Sat, 10 Jun 2000 
      
I don't own 'em, and I'm not making money off of this! 
Archive it, please!
Y'all should know that I'm a third season fan, so I've blended characters 
from season three into this :)
I've not written in a fanatics RR before, so if I've goofed something up,
just let me know and I'll fix it.
 
We left off here:
 
***  LaCroix started to speak in that soothing voice of his and Natalie was 
drawn towards him. He led her to her bed and then...Her alarm went off. ***
And away we go. . .
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The Guiding Darkness, Part 7
Felicia Olivier
 
    "Oh, thank God," Natalie breathed when she realized it had all been a 
dream.  Her thoughts returned to the previous night, and she shook her head.
"He hypnotized me.  And I told him everything.  How am I going to get out of
this one?"  No immediate answers presented themselves, so she shrugged and 
threw off her comforter.  After a hot shower and breakfast, she felt a bit 
better.
 
    Natalie was up to her elbows in the post-mort of a forty-five year old 
mail carrier.  She carefully aimed the bone saw and was about to make the
first cut when she heard a familiar voice.
 
    "Hey, Nat.  How are you. . .," Nick began.
 
    "Why," Natalie when she finally caught her breath, "do you do that?"
    
    "I'm sorry.  I just got back, and I wanted to see you," Nick returned 
with sincerity.  "I didn't mean to startle you."
 
    Shaking her head, Natalie looked at him and knew he meant it.  She took 
in the jeans and blue silk shirt he wore and sighed. She thought, "he just 
gets better looking every day."  To Nick, she said, "I know.  I'm sorry, too.
I'm just a bit on edge," no thanks to your sire, she finished silently.  "So,
how was the conference?  Did you and Tracy learn anything useful?"
 
    Nick grinned.  "Well, *we* did, but as for Schank, it's very doubtful.  
Basically he ran around the hotel avoiding meetings and playing practical 
jokes."
 
    "Dribble glasses and whoopee cushions?"
 
    "Exactly."
 
    "Sorry I missed that."
 
    "No you're not, trust me," Nick said with a grin.  "Anything interesting 
happen around here?"
 
    Natalie picked this time to turn from him and remove her gloves.  
"Interesting?  Oh, no. Not really.  Murder scenes, dead bodies, autopsies, 
really the same old stuff."
 
    Nick frowned at her back.  He could tell that something was up, but 
couldn't figure out what.  Her heartbeat was faster than usual, and he could
smell, what? Fear?  Confusion?  Wanting to avoid a conflict, he let her fib 
pass, figuring that she'd open up when she was ready.
 
    Natalie's brain was spinning.  "What on earth am I going to do about this 
now," she asked herself.  "First I had a thing for one vampire.  *Now* I have
a thing for two vampires.  All I need now is to run into Vachon somewhere." 
 
    She turned to face Nick, about to speak when he looked toward the door 
and scowled.  "What is it," Nat asked.
        
    "LaCroix," he stated.  "What's he doing here?"
 
    "I, I-," Natalie stammered as she watched as LaCroix seemed to appear in 
the doorway.
 
     "Ah, Nicholas," his master purred,"so good to have you back home." He'd 
sensed his son while outside the building, and had quickly thrown the perfect 
white rose he'd brought for the doctor in a trash bin.  No need to start 
torturing the boy just yet.  There was plenty of time for that.
 
    "You came here to see me," Nick sounded doubtful.  
 
    "Why is that so hard to believe?  A father is always anxious to welcome 
the prodigal son home.  Come with me to the Raven.  I have a bottle of
your......vintage available."
 
    Nick looked from Natalie to LaCroix and back.  Natalie put on her biggest 
fake smile and nodded.  "Go on, Nick.  I have hours of work left here.  No 
sense in you just waiting around for me."
 
    "I don't mind waiting, but... if you're sure, Nat," he said.
 
    "Absolutely.  We'll watch videos tomorrow, okay?"
 
    "Yeah, okay," Nick replied.  He walked toward LaCroix, who stepped aside 
and allowed Nick to go out the door first.  As he turned, LaCroix shot 
Natalie a huge smile and winked.
 
    Stunned momentarily, Natalie looked down at the corpse on her table. 
 
    "Wanna trade places," she asked dimly.

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            Okay, who's next? :)

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