"Who will become responsible for the lost ones / Those scattered and wandering through the night?/ What motives prompt those that would seek to claim them / Gathering and collecting orphaned fledglings under their protective wings?"
She had barely heard her maker's voice over the bustle of the fight and the loud crack of thunder that issued from the clouded sky above the city. However, she had felt his command - a strange sensation caused by the newly-formed mental link she had with him. It was a forceful push on her mind, while simultaneously it was a planted thought that her mind urged her to follow as if the idea had originated from within herself. Run away. Holly shook her head, trying to slip away from the command. Part of her did not want to leave the dimly-lit alley; it was one of the many new drives and impulses she had now that she was a vampire. His order clashed with the instinct to stay near her maker; the reflexive need to help him; the urge to protect and defend him from attack.
"Go!"
No noise from the storm drowned out that voiced demand. Holly, conflicted and still staring imploringly at her sire, took a few hesitant steps backward along the pavement. Too late she realized the problem: her maker had partially twisted around to focus on her and that had left him momentarily exposed to their assailant. As she started to warn him, a wooden stake erupted from his chest where his heart was, driven out through his back by the mortal that had tracked and confronted them in this bricked alley. Holly let out a quick scream of shock and pain as she felt his death. The vibrating mental connection with him had been ripped out of her, and a silent wound was now all that remained of her creator's link.
The mortal let her impaled maker crumple to the ground and Holly watched as he stepped over the body and slowly advanced towards her. A quick flash of lighting brightly illuminated his face and the second sharpened stake he was gripping and pointing at her. She could tell from the man's expression he thought killing her was going to be easy. Holly felt her two upper teeth slide down and lock into place, while her eyes stung temporarily as they changed color. She bared her new fangs and growled as the thunder rumbled around them. This mortal had just killed her maker and was about to kill her; the drive to survive, enhanced by and entwined to the vampire within her, had surfaced in response to the immediate threat. The surprised look on the mortal's visage as Holly hurled herself at him quickly faded away from her conscious awareness as she yielded and let the vampire completely take over.
Slightly disorientated, Holly waited as the vampire portion of herself finished receding back and she became more aware. The first physical sensation she registered was the feel of a wall of bricks pressing into her back, then the hard textured pavement underneath her. She righted herself into a sitting position, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes. Holly had detected the smell of blood in the air. She saw the source splayed out before her with twin rivulets of red that had escaped from the neck wounds and a wooden stake sticking out of his chest. Their attacker was dead. Weakly rising, she saw her maker's inert body behind the mortal's. Now that the fight was over the reality was finally setting in: he was gone and she was now alone. Holly turned and ran out of the alley; the mortal might have friends that would come looking for him and she did not want to be found by them.
She wasn't really aware of how many blocks she had traversed before water droplets ran down her face and neck, products of the storm that had chosen that moment to finally fall. Deciding she didn't want to become soaking wet, Holly stopped at a dark, empty building that had a protected alcove and waited while the rain continued to shower down. The downpour was strong, but quickly abated, and soon she was moving again, although she had no idea where to go. What she did know was that they had been attacked by a mortal that knew how to find and kill vampires. Holly didn't feel safe going or staying anywhere she had been with her maker, in case another attacker should find her there. So she continued to wander while she thought of what to do.
Holly shied away from the few mortals she came across. Without her maker, she felt exposed and vulnerable. She worried that any of these random mortals might attack her, or she might attack them in hunger. Newly-made she might be, but her maker had already instilled in her the danger of doing anything that might expose mortals to knowledge about vampires, and thus bring an Enforcer's inescapable lethal judgment down upon her.
After wandering along for a while, Holly eventually passed behind a brick building, a nightclub by the sound of the music that had escaped through an opened door. Initially she intended to continue on, but stopped when she had felt it: a vibration. Not as intense as her maker's had been, nor exactly like the unique pulsation he had made, but it was similar. She concentrated on the sensation and was surprised to pick up a few other faint vibrations, each being slightly different. Comforting as it was to be near others like herself, Holly was hesitant to follow the feeling and enter: she could also detect mortals in there as well. Unsure of how to proceed, but still wanting to stay near her kind and not be completely alone, she sat down on the back steps.
Holly didn't pay much attention to how much time had passed before she heard the mortals leave. As the back door opened she leapt off the steps and faced the person who emerged. She saw a dark-haired pale woman in a form-fitting dress stand and hold the door open. Holly felt a vibration from her; this was the individual she had first experienced. The woman smiled and gracefully extended a gloved hand towards her.
"You can come in. It's safe now."
"Safe?" Holly quizzically asked.
"The mortals have left. There is no risk of you attacking them, considering your current condition." Janette paused, then delicately asked the question that had been on her mind since she had felt this fledgling arrive. She knew one so young would be under the protection of a master, yet she still had not detected any other vampire outside. That had intrigued Janette even more. "Where is the one who made you?"
"He's gone," Holly answered. She took a few hesitant steps forward. "I don't have anywhere to go."
"Then this is the place you come to."
That was enough for Holly. Combined with the compassionate, maternal expression on the woman's face, she felt safe and entered the building. She followed the woman through a corridor which deposited them into a large open area. Looking around, Holly saw multiple tables and the bar, confirming to herself that she had correctly guessed this place to be a nightclub. There were a number of other individuals scattered around and a man behind the bar counter. She could feel vibrations from each of them; none of these people were mortals. She turned to the woman she was still following. "Who are you?"
"You may call me Janette." She stopped and turned her head to look at the young fledgling. "Like you, I am a vampire." Janette extended her arm out into the club area, indicating the others there. "You are like everyone here. We are all vampires."
Holly heard a low growl and turned to see a stern-looking woman with short black hair, her piercing golden eyes narrowed, and only the sharp tips of her fangs visible. Holly felt something within her instinctively respond. She had not been around any vampires other than her maker, but she knew this one was threatening, and she prepared herself to respond to any attack. Holly twitched slightly when she felt Janette's hand on her shoulder, though the calming and protective gesture eventually stilled her.
"It's alright. Go sit on one of the stools in front of the bar. I will be with you soon." Janette rotated the fledgling partially towards the direction of the bar and let her go. While the young vampire walked off, Janette turned and strolled over to the woman who had growled. Once close, the other vampire stood and they stared at each other. "You have a concern?" Janette harshly whispered.
"We don't know that she's one of us, or even supposed to be one. And that unknown isn't a risk we should have to take. We need to kill her."
"Briana!" Janette quietly snapped.
Briana scowled at Janette. "Unless she has fed on human blood, she isn't really one of us," she softly hissed, quickly darting a glance at the fledgling before returning her attention to the Raven's owner. "She's so young, I can't tell. Is she nothing? Carouche?" She glared again at the young convert, who had no maker by her side. "Or an accident?" If this was a vampire's unknown rogue mistake, an accidental leftover from not completely draining a mortal during feeding, then she knew it was even more imperative that the fledgling be killed. Mistakes usually went mad and became uncontrollable because the mental connection with their maker wasn't created to help stabilize them. "Is she even stable?" Briana understood what their responsibility was in such instances. "Abandoned fledglings are dangerous and could expose us and I don't want the Enforcers here." She looked at the others in the club. "None of us want that." Briana returned her golden gaze to a very irritated-looking Janette. "If she's a mistake, then the Code is very clear as to what we have to do. Otherwise, the Enforcers will punish us for doing nothing."
Janette narrowed her eyes at Briana. "She is not a carouche. She is young, but is stable, and is one of us." She gave a look that silenced the protestation that she knew was about to start. "I am older than you, and I can recognize the difference. I trust this resolves the matter." Janette saw the other woman curtly nod, retreat, and sit back down. Looking around, she noted that some of the others now seemed more interested in this newcomer. She quietly sighed. Young orphaned fledglings always did cause a stir, she thought, and not without reason. Janette turned and went to sit on one of the stools next to the young vampire. She needed to learn about this individual and how, exactly, this new convert had come to not have a master.
Nick was partnerless as he carefully drove along the slick city streets, the retractable top up since there had been rain periodically throughout the night. He eased his Caddy gently beside the damp curb near the Raven to park. Getting out and having arrived at the club door, he was concerned to find it locked and no sign indicating why. Rather than flying to the alternative upper vampire ingress, he decided on the more mortal method of entrance. Nick reached into his pocket and retrieved his keyring, flipped through the various keys until he found the one Janette had given him, then unlocked the front door to enter. He made sure the door closed and relocked before descending into the darkened club area. Looking around in mild confusion, he noted that there were no mortals, though the vampire denizens were present. They were scattered around in small groups at various tables, talking or drinking, while music softly played through the speakers. A few hissed at him as he walked past on the way towards the bar area. He ignored them, though he thought their vocalizations seemed somewhat more aggressive than he normally received. Placing both his hands upon the smooth counter surface and leaning over, he addressed his question to Miklos. "Where's Janette?" Nick tensed when he felt a hand grip his shoulder at the base of his neck.
"Oh, mon amour. You're much too tense."
Nick relaxed when he recognized the voice. As Miklos shrugged at him and then walked away, Nick pivoted around to face Janette, her fingers slipping off of him in the process. He immediately caught her gloved hand, kissing the back before releasing the arm to return to her side.
"If you paid more attention to our connection," she teasingly chastised him, "you would have known I was behind you."
He frowned at her amused expression and the mischievous light in her bright blue eyes. "I'm a bit distracted tonight."
She gazed critically at him; he looked so serious. She huffed. He was always so serious lately. "So," Janette playfully ventured, "you have come here looking for a distraction from your distraction?"
Nick looked around the club. "Looks a bit lifeless here tonight." He returned his gaze to her. "Was there a problem?" He hoped the problem he had encountered earlier had not come here yet.
"Nothing that couldn't be handled. I sent the mortals away early because of a new arrival." She could see that statement did not calm him. "What is it, Nicolas? What brought you here tonight?"
Nick slowly exhaled. "There was a death. Two, actually. Fortunately, Nat got them and Schanke and I caught the case. If anyone else had …." Nick leaned in closer to Janette. "A vampire was killed earlier tonight. And a Hunter. Janette, from the wounds it looks like the vampire killed the Hunter, but the vampire was staked. So there's probably one more Hunter on the loose." He laid a hand gently on her forearm. "I came to make sure you were okay, and to warn you."
Janette placed her free hand reassuringly on Nicolas' arm. "It is nice to know that when I am not around you are still thinking of me, Nicolas. But that is not what I heard had happened." She saw the perplexed look that swept across his face.
"What did you hear?"
Janette nodded her head slightly to indicate a table not too far from them. "See the individual Alma is talking with?"
Nick glanced over. He observed Alma in an animated conversation with a young female who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. He narrowed his eyes in concentration; he didn't recall seeing that one before. Nick quickly looked back at Janette. "A new convert?"
She hummed before answering. "Not just any new convert. An orphaned fledgling not even fully two nights old. Holly's maker was killed earlier tonight by a Hunter. Then she killed the Hunter."
At least, Nick thought, he had found the person that had survived and walked away from his crime scene. "It's always risky fighting vampires at night," he pointed out.
"You cannot expect me," Janette began in an irritated tone as she dropped her hand, "to have any sympathy for Hunters, especially one who chose to attack at a time beneficial to us. I can only assume the mortal planned on having the advantage since both vampires were so young. As it is, he did manage to kill one. Timothy was brought across barely a decade ago."
Nick let his hand drop and placed an elbow on the bar counter, leaning slightly to the side. "Timothy?"
Janette let out an exasperated sigh. "If you would spend more time with your own kind instead of," she fluttered the fingers of her hand randomly in the air, "completely immersed in the mortal world, you would know more of us."
Nick doubted that; Janette had always been more social in that regard than he was. He looked back at the fledgling. "Does Holly know she killed a Hunter?"
Janette gave a slight shake of her head. "She doesn't remember killing him, and she doesn't know exactly what he was, other than a skilled mortal. Afterwards, she found her way here."
He felt there was something more to this situation. Janette had partially closed the club tonight because of this one. "You've taken her in," he prompted.
"I could hardly let her roam the streets, Nicolas," she stiffly retorted.
Nick gave her a dubious look. "Nothing more than that?" He meaningfully surveyed the nearly empty club.
"I didn't want to frighten her off. With the mortals around, she was hesitant to come in."
Nick hummed as he rolled his eyes back to once again meet her blue ones. "I see that look in your eyes, Janette. You're interested."
"Well, why not? You know I have not been able to bring one across so I occasionally foster, like I have done for Alma." She saw Nicolas' eyes quickly dart to Holly and Alma, then return back to her.
"Alma looks like she's interested as well," he gingerly commented. "Perhaps she would like to foster as she had been."
Janette gave a dismissive gesture. "Fledglings require a lot of attention and that is too much responsibility for Alma to handle right now. I'll see to it she understands. Perhaps she will be ready for the next one."
Nick's gave a lopsided grin as he turned his head up slightly. "Ah, the competitions and eliminations have already started, I see."
"And will no doubt increase." LaCroix grinned as Nicholas turned and twitched away from him in surprise; clearly, his son was not paying attention to their link again. He glanced over at the fledgling, then back at his child, who had calmed down slightly. "This orphan will be highly sought after," he predicted. "Being so young, Timothy did not have the time to reinforce and strengthen his mental imprinting on her, so she will be able to form a strong bond to a new master." He eyed the fledgling again in interest. "She also demonstrates excellent instincts: her first action on her own was to avenge her maker's death." LaCroix turned his ice blue eyes to bore into Nicholas' slate blue ones. "She clearly understands where her first priority and loyalty resides."
Nick glared back at his maker. "More likely it was only the vampire's basic instinct of self-preservation."
"All the more reason," Janette interrupted, "for her to quickly choose whom she would like to be adopted by so that older vampire that can exert some control over her before she accidentally kills or does something else to exposes us."
LaCroix grinned. "This was so much easier centuries ago. You could kill dangerous orphans, but if they were able to control themselves you could leave them to their own devices or take them on if you desired. If there were competitors that did not yield to your claim, you attacked and killed them." He let his smile fall and gave a small shake to his head. Now, he ruefully thought, just like hunting mortals, such activities were discouraged because of the high risk of exposure of the Community. The fostering process was now handled in a more civilized manner, where every interested individual would try to convince the fledgling to freely choose them. And battling over a fledgling, especially if large groups of vampires became involved, would bring the Enforcers. "Now, the intention is to have no fighting. How are you to show the orphan you are strong and capable of protecting them if you cannot fight," he lamented.
"I've seen the competition that can develop," Nick began, thinking this explained the increased aggression from the others he experienced tonight. "Regardless of intentions, a fight may still happen, especially if the individuals already have a feud between them."
"Then I hope," Janette tersely snapped, "that they control themselves while they are in my club."
Nick slid a sheet of paper into the manila folder, the final piece joining the small pile already in there, then looked across the joined desks to Schanke. He had volunteered to handle all the paperwork for the case from the alley, just so his partner would not dwell overmuch on it. Natalie had been able to explain away the neck wounds on the mortal and keep everyone from closely examining Timothy until he could have the body, and that of the Hunter, removed. She and Nick were able to convince Schanke that the victims had killed each other and that the bodies had been positively identified, so that closed the case. No more unknowns to pursue, as far as mortals were concerned. He handed the finished folder to his partner, who went off to turn it into the Captain.
As Nick waited for Schanke to return, he thought of Holly, who had spent the day at the Raven and would still be there, under Janette's fierce protection. Word would have traveled quickly through the Community by now, and he idly wondered how many vampires were already down at the nightclub waiting to see the fledgling, wanting to assess the newest member of the Community. And, remembering the more hostile vocalizations he had received the prior night, how many had come to try and convince Holly to select them while also intimidating away other interested contenders.
"Hey partner," Don called out, while also waving his hand in the air, all to capture Nick's wandering attention. "According to my stomach, it's time to get something to eat."
Nick looked up, blinking. "Your stomach can tell time?"
Don grinned. "More reliably than any clock. I'm going off to find some souvlaki. Want me to get ya one?"
"No, I'm fine." Schanke appeared to have the same look he gave when a suspect was lying to him. Nick needed a quick diversion. "I thought Myra made you something to eat tonight?" He smirked as Schanke began to fidget.
"Rabbit food. I'd rather eat the rabbit, if you know what I mean. Something with meat, with more substance. Something I can chase and sink my teeth into."
Nick nodded as he got up. "I understand the feeling. While you're off hunting down dinner, I have an errand I need to run." They walked out of the precinct building together, then parted. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Nick rose into the air and flew over to the Raven.
Tonight the club was open, though Nick noticed that the bouncer at the door turned away only mortals who wanted in. He entered the club and walked through the patrons, noting more vampires than typical. Many of them were locals he had seen around before, but some were from out-of-town. He recognized a few he personally disliked, and one he knew Janette would not be pleased about having within her domain. Nick frowned at that one; Theodore was always problematic and tended all too easily to clash with others. As if on cue, Nick watched Theodore and the vampire he was talking with both tense and their eyes flashed crimson. Almost immediately they covertly glanced around the room and quickly calmed back down. Nick was relieved they decided not to attack each other. Continuing through the club, he recognized a friendlier vampire and headed over to the table and sat down.
"I am surprised to see you here, Nicholas. It cannot be to socialize with the Community, or to imbibe of the house special, so I can only conclude this is something for your mortal work."
Nick grinned as he leaned back in the chair. "Not tonight, Feliks. More like … curiosity."
Feliks scrutinized the dark blond-haired vampire. "I did not think that you would want to consider taking on a fledgling."
Nick shook his head in negation. "No, though I could say the same for you."
"Well, I admit to being intrigued by this new convert."
"You said," Nick reminded his friend, "that you were happy and content with your plants."
"I am, I am. It's just, the notion of fostering has embedded itself, like a thorn, in my mind. And I thought I might indulge the idea. I have not had many chances to meet and bring a mortal across. This way, I could have the opportunity to raise one. And perhaps cultivate in another vampire the delights of horticulture, since I have not been able to persuade you to take it up."
"You do know that this will involve a lot of time, which would mean time away from your gardening." Nick saw Feliks' dark mustache twitch slightly.
"Trying to dissuade me as well, my boy? Perhaps on behalf of another? Others have attempted this ploy earlier tonight, but I am still here."
"Oh, no." Nick held up his hands in mock surrender. Though Feliks' behavior had remained friendly, he had seen the tiny crimson flecks flash in his friend's eyes. "I'm not getting involved with this at all." He spotted Janette coming out from a side room and rose from the table. "If you will excuse me? Good luck, Feliks." Nick slipped through the dancing crowd until he was beside Janette. It was only because he knew her so well could he see the barely-detectable signs of stress. "How's everything going?"
Janette sank gracefully into the chair at the nearest table and drew Nicolas down into the seat beside her. "As well as can be expected, considering the circumstances. Earlier this evening the bouncers removed a few individuals who were too aggressive with the others, and they have had to warn a couple more not to escalate conflict." She wearily sighed. "Since then, everyone had been on their best behavior."
"To make a good impression with Holly?"
"That is a large consideration. But also because the Enforcers are here."
That news immediately caught his undivided attention. "Where?"
"In one of the smaller rooms, with Holly. They said they wanted to know what happened and have been with her for a considerable amount of time now."
"Holly didn't kill her maker, why spend so much time with her?"
"Nicolas, she left two exposed bodies that were found by mortals." He knew this, she thought; Nicolas should have guessed that the Enforcers would come to at least confirm that the knowledge of vampires had remained contained.
"We found them. It's all been handled."
"Which is why they are not talking with you."
"So then why are they still here?"
"As if they would tell me, Nicolas. But, if I had to guess," she quietly drawled, "I would say they are interested in her." The astonished look on Nicolas' face was unmistakable. "Haven't you ever thought of how one becomes an Enforcer?"
"I try to simply stay away from them."
"Holly is exactly what they would want," Janette replied, loud enough for only Nicolas to hear. "Someone with no master to have competing allegiance with, so instead can be completely loyal to them. A fledgling, as young as possible, to ensure no strong ties have been made to any other, so instead can have allegiance to only them."
Nick shook his head. "She wouldn't choose them. Why would she want to be like that, isolated and shunned from the Community?"
"Like you?" She compassionately placed her hand upon his. "I would not want that for Holly, but if I am correct, and she shows even the slightest interest in such an offer, the Enforcers will try to get her to choose them. But they are only one of many who are talking with her. It will still be Holly's decision and they cannot force her."
Nick was about to respond when he felt Janette tense, then rise. Following her gaze, he saw a vampire emerge from the back area. He didn't need to ask Janette who that was; you could always identify an Enforcer.
"It seems they have finished with Holly. I have much to coordinate and I imagine you will want to leave. Unless you want to stay?"
"No," Nick said, rising out of the seat. "I have to get back. Call me if you need anything." He gave her a parting kiss, then left to fly back to the precinct.
Hours later, Nick had finished his shift and had returned to the loft, tossing his jacket over the back of the closest chair as soon as he had arrived. He was hungry, and he knew what the vampire wanted, and what was in the green bottles in the refrigerator. But Nick remembered what he had promised Nat he would do since she had helped with the cover-up of the bodies. Determined, he sat hunched over on the leather couch trying to drink every drop of Nat's newest extra-large protein shake she had foisted upon him right before he had left the precinct. The vile process was going as well as he expected. He had managed to choke down two small sips when the phone rang. Eager for any distraction to keep himself from continuing to drink, Nick set the concoction down on the small table next to him and twisted around to reach for the handset behind the couch. Pressing the button to pick up the call, he dimly heard music in the background, then a familiar voice.
"Nicolas."
Nick smiled. "Janette."
"I need a favor."
"What sort of favor?" Nick leaned back, partially sinking into the squeaky leather cushion. "Would you like me," he amusingly suggested, "on your behalf, to escort Theodore out of town, perhaps?" There was still a couple of hours before dawn, plenty of time to accomplish that activity. "It would be my pleasure to do that for you."
"No, I think I would enjoy doing that myself. However, this is something else. Can Holly stay at your place?"
Nick sat upright. "Janette-"
"It has been suggested that Holly needs to spend the day on neutral territory so she will not be unduly … influenced … to favor one individual over another, and that one person should not have more time with her than another. I think this was Alma's idea."
Nick suppressed a smile at Janette's irritated tone caused by Alma's retaliation. Still, he felt this was a bad idea. He had not wanted to get involved with this fledgling. "I-"
"Additionally, everyone staying here is getting nervous about the Enforcers, who insist on being near her until this is all resolved."
He stiffly leaned forward; this idea had just morphed into a very bad idea. "I don't want them here either."
"Nicolas, they promise not to be … too close."
He definitely picked up an evasive tone in her voice. "You're not telling me something. What is it?" He heard a long sigh. "Janette?"
"You were volunteered."
"What?"
"Your place is secluded, not likely to be accidentally entered, and mortals are far way."
"Who volunteered me?"
Janette scrunched her eyes closed. She knew Nicolas was not going to like what she had to say. "LaCroix." Janette heard the long muffled feral snarl, then waited through a very extensive stretch of silence. "Nicolas?" she prompted.
"For you."
Janette smiled. "Thank you, mon cher." She hung up the phone and turned to her maker. "He'll do it."
"Wonderful. Nicholas really should spend more time being involved with Community matters, especially with Enforcers around to observe. You did very well, my dear." With a parting kiss, he went over to Holly. "Are you ready to leave?"
Holly glanced up at the elder vampire. "Do you think this is a good idea?"
"There is nothing incorrect with taking a stroll outside before we arrive at Nicholas' place."
"Walking among the mortals." Holly was both excited and hesitant with his idea of what to do with their time together. So far, she had met with many vampires, most talking about what interests and jobs they had and what they could teach her about their specific role in the Community. LaCroix's offer of actually showing her more of her herself, her vampire side and what her senses could tell her, was tempting, but she thought it could be dangerous as well. "If anything happens …."
LaCroix grinned as he held out his hand to help the fledgling rise up. "You will be fine. I will not allow you to get away from me."
Nick turned his golden-green eyes to the metal door that rumbled as it slid open once the elevator lift had stopped and the safety grille had been raised. LaCroix and Holly entered, his maker looking directly at him and the fledgling looking around. With a slight push from LaCroix, she went wandering around the space with interest. "You were hunting," Nick quietly hissed as soon as Holly was further from them.
LaCroix approached Nicholas, delighted in the state his son was in. "I was taking a stroll with Holly."
Nick shook his head. "You were doing more than that."
"I was explaining to her-" He abruptly stopped mid-sentence. "How did you know?"
"I felt it through our link," Nick rumbled through his extended fangs.
LaCroix let his lips twitch into a quick, tiny smile while his eyelids lowered in satisfaction. "You are paying more attention to our connection. That is good."
"I could hardly ignore it; you were pushing that through."
"Really? I was not aware I had been doing that," LaCroix innocently stated. "Perhaps," he deeply purred, "I was distracted by being with someone who wanted to listen to my lessons and learn from them. Lately, that is such a rare opportunity for me, you know."
Nick turned around in disgust, forcing the vampire back down and dealing with the other arrival. He pointed to the container on his dining table. "A courier from the Raven dropped that off." As his sire went to unpack the box, he continued over to Holly, who had stopped to look at one of his paintings.
Holly had taken in the entire space. She had seen the whole Raven, and her maker's place, but this was much different. She listened to Nick as he talked and walked around, showing her the layout of the home and that she would be sleeping in the bedroom, which had a door. He would be sleeping on the couch on the main floor. Afterward, she sat down at the dining table in the open kitchen area with LaCroix.
Nick had returned to the leather couch while Holly and his maker were at the table. He found that LaCroix, apparently content to stay until the last possible moment before the rising sun forced him to leave, had decided his next lesson would be on the finer subtitles that could be detected and appreciated in the blood using their enhanced senses. Not wanting to leave his maker alone in his place, Nick was forced to listen. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and with golden eyes, got up, extracted a bottle of his bovine blood from the refrigerator, and quickly exited through the skylight. Sitting on the edge of the roof, he drank the animal blood, trying to ignore his sire's amusement that vibrated through their link.
The next evening Nick was again on the leather couch trying to finish drinking the protein shake when a discrete knock on the glass pane of the skylight caused him to look up. Nick indicated it was alright to come in and rose to greet the visitor.
Aristotle noted the bemused expression on Nicholas' face as he descended. "I thought it more polite to knock before entering."
"You know you're always welcome to come in."
Aristotle nodded and pushed his glasses up that had started to slip down. He sank down into the neighboring brown leather chair as Nicholas sat down on the couch.
"Holly's almost ready to leave."
"That's good. She'll spend some time with me, and meet the others at the Raven. I'm hoping I can spark in this fledgling an interest in what I do. Show her around, get her excited. Sculpting a new life is very interesting, and more challenging that just filing and updating paperwork." He covertly studied Nicholas. "You know, since you are spending time with her, you might want to think about-"
"No, Aristotle." They were silent for a while and then he heard Holly coming down the stairs. He watched as Aristotle got up, greeted her, then they both left.
The next night, Nick was sitting on the couch staring at the protein shake in his hands while he waited for Holly to be returned from the Raven to spend the day. He still had not completely finished this shake, and he was resolved to do so before Nat asked him about it. He had just begun to force another sip when he heard the lift rumbling. He put the drink back down and turned to greet Holly as she entered the loft.
Holly smiled at Nick, returned his greeting, then suppressed a grimace when she saw what he was trying to drink. Ignoring the unnatural color of his drink while feeling her own stirring of hunger, she went over to the fridge and took out one of the bottles set aside for her. She drank some of the red human blood within, pulling out the faint memories and savoring the liquid like LaCroix had taught her. Once finished, she sat down on the couch at the opposite end of where Nick was seated.
"You seem exhausted. How are you?"
"Talking with so many individuals these last few days, I'm a little overwhelmed with everything." It was nice being here, she thought. At the Raven, there were a dizzying number of vibrations around her from so many vampires, but here it was quiet, with only one faint vibration to accompany her. Here she could think. She had initially been surprised that anyone would be interested in taking her in, and then amazed at how many had shown up later. Granted, she knew most were curious about her simply because she was a newly-made stranger in their group, but the remaining ones were interested in her.
Holly leaned back, resting her head on the leather cushion. When she had learned from Janette that others would want to adopt her and that she would have to pick, her first thought had been comical. She had remembered when, as kids, she and her younger brother had tried to determine who their dog most liked by standing on opposite sides and coaxing the animal with different treats. The dog had pranced over to her brother, who had happily exclaimed that the dog liked him; in hindsight, she thought that the dog had really just picked the treat he liked, not the person. She felt this was a similar situation and what was she picking – the person or the treat? Holly had been able to quickly eliminate certain individuals who seemed interested in only increasing their clan size or acquiring her specifically so someone else didn't. But for the others ….
"There's a lot to decide and think upon," Nick said, after a lengthy silence.
Holly raised her head off the cushion. "Do I even have to pick one? I had wanted to be with Tim." She knew no one would ever have the same connection, the same intense bond she had experienced with her maker. "I can't really imagine being with someone else."
Nick sighed. "It's not like centuries ago when you could survive without a mentor. Vampires can't be left on their own to live wild anymore. For fledglings to exist in this modern world means learning from another how to interact with mortals and establishing ties to the Community. Many of the vampires you met help with that and in fulfilling our unique needs. If nothing else, seeing them was useful because you will need their services at some time in the future."
"Yeah," Holly agreed. "Vampires that work with paperwork and computer files, helping to build a temporary life. Others that acquire and transport blood. Places like the Raven. Bankers. Those that work in all the different media outlets and watch for stories about vampires." That, and so many more. She tilted her head to look at Nick. Of all the people she had spent time with, he was the only one who had not tried to convince her to choose him; had not spent time showing her his life. She felt like she could really talk with him, as a person without ulterior motives. "Who would you choose?"
"What?" Her question had startled him.
"If you didn't have your maker and you could choose, who would you pick?"
Nick hesitated before answering. "You have to make the decision yourself." He smiled. "You're not going to trick me into giving you an answer." He saw her frown and wondered what she was thinking, but also partially understanding why this could be difficult for her. "We tend to have long lives, so the relationship with the one you pick could exist for centuries. What I can tell you is to choose a mentor that fits you and you work well with. Choose one that will be there when you need them, and let you go when you need to."
"But that's just it. How am I supposed to know?" She felt like everyone just wanted to use her, to be something for them. Well, not everyone, Holly admitted to herself, there was one person she had talked with that was completely open from the beginning with her. She stared down at her hands. "They say nice things about themselves but you really don't know them do you? And I don't want to make a wrong choice and regret it, you know?"
"Yeah," Nick replied, "I know. But remember, they want to make a good impression on you."
Holly looked around the place. She needed to have a way to figure out their personality, to see their other side, the one they didn't want to show her. She thought that if she had to choose, she wanted the individual that worked well under high stress. Ever since she was a little kid, her family had always said she could be quite trying. Of course, what had always brought out her personality, made her open up with her family, was game night. "Nick, do you think those interested in fostering me would play a board game?"
"I think if they want to still be considered they would."
Holly smiled. "Do you have any games here?"
"I have a chessboard."
Holly shook her head; she needed a game that would allow for more individuals to play simultaneously. "Do you think you could get a game from the store for me?"
"Sure, I can do that. Which one do you want?"
The sun had just set the next evening when Nick had left and then returned from the store, game box in hand. "Found what you wanted." He handed the large box to Holly. "The store clerk said to read the directions carefully for this one, there are a lot of them."
"I know how to play this game," Holly said as she held the cardboard box. "The official rules are too complicated anyway. I know some better ones."
"Are you sure?"
A muffled rattling sound came from the rectangular box as Holly shifted it. "It'll be fine. I got the lower floor set up, with the table and chairs that were there. Thanks for letting me use your place for this meeting."
"Well, this is neutral territory after all. The Enforcers?"
"They said they would be away for this. Actually, it's probably for the best. I don't think anyone else would come over if they were around."
Nick agreed. "Probably not."
Over the next hour, many vampires came over to his warehouse home, just the ones Holly had extended her offer to. Most went directly to the lower floor, but a few who knew him came to the upper level to see him before going down. Janette stayed with him the longest, then with a parting kiss, she too went down. Nick occupied the time by playing chess against himself on the dining table while keeping part of his attention on those below him. He had heard the rustle of moving bodies, the scrape of chairs, a short hushed argument, then general conversation as the game progressed.
Nick had reached over to move a chess piece on the board, then leaned over to contemplate what his opposing move would be when a hand appeared and moved a piece forward. Startled, he looked up to see LaCroix standing by the table. He never heard nor felt his maker arrive. "That wasn't the piece I was going to move."
"Yet it was the best move to make, considering the current arrangement on the board."
Nick got up from the chair. "I thought you would be down with the others since you did seem to have some interest in Holly."
LaCroix studied his son. Holly had intrigued him, he would admit that; she had so much potential. In addition, it would have been a welcome change to interact with a child that would not have harbored so much anger and resentment towards him for being granted the gift of immortality and being brought across. With Holly, LaCroix knew he could never be blamed and vilified for the loss of her mortality, should she ever go down the same dark path as Nicholas had chosen to currently walk. But he would never admit that to his son. And Holly was very useful in indirectly engaging Nicholas. LaCroix smiled. "I am reminded that I still have you to work on. Also," he negligently added, "Janette has quite clearly expressed her interest in fostering Holly and I will not challenge my daughter in this matter."
"Considerate of you."
"I think so." LaCroix partially closed his eyes as he turned his head. He felt the stirring of something beginning on the floor below them. "The fledgling has an interesting strategy." He saw the confused look on Nicholas' face. "Can you not feel the tension? The instincts rising up, displacing reason?" He smiled as he stood up to his full height. Holly really did have so much potential. "The battle begins."
Nick shook his head. "Battle? It's just a mortal's board game. Something for everyone to relax around so Holly can quickly get to know them better since she has to make her choice soon."
LaCroix hummed with anticipation. He did not agree with that assessment. "Where do you keep your weapons, Nicholas? Surely not in the same room with them?"
Whatever Nick had been planning to say in response to his maker was forgotten when he heard multiple loud crashes and snarling beneath him.
Natalie carefully removed the foreign object from the partially-healed tissue with her forceps, not wanting to fragment the piece as it was being withdrawn. Her patient tried to remain still, but twitched slightly anyway. She continued her extraction and once successfully out of the tissue, she dropped it on the metal tray, which already had a few other pieces on it. "Nick, if you could angle the light a little more to the left." Able to see more clearly, Natalie spotted a couple smaller pieces still embedded and she reached her instrument into the irritated tissue again. "So tell me," she said to no one in particular, "who thought it was a good idea to play Monopoly?"
"It was Holly's idea," Nick supplied.
"Don't you know that fights occur the majority of times that game is played?" In her experience, it did not take long before tempers flared and arguments moved beyond the game. Natalie delicately pulled out another shard of wood. Holding it close to her eyes, she noted that this piece had some color applied on it. "What was this?"
"It was my hockey stick."
Natalie shook her head as she reached in the final time to pull out the last splinter she could find. "I think that's it."
Larry Merlin nodded his head. "Thank you for getting all of them. Nick got the bigger pieces out, but couldn't get the finer ones." He jumped down from the metal table that was in the center of the room. He rotated his shoulder around, pleased that he didn't feel anything in there anymore. Now that the last splinters were out, the tissue would quickly finish healing. Merlin accepted the bag of blood the doctor just handed to him, as well as a small glass beaker.
Natalie gathered her equipment to clean up the area. "So I patched up those that wanted to come. Is everyone else alright?"
"Janette's alright." Theodore had decided to leave and heal on his own and Nick was not concerned about him or where he went, so long as it was away from them.
"Though it was quite enjoyable to watch her deal with Theodore." Merlin wondered how far that would have gone had the Enforcers not calmly shown up and everyone had stopped. "I never liked that guy," he said. "And I know better than to go against her. I'm surprised even he tried."
"They have a history." He turned towards Nat. "Thanks for helping, Nat, and meeting us here." He had no intention of bringing Natalie to his loft; with Enforcers close-by, he wouldn't risk having them see her and decide she knew too much of the Community.
"At least I could help." She moved closer to Nick. He had come in with a few cuts and she wanted to check to see if they were healing. Nick had insisted that she treat everyone else's wounds, not his. "Nick, are you okay?"
Instead of answering her, he gave her a quick hug, then left.
The night Holly made her decision as to whom she wanted to go with, Nick had shown up at the Raven. The sun was about to rise, but that was not a problem; he intended to stay the day here anyway. As he walked through the club area he concentrated, feeling the single vibration and following it to one of the small, private rooms. There, he found Janette stretched out on a sofa with a small table next to her, a bottle and a single glass upon it. Nick approached and sat down on the side next to the table, while Janette repositioned herself to lean comfortably against him.
"So you heard."
"Yes." He gently caressed her arm. "At least it will be calmer around here."
"Yes, for now."
He waited through her silence. "You are upset because of Holly's decision?"
She frowned in irritation. "That, and because I found out that there was betting on the outcome." She snarled. "Betting, Nicolas. Being conducted in my club. You should have heard the odds they had on me."
Nick decided it was best to not say anything. He reached over and opened the bottle, pouring some of its contents into the glass, then handing it to Janette.
"How could she make that choice?" She took a sip from the wine glass. "LaCroix is lamenting that her potential will be wasted."
"Almost everyone wanted her to be something for them. She chose to go where she thought she could fulfill her own potential the best." Nick let the silence drag out for a while, though he knew she needed to talk. "What did you see in her?"
"Holly has strength, Nicolas, more that even she knew she had. And it was a beacon. The first time I saw her it was clear she didn't know. She was hurting from her maker's death, yet she still continued on." She took another sip. "Fortitude."
"That will be useful to her. And you never know, we might see her again."
"No, Nicolas. You really wouldn't want to see her again."
Nick sighed as he rested his head against Janette's, knowing she was right. Because the next time Holly could cross his path would be to enforce the Code and kill him if he had broken it.