7/24/09: Edited for original upload errors caused by text editor.

Touched By An Angel was about angels helping people.

Forever Knight was about a vampire family--one of whom sought redemption.

I wrote the crossover, but don't own either property.

Part 12: Backgrounds

After leaving Lacroix's room, Andrew had spent several hours in a coma-like sleep down in the basement. It was where Janette gave orphaned fledglings of less than a century of age a safe haven from the sun. Most had been too afraid of 'the Ancient One' to open up, but a few had been willing to make small talk.

Especially about Lacroix's brood.

Lacroix they steered clear of as much as possible: he was respected and feared. Nicholas they neither knew a lot of nor cared much about. He was old by their estimation, but had weird ideas, and was currently sick or something. Not surprising considering what he ate. No, they didn't know more---Lacroix had made it clear that that one was off-limits, and one didn't cross the Elder if one wanted to remain in one piece. Janette was revered by all. Apparently, not many cared about the survival of master-less fledglings.

As dusk neared, Andrew had gone upstairs to the 'closed for the day' nightclub level in order to think. Sam had been waiting for him on one of the barstools.

"What do I do, Sam?" Andrew asked as they sat together at the bar despite the gloomy atmosphere of the empty place. There was no where else they could talk, since Andrew was confined to the darkness as long he was in this form. (Another trial to endure: the Angel of Death already sorely missed the colors that sunlight brought out; the tingle of its warmth on his face.)

"If I allow the bloodkiss," Andrew began, frowning at his right hand (the index and middle finger of which he held curled like striking fangs) " Lacroix will find out what I really am, and the Father says he is not ready for that insight yet: the reflected Light of his Glory would likely kill him just as sunlight would. If I don't allow it, then he'll kick me out, I'll never get to apologize for the damage I did to de Brabant, and this Joran creep will brainwash Nicholas or whatever it is he's planning on doing to him." He rested his elbows on the serving bar and let his head fall into his hands with a long moan. "Not that the poor guy has much brains left to be washed---and I think that's my fault, too."

"Well...," Sam pondered the question, "If there is no other option, and you feel de Brabant is in some sort of imminent danger, then you'll have to allow it."

Andrew uncovered his eyes, the better to send his friend an incredulous look. "You're saying I should start apologizing to Nicholas by doing in his sire?" (The pantomimed fangs swiftly became upraised palms handing something over to an invisible third person.) "Here, Nicholas, sorry about pushing you into the Night People's realm back in 1228, and by the way, where would you like me to set your dad's ashes?'

Sam unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh.

"This isn't funny, Sam!"

"I know, quit looking so indignant. Actually, I was thinking of an intermediary. Someone a bit more open minded."

That idea had merit, Andrew mused. He really didn't want the Elder to do it--- Lacroix was so intimidating. But...

"Like who? You know, that Roman's really paranoid. It would have to be someone who he knows very well, and as far as I've heard, Nicholas is the only one who might have accepted the idea of one of us in their midst enough to absorb the shock unscathed," the corner of Andrew's mouth quirked upwards at the irony of the situation. "Most vampires don't think angels and demons exist beyond the movies... not consciously, anyway."

"What about the daughter, that Janette?" Sam prodded. "She's seems capable and very self-possessed."

Janette?

Rubbing the back of his head, Andrew blew out a long breath. "Sure... But I heard she's also de Brabant's wife. Doubt he'd appreciate us biting each other."

"Was his wife," Sam corrected. "That marriage was annulled by her during the Renaissance."

Andrew frowned at this news. "You mean she dumped him? I thought they were lovers."

"They are. But living a mortal marriage was Nicholas' wish, and after 97-years she tired of it. Family relations are different with these, you know."

Oh yeah, that's right," Andrew sighed, resting his head back on his hands. "His vampire grandmother is also his step-sister, being his father's daughter, but only on the mortal side... "Andrew turned his head in order to look at his friend and mentor with a pained expression." Sam, this assignment is giving me a headache."

"No one said casework was easy as you've already had plenty of experience to realize," his friend reminded him. "Just ask Monica. She's trying to help some girl whose dad was killed in a plane crash a bit back. Seems she's gone all morbid and joined the Goth crowd despite having received a free scholarship for as long as she likes to whichever university she wants."

Andrew was impressed.

"The dad must have had one huge life insurance policy or been fabulously wealthy."

Sam chuckled. "Nope, and that's not all. The widow's bills were all paid off, plus a sizable nest egg deposited in her banking account---all by a single charitable organization."

Andrew's eyes went vacant as he remembered something:

("Thank you, sir," Feliks bowed low. "And when he feels better, tell Nicholas that I have made sure that all of the Brabant Foundation's charitable contributions are up to date, the monies sent where he wanted before... well, before..")

"He knows her, doesn't he?" Andrew prodded. "Monica's and my assignments know each other."

Tess chose that moment to make herself visible to him.

"Tess!" the off-duty Angel of Death grinned happily. "Am I glad to see you!" He scanned the room for his other friend and was disappointed that she wasn't there as well. Tess saw the look on his face and gave him a hug.

"Oh, Angel Boy, don't take it so hard. Remember, this is the first time she's had to learn about vampires." She frowned at the picture over the bar. "And we didn't exactly get good vibes from this place---plus the owner threw us out."

"She did!"

Her expression hardened. "And it's just as well, Mr. Slipped Halo," she sternly told him. "If we had stuck around, what would Monica have thought of that display at the park? Just what were you thinking, Angel Boy?"

Andrew hung his head. "Oh. That...er...well... I kind of got caught up in the role before I knew it."

"You mean the Vampire caught up with you," Tess looked disgusted.

"I suppose so..." Puppy dog eyes filled with tears. "Guess I'm blowing my second chance, huh?"

Tess was instantly contrite as she pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, no, Baby. You're not blowing it! You just gotta be careful on this one, child. There are powerful forces at play here."

"And it's necessary that you understand just what de Brabant and the other's are living with," Sam put in, eyeing Tess. "Walk in their shoes a bit. It's hard to be of much help if you're too busy criticizing your assignment's failings."

The dark supervisor blushed a little at the rebuke and decided to change the subject.

"Speaking of which..." she coughed "...and back to your earlier question... Not directly, Angel Boy. You see, Monica's assignment is a teenager named Jenny. Jenny Schanke's dad was one of de Brabant's detective partners back in the mid-90's, a Donald G. Schanke. They became really good friends after a rocky start. De Brabant nearly left his life in Toronto after Don's death, it hit him so hard. You see, he and their captain were supposed to fly a prisoner to Montreal, because Nick was the arresting officer. But he couldn't do it because the trial was scheduled for the daytime and...Well, you know what that would have meant for him."

Andrew nodded: Nicholas de Brabant would have become just a pile of burnt ash in a court room with open windows--or even just by departing the plane if it was delayed long enough.

"So he told Schanke to 'take the glory of the limelight on this one," Sam continued, "thinking he'd be pleasing his fame-hungry partner while getting out of a sticky situation. However, a bomb exploded killing all on board but a baby his greater hearing ability heard crying from the wreckage. He saved that life, but blamed himself for 'murdering' his partner. Nick's felt responsible for what happened ever since, and has been taking care of Myra and Jenny's financial needs."

"Wait. You mean Schanke knew what de Brabant was?" Andrew asked, surprised. According to the rules, vampires had to either hypnotize or kill mortals if they found out vampires really existed. That was the 'Code': their set of laws. Maybe it was the Enforcers (vampire police) who had set the bomb to teach Nicholas a lesson.

"Was?" Tess huffed, "Don never even knew his real name. Back then, Nick was using the alias of 'Nicholas B. Knight'. He had to keep the Code even from his friends, or the Enforcers would have killed both of them."

"Then it was this Schanke's death that sent him spiraling downward?"

"Started it," Sam grunted. "But it gets worse. He lost a lot of his old memories when a cop-killer bullet took out a sizeable chunk of his brain. His replacement partner, Tracy Vetter, was killed a year later. She also was the Commissioner's daughter, so the Internal Affairs really went after 'Knight', since he was supposed to keep her safe from harm."

"Wow... to lose three friends in just a year's time would be a hard pill to swallow."

"Three?" Sam grimaced. "Try double that figure. The clincher was the death of his closest mortal friend---Dr. Natalie Lambert---the only mortal the Enforcers let him reveal his true nature to because she was so useful to the Community; being the city's coroner meant she could hide evidence of messed-up kills for them. But in between those deaths was a man-created plague deadly to their kind that nearly wiped out the entire Toronto Community. And then Divia showed up and killed two new friends---one a potential lover for him since Janette had had to move on to Montreal what with their 'Dorian Grey' problem."

Andrew nodded his understanding of what Sam was referring to: Vampires didn't age---a fact that mortals would notice if they stayed in one place too long. He frowned at something else his friend had mentioned.

"Just a minute...that name sounds familiar..." His eyes widened. "You mean Divia...the demon possessed one?!"

Tess and Sam looked at each other.

"Andrew," Sam sighed as he laid a hand on the younger angel's shoulder. "The Father says its time you learned the whole story."

Sam began, "Back in 79 A.D, a demon posing as a healer named Qa-Ra saw the potential for great evil in Lucius of Pompey's daughter by the whore, Selene. While she was lying ill on her death bed, he slipped her the vampire virus, thinking to control her as her 'master'. But Divia turned out to be even more depraved and unstable than Qa-Ra foresaw---she even 'killed' him, making him retreat back to hell to revise his plans."

"Divia then gave her doting father a choice between dying as Mt. Vesuvius erupted, or becoming immortal like her," Tess broke in. "He had only seconds to decide...no need to guess what he chose. However, it wasn't long before even Lucius had had enough of her wickedness. He beheaded her and sealed the body in an Egyptian tomb."

Sam nodded. "Seeing that, the demon returned, this time masquerading as an elder vampire. He used Lucius' regret over his daughter's demise to maneuver him where he wanted. Informed him his life was forfeit for having harmed the one who brought him across. But the demon offered him a deal instead: When Lucius made his own offspring, he was to have them brought before an Interviewer on their 800th year as a vampire."

Andrew stiffened as he put two and two together. "Then... Joran is a demon."

"An arch demon," Sam corrected, "with designs on the children of Lucius since that line had held so much promise to him before. 'Joran' has a single-tracked, twisted mind when he sets his sights on something."

Tess cleared her throat. "Lucius wasn't a fool. He purposely brought across humans he wasn't interested in, hoping that Joran would pick one of those. By the time he had taken the name of Lucien and met Janette DuCharme---a noble woman sold to a whorehouse because she could not give her husband children---he was certain his plan had worked: Joran had all but taken one of the earlier ones as forfeit per their deal, and Lucius could freely start making the close family ties his personality craved."

"He made Janette because her dark predilection for revenge appealed to his own," Sam mused. But Nicholas... Nicholas was chosen first as a challenge and as a favor to Janette, who desired a short-term lover."

Tess rolled her eyes. "Lucius was feeling bored and wanted to see if a professed God-fearing Christian could be seduced to give Him up. Janette liked Sir Nicholas' looks, and after observing the Crusader as he traveled up from Venice to Paris on his way home to the Brabant duche, Lucius gave his approval."

Sam's eyes grew intent. "Because, Andrew, after tasting some of Nicholas' blood that had dripped on the ground after a slight accident outside Paris, he had started to see him as more than a challenge," Sam put in. "You see, Lucius found in Nicholas something he doesn't have nor understand why he craves it. He was raised to be a taker---and takers live in a darkness of the soul. But the Father gave Nicholas a very giving nature from birth. Even as a faith-sick mortal, and then a vampire, his blood still holds the joy that comes of giving freely of all you are to another. With that one taste, Lucien became addicted to it. Right then and there, he was determined to have Nicholas by his side forever.

"But," Tess's voice turned ominous, "he'd forgotten that Joran was still having him watched, and Joran also liked the idea of an man who had taken an oath to God becoming turned to Darkness, though not as just a source of amusement as Lucius had originally intended. He saw that the Father must love this man very much to have given him that gift; what an opportunity to hurt Him by taking Nicholas to Hell---or worse---mating his soul to that of one of his demon followers." She held Andrew's hand. "And that's when a certain, naive choir angel stumbled into the picture."

Andrew grasped the hand tightly as he felt himself go dizzy. "You're telling me... you mean..?"

"Yes, Baby. Joran the arch demon---currently masking his true self as a High Council vampire Elder---. his real name is actually..."

"J'ranor," Andrew choked out.

Review Answers:

Well, that had to be kind of boring to read, but I hope the ending made up for it a little. I'm going to post the next one quickly before you all fall asleep. That is, if FFN holds together long enough. A lot of Server Error messages today.

Elendil: Sci Fi Channel isn't playing Forever Knight here. They did for awhile, but not of late. I did read an article in the TV Guide some months ago about FK though. It was rated #25 in top cult show hits. So maybe they will bring it back. In the meantime, at least I have the first season from Columbia's dvd collection. (of course my fav was season two dang it all.)

Wanderer D:

I saw all of maybe 10 episodes of Touched By An Angel (just enough to decide I really liked Andrew), but my understanding would be that all angelic power is really that of God. Picture them as the moon reflecting the light of the Sun. So the angels would have no more power than God allows them at any given time. They do however, have free will to follow God (or not to: like the demons who in this story at least created their own warped version of creation's power and corrupted it. Ie: biblically, tigers would have been herbivores until Evil warped them into carnivores.)

So Andrew would have gone from knowing how it felt to have God's power flow through him while not retaining its power for himself--- to having this powerful being's abilities inside him. Again, not his own power, but feeling much more like it was. Plus that this would be Andrew's first awareness of feeling the liking for and selfishness of power. Remember the saying: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely? This is what Andrew now has to guard against-- pride. Something he never had to worry about in his angelic form where Absolute Power was God's alone and never his.

Goodness... I guess those answers could have been shorter, huh?

Louis Pastiche: Lordy—all the reviews at once! –heh-

She talked to him at twilight (just dark enough for her not to upset Smokey the Bear. During that same night Andrew upset Nick and Nick got himself into a pickle with a real bite to it.

Nope, that was part of the plot. As was this yawner.

This will teach you to make guesses at my writing! Mwahaahaahaa. –ahem- Btw, snapshots are possible and are referred to as 'empirical evidence' if it can be used to prove vampires exist. Something that brings in the Enforcers down on everyone's head! Anway, what Lacroix wants from Andrew will be revealed in the next post.