Part 11

                              ******************

The evening was perfect for a pleasant drive with the top down in the Caddy.
It was a great suggestion of Nick's to have the refreshing air help clear
her mind.  This was even more relaxing than a long hot bath.  How beautiful
everything looked in the evening.  All the street lights and the lights
emanating from the homes sparkled as much as the stars above them while they
drove.  The Caddy rode so smoothly that she felt as if she were floating on
air, until it came to a sudden stop.  Before them were dozens of police cars
blocking the road.  Without a word, Nick jumped out of the car, and she
decided to follow.  Walking towards one of the officers, Nick pulled out his
badge.

"What's wrong?  Can I help?"

The officer's response was subdued.

"Sorry detective, but I don't think there's anything that can be done to
save them."

"Are you sure?  May I have a look?"

"Go ahead, but it's a waste of time."

Nick began to walk beyond the blockade, and as she tried to follow him the
officer put out his hand to stop her.  Startled by his response, she stepped
back as the officer spoke to her.

"Sorry, but you really don't want to see this."

"I'm a doctor.  I could help."

"Are you sure?"

Concerned by what lay ahead, she still insisted on being granted access.

"Yes, I told you, I'm a doctor.  Please let me by so that I can assist."

"Okay, but remember, I warned you."

Giving him a confused glance, she urgently ran to find Nick.  It did not
take long, she was guided by the screams of the family stuck in the burning
car. They were on fire before her very eyes, and they were imprisoned by the
force of the accident.  As her worst fear gripped her, she turned to observe
Nick casually watching as the fire grew.  Running to his side, she shook him
to break him of his trance.  "Nick, they are still alive.  Help them get
out!"

There was no response as the smell of burning flesh reached them.

"Please Nick, you have to do something."

Sighing deeply, he turned away from her and the fire.

"If you're not going to do something, then I will."

Rushing towards the flames and the heat, she pulled at the car's doors, but
they were almost melted to the car's body.  Looking all around, she spotted
a large rock and used it to break the glass on the front door.  Flames shot
out of the new opening and allowed the fire to intensify due to the addition
of the fresh air.  Crawling through the window, she could hardly breathe.
Something about this family was familiar, and a deep memory began to
resurge. But it couldn't be, was this the same family that she had watched
perish as a child during a family vacation?  Turning towards them, she
called out.

"I can help you now, I'm a doctor!"

The screams that had surrounded her had stopped.  There was no sound, not
even the cries of the children.

Turning towards the back seat, she extended her arm.

"I can help you, give me your hand."

She reached over the seat to pull out the youngest of the children, then
gasped.  At her touch, the child crumbled into black ash.  Wrenching back
her hand in horror, she turned in time to witness the others disintegrate
before her eyes.  Turning to escape, she found the way back blocked by
flames. Coughing and gasping for breath, she moved across the front seat to
the other window.  Pounding on the glass, she screamed for Nick's help.

"NICK!  NICK!  HELP ME!  THE CAR IS GOING TO EXPLODE!"

She watched in horror as Nick calmly made his way to the car, then stood
silently by the window.

"NICK!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  HELP ME!"

Bending down to the glass, he opened his glowing eyes and showed her his
fangs as he slowly spoke to her.

"Better to die as a mortal."

Calmly turning, he walked away into the night.  Fear seized her and she
could not breathe as she tried to scream between the coughs.

"NO NICK!"

"PLEASE HELP ME!"

"NICK!"

Someone was tapping on her shoulder causing her to violently sit up feeling
very disoriented and now hyperventilating.  Placing one hand over her mouth
and the other over her very rapidly beating heart, she tried to get her
breathing to regulate.  Terror was still in her eyes as she looked up at the
young lab assistant with the folder in his hand.

"I'm sorry Dr. Lambert, but you said you wanted this report as soon as it
came in.  Are you all right?"

Taking a deep breath, she reached for the file with shaking hands.

"Yes, I'm fine.  Just a bad dream.  Thank you for bringing this to me.  You
were very prompt."

Smiling at the doctor's compliment, he turned to leave then looked back.

"Excuse me Dr. Lambert?  It's awfully dark in here.  I was wondering if you
want me to turn on the light on my way out."

"Yes, thank you.  I want to look over this report, and I don't think that
I'll be doing anymore sleeping tonight."

Rubbing her eyes, she wondered if she had slept at all.  She glanced at the
clock, yes she had slept three hours.  It must be after sundown by now.  The
horrible dream of the fire returned to her, making her feel sick.  What a
dream.  Would he really just let her die?

With her breathing almost back to normal, she again rubbed her eyes and
opened the file.  Scanning the long list, her eyes immediately fell on the
one standout.  Checking the numbers again, she stood up.

"I can't believe it!"

Grabbing at the phone, she called Nick's loft.  The answering machine picked
up, and she pleaded for him to pick up the phone.  Glancing back at the
clock again, she knew where he had to be.  His shift had started an hour
ago. Pulling on her coat, she headed out the door and towards the Precinct.

Figuring that she had broken every traffic law by making it to the Precinct
in record time, she raced in and began to search for Nick.  There was no
sign of him or Tracy.  Desperately, she demanded the desk sergeant's
attention as she nearly screamed.

"Where's Detective Knight?"

"There all at the special memorial service for the fire fighters that died."

"That's right, I forgot.  When did they leave?"

"About an hour ago."

"Thanks," her voice trailed off as she disappeared from the desk sergeant's
presence before he had a chance to respond.

End Part 11

                              ******************

Fire trucks from all over the country had lined the streets of Downtown
Toronto, as the Caddy transported him to the memorial service.  It was eerie
to see all their flashing lights join with the lightning in the early dusk
sky.  The persistent searching for a place to park the large car finally
paid off, as a car along side him pulled away.  As he began to pull in,
another driver rushed to claim the vacancy, and honked annoyingly at him.
Stopping the Caddy, he got out and approached the bothersome driver.  The
man rolled down his window to argue over the prime location, and Nick could
smell the strong odor of alcohol on his breath.  The huge man fumbled to
light a cigarette as he spoke.

"You ain't parking here chum, I'm meeting a few friends down the block for
drinks.  Find yourself another spot."

This was not the time to get into any discussions, especially with a drunk
that could hardly find which end of the cigarette to light.  Looking deeply
into the man's eyes, he easily captured each beat of his heart.  With
trance-inducing words, he soothingly introduced his suggestion.

"You're not going to be joining your friends tonight.  You're leaving your
car, and taking a long nap on the bench over there.  Oh, don't worry about
your car, the police will take good care of it."

Obediently, the man opened his car door as Nicholas moved to the side.  As
he stumbled to the bench, Nick heard him mumbling.

"No friends.  Taking long nap."

Smiling, Nick closed the car's door, and pushed it out of the parking spot
and into the street.  Getting back into his car, he then parked it and
picked up his radio.

"81 Kilo here.  Please send a tow truck to pick up a car that's blocking
traffic on Norway Ave."

"Copy 81 Kilo, will do."

Still grinning, he recalled LaCroix's words once when they needed a table at
a tavern.  LaCroix had hypnotized the occupants into relinquishing their
table to them.  At that time, LaCroix had said, "that even eternity was too
long to wait for a table."

Locking his car, he glanced back at the man who was now sleeping off his
drunkenness.  At least there would be one less drunk on the road tonight.

After a lengthy walk, he found himself at the base of a very imposing and
old building.  There were several broad sets of concrete steps that led to a
row of monumental marble pillars that marked the front of the building.  The
sidewalk in front of the Memorial Hall had been simply adorned with three
chairs, one for each fire fighter that had perished.  Each chair had been
draped in their prior owner's protective gear.  In front of each chair,
rested a pair of black boots and a fire fighter's hat had been laid on each
seat. The chair's must have been on display all day, for Nick could see the
thousands of gifts and flowers that had been deposited around the temporary
monuments.  Moving to the front of the crowd, he presented his badge to the
security officer who removed the tape to allow him access to the building.
Every fire fighter who made their way up the steps with him, wore a black
ribbon around their arm signifying their unity and sorrow.

Scanning the crowd for a familiar face, and seeing the turnout of all the
forces, reminded him of the vast memorial service that he had attended when
Schanke, Captain Cohen, and all the other officers of Voodoo's deadly
explosions had been killed.

The opened doors at the top of the steps blurred before him, as he steadied
himself against the frame.  He never should have consumed the cow's blood
before coming here, for once he should have indulged in the human blood.
There were just too many people, and too much temptation because of
everything that was happening to him lately.  But he had finished three
bottles, shouldn't that have been sufficient to sustain him through the
night?  He had fed on the blood beyond the point of his hunger as a
precautionary measure. As the dizziness subsided, he looked up to see Reese
and Tracy directly ahead of him.  Reaching over to him, Reese patted Nick on
the shoulder and looked extremely concerned.

"Nick, are you all right?  You look as if you were about to fall over just
now."

Although he could not clearly focus on either of them, he could tell that
they were concerned for him.

"I felt a little strange just now.  Probably only my memories dredging up
the tragic events that brought me here the last time, after Voodoo's acts of
terrorism."

Reese's eyes clouded over as he relived those sad times.  Patting Nick on
the shoulder one last time, he indicated that he understood.  Turning back
towards the hall, he looked into the stately room which was rapidly becoming
full. Quickly, he wiped away a tear then refocused on his two detectives.

"We should go in and locate some seats or we'll be standing."

Scanning the crowd, Nick joined Reese and Tracy as they began to walk closer
to the crowd.

"Cap?  I was hoping that we would stand in the back.  I wanted to be in a
position to easily view everyone, and be able to move if something looked
suspicious."

"Sure Nick.  Why don't you stand here by the entrance, and we'll find sites
in different parts of the room.  It's a big area to cover Nick.  I wish you
had told me.  I would have brought more backup if I knew you suspected
someone from the inside."

"I don't really.  It's just that there is a common link here, and maybe our
perpetrator will find this too irresistible to pass up.  There is also a
storm brewing, I saw lightning on the way in."

Shaking his head, Reese rubbed his throbbing head then looked back to Nick.

"Yeah, another storm.  Seems like that's all we seem to have lately, and
this maniac is just eating it up.  This weather seems to be setting the mood
for this gathering."

Some commotion at the far end of the room, caught Reese's attention.  One of
the high ranking fire fighters was frantically waving for Reese to come and
join him and some others.  Acknowledging, the man's motions with a wave,
Reese muttered to both detectives.

"I've got to see what the problem is over there.  I'll be back in a few
moments."

Following his Captain's movements with his eyes, Nick stared at the
disturbance that was unfolding at the other end of the hall.  Numerous heads
of departments teamed up with Reese and the other fire fighters across the
room, as Nick watched their discussion become heated.  Trying to filter out
the other voices in the large hall with his sensitive hearing, proved
fruitless.  Abruptly his focus was interrupted by his partner's voice.

"Nick?  What exactly are we looking for?"

Shifting his eyes from Reese and his group of dignitaries to Tracy, made her
aware of just how concerned he was about the scene that was playing out
across the room.  His glance rapidly returned to the Captain as he spoke to
her.

"I don't know yet, but something is very wrong here.  I can feel it."

Seeing how her partner's eyes were not withdrawing from the Captain, now
made her uncomfortable too.  She looked over to were Nick had his gaze
fixed, just in time to see Reese quickly heading towards them.  By the time
he reached the back of the hall where they stood, he was out of breath.

"Nick, Tracy.  I was just speaking with the coordinators of this memorial.
They are telling me that their key speaker, Robert Lacey, is not here and
can not be reached.  They even sent someone over there to escort him here,
but the place was torn up and he was gone.  Everyone's afraid that something
bad has happened to him.  I just found out that Lacey was good friends with
the other three that died."

Thunder crashed, and could be heard even above the noisy crowd as both
detectives took a moment to assimilate the new information.  With an
extremely concerned voice, Tracy spoke up.

"Captain?  Did you say that Robert Lacey was friends with the other three?"

"Yes. He used to be a fire fighter a long time ago.  Does that mean anything
to you?"

"That's the name of the manager I spoke to at the Carnival, but I didn't
know that he was a fire fighter."

Enthusiastically, Nicholas turned to Tracy.

"Tracy, can you get some information quickly?  I have a theory about what is
going on."

Picking up on Nick's excitement, Reese broke back into the conversation.

"There's an administrative office down the hall.  We can probably gain
access to some of their computers."

Nick turned to the Captain and spoke enthusiastically.

"I need to check one thing first, but I might have an idea where Robert
Lacey might be."

Reese moved swiftly down the hall while closely followed by his two
detectives.  In no time they reached the necessary room, and Tracy located a
computer that was still on and displaying it's screen saver.  Sitting in
front of the computer, she logged on as both Nick and the Captain leaned
over to view the monitor.  When she was finally granted access, Nick
directed her.

"Tracy, see what kind of family information you can find on Robert Lacey."

Tracy energetically typed onto the keyboard, as the monitor filled with
information.  Page after page flowed over the screen as Nick ran his fingers
over the words.  After a couple of minutes, Nick pointed to a location, and
asked her to stop searching.

"Look!  Robert Lacey had a child, but he was taken away and put in foster
care shortly after his wife's death.  Tracy see what you can find out about
the child."

After a brief search, Tracy smiled as the child's name flashed across the
screen and she excitedly called out.

"I found his name.  It's Andrew, Andrew Edwards.  His foster name is
Edwards."

"Okay Tracy, Does anything say why Andrew ended up in foster care?"

"I'm going to have to switch to a different set of files.  Give me a
moment."

A moment was all it took, and Tracy proudly spoke out.

"Here Nick.  Look at this."

Straightening himself, he directly faced Reese as Tracy looked up at both of
them.

"This is our killer Captain.  Andrew Edwards has Robert Lacey.  We need to
get some units over to Andrew's residence and to the Carnival."  Again, Nick
bent down towards Tracy.

"One more thing, Trace.  Remember the notes?  He always ended them with that
biblical quote about being gathered to their people.  Tracy, can you find
out for me where Andrew's mother is buried?"

Looking back at Nick and giving him a strange look, she asked,

"You want the Cemetery?

"Humor me."

"Okay.  I'll just need another moment.  Here it is.  She's at St. John's
Cemetery."

"Where is that?"

We're not too far from it.  It's over on Kingston Rd. 256 Kingston."

Nick stood up to face the Captain again.

"They're there!  Just like the note says.  I'm going to try to stop him if
it's not too late."

Pulling out his car keys, he handed them to Tracy.

Trace, someone's got to check the Carnival in case I'm wrong."

Turning, he dashed out the door.  Trying to call after him, Reese rushed
into the hall to the front door, but there was no sign of the detective
anywhere. Becoming frustrated, he mumbled loudly.

"How's he planning on getting there with no transportation, all this
traffic, and a storm on the way?"

Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone and called dispatch for backup.
As he barked his orders into the phone, he saw Tracy running by.

"And where are you going?"

Waving Nick's key, she yelled out as she left.

"I'm off to the Carnival.  I'll meet backup there."

Watching his young rookie detective vanish into the storm to locate Nick's
car, he called after her knowing that she couldn't hear him.

"Isn't anyone sticking around here?  Someone has to coordinate this.  Damn,
I have my detectives off to all parts of the city,"

Each blast of thunder was causing distortion on Reese's phone, and he
slammed it against the wall just as Natalie had finished running up the
steps and spotted him.  Breathlessly, she grabbed at Reese's suit jacket.

"Where's Nick!?"

"Somewhere between here and St. John's Cemetery would be my best guess.  But
I don't know how he's getting there without his car and......  Dr. Lambert?
Dr. Lambert!  Damn!  I think the whole world has gone crazy tonight."

Losing no time, Natalie charged down the steps towards her car which she had
parked many blocks away.  The rain had already begun to fall by the time she
reached the bottom step near the chairs that stood in memorial to the slain
fire fighters.

As she turned in the direction of her car, she caught herself as she slid on
the newly dampened sidewalk.  But she could not slow down.  It was a matter
of life and death that she get to Nick before his next encounter with
Alyssa. Muscles ached in her body that she had forgotten existed as she ran
as fast as humanly possible.  Frustrated now that she had never found the
time for that exercise program that she promised herself each New Year.

"Come on Lambert, you can't give up now."  Pushing herself, she shifted from
a half run to a steady jog.  The blood pounded in her head as her rapid
heart rate forced her breathing into short pants of air.  The car was almost
a mile away, and she wished that she could stop and catch her breath.  Each
time that her body demanded rest, the image of Nick's situation drove her to
continue past reasonable endurance.  Finally, her running paid off, and she
arrived at her car which had become surrounded by late comers to the
memorial service. Panting heavily, she looked around at all the traffic and
felt defeated.  How was she ever going to get to Nick in time?  Unlocking
her door, she jumped in behind the steering wheel and located her cell
phone.  Dialing in Nick's number as fast as her fingers would allow, she
heard nothing but static. Starting the car, she twisted the steering wheel
and merged into the traffic. Silently, she whispered.

"Please G-d, is there a prayer for vampires?"

End Part 12

                             ******************

As the lightning flashed, Robert Lacey caught a glimpse of his now grown son
on his way towards him with a rolled up newspaper and a lighter.
Desperately struggling to move, he could feel the already tightened ropes
tear at the flesh around his wrists.

"Don't be afraid Father.  It will only hurt for a little while.  Not like
me. I have had to live with the pain of what you and your friends did to me
my whole life."  His bitterness poured out.

As sweat dripped into Robert Lacey's eyes, he then understood that it was
Andy who had killed the other fire fighters.

"Did you kill the others Andy?  Did you do that to their faces?"  His words
were filled with repulsion.

"I saved them, just like I'm going to save your miserable excuse for a
soul."

"No Andy, don't you see you killed them?  It was wrong."

His son's words exploded throughout the Cemetery.

"WRONG!?  WRONG!?  How dare you tell me what is wrong!  Do you have any idea
what my life has been like?  DO YOU?"  Andy continued, his voice roaring
above the thunder.

"You made me into a freak!  You have no idea what I went through!"
Suddenly, he stopped, and calmed himself as he began to grin.

"But I forgive you because G-d forgives you and will redeem you through my
work.  I am going to save your soul, but we must wait for the lightning to
tell me when.  Did you know that Mommy has been helping me?  She tells me
who is next, and she's always right.  She told me one night through the
lightning."

Andy hid his face in his hands, and began to sob.

"I miss her so much."

Wiping his unpatched eye, he suddenly stopped crying and pulled a gun from
his jacket pocket.  Aiming the gun towards his father, he walked towards him
and smiled as he pushed the barrel deep into the center of his intended
victim's forehead.

"I have an idea of something we can do while we're waiting for Mommy.  I'm
going to untie your hands, and you are going to save me some time by
starting to dig right over there."

Going behind his father, he cut the rope and pointed to the shovel.

"Pick it up and dig!  Dig next to Mommy's stone.  I bought the plot.  You
know, it took most of my salary for three months, but it was worth it.  It's
yours now.  That's right, it's a gift from me to my Dad. Don't look at me
like that.  It's not as if you won't be needing it soon.  Now dig!"

The broken-down fire fighter lifted the shovel, and swung out at his son's
arm that held out the gun.  Missing in the darkness, he twisted and fell to
the ground as Andy jumped back angrily.

"Don't try that again!  YOU HEAR!"

Andy held his head from the pain of the unexpected stress.  He would have to
act soon before the pain incapacitated him.  Lighting the newspaper, he ran
towards his father in a blind rage and struck at his face with the flames.
The old man's screams echoed throughout the cemetery as he tried to protect
his face with his hands.  Andy held his head harder as he yelled out.

"It wasn't time yet!"  He slammed his fist against his forehead.

"This is all wrong!"

Not knowing what to do, Andy became frustrated and reached into his pocket
for more rope.  Pulling his father's hands behind him again, he tied them so
tightly that they bled.  His anger with himself made his brain throb until
he was sure that his skull would burst.

"LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!  I never put the patch over your eye, and now
it's burnt.  Both eyes are burnt!  Why did you have to ruin it?"

Robert Lacy, did not hear his son, he rolled on the wet dirt writhing in
pain. Pacing around, Andy looked up at the lightning filled sky.

"Mommy?  What do I do now?  I'm so sorry Mommy."  Then suddenly he paused
and smiled.  "Thank you Mommy for your help.  You always know how to fix
everything.  I can make everything all right again by not letting this be my
last redemption.  That way I will be able to help so many others.  I was
thinking so selfishly.  There is no reason why I shouldn't be helping the
rest of their families.  You are so right Mommy, they can all be together.
I'll redeem the children and the wives.  They will be a family again, just
as we will be when I am done."

Lightning struck the ground nearby, and Andy closed his eyes as he allowed
the joyous feeling of peace to wash over him.

"Thank you Mommy.  Daddy will be with you soon."

Calmly turning, Andy watched as his father screamed out a piercing cry of
pain.

"Help me I'm blind!  I'm blind!"

"Don't worry about your eyes Daddy.  Mommy is ready for you to be with her
now."

Raising his gun, Andy stood over Robert Lacey.  Aiming with a steady hand,
he leaned towards his father and slowly squeezed the trigger.  Lacey's moans
guided Nicholas to the location he was searching for.  Nick landed between
Andy and his father and began to growl and bear his fangs.  Reflexively,
Andy raised his gun and began shooting at Nicholas as he walked closer.  In
a moment, the gun was empty.  Dropping it, he ran to pick up the shovel that
lay towards his Mother's tombstone.  Holding the shovel high above his head,
Andy screamed at Nick.

"GO AWAY!  I HAVE TO FINISH THIS!"

Trying to gain control over the situation, Nick showed his empty hands to
Andy, and spoke authoritatively to him.

"Put the shovel down Andrew, it's over!"

Frozen in place, Andy stared past Nicholas in awe.

"Mommy, you've come to help.  Mommy you're here!"

Nicholas looked back, and could see the blonde woman several meters behind
him.  She was dressed in white, but her face was veiled with her hood.  It
was Alyssa.

"Andrew, what do you see?"

"Mommy, Mommy is here for me."

"Do you see her too?"

Ignoring Nicholas, Andy spoke to the apparition that he believed to be his
Mother.

"Yes Mommy, I will send him to you.  I can't shoot him like the others, but
I'll kill him, I promise.  I'll use this shovel."

Raising the shovel even higher over his head than before,  Nicholas called
out to him.

"Put it down Andrew, Now!"

Tears of happiness streaked Andy's face as he held the shovel high above his
father's head, and prepared to strike.  Nicholas yelled "NO!" as one of the
multiple lightning bolts that were illuminating the graveyard became
attracted to the shovel.  As the force of the energy tracked a path through
Andy, his body trembled then fell lifelessly over his Mother's tombstone.
There was no heart beat, nothing could be done for him.  Slowly, Nicholas
rotated to see the ghostly figure reach out for him.

"Come Nicholas, my love.  Take my hand and we will be together."

"You're real, he saw you."

"Of course I am real, and so is your redemption.  Take my hand, there is but
little time."

Curving back to look at Andy, Nicholas pointed to the limp body that hung
over the stone.

"That is not the type of redemption I seek Alyssa.  Have you come only to
watch me die?"

"Come my Nicholas.  The heavens have heard your cries.  You have been
granted your deepest desire."

"What of all those I have destroyed?"

"They have forgiven you."

"How could they?"

She walked closer through the lightning and thunder with her arm extended.

"They can rest now, and so can you.  Come with me."

Taking a step towards her, he stretched out his arm even though the
lightning strikes were almost blinding him.  Any strength he had was gone,
he longed to be in her protective embrace again just as they were on their
wedding night.

"I'm so tired Alyssa.  It's been so long."

"I know my love.  Once you take my hand your pain will be all over.  The
guilt will be gone."

At peace, he walked until their hands were within inches of each other, and
he spoke to her once again.

"You are certain of my redemption?"

"Yes, of this I am certain."

Their hands made contact, and she fiercely seized him around the wrist and
pulled him towards her with great strength.  Then suddenly she startled,
gasped, and looked into Nicholas's eyes with shock.  Slowly, she released
his hand, and looked down towards her chest.  A large wooden stake had
pierced her heart, its sharp point emerging several inches beyond her body.
Nicholas's attention fell to her side when a large wooden stake that she was
carrying dropped from her grasp.  Collapsing onto Nicholas, he caught her as
she slid down his body.  Gently, he laid her on the ground as blood flowed
out of the corners of her mouth.  Brushing away the veil from the top part
of her face, as he easily recognized Alexandria laboring for her final
breaths.

"I should have killed you while I had the chance."

"Why like this Alexandria?  Why?"

"I knew of your love and your guilt over your wife years before you murdered
me.  I knew it all from your blood that night.  I wanted to repay you for
all the suffering I have done.  Then I wanted you to die."

Nicholas looked up at Natalie who was still in shock that she was actually
capable of pushing a wooded stake through any creature.  She had saved him.
If she had not staked Alexandria from behind, he would have been dead by
now. Without thinking he would have walked into Alexandria's trap.  Ensnared
by her, she would have staked him.  But because of Natalie, it was
Alexandria who now lay dying on the ground.  Blood gushed from her chest
wound as she gasped and coughed.

"How is it possible for you to be so lucky?"  Her eyes froze wide open and
she disappeared in swirling smoke before their eyes.  The stake that had
destroyed her fell flat to the ground.  It was all that remained.

Everything that had happened was taking a toll on Natalie, and she began to
tremble.  Rising, Nick tightly pulled her close and embraced her as she
cried.

"She was right.  I am lucky.  Lucky to have you."

In the distance, Nick watched the flashing lights of the approaching squad
cars.  Within a short span of time, several police officers raced towards
them.  Nick briefly withdrew from Nat as he produced his badge, and spoke to
the first officer.

"We need the paramedics here.  This man has been burned, he may be blind."

One officer walked towards Andy's body, but Nick stopped him.

"We will need the coroner's van for this one.  He was the killer we were
looking for.  There is no help for him now."

Placing his arm around Natalie's shoulders, he began to walk with her
towards the cemeteries wrought iron gates.  It was becoming hectic there
with all the newly arriving cars as each one parked.  As they drew near the
road, he could see Nat's car and he moved her closer to it as the
paramedic's truck raced by with its lights and sirens.  Leaning her against
the car, he clung to her closely.

"Nat?  How did you know?"

Pulling away, she wiped away her tears and sniffed.

"Last night, before I left the loft, I took one of your bottles with me.  It
was only a hunch, but all the problems we had began after you drank the
blood. I left a sample to be analyzed this morning, and when I got in I
found out that it had extremely high concentrations of S. Toxifera.  That's
curare, and it's lethal.  You should be dead, but I guess since that can't
happen that it still caused you other problems.  Anyway, I knew that someone
was trying to poison you, and it had to be someone who knew you drank blood.
  I knew it was another vampire, not a ghost.  From what you told me, they
were trying to destroy you.  Why did she want you dead?"

"It's a long story Nat, and if it wasn't for you, I would be dead now.  I
guess I wanted salvation so much I was blinded from the truth.  Alexandria
found my weakness, and used it against me.  But you know Natalie, for a
moment I almost felt like I could be redeemed."

"You will be Nick, I have no doubts."

Nick pulled her close to him again as Reese pulled up and got out of his
car. They separated as Reese walked towards them to talk.

"Nick, I heard on the radio that you found our killer.  Sounds like you put
an end to this lunatic's reign of terror.  There's going to be an awful lot
of grateful fire fighters.  Good work Nick.  Oh, Dr. Lambert, I'm glad
you're here.  Hope this is not too soon for the two of you, but we just got
a call from across town.  Looks like a suicide, but I need the two of you to
check it out.  And Doctor, I hate to be the one bearing bad news, but it
looks like the victim knew you.  She left her diary addressed to you.  I
think her name was Dr. Laura Haynes.  I already spoke to Tracy, and she's on
her way there."

Natalie looked up at Nick too stunned to breathe.

End Part 13

                              ******************

Thankfully, Nick had taken her away from the horrible sight of her friend's
suicide.  It was so painful to accept that Laura had ended such a promising
life, and even worse was the realization that she could understand her
motivations.  Every time that she tried to explain to Nick how she related
to Laura's pain, he either dismissed it or had to leave.  The moment when
she finally had him discussing the necessity of bringing her over, he had
received an urgent call from the Precinct.  A prisoner, by the name of
Dawkins, had taken possession of an officer's gun and was irrationally out
of control. Later, she had heard that Tracy had been in the line of fire as
Nick had unsuccessfully tried to reason, and then hypnotize the gunman into
putting down the weapon.  Now came the grievous news of Tracy's death as she
prepared to confront Nicholas.

Nat slowly replaced the receiver with great emotional pain as she repeated
Captain Reese's words to herself.  Tracy Vetter had just died of the gun
shot wounds she had received at the Precinct while she and Nick tried to
stop an out of control criminal.  The Captain had called her in hopes of
finding his detective there, everyone had been desperately trying to locate
Nick regarding his partner's death.  The Captain requested her to let Nick
know about Tracy if she sees him.

Yes, she was planning on seeing him.  Not only was she on her way to see
him, but she was packed.  Recent events mixed with the never ending longing
to be with Nick, had made this life unbearable.  A single tear slid down her
face. Laura considered her to be her best friend, and that was true, at
least it used to be.  But the years and their career choices lead them not
only from each other, but from pursuing their own personal lives.  If she
had known of her friend's distress, could she have stopped her from taking
her own life? What could she have said to Laura that as a psychiatrist she
had not already said to her own patients hundreds of times.  Laura had so
much to give, but she most likely grew tired of the giving and tried to
regain something salvageable from herself.  The problem was that when she
stopped to look for her reasons for living, all she saw was emptiness.  Fear
gripped Natalie as she thought of how easily she could relate to her friend.
  After reading the diary she had left for her, she realized that the only
difference between herself and Laura was that Nick was in her life.  Nothing
meant anything except for him, not even life itself.

Glancing around the darkened Morgue, she thought about what she was about to
do.  It was late, and the graveyard shift had all left to return to their
families and homes.  Even the janitorial staff was gone, she stood there
alone as she spoke softly to herself.

"This may not be right, but I just can not live without you Nick.  Now, as I
sit here and wonder about what is right and what is wrong, all the lines
begin to blur.  Do the ends justify the means?  Do I even know what the end
is, or where it will lead me?  Am I really that much in love?  Am I that
sure?  I am about to risk it all.  To possibly never walk in the sun again.
I ran the race for the cure, and I lost.  There was no cure, at least not a
medical one. No matter how fast I ran or what I did, I could not compete
with the vampire. Somewhere along the way to trying to find this cure for
this condition, I fell in love.  So before I leave my lab for the last time
as a mortal or possibly forever, I am going to make a decision that will
affect us both Nick.  I have to tell you the news of Tracy's death, and you
are going to blame yourself as you always do.  You will over react, and the
result will be that you will destroy us both.  Either by moving on and
leaving my world, or by attempting to bring me into your world.  There is
only one thing that we have not tried. Something that we have observed to
work for another vampire, Janette.  I know that I love you as much as
Janette loved Robert.  If this method works, we must give it a try.  Why do
we go on pursuing new untested methods, when we know of a method that has
worked?  We have to try because it hurts too much to go on like this.  I
only hope that you will understand what I am about to do. I know that it
will seem selfish to you, and it is to a large extent.  But please consider
my motivation.  If you can not stop, and you bring me to the point where I
can be brought across, then I know that you will be forced to make a
decision that you really can not handle.  You can not think beyond your own
emotional state, and I fear that you will make a decision that will condemn
us both.  I know that I am making this choice for the both of us, for I know
that you can not!  I do not want you to be put into the position of making a
decision for the two of us, that may be regretted.  By taking this out of
your hands, you can not have the guilt that you undoubtedly will have. What
I am about to do now, will make the decision mine, and will allow us a life
together if it comes to that.

I know that I do not comprehend your world, but you do not understand my
life either.  You believe that because I am mortal that I have everything.
Nothing could be further from the truth.  I would gladly give away my
mortality to be able to love you.  This is something that you do not seem to
fathom. Mortality is not the wonderful place that you think you remember it
to be. Not only are we subjected to death and disease, but to all the pain
of every emotion.  By associating with you, I have taken on the pain of your
world too. Knowing you has made me aware of a suffering that I never knew
existed before. I can not exist in my world any longer.  I do not propose to
understand your world.  I know I can not, but you can not understand all
that compels me as well.  You see mortality as the answer to all your
obstacles, well it is not. Our difficulties are the same as yours except we
have precious little time to solve them.  Living forever does not make you
cursed, it makes you blessed. You have forever to learn, to understand, to
correct the problems that plague humanity.

I stand on the side of mortality, and I see emptiness here for me.  My
mortality is only an obstacle that keeps me from being with you.  My only
reason to continue living has been because of you, and if you move on
without me you will have killed me as surely as if you drained every last
drop of my blood.  Do not agonize over my desire to join you in eternity.  I
do not enter your world without tremendous forethought.  Unlike you when you
made your decision, I fully accept this as a gift and I will treasure it and
not abuse it.  Forgive me Nicholas for taking this out of your hands."

Walking to the refrigerator, she opened the door and reached into the back
to retrieve a narrow metal box that was always kept locked.  Tears were
making it difficult to see as she prepared the syringe and wiped the alcohol
filled cotton against her arm.  Plunging the needle into the sample bottle
filled with the dark red fluid, she slowly pulled back on the plunger.  Then
she repeated the process until several tubes were filled.  Taking a short
piece of rubber tubing, she placed it around her upper arm as she guided the
needle into her vein and emptied the first of several tubes into her
bloodstream. After depleting all the tubes, she gathered the spent materials
and threw them into the hazardous waste basket.  Now came the time she had
waited for.  It was time to talk with Nick about his faith.  Destiny was
about to arrive, it was time for Nick to make love to her.

End Part 14

                              ******************

Things had happened so much faster than she could have ever imagined.
Within only a few minutes, Nick had returned to the loft to hear her news of
Tracy's death, and had finally consented to make love to her.  Now, as
unconstrained visions of Nick's past lives penetrated into every area of her
mind and body, she struggled to regain consciousness.  Even though she knew
that Nick was only a short distance from where she lay, he sounded to her as
if he were speaking through a pillow.  Although she could barely figure out
where she was in time and space, she knew that Nicholas had taken more than
a little blood, and that she was dying.  As Nick's invasive thoughts began
to fade, the words that she had just spoken to him filled her head.

"Make love to me Nick.  Take just a little at a time."

She could still recall the look in his eyes as he struggled with this
dilemma. He was so pained as he spoke to her.

"I'm afraid for what might happen."

Trying to calm his fear, she gently stroked his cheeks almost cupping his
face between her hands.  With each of her tender caresses, his resolve
seemed to melt away as she softly spoke.

"Don't be afraid.  I'm not afraid of death or of an eternity in darkness as
long as I can spend it with you.  All I have is faith and love.  All I'm
asking is for you to make love to me.  I trust you."

Those were the words that convinced him to make love to her.  The words that
granted permission for the beast to bite her, and pursue the only way they
had not tried.  Reaching up, he clasped his hands around hers while both man
and beast united.  With no power left to resist her, he looked down and
closed his eyes.  Then slowly, he looked up and revealed to her the fiery
eyes of the vampire.  With so much devotion for her he said.

"I won't leave you.  Whatever happens, we'll be together."

"Forever," her whispered word trailed off.

So gently he had kissed her on the lips.  So hungrily he then nipped at her
wrist as she closed her eyes in anticipation of their togetherness.  All
parts of her quivered while she watched his sharp fangs descend, and felt
his hand push back her long curls from her neck.  His bite was rapid and
accurate as both pain and pleasure collided.  Then 800 years of his
sensations poured into her at tremendous speed as her life was being drained
from her.  Now she could hear LaCroix's voice reminding Nicholas of why he
clung so tenaciously to his life.  Reminding his son how precious life was.
LaCroix was trying to talk Nicholas out of joining her in death.  He was
planning on dying with her.

Kneeling next to her, he picked up her hand.  His only wish was to spend his
last few seconds touching her and gazing at her before LaCroix would help
him by plunging the wooden stake through his heart thereby ending his
painful existence.  Maybe in death he could now be with her, something in
life that he failed to accomplish.  Just as she could not go on living in a
world without him, he could not go on without her.  The only way now was to
follow her into death.  These precious remaining seconds would have to last
them both throughout eternity.  All he could see was her, as he waited for
LaCroix's final blow.  A gift from his father that would not only give him
peace, but the chance to be in the next world with his love.  He could not
keep her in this world of darkness, he had to let her go as he longed to
join her in the next world.  How beautiful she was he thought, as he heard
LaCroix's frustration and pain as his father lifted the stake over his son's
back preparing to strike.

"Damn you Nicholas!"

LaCroix's angry words caused the beauty before him to stir, and Nicholas
threw his arm behind him to block the descending sharp stick.

"Wait LaCroix!"

The stake went flying towards the fire place, and broke in two.  Nicholas
reached under Nat's head, and pulled her into his arms.  With a weak smile,
she reached up towards his face and brushed away his tears.

"Nick, no more tears."

Looking at her in disbelief his voice was shaking as he spoke.

"Nat?  What have you done?"

"I'm sorry Nick, but I took the decision out of your hands."

"I don't understand Nat. You're a vampire now.  I didn't want that for you."

"I know, I wanted it for me and for you if that is the only way it can be."

Distress permeated Nicholas's face as he helped Natalie to her feet, and
spoke softly to her.

"Things will be different for us now."

"In some ways, but different doesn't have to mean bad."

LaCroix, who had been silent suddenly broke in.

"My dear Doctor or shall I say grand daughter.  Let me congratulate you.  I
believe you to be the first of our kind to have brought themselves across,
yet still have a master.  Nicholas is your master, is he not?  I can feel
the family bond myself."

"I'm sorry Nick, but I used your blood to inject myself before I arrived
tonight."

LaCroix smiled at the irony.  The very reason she had his blood was to
return him to mortality, yet she turned it around and instead used his
samples to make herself into a vampire.  Her new grand father took her hand.

"How very resourceful of you.  Although, I have never underestimated you my
dear, but your timing was quite precarious wouldn't you say?"

"I didn't expect Nick to try and kill himself.  I guess as Nick, I hadn't
thought it through.  LaCroix, were you really going to.......?  Would you
have.......?  If I hadn't come to in time?"

Calmly, LaCroix took in a breath and released her hand.

"You see Natalie, after you have lived for 2,000 years, there is very little
in the world that affects you.  As the centuries pass, you realize how
little purpose there is in anything, and how fleeting the most passionate of
feelings actually is.  Soon all emotions and feelings become meaningless as
you realize that even the most pervasive of feelings will fade and
disappear.  Then something like what happened just now, touches you.  It
causes you to hurt like you never thought possible.  It gnaws at the empty
bottomless hole that lives with you daily.  That's when you realize that a
place has opened up that you were sure had died or may have never existed at
all.  In this allusive place, you see something greater than all the other
things that the centuries had laid witness before you.  And, although to be
in this position, there is no greater pain.  You will not leave, you do not
wish to leave.  The only way to remain is to act in a way that you would
never think possible.  Would I have granted Nicholas his request?  Let us
just say that I would not have departed from that place."

Shuddering, Natalie realized the implication of his words.

"I understand.  I'm glad it didn't come to that."  A sharp pain ripped
through her body almost causing her to collapse.  "I am so hungry."

With her words, Nicholas raced towards the refrigerator to bring her some of
his cow's blood, but Natalie called after him.

"No, Nick.  In my bag.  I brought four pints of blood.  I was expecting
this. Will that be enough?"

Shock and disappointment overcame him as he spoke.

"It will be enough to start Nat."  He looked at her as if he didn't know
her. "I am going to need a few minutes to clear my mind.  So much has
happened, so fast."

As Natalie's first tears of blood streamed down her face, she now knew that
vampires had souls for hers was being torn apart by Nick's reaction.  As
LaCroix watched his son's response, he became frustrated.

"Don't be a fool Nicholas.  She saved you from making a decision from which
you could not live with and from which you were willing to throw away your
eternity."

Nick walked to Natalie's bag in silence, and obediently followed her
instructions.  Opening the bag, he half wished that it did not contain the
blood she proclaimed it to have.  Cautiously, he looked in and saw the
neatly packed blood placed one over the other.  So much of his life had been
made with emotional decisions.  So many of his biggest problems came about
from not thinking things through.  Yet Natalie had calculated this moment
down to the detail of bringing her own blood supply for the anticipated
first hunger.

He loved her so much, so why did he feel so betrayed?  Shouldn't he be
feeling happy now?  A new turn of events.  Why was he so confused?  Reaching
into her bag, he emerged with the four pints of human blood, and brought
them to his new daughter.  Her smile for him quickly disappeared as he
approached, and she saw the expression on his face.  Holding the first of
the four bags out to her, he whispered to her with no emotion.

"You should eat now."

Sadly, she looked deeply into his eyes, as another pain ripped through her.
His pain, more powerful than the unyielding hunger.  With a pleading voice,
she spoke to him.

"Nick, please try to understand."

Opening the plastic bag, he moved closer to her and calmly encouraged her.
Again, he whispered to her, barely audible even with her newfound enhanced
hearing.

"Eat now."

The smell of the blood from the opened bag beckoned her to taste it.  She
could see and smell aspects from it that she had never noticed before.  Back
in her mind somewhere she knew it was blood.  Blood from a corpse she had
recently autopsied, but that thought seemed so meaningless so foreign.  Now
it looked like the most magical serum she had ever seen.  Removing the
miraculous liquid from Nick's grasp, she took her first sip of the
fascinating solution. Pleasure erupted throughout her body.  The sensual
delight consumed her, as she consumed it.  Finishing the first pint, she
realized that gratification was still very far off.  She needed more.
Carefully opening the second bag, she raised it to her mouth to find each
swallow filled with beauty and rapture as it's spirit replaced her hunger
pains.  She felt a willing captive, enchanted by the ecstasy it brought.
Longing to taste another bag, she ravenously devoured the third bag.  The
pains were almost gone, yet she went on to the final bag.  This time feeling
the comfort it brought as she felt transported to a place in her mind where
everything was at peace.  Was there ever a time in her life when there was
so much harmony?

Looking back towards Nick, she could see his heartache at her metamorphosis.
The evening had been a huge ordeal for the both of them.  He had still not
recovered from the shock.  With her first hunger quenched, her attention
turned towards a sullen Nicholas.  After she had taken the last bag from his
hands, he had gone to wearily sit in the corner of the sofa.  LaCroix came
close, and placed his hands on her shoulders as she watched Nick grieve for
her mortal soul.  It was the beginning of a new day, and LaCroix turned to
pick up the remote and close the blinds.  How many times had she'd done that
same simple act for Nick?  Now she would never be in the sun again without
fatal consequences.  She watched as LaCroix turned back towards her when he
finished closing the blinds.

"I will stay the day.  I suggest we all get some rest now.  Natalie, I
believe you know the rules?"

She nodded her head.  The rules.  Yes, the rules of survival.  The code, the
unwritten law by which every vampire must regulate themselves.  After six
years with Nick, she understood what LaCroix was telling her.  By closing
the blinds, he was reminding her of her newly chosen lifestyle out of the
light.

Watching LaCroix lift off the ground and land near Nick's bedroom, caused
her to smile in anticipation of her own visions of flight.  Could she
already fly? The desire was overwhelming, but she went to sit down next to
Nick.  As she got close, he never turned to look at her or even blink as the
bond between them almost hummed from the vibration.  A sudden thump
interrupted her thoughts.  It was her heartbeat.  So strange to feel it only
once.  So many new experiences were assaulting her body.  All kinds of
sights and smells that had never revealed themselves before, were now
pounding at every part of her body.  It was frightening.  How she wished
that Nick would help her now. Looking back at him she inwardly pleaded for
him to understand what she did. Placing her hand over his hand, she tried to
break him of his trance.

"Nick?"

He stood up causing her hand to slip off him as he stared at her with vacant
eyes.  Softly he spoke.

"You will need to sleep now."

"Please Nick, you are hurting me!  Please talk to me!"

"Natalie, I do not pretend to know what motivated you to desire this.  After
all the struggles you have witnessed since we met, you condemn yourself."
Angrily, she moved towards him.

"Condemn myself?  To what?  To have a chance for a life with you?"

"This is not a life, Nat. This is a phantom of a life."

"I don't believe that, and even if that were true it is still a place that
we can be together."

"You have been infested with evil, my evil.  The wish to do harm will
overcome you without warning.  You will live with the abomination of your
own depravity daily, and you will accept it as a part of yourself as you
restrain it.  I trusted you Nat. You said that you trusted me."

"I know, I know you see what I did as a betrayal of your trust, but it was
not my intent to mislead.  I only wanted to be with you.  I was hoping that
if you took a little at a time, then we could be together as mortals.  But I
feared that the temptation would be too great, and that if I survived you
could never justify making me into all that you despise about yourself.  I
didn't know what to say to convince you that my love for you out weighed my
love for my mortality.  It is a concept that you can not understand.  That I
would give up so easily the gift you so strongly desire,"

"You have damned your soul along with giving away your mortality."

"Do not mourn for my soul Nicholas, or for my heart for I lost them both to
you the night we met.  It is only now that my body is in harmony with my
soul. Don't you see that I have been like this for six years.  The only
difference now is that the process is complete."

"Natalie, I was going to let you die.  I wanted to die with you."

"I know, but now we can be together in this world.  We don't have to die to
be together."

Nicholas pulled his child and lover close to him and held her firmly.
Hesitant to let go, fearful of how close he came to losing her.

"This is the right decision, Nick."

His control over his emotions weakened as he allowed his love for her to
replace his anguish.

"I'm glad you are here with me, so many years were wasted.  We have so much
lost time to make up."

Natalie smiled in his arms, "And an eternity to do it in."

After a few minutes, he reluctantly pulled away and wiped away her tears as
he spoke lovingly to her.

"We have to sleep now, especially you.  I will stay by you until you fall
asleep."

Leading her to the sofa, he sat on the floor as she lied down.  He patted
her hair as she drifted into the first deep sleep of a new vampire.

"Sleep for now my child, my love."

Nick watched as she slept.  Her beauty enhanced by her conversion.  Maybe
this was for the best, only time would tell.  Tonight after feeding, they
could finally be together as lovers should.  She had done the only thing
that she could, he could never fault her for that.  She had given
everything, her very essence just to be with him.  Picking up her hand, he
felt his love for her flow and he kissed it gently then placed it over his
heart.

"Whatever there is left inside of me belongs to you, and I will prove it
every night that we exist.  You are the proof that I am not damned.  You are
my redemption for I have never felt more blessed."

Leaning against the sofa, his hand still tightly clutched around hers, he
closed his eyes.  Envisioning them as lovers, he tenderly smiled.  She had
once said that she would help in his quest to see the sun.  She had not
disappointed him.  For here in the dark he sat basking in her glow.  There
could not be a brighter star, and she had just given that special light to
him.  So many years he had searched for the light with his eyes, while he
only had to close them to feel her gift of light.  He had been chasing after
a sun that he had all along.

The End
 

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