ACT V
Captain Reese stood before Nick's desk and watched his newest detective pace in front of hers. She was like those lions in cages at the circus.
"You need to find your partner, Detective Collins. I don't suppose it's going to be any different from before. I couldn't convince either Knight or Vetter to check in once in awhile. Why should now be any different?"
She realized he was speaking to her, and she stopped her pacing. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
"You need to tell Knight IA dropped the charges they were considering against him regarding his partner's death. It was a clean shoot. Find him, Collins. It's very important that he knows this. He was really torn up about losing her."
Reese shook his head with frustration and thought about his encounter with Vetter's father earlier that day. The funeral had been that morning and the hours after seemed endless. He had spent some time with Commissioner Vetter who was pretty shaken up over his daughter's death. The Commissioner had told him he understood Knight was not at fault for Tracy's death. "It was just one of those weird things," he had told Reese. "That's a cop's life. You wake up mornings not knowing if you'll be coming home that night. Tracy understood that. My ex-wife, on the other hand, never could come to terms with it."
"Yeah, I know. It's been a sore spot with Denise and me. It's hard on the families, that's for sure." Reese told him then, " Look, Commissioner, I am very sorry about your daughter. She was a good cop, just coming into her own as a homicide detective. I was proud to have her part of my precinct."
Impatient with the time it took the computer to pull up the requested information, she returned to her pacing, wearing a worn path in front of her computer.
Reese stared at her. *Poor thing, thrown into one helluva mess. Maybe I should reassign her to someone else and give Knight some time off. Lord knows he deserves it. Losing two partners in one year. And both violently, too. * He crumpled the paper cup in his hand and tossed it into the wastebasket at the side of the desk.
"Two points," Katherine told him.
"What?"
"You made the basket. Two points," she told him again with a smile. "I think I have a line on Knight. I'm going to check it out this evening. Is there anything else you want me to tell him?"
He admired her confidence. She was coping very well with this difficult situation. *Maybe Knight needs to get right back in the saddle. She just might be the best thing for him.* "Well, when you do find him, let him know how short-handed we are around here, with that flu-bug or whatever it is going around. Tell him I need him badly and I am counting on him."
He turned to answer the desk sergeant's question, then turned back to Katherine. "Oh, by the way, Collins. Welcome to the Toronto PD"
She flashed a grin at him once more. "Thanks. I'll find him, Captain," she told him with conviction.
*I bet you will Detective Collins. I just bet you will. * "Now, what was that, Williams?" He left Katherine to the information that just came up on her computer.
On screen was the departmental files on her partner, Nicholas Knight. It told her the usual stuff. Name. Birth date. * I wonder what the significance of that day is?* Place of birth. Work record. On the surface, it looked like the typical personnel file. She knew it had been doctored to avoid questions. She had been briefed about Nicholas de Brabant when she had accepted the assignment. The real story was longer and, in truth, more exciting. *I wonder if anyone would notice: 13th century vampire, wants to be mortal again.* She chuckled at the thought. The alarm from her wristwatch beeped 5:45. "Ok, Detective Knight," she told his picture on her view screen. "It's about time we met."
She pulled on her winter coat and gloves as she walked past the front desk. "I'll let you know what I find out, Captain," she called to Reese as she went through the doors.
A very surprised Reese watched her leave. "Someone here is actually telling me they're leaving and will report back. Will wonders never cease?" he asked no one in particular.
The desk sergeant gave him an amused look and went back to his work.
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"I wouldn't miss this for the world," a considerably stronger Javier Vachon was telling Lacroix in the Raven. They were finishing their "dinner" before their expected guest arrived.
Uncharacteristically nervous, Lacroix wasn't exactly sure he wanted his new companion to tag along. He had sensed more than casual interest in her from him and the last thing he want was a confrontation with Vachon. Finally, after many second thoughts, he agreed to let him accompany them. Vachon would have followed anyway and there was no need to create problems where there might be none.
Precisely at 6 p.m., the Raven's doors opened and Katherine stepped through them once more. Lacroix was impressed with her promptness. He was anxious to get this over with. After putting the movers on hold this morning, he thought long and hard about how he would deal with her. He had concluded that she couldn't be his beloved Fluer, come back as this mortal woman. She had to be an illusion borne from his grief over Nicholas. But, seeing her here before him in the Raven, he knew she was no illusion.
"Good evening, Detective Collins." Ever the proper host, Lacroix rose from his seat to greet her. "I trust you slept well today."
Katherine kept her distance. A warm welcome was not what she had expected and she wasn't about to encourage it. She looked from Lacroix to Vachon and back to Lacroix again. He appeared to be slightly agitated. *Not at all how I pictured him.* She stole another look at Vachon and noted he looked much healthier than earlier that morning. There was something about the way he stood there watching her that made her a little uncomfortable. *Just your imagination, Katherine. Keep your mind on the matters at hand.* Still, she kind of liked the way he was looking at her.
"I slept well, thank-you. I trust you are rested also. Are you ready to go? It is dark now." She looked directly at Lacroix.
"All in good time, my dear," he replied, almost menacingly. "Before we leave, I would like you to answer a question for me. How did you happen to come to the Raven in your search for your missing partner?"
Vachon watched the two verbally dance with each other as he leaned back against the bar and sipped the rest of his "dinner". *She's not afraid of him and has very little respect either. And, yet, she knows who he is. What we are.* Javier had given her one of his dark smiles when she had looked his way. For a second, he knew he had gotten to her. Her heart rate rose briefly and then just as quickly, settled back into its original tempo. In the few short minutes of their encounter, his interest was piqued.
Katherine gave Lacroix a look of annoyance as she considered her answer. She didn't fluster under his gaze, but took time to choose her words carefully. In an attempt to avoid his question, she repeated herself. "It is dark outside. Are you ready to go?" She almost glared at him.
"The answer to my question first, and then I will take you to the place I last saw him." He stared at her, trying to reach her consciousness.
"I really don't see the point of your knowing how it was I came here. It is immaterial to my finding my partner. The fact is that I am here and the sooner you take me to him, the sooner I'll be out of your hair." With a questioning look on her face, she gestured toward the door.
He swirled his index around the rim of his glass as he watched Knight's former master attempt to regain control of the conversation. Clearly, Katherine was not about to answer his question. Vachon knew Lacroix was seething inside. This was one, who was accustomed to being obeyed, having his questions answered. Surely, she could tell Lacroix was not happy. But she was after something important to her. She didn't care whom she made unhappy. Javier smiled inwardly with amusement.
Glaring at her, Lacroix took the stance of one who will not move until he heard what he wanted. He would have stood there all night. He had nothing to lose.
*This is going nowhere* she thought. "Ok. It's known that Knight has frequented here on more than one occasion. In fact, it could be said that you and he were friends." she shrugged. "I had a feeling, that's all."
Satisfied? She asked with her eyes. *That's it, Lacroix, no more.*
Recognizing that was all he was going to get, he repeated her statement, mockingly. "You had a feeling."
Katherine chose to ignore the mild taunt, stepped to her side and pointed once more toward the door. "Like I said, the sooner you take me to him, the sooner I'm out of here." She glanced at Vachon. "Are you coming too?"
Vachon straightened from his slouch and set his empty glass on the counter.
The two vampires followed her to the street in silence. She pressed the button on her key chain to unlock the doors of her car. The highly polished surface gleamed in the streetlight. It was a small, fast, new American number whose backseat was not meant for full sized adults. Vachon squeezed into the small rear seat as Lacroix took the passenger front.
He watched her face in the rear view mirror as she followed the directions Lacroix gave to Knight's apartment. Her look of determination was softened by shadows cast from the passing streetlights. Oncoming headlights gave her hair a golden glow as they whizzed by. Once, she glanced at him and he thought she smiled.
"Pull in here." Lacroix told her to park behind a blue Taurus that Vachon recognized as Natalie's. *I can't believe he didn't get rid of it last night*, Vachon noted with surprise.
Knowing what she was about to walk in on, Lacroix offered, "Would you like us to join you?" *I'll take her once she discovers her newly departed partner. Fleur will be mine forever. Nicholas can't stop me now.* He smiled to himself as he envisioned her reaction and pointed toward the elevator. "You can get upstairs using the lift."
As she got out of the car, Katherine observed the building. Her eyes rested on the windows above her. She already could sense Nick upstairs with a mortal, likely his Natalie. She gave Lacroix a knowing look. "Yes. That would be nice. You could introduce us."
*Does she know? How could she?* Lacroix returned her look with a small smile, eagerly anticipating the next few minutes. The elevator seemed to take forever. *Damn! This elevator is slow! I should have flown,* he thought with impatience. *Before this night is over, she will be mine. Vachon won't get in the way. He knows she belongs to me.*
From slightly behind, Vachon watched the two closely. Katherine was calmly watching the lights on the buttons move upward slowly. *She has no idea of what's waiting for her once she gets inside.* He glanced at Lacroix and realized he was not going to let her leave here alive. *Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?*
The elevator door finally opened, revealing the great room, softly lit by candlelight and the fire raging in the hearth across the room. Lacroix, Vachon and Katherine stepped out of the lift into the apartment as the two on the sofa facing the fireplace rose to greet them.
ACT 6
The fire crackled and popped in the fireplace before them as Natalie and Nick nestled in each other's arms on the big leather sofa. The day had been spent sleeping and planning. The future held more for them than they could have ever imagined. Now, they were enjoying a drink before the fire, content with each other's company.
Nick heard the familiar sound of the elevator bringing unannounced guests to his home long before Natalie did. He sensed two vampires, one was possibly Lacroix and the other was familiar, but one he could not identify.
The elevator doors had opened before he could rise and face his visitors.
The look of surprise and astonishment on Lacroix's face could never be described. The son he thought he had destroyed only twenty-four hours ago now stood before him with the woman he'd also thought dead. *Maybe I have finally lost my mind,* he thought briefly. *This is entirely too much.*
After a few moments of uncertain silence, Vachon stepped out from behind Katherine and said to Nick, "You are looking very healthy this evening, Knight. You too, Dr. Lambert." He could sense the awkwardness between Knight and Lacroix. Neither of them knew what to say. He had never imagined either of them could be so speechless.
Barely making sense out of Vachon's words, Nick finally responded, "Well, let's just say the rumors of our deaths have been greatly exaggerated." He gave Natalie a reassuring hug as he stared at the woman who entered his world. *Fleur,* he thought with a start. *Could she be my sister?* She was almost the exact image of his sister, long dead, yet, something was not right. He couldn't quite place it.
Lacroix watched his newly resurrected son's reaction to his guest. *He sees the resemblance too. It's too uncanny.*
Natalie could tell something was bothering Nick and this time it wasn't Lacroix. It wasn't seeing the presumed dead Vachon among the, ummm, living, either. It was definitely the woman who stood before them. *Who is she?* Natalie wondered.
Not one to be intimidated by any situation, Katherine walked across the room to Nick, extended her hand with a smile and said, "Hello, Detective Knight. My name is Katherine Collins. I am your new partner." She shook his hand and continued. "I am on a departmental transfer from the states. Captain Reese assigned me to you. He wanted me to find you, which wasn't easy by the way, to let you know that Internal Affairs dropped the charges they were considering against you regarding your late partner. He told me to tell you he is extremely short-handed and needs you back ASAP." She unclasped his hand and with deep sincerity, looked into his eyes. "I am very sorry about Detective Vetter. It must have been very difficult for you." Then, lowering her voice, she told him, "Nick, we need to talk."
Letting go of her hold around Nick's back, Natalie extended her hand. There was something about this woman she liked already. She clearly had an effect on Lacroix, and that counted for something. She had never imagined Lacroix to be at a loss for words.
"I am Natalie Lambert, the ME. Welcome to Toronto. Can I get you something to drink?" She prayed Nick had something more than his usual collection of green bottles in the fridge. "Coffee? Water?" Natalie looked from Katherine to Vachon, to Lacroix and then Nick and wondered what each was thinking.
"Water would be nice, thanks," Katherine replied. She liked Natalie immediately.
Natalie left Nick and Katherine staring at each other to get the water. On her way to the kitchen, she passed Lacroix, who was deep in thought. She shook her head once again in amazement over the silence of Nick's master.
Natalie's movement returned Lacroix back to the present. Memories he thought buried long ago surfaced painfully. He had never allowed himself to love a mortal as deeply as he had Fleur. There could be no other to replace her.
The sound of Natalie moving past him made him realize where he was and that his beloved son stood before him once more. He ached to find out how this was possible, but knew it was time to leave. He had lived up to his end of the bargain. Part of him was glad it wasn't necessary to carry out the original plan. The trade-off of having Nicholas back was worth the disappointment.
"Well, Nicholas?" He broke the awkward silence. "We must find time to talk about last night. Soon." He gave Nick a look of urgency. "We..." He looked at Vachon as he emphasized the 'we'. "must be going. I'd like to talk to you about re-opening the Raven, Vachon. It seems as if my plans have been changed." Lacroix turned to Natalie who was returning to Katherine with a glass of water in hand. "Dr. Lambert," he said coolly. "It was a pleasure to see you again." He nodded in Katherine's direction. "Detective Collins."
"Thank-you," she told them "you have been so very helpful." With that, she returned Vachon's stare and held it for a moment. Tingles of electricity ran up and down her spine as she blushed ever so softly.
Vachon smiled briefly at her before he left the apartment with Lacroix.
From a short distance, Katherine heard the muted "whoosh" as the two took off to the sky on the return to the Raven.
With her back to Nick and Natalie, Katherine closed her eyes. *Ok, I've made it this far. This is it.* She took a deep breath and turned to face her very confused partner.
"Would you mind telling us what this is all about?" Nick demanded, slightly unnerved by her resemblance to his sister.
She gave Nick and Natalie an engaging smile and took a sip of water from the glass that had just been handed to her. "Why don't we have a seat?"