anything," she said, as she resumed walking towards Westwood. "So that is how it is going to be," Nick mumbled to himself. "Conferences over dead bodies. Reports sent and signed. Nothing more than polite professionalism between an ME and a homicide detective." Nick followed a few feet behind, hurt frustration warring for control with the tempered steel of the detective within. The detective won, for the moment, but he had to wonder for how long. Nat tapped Westwood on the shoulder. "You about ready to go? I need to get the lab ready for an autopsy." "Sure," answered Westwood, turning to look at her. Then turning back to Adam, "I'll talk to you and Detective Knight later." Adam nodded, and he and Natalie left. Noticing Nick walking over, Adam met him half way and held out a plastic bag with a small sheet of paper in it for Nick. "The note?" asked Nick. Adam nodded. "Gluttony?" "Yeah. How did you know?" A curious expression covered Adam's face. "She was shot in the mouth," Nick explained. Adam nodded grievously. Nick took the note from him and he stood silently while his partner read it out loud. "Gluttony This woman was guilty of this one of the seven deadly sins. She ate away the family income and stole food from the mouths of her own children. This is the third of seven that will die. My gift to God this holiday season. Praise be to God." "Interesting." Nick said, shaking his head. Understanding Nick's comment, Adam added, "It seems we have a case of mistaken identity, or should I say, sin." Nick looked up at Adam, anger and sadness in his expression. "This woman had a medical problem that made her that way!" Nick yelled, then hastily apologized for his outburst. "It seems..." started Adam, agreeing with his partner's thoughts, "...that our killer is not doing any research, nothing, before picking each of his victims." Nick's eyes snapped to Adam's as an idea clearly dawned in his head. He pulled the keys to the Caddie out his pocket and tossed them to Adam. "Here, catch." Adam caught the keys in a maneuver that looked something like self defense. He looked up at his partner, confusion on his face as he asked, "What's this for?" "I'm going to go for a walk in the neighborhood," came Nick's distant answer. "In this neighborhood? Alone? What are you nuts?" exclaimed Sakai, eye's glancing nervously around the dreary, rundown streets and buildings. "I want to look around. It's just a feeling I have," answered Nick, who seemed to be looking into the very heart and soul of the alley. "I'll be fine," he added. "Then maybe I should come with you...help you look--" suggested Adam. "No," Nick cut him off. Then softening his tone, he continued, "I'm sure it's nothing and we don't need both of us chasing down nothing. I'll walk home after. Just pick me up tomorrow evening for work." Disappointment, mingled with a touch of anger and frustration, shadowed Adam's features as he watched his partner walk away from him, down the alley. "Partner," he grumbled to himself, "What a joke." (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMWed Dec 25 17:25:16 1996 Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 00:28:21 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: Christmas Knight (08/14) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #5 Episode Title: "Christmas Knight" "Air" Date: December 23, 1996 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 8 of 14 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Beth A. Washington -------------------------- CHRISTMAS KNIGHT Nick walked down the alley and around the corner. Once out of sight of his partner and the remaining police personnel, he took to the night sky, welcoming the stars above and the lights below. The snow-covered ground was bright with the reflected light of the moon, as well as the street lights and holiday lights of the city below him. He could hear the distant strains of holiday music, the bell of a corner Santa, the joyful giggles of expectant children, the general hustle and bustle generated by the activities during the holiday season. He lingered in the air for a while, for his destination wasn't far away, giving himself a chance to admire the picturesque beauty below him, and time to think and clear his head. He missed Christmas. Thoughts of his childhood filled him with the desire to return to those days, when his only responsibility was do what he was told. The way of life may have been tougher, but the quality of his life was simpler and better. He thought of how his life was currently, the man he had become, the vampire he didn't want to be. Life had become so complicated, and maybe that was because he had lived for so long. What difference did it make? Every year, Christmas was a sad reminder of everything he had lost by following the path he had chosen. What had the vampire given him that was really worth it? A cold wind pushed up from below, bringing with it the smells of pies baking, newfallen snow, and car exhaust. A gentle nudge from the wind brought his thoughts back to flying. He loved flying, being part of the night sky. If someday he were to obtain his dream, to be mortal, flying would be the one thing belonging to the dark creature inside him that he would miss. It reminded him of Nat and the work she still continued to do for him, and of where he was going. He swooped down and landed softly in front of the apartment building where John Meyers had been brutally murdered. The detective stepped up to the doorway of the small apartment and noticed the splintered wood around the door jam. He ducked down under the yellow tape criss-crossing the door and went in. The room was dark, but not too dark for him to see. He could smell the blood still staining the recliner in the middle of the room, and the remains of the whiskey that was spilled on the floor. He scanned the room quickly, checking for visitors, and found none. He noticed a picture on the floor, just inside the door. he thought to himself. He picked it up, and wandered over to a lamp and switched it on. The glass in the simple brass-plated frame was broken, but the photograph behind it was still easy to see. It was a picture of John and Nancy Meyers, arm in arm, smiling. He moved over to a small desk in the room, placing the picture on the surface, then started to shuffle through some of the papers on top. An electric bill, a rent check not yet sent, and a letter apparently meant for Nancy's mother-in-law. He had just started to read the letter, which was amazingly cheerful, he thought, when he felt a movement in the air and a familiar presence. He turned to see LaCroix standing in the middle of the living room, looking straight at Nicholas. It felt as if his master looked straight into his thoughts, and not wanting him to see anything there, he turned away. "Still busy playing detective, Nicholas?" LaCroix began, velvet tones teasing as he spoke. Nick did not answer, not that LaCroix had really expected him to. He continued, "Lovely thing, this religious vigilante. Makes you wonder, if there is a God, how he could let someone commit such crimes, soiling his 'good' name and casting a dark shadow on everything he stands for." Nick looked to his master, his father, his tormentor. "Why are you here?" he asked. "I just thought I would drop in for a visit," came the simple answer. "You never just drop in," Nick stated as a matter of fact. LaCroix just shrugged. "And why here?" Nick asked, curious of LaCroix's motives. LaCroix looked at him, almost annoyed. "Is this an interrogation?" A smile crept onto his face, "Are you going to put me in that small room with the one way mirror and grill me?" He chuckled as Nick glowered. "Or better yet, you could let your young partner do it. Now that would be exciting." Nick persisted, "Why here?" LaCroix's smile faded at his son's apparent lack of good humor that evening. "No reason, really. It was a good night for a little flying, and I saw you enjoying yourself up there. I thought I would see what you were up to." His son glared at him. LaCroix always had an agenda and never 'just' stopped by for idle chit-chat. Unfortunately, he also realized that he couldn't pressure it out of him. Nick started going through the top drawer of the desk, and pulled out a stack of papers. He started filing through them one by one, reading the top paper, then shuffling it behind the stack. He stopped, and looked to his master, a question resting on his open lips. "Yes, what is it?" LaCroix anticipated. "Do you know anything about this murder?" he asked, then added, "Or of the other one that took place in this same neighborhood earlier this evening?" LaCroix looked thoughtful, then replied, "No. Nothing." Nick could not tell if the older vampire was lying, but assumed he wasn't. LaCroix would never use a gun, or associate with anyone who needed one. "There have been three murders by a killer who claims that he will kill one person for each of the seven deadly sins." "Yes, I know," stated LaCroix as he walked over to the window, "Well, he is a creative fellow, isn't he?" he said with almost an enthusiastic tone of voice. Nick snapped, "Each victim had family, who were left behind to celebrate a shattered Christmas! In the case of the woman earlier tonight, she wasn't even guilty of the sin he accused her of!" "My, my, Nicholas," said LaCroix, looking at his son as if he did not expect this behavior from him. "Aren't we in a bad mood tonight?" Nick only turned back to the papers, and continued looking through them. Then his brows furrowed as he turned to look at LaCroix, "What did you say?" Looking a bit surprised, LaCroix answered, "I said you were in poor humor tonight and, I should add, hard of hearing. You know, Nicholas, you should really have that checked out." Nick shook his head, ignoring LaCroix's comments on his hearing, "No, before that. Before you said the killer was creative." LaCroix thought for a moment and an evil smiled crept across his face. "I said, my deaf little friend, that yes, I know about the killer's motives." "How...no..." Nick stopped, knowing his master would never reveal where he got his information. He continued instead with, "What else do you know?" His master considered the question, and answered sincerely. "I know you are planning a vacation. To France is it?" Nick looked away. He hadn't decided yet whether or not to tell LaCroix of his travel plans over the holiday. It didn't matter anymore anyway. LaCroix knew already, and if he hadn't been sure, he would certainly know simply from Nick's reaction to his question. "Were you planning on going alone? Were you planning on ever telling me? Are you planning on torturing yourself yet again during this miserable holiday?" LaCroix queried. "Would you have at least stopped by to allow me to wish you a ?" The younger vampire turned back to flipping through pages and examining the words he found there. "No matter," said LaCroix, then he chuckled as he noticed the nativity scene in the window sill. He reached down and picked up the babe from the manger, and looked it over as it lay in the palm of his hand. "It is so hard to understand the attraction, the need, the belief humanity has in a man who was born to a lowly carpenter, wandered around in sandals talking to the poor, and then betrayed by his own people, his own deciple, which ultimately led to him being nailed to a slab of wood. This does not sound like any greatly exalted Messiah to me. This does not sound to me like a man who deserves to have his name remembered and to have a holiday-- I should say several holidays--celebrated in his honor." "He was the Son of God," Nick supplied. Now it was LaCroix's turn to be angry. "There is no God, Nicholas, and if there is no God, then he could not have a son. This..." he held up the figure in his hand. "This is a drooling baby in swaddling clothes, born to parents who couldn't put him anywhere better than a manger in a stable full of disgusting farm animals. Now that's something I want to celebrate." The sarcasm dripped from LaCroix's growling tones. "Ridiculous!" Nick stopped flipping pages, having settled on what looked like some sort of application. He folded it, placed it in his pocket, then addressed LaCroix. "Well, this holiday is very important to many people, a special time to be spent with friends and family. Who are we to deny them that?" Nick said, almost defiant. "Who are we to claim that what they believe is not real?" "This is foolishness." LaCroix simply said as he flew out, having dropped the figure of the baby on the floor next to the window. Nick sighed, mostly because LaCroix was gone, but also because they had had that conversation before, many times. Every year, Nick would lament over Christmas, and every year his master would tell him what a fool he was. It was sort of a tradition now, and Nick had come to expect it. He walked over to the window and saw the figure of the baby lying on the floor. He picked it up, gently placed it back in the manger, then left himself, through the door. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMWed Dec 25 17:25:21 1996 Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 00:28:27 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: Christmas Knight (09/14) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #5 Episode Title: "Christmas Knight" "Air" Date: December 23, 1996 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 9 of 14 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Beth A. Washington -------------------------- CHRISTMAS KNIGHT The sun was rising over the city of Toronto. The snow clouds, and the flurries that went with them, had left the skies clear, the air cold, and the world around covered in a blanket of sparkling white. Nick eased into the loft, being careful to avoid the sun streaming across the floor. Before he could find the remote for the windows, grumbling to himself about not cutting it so close next time, he noticed another package on the kitchen table. This one was a foot square, about 2 inches deep, and wrapped in red paper with gold foil ribbon and a bow. He checked for a tag and found none, though he didn't really expect to find one. Forgetting his hunger, forgetting the remote to close the window shades, forgetting to check for intruders, he sat down at the table and unwrapped the present, carefully removing the paper and ribbon. It was a photo album with a simple brown, leather cover, and the name "Nicholas" embossed in gold leaf on the cover. Nick ran his fingers over the lettering as he admired the richness and smell of the leather. His fingers slipped under the cover as he cautiously opened it, revealing the first page. On the inside of the cover was his name, his real name, Nicholas de Brabant, and all of the names he had used since, ending with Nicholas Knight. The first page of the album had one photograph, a black and white five by seven of himself, taken during his recent past, or at least that's what he thought. Who would have sent him this 'gift'? Who knew enough about his past? Who had followed him through the years and kept track of all of the lives he had lived, the people he had been, the names he had used? Only two people knew his life fully, LaCroix and Janette, and what purpose would either of them have for bringing up old memories? He looked again at the first name on the inside of the cover, his true name, and he thought of his uncle. He looked over to the mantle of the fireplace, and had to squint as the sunlight reflected off of the floor, but he could still see the sword resting there. Seemingly unconcerned about the sunlight moving across the room, Nick allowed the book to capture his attention fully. He flipped to the second page, and there he saw a picture of Natalie, and just below it, on the same page, was a picture of him with Natalie, arm and arm. He remembered when that was taken. It was on his birthday, and Nat had insisted on throwing him a party. He smiled at the memory. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the picture of Tracy, filling him with sadness. The photo below it chased away that feeling. It was of himself and Tracy. They were laughing... Nick continued flip the pages. He saw Reese, Cohen, Stonetree, and he stopped. There was Schanke. Tears welled up as he saw the picture below it, the two of them receiving their 'Partners of the Month' award. Schanke was so proud of that. >>----------> Memories flooded back. He remembered Schanke moving in with him, arriving with pizza, beer, and his precious duck lamp, announcing that he was free and that he could now hang out and be one of the guys. Then there was the time in the church when Schanke confessed unknowingly to him, and in his best Irish brogue, he gave his partner his penance. He remembered Amanda Cohen sitting outside her office after the military had taken over, and the smile on her face when Nick came over and offered his support. He remembered Tracy, headstrong and unafraid. There she was, riding with him in the caddie for the first time, laying down the rules and telling Nick that even though she was the commissioner's daughter, she was her own person with her own talents, and that she could stand on her own. Then he remembered Natalie, beautiful Natalie. He remembered jokingly showing her his fangs and her throwing popcorn at him. He remembered her speech to him when he wanted to leave after Schanke's death, how she said that there were people who needed him, loved him. He remembered their first kiss and how it felt, the warmth, her open, inviting arms. <----------<< The phone rang, rousing Nick from his memories. He just looked at it, blinking. The room was very bright, and the sun was hovering just next to the phone. He let it ring, and the answering machine picked up. "Nick Knight. I'm either asleep or incommunicado, so leave a message." The machine played the recording of Nick's voice with its clever electronic efficiency. The message beep sounded, and Nick listened to the caller. "Detective Knight," came a male voice, "I saw you last night in the alley harassing a poor street person. I saw you, and I know what you are." Nick jumped up and grabbed the phone, slightly burning his hand in the sunshine that had moved to cover the phone. He shook his hand a little from the pain, then hit the button to pick up, and spoke. "Who is this?" he demanded. "So you are home," came the voice, "I thought you'd be sleeping away the daytime. Isn't that what your kind does?" The voice snickered. "I don't know what you are talking about," Nick replied. "How did you get this number?" "Oh, detective, I think you know exactly what I am talking about, and it is because you are a vampire that I am calling you," the voice reasoned. "There are no such things as vampires. They are the things of myths and legends," Nick lied, wishing the man was in the same room with him so he could whammy the sucker good. "I am not stupid!" the voice yelled, then calming just as suddenly, "Evil creatures like yourself do not know how to do anything but lie. I should know better." Not wanting to argue with this man who had seen too much, the detective in Nick turned on, and he started to think about how he could figure out who the voice belonged to. "What do you want?" "Now that's a question I can answer, 'Detective'. You are going to save me a bit of work. You will be the next one I will send to God for judgment. He will punish you for your sins." Sirens went off in Nick's head. He inquired further, "Which sin are you accusing me of?" The killer chuckled, "You are guilty of all of them, my dear demon. Every single one of them. But I only need three. You will be the stone with which I kill three birds." There was silence as the killer seemed to collect his thoughts. Nick was about to ask another question, when the voice continued, confirming what Nick had already guessed. "You are Avarice, Lechery and Pride. Avarice for your immortality, your greed for more life than God had given you. The time God gave you was not enough, you had to have more, and more, and more, never ending. Lechery for your lust for sex and blood. All through the years, seducing helpless women, taking their virtue and then their blood. And one is never enough. You crave more, you seek more, you hunger for more, all for the simple pleasure it gives you." The voice stopped. Clouds of self doubt fogged Nick's eyes as he prodded the man on the other end of the phone to continue, "And Pride?" "Ah, yes. Pride. All you demon types think you are superior to mere mortals. You are immortal and you think that makes you better. You are vain and conceited, believing that all of humanity is beneath you, nothing more than your playthings, and then your dinner when you are tired of playing." Nick listened in silence, the sun creeping across the floor, getting dangerously close to him. He didn't notice. He waited for the voice to continue, but it seemed to be waiting for Nick to speak, to say something. "I am not any of those things," he stated weakly in his own defense. "Oh, but you are," the voice said with certainty, "You can't help it. It is part of your nature, your evil nature, and it is my job to cleanse the Earth of your evil presence. Have a good day, Detective Knight." The phone clicked as the killer hung up. The answering machine also beeped, indicating that it had recorded the whole thing. Nick just stood there, the phone held loosely in his hand, a stunned look on his face. He absently placed the phone on the table, where it toppled into the sunshine that had reached there. Confusion, doubt, and shock all danced in his expression as he walked dazedly over to the refrigerator. Like an automated robot following an established pattern of actions, he grabbed one of the green bottles within, uncorked it and took a sip of the liquid within. He didn't even see the white canister on the counter that would remind him of the protien shakes he had promised to drink. How did this guy know so much about him? How did he know exactly which buttons to push? Nick had taken great care to keep his life as a vampire a secret, and being a police officer, even most of his other personal information was kept confidential. So how could this perfect stranger just come from out of nowhere and figure it all out? Was he a hunter? How much did he see? It just didn't make any sense. He slowly moved back to the table, the sunshine half covering it. Sitting down in the first chair he came to, he reached out and pulled the photo album closer. Without really knowing what he was doing, he turned the pages of the album, and the pictures changed from mortals, to immortals: Vachon, Urs, Screed, Serena, Alexandra, Erica, Janette, and LaCroix. Noticing LaCroix's picture, his expression stoic and self assured, Nick frowned. Who knew enough about him to collect all of these pictures? He took another swig from the bottle, and his frown deepened as he looked at the bottle and realized what he was doing. He got up from the table, walked through the sunshine to the stairs going up to his bedroom, not seeming to care about the pain it caused him. As he walked up the stairs, out of the sunshine to his bed, glass tinkled to rest, the blood dripping down the elevator door where the bottle had shattered after he had flung it in anger. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMWed Dec 25 17:25:26 1996 Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 00:28:33 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: Christmas Knight (10/14) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #5 Episode Title: "Christmas Knight" "Air" Date: December 23, 1996 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 10 of 14 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Beth A. Washington -------------------------- CHRISTMAS KNIGHT Looking tired and grouchy, Nick entered the precinct and headed straight for his desk. He could hear Adam's voice coming from Reese's office. The two of them were talking about the case. He looked at the lonely poinsettia on his desk, thinking how especially odd it was for a Christmas decoration to be on his desk, a vampire's desk. His expression turned dark at the thought as he turned to join Adam and Reese in the captain's office. Upon entering the small office, Nick heard his partner and captain brainstorming over who the next victim would be. They both looked up when Nick entered, and greeted him. "Evenin', Nick," Adam smiled to his partner. "Nick," Reese said with a nod to Nick. Without returning the greetings, without smiling, without much emotion at all, Nick announced, "You can stop trying to figure out who's next. I know who's next." Both Reese and Adam looked at Nick, eyes wide with disbelief, questions on their lips itching to be asked, but they waited patiently for Nick to continue. Westwood was wandering by, and popped his head inside the office door. "Did I hear that someone knows who the next person is?" asked an overly enthusiastic psychologist. Nick briefly turned to see who was entering, then turn back to his captain and answered Westwood's question. "Yes, you heard right." He hesitated before continuing. All eyes were on him. "Me." "What the..." came Reese's response, disbelief filling his entire person. Adam asked for a confirmation. "What did you...I can't believe it. You?" Nick nodded yes in response. Seeing Nick's head confirming his original statement, Reese inquired, "How did you hear this? I mean, are you sure? This can't be true." Looking at his captain, Nick simply answered, "It is true. He called me." "The killer?" Westwood inquired. "No, the Pope!" retorted Adam angrily. "He got a handwritten note personally from God about this case! Who do you think? Of course the killer," he finished with a sigh of disgust. Reese threw a disapproving glance at Adam. He asked Nick, "How'd this lunatic get your number. Your name? Hell, who knows how a crazy man gets any of his information?" "He may be someone with some sort of security clearance giving him access to restricted information," Adam offered. "He could also be one of those computer hackers that likes to find ways of breaking in high security operations." Reese nodded in agreement. Westwood edged his way further into the office and tried to get more information. "Knight, what sin did he pin on you?" Sadness filled Nick's eyes and strength alone held back the tears. "He pinned three on me. He said I was guilty of all 7, but he only needed three more. He said could kill three birds with one stone by sending me to stand in judgment before God." "Avarice, Lechery, and Pride," Thomas listed three of the four sins left. Nick looked at him surprised. "How did you know which three?" Then his expression changed as it all made sense based on what they had discussed the previous evening. "If the killer is Wrath, like the other case, all that is left are those three." "Makes sense," replied Reese, nodding his head in agreement. Adam lost the suspicious air, and looked at Reese, then to his partner, whose head hung low, almost as if he believed what the killer had pinned on him. "The hard part is figuring out if this guy really is a copy cat, and is he copying the Vancouver murders. We have already seen some differences. Sure the crimes were done in the same order, and the killer left notes explaining each sin..." Westwood stopped to think, "and each murderer attacked the part of the body he thought caused the sin..." "Our guy doesn't mutilate the bodies or leave notes written in blood..." Adam contributed. "The Vancouver guy also made sure each person was guilty of the particular sin he assigned to each one," Westwood explained as Adam nodded his head knowingly. "The murders took place over a long period of time, planned very carefully so that we would not catch him until he was done..." continued Westwood. "Until he was dead." Nick filled in the final detail. Westwood looked at Nick, and seemed to notice the strain in the detective's face. Nick assumed Westwood knew that the attention he was paying to Natalie was bothering him. Nick also knew he was a picture of pain and anguish, painting an all too clear picture for the observant psychologist. Jealousy and depression mixed together in the detective's expression as if the emotions were paints on an artist's pallette. While apparently studying Nick's state of mind, Westwood appeared to be remembering something the detective had said earlier, possibly his comment on the number of victims left. When he finally spoke, he seemed to be sincere. "Yes. He didn't want us to find him until he was dead." Then turning to Sakai and Reese, the doctor added, "He was successful. That doesn't mean we have to let this guy do the same." Sakai and Reese nodded in agreement. "What is his justification for saying you are guilty of these sins?" asked Sakai. Reese interrupted, "Crazies like this don't need justification. They have some warped idea of right and wrong, and even if it could be explained, it wouldn't make any sense to anyone with a sane bone in their body. Our problem is figuring out where this guy gets his ideas, and how it all fits together." Then turning to Nick, "This guy is a lunatic, Nick. He has no clue about you. You are one of the best detectives I have ever met, and you have more integrity, and are more respectable, than most of the people I know. Maybe that's not saying much, but it sure means something to me. Now we know this guy is a certified nutcase, and I want to see him put behind bars before he does any more stupid things. The press is having a field day on this one and our man of the hour is probably eating that up too. And another thing..." Reese stopped. The other three were all looking at him, so before they could comment on his tirade, he started to give directions on what to do next. "All right, Adam, you get some backup and stake out Knight's place. Westwood, you get on the horn with the mental hospital and tell them to get a bed ready. While you're at it, ask them if anyone fitting the profile as been released or escaped recently. I'll contact Dr. Lambert and see if she has any new evidence that can help us nail the lid on this guy's coffin. And Nick, I would suggest that you stay here in the precinct, in protective custody. You can check to see who would access to restricted information, and if anyone has broken into any systems lately." Nick jumped to life and was about to speak when the captain cut him off, "I know what you're going to say, but I need someone here, to coordinate the effort, and I would rather you stay here where we can keep a safe eye on you." "Captain!" Nick blurted before the captain could say any more. "You can't do this to me. I've been working on this case, and there's a real chance of finally catching this guy." "Sorry, Nick, but I am not going to argue with you on this one. The killer has targeted you, and I'm not going to take the chance that he's going to get you. We have already lost two detectives and a captain this year, and I'm not going to lose any more," the captain insisted. Nick's eyes met Reese's. The vampire inside stirred as he began to hear the captain's heartbeat. How easy it would be to tell his captain to change his mind. He'd done it before, he could do it again. He had effortlessly controlled the minds of so many, without ever thinking about what he was really doing. He did it whenever he wanted to make sure a situation went the way he wanted it to go, his first job as a policeman, making Schanke forget a vampire moment, and all of the people he let fall to his will, his power, his hunger. Memories flooded his mind, memories of killing, blood, sex, and immortality. First came the memory of his first kill, the helpless woman brought to him by LaCroix, the woman who died to satisfy his first hunger. He remembered the lure of immortality, the desire to never die, and the glittering web that Janette wove for him as she promised him life never ending. Oh Janette, beautiful Janette. How long they were together. How he loved feeling her body next to his, sharing her blood, her life force, her memories. His thoughts changed from Janette, to Francesca, to lovely Erica. He remembered finding Erica's ashes the day she sat in the sun and committed suicide, declaring that she had become a burden, and was no longer contributing to society. The feelings he had felt then filled him so strongly that he felt as if he had gone back to that time. Then there was Vachon's Urs, who considered her existence as a vampire a curse, a sort of punishment denying her what she really wanted. Well she found death in the end, at the hands of Divia, LaCroix's daughter and master. Was she truly happy now? Death surrounded him, and as Nick continued to remember, his head began to swim as death after death, every face of every person he had ever killed, or LaCroix had killed, or Janette, or... they all swam in his head. There were so many. So many people, all gone, because he was a vampire, Schanke was gone, as well as Tracy, and Natalie was left die too. It had to end. It had to stop. No more deaths... Nick snapped out of his reverie, and he could still hear the captain's heartbeat, with his mind only inches away from accepting anything the vampire would say to him. With his memories causing him to think better of it, he quashed the vampire, and argued on normally, "I'm the bait. Without me, out there, you'll never catch this guy, and I'm not going to let him change his mind and kill someone else in my place." He looked to Westwood for some support. Westwood chimed in when Reese also looked to him for his insight into the criminal mind, "It is possible. From his notes he has indicated that he has set a period of time in which he wants to complete his task. If he find's the detective here unreachable, he may change his target so that he can complete his task. He probably already has names for the remaining sins. We also know that he feels confident that he won't be caught because he has left clues. The Vancouver murders had no tangible clues. Here we have bullets, we have a sample of the man's handwriting, and we have the coat that Nick found." At the mention of the evidence, Reese asked, "Speaking of the coat, have any of you heard from Dr. Lambert?" All three shook their heads no. Then Sakai stated, "Well, one victim is better than three." Then realizing what he said, he turned to Nick, a little embarrassment flushing his cheeks as he added further, "No offense, Nick. I mean, I want you to stick around long enough for me to get to know you better." Nick gave his partner a weak smile. "No offense taken...and you are right. One is better than three in this case." Then turning back to Reese, "And I am that one, and I am willing to take the risks necessary to save the lives of the other three." With the three of them ganging up on him, and the argument making sense, Reese had to agree. Reluctantly he shook his head yes, then with a wave of his hand, he issued his orders. "Well, get going. All three of you. Make sure you think through anything you're planning to do, and fill me in when you have a plan of action." Nick jumped in, "Cap, I should really work alone on this. Adam and Dr. Westwood would be put in unnecessary dang..." "No," Reese interrupted, "I'm letting you go out on this case, and you need these two, to watch your backside, if nothing else." "But Dr. Westwood isn't even a cop," Nick started, his hand indicating the psychologist. Westwood seemed slightly offended. "Yes, but he understands this guy, and you need him to tell you what this lunatic might do next," and before Nick could complain about Adam, he added, "And Adam is your partner and your backup." "But..." Nick started. "No buts," Reese interrupted again, "Consider it an order, detective." Nick grumbled under his breath, "Yes, captain," while Sakai and Westwood looked a little triumphant. If they could have high-fived it right there without the captain coming down hard on them, they would have. The captain had given this hot shot loner an order, and made it stick. This was history being made. The three started to leave the office when Reese called out, "And Nick." The detective looked over his shoulder back at the captain. "Keep your head down," the Captain finished. "I will, Cap," was Nick's answer as the two detectives and the psychologist left the captain's office to determine what their next move was going to be. Nick walked quickly out of the office, past Adam and Westwood, and past Natalie in the bullpen, ignoring her presence completely. Natalie reached out and grabbed Adam's arm as he and Westwood started to follow after Nick. "What's with him?" she asked, indicating Nick with a glance of her eyes. Adam followed Natalie's glance, then in a serious tone, replied, "He's been targeted by seven sins guy for three sins, Pride, Lechery, and Ever... no that wasn't it, um... Avice, no..." "Avarice?" Natalie supplied, with a little amusement on her face. "Yeah, that's it," Adam grinned, then turning serious again, "At first, the captain wanted to place him protective custody, and that really made Nick mad." "I can believe that," the doctor nodded knowingly. "So what happened?" "We convinced the captain that that was a bad idea. Then Nick wanted to work alone..." Adam continued. "And let me guess, the captain ordered you and Thomas to tag along," Natalie filled in. Adam looked at her, a little surprised. "How'd you know?" "Intuition," was Nat's simple answer with a wink of her eye, she then turned and started to move in Nick's direction, as if to talk to him. She stopped, hesitated, and considered her choice of action. She decided it was better not to talk to him and add salt to already painful wounds. She turned and left the way she had come in, in the opposite direction. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com.