Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 20:28:23 -0700 Reply-To: Sarah Baker Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Sarah Baker Subject: Trapped (1/6) To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU This is a season two story. I actually wrote it early in season two, but didn't have the guts to post it then. Getting more brave (foolish) with age! To me, this is the episode that never was... BTW, did you ever wonder why Natalie looked annoyed, but not surprised when Nick mentioned Beethoven in NIQ? The characters are not mine. They are borrowed for fun only. Please send me a message ... good or bad. Let me know what you think. * * * * * * * * * * Trapped (1/6) by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com) The cool evening breeze promted Sally to pull her thin coat closed with one hand and hide the other in her pocket. It was only two more blocks to her car, or she might have worked on buttoning the coat. Just two more blocks, and she could head home to a nice warm bath. It would be a relief to soak away the tension left from that dreadful dinner. This was definitely the last blind date she was agreeing to. Sally slowed a little as the darkness of the alley ahead was interrupted by the glow of a cigarette. A young man's dirty, unshaven face was illuminated for only a second. She was relieved that he didn't seem to be looking at her and picked up her pace again, the clicking of her heels echoing off of the metal and brick buildings. She could barely make out the man's outline as he dropped the cigarette and ground the butt under the toe of his boot. >From the corner of her eye, she thought she could see wavy lines on his jacket, suggesting jungle camouflage. He remained leaning against the wall in a shadow as Sally passed him. In a movement too fast for her to comprehend, the man grabbed Sally from behind and threw her against the wall. His hand covered her mouth before her brain even sent the message to her vocal cords. Over her own muffled screams, Sally heard a low growl from behind her. Her coat and dress were ripped from her shoulder. The man didn't even seem to notice her struggling as he sank his teeth into the side of her throat. After a few short moments, the struggling stopped. Sally slid limply down the wall when she was released from his grip. * * * * * * * * * * Nick continued to towel his hair as he approached the ringing phone. He tossed the wet towel over his shoulder and picked up the receiver. "Hello." "Hi, Nick. It's your favorite coroner." Nick's entire face lit up with a smile. "Hi, Nat. What are you up to on your night off?" "Calling you." Silence reigned as Natalie hesitated before blurting out, in one breath, "Work's been so busy lately, I decided I need a break. I have two tickets to the symphony. Wanna join me?" Nick's smile turned into an impish grin, one eyebrow raised. "You mean... like a date?" he chidded. Natalie laughed nervously. "Sort of." She hoped that Nick wouldn't misunderstand ... or understand ... the invitation. "Sounds good. What time should I pick you up?" "In about an hour? I don't suppose we should go to dinner first." Nick cringed at the thought of trying to force down food for Natalie's sake. "I could always watch you eat," he offered half- heartedly. "That's okay. I'll do something in the microwave first. See you in an hour?" "Okay." Nick hung up the phone, shaking his head and smiling at the invitation. He walked to the refrigerator and started to open the door, but stopped, gripping the handle. Having already polished off one bottle this evening before his shower, he didn't *need* another... yet. He didn't want to run the risk of Natalie knowing how much he was consuming, although he was sure there was no way she could actually tell. Nick grudgingly left the refrigerator behind and headed upstairs to dress. * * * * * * * * * * Strands of streetlight seeping in through the gaps in the flooring above only barely lit the basement of the warehouse. Sally's heels clinked on the stairs as the vampire dragged her into the darkness. He pulled her body across the basement floor and added it to the pile of bodies building in the far corner. Only when he had dropped Sally and surveyed the pile did his expression change from stoic to slightly panicked. He backed up slowly, as if the bodies were rising for their revenge, and was stopped by a concrete pier. Grabbing the crumbling concrete behind him, he closed his eyes and waited for his own trembling to stop and the panic to fade. When it did, the young man turned away from the gruesome scene and walked purposefully across the basement. He sat on a crate and lit a candle that was melted onto the makeshift table in front of him. The few items around him were all that he owned and all that he needed; the orderly arrangement resulted from several years of military training. The young man smiled as he reverently fingered the dog tags around his neck. He then pulled a duffle bag from under the stairs. Opening the top, he searched the contents, scowling. His scowl faded into a reassured smile as he pulled several sticks of dynamite from the bottom of the bag. He looked over at the pile of bodies and back at the dynamite. Placing the sticks carefully back into the bag and closing the top, the young man was returning the duffle bag to it's original location when he heard a noise from the floor above. He quickly blew out the candle and sank into the shadows beneath the stairs. Upstairs, a girl with scraggly blonde hair had just squeezed through the space between the door and the chain that was meant to deny access. She dropped her backpack from her shoulders and opened the side pocket. It only took a second to find the flashlight. Turning slowly, she examined the deserted room as the beam made it visible one slice at a time. After completing her rotation, she let out a sigh of relief, picked up the backpack, and tossed it over her shoulder. She headed slowly for the stairs, deciding that it would be best to be as far away from the street as possible before crashing for the night. The girl winced each time the floor creaked under her feet. End part 1. Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 20:30:29 -0700 Reply-To: Sarah Baker Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Sarah Baker Subject: Trapped (2/6) To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Please see part 1 for disclaimer. Trapped (2/6) by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com) Nick pulled the Caddy into a remote space in the parking lot and smiled at Natalie as he turned off the engine. He extracted his phone from his breast pocket and handed it to her. "Would you please put this in the glove compartment?" There was absolutely no reason the department couldn't live a couple of hours without him, and he wasn't going to chance being called in tonight. "Good idea." Natalie took the phone from Nick and stashed it in the huge glove compartment. The significance of the gesture was not wasted on her. Nick was all hers tonight, more or less. "I hope you don't mind walking. This looks like a popular place." "Not at all," Natalie responded. As Nick made his way around the car, Natalie appreciatively sniffed the pink rose pinned to the front of her dress. She tried, unsucessfully, to surpress an excited smile. This evening looked to be the closest she would ever get to having a 'date' with Nick Knight. It wouldn't do to have him know how thrilled she was. Nick opened Natalie's door and gallantly extended his hand. As he helped her from the car, Natalie mustered her best British accent. "Ew, thank you." Nick nodded with a smile and offered her an arm. Natalie slipped her arm through his and they began their stroll toward the auditorium. "The symphony is playing Beethoven tonight. Do you like Beethoven?" Natalie asked as they walked. Nick leaned close to Natalie's ear. "I found his concerts quite inspiring when he was young," he responded in a whisper. Natalie stopped, her mouth gaping. "You *saw* Beethoven?" she gasped. Nick smiled teasingly at her. He tugged at her arm to start her moving again. "Come on. We don't want to be late." Natalie started forward, but couldn't stop staring at Nick. She had, at least, managed to close her mouth. It was impossible to believe that she was going to the symphony with someone who actually heard Beethoven perform. They walked on in silence. Suddenly, Nick stopped, released Natalie's arm, and whirled around. He turned his head slightly sideways and stood perfectly still. "Nick. What is it?" Natalie touched his arm and watched him. After a moment, Nick put his hand over hers and looked down at Natalie. "Someone's screaming, Nat." "Where? I don't hear anything." Natalie tried to follow the direction Nick was staring. "A couple of blocks down that street," Nick pointed with a nod. "You stay here. I'll be right back." Nick released Natalie's hand and started off. A quick glance around told him that there were several other concert-goers in the parking lot, so he would have to use his best human pace. Nick passed the Caddy and crossed the street at a run. "Hey, wait for me," Natalie yelled after him. To the empty space in front of her she added, "If someone's screaming, you might need me." Natalie followed Nick as fast as her mid-sized heels would allow. Natalie heard the door frame shatter as Nick jerked the door to the warehouse open. She was still a block behind him when he rushed in. This time, she heard the blood-curdling scream. Nick paused just inside the doorway for a moment to adjust to the lack of light. He heard a scream that seemed to come from beneath his feet. He looked around and found the stairway. Carefully, but quickly, he headed down the stairs. Instinctively, he reached beneath his jacket for his gun and cursed to himself in French when he realized he wasn't wearing it. From the bottom of the stairs, Nick was able to see the back of a blonde head across the basement that was somehow illuminated. He wound his way through stacks of barrels and crates until he was standing behind the trembling girl. The beam from the flashlight that she had dropped spotlighted a massive pile of bodies, most of which were an eerie white. The girl jumped as Nick grabbed her shoulders. He turned her around gently. She stared at him in horror for a second and then fell, sobbing, into his arms. "It's okay now," he said reassuringly as he rocked her in his arms. Over the top of her head, he looked at the bodies and cringed. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - The horse's hooves beat slowly but steadily against the cobblestones. The open cart behind the horse was overflowing with bodies stacked carelessly on top of each other. An older man, his face concealed by a cloth, flagged down the cart as a younger man behind him dragged a woman's body toward the street. A third masked men pulled a sobbing woman from the body, trying without success to calm her. "No!" the woman pleaded. "Don't take my mother!" As she turned to search the street for help, Nick saw the dark patches around her neck that were the first signs of the Black Death. Covering his mouth with the back of his hand, Nick turned away. "More bodies to burn. What a waste." LaCroix shook his head and looked at Nick. "It's time for us to leave France, Nicholas. I'm sure there are better hunting grounds elsewhere." Nick turned his head slowly toward LaCroix. "How can you be so callous?" he asked with disgust. LaCroix grinned at his son. "Easy, my dear boy. It's a mortal problem." He started to leave, and then turned back to Nick. "I suggest you gather your belongings and prepare to move on. They will be burning the houses next. This will be a hot town before long." LaCroix emphasized his point with the wave of his arm and chuckled as he prepared to continue his departure. A young boy with a mass of dark curly hair ran up to Nick and tugged on his sleeve. "Come, Sir. The sun begins to rise," the boy pleaded in French as he attempted to pull Nick down the street. "And who is your young friend, Nicholas?" LaCroix purred, taking several steps toward the pair. "He looks so... healthy." He touched his tongue to his upper lip and grinned. Nick pushed the boy behind him and stood protectively between the boy and LaCroix. "He is a victim of this pestilence, LaCroix. He has lost his entire family." Nick looked back at the head peeking around from behind him. "Philip is staying with me as my ... assistant." The boy smiled at LaCroix with pride. Nick turned, put his arm around Philip's shoulders, and headed down the street. After several steps, Nick stopped and turned back to LaCroix. With a snarl, he hissed quietly, "Leave him alone, LaCroix. He has suffered enough." Nick met LaCroix's stare for a moment, and then left quickly with Philip. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - End part 2. Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 20:32:53 -0700 Reply-To: Sarah Baker Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Sarah Baker Subject: Trapped (3/6) To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Please see part 1 for disclaimer. Trapped (3/6) by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com) Natalie's key chain flashlight gave off barely enough light for her to get down the stairs without falling, but she was thankful that she had it. She made her way across the basement, and stopped beside Nick. In silence, she used her flashlight to examine the pile of bodies. When the girl's sobs softened, Nick pushed her away to arm's length. He looked intently into her eyes. "It's okay, I'm a police officer. I need for you to go up to the street and look for a phone. Call Metro Homicide and tell them that Detective Knight told you to call. Tell them where we are. Can you do that?" The girl nodded as she wiped her nose with her sleeve. Nick dropped his hands from the girl's shoulders. She purposely kept her back to the bodies as she picked up her flashlight and backpack and headed quickly toward the stairs without looking back. Nick watched her go, hoping she would do as he asked and regretting leaving his phone in the car. Maybe he should have 'persuaded' her, but it was too late for that. He turned back to the bodies. Natalie knelt beside one of the fresher bodies. "There must be thirty bodies here, and someone has covered most of them with lime. That must be what's keeping the smell down," she said to Nick over her shoulder. With one finger, Natalie turned Sally's head and examined her neck. "Nick ... look. We don't want the department to see *this*." Nick noticed the bit of panic in Natalie's voice as he knelt beside her. He was not completely surprised to find the fang marks in the neck. This whole scene looked much too familiar. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick stumbled through the doorway of the empty house with Philip in tow. Smoke rising from his head and shoulders, Nick looked desperately around the house for a cellar door. He found it across the room. Nick ripped the door open and started down the ladder with Philip right behind him. When they reached the bottom, they both turned to examine the shelter. Philip gasped and grabbed Nick's arm instinctively for protection. Across the small room was a pile of bodies, lit slightly by the early sunlight filtering through knotholes at the top of the walls. Even in the dim light, Nick could clearly make out the fang marks on several of the necks. Nick put his arm around Philip and held him. "Listen to me," Nick started as he knelt in front of Philip. He looked with sympathy at the horror in Philip's eyes. "Go on to the house and stay until nightfall. You will be safe there. Gather our belongings ... we will leave this town after sunset." Philip shook his head adamantly. "No. I will stay with you. The sun is up and the men will be looking for bodies soon..." Nick grabbed Philip's shoulders and shook them gently. "Go to the house and pack," he said sternly. "I will be fine. There is no reason for you to stay with this." Nick nodded toward the bodies. He smiled reassuringly at Philip. Slowly Philip nodded and climbed the ladder to leave. Nick turned back to the bodies. He hissed with disgust, "This plague is an excuse for some to be careless." Nick wrapped himself in his cloak and slid down the wall in the darkest corner. He rested his head on his knees and closed his eyes. From the street above, noises suggested that people were leaving town. As he was drifting off to sleep, Nick heard one man's voice ordering, "Burn the houses. There's nothing left but bodies." - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - "Nick." Nick jumped at Natalie's voice. "What are we going to do?" she asked. Nick felt a strange tingling. He stood up quickly and stiffened. "Nick?" "Nat, *someone* is here," he said to her ominously without looking down. "Get back, Nat, and stay quiet." Without hesitating, Natalie backed up to the wall and turned off her flashlight. She knelt down behind several crates and listened as hard as she could. The young vampire stepped out from under the stairs, dragging the duffle bag with him. He pulled the pin out of a hand grenade, dropped it carefully into the bag, and started up the stairs. Nick watched the young vampire's movements, then flew to the stairway and knocked him down. From his vantage point on the stairs, Nick could see into the duffle bag. He could just make out the tops of several sticks of dynamite. Time stopped. Nick looked at the back of the vampire's head, looked at the duffle bag, and looked across to room toward Natalie. There was time to escape. There was time to carry the young vampire out with him. There was time to kill this careless vampire and escape. But there wasn't time to reach the other side of the room, get Natalie, and escape with her. If the explosion to come was as big as it looked like it could be, Natalie would die here tonight. Nick felt like his thought processes were taking years to work this out. He couldn't let Natalie die. The only thing he could do was try to shield her. With the decision, Nick released the younger vampire and flew across the room toward Natalie's heartbeat. He was still three meters from her when the hand grenade exploded, igniting the dynamite. The ensuing set of explosions blew Nick against the far wall and sent the crates Natalie was hiding behind in the same direction. The stairway collapsed instantly, followed almost immediately by the concrete piers. The entire building rumbled as the structure failed. Across the street, the blonde girl was startled by the sound of the first explosion. She watched in horror as the two floors of the warehouse pancaked together and fell until they were at ground level. The girl glanced quickly in each direction down the street. Assured that she was alone, she started down the sidewalk at a trot. * * * * * * * * * * "... because you'll *always* have a friend in the Nightcrawler." The blue studio lights gave LaCroix's smile a decidedly evil tint. He switched off the microphone and leaned back in his chair. An eerie tingling started at the base of his skull and moved down his spine as his smile faded. LaCroix closed his eyes as he tried to identify the familiar feeling. "Nicholas..." he breathed. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - LaCroix looked around the comfortable parlor filled with memories and mementos. He grunted with disgust and mumbled to himself, "I really must prepare to leave, with or without Nicholas. There is certainly no sport left with the mortals dropping like flies." He had not been able to bring himself to feed on any of the dying tonight. The taste of the tainted blood was becoming unbearable. With a sigh of resignation, he started toward the bookshelves to remove the contents. He was stopped by pounding on his door. LaCroix opened the door to find Philip gripping the doorway, tears streaming down his cheeks. LaCroix smiled at the fortunate turn of events. "Ah, a visitor. You are Nicholas's assistant, are you not?" LaCroix grinned at the boy. "To what to I owe this pleasure?" The boy spoke between gasps. "Please Sir... my Master's... hurt... I think... he's dying ... please Sir ... I don't know what to do..." Philip grabbed LaCroix's sleeve and pulled him outside. LaCroix was shocked by the sight that met him. A charred body, barely recognizable, was huddled outside the doorway. The body moved just enough to suggest a spark of life and then remained still. Without further hesitation, LaCroix gathered Nick into his arms and carried him into the parlor. As he carefully placed Nick on the couch, he demanded an explanation from Philip. "They began burning the houses yesterday. My master was trapped by the daylight and could not escape. He was buried in the ruins ... it took all night to free him. Please help him!" Philip began to sob openly. "Close the shutters. The sun is starting to rise." LaCroix's voice was stern but kind. He was carefully removing the charred remains of clothing from around Nick's face. Philip obeyed without hesitation, and then returned to stand behind LaCroix. LaCroix whispered to Nick, "You need nourishment in order to heal." In a louder voice, he spoke to Philip. "Would you do *anything* for Nicholas?" Still sobbing, Philip replied, "Yes, Sir." "Then you must go out and find someone. The smaller and weaker, the better. You must bring them back here immediately. Do you understand?" Philip stared at the back of LaCroix's head as understanding overtook him. His sobbing stopped, to be replace by trembling. He was shocked, but determined. "Yes, Sir." It was an effort to start his legs in motion as Philip turned and left. LaCroix held Nick's hand in one of his own and gently wiped some of the soot from Nick's face with the other. He spoke in soothing tones. "I felt your pain. I thought is was only your foolish attempt to fight the Hunger. Nicholas ... I should have searched for you." - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - LaCroix rose from his chair quickly. The tingling was increasing. "Nicholas..." he whispered to the air. End part 3. Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 06:17:59 -0700 Reply-To: Sarah Baker Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Sarah Baker Subject: Trapped (4/6) To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Please see part 1 for disclaimer. Trapped (4/6) by Sraah Baker (zeke@rt66.com) Natalie awoke to a pounding in her head. She reached up to rub the large bump on the back of her head and felt pieces of debris falling from her arms. "What the hell...." she started as she tried several times to open her eyes. It took a moment to realize that her eyes were open and she still couldn't see. She tried desperately to remember where she was. The cold object in her hand was familiar. What was it? Natalie clicked the flashlight on as she was examining it. She jumped at the sudden flood of light. The memory of what had just happened came rushing back. "Nick?" Natalie used the flashlight to examine her surroundings. The huge basement had been reduced to a very tiny compartment. The ceiling was balanced about two meters above her on an assortment of barrels and crates. Three meters in each direction, new walls had been created by rubble. At last, she saw a blonde head sticking out of the pile to her right. Before she even considered that she might be injured, Natalie crawled over to Nick. "Nick!" she called desperately. Natalie found Nick unconscious. His face was turned toward her, and the lower half of his body was pinned down by a huge metal beam. As she examined the visible part of his body with the flashlight, Natalie found several large gashes in Nick's back. They were not bleeding badly, but they were also not healing at a perceptible rate. Natalie knelt beside Nick and leaned close to his face. She gently pulled his hair back. "Nick, can you hear me? Nick?" There was a small moan and Nick's hand moved. Reassured, Natalie leaned closer and spoke more quickly. "Nick! You *must* wake up. Nick!" She gently shook his arm. Nick's eyes flew open. They were blazing blue and gold. Natalie released his arm and jumped back. "Nick?" He turned his head away from her and groaned as he struggled to free himself from the beam. With a low growl, Nick pushed himself up until the rubble creaked and rose. As he rolled out, the pile collapsed again, sending down a rain of dust. Nick crawled to the wall with his back to Natalie. His entire body screamed with pain. The vampire gripped him with self-preservation, but he knew that he had to fight it. He could tell by the sound of her heartbeat that Natalie was close to him. The vampire *had* to be subdued. Natalie crawled over to sit beside Nick. His head was down and he seemed to be almost panting. Hesitating a little, Natalie touched his shoulder. "Nick... are you alright?" It took a great deal of effort for Nick to turn around. Natalie was relieved to see that his eyes had returned to normal when he looked at her. He pulled his knees up in front of him and rested his arms on them gingerly. "I don't think so." Nick's attempt at a smile was much less that reassuring. "What happened?" "It looks like the building collapsed in the explosion." Natalie shown the flashlight around as she spoke. "I don't feel any air coming in. Can you get us out of here?" "I don't know, Nat. I don't think so ... I feel so weak." Nick dropped his head onto his arms. When he finally raised it back up, his eyes were glowing again, but only for a second. He sighed, leaned his head back against the wall, and closed his eyes. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - LaCroix heard the door open and close behind him as Philip rushed in. He knew by the sound of only one heartbeat that Philip was alone. The boy's voice behind him was desperate. "Sir, I can find no one. The town is deserted. Everyone has left." "I feel your pain," LaCroix whispered to Nick. "You must have nourishment. The sun is up..." LaCroix felt a despair he had not felt for centuries. His son would die if he did nothing, and he knew that, because he had not fed, there was not enough of his own blood to help. Slowly, LaCroix rose and turned to Philip. LaCroix's eyes were glowing unnaturally. "You will do *anything* for your master?" he hissed. Philip started to back up, his entire body shaking with fear. LaCroix stepped forward, grabbed Philip's shoulders, and knelt in front of him. Philip felt LaCroix's piercing stare. His shaking quieted. "Will you do anything for your master? Will you give him your blood?" LaCroix's voice echoed in Philip's head. The boy nodded slowly. LaCroix released Philip's shoulders, rose, and backed toward Nick. Philip followed. LaCroix stepped aside and Philip proceeded forward on his own. He stood beside the couch and held out his arm. LaCroix gripped Philip's tiny arm firmly, sliced the wrist with a small knife he produced from his pocket, and then released his grip. Philip held his wrist over Nick's face and allowed the blood to fall on his lips. LaCroix smiled as Nick's mouth opened slightly to catch the precious drops. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - "Nick, you need blood. I have ... a pint or two to spare." Natalie laughed nervously. "*Natalie*!" Nick replied with as much reproach as he could muster. "Look, Nick. I'm starting to feel just a little cramped in here. It feels like a coffin!" Nick rolled his head over toward Natalie and winced. "Sorry. I've just never liked tight, dark places," Natalie explained. "And the air is starting to feel a little thick." Natalie tugged at the collar of her dress. "What if the girl didn't call the station? No one will know we are down here." Natalie shivered once. She looked around again with the flashlight. "And this place doesn't look all that stable. If someone does come poking around, this whole building could come down on us. I don't know about you, but I think that would probably do me in. Nick, if you had the strength, you might be able to get us out of here." "Nat, you don't understand. I'm weak ... it could be ... very dangerous." Nick closed his eyes. The pain was sapping his energy and the vampire was screaming for blood. The noise in his head was threatening to drown out everything else. "If I pass out, leave me alone. Do you understand?" "Nick, don't you dare pass out on me," Natalie ordered. "I at *least* need someone to talk to." Nick's eyes began to glow again as he glared at Natalie. "Do you understand?" He was on the verge of yelling. Natalie was startled by his ferocity. "Yes," she answered. As if on cue, Nick slid down the wall toward Natalie. His head landed on her lap. Natalie shook his shoulder. "Nick?" He didn't respond. Natalie leaned her head back on the wall. "Dammit, Nick, I've got to do something. We have to make it out of here." * * * * * * * * * * Two uniformed officers walked around the perimeter of the collapsed building, looking for places to tie the warning tape. "Man, I hope no one was in there," the younger officer said with concern. "Yeah, me too," the older one responded. "So we're not supposed to search?" "No. We've got to wait for the Fire Department Investigator. They're not sure why it exploded." The younger officer wound the tape around a stray piece of pipe. "Probably a gas leak." "Yeah, probably," the older officer replied as he unrolled more tape. Behind them, at least two dozen police cars with flashing lights were blocking the street. Across the street, a plain-clothes officer was talking to a grungy blonde girl with a backpack. "Are you sure you didn't see anything?" The girl shook her head. "So what are you doing out here?" The girl looked down and didn't answer. "Maybe we should go talk to the Captain." When the officer turned to lead the girl toward the crowd of police, she shook free of his grip and took off running down the street. "Wait!" he yelled after her. There was no way he was going to catch up to a running teenager. he thought to himself, He shook his head as he walked back toward the captain to report a lack of witnesses. He guessed that the Fire Department team would probably wait until daylight to investigate. There certainly weren't any signs of survivors in the ruins, and the building had been deserted for at least two years. * * * * * * * * * * LaCroix stood on top of Nick's building. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the wind wiping at his face. He was disappointed not to find Nick in the loft, and was starting to truly worry. He concentrated on the vibration, knowing that it would lead him to his son. "Nicholas," he whispered. LaCroix smiled when he determined the direction of the signal. End part 4. Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 06:48:25 -0700 Reply-To: Sarah Baker Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Sarah Baker Subject: Trapped (5/6) To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Please see part 1 for disclaimer. Trapped (5/6) by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com) Natalie was grateful that her purse had stayed over her shoulder during the explosion. Too bad the rose was gone.She used the flashlight, which was getting weaker by the minute, to search the contents of her purse. "Ah ha!" she exclaimed as she pulled out the pocket knife. "Daddy always said to 'be prepared'. If he only knew..." With a great deal of effort, Natalie rolled Nick onto his back. she thought, Nick's head was still resting in Natalie's lap. She opened the pocket knife, wishing for a lighter or match with which to sterilize the blade. "Oh well, here goes..." she said with determination. Holding the flashlight in her mouth, she steadied her right arm on her left thigh and gripped the pocketknife like a scalpel. It was important that she not hit anything vital, but make the cut deep enough to release more than just a drop of blood. Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she drew the blade up her wrist in a swift motion. Natalie winced with pain, closed her eyes, and clamped her teeth down on the flashlight. When she opened her eyes again, she was glad to see blood quickly welling in the cut. Natalie held the cut several inches above Nick's mouth and let the blood drip onto his lips. Nick's mouth opened slightly to catch the precious drops. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick licked the drops of blood from around his mouth. He opened his eyes slowly to find the source of the nourishment. His eyes glowing, Nick bared his fangs and reached up for Philip's arm. He greedily pressed the wound to his mouth and drew in the blood. Nick stared coldly at Philip's face as he drank. The expression on Philip's face changed slowly from pain to a pained pleasure as he returned the vampire's stare. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick opened his mouth further to catch the dripping blood. The sweetness of the taste was unbelievable, filled with life and emotion and more. He felt that he would explode with joy and pleasure. Nick's eyes opened. Natalie gasped at the red glow; the flashlight fell to the floor. Nick reached up quickly and pressed Natalie's wrist to his mouth. As he drew out the blood, Natalie winced, but she didn't pull her arm away. She knew he needed more blood than he had taken so far. Natalie was a little concerned by the cold look on Nick's face, but she was determined to help him recover. In fact, the pain wasn't as bad as it was at first. She closed her eyes and found that her whole body was starting to tingle. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick reached up and placed his left hand behind Philip's neck. With his right hand, he pushed Philip's arm away from his mouth and bared his fangs. He pulled Philip's neck towards his mouth; Philip didn't resist. Nick sank his fangs into the soft flesh of Philip's neck and groaned as his mouth filled with the warm, pulsing blood. Philip whimpered quietly as his knees collapsed and he fell across Nick's chest. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Natalie's eyes opened again when she felt Nick's hand on the back of her neck. Nick pushed Natalie's arm away and quickly sat up next to her. Every cell in his body was exploding with hunger and excitement. The vampire's eyes stared full-force into Natalie's; his expression was cold and unfeeling. The source of his pleasure and strength sat inches from him. Nick bared his fangs and let out a low growl. He pulled Natalie's neck slowly toward his mouth. Natalie felt no desire to resist him. She knew she was loosing her grip on reality. For some unexplainable reason, she wanted nothing more than to have Nick take her blood. Natalie allowed Nick to moved her head to the side and she closed her eyes. Her breath was coming in gasps. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick released his grip on Philip's neck after the last drop of blood was drained. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the healing energy surging through his body ... the innocence. After a few moments, Nick opened his eyes again; the vampire had faded. He slowly sat up and felt Philip's limp body sliding down his chest. Staring at the boy's body in horror, Nick quickly backed out from underneath it. He didn't stop moving until he had backed off of the couch and was flattened against the wall. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick held her neck an inch from his mouth. He heard the rushing of her blood and touched her warm skin with the tips of his fangs. Still reeling from the sensations of the sweetest blood he had ever tasted, he paused. The picture of Philip's lifeless body suddenly invaded his thoughts, and Nick shuddered. His mind waged war with the vampire, this moment frozen in time. What was he doing? The vampire pushed him forward to the healing blood within his grasp. His mind held him back. He was about to do something ... something he didn't want to do. Stop! He was about to drain Natalie! "No!" he growled, as he released his grip on her neck. His whole body was still screaming with need. He reached down and lifted her wrist to his mouth. Just one more swallow. The taste and fulfillment sent a shutter through his entire body. Nick groaned with pain as he forced the vampire to release Natalie's arm. As soon as it dropped into her lap, Nick flung himself to the farthest wall. He huddled into the corner and fought the vampire. He concentrated on his wounds in order to ignore the sound of her heartbeat. It was the most difficult thing he could ever remember doing. When he finally looked up at Natalie, his eyes had returned to normal, and the scratches on his face were nearly gone. Natalie shook her head to break the fog. The only thing she felt was pain resulting from unfulfilled desire. What was going on? She looked across the space at Nick. The pain in his eyes was unmistakable even in this dim light. She had never seen such a look on him. Natalie felt reality slipping away again. Nick dropped his head onto his arms. He could feel the healing. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Nick looked at LaCroix, then back at Philip's body. The burns on Nick's face were fading, but the horror was not. "How could you do this, LaCroix?" he screamed. "I told you to leave him alone! How could you force him to die for me?" "There wasn't much 'force' involved, Nicholas," LaCroix replied patiently. "He was willing to do anything for you. I just helped him past the initial fear. He could have resisted." "But I've killed him! He survived all of this suffering ... for what?" "Well, Nicholas, you drank his blood and he died for you." LaCroix's voice dripped with sarcasm. "That makes him your 'savior', does it not? Promoted from assistant to savior in a few short minutes. That's not bad." LaCroix chuckled at the thought. Nick slid down the wall, unable to tear his eyes fromPhilip's small, lifeless body. - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - Silence consumed the space. Nick raised his head again and found Natalie staring at him. She still looked dazed. He crawled across the space to sit beside her. Nick tore a strip from his shirt and gently wrapped it around Natalie's wrist. She winced but didn't make a sound. Nick realized she was pale from the loss of blood. He cringed at the thought of how close he had come to killing her. Nick moved closer to Natalie and put his arms around her. "It's okay now, Nat," he said soothingly as he rocked her gently. "You saved me," he whispered so that she couldn't quite hear him. End part 5. Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 07:16:53 -0700 Reply-To: Sarah Baker Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Sarah Baker Subject: Trapped (6/6) To: FKFIC-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Please see part 1 for disclaimer. Trapped (6/6) by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com) LaCroix stood on the building across from the wreckage. He could feel the vibrations coming from the debris. For some reason, Nicholas' pain seemed to have lessened a little, but it was definitely still there. He needed to find his suffering child. LaCroix surveyed the area, locating a pile of concrete and steel which would shield him from the prying eyes of the dozen or so police still milling about on the street. In the blink of an eye, he was standing behind the pile. He stood very still and closed his eyes, feeling the direction of Nick's location. "Hold on, Nicholas. Feel my strength," he whispered. LaCroix then opened his eyes and, as quietly as possible, began moving the larger pieces of metal and concrete aside. * * * * * * * * * * There was a noise in the rubble across from where they sat. Nick looked up and listened. He hugged Natalie reassuringly and then slowly stood up and crossed the space. He stopped in front of the rubble and listened with both his ears and his mind. He felt the familiar vibration and smiled to himself. "LaCroix..." With a great deal of effort, Nick pulled back the largest piece of metal from the pile. The young vampire, almost unrecognizable from the gashes and dirt on his face, rolled out of the pile. He jumped up and backed to the wall of debris, fangs bared and eyes glowing. Nick was so surprised by his appearance, that it took awhile for him to realize who was standing in front of him. Nick tossed the piece of metal aside and stared at the vampire. The young vampire's stare moved from Nick to Natalie. He licked his lips. "No!" Nick growled at him, his own fangs bared. "But I'm hungry!" the younger vampire hissed back almost pathetically. The vampire flew toward Natalie. Nick grabbed him in midair by the back of his jacket and threw him against the rubble. Nick placed himself between the vampire and Natalie and growled threateningly. Under normal circumstances, he knew this young vampire would be no match for him, but Nick was still weak and the younger vampire was driven by hunger. Nick tensed for the expected onslaught, prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect Natalie. The younger vampire rose slowly, his eyes glowing in desperation. His growl was low as he prepared to throw himself at Nick. As he started to move forward, the younger vampire was jerked back to the wall of debris. Both he and Nick were surprised by the movement. A piece of concrete rolled from the pile and LaCroix stepped through the opening, his hand firmly grasping the back of the vampire's collar. LaCroix lifted the vampire in front of him and turned him around to examine his face. The young vampire bared his fangs and hissed at LaCroix. His arms flailed savagely. "A wild one," LaCroix hissed back at him. "Too bad. You have been too long without a teacher." LaCroix snapped off a piece of wood from the rubble with his free hand and drove it quickly through the heart of the vampire, pinning him against the debris. LaCroix released his grip on the vampire's collar. Nick let out a deep breath and fell to his knees. LaCroix turned to examine his son. The relief that washed over his face he quickly hid with a wry smile. LaCroix noticed Natalie sitting against the wall, her eyes closed. "What a strange place for a date, Nicholas. Might I suggest the opera instead?" Nick looked up with a smile. "I'm actually glad to see you, LaCroix." LaCroix watched as Nick struggled to his feet and walked back to Natalie. Nick knelt down and put Natalie's arm over his shoulder, then lifted her until she was standing beside him. She was conscious enough to walk as Nick led her toward the opening. They followed LaCroix out of the collapsed building. * * * * * * * * * * Natalie pulled the blanket up under her chin and stretched her legs out in front of her. She couldn't stop shivering. Her wet hair wasn't helping, either. "I found a Cup 'o Soup. I can't vouch for it's age, but it doesn't look *too* bad." Nick carried the steaming mug carefully and sat on the sofa next to Natalie. He handed the mug to her and noticed that she was still pale and shaking a little as she took it. "This ought to help you get your strength back." "It's so cold in here." Natalie's shaking almost spilled the soup. Nick picked up the remote and pointed it at the fireplace. The logs burst into flames. "Better?" he asked. Natalie nodded as she took a sip from the mug. She looked at Nick as he watched her, smiling. He had showered, but he still looked weak and pale. "Aren't you going to join me?" she asked, nodding toward the refrigerator. "You don't look so great either." "If it won't bother you," Nick replied hesitantly. He wanted nothing more than a drink, but he knew how much it upset Natalie. "There's a time for everything." Natalie smiled weakly at him. Nick poured himself a drink and returned to sit on the end of the sofa. Natalie looked down at her soup and spoke hesitantly. "So ... how does my blood taste?" "*Natalie*!" Nick turned to her, looking both shocked and embarrassed. "Well, I've never had a chance to ask anyone that question before. I'm just curious." Natalie chuckled. "I'm not going to answer it." Nick straighten back up on the sofa and stared down at his glass. "What you did ... was dangerous." He looked up at Natalie, his face serious. "But I have to thank you, Nat. You know, of course, that you saved me." Natalie laughed. "I *wasn't* going to be stuck down there alone!" Nick smiled at her, and then looked back at his glass. Natalie sipped her soup and watched as Nick drank. She smiled to herself as she caught a glimpse of a grimace cross his face. "Well, that wasn't exactly the 'date' I had in mind," Natalie broke the silence. "Maybe we should try again," Nick suggested as he lifted Natalie's feet and placed them in his lap. "The symphony is playing Bach next week." Natalie raised her eyebrows to make the statement into a question. "Sounds good to me." They each took another sip of their respective drinks. Something suddenly occurred to Natalie and she looked up at Nick. "You didn't know Bach, too, did you?" Nick grinned, raised one eyebrow, and took another sip from his glass. THE END