From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMSat Nov 16 13:00:41 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 23:10:10 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: The Other Side (1/7) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #2 Episode Title: "The Other Side" "Air" Date: November 14, 1996 Author: Sandra Gray Alpha Readers: , Leslie GrantSmith, Lana Soward, John Folden Beta Readers: Sara Orel, Beth Washington, Sharon Bhandari, Jean Kennedy, Amy Volpert, Rebecca M'Kenna Production Management: Dawn Steele, Amy Volpert Part 1 of 7 The Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season is a project whereby a group of Forever Knight fans are putting together a series of stories continuing from where Last Knight left off. Participation is open to all. For more information, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. Comments should be sent to the author or to the FKV4S-L mailing list. This story will be available in its entirety as of 11/16/96 by writing to V4S02@fkfanfic.com, or from . This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Sandra Gray -------------------------- THE OTHER SIDE Natalie looked down the alley, her senses sharpening. A tinge of dark red lay over all, lighting the night where mortal eyes would need a lantern. Perhaps she would find what she needed here. A clacking sounded behind her and she whirled, shutting her eyes against the sudden glare. The wheels of the carriage clattered on the cobblestones briefly before it rounded the corner and disappeared, taking away its unwelcome light. She blinked and looked again into the alley. Slipped into it like a cat. A chill breeze gusted through her hair, bringing with it the scent of blood. Her mouth watered. A criminal perhaps, or a prostitute, some derelict that the city would be better off without. To feed the hunger on such wasn't wrong. Natalie moved faster, now that she had the scent of prey. The scent of prey... He lay before her on the ground. The long scar on his cheek pointed like a dagger to his ripped-open collar, his slashed throat. She stared at the blood that welled there. Dipped her fingers in, brought them to her mouth... ******* Annie glanced around furtively as she slid into the alley. Then, seeing she was alone, she pulled a half full bottle of whiskey out of the large shopping bag she carried, opened it, and took a long draught of the liquor. "Ahhhh," she said and smiled. She held the bottle to her cheek and patted it. "Maybe I'll get to keep you a while, eh?" She gave a low giggle, then looked around once more, afraid. She reclosed the bottle and slipped it back into her bag. She brushed a strand of her gray hair away from her full, worn face. As long as things were quiet, she should check out the alley for goodies. The night was cool, but the smell of spring was in the air, after all. Annie straightened and carefully moved deeper into the alley, weaving just a little. She approached a dumpster and opened the lid. She picked up and examined a couple of "treasures" before deciding with a sigh that the pickings were slim. Annie adjusted the topmost of her sweaters and set off again down the alley, carefully. She didn't get far. She slid up against the wall and froze. A woman with her back to Annie was kneeling on the ground beside what appeared to be a fallen man. Annie peered at them, frowning. The woman was leaning over the man. Her long open coat blocked the upper half of the man's body from Annie's view. Suddenly the woman whipped her head around and looked directly at Annie. Annie gasped. Was that *blood* on her face? She saw another dark streak on the woman's right hand as she quickly stood. Large, wide eyes met Annie's for one frozen moment. Maybe it was the shock, but Annie found her eyes drifting to the gleam of a gold locket around the woman's neck. The gold suddenly blurred as the woman turned away from her. Annie blinked and took a few more steps forward, her eyes going to the man on the ground. He lay still, his eyes open to the night, reflecting the light of an upper story window like still glass. His throat gaped open. Annie dropped her bag and screamed, noticing neither the cracking of her precious bottle nor the sudden whoosh of the air. (to be continued) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMSat Nov 16 13:00:48 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 23:10:14 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: The Other Side (2/7) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #2 Episode Title: "The Other Side" "Air" Date: November 14, 1996 Author: Sandra Gray Part 2 of 7 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Sandra Gray -------------------------- Natalie pulled on gloves and walked over to the latest "customer" to be examined. Nick entered the room and said, "Hi, Nat." Natalie's heartbeat quickened at the sight of him. With an effort, she turned her attention back to her work. "Nat?" came Nick's voice from close behind her. Natalie started and Nick grabbed her upper arms to steady her. Her heart pounded faster. She felt his breath on her hair, and his hands slid down her arms. "Nat," he said, softer. "I want you, Nat. Tell me you want me too." Natalie closed her eyes and leaned back against Nick. His arms went around her waist, pulling her closer. "Yes, I want you," she whispered. Nick nuzzled her neck, kissing it. A small voice inside of Natalie began to scream. When she felt his fangs graze her throat, she whimpered, "No." The blood fell on her right hand as she pulled away. She turned and saw herself in the bathroom mirror. There was blood on her face. Dried blood... She grabbed up a white washcloth and scrubbed at it, then scrubbed at the dried blood on her hand. ******* Natalie's head jerked up from her folded arms and she blinked. She was sitting at her dining room table. Her face was wet. She scrubbed at it, then quickly looked at her hand. Just tears, not blood. She sighed. Her cat jumped into her lap and meowed. Natalie petted him, sighing again. "I've been working too hard, Sidney." She felt warm and realized that she was wearing her coat. She wondered why. She glanced at the clock. "Oh God and I'm late too!" She tossed the cat to the floor and jumped up from her chair. "And I needed to go get you some cat food." She walked toward the kitchen. "Well, Sidney, you're just going to have to make do with whatever's in the refrig--" She halted as she saw her canvas shopping bag sitting on the counter. "--erator," Natalie finished. She pulled a can of cat food from the bag and stared at it. She frowned. "Well, Sidney, I guess I didn't forget you after all." She opened the can of food and scraped some into his bowl. As she watched the cat start to munch, she ran a hand over her brow. "You definitely need a vacation, Lambert," she said, her voice fatigued. Noticing the time again, she hurried off to get ready for work. ******* Nick's hands slid down Nat's arms. "Nat," he said softly. "I want you, Nat. Tell me you want me too." Nat closed her eyes and leaned back against him. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "Yes, I want you," she whispered. He nuzzled her neck, kissed it. He grazed her skin lightly with his fangs. He bit. Her warm blood flowed into his mouth, filled with her acceptance and love. ******* Nick pushed aside the memory of his recurrent dream of Nat as he pulled up to the latest crime scene. A small sedan, a regular police car, and an ambulance were already on-site. A small group of onlookers -- people with the unkempt look of those who slept on the street -- watched from a spot near the mouth of a cordoned-off alley. His partner, Adam Sakai, stood apart from them with another street person, a woman. Nick stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and, ignoring Adam for the moment, walked into the alley. White flashes cut the dark as Forensics took pictures of the body of a man. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air. Nick walked forward slowly and knelt by the body. A good deal of blood had been spilled on the ground around the victim, whose throat had been slit. He swallowed. A movement near him made Nick quickly stand. It was one of the Forensics people. "Where's Dr. Lambert?" Nick asked him. The man just shrugged and shook his head. Nick rubbed his chin and stepped back from the body with a sigh, his hand trembling a little. He turned away and looked around the alley. His nostrils caught the scent of cheap whiskey. He stared at the small puddle over by the wall, then decided to join his partner. As he approached them, he studied the woman to whom Adam was talking. She looked to be about 5'5", maybe 220 pounds, 50s, with just a hint of black left among the strands of her gray hair. Multiple sweaters, the top one gray, covered a simple faded pink dress. Gray knee socks and dirty white sneakers finished her outfit. She clutched a large shopping bag to her right side. Something slowly dripped from one corner of the bag. Cheap whiskey. Putting his hands in his pockets again, he sidled up to his partner. "So, what have we got?" Adam started and looked at him. "This is Annie Prescott, a...witness to the murder. I was just about to take down her description of the woman she saw." "Woman?" asked Nick. "Yes, indeed!" said Annie, her voice a little slurred. "So, what did this woman look like, Miss Prescott?" asked Adam, notebook in hand. "Well, I ain't sure just how tall she was," Annie said in a flustered tone. Adam smiled. "Just take your time, Miss Prescott. It might help to start with what you first noticed and go on from there." Annie licked her lips and nodded. "Well, when I first seen her, she had her back to me. She had on this long coat. It blocked part of my view of...Tom." "Tom?" asked Nick. Adam looked at Nick. "Thomas Benton. Miss Prescott recognized him." He turned his attention back to the woman. "What color was the coat?" "Beige or maybe tan. It drug on the ground as she was kneelin' next to him." Adam scribbled in his notebook. "Mmmm, hmmm. What sort of coat was it?" "Oh, weren't no winter coat. Swung too much when she moved." She paused, then added, "It was a nice coat." Nick glanced over at the handful of street people standing just beyond Adam's sedan. Men of varying ages, and one teenaged boy. He didn't recognize any of them. He looked back at Annie Prescott. "Not worn or damaged?" asked Adam. "Oh, no." Her watery gray eyes narrowed. She clutched her bag tighter and lifted her chin. "She weren't one of us if that's what yer gettin' at!" Adam smiled. "Just trying to get as many details as possible. Did you notice anything else about her while she had her back to you?" "Her hair. It was shoulder-length and wavy. Real thick lookin'." "What color was her hair?" "Ummmm....light brown. Clean. It bounced when she looked at me." Annie shuddered suddenly. "What about her face?" asked Adam gently. "Oh, I won't never forget that face! The blood on it!" Her voice was suddenly very clear. "Blood?" asked Nick, feeling a chill. Annie raised her right hand and brushed it against her right cheek, near her mouth. "Here," she said, sliding her hand a couple of inches back and forth to illustrate. "She had some on her hand too." "Which hand?" asked Adam. Annie lowered her hands and looked at them. Then she lifted her right hand and said, "This one." "Right hand," said Adam, and scribbled the information down. "Yeah...right hand," said Annie, in a relieved tone. "Was there a weapon in the woman's hand?" asked Nick. Annie shook her head. "No, nothun'." Nick frowned. "Then what happened?" asked Adam. "She jumped up. Her eyes was real wide. She had big eyes anyway." "Did you notice what color her eyes were?" Annie looked at Adam's hands, frowning. "No." She looked back at Adam's face. "I don't know why, but I started lookin' at her necklace." "Necklace? What sort of necklace?" asked Adam. Annie's eyes took on a faraway look. "Gold...a gold locket." She raised her hand to the base of her neck and fingered it. "It gleamed," she said. Nick frowned again, and shifted from side to side slightly. These details, added together... He glanced over at the alley. Where was Nat? "What sort of locket?" asked Adam. Annie continued to finger her neck and look distracted. "Miss Prescott?" She looked at Adam and swayed slightly. "What sort of locket? Was it square, round, what?" Annie considered the question, looking away again. "It weren't square. The edges was curved." Nick ran a hand across his chin and glanced at Adam. Then he looked back at Annie and dropped his hand. "Round?" asked Adam. Annie frowned, "I...I don't think so." "Oval, heart-shaped?" Nick stood very still, hardly breathing. Annie frowned deeper, then shook her head. "I don't--" "But you're sure it was a locket?" Annie nodded. "The edge was thick." "So...does the fact that you were able to see this locket mean that her coat was open?" asked Adam. Annie was looking at his hands, her expression distant again. "Miss Prescott?" Annie looked at Adam. "Was the woman's coat open?" Annie opened her mouth, then shut it and said, "Yeah." "Did you notice what she was wearing under her coat?" Annie frowned and looked away. "I...I was lookin' at that locket so much...I ain't sure." Adam touched her arm and she looked at him. He smiled. "That's all right, Miss Prescott. You noticed a great deal." He dropped his hand. "So...then she...ran away?" Annie's brow furrowed again. "Uh...well, yeah, I guess. I guess the shock must've caught up with me. I remember the gold...blurrin'. After that, well, she was just gone. And then I saw Tom..." She looked away. "But you do remember her face?" Annie looked back at Adam. "Oh, yeah! I won't never forget that!" Adam shut his notebook, and slipped both it and his pen in his inner jacket pocket. He smiled. "Then if you'll come down to the station, we can work up a composite of the murderer." "Murder suspect," Nick interjected quickly. Adam looked at Nick and after a brief pause said, "Okay. Murder suspect." He turned his gaze back to Annie Prescott. "Or another witness," Nick added. Adam gave Nick a strange look. Then he took Annie's arm and started to lead her over to the police car. "Here, let me help you with that," said Nick, reaching for Annie's bag. She drew away from him and closer to Adam. Nick smiled. "Don't worry, we'll give it back." He looked down at the bottom of the bag. "Besides, it's leaking... something." His eyes rose to her face. Annie paled, her eyes shifting back and forth. She didn't resist as he took the bag from her. He opened it and looked inside. "Mmmmm, appears to be a...cracked bottle in here." He looked again at Annie. Annie looked from Nick to Adam and back again. "Well, a body's gotta have somethin' to...keep warm and help with coughs." Nick smiled and started to walk toward the police car again. Nat still hadn't showed. At the car, Adam helped Annie into the back seat and said to the uniform inside, "Take Miss Prescott down to the station. She's to give a description of a...murder suspect... for a composite." Adam glanced over the car at Nick. Nick opened the front passenger door and set the shopping bag on the floor of the car. "Miss Prescott's possessions. See that they're taken care of until she's ready to leave? Oh, and be careful that the bag doesn't tear." He shut the door and watched as the police car drove off. "Why did you make a big deal about a solid lead on a murderer?" asked Adam, his mouth set in a hard line. "A big deal?" asked Nick. "We have a witness, a description. Pretty clear cut. What's with this murder 'suspect' and 'witness' stuff?" "Come on, you don't think a woman did that." "It's not impossible. Blood on her hand, her face." Adam turned and stalked off to his car. Nick hurried to catch up with him. "Look, Adam, I know street people. Besides, your witness has obviously been drinking." "Oh, you saying she's making it up? Maybe you think she did it?" "No, I don't think she did it. But...her account might not be reliable." "Sounded pretty reliable to me," said Adam. He had reached his car and stopped, looking at Nick. "It's our best lead. Why don't you want to follow it up?" "Experience," said Nick. "Look, why don't you interview them?" He nodded toward the street people just beyond Adam's car. "Maybe one of them saw something." "Why don't you? It's your idea." "You do it so well," said Nick, smiling. Then he sobered. "It's a hunch, okay? What's it going to hurt?" Adam stared at Nick, then sighed. "Fine, you can explain to Reese why we're wasting taxpayer dollars interviewing--" Nick turned and started to walk away. "Hey! Where you going?" "To check out a lead of my own," Nick said, not stopping. Adam sighed in irritation. "Who does he think I am... Columbo?" he grumbled. He turned and walked over to the street people. "I'm Adam Sakai, Metro Homicide," he said, flashing his badge. "I'd like to ask you all a few...short questions." He smiled grimly. His partner hadn't specified how *thorough* he should be, after all. His eye fell on a short, unassuming man. He pulled out his notebook. "And your name is?" "Walter Dove," the man replied in a small voice with mouse-like nervousness. ******* Nick got into his car and drove off, a worried frown on his face. On the radio, music played briefly, then was replaced by the smooth tones of his master, LaCroix. "Our topic tonight is darkness," he said. "There are those who fear the darkness and with good reason. After all, there are...predators out there waiting to prey upon the innocent, sharks that will gather from miles away at the scent of one drop of blood. But it doesn't have to be that way. For those who can feel the darkness, embrace it, it becomes a haven, a home. It becomes your friend, your father, your brother, your... ******* "...lover," finished the Nightcrawler. Natalie looked at the radio uneasily, then quickly switched off the ignition of her car. ******* Nick pulled into the morgue parking lot a few minutes later. He noted that Nat's car was there and paused by it briefly before walking into the morgue. Nat stood with her back to him, dressed in her usual scrubs. She turned and saw him. The gold locket that she often wore swung at her neck. Nick smiled slightly. "Hi, Nat." She didn't smile back. "Nick." She paused, then added, "What are you doing here?" Nick's smile faded, and he swallowed. "Where have you been?" "Been? I've been here. Why?" Nick walked over to her. "Why didn't you come down to the crime scene?" "Crime scene?" asked Nat. She dropped her gaze and moved away from him. "Just a little while ago, in an alley near Yonge and Queen." He watched her begin calibrating a scale. "Oh. Well, I've been working hard the last few weeks. Guess I must have slept through my beeper." Her manner was casual, almost too casual. Nick studied her. She fiddled with the scale. Still not quite meeting his eyes, she asked, "Why? What's the matter?" Nick continued to study her and opened his hearing. The sound of Nat's heart beat in his ears, mortal and strong. "Nothing," he said, shutting out the allure of her heartbeat. He let out a breath. The door opened, and an attendant wheeled a gurney with a body bag on it into the room. Nat grabbed some gloves and yanked them on. She tugged at the zipper on the body bag. "Well, I guess this is your--" Nat gasped. ******* He lay before her on the ground. The long scar on his cheek pointed like a dagger to his ripped-open collar, his slashed throat. She stared at the blood that welled there. Dipped her fingers in, brought them to her mouth... ******* Nat's face paled as she stared at the dead man. She blinked and swallowed, swaying a little. Nick moved quickly behind her. "Nat?" he asked, concerned, taking hold of her upper arms. She was trembling--was it from fear or...desire? If he ran his hands down her arms now like in his dream... He let his hands follow his thoughts. A part of him whispered that this was wrong, it was dangerous. But he wanted her so much. "Nat," he breathed softly, leaning closer to her. Her heart pounded...fast...in his ears. She leaned back against him. And then she was pushing away from him. "I'm fine," she said, a bit shakily. She looked at him and pulled herself straighter, adding brusquely, "I need to get to work." Nick swallowed. "Okay," he said, backing away from her. He glanced back at her face. She clearly wanted him gone. Was shutting him out. Nick turned and left the room. He couldn't blame her. It had been a mistake to taste her blood. He'd almost killed her. He drove on absently. She wasn't a vampire. Why had he even entertained the possibility that she had come across? It was preposterous. No matter how much he wanted her, she didn't want any part of his darkness...or him...anymore. Nick looked up to see that he had arrived back at the station. Time to push aside any thoughts and fantasies of Nat and get down to working on the case--with that composite of Annie Prescott's. Nick walked over to the small office where Jensen did his computer composites. "Yeah, that's her," he heard Annie Prescott say as he opened the door. Jensen and Annie moved apart as Nick entered the room, revealing the computer screen. Nick froze. The face on the screen. It was Nat. (to be continued) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMSat Nov 16 13:00:55 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 23:10:21 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: The Other Side (3/7) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #2 Episode Title: "The Other Side" "Air" Date: November 14, 1996 Author: Sandra Gray Part 3 of 7 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Sandra Gray -------------------------- Natalie closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Her arms still tingled from Nick's caress. And she'd wanted that caress, even though... "Why do you still want him?" she whispered, clutching her arms to herself. "He almost killed you." But a part of her did still want him. she thought. But was her will her own anymore? Could he compel her to-- She opened her eyes and looked at the corpse in front of her. "All these years I've spent looking for a cure for you..." There had to be more she could do. "Maybe I should just take a leave of absence, put more hours in." She busied herself removing the corpse from the body bag, covering him to his chest with a sheet. If only his touch hadn't been so like her dream... Was that dream prophetic? She studied the corpse again and frowned. This man... she'd seen him in a dream too. Well, not exactly. His clothes weren't right. They'd been more...Victorian. She picked up the clipboard that came with the body and read the basic facts noted there. She looked again at the corpse. She should start with the wound. But instead she took a blood sample. Natalie ran the standard test and noted the AB negative blood type on the autopsy form. She walked back over to the corpse of Thomas Benton. Looked from the scar on his face...to his throat. She swallowed. ******* The scent of prey... He lay before her on the ground. The long scar on his cheek pointed like a dagger to his ripped-open collar, his slashed throat. She stared at the blood that welled there. Dipped her fingers in, brought them to her mouth... She turned and saw herself in the bathroom mirror. There was blood on her face. Dried blood... She grabbed a white washcloth and scrubbed at it, then scrubbed at the dried blood on her hand. ******* Natalie yanked the sheet over the corpse's face. Panicked, she backed away from the table. She stripped off her bloodied gloves with trembling hands, letting them fall to the floor. After a few deep breaths, she snatched up her purse and coat and ran from the examining room. ******* "Looks like Dr. Lambert, doesn't it?" asked Jensen. "No," said Nick. Jensen pressed a button. A print of the computer sketch slid out of the machine. He picked it up. "You want I should put out an APB?" "No, I'll take care of it," said Nick. Jensen passed the sketch to him. Nick looked at Annie Prescott and forced a smile. "Thank you for your help," he said and extended a hand to help her up from her chair. "I can go now then, right?" Nick put a hand under her elbow and guided her out of the room. He smiled again. "But how will we find you if we need you to identify this...suspect?" He glanced again at the picture of Nat, and clenched his jaw. He looked at Annie again with a gentle smile. "Or for more questioning?" "I have a place to go," said Annie. "Annie," said Nick and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "I can call you Annie, right?" She just looked at him. He lowered his voice. "I think it might be safer for you if you stayed here, in protective custody." "You just want to lock me up cause I been drinkin'!" She tried to pull away. Nick pulled her back against him. "No, Annie," he continued in a soothing voice. "Think about it. You saw this woman. She saw you. If this woman...murdered Tom...well, you can see you'd be safer here until we find her, right?" Annie just looked at him with a resigned expression. Nick led her over to the main desk and said to the sergeant on duty, "I want to put Miss Prescott here into protective custody. We have an empty cell?" "Yeah." "I'll take her there," Nick said quickly when Sam started to rise. Nick took the keys and led Annie off to the holding cells. Most of the cellblock was empty, but Nick still led Annie down to the most distant cell. "You should be comfortable here," he said, opening the cell door and guiding her inside. "It shouldn't be for long." Annie snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure." She walked away from Nick and over to the bed. Nick came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Annie." When she looked up at him, Nick captured her gaze and her heartbeat. His voice took on a slight echo. "Face me." Annie's eyes went blank and she turned to fully face Nick. He put his other hand on her other shoulder. "When I tell you to sleep, you will sleep, do you understand?" "I understand," said Annie slowly. "When you wake, you will not recall what the woman at the murder scene tonight looked like, do you understand?" "Yes." "You will not identify any composite sketch shown to you as a sketch of the woman you saw at the murder scene. Do you understand?" "Yes, I understand." "Good. Now...sleep." Annie's eyes closed and she sagged. Nick grunted as he caught her, and lowered her gently to the bed. He stood and looked at her for a moment, then turned and left. ******* "Tom was a bully who'd steal other people's liquor. I won't miss him and probably nobody else who knew him will either!" said the burly, bearded man facing Adam. Adam passed a hand across his brow. "Well, I think that's all I need to know for now, Mr...." He looked at his notebook. "Mr. Faggarty." He looked up to see the big man, thankfully the last of the street people he had interviewed, already barreling off. Faggarty had almost reached the end of the block when he bumped into Walter Dove. "Out of my way, shrimp!" he said, shoving the smaller man aside with one hand. Walter stumbled, nearly falling, the force of Faggarty's shove knocking a small radio from his grip. It clattered on the sidewalk. Walter glared at Faggarty's back, then bent and retrieved the radio. He walked off slowly, fiddling with it, and finally got it going again. A female voice started wailing, "Touch the niiiigggghhhhtt." ******* Nick pulled up across from the CERK radio station. "Touch the niiiigggghhhh--" The music cut off abruptly as Nick switched off his radio. For a moment Nick just sat there. He reached into his coat pocket. He unfolded the composite and looked at it. He looked at the building across the street. He sighed and got out of his car. LaCroix was a dark blot in a circle of light. Nick watched his master through the glass wall of the radio studio. He swallowed as the pale blue eyes met his gaze. LaCroix turned his attention back to the microphone, his velvet voice intoning, "And now some more musings on the dark. 'Dark Side of the Glass' by Rebecca." He flicked a switch and motioned for Nick to enter. Nick swallowed again. He fingered the edges of the folded composite in his hands as he neared LaCroix, then gave the sheet to him. LaCroix's eyebrows rose slightly, but Nick couldn't speak. He unfolded the sheet and looked at it. "A good likeness of the good doctor," said LaCroix. He raised his gaze again to Nick. "But not a gift, I take it?" "No. It's a...composite sketch." "You fear she has killed someone?" Nick frowned, but said nothing. LaCroix leaned back in his chair and looked down at the sketch again. "Well, if you came here for my assurance that it is not possible..." LaCroix looked at Nick. "I cannot give it. She survived your...embrace...but she is not unchanged." "She's not a vampire," Nick said quickly. "Her heart beats the same." "But she has been...infected." He paused, then continued, "It is possible that she is a half-vampire, exhibiting traits of both by turns, trapped between this world and the other side." Nick frowned again. "Don't tell me you don't feel a...connection...to her." Nick turned away from LaCroix. "This is all my fault." Behind him, he heard LaCroix rise from his chair. Nick took a couple of steps away and stopped. LaCroix took up a position behind his right shoulder. "Nicholas, listen to me. Take control and let us leave this place." "I can't leave Nat...until I'm sure she's all right." "Then you must bring her over properly or...release her." Nick looked at LaCroix. "If you don't, she may go mad. And a mad vampire..." Nick looked away, and his face took on a worried frown. ******* (to be continued) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMSat Nov 16 13:01:01 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 23:10:26 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: The Other Side (4/7) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #2 Episode Title: "The Other Side" "Air" Date: November 14, 1996 Author: Sandra Gray Part 4 of 7 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Sandra Gray -------------------------- Natalie dashed into her apartment, slamming the door behind her. Her long beige coat flapped around her scrubs. she urged herself. She walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Then she rummaged in the hamper. She found what she had dreaded finding--a white washcloth, stained reddish-brown. "No," she breathed, and crumpled it in her hand. For a moment, she stood there, breathing fast. Then she took a long, deep breath and crammed the cloth into the pocket of her coat. She walked out into the living room and picked up her phone. She dialed and waited. "Hi!" she said in what she tried to make a cheery voice. It didn't work. "Yes, I'm fine," she sighed. "I need to ask a you a favor...Yeah, I was wondering if you'd let me have another shot with that electron microscope?" ******* Adam entered the precinct building and looked around. It was crowded, as usual, but he didn't see Nick. He walked over to the main desk. "Hey Sam, you seen Knight?" "He was here earlier, but I don't know where he's at now," replied the sergeant. "Where's Annie Prescott?" "She's in holding." Adam sighed and, turning, spotted the composite officer. "Hey, Jensen!" he said, motioning to him. Jensen came over. "You and Annie Prescott get that composite done?" "Yeah. I ran off a copy for your partner." "Did he put out an APB?" Jensen shrugged. "Don't know." Adam looked at Sam, who checked, then replied, "Nope." "Great! I'm doing Columbo while he's off being the Lone Ranger," Adam muttered. Sam and Jensen exchanged glances. "Okay, so we're not Starsky and Hutch," he admitted, then grinned suddenly at the absurdity of that idea. He looked at Jensen. "I need a copy of that Prescott composite." "Okay," said Jensen and led the way to the composite room. When Jensen handed the print composite to him, Adam blinked in surprise. "Miss Prescott said that this is what the woman looked like?" "Yeah. Looks like Dr. Lambert, I think." "Yeah," Adam said absently. He looked at Jensen. "Thanks." "Sure thing," said Jensen. Adam looked at the composite again, then walked back into the squad room and over to the main desk. "Hey, Sam, give me the keys to lockup." Annie Prescott lay snoring on the cot. She didn't even stir when Adam opened the door. He hesitated for a moment before going over to shake her gently. "Wha--" said Annie, blinking. Adam knelt by the cot and held the composite drawing up in front of Annie's face. "Miss Prescott, is this the woman you saw bending over Thomas Benton's body?" Annie studied the picture, and levered herself to a sitting position. She took the picture from Adam and studied it longer, frowning. She blinked. "No," she said slowly. "This ain't her." ******* Sweat beaded Natalie's forehead as she drove down the road. She was tired, so very tired. Her eyelids drooped. She forced her eyes open. Things looked strange. She shook her head, trying to clear her vision. A dull red haze covered everything. It made the street lights dimmer somehow, darkened the light. But illuminated the shadows. The alleys, occasional shaded streets, recessed doorways did not look nearly as dark as they should have been. The only sound came from the radio. A sultry female voice was singing. The darkness aches And tears away the strongest heart The music plays The fire burns a soul apart Natalie rolled down her window a few inches. The cool breeze mouthed chill kisses on her hot brow. She took a deep breath and released it. The fever breaks Cool rain is falling on our bed The time has come The hunger's longing to be fed Natalie swallowed, looked at the people on the lighted sidewalks. The store windows and marquees took on a dark violet light, but the people...they had several large dots of brighter red color on their bodies, dots that breathed and pulsed with their every movement. You can't turn back You can't turn back The night bleeds in black The hunger. An alley suddenly gleamed darkly beside her, maroon on black. You must give in You must give in A game that you can't win The hunger. More violet light, more people pulsing redly. The hunger. Natalie blinked her eyes, a sudden pounding sounding in her ears. The hunger. The pounding grew louder, sounding like a hundred hearts trying to squeeze into her head. She gasped and pulled the car over to the side of the road sharply, slamming on the brakes. Tires squealed and a horn blared behind her. Natalie let her head fall down onto the steering wheel. "The darkness can be alive with sound and color," came the velvet voice from her radio. She lifted her head. The heartbeats, all other sounds retreated. "But it can also be quiet, a blanket of heavy, warm silence. It's no accident that lovers prefer the night for trysting. It's a time for moving as you will, secure in the knowledge that the darkness cloaks you, protects you. For taking what you want, what you need, what you deserve. Fulfilling all your darkest desires." Natalie closed her eyes. The dark red glow remained. ******* "Nat?" came Nick's voice. She opened her eyes. Nick was standing by the car door. She lifted her head from the steering wheel and looked around in confusion. Why was she downtown? She'd been headed for...the morgue. Nick opened the door and helped her out of the car. "Are you okay? I've been so worried." He hugged her to him. Natalie pulled back, heart pounding. He pulled her close again, kissed her gently, warmly. Natalie stared at him. He kissed her again, harder. She closed her eyes and slid her arms around Nick's neck, her pulse racing. His kisses deepened and she opened her mouth to his probing tongue, his touch cool rain to her parched desert. His hands caressed her body, leaving lines of flame in their wake. No, lava, bubbling up from deep inside. She slipped her fingers into his hair, down his cheeks. Ran her hands across his shoulders, down his back. She pulled him tighter against her. Pressed her mouth harder, more hungrily to his. She wanted... She opened her eyes and saw him through a red haze. His eyes glowed gold and his fangs had descended. Her own eyeteeth ached. A growl emerged from her lips, and she plunged her fangs into his throat. ******* Nat gasped, threw open the car door, and stumbled out into the street. A car swerved to avoid her, and she fell back, slamming her car door shut. The night was still draped with dark red, but nearby the darker maroon and black of an alley beckoned. She ran into its welcoming darkness. She stopped her flight, gasping for breath. That was a close one. But she'd lost her pursuers. She took a deep breath and smelled a familiar scent. The one from earlier. The one who got away. She caught a glimpse of movement far ahead. She looked around once more for pursuers, but the night was silent and empty around her. Protecting. She moved forward on cat's feet, her vision shifting to a sharper, hunter's red. ******* LaCroix put on a music CD and left his booth. The vibration of the hunter called. ******* Adam walked into the morgue examining room. His partner stood near the center of the room, a pair of bloodied rubber gloves in his hand. "Where's Dr. Lambert?" he asked. Knight turned startled eyes on Adam, then looked away. "I was told she got sick and left," he said, and thrust the gloves into the biohazard container under the counter. "Then we should head to her place." "Why?" he asked absently. "Because of the composite sketch." "You're going to trust the eyewitness account of a drunk woman who probably won't even recognize the sketch when she wakes up?" "How did you know?" asked Adam, frowning. "What?" Adam sighed, his frown disappearing. "Never mind. Let's go." He headed for the door. A short while later the two of them were walking up the hallway to Natalie Lambert's apartment. Halting before her door, Knight leaned up against the door frame and watched as Adam knocked. They waited, but no one came to the door. "Maybe she stopped at the drugstore for medicine," he said. "I think we should put out an APB on her and on her car," said Adam. His partner sighed. ******* Natalie looked down through a red haze at the dead man at her feet. His throat was slit open. She breathed deeply, drinking in the scent of the blood. Her mouth watered. Then she heard a clink behind her. She spun around. ******* Walter Dove stepped back from the end of the trash dumpster and backed away a few steps. She shouldn't have seen him. He turned and ran. There was a whooshing sound in the air behind him. ******* (to be continued) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMSat Nov 16 13:01:08 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 23:10:31 -0500 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: V4S: The Other Side (5/7) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #2 Episode Title: "The Other Side" "Air" Date: November 14, 1996 Author: Sandra Gray Part 5 of 7 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1996 Sandra Gray -------------------------- Adam and Nick stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of Nat's apartment building. "I'm putting out an APB," said Adam. He headed for his car. "Adam," said Nick. "ADAM," he repeated, the echo of vampire hypnotism in his voice. The sound of Adam's heartbeat pounded in his ears. Adam stopped near Nick's car and turned. Nick struggled with himself, then he swallowed and let Adam's heartbeat fade. He continued in a normal tone of voice, "We don't need to do that." Adam's posture relaxed a little. Then he shifted uneasily. "Look, you can't let any...personal relationship... between you and Dr. Lambert affect this case." Nick walked over to his partner. "Adam, what possible motive could Natalie Lambert have for killing a homeless man?" Before Adam could reply, Nick's radio squawked. "81 Kilo, 81 Kilo." Adam reached into Nick's car and picked up the mike. "81 Kilo here. Go ahead." "Report to site of murder in alley near Yonge and King." Adam and Nick exchanged glances. "Copy. 81 Kilo out." Adam headed for his sedan. Nick watched him with a worried look, then got into his car. ******* Natalie furtively entered the morgue examining room, glancing around nervously. She locked the door behind her and walked over to the counter. She withdrew the washcloth from her coat pocket, then gathered up the supplies she needed. Working with quick and desperate determination, she removed some of the blood from the cloth. "It's the same," she said softly as she studied the result of the blood typing test. AB negative. She looked up at the ceiling and let out an anxious sigh. Natalie threw off her coat. She grabbed an alcohol coated cotton ball, swabbed it over her arm, and plunged in a clean hypodermic needle. She withdrew a sample of blood, licking her lips as she did so. Swabbed her arm again. A few seconds later, she was looking at her own blood under the microscope. Her breath caught in her throat. Her white blood cell count was way up. A sign that her body was fighting infection. But she didn't have any symptoms of a cold or the flu or pneumonia. Her hand shook a little as she removed the slide. She wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked around the room in sudden bewilderment. She blinked, fighting off her fatigue. But it was, wasn't it? She slipped on her coat again and carefully buttoned it. She cleaned up after herself, then stuffed the washcloth and the blood samples into her coat pockets. She listened at the door, then cracked it open and peeked out. No one was in the hall. Natalie slipped out into the night again. ******* An ambulance and two police cars were already at the latest crime scene when Nick pulled up and stopped his car. Adam pulled his car up behind him. He waited for him, and together they walked down the alley to take a look at the murder victim. Another homeless man, Nick noted. And like the earlier victim, his throat was slit. Nick swallowed. He swayed a little at the scent of the blood. Adam didn't notice. "Hey, I interviewed this man earlier!" He pulled out his notebook and flipped some pages. "Yeah, here it is. Jack Faggarty." Now that Adam had mentioned it, Nick did remember seeing the man hanging around the previous crime scene. But no one was hanging around this time. They were deep down a dark alley. But if no one was around... Nick frowned. He glanced at Adam, who nodded his understanding and headed for his car. Nick followed. Adam paged headquarters. "Hey, who reported the murder in the alley off Yonge and King?" There was silence and then, "That was reported by an anonymous phone call." "Thanks. 81 Kilo out." Adam looked at Nick. "Okay, how many more people are you going to let die?" "We don't know that these murders are related," Nick protested a bit weakly. "You don't think it's odd that a possible witness to the first murder tonight was killed in a similar fashion?" "You interviewed him. Did he see anything?" Adam hesitated. "It didn't seem to me that he did." Then he added firmly, "We have to locate Dr. Lambert." Nick rubbed his chin. "Still with that?" "If she's not involved, why worry about it?" "Well, there's the issue of police harassment." Adam just stared at him. Nick sighed. "Okay, look. I've got an idea where she might be. If I don't show up at the station with her, or you don't hear from me within two hours, put out your APB." Adam studied Nick thoughtfully, but said nothing. Nick, feeling more anxious, decided he didn't have time to argue. He would just have to find Nat first. "Will you ferret out whatever you can here?" asked Nick. "Yeah, sure," said Adam. "I'll be a real Sherlock Holmes." Nick smiled hesitantly at him and said, "Thanks, partner." Then he headed for his car. Nick drove only a few blocks before stopping in a parking lot. He scanned the area for signs of life. Seeing no one, he flew up to the nearest rooftop. <"Don't tell me you don't feel a...connection...to her."> LaCroix's words echoed in his mind. Nick closed his eyes and concentrated. Then he opened them and flew off into the dark. ******* Natalie pulled up across the street from CERK and cut the engine. The sultry music on her radio died. She stared at the building. It was an area of comforting darkness, although the dark red haze was creeping closer to it from every side. She got out of her car and went inside. She slowly neared the glass wall of the broadcast booth. LaCroix was darkness in a pool of soft, white light. His lips were moving, caressing the microphone, but she couldn't hear him. He looked up and saw her. His lips moved at the microphone again, and he flicked a switch. Then he leaned back in his chair and nodded at her. Natalie reached for the door knob, hand trembling. LaCroix smiled slightly at her as she entered the room. "Dr. Lambert," he said. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" "What's happening to me?" Natalie spurted. LaCroix leaned back further in his chair and crossed his hands over his waist. "Why ask me? Why don't you ask Nicholas?" His glance shifted to the window wall. She followed his gaze and saw Nick looking in at them. Her eyes grew wide as she watched him move to the door and open it. ******* Nick entered the broadcast booth. "Nat," he said. Her wide eyes shifted to LaCroix and then she ran at Nick, pushing him aside. "Nat?" Nick called, as she ran through the door. She didn't stop. Nick looked at LaCroix. "What did you do to her?" LaCroix's eyebrows rose. "Nothing. She came to me." Nick frowned, but he realized that now was not the time to talk to LaCroix. He hurried off to find Nat. She had just opened the rear door of the building when Nick grabbed her arm. Her forward momentum carried them out into the alley. "What are you doing here, Nat?" he asked, bringing them to a stop. "Let go of me." "Nat, we have to talk." "Let go of me!" She pulled away from him. "This is your fault! You were only supposed to take a little. But you took too much and now I'm changed...changing." Nick swallowed, frowning. "No, Nat. You're mortal." "Yeah? Then why is my white cell count up?" "You're sick?" She ignored his remark. "And why do I want blood? Have I been...killing--" Her voice broke on the last word, and her eyes filled with tears. Nick pulled her close, holding her head on his shoulder. "I don't believe you killed anyone," he said into her hair. "You can't have killed anyone." "The darkness is taking me over, Nick," she murmured, her head still on his shoulder. "Or maybe it's spreading out from the inside." <"Then you must either bring her over properly or... release her."> Nick remembered LaCroix's words. A golden haze filled his vision and he felt his fangs descend. His hand clenched into her soft curls. A quick pull back to expose her throat to him and... "No," he said, closing his eyes and shutting his mouth, concentrating on suppressing the beast. Nat pulled back from him slightly. He opened his eyes and gripped her upper arms. "You *are* mortal, Nat! You *are* human! Your humanity is what I value in you, the example I've aspired to. I couldn't take that away from you, and I won't let you take it from yourself. You can't let the darkness destroy your light." "It's too late." "No," Nick said earnestly. Then he said more softly, "Please, Nat. Let me help you find the answers to this." Nat reached up to stroke his face and leaned closer to him. Nick leaned into her caress, his eyes shifting to her lips. Suddenly her soft look turned to an angry scowl. "You're trying to control me!" She hauled off and hit him. ******* LaCroix watched from the roof as Natalie sent Nick flying into the wall of the building. Nick's head hit the brick with a resounding crack, and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. Natalie turned and ran. LaCroix sighed, disappointed, and took to the air. ******* (to be continued) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com.