Pawns of Kings

by Jarvinia

Sequel to 'Another Knight.' Everything is back to 'normal,' at least before Reese assigns a special case to Nick, Nat and Tracy. At the scene they discover the victim and two little holes in their neck....

1. Pawns of Kings 1-6

Pawns of Kings
December 2001
(posted February 2002)
Jarvinia

This story is a sequel to 'Another Knight' and it would be helpful, although not entirely necessary, to read it first.

The time frame for this story is about a year and three months after the events of 'Last Knight.'

Disclaimer: Forever Knight and its characters do not belong to me. I'm just using them for a bit of fun. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story may not be archived without my permission. If you want it, just ask and I'll let you know if you can or not.

I would like to thank my beta reader, David, for going through this story (especially considering its length), and for all of his suggestions, comments, and corrections. I'd also like to thank Liz for reading through this and catching a few spelling/grammatical mistakes before posting this.

A note about some of the flashbacks: I'm making Nick's father the Duke of Brabant, and am (more or less) disregarding the actual genelogy for the Brabant family. All but two of the names used are entirely fictional. It doesn't entirely break the family line, just messes with it a bit.

Please give feedback...I'd really like to hear what you think.... ;)

And, finally--Happy reading!


~#~#~#~#~#~

Pawns of Kings (01/52)

As Nick walked into the precinct, he picked up on the tension around him. Since his return to Toronto, perhaps before he had even left, he could feel the stress in the air around him. It was as tangible as the scents of the room, the sensation seeming to get stronger by the day. Over the past two and a half, almost three months, the homicide rate had also increased, and not just in Toronto.

Tracy was already at her desk when he arrived. As soon as he sat down, the Captain bellowed their names across the bullpen. Both cringed slightly, fearing what they would be told.

Silently, they entered Reese's office, Nick closing the door behind them.

"Sit down, detectives. I think you two have an idea what this is about."

"The increased crime rate? Particularly homicides?" Tracy asked.

"That's right. Toronto isn't the only city. In virtually every major city in the world, the homicide rate has gone up, and most are going unsolved as I'm sure you've noticed." At the detectives' silence, Reese continued, "I've got a case for you. You two are to speak to no one, not in or out of the precinct. Doctor Lambert's the coroner assigned to the case with you. The Commissioner has chosen you three to work on this, and I must ask you to be as objective as possible."

Sensing total seriousness from his superior, Nick inquired, "What's this about, Captain?"

Pausing, Reese looked to both of them before standing and grabbing his coat. "Come on, I'll take you two down to the scene. You'll see what I mean when we get there."

Blindly following their captain, Nick and Tracy retrieved their coats and followed Reese to his car. As they drove, Nick noticed they were leaving the 96th's jurisdiction. Several minutes later, they were on the other side of town.

"This isn't under our jurisdiction," Nick stated out loud, his mind trying to figure out where they were going.

"No, it's not. Like I said, the Commissioner wants the best on the case, and he's picked us. Now, we're almost there."

Three minutes later, the car pulled up to the crime scene. Only a single squad car and Natalie's car were present. Nick, Tracy and Reese approached, and with Reese's badge, the group was granted access. Nick quickly spotted Natalie and walked over to her, the others following.

As the three arrived, Natalie turned around, waiting for someone to comment. By Nick and Tracy's confused expressions, she guessed they didn't know what this case was about. Boy would they be surprised.

"What do you think, Doctor? Is this real?" Reese questioned.

The others could see her nervousness, the shock clearly evident in her expression. "Umm...I'm not sure. I can't say without a more thorough examination."

"Is what real? Captain, what's this about?" Tracy demanded, wanting to know just what their case involved.

"Show them what you found."

Natalie nodded, meeting Nick's eyes momentarily. Then, turning away, she led the two down between the buildings, stopping only a few feet into the alley. Near one side a man in his twenties lay; unmistakably dead. Although his face was turned mostly toward the wall, Nick and Tracy could see the fear and utter shock on the victim's features.

Nick turned his attention to Natalie. "What's the cause of death, or can you tell?"

"Oh, that one's easy. Blood loss. The uncertainty is of how it was taken."

"Taken?" the younger detective asked, her mind catching on the word.

Nick's reaction was unnoticeable to anyone but Natalie. Taking a few steps toward the body, he knelt and looked for wounds. On first examination, none were seen, but tilting the head toward him, he caught two little holes alerting him that a vampire was the killer. Standing up, he backed away.

Tracy quickly took his place. As she saw the wounds, he heard a slight, nearly imperceptible gasp. Looking to Nat, Nick could see that she had heard it as well. Tracy knew what had killed this man. Now, the only question was what to do about it.

Reese had told them that they couldn't speak a word about the case, and to think objectively. No personal opinions could be allowed to sneak in. This was going to be hard for all of them.

Suddenly, Nick heard approaching footsteps that stopped only a few feet behind him.

"So, what do you think?" Reese let them think a while, glancing between the three. Knight and Lambert were deep in thought. Whether the connection had been made yet, or not, he couldn't tell. Vetter, however, seemed to know where he was going. "Detective?" he prodded, directing his voice to the younger woman.

Tracy fidgeted a second under the captain's gaze. "Uh, well, I guess it sort of looks like a vampire bite, but they're not real, just superstition."

"Tell that to your father and half of the metro areas of the world. These kills are taking place all over, and so far, there has been no evidence to prove that they aren't." Pausing, he judged their reactions once again. Knight and the doctor seemed shocked, but then from past observation, he had noticed they didn't believe much in superstition. Knight's partner, however, again appeared to have the greatest reaction. She was stunned, not surprised, but stunned. "I know, vampires are supposed to be superstition, characters in scary stories to keep kids inside. Now, I haven't been told much, but apparently whoever, or whatever is doing this is getting more and more careless. At this rate, eventually somewhere, sometime, they're going to get caught. Then, and only then, will we know what's going on."

"If there has been more of these...whatever they are, then what has been uncovered?" Natalie probed, wanting to know just how much was out in the open.

"Down in the States, they're ruling the cause of death as exsanguination. However, how the blood was taken is still up for grabs. So far, the only explanation is that the killer is something more than human, something that sounds suspiciously like a vampire." Watching Knight, who was unusually silent, he turned his attention to Lambert for a moment. "Doctor, I want you to get working on this immediately. No one but myself, Knight and Vetter are to see your report."

"What about my other cases?"

"They'll either be reassigned, or pushed back a bit. For now, this is your only case."

As the full implications sunk in for Tracy, she asked, "So what do Nick and I do?"

Reese watched her partner's head snap up at the question. Neither the Commissioner nor himself were thrilled about the detectives' job. "You two are to find out as much as possible about this. Try to find some evidence, or better yet, a witness. Any information you can get will be useful."

Immediately, they reacted, both preparing to go on the defensive. It was clear that they weren't thrilled with the idea any more than he was.

"I know, it's not what you'd like to be doing. But this is an order, not from me, or even the Commissioner-"

"If my father's not in charge, then who is?"

"Currently, it's the mayor. That's where I've received all of my information from. However, depending on the outcome of this situation and others like it, that might change." Reese stood for a moment. Again getting no reply, he pulled his keys out of his pocket. Tossing them toward Knight, he concluded, "Get working. I'll get a ride back in the squad car. Stay here with Natalie until everything has been taken care of, then find out all that you can."

The three watched as Reese turned and left. Then, just before the car pulled out, the coroner's van arrived.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Pulling into the precinct parking lot, Tracy wondered what she was going to tell the Captain. She and Nick had spent nearly two hours in the general area of the crime scene. There had been no evidence, not that she had expected to find any. However, there had been a witness, or at least someone that had been one. From how the man's eyes were glazed over, she knew it had to have been a vampire's work. How could she explain what they saw without confirming the existence of vampires and that she already knew they existed?

Not only did Tracy have to explain that they had found nothing, but that her partner left her at the scene and told her to drive back to the precinct. He had explained that he wanted to talk to someone, one of his informants.

After protesting for several minutes, she had no luck dissuading him. When she'd attempted to follow Nick, she lost his trail. Then, reluctantly, she got in the Captain's car and went on her way back to work.

Nick didn't know what he was getting into. Undoubtedly, he would be asking questions that would hint at the recent murder. A vampire could catch that knowledge, putting Nick in danger without ever knowing it.

Tracy wanted to tell her partner about vampires, but couldn't. Besides, he would give her some skeptical look and laugh it off.... Yet, she couldn't help but be concerned about what might happen to him,

whether he knew or not. If he pushed to far with his questions, the vampires might take notice of him and do something about it. She knew that mortals who knew about vampires were usually killed. She had no wish to see her partner, or herself end up that way. If Nick knew, he

might push even harder, making things worse. No, keeping quiet was probably the best thing.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Landing behind the Raven, Nick quickly made sure the coast was clear before entering through the back. Finding LaCroix at the bar sipping his usual, Nick meet his sire's eyes, then walked straight into the office.

LaCroix followed, making his way behind his desk and calmly sitting in his chair. He could feel the suppressed anger within his son, but at what, he didn't know. "Nicholas, it's been nearly three weeks since you last visited. What brings you here, mon fils?"

Shrugging off the comment, Nick firmly stated, "The Community is on the verge of discovery."

Leaning back, the elder vampire simply shrugged, inquiring, "And?"

The simplicity of his master's words triggered the expulsion of his emotions. "And what, LaCroix?! Are we to just sit and do nothing?"

"Yes!" he quickly countered. Seeing the disbelief on Nicholas' features he explained, "What can we do? It is better to just let them discover us, rather than announce our presence. Either way, our lives will be endangered." With a faint pause and inhale, LaCroix continued, "The Elders have met, and they have organized a council that will handle the situation. So far, it has been decided that we wait. Warnings have been given out by the Enforcers but aren't being taken seriously. Very few know just how close to discovery we are."

Nick allowed himself to calm down. Taking in the other vampire's words, he sobered, asking, "How long, LaCroix? How long do we have until we become more than just a myth?"

"Not long. A few days. A week. Perhaps two...if we are lucky."

Nick was stunned. Within two weeks at the most, the Community would no longer be secret to the mortal world.

Standing, LaCroix told his son, "Return to work. Pretend you are one of them. You are in a better position than most. You could possibly pass yourself off as a mortal for a while. Do not come here unless you

have no other choice. I have no wish for you to be a part of this, mon

fils."

As LaCroix walked out of the room, Nick stood silently. His master had basically told him to cut off his ties to the Community. Although unexpected, he understood LaCroix' reasons. It was the only way he could pass as a mortal. Being as close to the mortal world as he was, if he was discovered, he would probably have to quit his job and move to another city to remain sane. Finally, Nick understood why LaCroix thought his decision was a bad one. He now knew why LaCroix had allowed him to stay in Toronto, but didn't want him to go back to work. LaCroix hadn't wanted him to be caught in the mortal world when everything hit.

Exiting the office, Nick turned to approach LaCroix. Stopping short, he nodded and walked out the back. Now, all that was left was to wait....


Pawns of Kings (02/52)

A week later, the two detectives found themselves just as frustrated as Reese. There had been more murders, and some cities had secretly started to actively look for vampires. Other than Reese, only Tracy, Nick and Natalie knew anything about what was going on, and their knowledge was very limited. It wouldn't be long though before everything hit the fan, not long at all.

Tracy watched her partner. Since their special case, he had suddenly stopped his disappearing acts. Nick had been more or less acting 'normal'. He was either with her or he told her where he was going. He'd also become fed up with the case. Why, she wasn't sure, but over the last couple of nights, they had done nothing on it. It was like he was giving up, and that wasn't like Nick, not at all. Although, one explanation came to mind...Nick wasn't a resistor, she knew that. Vachon had hypnotized...or whammied...or done whatever to Nick when he'd seen the Inca fly. Only for the past week had he been acting strange, only since he left the scene to talk to an informant. His questions could have alerted the vampires. If so, they would have acted. Perhaps her partner's more careful manner was a result of their meddling.

Nick glanced over to his partner. She was staring off across the bullpen. He guessed that she was probably thinking about their most recent case. Vampires.... Not something Tracy really needed back in her life. She'd gone for over a year without having to think about them, and then, this case gets dumped on them.

More than once Tracy had eyed him in the past week, no doubt from his unusual behavior since he had left her at that crime scene. Since that night, he hadn't had any contact with LaCroix, or any other member of the Community. As a result, he spent more time at the precinct, and she was noticing it.

"Hey, Nick, Tracy," one of their fellow detectives called. "You two might want to come over here. You're not going to believe this."

Both hesitated slightly, their gut telling them what was happening. Approaching several others standing around a small TV, the two detectives watched the special report. Catching what was apparently the end, the report began again.

"As of a few hours ago, a public announcement was made concerning something previously believed to be myth. Vampires, creatures of the night, are real. They've been proved to exist in our modern world." The woman paused, looking down at her papers. "Those that have been discovered refuse to answer any questions or cooperate with authorities. At this point, it has not been decided whether the vampires will be accepted like any other minority, or if they will be restricted within society. Currently, the Western European and Asian countries favor leaving them be, while the Americas are taking a more strict approach. Further information on the situation will be announced as it is known." The view faded out to another screen as the station returned to regular programming.

Tracy turned, her partner's name on the tip of her tongue, but he wasn't behind her. Nick was sitting in his desk, his body still. Joining him at her own desk, she questioned, "It's a little unbelievable, isn't it, Nick?"

He wasn't sure how to answer. Unbelievable in the sense that this was really happening, yes. He'd spent more than seven hundred and fifty years as a vampire. In that time he had never believed that the Community would ever be fully exposed to the world. Shaking his thoughts off, he answered, "I guess you could say that."

Twirling her pencil around a couple of times, the younger detective wondered aloud, "Do you ever wonder if you've met one of them without knowing it?"

Nick tensed. Her question was almost too ironic. Tracy was talking to a vampire right now. And that vampire was him, her seemingly skeptic partner. Trying not to betray the worry that was seeping into his thoughts, he commented, "Not really. I'd rather not think about it."

She started at the answer to her question, not meaning to have voiced it. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"That's fine," Nick commented, albeit more calmly than he felt. "I'm sure everyone is going to be doing a lot of that."

Nodding silently, she focused on a form, filling in the first few lines.

"Knight, Vetter, get in here now!" Reese yelled from his office.

Obeying the order, the detectives entered, and sat down when they were told to. "You know the news?"

"Yeah, we know," Nick replied evenly.

"Well, that report was a worldwide announcement. I have some local information for you two."

Tracy was a little confused. "Is this like that hush hush case you put us on? That only me, Nick and Natalie get to know anything?"

"Sort of. For now, only you three will have the information." Reese paused, organizing his thoughts. "In both Canada and the States, both government and city employers are actively looking for vampires. Depending on their past history, especially recent history, they will either be allowed to return to work, or will be fired."

"Don't you think that's unfair? I mean, we don't judge others on what they've done," Tracy argued.

"It's not my decision. This was decided because of how dangerous they are assumed to be, but I think it's going to cause more tension than there already is." The captain finished, and like a week before, Knight was very silent. "Knight? You okay?"

"Fine." Tracy's skeptical glance made him elaborate, "It's...still sinking in a bit."

"Attempting to break through that hard head of yours, no doubt," she joked. Receiving a glare, she quickly apologized before turning her attention back to Reese. "Captain, are we still on that case?"

"No, you've been pulled off of it. Now, we know what the killer was, just not who." Reese tore off a piece of paper, handing it to Knight. "I want you to check this place out."

After Nick had read the address, Tracy took it from him and exclaimed, "The Raven? I thought it was closed."

Reese shook his head. "It opened back up a couple of months ago. I know you two checked it out before, but it's been over a year. The club is suspected to be a hangout for their kind. We need to know for sure. Perhaps talk to the owner, LaCroix, but do so carefully. It's not known how much he knows, although I'm guessing it's a lot. Just check it out, see if you can find anything new." Receiving a nod from both, Reese dismissed them, reminding the detectives to be careful. As an afterthought, he suggested that they change clothes to blend in with the crowd.

Tracy followed her partner out of the office. Immediately after the door swung closed, she asked, "What's wrong with our clothes?"

"The Raven's patrons like black. Right now, you're wearing all light colors."

"And you're wearing all black," she thought aloud. "What's with that, anyway? It's August. Don't you get hot in both the black and the long sleeves?

Nick shrugged. He didn't know why black had been chosen more often than not. "If I were hot, I would have worn something different. It's just what I picked to come to work."

Even though her partner seemed truthful, it just didn't make sense. "For the third time this week?" Getting another shrug, she just shook her head. "Okay. So, are you going to drive, or am I?"

"I'll drive," he replied, leaving the building.

Tracy considered the abrupt departure for a second. Then, she grabbed her things and ran to catch up to him. Reaching the Caddy, she could already hear the engine going, and quickly got in.

When her thoughts returned to the Raven, all she could think was getting away from there. The Raven was full of vampires, or at least it had been. She knew that, but Nick didn't.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

A half hour later, she followed her partner into the club. As they made their way down to the main level, Tracy caught several looks from the patrons. Whether Nick saw them as well, she didn't know. He was in front of her, scanning for someone, probably the owner.

Remembering that Lucien LaCroix was the owner and his 'visit' to the precinct over a year ago, she was nearly positive that he was one of them. She had even asked Vachon about it, although his answer had been negative. She hadn't really believed him then, and she definitely didn't now.

If the Raven was a club for vampires, it was only logical that its owner should be one of them. When Nick's eyes focused on the closed office door, Tracy followed him to the bar. She watched as Nick waved the bartender off. He seemed calm, too calm, as they had all but been told that those in the Raven were vampires.

After a couple of minutes, his attention snapped to the door. He stood and approached it, telling his partner to stay where she was. Nick remained with his hand on the knob for a couple of moments. Then, he turned it, entering without even knocking.

Tracy was stunned. If LaCroix was a vampire, Nick could really be in for it. By the looks of it, LaCroix was probably in a meeting, and that wouldn't go over all that well. Focusing on her surroundings, she felt the gazes on her, and realized she had to be just about the only mortal in the club.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

As his office door opened, LaCroix stood angrily. His rage was directed at both the intruder and his guest. Giving his son only a passing glance, the Roman turned to the other, "Antonius, we have few choices in this situation. Order as much as you can, and store the bottles somewhere safe." Antonius nodded, and started for the door. "You are not yet dismissed. Nicholas, what brings you here?" the elder vampire demanded, his anger still on the surface.

"Business. Tracy's here as well."

LaCroix controlled his emotions as best he could. "You should not bring a mortal in here, not now, and not if you want her to live." With a quick glance to Antonius, he firmly ordered, "Make sure nothing happens to the mortal woman. She is to come to no harm."

The Italian was about to leave, but something occurred to him. "Where is she?"

Nick quickly explained, "Sitting at the bar. She has short blonde hair. Considering there are few mortals in the club, you should have no trouble."

"Sure, Knight."

"Try not to draw attention to yourself," LaCroix added with a threatening glare.

Antonius silently nodded. After a second, he hurriedly exited the office.

"I told you to stay away from others of our kind. The mortals will be looking for us soon, and if you wish to be unnoticed, you must not return here," LaCroix reminded tersely.

"Like I said, I'm here on business. Tracy and I are supposed to check the club out. They want to know if it's a meeting place for our kind. What are we supposed to say?"

LaCroix' features softened. His son was here because he had no choice. Now, to answer the question. "How well do you trust your Captain? If this knowledge were to fall into the wrong hands, we could be hunted. I'm sure he would not want a massacre on his hands. Choose what you say carefully."

Nodding, the younger softly asked, "How is the Community taking it, LaCroix?"

"They are nervous, not sure what to expect. One of the Council's members will be visiting Toronto once things settle down some. Then we will know how we should react to all of this. Until that is decided, we are to keep quiet." LaCroix watched his son turn to leave. When Nicholas' hand reached the door's knob, he advised, "Take care, mon fils. You are very close to the mortals, and I have no wish to see you harmed. You know the consequences of discovery better than I, no doubt."

Nick nodded again, then turned the knob and left. Reemerging into the club, he found Tracy waiting for him nervously at the bar. Antonius was standing in one of the shadows, his gaze fixed mostly on Tracy.

Seeing Nicholas exit the office, the younger vampire nodded slightly, at which he started for the back exit.

Tracy stood, and then asked, "Did everything go all right?"

Brushing off her question for the moment, Nick led her out of the club. Once the two were in the Caddy and on the way back to the precinct, Tracy repeated her question, "Did everything go all right? Why did we leave so suddenly?"

"LaCroix knew why I was there before I got a word out. He told us to stay clear and that now was not the time to provoke anyone. I believe him, but am unsure of what to tell Reese."

"What do you mean, Nick?" she asked. If the Raven was a meeting place for vampires, then that's what they would tell Reese.

"Tracy, consider everything for a moment. The Raven is a hangout for vampires, but if that becomes public knowledge, there are those who would take the opportunity to eliminate them."

Doing as Nick said, Tracy remembered the club's occupants' reaction to her. They were nervous, their tension palpable. If they were attacked, that tension would be released in the form of bloodshed. "I think I understand, but we should still tell Reese, let him know what we think. Besides, I have a feeling Reese already knows what the Raven is."

Her partner nodded silently, setting the tone for the rest of the drive back to the precinct.


Pawns of Kings (03/52)

Five nights later, Nick sat at his desk, trying to work on a case. Since the announcement, it had been virtually impossible to get anything done. Metro had decided to work in 'testing' for vampires into the yearly physical, and they started the next night. Everyone in the department was to go through the physical, and they had begun with the end of the alphabet. Tracy's exam was one of the first ones. At present, his was scheduled for sometime next week. What would they do when they discovered he wasn't quite human? In the past, Natalie had always done his physical, but this time, it would be someone else.

As his partner came back from her lunch break, he stood, mentioning he would be at the morgue for a little while. Quickly, he left the building, and after careful consideration, took the Caddy. He didn't want to bother flying right now. It wouldn't bode well if someone spotted him.

Arriving at the morgue, he slipped into Natalie's office. Not making a sound, he patiently waited for her to finish up. "Nat?" he voiced softly as she started back to her desk.

The coroner turned quickly, nearly dropping the tape recorder. "Nick! I thought I'd told you not to sneak up on me!"

He winced, quickly explaining, "Sorry, I guess I forgot. I'm not thinking very clearly lately."

Catching the wince, Natalie reminded herself of the pressure he was under. Nick had told her about the physicals. She nodded back at him. Her department was doing them as well. Yet, tonight she also had news for him. "Yeah, and I don't blame you. Taking the Litovuterine should get you through the physical though."

"But it's addictive...right?"

"Litovuterine-B is, but I've been working on another version of it...Litovuterine-D." She watched him perk up a bit, but she still had to finish it. "Nick, it's not ready yet, but I think it will suppress the virus without the problem of addiction. At the same time, I think it might have more side effects."

Nick let the information sink in, then inquired, "When will it be ready?"

"I'll need a few more days. If I can finish it before your physical, hopefully you'll be able to pass as a mortal. If not, we've got a problem."

His head snapped up at her last comment. "No. If it doesn't work, *I* have a problem. I don't want you involved."

"If I get involved, it's my own choice," she argued, before returning to their conversation. "We both have the next two nights off. I'm going to spend most of my time here, in the lab. Hopefully I'll finish by the time I return to work and perhaps we can even do a preliminary test. Nick, I'm going to need another blood sample right now, and possibly another in the next couple of days."

Without comment, he unbuttoned his cuff, pushing the sleeve of his shirt up. It only took her a minute to get the blood she needed. Once that was done, Nick wasted no time in getting ready to leave.

"I'll drop by to tell you how it goes. Do you want me to call first?"

"No, you can just come by. You won't be interrupting anything," he mentioned, letting the meaning sink in. He couldn't go to the Raven, and for the next two days he was off of work. Perhaps he would paint, or finally try to get some sleep--if he could.

Natalie watched as her friend slowly turned. Her attention remained fully focused on him as he soundlessly exited the room. She was worried. Not only about how he was coping with his return to Toronto, but what the new situation would do to him. Despite their everlasting life and amazing regenerative properties, she knew vampires were just as sensitive, if not more so, than mortals.

Taking the blood sample over to the microscope, Natalie started her work, putting her cases on hold for the time being.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Opening the elevator door, Natalie found the loft shrouded in darkness. After spending the last thirty hours at the morgue, she had taken a short break at home, and then drove over to Nick's.

Despite being thoroughly exhausted, she had finished her task. The Litovuterine-D changed the structure of Nick's cells, temporarily subduing the vampire and making it invisible to any of the tests she'd done. Yet, that was based on tests performed in the lab. How it would work on Nick wouldn't be known until she gave it to him.

While her eyes began to adjust, she moved further into the room. After glancing through the loft, her initial thoughts were that Nick either wasn't there, or he was sleeping. Natalie decided to check his room, then suddenly became aware of his form on the couch. "Nick? Are you awake?" she whispered as she approached. Carefully making her way over to the table, she turned the light on to its lowest setting.

With the added light, Nick looked away for a moment, letting his eyes adjust. "Yeah, I'm awake. I haven't slept for past few days."

Dropping her purse on the chair, she sat next to him, advising, "You need to get some sleep...."

"So should you," he countered, trying to sound more awake than he was.

Natalie knew she needed to get some sleep, but that was different. "I will, but I haven't been up as long as you have either. You really do need to get some sleep, and don't give me any of that not-mortal crap."

Hesitating slightly, Nick let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't.... I can't sleep, I can't think...I can't do anything...."

"Because of the physical," Nat concluded. "The Litovuterine is ready, but like last time, I'm not sure how you'll react to it."

Nick moved forward, grabbing a glass and bottle off the table. Filling the glass full, Nick took a small sip of the liquid. "The question is, will it be enough?"

Opening her mouth to answer, the buzzer sounded. Figuring Nick wouldn't want to answer it, she went to see who it was. "It's the captain. Were you expecting him?"

Shaking his head, Nick told her to let the captain in. After buzzing him in, Natalie returned to sit next to Nick.

About a minute later, Reese made his way through the dark room to the two on the couch. "Am I interrupting anything?" Reese inquired uncertainly, stopping about halfway there.

"No, I just stopped by to talk with Nick."

The Captain considered the explanation, but didn't completely buy it. There was something going on between those two. The doctor had stopped by to do more than just talk, but whether that was dinner, or something more intimate, he couldn't say. "Well, I need to talk to him too. Knight, I know about your allergy, and so does the Commissioner. As a result, they've moved your test. It's tomorrow at 10:00 AM. The Commissioner also wants you to work day shift to prove that you're mortal. Do you think you could handle one day, with limited sun exposure?"

"I think so," Nick replied, trying to sound a little unsure, which wasn't difficult. After all, he and Nat hadn't tested out the Litovuterine-D yet.

"Good. Your shift starts at noon. Tracy will meet you there." As he finished, Reese's eye caught the green bottle on the table, and the wine glass in his detective's hand. The liquid was a dark blood red, the substance appearing thicker than wine.

Noticing the Captain's curious gaze, Natalie steeled herself. Taking the glass from Nick's loose grasp, she brought it slowly to her lips. Calmly, she took a large sip under both Reese, and Nick's, scrutiny. Suppressing her reflex to gag, she swallowed the blood, handing the glass back to Nick before she dropped it.

Reese cut off his previous line of thought. It couldn't be blood. Lambert had just downed nearly half of the liquid, and she came and went at all hours of the day and night. Completely scattering his curiosity with a faint shake of the head, he instead asked, "Isn't it a bit early for wine?"

"Depends upon your point of view. Besides, I'm only having this one glass."

"Just make sure you're sober when you come in. Both of you." Turning, the Captain walked toward the elevator. Just before leaving, Reese reminded Knight that he wouldn't be working the next night, but the day after.

Nick nodded silently in response, feeling the tension in Natalie.

The moment the elevator came to life, Natalie started off to the kitchen. By the time Nick arrived, she had drunk a full glass of water, trying to get the salty-metallic taste out of her mouth.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching as she scoured his fridge for something to eat. Finally, she grabbed some leftover fried rice she'd left there a few days before.

"I can't believe I just did that. Remind me not to do that again." Adding some water to the container, she stuck it in the microwave and hit the power button.

"Well, you didn't need to drink quite that much, and certainly not that quickly."

She froze at Nick's words. "How much did I have?"

Nick held up the wine glass, guessing, "About a half of the glass, if it had been full to begin with."

"Half of the glass?" Receiving a nod, she muttered, "Hopefully I won't do that again."

"You didn't have to do it in the first place...."

"What was I supposed to do? Reese was getting curious. I dispelled his thoughts before they became suspicious."

"I know, Nat. I know," he argued. "I would rather have Reese suspicious, than have you drink any blood."

The microwave dinged, and after a moment, Natalie grabbed a fork and the food.


Pawns of Kings (04/52)

Nick had silently watched as Natalie ate her meal. Whether she was really hungry, or if it was a result of drinking the blood, he didn't know. When she had finished, he asked, "About the Litovuterine...how will we know if it's going to work?"

"The only way is to test it. I brought some with me, and it's getting pretty close to dawn. I guess we could try it now."

Nodding, Nick unbuttoned his cuff, pushing his sleeve up. Natalie retrieved the Litovuterine and a syringe from her purse, and then approached him. "Nick, remember last time. You might want to lay on the couch, or better yet, the floor."

He seemed to consider the suggestion for a moment, then moved away from most of the furniture. Lying on the ground, he watched as Natalie approached and knelt next to him.

She cleaned and prepared his arm with practiced ease. Filling the syringe with the drug, she asked, "Are you ready?" Receiving another nod, she injected the Litovuterine into his bloodstream. Now, all they had to do was wait.

For two long minutes nothing happened. Then, feeling his heart beat under her fingers, the drug was finally dispersed through his system. Natalie watched as he closed his eyes in pain, then rolled onto his side scrunching up. Nick made no sound despite the pain it undoubtedly caused him.

Natalie sat behind him, her hand rubbing his arm, feeling his muscles spasm. When he relaxed, she brushed his hair out of his face, her fingertips lightly touching his cheek. "Nick? How do you feel?"

He rolled back onto his back, catching a wave of dizziness. Taking in a large breath, he responded, "Tired...weak.... My stomach hurts, not from hunger, but something else."

"Do you think you can get up?" she asked, hoping he would answer truthfully.

"Yeah, but if I don't stay that way, try to catch me." He managed a weak smile, and with Natalie's help, he was standing a minute later. The lightheadedness returned for a moment. As it subsided, Nick became aware of the pain in his stomach once again. Suddenly feeling sick, he moved as fast as he could to the sink, nearly losing his balance partway there. His stomach protested, letting loose its contents.

Seeing the bright red blood, Natalie quickly turned on the faucet and washed the liquid down the drain. As his spasms subsided, she led Nick to the kitchen table. He sat at the end of the table, his arms folded on its surface, his head resting on them.

"Are you all right?" When he didn't answer, she prodded, "Nick?"

Nick sat up, leaning back into the chair. "I think so. I guess I shouldn't have had anything to drink before taking the Litovuterine. It doesn't hurt anymore though." He gave her another partial smile, wanting to reassure her that he would be fine. "So, now what?" Nick asked, as she made her way back to the chair.

"I'm going to take your temperature and all of your vitals. I'll also take a blood sample, and then we'll see what the sun does. If you feel it wearing off, tell me. We'll need to know how long a dose lasts."

"Are you sure it will wear off?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she stated evenly. Every form of Litovuterine she'd tried in the lab had worn off, some rather quickly, some after nearly a day. Taking her thermometer she moved toward Nick, only to have him pull away.

"What's that?"

She looked at the device in her hands and realized she hadn't shown it to him yet. "Oh, it's one of those digital thermometers. About a month ago I broke down and got one. It takes your temperature from the ear within seconds. A lot quicker and more accurate than the alcohol ones." Natalie carefully took Nick's temperature and showed him the display.

"Isn't that a little low?"

Glancing at the temperature, she shook her head. "It's within human normal. Some people have lower body temperatures than others. I'll check it again in a few minutes. Now, unbutton your shirt so I can listen to your heart and lungs."

Five minutes later, Natalie was amazed. Nick's pulse was strong and steady, a little slow, but as with his temperature, it was within normal parameters. The same went for his lungs. After taking his temperature a second time, the value didn't change, but it wasn't really a problem either.

Now came the biggest test. She grabbed the remote and opened one of the blinds. Suddenly, he was beside her, standing just outside the range of the rays of light. His eyes were squinting slightly, the light being just a little too bright for him.

Slowly, with a hint of hesitation, he stepped into the light. When it didn't burn, he turned around in it to face her, the smile gracing his lips being a full one. "I almost forgot how much I love sunlight. At the same time, I don't think mortality is my goal anymore."

For a moment, Natalie felt like she'd lost. Yet, at the same time, she hadn't. Nick may not be looking for mortality anymore, but he still seemed interested in his humanity. That was something he could show despite the fact that he wasn't mortal. "Don't get too used to it. It will wear off."

"I know. It's what I've missed the most, and it's been my biggest fear."

Watching him, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in his place. Nick loved sunlight but was forced to exist without ever seeing it. At this moment, he seemed more alive, more human, than he ever did at night. Even with his tiredness as Nick squinted into the daylight, he was energetic, almost as if he were feeding off of the sun's rays for energy. Silently, she wondered what Tracy would think of Nick's enthusiasm, something he hadn't had much of lately. That is, if it lasted.

"As soon as the dose wears off, I want you to tell me, and then you need to get some sleep. I'll give you more tomorrow morning."

Nick nodded, then suddenly spoke, "So, do you have any more tests?"

"Hmm...yes, I do. Give me your arm," she instructed, hoping that Nick didn't have a problem with a little pain. She took it, cleaning the skin as she always did. Before he could protest, Natalie swiftly began to draw blood. Unlike other times, Nick struggled, pulling away from the needle. "Nick, hold still. It'll only be a little longer." Quickly, she switched vials, and waited for the second to fill up. Removing the needle, she placed a cotton ball over the spot, telling him, "Now, hold that right there."

"That hurt," he complained while Nat was putting the samples away.

Natalie nearly said, 'Well, duh,' but stopped herself. When Nick was mortal, they didn't have syringes and blood tests. The vampire element in his blood dulled the pain, and it took much more to get a response. "Well, now you'll know what to expect tomorrow."

Concern abruptly filled his features. "They're going to do a blood test?"

"That's what Tracy said."

"But, how...I mean, won't they be able to tell I'm not mortal?"

"That's why I'm going to get your samples under a microscope. Tracy said they did the test while she was there. If that's the case, the Litovuterine wouldn't have worn off by then. Hopefully, I can come up with an explanation for whatever oddities are in your blood." Getting a faint nod, she instructed, "Nick, I'll be at the morgue. If I don't get back before it wears off, I want you to write down the time that the vampire begins to come back. Then, get some sleep. You'll need it."

Nick nodded again. As he watched Nat leave, he was curious of how long it would be. Would the Litovuterine take several hours to wear off, or merely one? Now, it was time to wait again, but this time he was tired. When it wore off, he would sleep, whether he really wanted to or not.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Around noon, Natalie let herself into the loft. The room was dark and quiet, but she could still easily maneuver. Nick was sleeping on the couch. Approaching, she took his hand in hers. His skin was cool, not cold, but not warm either. No pulse beat, his body nearly back to normal--vampire normal.

Proceeding to the kitchen, she turned on the light. On the table was an empty bottle and a sheet of paper where Nick had written a single sentence. '10:15 with side effects.'

Natalie pondered the side effects. What had happened when the Litovuterine had worn off? But more importantly, she had a time. She gave Nick the Litovuterine at twenty till six. It had lasted roughly four and a half hours, which meant he would need to take more than one dose to get through the next day.

Her shift started in about nine hours. Before then, she really needed to get some sleep. Remembering she had left a few changes of clothes here, Natalie decided to just sleep at Nick's. He was sleeping on the couch, so she would have to take his room. Perhaps Nick would be awake when she got up, although she doubted it.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Tracy had been waiting for Nick for the last ten minutes. She debated trying to call him on his cell phone. A moment later, that thought was squashed as she saw Nick walk into the room. He had his sunglasses on, something she only saw when he left for home near sunrise, yet it was the middle of the day. That's another thing she was curious about. If Nick was allergic to sunlight, how was he getting through today? He appeared relatively normal as he entered, his complexion seeming a little brighter than normal, but then, she contributed that to it being daytime.

He wasn't wearing a lot of black either. In fact, other than his sunglasses, he had no black on at all. Nick was wearing jeans and a light blue silk shirt. Weird, that's what it was. "Hey, Nick. What's up with the change?"

"What change?" he asked, stopping mid-stride.

"Your clothes. Since you came back, you've been sticking to black and other dark colors. So, what's with the blue?"

Tracy's curiosity had been aroused. Unless he wanted to listen to her prodding him all night, Nick would have to explain. "It was Natalie's suggestion. She thought I should wear something a bit more lively."

"Well, the color was a good choice, or was that Natalie's idea as well?"

The corner of Nick's lip quirked up a bit. "Yeah, she picked the color. Then, she went on about how I should wear it more often."

"And you should. Blue suits you, and it's a lot more interesting than boring old black."

"I like 'boring old black'," he countered. "Besides, black doesn't stain easily."

About to ask what her partner meant by that, Tracy turned at the call of their names. Reese wanted them and, by the sound of it, about ten minutes ago. "Well, since you're late, we better get in there."

"It's not my fault. They were running behind."

"Then you better tell Reese that." As Nick nodded, she couldn't help but look at him. The shirt really did suit him. Amazingly, it didn't make him look as pale, and the color brought out his eyes. She knew Nick would be getting a lot of looks that day.


Pawns of Kings (05/52)

The sun's rays caressed her skin, something she needed to get more of. Working night shift nearly eliminated any chance that she'd have a summer tan. Tracy glanced over to her partner. She was amazed at how much the bright light suited him. Perhaps it was the shirt, but she suspected the current culprit was the sun.

A few hours ago was the first time she'd ever seen him outside in it. Nick enjoyed the sun, she could see that readily, but there was something dark underneath. If he could go outside during the day, what stopped him? "Nick? If you're allergic to sunlight, then why are you driving with the top down, without a care in the world? And why don't you work days more often? It's just that it seems like you haven't been outside during the day for a long time, but aren't really having a problem with it."

His features clouded at the question. He had never really explained much about his 'allergy.' Remembering what he had told the doctor during his physical, he explained, "Normally, I blister in the sun. Natalie's giving me something that she hopes would stop my reaction, at least for a little while. The problem is, there are side effects."

Side effects. She knew how serious they could be. As a result, she had to stay away from certain prescriptions. Nick's momentary cure could easily be doing a lot of damage to his system, more than if he'd simply gone without it. "Oh, sorry," she muttered in apology. "Umm...Nick? Reese is having us check out all of the wine distributaries in the off chance we can find a blood supplier. So far, we've found nothing, and there is only one place left on the list. I mean, why would they be so far out into the open?"

"There's a chance," Nick stated calmly, knowing that their last destination was indeed what they were looking for. Why did Reese have to keep picking him and Tracy to deal with part of the present situation? All it was doing was giving him problems. At the same time, he was given a chance to limit exposure as much as possible.

"Is that it?" Tracy asked, looking ahead to the large, modern building. When Nick nodded, she softly commented, "Wow. That's big."

"They are an international distributor." Pulling into the parking lot, Nick parked in a visitor's spot.

As Nick made his way toward the entrance, Tracy sprinted to catch up. "The others were smaller, specialty distributors, only having wines from a specific area or province. So, if this is an international distributor, then they probably have a lot more vintages available, and perhaps some pretty rare ones, right?"

He knew what she was trying to hint at. Human blood was a rare vintage to come by. Unless one was in the Community, or very close to it, that knowledge was kept secret. "Possibly," Nick said as they entered the building.

Leading the way, Nick brought them to the secretary's desk. He flashed his badge before she could comment, introducing, "Detectives Nick Knight and Tracy Vetter. We're here to see Mr. Vinattiere. I believe he is expecting us?"

"I'll let him know you're on the way to his main office, Detective." As the woman picked up the phone, Nick started off down the hall.

"Shouldn't we wait to be shown where the office is?" Tracy asked once she had caught up to him by the elevator.

"I know where his office is. I've been here before."

"Can I ask why?"

Considering his answer, he nodded. "I do occasionally drink wine. Much of the time, I get it from here."

The information didn't surprise her too much, but it made her realize that she really didn't know much about Nick. Tracy could see him as a wine drinker, but the thought had never crossed her mind before now. The rest of the way to Mr. Vinattiere's office was spent in silence.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Antonius was agitated, and rightfully so. Nicholas and his mortal partner were on their way to his office. Several days before, he had transferred all of the blood to another location per LaCroix' orders. He had tried to cover up what he could, but he didn't have enough time. With all of the new shipments coming in, and then having to move them, he'd barely had a chance to get started working on fixing the records.

Abruptly, he looked to the door. Two mortals were approaching. With his secretary still sitting at her desk, he wondered who the second mortal could be. At the knock, he ordered his guests to enter.

Nicholas and his partner entered, and Antonius was thoroughly confused. They both had a heartbeat, yet at the same time, he could still feel the presence within the vampire. Nicholas wasn't mortal, but he just seemed to be. That would explain his presence there during the day. "Nicholas..." he began, but was cut off first with a glare, then a more apparent nod.

"This is my partner, Tracy Vetter. Tracy, this is Antonio Vinattiere," he introduced, hoping Antonius would tone down his charm a bit.

The younger vampire took the mortal's hand. Then, with a smile and a flourish, he kissed the back of it. When she seemed stunned, Antonius brightened even further.

Clearing his throat, Nick again glared at the Italian, instantly sobering Antonius. "We are here to view your storage facilities, and buy and sell records." Pulling out an envelope, he continued, "Here's the warrant."

Taking the envelope and opening it, Antonius pulled out the warrant. Nicholas wasn't lying. They really did have the right to search his records and premises. Suddenly looking back to Nicholas, he felt something. The heartbeat that shouldn't be there was slowing.

"Start showing my partner around. I'll catch up to you after I make a phone call."

"Nick, shouldn't you come as well?"

"I've been given the tour, Tracy. I know my way around this building and would miss what we're looking for. I'll find you after I call Nat."

Antonius was the first to take the hint, moving toward the mortal. He let his hand rest in the middle of Tracy's back leading her to the door. "Come, I'm sure your partner will not be long." When she attempted to protest, Antonius repeated, "Come."

Tracy glanced back to her partner. Receiving a reassuring nod, she allowed herself to be led from the room.

Once the door was firmly shut, Nick pulled the Litovuterine and a syringe from his pocket. This dose would be the third in a row. Quickly, he injected himself with the drug, immediately feeling a shudder of pain course through his body. The vampire had been close to reemerging, too close.

He had waited until now to have a better explanation for not staying with Tracy. It had been a full four and a half hours, and he was supposed to redose after four. A few minutes longer, and he would have fallen to the floor in agony as he had the previous morning. He waited for the pain to dull, then started off toward Tracy and Antonius.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Tracy was frustrated after the tour. There had been nothing suspicious along the way, and she doubted they would find anything in records. The only thing that bothered her was Vinattiere, or Antonio, as he insisted she address him. The man reminded her a lot of Vachon. Not once had she seen Antonio in sunlight, and he had the pale, slightly sallow skin characteristic of vampires. His old world mannerisms had diminished noticeably after their initial meeting, but they were still there.

Antonio seemed to get along with her partner, but there was a tension between the two. Perhaps it was because she was there? Tracy didn't know, and knew she probably never would with Nick. He didn't like to talk about his personal life, and that had never changed.

The Italian led the detectives back into his office, Nick closing the door behind them. Sitting at his desk, Antonio pulled out a large book from his top drawer. "This is the most current version."

Looking at the old book, Tracy asked, "Isn't this a little old fashioned?"

"Perhaps, but I also have a copy of all but the last week in the computer. This book contains every order since the beginning of the year." He passed the book across the desk, watching as the mortal began scanning the most recent page.

She found nothing, then turned back a page. One week back in the records she hit the jackpot. "Hey, Nick, look at this."

Coming closer, he read the entry. It was a large shipment to the Raven, ordered by Lucien LaCroix. Under description, it was listed as 'special order.'

"What does 'special order' mean?" she asked, scanning the entries for more such orders.

Antonius hesitated. He had used 'special order' to indicate orders by the Community. "They are orders of a crate or larger containing special order and rare wines."

'Like the human vintage,' she thought to herself. Most of the orders came from the Raven, although there were also several individuals listed as well. None of the names were familiar, until she made it back about four weeks. Nick was one of the individuals, which meant it didn't necessarily indicate the whole order was blood. Perhaps Antonio was telling the truth about the nature of the orders? Then, she got an idea. "Do you have records for last year?"

Not expecting the request, Antonius took a moment to answer. "Yes, just a second."

She waited as their host returned with another book. Being handed it, she immediately turned it back to before Vachon was killed. About a week before then, Vachon had indeed ordered a crate. After his name, was scribbled, c/o Raven. Vachon had the blood first delivered to the Raven, where it would have been more convenient to pick up.

Going forward in the records from there, she found one order to the Raven, then a day after Nick disappeared was an individual order from LaCroix. For a month, there were periodic orders from the Raven's owner, then they suddenly stopped. During that time, individual orders picked up in number. Tracy looked to her partner. When he seemed out of it, she asked the other man, "Could we get a copy of your records on disk?"

"Of course. I'll have that for you in a few moments."

Watching Antonio leave, she went back to the current year, starting where she left off. Since Nick had returned to Toronto, he had placed three orders, all marked 'special order.' From what she could tell, that description was reserved for orders from vampires, but it was on Nick's as well. She would ask him about it, but not now. Nick was mortal, she knew that. They were working day shift, and Nick seemed fine. Tracy shook the thought off, unaware that her partner was conscious of her speculation.

Antonius abruptly reentered the room, startling both detectives. The two stood up, and the Italian passed the disk to Tracy. "The disk contains our records for the last three years. If you need further back, just ask." As Nick and Tracy turned to leave, Antonius mentioned, "Nicholas, you must come by sometime. I have a wine I think you'll enjoy immensely."

With a single nod, Nick led Tracy to the door, wanting to leave before Antonius could mess things up further. His records weren't separated into mortal and vampire, but all mixed together. Antonius' friendly attitude might work to charm Tracy, but it could also lend itself to suspicion. The Italian's last words he feared trying to explain to Tracy. Although not friends with Antonius, they were on good terms.

"Nick? I saw your name in there a couple of times. What did you order?"

He considered his response, and Antonius' description of 'special order.' "Just a few bottles. Some I'm keeping for a while longer, although I've drank a few and given a couple to Natalie."

In her mind, a few bottles couldn't have added up to three crates, but then Nick might be a heavy wine drinker. Perhaps Natalie wasn't the only one he gave them away to. She really didn't know. "So, you know Antonio, then?"

"A little..." he began. Then, Nick became slightly frustrated, "Like I said before, I buy my wine here. Antonio often lets me sample new arrivals."

Tracy decided to drop the subject. Nick didn't seem to want to talk about his visits to the Italian. Feeling her stomach rumble, she glanced at her watch. It was a little after six o'clock. She and Nick hadn't stopped for lunch or even for a break, and decided now would be a good time for dinner. Did Nick like Italian? Again, she came up blank. Not once had she ever even seen her partner eat, let alone at an Italian restaurant, or for that matter, any restaurant.

"Are you hungry?" she off handedly asked as Nick started his car. His stomach answered for him, and Tracy commented as much. "Pick somewhere to eat," she told him.

He didn't know what to say. The only restaurants he knew where expensive ones that needed a reservation. "Doesn't matter."

"Okay, how about Italian?" she suggested. Receiving a shrug, she suggested a place. Nick didn't know where it was. As a result, she ended up having to give him directions.


Pawns of Kings (06/52)

Nick slouched into his chair. The soft leather cushions melded to his body. He and Tracy had ended up working a long shift. After getting back to the precinct, Reese had ordered them to start looking through the records, and try to figure out what it all meant.

Tracy had explained her theory that the special orders were blood. Reese seemed to agree with it, at least partly. Most of the individuals seemed to be respectable people. Consequently, the captain had told them to focus on the Raven, particularly any orders sent to the club. He and Tracy had found out little more than what was already known. Almost all of the Raven's beverages, whatever they may be, were ordered through Antonio. The club was one of the distributary's largest local customers.

That had taken them past sunset. Now, Nick was waiting for the Litovuterine to wear off. He had taken the last dose a little over five hours before, but it hadn't worn off yet. The dose had been larger than Natalie prescribed. Nick figured that was the reason he hadn't changed back yet.

He groaned as his stomach rumbled again as it had been for the last half hour, but he didn't want to eat anything. The lasagna he had for dinner was going to be bad enough when the Litovuterine wore off, which he hoped would be soon.

Closing his eyes, Nick leaned back and rested. Oh, how much he wanted to sleep, but he would wait a little longer. His ears picked up a light tapping. Opening his eyes he could see a form on the other side of the skylight. Gesturing for them to enter, Nick soon found himself face to face with Antonius.

"Nicholas. Whatever you are doing to yourself, I suggest you stop. I don't know how you can have a heartbeat, but it is slowing, as it did in my office."

"Yes, the Litovuterine is wearing off, and this time I'm not going to take more."

Antonius' features clouded. "Lito...what?"

"Litovuterine. Natalie found it." Seeing the younger vampire's continued curiosity, Nick continued, "It suppresses the vampire enough that I appear mortal, but wrecks havoc on my system. I had to take it to remain mortal to those at the precinct."

"And how long are you going to manage that? Sooner or later, you will slip. Someone will notice, and then the others will as well."

"I know, and the illusion will only last for a while. Tracy's suspicions are building. She knows what you are, and she knows what those 'special orders' are. I don't know if she's linked them to me or not."

"Then, she doesn't know much about us?"

Nick shook his head. "She knows a lot, actually. Antonius, Tracy has known about the Community for a little more than two years. I think she knows what you are. In fact, I'm almost positive of it." Nick paused, turning away from Antonius for a moment. "I assume the blood is in a safe place? No records, no knowledge outside of the Community?"

"Of course. I have more on order, but it may be difficult to bring it in. What action is being taken, or can you say?"

Debating his options, he figured he might as well tell the other vampire. After all, if he didn't, it would only be a matter of time before he noticed. "Both your distributary and the Raven are being watched. So far, that's all that's been done."

Antonius nodded. He'd suspected as much of the mortals. Feeling a change in Nicholas, he looked up to see the elder vampire in great pain. Nicholas' heartbeat was virtually non-existent, and the vampire had visibly reemerged. When it looked like Nicholas could no longer stand, the Italian helped him to the couch, where he watched the elder vampire curl up into a ball. "What's happening? Is that drug wearing off?"

Antonius thought he saw the other man nod his head, but wasn't sure. Abruptly, he closed his eyes, a wave of pain rolling through him. It was from Nicholas, and he could feel it easily despite having no relation to him. When the elder vampire stopped moving, Antonius reached forward, placing his hand on Nicholas' forehead. He was as warm as a mortal, but there was no doubt he was a vampire.

Nicholas opened his eyes, and Antonius started at the older man's expression. Hunger overwhelmed the blond vampire in the same manner as the first hunger. Antonius wasn't sure what to do. At nightfall, he had gone to LaCroix, and then had come here. LaCroix explained that his son had to be spared the Community's fate, something that would be impossible to assure. LaCroix wouldn't come to his son's aid as he was being watched. Acting on instinct, the younger vampire offered his wrist to Nicholas.

It was instantly snatched up, and faster than a cobra, fangs plunged themselves into his flesh. Antonius gasped, not from the suddenness of the action, but from the speed at which his blood was being drained. As the blood loss became too much for him, the younger pulled his wrist away, Nicholas' fangs tearing the skin slightly.

Clutching the wound, Antonius looked the elder vampire over. The hunger was still there, still on the surface, but exhaustion was taking over. By the time his wrist had healed, Nicholas was sound asleep. His temperature had dropped to vampire cool, and all seemed fine.

Now, he needed to replenish his blood, and Antonius drank two bottles of blood before leaving.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

"Nick?" Tracy called into the darkness, hoping he was awake. "Reese is blowing a fuse about you not showing up. Nick, you here?"

Walking further into the room, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness. Flipping a light on by the kitchen, she found Nick lying on the couch. He was still dressed in the same clothes he had worn the day before. It looked like he'd come home, sat down and immediately fallen asleep, and then stayed that way. Even his shoes were still on. His hair was unruly, its stands falling in all directions. Brushing it off of his forehead, she found a very pale, very cold Nick. He looked liked death warmed over, and felt that way too. In fact, he didn't seem to be moving, not even to breathe. As Tracy moved her hand toward his neck in an attempt to check his pulse, she snapped it back when he took a deep breath, nearly falling over backwards in the process.

Regaining her balance, she found herself staring into his open eyes, their color a deep, almost black, midnight blue. "Nick?"

"Let me go back to sleep," he mumbled as his eyes lazily shut once more.

"No, you don't get to go back to sleep." Tracy grabbed his hand and pulled slightly. "Come on, get up." He made no reaction. "Nick?" Again, he didn't respond, not even to a light slap on the cheek. "Damn," she cursed as she let herself sit on the floor.

How was she supposed to get her partner to work, when she couldn't even wake him up? Water. That's a trick her father had used when she was younger. Even when she was sound asleep it always worked. Making her way to the sink, she got the water as cold as she could. Then, filling her hands with the chilly liquid, she went back to Nick, unceremoniously throwing the water in his face.

Within a second, he was sitting up, wiping the liquid off of his skin. As a yawn escaped him, Tracy could see he was still exhausted, but at the same time, he was definitely awake.

"What was that for?" he eventually mumbled drowsily.

"To wake you up. Reese is going nuts. You were supposed to come in an hour and a half ago."

After a couple of seconds, her sentence seemed to suddenly hit him. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he muttered, standing up.

Steadying him, she countered, "No, I'll wait here, then take you down to the precinct."

He shrugged out of her grasp. "I need to take a shower, I'll be a few minutes." Pausing, Nick made sure he had his balance before starting for the stairs.

Tracy sat down on the couch, her eyes wandering across the room as they always did when she was at Nick's. As her curiosity got the better of her, she walked around, eventually heading over to his refrigerator. She pulled the door open, not sure what she would find. Inside, there was almost no food. There was a partial container of milk, a few leftovers and some fruit, but that was about it. One shelf stood oddly empty, but she shrugged it off, closing the door and heading back to the couch.

Hearing the water shut off, Tracy felt her pulse quicken. Hopefully Nick wouldn't notice her prodding. She didn't think she'd touched anything, but...if she had, Tracy knew that Nick would notice.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Ten minutes later, they were on their way to the precinct with Tracy driving. She occasionally glanced over at her partner to make sure he was still awake. Pulling into the parking lot, she led Nick in, and to their desks.

Reese wasn't there. He was talking to her father and the mayor, discussing the current situation. Apparently, they were preparing a plan to get the vampires out into the open. Depending on their approach, the reaction could be any number of things. Yet, she also knew that the more forceful their actions, the more dangerous the vampires would be.

Nick didn't do much until Reese came back around midnight. Then, her partner had no choice but accompany her into the Captain's office. Tracy quickly sat, but after closing the door, Nick remained standing.

Reese looked over his detective. Knight looked absolutely horrible, and even more out of it than he'd been since all of this news had broken. Something was bothering the detective, and he hoped Nick would be able to snap out of it. Nick had no reason to be late. Although he had worked dayshift, there had been plenty of time for him to readjust. He hoped he wouldn't have to do this again.

Taking in a deep breath, he focused on Nick, mustering the sternest expression he could while looking at the other man's tired form. "Knight, get your ass in that chair, and stay there until you're dismissed. I'm not even going to ask why you didn't come in. You look somewhere between about to fall asleep and about to lose your last meal. Do it again, and you'll have some explaining to do."

Nick winced despite his tiredness. If he could have helped it, he wouldn't have been late. When the Litovuterine wore off, it had left him weak. Not only that, but he'd lost all of the food he'd had the day before, which had made him feel even worse. He was having a little trouble with digesting the blood, and was momentarily glad he didn't drink anything before coming in. From the day before, Nick knew that exhaustion took over, and it hadn't worn off before taking more Litovuterine. Hopefully it would disperse soon.

"The mayor has explained what our actions will be. We're going to shut down Vinattiere's distributary in the hopes to force them into the open. You two will be there when we intercept a shipment. It will arrive tomorrow night."

Nick was awake now. The shipment was probably blood. If it were, Antonius would be exposed. He would be questioned, and then an important issue was raised. "Captain, I know Vinattiere. I shouldn't be there."

"I'm fully aware of that. So are the Commissioner and the Mayor. That's why you and your partner will be the senior officers on the scene. We need someone who knows Vinattiere." Reese momentarily fingered the folder before him, wondering just where all of this would lead. Then, he passed it to Knight. "Read your instructions carefully. You are not to deviate from orders in the slightest."

Both detectives nodded, and Reese dismissed Tracy. As her partner stood and made to follow, the Captain shot a glare at Knight. "Tomorrow, you cannot be late. You got that, Knight?" Receiving a second nod, Reese gestured for the detective to leave.

Watching Knight return to his desk with the file, Reese was unsure of himself. Nick hadn't quite adjusted to work when everything hit. Oh, the detective was doing his job, just as well, if not better than before his disappearance. But he seemed...different.

Now, both him and his partner were mixed up in the current mess. They would probably find themselves constantly working on these special assignments, and it concerned him.

Until tonight, Knight hadn't been pulling many of his disappearing acts. In fact, since the announcement, Knight had model behavior. Sometimes he seemed somewhere else, but it really wasn't much of a problem. Perhaps the day shift was too much of a sudden switch, which would no longer be a problem. The reason Knight had spent a day at work, was because of his allergy. Commissioner Vetter wanted there to be no doubt Knight was mortal.

Around the world, vampires were being exposed. Some forcibly, while others came forward on their own. But, one thing wasn't changing. They were keeping quiet, telling nothing more than what they were, and their current names to authorities. Just how much of the myth was actually true wasn't really known, except for one thing--sunlight.

During an interview down in the states, a blind had been opened. The rays had landed on the vampire's arm, almost immediately sending a spiral of smoke into the air. The man had almost instantly changed, revealing what he really was to those present.

It was clear that distrust was the motivator that was keeping the silence. Here in Toronto, as in most other cities, few had been found in government or city jobs. Those that had, tended to have fairly high positions and fewer connections to others of their kind. After their discovery, most mysteriously vanished.

He hoped that would not be the case with Antonio Vinattiere. Yet, this was also a new approach to the situation. Perhaps with Vinattiere, they could find who to talk to, someone that could speak for their community. Even without an answer, Reese had a pretty good idea who it would be. Lucien LaCroix, the Raven's owner.

...continued in part 7

Please leave a comment...(or send email to jarvinia@hotmail.com) I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks!