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Daddy's Little Girl
Part 02/04
See disclaimers in part one. Lester's disappointment in discovering the secret of Stonehenge... Buy low, sell high. Send all unibombers, unwanted in-law's, and unwanted children to me. :-)
Once outside, David asked Nichole, "What is it that you need to talk to me about, Nichole?"
"David, I told you that Daddy was a vampire and in doing so, I have endangered us all. Promise me you won't tell anyone that I'm a dhampir." Nichole said sternly. She had a serious look that told the receiver, 'You do and you die.'
"I don't understand. What is a dhampir, Nichole?"
"Do you want the cultural definition or the plain Jane one?"
"How about both of them?"
"You surprise me David. The word comes from the Slavonic Gypsies, who had called their children that if they are born to a vampire. It is said that the male gypsy vampire had an unsatisfied need to have sex with his widow, sometimes it is possible that the woman becomes pregnant from this intercourse and gives birth to the child. Sometimes, in other gypsy groups, the child is called vampir, if the child is a male, vampuiera, if female, vampijerovic, or lampijerovic. Dhampirs are also hired to kill their vampire relatives, but since they are also half vampire they are untrustworthy. In other words, a dhampir is someone who is half vampire and half human or witch. Now I know there are some questions you wish me to answer. So, what are they?"
Nichole was interrupted by a whoosh of a vampire's arrival, followed shortly by another whoosh. She then grabbed David and pulled him into the shadows. She then motioned to David to be quiet, just then LaCroix then stepped out of the shadows across the alley.
Nick, looking very antsy, followed him. Once he saw who was in the alley, he looked very relieved. After LaCroix took to the sky, Nick looked around once more and said loud enough for anybody in ten-feet to hear, "Way to go Princess. But he'll be back, once he figures out he was tricked." Nick then took off after his master/father.
When Nichole was sure it was safe to resume, she pulled them out into the dimly lighted alleyway.
"Who was that with your father, Nichole?"
"That was LaCroix, my vampiric grandfather."
"Your what?"
"The vampire that made Daddy into a vampire, or Daddy's vampiric father."
"One more question right now: What was that about, Nichole?"
"My life, at least. Maybe yours too. I'm not sure. We better get back home now, before he finds out that he was tricked." With that, she led them back to the isolated warehouse in the old business district. She punched in the security code, and rode the elevator up to the second floor. The door opened to show them the loft, with Natalie lying on the couch. Nichole then walks up and stops an arm's length away. "No he didn't. I will stake him myself, and make sure he is dead this time."
"Nichole, what is wrong? She is just sleeping, it's not like she is dead."
"David, you can't smell the blood like I can. You can't hear her heart beat every time you are around her, I do. I can smell her apples and cinnamon blood, and I can hear her heart beating softly and it is fading. Just a few characteristics I inherited from Daddy."
"Okay, if I do believe you, how do you know it was a male who did it, not a female?"
"David, do you mind being quiet for a minute. I'm trying to call Daddy."
"Sure, Nichole." David shut up and let Nichole concentrate on her call. He didn't know how she was going to call him; she didn't have the phone in her hand. He looked towards the skylight and saw Nick literally fly down, no float down to the floor.
"What's wrong, Prince..." He stopped suddenly and looked down at Natalie. "Who did it? What did you see?"
"I don't know who did it, but I have a strong hunch who did, LaCroix. I didn't see anyone, we just got back ourselves."
"I'm taking her to the hospital, she needs a transfusion badly."
Nichole flinched as Nick said 'hospital'; she had been there and didn't like it at all.
Nick sees her reaction, "You don't have to come if you don't want to."
"Thanks, Daddy. I still need to talk to David, our walk was interrupted." Nichole could see that her father was silently beating
himself up. She made a mental note to ask later.
Then, the vampire detective walked over to the couch, but Nichole had stopped him. "Did you feed well? I don't want you to lose control, and drain her."
"I'll manage, Nichole. She will be fine, if I get her some medical attention fast. You didn't trick him, though. He heard David's heartbeat, but he is very angry. What did you do? I could barely feel you, so I know he didn't feel you around at all."
Nichole looked down, he only used 'Nichole' when he was not in a good mood especially when it was her doing.
"Then I guess that means stay away from the club for a while, huh? I can't tell you what I did, it will take too long to explain and might kill Mommy if I did tell you now."
"Oh, all right. I will see you later. Lock everything after I leave. That includes the skylight." Nichole looked at Nick, and a smile crossed her face. "When I return, I will knock three times. So let me in if it's close to sunrise, okay?" He indicated.
"Okay, Daddy." Nichole said through a mischievous smile. With that, Nick picked up Natalie and flew through the skylight. When Nick had cleared the opening, she looked over to her guest and asked, "Wanna go for a 'ride'?"
David looked confused at Nichole's suggestion, "Sure. But you can't drive yet, you're only 12."
"Come here," she directed. He complies with her request. Then, she added, "Hang on tight. This is something else I inherited from Daddy." He held on to Nichole in what appeared to be an embrace, and looked down. Both of them are floating toward the roof, especially the skylight. Nichole stood still in mid air as she locked it, while holding David close to her body.
(At the hospital emergency room.)
Nick walks into the entrance carrying Natalie in his arms. "I need a doctor. She's been a victim of a knife attack." He catches a nurse's attention and orders her to get a doctor for the dying Natalie in his arms. The nurse said to follow her and place Natalie on the table to ready her for the emergency treatment. Nick walks back outside into the waiting room, listening to the soft music playing from the speakers in the ceiling.
"You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby
"Baby when you do the things you do
I wanna be close to you
'Cause I need to feel your every move, oh
Baby I can never say how much
I need your touch, I can't get enough
'Cause you know what to do to turn me on, yeah"
Nick thought on his relationship with Natalie, how she is his light of the darkness of his life. How much she means to him. As the song continues to play, Nick thinks some more.
"You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby
"Baby you're as close as close can get
And baby you know I'd let
Every single part of me be yours, ooh yeah
It doesn't matter if the phone might ring
'Cause I won't hear a thing
when I'm in your arms
'Cause you know what to do to turn me on
"You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby
"I've never been so satisfied
With anything in my entire life
'Cause you are doing everything so right
Oh, oh baby
I've never been so satisfied
With anything in my entire life
'Cause you are doing everything so right
Oh, oh baby
"You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby
"You know that I adore you
Wanna be there everyday for you
To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby
You know that I adore you
Wanna be there everyday for you
To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby
"You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby"
Nick listened as the song faded out. He made a conclusion as what to do now. He whipped out his cell from his coat pocket to make the arrangements. It was time to act upon this relationship. As Nick was replaced his phone back into the coat, it rang and he answered the call. "Knight here."
"Knight, where the hell are you? I've got the commissioner breathing down my god damn neck wanting to know what the fuck happened with the gangster we found dead last night. Do you have any wild idea about the motive on the killing?"
"Captain, I'm at the hospital. Natalie had been attacked by someone with a knife. All I know is what Nichole told me that she saw. I'll tell you later, here comes the doctor." Nick hung up the cell once more, and replaced it inside his coat. The man in a white lab coat approaches the doorway.
"Is there anyone here with Dr. Natalie Lambert?" Nick rose from his seat and approached the doctor. "Detective Nick Knight, I presume?"
"That is I, Doctor. How is she? May I see her?"
"Dr. Lambert is doing fine, Detective. You got her here just in time to save her life. We gave her a blood transfusion, that she badly needed. You may see her now, but she is unconscious. She is in room 1228."
"Thank you, Doctor." With that, Nick took off at a run getting to room 1228. If he stopped long enough to think about the room number, he would have a very unpleasant flashback. 'Now is not the time to have a flashback, Nick. So get a hold of yourself.' He told himself as he rounded a corner and found room 1220. He continued down the hall.
(Back at the loft.)
David and Nichole were sitting on the couch talking, David asking questions and Nichole answering them. "How long has your father been a 'creature of the night'?" David started to laugh at the statement.
"That's not funny, David. To answer your question, Dad was brought across in 1228. So to round it up to the nearest century, he's about 800 years old."
"What about LaCuckoo? How does he fit into all of this?"
Nichole started to laugh at what David called her grandfather, she knew he would be annoyed by the mortal but she couldn't help it. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. His name is LaCroix, and if heard you call him that you would not be alive right now." Then, she tensed. "I spoke too soon. What ever you do, don't say anything or move too fast. Understand?"
"I understand."
"Good." Nichole was interrupted by the door opening and closing. LaCroix steps inside the loft, he stared hungrily at David and Nichole. "LaCroix."
"Good evening, Nichole, Mr. Crockett. Where is your father at this moment?"
"Cleaning up your mess."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"The mess from your meal earlier tonight." Nichole waved her hand toward the blood pooled on the floor by the couch as well as the blood soaked cushions on it. "I haven't cleaned up the spillage yet."
"I didn't do such a thing."
"You mean you didn't drain Mom to the brink of death and left her on the couch to slowly die?"
A VERY SHORT Flashback
(Natalie's Birthday of 1995, Toronto)
Nick asked Natalie to watch Nichole while he attended some business with the community concerning his daughter. While Natalie was reading a book that she wanted to read for a long time, Nichole walks down from upstairs in her nightgown. When she spoke, Nichole startled Natalie, "Natalie?"
Natalie nearly jumped from her seat and hit the ceiling two stories higher than her head, "Geez, Nichole! Do I have to tell you what I tell your father?"
"What's that?"
"Make some noise like humans do. You inherited that ability of his, I see. What do you want to ask me, Nichole?"
"Do you think Mommy be angry if I call you 'Mom'?"
"No, I think she won't mind it at all. I think she knows that you love her and will continue to do so no matter where you are or how old you will become."
"In that case, can I? Call you 'Mom' that is?"
"Of course, Sweetie. You can call me 'Mom'."
"Thank you, 'Mom'."
End of A VERY SHORT Flashback
"No. I did no such thing towards Dr. Lambert." LaCroix had known for quite a while that she had called Natalie 'Mom'.
"If you didn't, then who did?" LaCroix didn't answer the question. Instead, he decided to change the subject.
"When your father comes back, tell him that I need to speak to him." LaCroix thought for a split second that he could bring her across, but it was only for a split second.
"Yes, Sir. I will tell him when he gets back." Nichole glanced David's way to see how he was handling this meeting. She had been taught since she was nine-years-old to respect the master vampire and her elders.
"I have not forgotten the instance in the alley earlier this evening. I have noticed how much you enjoy yourself at the Raven. So, in response to your little prank, you are not allowed in the establishment for six months."
"It wasn't a joke. It was a survival skill."
"Do not lie to me, child. I have a radio show to prepare for, so I bid you fare well and good evening. Nice to hear you again, Mr. Crockett." With that said, LaCroix left the loft.
"You okay, David?"
"Yes. Why did he call me 'Mr. Crockett'?"
"He must have been close enough to hear you call him 'LaCuckoo'. That's the only reason I can think of. There was a pioneer who fought in the Alamo. He was killed at that battle. His first name was Davy, short for David. His last name was Crockett. Before I forget, did the hot rod follow you home yesterday?"
"No, it wasn't there when I left. What did LaCuckoo mean by 'Nice to hear you again, Mr. Crockett'? I didn't say anything or make any noise."
"He was listening to your heartbeat. Everything that is alive, has a heart and beats. Each heart has a different rhythm to their heartbeats. Yours is different from mine." She was interrupted by the telephone ringing. Nichole answered it before the third ring. "Nick and Nichole Knight. That's father and daughter, not husband and wife."
"That security system your old man has installed won't save you, bitch."
"Who the hell are you?"
"You can call me your 'Big Pimpin Daddy', whore," the man on the other end said the sentence with a stutter. Or was that a slur she heard?
"I will ask you one more time, who are you?"
"Your 'Big Pimpin Daddy. I already told you that. That boy, David, is a 'no good use to anybody, son of a bitch!" Nichole now knew who it was.
"I'm letting you know, Mr. Bell, that you are not scaring me." With that out of her mouth, Nichole hung up the phone. She turned to David to tell him who that was, but before anything could come out of her open mouth, the phone rings again. "Nick and…"
"Nichole, it's me. Listen, a package should be delivered to the loft in a few days. If I don't receive it and you do, place it in the top of the coat closet. Okay?"
"Okay, Daddy." Nichole wondered why her dad was sounding so happy.
"Nat's going to move in with us. I am hoping she will say 'yes' when I ask her."
"Why now? What..." Nichole didn't get to finish her question, because the phone went dead. "Daddy? Hello? Daddy are you..." A loud crash came through the glass windows. "Daddy! Help!"
(At the hospital.)
Nick was standing by Natalie's bed holding the phone. The connection was cut off in the middle of Nichole's question. He hung up, then dialed the operator. "I'm sorry, Sir, but there is no answer."
"Thank you." Nick hung up the phone. Before he could turn around, there was a loud yell inside his head. "Oh, God. No. Don't let Nichole be hurt." He briefly kissed Natalie and whispered, "I'll be right back, My Love. Princess is in trouble."
"Nick," Natalie whispered in her sleep, "go to her." Nick heard her words as he walked out the door and made his way to the front doors of the building. Once outside he took to the air to get to the loft in what he hoped would be in time.