Daddy's Little Girl

Part 01/04

Some lawyer stuff to discuss: First of all, I give my permission to Mel to post on the Forever Knight Fan Fiction Page and Anita to post on her FKFanFic2 site. Second, I do not own most of the characters. Jim Parriott owns Nick, Natalie, Donald Schanke, Janette, and LaCroix. These characters I am borrowing for my own enjoyment, and hopefully yours too. I, myself, do own Nichole Ann de Brabant Knight and David Howard Bell, thou. So please ask before using them. Any resemblance to anyone mortal, dead, vampire, or dhampir is purely coincidental. For those of you who just skipped over this part and read the story, the name of the song in this story is "Shining Star" by the Backstreet Boys. (I know some of you out there did do it, I have done it too.) :·&

I have not been to Toronto, so please excuse me if my landmarks are not real or in the right place. Flashbacks are titled correctly, with 'Flashback' and 'End of Flashback'. Everything that is in apostrophes '...' are the characters' thoughts, and those words that are in parentheses (...) are translations to the French language (unless otherwise noted). :·

Enough chit-chat, on with my own private little world... -- -- -- (Symbol for Lori Yates song "Black Rose". :-))

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Daddy's Little Girl

Part 01/04

She was on the school playground, near the fence. Today she didn't have lunch with David, so she had nobody to talk to. She had heard a car door slam rather hard behind her, so she had turned around to see what the noise was all about. One teenage boy stood alone in the middle of the street, and facing a black hot rod. Three more teenage boys had climbed out of the car and were walking toward him. The four guys were wearing gang colors on their person. The three from the car were wearing red bandannas, but the fourth had on a blue bandanna. She knew what was about to go down, but could not turn away. From what she knew of police work, if she did turn her head no one would see what would happen.

"What do you think you were doin' with my babe?" One of the boys from the trio asked the outsider.

"I was scorin' with her. What do you think I was doin'," the outie replied forcefully.

"Well, looks like we are goin' to have to teach you Bulls a lesson you won't forget," the same boy replied.

"My homies won't let you get away with anything you Titans might do to me," he said in a rather straight forward fashion. The three Titans had pulled out .38 calibers with silencers on the barrels. The Bull didn't look scared. "Go on shoot me. My homies will avenge me, you Sons of Bitches."

She stared in horror as a dozen or so bullets tore into his torso, certain that a few had hit a vital spot. When the boy fell dead on the ground, two of the shooters picked up the body and carried it to the dumpster. The third one acted as a look out for them. The boy looked strait at her and yelled, "Hey Jaime! That girl saw us! Let's get outta here!" He alerted the two, who now had deposited the body in the dump.

"Well, get her. Find out who she is and kill her," Jaime had informed him. By now, she had now ran inside the school building. She knew she had to tell someone, but who could she call? Her father is a homicide detective, but he sleeps like the dead during the day. The bell rings to go back to class, she would have to tell him this evening. On the way to her locker she ran into David.

"Hi, David. Do you mind coming over to my place after school?" She asked him, knowing he would be grateful not to go home.

"Yeah. Sure. Are you okay? You look scared," he answered her. David liked the way her blond hair fell about her shoulders. He knew that she had known of his father's abuse toward him, and had her promise not to tell her father.

"I just witnessed something that I can't talk about here. I have to tell Dad, you know how he sleeps during the day. I doubt he would remember me calling him at this time of the day. I have to get to world history, I can't afford to be late today. We're taking a major test." She knew she would pass the exam, but the homicide she just witnessed bothered her.

At the loft, Nick couldn't sleep since lunch. He had been up all afternoon, hoping for a phone call. He tried to get some sleep, but the feeling that something was wrong wouldn't let him rest for work. Finally about three o'clock, he went back to sleep. At three-thirty, she and David stepped into the loft. She went straight upstairs to deposit her backpack and purse in her room. Then, she went back downstairs to be the polite host for the only boy in her life. "Can I get you anything, David? A pop or water perhaps?"

"No thank you. Did you notice that black hot rod following us here?"

"Yeah, I did. Now they know where I live."

"What do you mean 'they'? Nichole, did you see something at lunch that you are not telling me about? You know you are going to have to tell your dad about it, if it is this bad."

"To answer your first question, 'they' are the Titans. For the second, if I tell you, your life would be in danger. You had better go home, my dad is about to wake up. Plus I have some homework to do, and I have to study for my finals."

"Those exams are in December, it's only September. They are still three months away."

"You can never be too prepared. Unlike you, I'm not a crammer. I don't wait until the very last minute. Now would you like me to see you to the door?"

"No, I know my way out. Besides, you don't need to study. You know just about everything already."

"Oh, and David?"

"Yeah, Nichole?"

"Be careful, please. I don't want to see you get hurt." Nichole loved the way his brown hair flowed about his head like a surfer's would. His big blue eyes showing his love for her safety. She watched David close the door to the lift. The grinding of the motor signaled his departure, she looked at the clock on the mantle. It read five-thirty. She knew that the sun would set in about thirty minutes and that her father would wake soon thereafter. She needed to tell him about the incident before anything happened to her.

Nichole went upstairs to her room to start on her homework. She was so involved in her world history lesson, she didn't hear her father's alarm clock go off. What made her realized what time it was, is that her father poked his head in to check on her. He was dressed for work in his usual black attire. His pale skin and blond hair contrasting with his choice of color. "Oh, good evening, Dad. I didn't hear you get up. My mind was on my homework and something else."

"What was that, Princess? What else was on your mind," he questioned his only child.

"Well, I was alone outside at lunch today and saw..." She was interrupted by the phone ringing downstairs.

"Hold that thought, Princess. I have to get that. I'll be right back." He went downstairs, and Nichole followed him. He picked up the phone and answered, "Knight here... What?... Another homicide? Where?... Yeah, I know the area. That's where Nichole attends school... Sure thing, Cap. I will be right over." He had hung up the phone, and turned around to face his daughter. "I have another..."

"Case. I know. Somebody found him, didn't they?"

"How did you know the victim was male? I know you can't hear both sides of the phone conversation," he questioned her.

"I saw the whole thing happen, Dad. That is what I was trying to tell you before the phone rang." She answered.

"Well, grab your coat. You're coming with me this time. If I don't find any witnesses, you would have to do," he replied to her statement.

"You won't find any other witnesses, Dad. I was the only one who saw anything, or at least heard the whole conversation between them." She said while getting her coat out of the closet. Both of them walked into the lift that would take them down into the garage where the Caddie is waiting for them.

Arriving on the scene, Nick had tried to get both of them in the perimeter of the scene. They were stopped by a uniformed officer. The 5'9", black hair and green-eyed man placed a hand in front of them. He told Nick, "Sorry Detective, but she can't come any closer. Policy regulations prohibit it. She will have to wait here."

"Could you call Captain Stonetree over here?"

"One minute Detective. I'll see if he is busy." With that the officer left the two standing alone, giving Nick the opportunity to get any other details that she could give him at this time.

"Did the suspect see you, Princess?"

"First, it is 'suspects', and second, yes 'they' saw me." She answered him.

"What do you mean 'suspects'? There was more than one?"

"Yes, Sir. Three to be exact. I was over there by the fence," Nichole pointed to the spot she was standing earlier today, "watching everyone else, when I heard a car door slam rather hard behind me. I turned around to see what the noise was about."

"Here comes Captain Stonetree and Officer McCain." He stopped his questioning before they could hear the conversation between them.

"Hi, Cap."

"Knight, what is she doing here," Stonetree asked Nick to explain Nichole's presence at the crime scene.

"Well, Cap, this is my daughter, Nichole Knight. She is the key witness to the murder." Nick could see the shock in Stonetree's eyes as he said those words. "Cap, is everything all right?"

"I didn't expect our key witness to also be the daughter of one of my star detectives. If she were anything other than that, I would have to pull you from this case. So now I won't have to worry about the money to protect her, or to put her in a safe house. You have a state-of-the-art security system, and plus she lives with you. That puts a relief on my protection budget." Stonetree had sighed those words out. "Now get a statement from her and have Schanke talk to her. It looks like this was between two gangs."

"It was Captain, but it was over a girl. It was sort of like a private conformation," Nichole supplied the information. "I already had told Dad how many suspects were involved, but I had not given any descriptions yet."

(Meanwhile at the Titans' hang out.)

"What did you find out on that girl that saw us today," Jaime asked the Titan that had been the look out at today's shooting.

"Her name is Nichole Knight, and lives in an old warehouse on Gateway Lane. Her old man is Metro's star homicide cop, and he would most likely be the one investigating this murder. Do you still want to do her," he replied to Jaime.

"Yeah, I still want her done. I want it done as soon as possible," Jaime had told the Titan.

"Jaime?"

"Yeah?"

"Her old man has a state-of-the-art security system. There's no way to get in without them knowing it. We might have to use Einstein for this one."

"So be it. I'll make the call to him."

"What time during the day do you want her done?"

"When she would most likely be alone. On the way to or from school would be right."

The conversation end suddenly, when gunshots sounded outside of the hangout. Then shouts from other Titans point out that the Bulls are here for their revenge on their murdered homie. More gangsters die in this gunfight, but the major players get out without a scratch on their person.

(At the loft, later.)

Nichole had repeatedly told both her father and his partner, Donald Schanke, what she saw at lunch earlier that day. She reported to Schanke that she heard the conversation, because the parties had spoke rather loudly. In reality, they were talking in a normal volume for a private conversation. Nick knew this, but he could not tell his partner the fact that his daughter had inherited her father's keen hearing. So keen, that she could hear Schanke's heart beating in his chest. After questioning her for most of the night, Nick had to finally tell Schanke that Nichole needed to rest for school tomorrow. "Oh! And Schanke?"

"Yeah, Partner?"

"Would you mind being Nichole's chauffeur during school?" Nick had said the word 'chauffer' in his French tongue, as if the language was his native tongue.

"Sure thing, Knight. I didn't know you spoke French so well." Schanke agreed with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I don't mean take her to school and drop her off, and then pick her up and take her home. I mean take her to school, and stay with her during her classes. I could arrange it that you won't be questioned. I would do it if it weren't for my bloody allergy. I don't want her to be hurt or worse. Since she's my only child, you'd understand why I am over protective of her."

"Oh, all right. Are there any other languages that you speak, that I should be aware of?"

"I'm full of surprises. To answer your earlier statement, I spend a few years in France before I joined the force. Satisfied?"

Nichole snorted a chuckle at Nick's explanation for his French.

Nick gave her a dark look that said, 'Don't go there.'

With that she stopped suddenly. Best not to give away any secrets.

"Yeah, for now I suppose. Just keep her alive until we get them brought in. See you in the morning, Knight. What time should I pick her up?"

"About six o'clock." Nick said knowing that Schanke will not be there at that time, but will be there before six-thirty. "Bye, Schanke." Turning back to his daughter, he announced, "Time for bed, Princess. Tomorrow is Friday, so give Schanke a copy of your class schedule."

"Okay, Dad. Let me copy it real quick." With that, Nichole disappeared into her room and emerged a minute later carrying a piece of paper. "Here you go, Uncle Don. All you have to do is follow me around the school to get to the classrooms. I'm not very good at giving directions to others." She had adopted the garlic loving man as an only uncle, because her father has only one biological relative living, her.

"Thanks, Munchkin'. I will fine-tune my learnin' for tomorrow." He took the piece of paper as if it were a treasure chest full of gold and jewels.

"Knock it off, Schanke. You look like a bloody greedy thief going after the Hope Diamond." Nick said as if he was correcting Nichole's behavior.

"Not the Hope Diamond, Nick. This would be the next best thing."

"Now pray tell, what would that be?" Nick had placed his hands on his hips, looking strangely like the girl from clueless.

"Knowledge, dear Watson. Knowledge." Don was acting a lot like Sherlock Holmes. He even went as far as adjusting his imaginary pipe in his mouth.

"Would you two stop it? I swear, both of you are acting worse than most kindergarten children I know." Nichole now had the tone of the adult correcting her children's behavior. Both of them had now looked toward her.

"Ahh, Ma!" Nick and Schanke both had a dissatisfied look on their faces, like a child would after being corrected by the parent. Then all three of them busted out, laughing. Nichole and Don went as far as rolling around on the floor, exercising the laughter out of their bodies. Nick just stood there, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What am I going to do with the two of you," he questioned the two rolling bodies before him. Then, he shook his head again when they did not answer. "Okay, knock if off you two. Time for bed, Nichole. See you in the morning Schanke." When they did not respond immediately, "NICHOLE, SCHANKE, KNOCK IT OFF!" The two rolling bodies stopped suddenly, the loud, demanding voice had told them to stop or else there would be a very unhappy man. Nichole got up immediately, and disappeared into her bedroom to get ready for bed. Nick had wished Schanke a good night, and as the lift descended Nichole had emerged in her robe.

"Dad, do you need in the bathroom?" She asked Nick.

He just looked at his color of hair, and her mother's blue eyes on a child of 12 years old.

"Dad, you have all of my school pictures to look at, and admire your hair color and Mom's eyes. Let me repeat my question, do you need in the bathroom so that I may get my shower?" She did not know her mother, for she died shortly after her second birthday. Her mother had somehow made the mob mad in Buffalo, New York in the States, and she was killed in front of her. She herself had not lived with her father until her ninth birthday. Before that, she had been living in foster homes since then. She often wondered why did he take so long to get custody of her.

"No, Princess. You go ahead. You just acted like your mother would act, if I did that to her. She always had a sense of humor, good or bad." He sat down on the couch, with the look he always gets when he zones out. Nick was lost in the memory of the night that he and her mother met in Chicago. Nichole silently went into the bathroom and started the water.

Flashback

(Chicago, Illinois; September of 1981)

Nick had just arrived from the policy academy, and just whammied his way into the nightshift. There was a call for back up units to respond to a convenience store robbery in progress, and Nick was in the immediate area. When he arrived, most of the hostages were released. Only one remained. Nick could see the gun pointed at the woman's head as well as the fear in her blue eyes. He had to do something, so he used his vampire speed to enter the building undetected. Within a five minute span, Nick had unarmed the man, and whammied the woman. Accordingly, Nick still had time to get outside before anyone would know what had happened. He was called to escort the woman to her house and make sure she was settled, after they had arrested the suspect.

Before they had reached the woman's residence, she had regained her memory of the rescue. The woman turned out to be a resistor, and started to thank Nick for his services. By this time, Nick had pulled up in front of her house. He turned to look at her, and for the first time he noticed her hair color. He saw her flaming red hair was a mess, from being jerked around so much tonight. He also knew that LaCroix had taken his decade leave of him last week so she would be safe from him, but he didn't know about the enforcers. (Author's note: For those of you, who don't know about the enforcers, they are the vampire's police force. They enforce the vampire code, DO NOT BE DISCOVERED.)

Nick booked the rest of the night off, to stay with the frightened woman. They had gotten to know each other in three months. Then in January, LaCroix received an announcement, it read, "You are invited to come to the eloping of Nicholas de Brabant Chasez and Nancy Anna Chilton."

"Maybe I should cut my leave very short this time. Let me pay a visit to my favorite son, and my soon to be born granddaughter," LaCroix thought out loud to nobody in particular. With that, he flew up through the open skylight. As he flew out of his apartment in Gary, Indiana; the wedding invitation slowly floated to the floor of LaCroix's living room.

Back in Chicago, Nancy tells Nick that she is pregnant and due in September. Nick is shocked, happy, and scared at the news that his wife had just announced to him.

End of Flashback

Nick jerked back to the present, and focused his attention to the clock on the mantle. It read six o'clock, 'Time to get Nichole up and going,' he thought to himself. He went upstairs to her room, but she had already beaten him to the punch. Nichole was already up and dressed, she was in the process of making up her bed when her father had poked his head in to wake her up.

"Good morning, Daddy. Did you want to share your flashback with me? Since it concerns me also, or at least Mother." She had asked him to tell her about her biological mother on more than one occasion, but he just kept dodging the issue. It was as if he didn't want her to know something about her mother. "Daddy, it would help pass the time until Uncle Don gets here. If you don't want to tell me when and where you went to last night shortly before I got my shower, at least tell me about my mother. Like who was she? What was she like? Are her parents living?" She didn't know what to call them, because she had never met them. "What did she do for a living? Was she pretty? Do I look like her?"

Nick had gotten that far away look again.

Nichole had gathered some of her supernatural strength, and slugged him. "No. No zoning out, Daddy. Tell me. I want to know. You won't be able to keep dodging these questions forever. One of these days I will have to know. So you might as well tell me what I would like to know now, and get some of it over with." Her spill was interrupted by the security buzzer.

Nick sighed in relief. 'Saved by the buzzer. Way to go Schanke!' Nick silently cheered Donald on. He knew that she was right, he couldn't keep running from her questions. Nick couldn't bring himself to tell her that her mother was a witch, or at least came from a very old witching family. Nick though had not ran from her other questions concerning history, hell, he LIVED it. Nick loved it when she asked him those types of questions.

"Hey, Munchkin'. Ready to roll when you are." Donald had then leaned over on the side to whisper to Nick, "You owe me BIG time, but not that BIG. I happen to like her. Now, if it was paperwork, that's a different story."

"Uncle Don?"

"Yeah, Munchkin'?"

"Can we pick up my friend, David, on our way? It's raining. His dad refuses to take him anywhere, and a school bus does not go by his apartment."

"Sure Munchkin'. Where does he live?"

"Wait a minute." Nick interrupted the conversation. "Who is this David? How come I have never heard of him?" He drilled his daughter for answers even as his parental instincts clashed and working with the detective side of his brain.

"Daddy, out of all the times that I talked about him, you don't remember me telling you about him. You must remember the conversation about my friend liking art." Nichole said rather surprised. "Now do you remember? I am surprised at you, because you usually have a rather good memory."

"That's him? I thought his name was something else. I think both of you better go before you're late for school." Nick needed to think and sleep before tonight's shift begins.

Then, Nichole then told Donald where her boyfriend lived. She did not dare tell her father that they are going out. He would want to run a criminal background check, and a full report on their dates until he can trust him with his princess.

Nichole and Don said their byes to Nick, before they entered the lift. While on their way to Don's Chevy, Don was acting like he was a Secret Service agent. "Would you knock it off, Uncle Don? You sure are going to assure any doubts the Titans might have about me."

"Sorry, Munchkin'. I'm not used to playing bodyguard, it's usually your father that gets these assignments. Not me." Now they had gotten in the car, and were on their way to David's apartment.

Nichole was worried that when he left yesterday, the car had followed him home too. But she didn't tell them that, and besides she knew her father's temper would skyrocket if he found out that she has been letting him come into the loft when he was asleep.

Donald pulled in front of an apartment building built for the low-income middle-class citizens. "Do you mind waiting in the car, Uncle Don? I won't be long. It's just on the third floor, and the elevators are out of order. Besides, you'll be able to see me from the car on the third floor." She lied about the elevators, if David's dad sees a cop, then he won't let his son live to see another day.

Schanke hesitated, "Oh, all right. But be extra careful, Munchkin'."

"You're the greatest, Uncle Don."

"Don't you dare tell your father. He'll never let me hear the end of it, and then he'll kill me."

"I promise. I won't tell him." 'Besides, it would be just another secret added on to my list.' Nichole thought afterwards. 'One of these days I am gonna die of hypersecrecy,' she chuckled at the thought.

"What's so funny, Munchkin'?"

"Oh, nothing. Let me go fetch David." She just hoped that his father wasn't in one of his moods last night, where he would beat the living daylights out of him and then lock him in the closet for days at a time. Her hope had vanished when his father had opened the door, drunk. "I came by to pick David up for school, and don't you dare tell me that he isn't going with me. I won't accept that answer, Mr. Bell."

"So you're the Slut that my no good bastard son has been seeing." It was more of a statement than a question.

Nichole just stared at him, as if he had turned into an enemy. Then, her mind slipped into a flashback.

Flashback

(Toronto, Ontario; December of 1991)

"Nichole, you have shown traits of a vampire. You have just shown to me that you are capable of whammying people. I will teach you how to do it more properly. There are two types of mortal minds: Resistors and Nonresistors. First, we will learn how to whammy Nonresistors. You will need a 'lab rat' to test. Speaking of 'lab rats', here comes Schanke. He is a Nonresistor. In order to whammy a Nonresistor, you must look them straight in the eyes and capture their heartbeat. Then you may tell them what you want them to know or do. Try it on Schanke."

"Okay, Daddy. I'll try."

"You'll try what, Munchkin'?"

"Nothing, Uncle Don." Nichole looks Schanke in the eyes and captured his heartbeat. "You will go to the store and buy me a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream."

At that point, Nick said into her ear, "Now, you release him. Ask him if he would mind going to the store and buying you some ice cream. To release him, let go of his heartbeat and look away from his eyes."

Nichole stopped listening to Schanke's heart, and broke eyes contact. "Uncle Don, do you mind going to the store and buying me some ice cream?"

"Sure thing, Munchkin'. I'll be back in a moment."

"Thanks, Uncle Don. You're the greatest."

"No problem. I'll be back." With that Schanke left, and Nick turned to instruct Nichole some more on the fine art of whammying.

"Good job, Princess. Now we will move on to lesson two: Learning what happens when you try to whammy a Resisitor. You just do what you did to Schanke. We will try it on Nat. I learned the hard way that she was a Resistor, but what's done is done. Here comes Nat now, she's here for our weekly movie." Natalie then walks into the loft. "Hi, Nat. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Nick. What is it?"

"I'm teaching Nichole how to whammy people, and we are to the lesson about Resistors. Since you're the only..." Nick was interrupted.

"'Resistor I know.' Sure. I'll be the 'lab rat' for this lesson. This lesson only. Got it Nick?"

"Got it Nat. Just don't be too hard on her. After all she is just a child."

Nichole then repeated what she did to Schanke on Natalie, but her motivations were different. She said, "You will make Daddy let me eat the ice cream when Uncle Don gets here."

"Nice try, Sweetheart. I suggest that you try to reason with him yourself instead of me playing middleman or woman in this case."

"Daddy, how do I know who is a Resistor or a Nonresistor?"

"You don't. Not until you try to whammy them. Until you actually do, you better pray that the mortal is a Nonresistor."

End of Flashback

At that point, Nichole now realized that Mr. Bell would not let David go to school or her in the apartment to get David out. She has had enough of Mr. Bell's beatings place on David's body. She hoped that Mr. Bell was a Nonresistor. No she didn't hope, she prayed badly. She caught Mr. Bell's eyes and heartbeat. "You will let me come in, and then you will go to sleep until I leave the immediate area. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Good." Nichole agreed as she broke contact. "Can I come in, please?"

"Yeah, Bitch. You can come in." With that he opened the door, allowing her to come inside. "Now if you will fucking excuse me, I will go take a god damn nap."

"Fine. Where's David?"

"Why do you fucking care? He is a worthless, no-good use to anybody, son of a bitch. Nobody cares about his sorry ass, and nobody even loves that bastard. He's in the god damn closet, where he should fucking die."

"Fine. Now go take your nap." After, Mr. Bell had moved into his bedroom and closed the door. Nichole had moved to the closet, and started to try the handle. It was locked. "David, hang on buddy. I'll get you outta there." She had learned on her tenth birthday that she could move objects with her mind. Today, she didn't have time to look for the key to unlock the closet door. Now would be the time to use her 'handicap' to unlock the door, and get David out of there. Nichole had studied diagrams of locks before, so she knew how they worked. She willed the lock to open and let her in the closet. Once the lock had complied, she had to physically pick him up and take him to his room. "David, pack a bag. You're staying with me for a long while. I had enough of his beatings, I'm telling Daddy."

"I'm sorry he was rude to you, Nichole. Please don't tell your dad, but he is right about me, though. I am 'a worthless, no good use to anybody, son of a bitch.'" David had mimicked his father rather well. Nichole took one look at David's present physical state, and shook her head.

"David, listen to me. What he said is all a lie. Do you understand me? He doesn't know a thing about you."

"Name one person that cares about me, loves me, and thinks I'm useful. Just name one person, Nichole."

"You want me to name one person," it was more of a statement instead of a question. "I will give you a name of a person, me. I care about what happens to you. I think you're useful to me when I need somebody to talk to. I love you, David. I always have, and I always will." By now, Nichole had packed a bag with everything needed for a week or more vacation. She picked up the bag with one hand and held David up with the other, and walked out to the car.

"Hey! What took you so long, Munchkin'?" Schanke took a long, hard look at David in Nichole's arms. He decided something had happened to this boy in his partner's daughter's arms. However, he decided not to say anything, yet.

"Nothing that shouldn't delay us terribly. Don't tell Dad, but we're having company for A WHILE. I'll tell him tonight, he'll be VERY mad, though."

"Okay, Munchkin'. Hurry up, we're already late."

(That night at the loft.)

Nick had just woken up, and was getting ready for work. When he had emerged from his room, he saw a stranger in his living room with his daughter. They sat chatting like old friends, and Nick was furious, "HOW DID HE GET IN HERE?" Nick had bellowed at Nichole for allowing a total stranger in the loft without his permission. Nichole had stiffened at her father's angry voice. She had never heard her father yell before, not ever. She looked up at him, and could see the steam rising from the top of his head. Inside, Nichole cowered. Outside, she was calm.

"I let him in." Nichole barely whispered the statement, knowing very well he could hear her. "Will you let me explain his presence?" She looked down at the floor to avoid her father's glowing red eyes.

By this time, Nick had calmed down. He knew his daughter had a good reason for his presence and did not want to alert her guest about his condition.

"Yes, Princess. I will, but let me come down first." Nick walked down the stairs, he usually flew down. Once he was seated on the couch, he told Nichole to continue

"Daddy, this is David. David, this is my father." Both of them had nodded a hello to each other. "David is the artist at the school."

"So, you're the boy that Nichole keeps talking about. Do you draw?"

"Yes, Sir. I sketch better, than I draw."

"Daddy, there is something you should know. Don't get angry at me when I tell you."

"Yes, Princess? I won't get angry at you."

"David will be staying for awhile. He is having family problems. You see, his father abuses him. If you will just look at his back and the black eye, you have the physical evidence."

"Nichole, you promised not to tell him. Why did you?" David protested, upset at her for telling her father about his father's beatings.

"David, some promises have to be broken. I have kept this one for too long." Then, Nichole then turned to Nick. "Daddy, can he stay with us? Or will he go to a foster home? I would rather he stay here."

"I could arrange it where he could stay here. I have to talk to you privately, now." Nichole got up and followed Nick into the kitchen. Nick then lowered his voice so that only Nichole could hear him. "Are you going to tell him? You know if you do, you will have to protect him."

"Is it necessary, Daddy?"

"I'm afraid so, Princess. If he stays here, he will get suspicious and start asking questions. I know, I learned the hard way a long time ago." Nichole could only guess how long ago that could be.

"I guess I will tell him, I will need some help convincing him, since he doesn't believe in the supernatural. How about some effects, Daddy?"

Nick looked at her and saw a mischievous smile in her eyes, he never saw one there before. He decided to let her continue with her plan, whatever it may be.

"Okay, Princess. I will put on a show with special effects." Nichole nodded an approval, and they made their way back over to the living room. Nick and Nichole had taken back their seats.

"Is everything all right? Should I find another place to stay?" David was wondering what they were talking about, was it about him? Or for his safety? He didn't know, but he wanted to find out.

"Yes, David. Everything is fine, and no, you don't have to find another place to stay. There is something I have to tell you, David." Nichole was wondering how he would take a dark family secret, an 800-year-old family secret, which she was about to reveal. "Whatever you do, don't be afraid."

"What could you tell me that could be more terrifying than my father, Nichole?"

"My father, David. At times, he is more terrifying than your father." Nick was quiet, and will continue to be until Nichole said something that will cause him to vamp out.

"From the way you talked about him, he sounds much nicer than my father. How could he be more terrifying than mine?"

"Well, you see, David. How should I put this? Oh, I know. I'll be direct. My father is a vampire." Nichole looked at David for any reaction to her statement, but found none. "David, are you all right?"

"You're kidding right? I mean, there can't be any vampires. Vampires are myths, legends. I don't believe in myths and legends."

"No, I'm not. He is a vampire. If you don't believe me, see for yourself." David looked at Nick, and saw him vamp out before his very eyes. At this point, the young man became scared and started to scream.

"Don't scream, David. Besides, nobody can hear you." Nick commanded with a lisp from his dropped fangs. David stopped before anything came out, and looked at Nichole. She was sitting next to him as if he was her only protector from others. She trusted him. Nichole could see the shock in his eyes as well as the hurt. Nick then looked up toward the skylight, in human appearance of course. Nichole started to look at the lift as the motor can to life. "Don't do anything harsh, either of you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir." Nichole and David answered in unison. LaCroix had landed through the skylight just as Natalie had stepped off of the lift. "Daddy, do you mind if I take David for a walk?"

"No, Princess. I don't mind, just be careful. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Let's go David, I need to talk to you. We'll be back in a few minutes Daddy." Nichole had to literally grab David and drag him to the lift, and away from the stares of LaCroix and Natalie.