Kids in America!
By Julia MacGregor
(I've always wanted to write a story with three of my
favorite Anime/Manga stars, Sailor Moon, Ah! My
Goddess and Tenchi Muyo. Then, there are few twists to
the plot. Sam and Al from Quantum Leap. Nick Knight
and some of the cast from Forever Knight. Rio and her
crew from London and all points of the U.K. and a few
other goodies that would added as they will allow. So,
sit back, relax and grab on to your chairs, folks. The
Magic Bus is leaving here very shortly.)
Prologue:
The setting: All Holl'eve, 1999. The place a darkened
loft apartment in Toronto, Canada.
It was Halloween, the Druid new year. . .Samhain.
Detective Nicholas Knight was laying on the first
floor on his loft apartment in Toronto's warehouse
district. He was dying. Lacroix, Nick's father had
attacked him after a brutal verbal grudge match. Nick
didn't want to leave. He had just lost Tracy Vetter,
his partner on the police force to a violent shoot out
somewhere that was now gone from his memory. Then, he
was forced into change his love, Doctor Natalie
Lambert in to one of his kind, a vampire. Out of his
desperation to quiet her. Nick did the unspeakable.
As he drank, visions of his past flooded back to him.
All the women that he took a deadly sip from.
Something went wrong. He drank too much. Nat didn't
move. After the initial shock of his fangs piercing
her neck, Natalie lay still in Nick's arms.
Now Lacroix stood in Nick's apartment, punishing his
son. Nick yearned to become human once more. Lacroix
thought that Nick was completely out his mind for that
one dream.
Nick had his back to Lacroix. Lacroix wasn't going to
let his own son leave without his permission. He had
crossed Nick over and he, Lacroix was going bring Nick
down.
Lacroix had a knife in his hands, posed at Nick's
back.
Nick felt the sharp blow as Lacroix drove in the
knife into Nick's back.
"Good‑bye. . . Nicholas. My son!" Lacroix's mind
sighed sadly.
Nick crumpled to the floor. The knife slid out his of
back. Lacroix felt a little sick as the smell Nick's
blood ever so softly wafted up to his nose.
Then, two darkened figure who were watching the
deadly spectral thought the loft's sky‑light,
exploded. One of the figures landed on Lacroix,
slamming him against the floor. Lacroix now laid
unconscious on the floor.
With cat‑like reflexes, Nick's and Nat's bodies were
found by two dark figures. One of the figures bent
over Nick's body. The horrific smell of vampire blood
was over powering. Lacroix was to blame for the near
killing of his son.
Nick could feel his jaw forced open. A sharp taste of
blood spilled in to his mouth. The warm, coppery taste
of it dragged Nick out of his stupor. His jaw snapped
around a stranger's wrist. He drank until his body had
enough. He turned his face, coughing. His lips smeared
with red. Nick awoke with a splitting headache.
Nick tried to speak. His mind was trying to form
words to say. His eyes were still closed. A voice
purred deeply in his ears,"Just lay still!"
"Wha?" Nick spat out. Nick's mind swam in a haze. He
thought that he was done for. Nick's ears heard an
other voice speak. It whispered,"What about her?"
"Is she dead?" the first voice said, questioned the
second voice.
"Let me check!"
A two minutes past by. Then, the second voice
said,"No. . .she's hanging by a thread."
"He loved her more than anyone else. Bring her over!"
growled the first voice.
Nick heard Nat's pleases of help. He thought he had
killed her. He believed that he drank too much. A low
growl came to his ears. "Nat?" Nick's mind whispered
in the haze of his after conscious state. "What's
going on?"
Tracy Vetter lay in the cold room. All the life
support machines that keeping her alive were
unplugged. She was charted by the doctor who was on
staff that night reported her as brain dead. There was
a little spark of light still in her body.
There was no light in Tracy's room. A dark figure
stood near the foot of the bed. His black long hair
was pulled back behind his ears. He was waiting for
two others of his kind. His blackened eyes snapped to
attention. A door opened as two figures stood behind
him. One of them spoke in low tone,"Vachon? How long
has she been dead?"
"Maybe ten, twenty minutes." Vachon whispered, in a
half dazed tone. He didn't want to believe that Tracy
was dead.
"You loved. Loved her enough to bring her across,"
asked one of the figures.
The three figures moved over to a side of the bed.
Vachon stood in the middle of the group. He asked
blankly,"Is there a change!"
The other one spoke, equally low,"Yes. I have faith
in you. You can cross her over very easily. I can
still hear her heart, beating."
The figures were undoing the side railing of Tracy's
bed. The second figure said in a half dark joke,"Love
is my will. . .awaken to a new dawn. Doctor heal thy
broken heart!"
Vachon shallowed hard as visions of Tracy danced in
his mind. A flash of gold sparked in Vachon's eyes. A
sharp breath caught in his throat. Then, Vachon's
fangs were drawn out. He bent over Tracy's still body.
Tracy felt a sharp pain dragging her out the near
brain dead state. The first thing she thought of was
Vachon!
Lacroix awoke from his stupor. He tried to move his
body. He felt a binding grasp around his wrist and
ankles. Lacroix realize he was strapped to a chair. It
was done so tightly that he felt trapped. His mind
screamed,"What is going on?"
He began to buck against the bindings. Lacroix was
fully awake and ferrous. He growled to the stillness
of the night,"Where am I?"
A voice filled his ears. It was silky to the tone. It
said,"Hush my pet! Or they will destroy you!"
An realization hit him. He was blind. This thought
frightened him to the very core of his being. Maybe an
Enforcer came along when Lacroix was unconscious and
take out his eyes. Was he going to be blind for the
rest of his immortal life. His mind buzzed with fear.
He hissed to the unseen voice,"Who are you?"
He heard the voice begin to speak in Russian. It
sounded female. Deep in Lacroix's memory, he tried to
figure out who belong to that voice. He
gasped,"Natasha Paratsky?"
Old dreams, songs and memories of the iron cold
Russia struck Lacroix abruptly. Natasha purred,"What
are you expecting. . .an Enforcer? Lacroix, how long
had it been?"
"At least thirty years, in Moscow," Lacroix seemed to
calm down. He had been in Moscow for a holiday without
Nick or Janette. He wanted that way for a little
while. He had met Natasha in a government officers's
club. He felt her vampire presents very easily. "You
were still working for the KGB, special divisions!"
"I remember those days. I still miss you.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see you or even write to
you because of my station in life."
"Things change."
"I need to be nice to you. Would you like a drink?"
He thought that he was being tricked. Lacroix asked
harshly,"Is that. . .poison?"
"No, my pet. Here take a sip!"
A glass was pressed against his lips. A warm, rich
scent filled Lacroix's nose. He took a mere sip to wet
his mouth. A slight sting of copper hit his mouth. The
taste of heated spice dazzled his tongue. He took an
other sip, this time it was a long draw. His pressed
the warm liquid against the roof of his mouth. It was
fresh, alive and human. "Where did you get this
wonderful drink?" he asked, quite dizzy.
"The person is or shall I say was living at a very
wealth area of Toronto. He was very clean, been
married for a number of years. Until now. He met with
an untimely death on the high way on his way home. He
died and we were able to buy a little bit of his blood
before the humans and their donating companies took
him away."
Lacroix pressed his lips against the cup for one and
final drink. He drew from the cup until it was empty.
He became quite tipsy from the drink. "Thank you for
such a rare delight!" he smiled.
"Your thanks is greatly welcomed."
Then, a noise of a door opening , filled Lacroix's
ears. Sounds of foot steps filled his ears. He heard
Natasha's voice speak in Russian to the unseen beings.
He heard sounds of metal being unsheathed. Lacroix
knew it that he wasn't going to live too much longer.
He believed that the persons were Enforcers with
knives. . .maybe even possible a wooden steak.
To his dismay, Lacroix felt the knives not cutting
into his flesh. Instead the knives were cutting into
the bindings. He was set free for only a few minutes.
He aching stood up. Rubbing his wrists, he
breathed,"Thank you, gentlemen for cutting me free."
"What do you think you can get off that easily?"
Natasha warned.
Then, Lacroix felt his arms being pulled. Hands,
rough and tight were holding his wrists out. Lacroix
wanted to fight back. He began to hiss and kick for
his very life. The sounds of metal hitting his wrist
broke Lacroix's spirt down within seconds of being set
free. He was now handcuffed and chained like an
animal.
Lacroix mildly protested as he was being led away.
Was this the end for Lacroix? He prayed in his mind
for absolution for his life.
The sounds of a small crowd hit Lacroix. He smelt the
heady perfumes of the night. He was dragged to another
chair. He was thrown down onto it. His breath was
knocked out of him for a minute. He tried to struggle
as the handcuffs were quickly undone. Whoever was
handling the cuffs was too fast for him. The cuffs
were linked up a short chain that was connected to the
chair. There was no means of escape for Lacroix. A
voice from the crowd called out, haltly,"Would someone
please remove this kind gentleman's blindfold!"
Lacroix could feel the blindfold being loosened. Then
removed. It took his eyes a minute or two to adjust
for the light. He sat spellbound at the sight that
made his eyes grew wide. The room was enormous. Red
paint was hideously clung to the walls of the room.
Ornate paints of people in seventeenth century costume
hung on the walls. Over‑stuffed, Louis the XVI style
furnitchire was scattered around the room. There was
large group of people who either stood or sat in the
room. They all stared at him. The women were dressed
in low cut dresses with long skirts and puffed
sleeves. While the men were dressed in long tailed
frock coats, ruffed shirts, knee britches and high
riding boots. Most of the people were wearing powder
wigs or three cornered hats. It seemed like a seance
straight from the movie Amadeus.
Lacroix glanced at his outfit. The high collared
shirt, grey knee britches and plain black shoes made
him feel a little happy. He thought to himself in cold
irony,"If I'm going to die. At least, I'm going out in
style!"
"Lacroix, you stand on trail for a hideous crime!"
said the voice in the crowd again.
A little annoyed, he asked,"What is my crime,
father?"
"Father? You remember. You are sitting in front of
the entire family of Toronto."
"Didn't take a genus to find out about this. I can
tell who is a vampire and who is not!" he said coolly.
"You tried to kill your son Nicholas. In the family,
the idea of killing one's own out of rage is very much
frowned upon. There are exceptions to the rule. You
know the rules. They are thin, like a spider's web!"
"I wanted him to leave with me," Lacroix looked
around the room for the father.
"My dear Lacroix. . .he wanted to stay. Your made
pursuits of Nicholas's staying by your side. . .like
your daughter Janette. . .drove him into hiding at
times!" the unseen voice purred, scathingly.
"I brought him over. He adored Janette and wanted her
as a wife. He sold his mortal life for her."
"The elder of the family have heard the testimony. We
have brought judgement on you, Lucien Lacroix!" the
voice sounded harsh.
"Then, what is my punishment?" Lacroix was starting
to get nervous.
A man dressed in a jeweled frock coat, stepped out of
the crowd. He was pale skinned man with blond shoulder
length hair. His blue eyes were tainted with red. He
wore a feathery white mask. His gloved hands moved up
to the mask. Slowly the mask pulled off. Lacroix was
stunned into disbelief,"Mon Dieu, Lestat!"
Lestat was very amused as he smiled.
Lacroix hissed,"Are you the new father?"
Lestat said,"Jarbon. . .was so old. He couldn't keep
up! A mortal killed him between the hours of the night
and the early morning. He laid there for hours. No one
knew where he was!"
"How did he die?" Lacroix asked with some reserve
hate.
"An unknown car ran him down!"
"Then, how did you became father. You still have
Louey. . .or did you kill him?"
The statement stung Lestat, bitterly. "Don't be a
fool," he growled. "He wanted out of my life. I never
could feel his presents, when he was in hiding. He
just disappeared into thin air. The Queen Mother chose
me."
Lestat's mood changed into a gentle grace. "She had a
soft spot in her heart for me!"
"Yes, you knew how to crawl." There was acid in
Lacroix's voice.
Lestat's eyes flashed red. He always hated Lacroix.
Lacroix's way with words gave Lestat a bitter taste.
"I'll kill you right now, death is not the right
punishment for you. Not even death by exposer in the
full mid‑day sun is too good for you. I will choose
something more twisted than anything you could come up
with," Lestat said with a grim smile. Then, he clapped
his hand together for attention.
The vampires stopped staring at Lacroix for the time
begin. They turned their eyes to Lestat. He bent his
head for a minute. An amused feeling across his face.
Then, he spoke,"We've got some new children entering
our family. First off, a beautiful lady. . .very
gifted with her hands. She's a doctor. She gives the
mortals their last surgery for leaving the strange
thing we call life. Her name is Doctor Natalie
Lambert. Her mate is an old friend of my. He was
brought across once by out humble Lacroix here."
Lestat pointed at Lacroix. Lacroix was growing
uncomfortable at this strange trial. Lestat
continued,"Now he rises again. But, not as a father
crossing over a son. No. . .but, a friend bring a
friend renewing a lost friendship. His name. . ."
Lestat snorted a little. ". . .and you know it.
Nicholas Knight!"
Lacroix's mind went numb. He almost stopped breathing
as Nick and Nat stepped away from the crowd. Natalie
was Nick's love interest when he was tired of Janette.
They started out as friends, working in the same
police department. Now they were husband and wife. Nat
was done up in the most dazzling of ways. Her hair was
combed back until it fell down her back. Her bangs
rested on her forehead in a curve. A fine webbing of
faerie dust covered her hair. Her mid‑night blue dress
was a copy of a one that Marie Antoinette were before
the French Revolution. The cut of the gown was very
alluring. It plunged to show off the milky white tops
of her breasts. She looked like a queen on her way to
the ball.
She grabbed Nick by the forearm. Nat drew him close
to her. Her head rested on his left shoulder. He was
equally dashing in a black and blue frock coat with
high collared ruffle shirt, high knee britches and
black low riding boots. Nick's cool and calm demeanor
played on his face. He knew that Lacroix had it in for
Nick. Lacroix knew that Nick was his only son and he
must obey his father's wishes. Nick asked Lacroix
sharply,"Why did you try to kill me?"
"I wanted you to be my son! I lost the ability to
have a family thought the centuries, Nick!" Lacroix
was chilled to Nick's statement.
"What about me. Nat was the only normal person who
really loved me for me. . .not the beast inside!"
Lestat grinned devilishly. He said sweetly to cool
tempers,"You mustn't fight. Children. . .life is too
precious of a thing to be toyed with. . .We've two
others waiting for their introduction. There is an
another couple who is very young buy most standards.
He maybe four hundred years old, but he acts like he's
in his early twenties. He was a Spanish rebel. . .now
his a rock singer. His mate is a daughter of a police
officer. She is very young and brilliantly pretty.
Show your respects to Javier Vachon and Tracy Vetter."
Lacroix was now on the edge of repulsion. He never
cared for Vachon. Vachon had the element of being
riff‑raff. Why Vachon was crossed over, Lacroix would
never know. On the other hand, Tracy was just a child.
. .far too young to be Nick's partner on the force.
Vachon and Tracy stepped out of the crowd. Vachon was
in roughish fashion with black frock coat, cream
colored, ruffled shirt, black knee britches and plain
black ridding boots. Tracy was a golden faerie. Her
dress was spun from the finest silk dyed to a golden
hue. Tracy wasn't as daring as Nat was in the way of
neck lines. Her high white lace collar made her sweet
and innocent. Her long bobbed, blond hair had a set of
white water lilies pinned to the right side of her
head.
They didn't want to speak to Lacroix. They wanted to
keep the peace between him and Nick.
Lestat nodded his approval of the two new couples. He
said with a daring smile,"Blessings on your houses, my
children!"
"How dare you!" Lacroix growled. He shifted
uncomfortable in the chair.
White forms with red eyes and hissing lips started to
close on Lacroix very quickly. Lestat raised a hand to
quiet the crowd. He looked very humble as his eyes
glanced coldly at Lacroix. A gust of wind hit lacroix
on the back. "I hope. . .I'm not too late. I don't
want to miss out on the fun!" an Asian male voice
purred.
A dark figure stepped around the chair. The figure
was dressed in a high collared frock coat that swept
the floor. His small, delicate hands were covered in
tight black leather gloves. The clicking of riding
boots filled the room. The figure now stood on
Lacroix's left. Lestat smiled coldly,"Arika!"
"Lestat!" Arika returned the smile.
"Always fashionable late!"
Arika nodded in jest. His boyish frame bent down to
be at eye level with Lacroix. His lily‑white skin,
dark brown eyes and black, shaggy, shoulder length
hair was now in Lacroix's full view.
Lacroix uttered sourly,"Arika!"
"Lucien!" Arika snorted faintly. "I see you are the
guest of honor!"
All eyes were now fixed on this new comer. Tracy
asked Vachon,"Who is that?"
"That's. . .Arika Tajiri!" Vachon smirked. He
remembered being in some sort of trouble that Arika
had sent up for Vachon in the past. He walked right
into a trap which Arika had a special surprise for
him. Vachon walked right into a room which was
booby‑trapped. The trap consisting of a trip wire, a
pretty lady and a snare that fitted around a person's
ankles. Arika had the lady stand on the other side of
the room, calling Vachon's name as he entered the
room. Vachon wasn't too fast on that day and got
caught up in the joke. Vachon was snared up like a
rabbit for the whole day. He was very lucky that
Arika didn't expose Vachon to directed sun‑light.
Arika was a little twisted in his practical jokes but,
not sick.
"Oh," Nat asked.
Arika's finger tapped Lacroix on the left cheek
before tapping his chin with the same finger.
"He's one of the best investors in computer stock on
the west coast and a rouge. Arika had been a vampire
since the fifteenth century," Nick said.
"He's Japanese or Chinese?" Tracy asked.
Arika's cat‑like reflexes heard Tracy's statement. He
stood up with a raised eyebrow in recinogzation. "I'm
Japanese. . .pretty one!" he shifted his head to one
side.
"Nick and Vachon. . .are also guest of honor!"
Lacroix sneered.
"Oh," Arika smiled devilishly. He was puzzled at
Lacroix's predicament. "Why are you tied up in a chair
while they are standing? Up to your old ways."
"How dare you!" Lacroix struck at the statement. He
bucked against the chair. He gripped knuckles until
they turned white. His eyes turned red. He spat as
Arika narrowed his eyes. Arika's eyes glowed a
reddish‑gold. His face grew icy with contempt.
Lestat could see the venom growing between Lacroix
and Arika. Lestat could feel the bitterness that
Lacroix had against his predicament. He had to pay the
penalty of the undertaking of ending Nick's life.
"You are using me as a toy. I will not stand for this
humiliation." Lacroix roared.
"Quiet. . .fool! The longer you protest the longer
you hang yourself," Lestat hissed loudly.
"There are two things that I don't do. . ." Arika
breathed softly. "One. To kill a family member without
just cause is a sin. . .Two. Never cross Lacroix until
you get to know him, especially when he's angry!"
"How did you know?" Nick asked. Both Nat and Nick
were floored at Arika's statement.
"News travels at light speed!" Arika chided.
Lestat was thinking of a prefect punishment for
Lacroix. He heard about Nick's love for Nat. Nick had
nearly pleaded in his mind for her life as she laid in
his arms, nearly dead. Now she was one of his kind.
Nick had a wish granted. It seemed like the wish was
Nat's doing more than Nick's. To Nick, Nat was
something that Janette wasn't. A wife. The mere idea
of Nat being Nick's wife struck a raw nerve with
Lacroix. It drove Lacroix into a fit of rage.
Lestat came up with a solution to Lacroix's fate for
this world of mortals. He smiled for the entire crowd
to see. He said, sickened sweet,"I have come to a
conclusion."
The crowd began to hum with active.
"Please, I must have quiet." he raised a hand to
still the crowd. Lacroix you will live."
The crowd came to a dead silence. Lacroix was
dumbstruck. He breathed gently. It felt like the wind
was knocked out of him. Blinking his eyes, Lacroix
wasn't ready for Lestat's cutting remark. "Lacroix you
are a prisoner in your own way. You have strayed away
from everything that you once held dear. A little
child being punished, here is your reward. I want you
to stay with Nicholas and his charming wife, Natalie."
It was though a bolt of lighting stuck the entire
crowd into stunned silence. Then, Nick, Nat and
Lacroix gasped in belief,"What?"
Lestat nodded his head with a grim smile. Lacroix
hissed,"You. . .I'll kill you!"
Arika glanced down Lacroix's bonds. They were very
secure. "I don't think you can get out of this one,
Lacroix. Those bonds are very tight!" he sighed.
"I wanted out of his life and this the escape that I
get!" Nick breathed loudly. His anger was growing.
"You're sick, Lestat. . .some father!" Nat pointed
out.
Lestat threw insult to injury to saying,"Vachon. .
.Tracy. . .will stay with Nat and Nick to maintain
order in the house."
"No," Vachon winced, slapping his forehead with a
hand.
Tracy turned to face Lestat. She hissed
coldly,"You've gotta be kidding!"
"To keep peace. . .you might need our assistance,"
said another voice. It sounded like it came within the
crowd.
Two figures walked out of the shadows. The first
figure was an older, black male vampire. The other was
a much younger, black male vampire. The older vampire
was dressed in white ruffled shirt, dark jeweled
riding coat with matching pants gleamed the blood‑red,
blacks and mid‑night blues which the candle light. His
riding boots were a plain brown. His skin color was
deep as the night. His long straight, billowing hair
fell around his sharply angled face. His thick lips
were stained crimson. He wore a mask of fine black
beads.
While the younger black vampire was dressed in a
silver, short frock coat with a plain white shirt and
matching pants. His shoes were fine silverish silk.
His skin was the color of creamed coffee. His thinner
lips were also stained crimson. His long, curly, black
hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail. His
smooth ageless face was covered nearly with a half
facial mask of brocaded white silk.
"Gentlemen, I'm honored at your presents," Lestat
said in a curious tone. "Please remove your masks
before your introduction!"
The two black vampires nodded their agreements. They
turned to face each other, before turning to back to
Lestat. The older, black vampire removed his mask
first. He pulled it off from his face and smoothed his
bangs. He turned to the younger one, smiled and then
nodded.
The younger black, vampire reached around to the
string which held the mask in place. Slowly with one
hand the mask fell noiseless to the floor. Lestat
smiled ruefully,"Alexander. . .Armand."
Nick raised a hand up to his forehead. He was shocked
a little. Then, he started to laugh in disbelief,"I
don't believe it!"
Vachon had the same feeling. He huffed,"Oh, great. .
.what is this. . .old home week?"
Tracy rolled her eyes at Vachon as she sighed,"This
is getting a little strange!"
"No need to worry, Miss Vetter. In the long while. .
.it will be all clear!" Alexander nodded.
"But, you can't stay here. We must move quickly,"
Armand said in urgency. "Nick. . .Vachon. . .please
come with me and Alexander!"
In a darkened anteroom which was off to the side of
the main ballroom. A flash of blue light appeared out
of nowhere. It took the form of a human. Then, the
light vanished. A man stood in a pale gold frock coat
with matching shirt and pants. His low riding boots
padded across the rug as he began to walk. At first,
the man was confused. Letting his eyes focus on the
darkness. He felt a sharp blow against his right knee.
He breathed out of the pain of the blow. His hands
went around an antique floor lamp. He nearly knocked
it over as he groped around it's thin frame. He slid
hand up to the frame. He followed the frame until he
found the switch. Flipping on the light, the man was
blinded by the light.
He shook his head for a minute. His hand dropped to
his side. He readjusted his eyes to the light. Then,
he backed away from the lamp. He rubbed his eyes. His
mind began to think where he was at, who he was and
how did he get there.
A flash of memory hit the man for a second. He
thought to himself,"Where is Al?"
The man walked over to a window. He whispered in the
dankness,"Al. . .where are you?"
He looked out if the window. The door opened and a
group of people stepped into the room. He sharply spun
around as one members of the group asked,"Out for a
breath of air?"
"Oh?" the man said in a nervous tone. He was taken by
surprise at the group's entrance. "Oh, air. . .yea.
Air!" Then, the man laughed.
"Devon is a great actor, but maybe a little slow at
just about everything else," another person spoke.
"Who are you?" the man said.
"Lestat. I'll have to show you where you at as well?"
the first one grumbled.
A ceiling light was flipped on. The man blinked a the
light. The man was deeply surprised at the group of
people dressed up. He was realization that he must
come to a place in time in which people were still
dressing in the late seventeenth century. He stumbled
across a living theater troop or a historical
recreation. His mind buzzed with a million thought all
at once. Lestat said quietly,"Devon. I want you to
meet a couple of old friend."
Devon was now the man's name. He said as he grinned
shyly,"Hi."
After a few drinks, Devon was now relaxed. He was
introduced to the group. They were now talking about
the new place that they were going stay at in the near
future. Nat and Tracy at first didn't know that they
were drinking cow's blood.
A flash of white light appeared out of nowhere. A
noise of a slamming door filled Devon's ears. A man
with short, black hair, smoking a cigar stood behind
Devon. The man with the cigar was dressed in a blue
suit and a darker blue over coat. He saw a glimpse of
Devon's face. He said,"Great. . .at last. I found you
Sam!"
Devon and Nick were talking. "Did you hear
something?" Devon asked Nick as, he began to looking
around the room.
The man with the cigar said,"Sam! Come with me. .
.I'll fill you in!"
An memory came back to Devon. Fragments of a past
life dropped on Devon like a ton of bricks. He
realized who the man with the cigar was. "Al?" he
asked.
"Hmm?" Nick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Devon couldn't hold down two conversations at once.
He had to think fast. Devon didn't want Nick to think
that he was nuts if he was going to talk to both Nick
and Al at the same time.
"I'll be back!" Devon pointed to the door.
"O.K." Nick shrugged.
Devon ran to the door. He nearly collided with two
men who entering the room. They were carrying a chain.
Devon stepped aside to let the two men pass by.
Entering the room were two men dragging a chain
bearing Lacroix. At first, Devon was surprised to see
Lacroix being dragged into the room. Lacroix saw Devon
if only as a blur.
At a staircase, Devon waited for Al. He heard an
other slamming of a door once more. The man with the
cigar was now standing front of him. He spoke
softly,"Al?"
"Sam. . .where were you? I lost you in the L.A. gangs
in the year nineteen eighty‑four!"
"Sam?" Devon repeated the name. "Is my name Sam?"
"Oh, boy," Al rolled his eyes. "Of all the times that
your mind is Swiss cheese. . .this is it?"
"Mind. . .Swiss cheese?" Devon was utterly confused.
"Yea. You've got a computer that sends you through
time. You were working on the project called Quantum
Leap. Gooshie, Sam's really messed up."
A squealing noise came from a pocket of the over
coat. Al fished out what looked like a small hand held
computer game. More memories were jarring Devon's
mind. He gasped a flash of another memory. He
said,"Al. . .where am I at?"
"A small pin point of light. . .thank you God! Let me
see," Al sighed with relief. He punched a few keys of
the computer. After a few minutes latter, Al was
surprised. Sam's memory was finally coming back to him.
Sam pipped in,"So, who am I this time?"
"Hmm." Al hummed. He looked at the computer as he
puffed on the cigar. "You are Devon Brinks. Born. . ."
Sam liked the name of the body he leapt into. He had
a little bit of rouge in him. He said," Sounds rather
dashing . . .don't you think?"
"Yea, if you like the name. You were born in
eighteen‑twenty‑one!"
"What?" Sam's eyebrows shot up in alarm.
"It can't be right?" Al smacked the computer.
"Eighteen‑twenty‑one? I didn't travel all the back to
the eighteen hundreds?" Sam questioned out of an
anxious tone. "Look the period of this style custom is
all messed up."
Al faced Sam. He gazed over what Sam was wearing. He
asked,"What do you mean?"
"You see how I'm dressed. . .this frock coat with
these cuffs and tails?"
"Yea."
"What year would you say this coat was from?"
"Oh, Sam," Al winced. "Period dress is not my thing."
Al hated when Sam would bring out a small detail to
make a point from the picture. The computer squealed.
Al glanced down at it.
"What does Ziggy have to say?" Sam remembered the
computer's name.
"Ziggy say the year is nineteen‑ninety‑nine,
Halloween night. You're in Toronto. You're staying at
the estate belonging to a Mister Lestat," Al began to
tick off what the computer was telling him.
"Yea," Sam finding the information most useful.
"And you are a vampire," Al sounding very
matter‑a‑fact.
"Uh?" Sam was floored at Al's last statement.
"You are a vampire!" Al repeated.
A vague memory slapped Sam in the face. He beerily
remembered a particular hair‑raising leap. A young
woman who wasn't a vampire was nearly killed for the
thrill of the hunt of two persons who poised as
vampires. "I was once a. . .one of those. I thought,
once I leapt into a person's body. . .I couldn't take
the came form again!" Sam groped for an explanation.
"Ziggy!" Al huffed. "Says that it's possible for you
to leap into another body. . .not matter what or who
they are! That explains that age that you are!"
"Great!" Sam rolled his eyes.
"There is something else. For very leap you merger
into. . .there is a need. A need to change a life or
dozens of lives. Is that what Project Quantum Leap is
all about?" Al had changed his mood to one of a more
sober tone.
Sam remembered all the leaps that he been through.
Now did he come full circle. Not even Ziggy knew that.
Sure. . .Ziggy could come up with analyses. But, every
leap was different.
The computer squeaked again. "Ziggy. . .says that you
are an actor!" Al sighed. "Look. . .I'll have Ziggy
runs some ideas in the mainframe and find out what's
wrong."
"Devon?" a voice called out from down the hallway.
"Hmm?" Sam said. "I think. . .I'm being paged."
"Fine. I'll have to worry about the guy in the
holo‑room. He was quoting lines from Hamlet and
staring at my neck!"
"This is going to be a strange leap!"
"You're telling me!" Al sighed, as he punched the key
to open the holo‑room.
"Go, Al. . .and find out why I'm here!" Sam showing a
little annoyed.
"O.K. I'll go to find out the reason of this leap!"
"Al disappeared into a flash of white light.
Nick found Sam in the hallway. He was puzzled at
Sam's reaction. Who was Sam was talking to? There was
no in the hall. Maybe he was practicing some lines for
a play. Nick questioned,"Catching up on your lines?"
Sam jumping a little. Then, he turned to the right to
face Nick. "Oh," Sam breathed out the shock of being
surprised. "You startled .yea. I'm doing a play or
was?"
"You don't remember?" Nick shifted his head to one
side.
"Yea. . .no. . .I mean! I need a rest," Sam uttered,
he ran a hand through his hair.
"How long have been on the road?" Nick was prying
into Sam's acting career.
"Too long. I come. . .I go," Sam sighed, raising his
hands up. Then, letting them fall to his sides. "It is
hard to figure out who I am! We play game of maskquare
for the rest of out lives!"
"Vampire or actor?"
"I believe both!" Sam looked at the floor.
"I hope you figure out soon. . .Lestat wants us back.
He had something to say!" Nick gave Sam a tiny smile.
"What?" Sam was wandering who was the Lestat and
what did he want.
Sam and Nick came back to the anteroom. Lestat had a
map of Ohio displayed on a table. Tracy and Vachon
were staring out a window, holding hands. Vachon asked
Tracy,"How does it feel. . .being one of my kind?"
"Strange," Tracy sighed, longing for a better
explanation of the heady events that just took place.
"What do you mean?" he turned to her. He had a
lopsided grin on his face.
"I was dead. . .right?" her hands were pressed
against the glass.
"Hmm." he agreed
"Everything unplugged. I was waiting for someone to
take me away. . .y'know. Angels and God!" Tracy was
trying reach a better understanding for her
unexplainable second chance of life.
"And now I have internal life? Why me. . .what
gives."
"That what I asked years ago. It's the luck of the
draw," he soothed. Vachon placed his head next to the
side of the side of Tracy's head. "I couldn't live
without you!"
Tracy sighed with a slight sad tone,"You mean it?"
"Yea," Vachon kissed Tracy's cheek.
The next road sign read 100 miles to the
U.S./Canadian boarder. Nick, Nat and a grumbling
Lacroix were speeding down the highway in Nick's
Caddy. The night seemed to turned cold. The radio
played softly on an A.M. station. The Caddy seemed to
be the only car on the road. Vachon and Tracy took
separate vechicials. Vachon rode his motor bike on a
different route to the boarder.
While Tracy drove her Grand Cherokee on still another
route. She packed what little she and Vachon had taken
form her flat and his place which was an old empty
church. She took off two hours after Vachon started on
his journey.
Alex, Arika and Armand rode in a dark green
Mercedes‑Benz. They took turns on driving. Arika told
Lestat that he heard some murmurs around the dark
circles of L.A.'s underground. A couple of slayers
were looking for C.E.O. s with interests in the blood
and body trade. He had a few mere connections as a
hobby. He wanted out of the L.A. sense before he was
caught for his investments.
Sam as the actor Devon Brinks informed Lestat, he was
going to join the tiny group in a couple. weeks. He
was board and wanted a rest from the rigors of the
acting world. A small town in Ohio was rest that he
was hoping for. He had to finish out a couple of
performances before living as he would call it the
wilds of Ohio.
"Where are we going?"Lacroix asked.
"Lestat wasn't sure you were ready for the place we
going to stay," Nick sighed. The Caddy hummed along on
the road.
"Why?" Lacroix was nervous about where Nick was
taking him to.
"It is very small!"
"How small. . .we were talking about the house that
we staying or the town itself."
Nat quickly interrupting the conversation. She didn't
want have Nick and Lacroix yelling at each other. She
quietly said,"It's in Ohio."
"State side," Nick snorted. He was trying to make
small talk. He wanted to ease an tensions that Lacroix
was going to start. "Have you ever been state side,
Nat?"
"A couple of times. Mostly Chicago." Nick asked Nat
if she very traveled.
"Ohio!" Lacroix rolled his eyes. "I don't believe
it!"
"I better look for what next exit we're suppose to
take," Nat started to regard the U.S.‑Canadian map in
her hands. "I don't want to get us lost in the middle
of nowhere."
Lacroix started to brood over Lestat's ideas of
punishment. He said,"What is the name of the town!"
"It's called Salem. . .Lestat had chosen it because
the location. The smaller the town the more quiet it
is!" Nick expressed some reverse about his own
feedings for the trip.
"A small town. It sounds like the people don't like
to make waves," Lacroix snorted out of disgust. He was
now regretting the horrorible act that willed himself
to do in all the name of fatherhood. Lacroix didn't
want to go. Leaving Toronto against his own free will
was the last thing on Lacroix's mind.
"Yes. . .in a way. We find out more we get there!"
Nick stopped in front of a red light.