ACT 9
Nick stared at the doors as they closed behind Katherine. He was lost in the memories of the last time he had seen his sister. Fleur begged him to let Lacroix bring her across. He could not allow his master to do it. "It is the beauty of her innocence that you love and that you will kill with the first taste of her blood," he had told Lacroix. His master then asked him if he would rather see her beauty wither and fade with age. Even then, with the freshness of his condition still upon him, Nick knew the life of darkness Lacroix offered Fleur was not the life she was destined to live. And yes, if that meant growing old and dying, then, so be it.
He knew Lacroix had never gotten over his love of Fleur or his resentment of Nick for his part in making him agree to let her go. Nick had almost lost Natalie because of that resentment last Valentine's Day. He had tried to convince Lacroix he was only using her to find a cure, that he really didn't love her. The words pained him deeply to say, and he was glad that Natalie was under his master's spell at the time, so that she didn't hear them. Lacroix backed off that night, but Nick suspected that the elder vampire didn't quite believe him. *He probably thoroughly enjoyed last night,* Nick mused.
Natalie had seen that look in Nick's eyes often enough to know to keep quiet and wait for him to come back to the real world. She'd long ago decided vampires must have little video players in their heads that they rewound periodically so they could review parts of their past. If Nick wanted to share this episode, he would. If not, he'd skirt the issue.
A blink of his eyes returned him to the present. He grinned at her. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"About?"
"How much my new partner looks like my sister."
"You had a sister?" Natalie looked at him with surprise. "Katherine's not?"
"No," Nick interrupted her. "The resemblance is uncanny. Lacroix certainly saw it. But after talking with her, no, no Nat, she's not my Fleur."
"How does Lacroix figure in this? Did he know your sister?" Natalie dared to ask. In all the years she'd known Nick, he never told her about his mortal family. Once or twice she'd considered asking about them but the opportunity just never came up. She sensed now was the time he'd talk about them.
"My sister's name was Fleur. She was younger than I and more beautiful than the morning sun or a field of flowers." Nick stared across the room envisioning his sister the last time he had been with her. He told Natalie about his family, how it was that he had returned to his home to see his mother and sister one last time. Lacroix and Janette had accompanied him. He told her about how Lacroix and Fleur had fallen in love and how he stepped in to intercede. "I couldn't do it, Nat. I couldn't let him destroy her light, to condemn her to the life I was only beginning to regret I had accepted."
Natalie watched him with deep fascination as he told his story. She couldn't agree with him about what he had done, but decided it wasn't the time to argue. There were far too many things before them that were more important. "So, Lacroix thinks she's Fleur?"
"You saw the way he looked at her. He should have had a million questions for us, but he hardly spoke a word. His eyes were always on her."
*Maybe he was upset we cancelled his dinner plans, the voice inside her head responded. *Now, Natalie, be nice,* she told herself. *After all, not one, but three people came back from the dead tonight.* Then an awful thought ran through her mind.
"You don't think Lacroix would try to bring her across, do you?" Natalie's eyes widened with concern. From his expression, she could tell Nick hadn't considered that scenario.
"I? I don't think?" his mind raced with the possibilities. "He might try," Nick finally conceded. "But I don't think he would succeed. You heard the way she spoke to him. She's not afraid of him. For some reason, I think she can handle herself."
Natalie nodded in agreement. "What DO you think of your new partner?"
A thoughtful look fell across his face. "She seems pretty confident. Intuitive. Ok, what?" Nick asked Natalie as she made a face at him.
"Oh, I don't know." She squinted at him. "The story about her last partner hit a little close to home, don't you think? Did you get the feeling she was trying to tell us something?"
Nick stared past her, replaying Katherine's story to himself. *My friend told me the guy in white had told him there would be someone, a friend to help him adjust to the real world again.* He nodded without thinking as he heard her final words again. "You're right. I wonder why she couldn't come right out and say it, but I think she's that friend the figure in white told the partner about."
"So she's our friend now?" Natalie stifled another yawn.
"Maybe that's why she looks so much like Fleur. It could be "their" way of making us comfortable with her. There is still so much we don't understand. I'm willing to bet she's the one who will give us the answers to our questions."
This time, Natalie couldn't suppress the yawn.
He smiled at her. "Why don't we sleep on all this?" he suggested. "I'll try to find out more about my new partner tomorrow. "Nick placed an arm around Natalie's waist and began to lead her to the staircase.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's been a long two days. I think you might be right, Nick. She just might have the answers we are looking for. Anyway, I think I like her."
Hand in hand, they ascended the stairs. "Anyone that can put Lacroix at a loss for words makes points in my book." Natalie smiled at the site of Lacroix speechless earlier.
Nick chuckled. "She sure had him quiet, didn't she?" They were at the foot of the bed. Nick stopped and pulled Natalie closer to him. "Sleep well," he whispered in her ear, then he tenderly kissed her on the lips.
ACT 10
Lacroix took his time returning to the Raven. After leaving Katherine with Nicholas, he told Vachon he would meet him there later. He needed time to himself to think. And as always, when he needed time alone, he took to the skies.
He flew over parks, listened to the hollow voices of the homeless, shivering in the cold. Witnessed a drug deal, heard a prostitute pick up a john. Ordinarily, he'd stop and watch the insignificant mortals walk through yet another act of the play they called life. Sometimes, he'd indulge himself and toy with them. Not tonight. He had other things on his mind.
*She has to be Fleur. She looks so much like her. Sounds like her.* The sound of Katherine's voice was the melodic tones he remembered from so long ago. Fleur was the only mortal that had ever made him regret, even slightly, the thing he was. "Damn you, Nicholas."
But there WAS something about this doppelganger that was different. Yes, the face and the voice were the same, but the attitude and demeanor were wrong. There was a power in her that was intent on business. She had a sense of purpose and appeared confident that things would go her way. There was an air about her he had never felt from a mortal before.
*That's it,*, he thought as he floated on a Toronto breeze. *She's not mortal! But she's not one of us, either. What is she?*
His mind raced as quickly as he flew and then it came to him. He knew what she was. He had heard about her kind. There were only a few of them as far as he knew. Most worked with the Enforcers and they were a questionable lot. The others were outcasts or renegades. To which faction she belonged was the big question. She had her sights set on Nicholas. She made that very clear. What was her interest in him was the other question.
The familiar pinks and purples of a new day beginning lit the eastern sky as Lacroix set down in front of the Raven. He hadn't realized how long he had been flying. The street lamp above him began to flicker in the early morning light as he let himself into the building. With mixed feelings, he looked about the darkened, empty space and sighed. Once again he had a sense of purpose. He knew he had to stay, if only for a little longer. He had to find out what she was up to. He needed to make sure Nicholas was safe.
-----
"You've stayed out late." Vachon's voice floated from the dark recesses of the room.
"I haven't had to report my whereabouts to anyone for quite some time."
The tone in Lacroix's voice was meant to let Vachon know he was more than annoyed. "You have some purpose here, perhaps?"
"I thought so. You're the one who said we'd meet here later, remember?" Lacroix responded with a noise Vachon ignored. "Anyway, it's getting light now, and I think I'll spend the day here." He filled two glasses and handed one to the seething vampire.
"I went and saw her tonight." Vachon met Lacroix's gaze, hoping for a reaction.
"And?" Lacroix asked without emotion. *He thinks I'm interested in her, doesn't he? Hmm? Very well, I'll play his game.*
"We had an interesting conversation. She's quite a piece of work. Very complicated. Very, ah?nice." He smiled at the memory of holding her. The scent of heather remained on his clothes.
Lacroix's expression changed from indifference to suspicious when the young vampire said "nice". He suspected Vachon had more than casual interest in the girl. It disturbed him that Vachon could be caught in her spell so easily, so quickly.
Vachon saw a reaction from Lacroix after he spoke. He knew Lacroix let very little bother him, but Vachon could tell he triggered something with his words. Was it jealousy?
The centuries that separated Lacroix and the younger vampire necessitated a certain amount of respect from Vachon. Age was important in the world of vampires. Not the earthly time counted by mortals, but the amount of time passed since one was brought across. The older the vampire, the wiser and stronger he was. It was the way things were.
One look at Lacroix told Vachon he'd better play it straight. The expression on the elder vampire's face said he was in no mood for anything else. Still, the thought of a fight over this woman was?enticing? There were possibilities. Another glance at Lacroix told Vachon he'd better back off.
"She knows about us. All about us." He gave Lacroix a knowing look. "She knows what's been going on the last few weeks. Everything." Tracy's face flashed before him. Vachon looked away and shut his eyes. *It shouldn't be hurting like this,* he thought. *I've lost mortal friends before.* He looked back at Lacroix. "I don't believe she's out to destroy us."
"You've had some kind of revelation?"
"No." Vachon stared at Lacroix. "It's just that I spent some time talking with her. She denies she's an enforcer and she's not coming across as one. She's up to something, I'll grant you that, but I can't place what. Yet."
He thought a minute before he spoke. "She did tell me she's not your Fleur." He took a long drink from his glass and took his time swallowing. "I believe her," he said flatly.
Lacroix remained quiet for awhile, thinking about what Vachon told him.
Finally, he spoke, "You were able to read her mind?"
Vachon shook his head. "No. She was able to resist me, but I don't think she is truly a resister. Every time I tried to enter her mind, there was a wall. It was different from anything I've come across."
Lacroix thought about this. "That would be the case with her kind."
Another long silence as he considered telling the young vampire more.
"I've heard her kind can block the strongest of vampires."
" 'Her kind,' Lacroix? What do you mean, 'her kind?' "
------
"All I am saying is that we should give her a chance Nat. She said that someone was helping her partner. We both thought that was why she was here last night. I still do. Let's see where this is going. It's worth a try."
Natalie sat at the table with her chin in the palm of her hand. A half a cup of black coffee rested on the table in front of her. It had taken her some time to locate the coffeemaker. Nick had the habit of putting small appliances in the strangest places. She announced earlier that afternoon that if she was to be a frequent visitor here, that the pot stayed on the counter. It seemed a small concession to Nick, so he agreed. To Natalie, it meant a lot.
"You're right, Nick. It's just becoming confusing. I was so sure that my faith in you would be the end all. Maybe it was just the means to the end." She rubbed her forehead. "I couldn't get the image of that white figure and Katherine out of my head all day. They kept merging into one."
"You too?" Nick put on his jacket in preparation for work. "I kept hearing 'it wasn't our time,' and then I'd hear we had to adjust to the real world again. It was weird." He watched Natalie rinse her coffee cup in the sink. "Are you ready?"
She nodded and made sure the coffeepot was off. "Do you think she knows about you?"
Nick helped her on with her coat.
"That's probably the only thing I felt from her last night. She knows what I am, Natalie. Lacroix and Vachon too. I'm certain of that. But then, if she's in league with our friend in white, she would, wouldn't she?"
Natalie considered his question. "You're probably right. This sure is going to be very interesting for awhile." She picked up her black bag and glanced over her shoulder at Nick as they headed for the elevator. "We're going to have to come up with a good story."
"About what?"
"What are people going to think about us at work?"
Nick laughed out loud. "The same thing they've been thinking the last few years, Nat. Let's go. I've got a new partner to break in." He kept the elevator door open for her.
"At least she won't be surprised when you fly off somewhere in the middle of things." She told him as the door closed and the elevator descended to the street.