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Archibald's Revenge

Part 4/4

Nichole woke up on the couch in the loft, her shoulder no longer on fire. She felt as if something was missing, a part of her gone. Sitting up, she looked around for her father. He was at the baby grand lightly running his fingers across the keys, as if he didn't know what to play. "Daddy, why don't you play some Mozart?" She asked him.

"Princess, we need to talk." Her father replied. Nick turned around on the bench to get up. He walked over to his daughter and sat down next to her on the couch. "You are probably feeling empty now. That is to be expected when a master is killed, and the fledgling feels the emptiness. You are too young to be without a 'master'. You couldn't survive the week without a teacher. Therefore, we could do what LaCroix suggested earlier. This 'procedure' is designed to rebond someone like you to another 'master' vampire when something like this happens.

"It is done like a crossing over, but without the possibility of killing the person permanently. It would be like it was before Archibald brought you across and made you into a fledgling. The only difference is that we will have the same habits and diet. I will be your 'master' and teach you everything you need to know to survive this way of life. It will be a bit painful. Do you wish to do it?" Nick asked Nichole. Her answer was a vigorous nod, and she climbed into her father's lap. He placed her securely into his embrace.

"Daddy, when can we do it? Tonight? What about school? Am I going to be home schooled or go to night school?" Nichole was cut off before she could finish her questions. Nick placed his right index finger on her lips to quiet her.

"First thing is first. We can do it tonight if you wish. As far as your education goes, we can do one of four things. One, we can have you home schooled. Two, you can go to night school. Three, you can get your GED. Or four, I can have Aristotle make you a diploma. If not him, then we can have Merlin or Felix do it. It is your choice, Princess." Nick replied to his loving daughter.

"I want to be home schooled, Daddy. Can we do that rebond thingy now? I don't want to feel like this anymore." She replied to him. He nodded his head and got up to prepare for this 'procedure'. He got out four of his daughter's bottles of blood and placed them near the coffee table. He turned around and picked up his daughter and stretched her out on the table.

"Be very, very still. This shouldn't take too long." Nick told her what she had to do in order for this to work correctly. Nichole nodded her head in understanding just before her father vamped out. She watched him pull aside her head to expose her neck, and she felt him strike. The slight prick in her neck is the only thing she feels.

As he drained her, she felt frighten and scared. Her 'fight or flight' response kicked in, and she began to fight her father. Without stopping, he effectively pinned her down. With his free hand, he gently stroked her hair to calm her down. If he had his strong link with her, he would've prevented her thrashing and calmed her fears.

When all of a sudden, something told him that was enough and Nick pulled back. He looked down at Nichole, who was looking peaceful, before continuing with the 'procedure'. He lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit down, hard. He suckled it to get a good, heavy blood flow, and then placed his wrist over her slightly, opened lips. He watched as his precious lifeblood flowed heavily into his precious daughter.

With his other hand, Nick managed to open two of her bottles when Nichole grabbed his wrist and 'manacled' it to her lips. He looked over at her and saw her looking at him through her golden eyes. The same voice that told him to stop before is now telling him to do it again. He pulled, no yanked his wrist away and listened to his daughter's angry, answering growl. He placed an open bottle in her hand, and watched her devour it no time flat.

As she handed him the empty bottle, Nichole ordered "More. I want more." Nick nodded his head as he took the empty one and replaced it with a full one. This time she drained it a little bit slower, but it was still fast. He had already opened the other two bottles by now, and was ready to give her a full bottle in exchange for her empty one. The third one, she emptied it in five gulps, and before the bottle left her lips a full one was there.

This time she sipped it and watched Nick compose himself before continuing with his daughter. He patiently told Nichole, "Now that buzzing in the back of your mind will not go away as long we both live, but it will increase and decrease with distance. That is lesson number one in Vampire 101. Lessons 2-10 are to be learnt tomorrow. It is almost sunrise, and you need to rest for those lessons. I will get Jeanette to teach you how to hunt, but I don't think you will need it in this time and age. Any questions, Princess?"

"Yes, Daddy. Can I have another bottle? I'm still hungry." Nichole replied. She couldn't wait for lessons 2-10 in Vampire 101. She is curious on how Nick did things, she knew it will definitely different from LaCroix's way.

Nick just threw his head back and laughed a deep laugh. When Nichole asked why he was laughing, he replied, "It is 1982 all over again. When you were a baby, you wanted to be fed every two hours. Until I could recognize your cries, I would change your diaper, try to burp you, or see if you wanted your bottle. Eight times out of ten, that was what you wanted. When your mother wasn't looking, I would prick my finger and give you a few drops of my blood in your bottle. The only difference this time I don't have to guess what you need."

He got up and retrieved her a bottle. Nichole followed her father up the stairs and to his bedroom to sleep for the day. She finished the bottle and placed it on the nightstand. The sun peaked over the horizon and she collapsed in the sleeping slumber on the floor. Nick picked her up and carefully placed her in the bed as the shutters closed them in the dark. As he climbed into bed, he leaned over his sleeping daughter and gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek. He fell into a dreamless sleep as he laid down next to her in the bed.

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