By Jodi Marie Johnston
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Forever Knight (though if I did, things would have turned out differently!), they are property of Sony/Tri-Star and I am merely borrowing them and promise to put them back relatively unscathed when finished with them. No copyright infringement is meant and I incur no financial gain by the posting of this story. It is merely for entertainment purposes only.
All other characters are my creative works.
Chapter Five
In the Morgue, Natalie was pouring over the most recent batch of tests on Nick's blood along with the toxic screens from the most recent tests on the body that looked as if it had been killed by a local vamp. Possibly the one involved with the shooting at the magic store.
"Hello Natalie." Bell said leaning over the desk and startling the poor M.E.
"Um hi." Nat said a bit rattled.
"I'm not sure if you remember me."
"Oh I remember you Miss Nightshade. How can I help you?"
"Call me Bell. I was just wondering if you would join me for dinner?"
"I'm not sure that would be a good idea."
"Don't worry I have no intention of discussing the on going investigation. I have another matter to discuss with you."
"Which is?"
"Detective Knight."
"Look if you are interested in Nick, don't expect me to give you the scoop on him."
"I'm not interested in him in a romantic way. I just figured you would like to compare notes." Bell leaned in closer and whispered into Natalie's ear. "It's been a long time since anyone tried to make a vampire human again."
Nat's eyes went wide. "What?"
Bell smiled, turned on her heal, and headed towards the door.
"Will you join me? My treat." Bell called. Nat ran to catch up with her.
"Where do you suggest?" Nat asked.
Twenty minutes later the two women found themselves in a rather secluded cafe sitting outside eating gourmet food.
"I love this place, they have the best rosemary bread sticks." Bell said.
"How did you know about Nick?" Nat asked.
"Honestly, the way he smelled. His kind have a distinctive smell."
"He told you I was helping him to become human?"
"No, I figured that out myself from your records."
"You broke into my fills?"
"Not at all. Your notes were on your desk, right out in the open. To the untrained eye they would be normal lab reports but like I said, it has been a while since I met anyone actively working on helping a vamp become human again."
"There have been others?"
"Of course, though most don't live very long."
"Why is that?'
"Several reasons, usually they fall in love with the vamp they are treating and are brought across or are killed by the very vamp they are trying to help or they give up or the Death Squad comes."
"Death Squad?"
"Oh yeah, vamps hate publicity. They go to extremes to avoid being noticed. You're lucky that Nick cares so much about you."
"We're just friends."
"Now that's a load of crap and we both know it. You love him and he loves you."
"How can you say that? You don't even know us." Natalie said getting up to leave.
"You haven't had much success have you? He still needs blood to live."
"I will figure it out, it just takes time."
"No, change is instant or it is not change."
"What the heck does that mean?"
"Exactly what I said but it does not matter. I can help you."
"Who are you?"
"I told you."
"No you haven't. All I know is that you are a murder suspect in the on going investigation of the deaths of 23 different people. Why should I trust anything you have to say?"
"I'm not asking you to trust or even believe me. The only person you have to trust is yourself and what I am offering you is a whole other way of doing things, of looking at things and understanding things. You ask me how I know so much well I follow patterns and make connections. But most importantly if I can do that then so can you."
"What do patterns have to do with anything?"
"More than you think. How many dead ends have you hit? You need a new set of eyes to get you off focusing on the problem and more on what is really going on. That is if you want to help Nick."
"Give me one reason why I should stay and listen to you."
"I know why your procedures don't work."
"Oh enlighten me."
"Nick has no true desire to be human."
"Oh really, and here I thought you knew him."
"He has only what he lives. He is in love with the "wanting to be human" and not the actual being human. If he truly desired to be human he would be."
"How can you say that?"
"I have seen several vamps go through this where they were vamps then human. Change is instant. The process of changing is our continued struggle to hold onto old ways. Unless Nick changes some core beliefs, no matter what cures you give him, they will not work. In the end, he will forfeit his life and you your own."
"You've known others who have come back over to being human?"
"Yes. Two of them lived normal lives, four died and ten went back to their old existence."
"They became vampires again?"
"Yes. But then they died not long after that too."
"How do you know all this? How could you possibly know this? I mean, how old are you?"
Bell smiled. "This expression is only twenty nine, but my true age is… well let's just say … very old."
"What does that mean?"
"Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"No."
"Well that would explain it. I enjoyed dinner. Good day to you."
"Wait!" Nat yelled. But she was gone.
Sitting alone in the Café, Nat put her hands in her head. Had she just lost the only thing that would have cured Nick? Or was Bell just toying with her as she seemed to be toying with the investigation? Natalie's cell phone rang. She looked at Caller ID and saw it was Nick.
"Hi Nick,"
"Nat have you seen Miss Nightshade?"
"I just had dinner with her."
"You what?" Nick practically shouted.
"Yeah she just left."
"I'm on my way over."
"Nick."
"What is it Nat?"
"Bell, she said she knew how to make you human again."
There was a long pause.
"Nick?"
"I heard you Nat. I'm on my way over."
Nick pulled up to the café not fifteen minutes later. Nat was waiting for him and got into his car.
"What happened?" Nat asked.
"Bell escaped police custody."
"What? She just strolled into my office and asked me to dinner."
"Tell me what happened." Nick said.
Natalie relayed the whole story to Nick including everything she remembered about what Bell said about making a vampire human.
"Nick its possible. You can become human again." Nat said grinning ear to ear.
Nick just sat there. What Bell had told Nat was odd at the very least. It was as if the witch was trying to give him hope and inspire Natalie by pissing her off. But what did she mean by all this toying with them? What about Friday? There were too many loose ends. Nick felt as if he was getting further and further over his head.
"Earth to Nick. What is going on?"
"Someone is hunting them… us."
"Vampires?"
"From what Bell told me, all supernatural creatures even those with human origins. Its genocide."
"My God."
"Yeah, that's what they think they are. God and doing God's good work."
Even as he said it Nick could not help think back to his human life. God it had been so long since he had revisited these memories. It was far easier to remember his vampire life it was longer. He flashed on the faces of the men he butchered in his Holy War. How when he came home he had lost much of his faith to a war that he no longer believed in. That was where he first tasted blood and it did not nourish him as it did today. All it did was leave a foul taste in his mouth.
"Nick?" Nat said.
"Go back to work Nat. I have to follow a lead."
"What is going on?"
"Trust me, I have an idea."
Nat got out of the car and watched Nick drive away. From the shadows Bell watched them both. She knew where Nick was heading for she had already spread the word. The Sanctuary was set and the battle was about to begin.