Disclaimer: Nick, LaCroix and Vachon do not belong to me. Alas, they belong 
to people who treat them horribly, namely Jim Parriott and Sony. Deanie and 
Val belong to themselves and are used with permission. 
  
  
  
The Nick Chronicles, Volume I by Deanie 
***************************************
March 13, 2000 
  
  
"Do you know how hard you are to find?" Nick asked. 
  
Startled, Deanie looked up. She had been gazing over the balcony, watching a 
large number of Fanatics fight over LaCroix. She'd also watched as the 
Vaquera members of the group dragged Vachon off into the bushes. So far, no 
one was fighting over Nick. Good, she would have him all to herself. 
  
"Deanie?" he asked, breaking into her thoughts. 
  
"Sorry, Nick. I was thinking," She turned to gaze into his beautiful blue 
eyes. "You were looking for me?" 
  
"First I tried your old fictitious apartment, then I tried the DNP 
headquarters in the morgue subbasement. And when that didn't work, I even 
went to that overgrown monstrosity the DP's call a mansion. But you weren't 
there, either. Here you are... somewhere called DenialLand." 
  
"No one dies. No one ever dies." She explained. 
  
Nick looked at her quizzically. 
  
"Here in denial land, all of the Forever Knight characters are still alive, 
even the ones TPTB killed off. Schanke, Cohen, Screed, Urs, Vachon, Tracy..." 
  
"What about the villians?" 
  
"Here, there are no villains." Deanie nodded. "Well, except for LaCroix." 
She gestured over the railing, to the commotion in the room below. "And he's 
down there, with the rest of the fanatics." 
  
Nick looked down where she was pointing. He could see a large group of women 
clustered in the center of the room. But where was LaCroix? He looked 
quizzically at the red-headed doctor-to-be. 
  
"He's in the middle down there," Deanie answered. "Most of the group is 
crazy about LaCroix. They're trying to work out some sort of time share 
program, but it doesn't look like it's going very well." She brightened. 
"Maybe they'll tear him to pieces!" She exclaimed gleefully. 
  
"Deanie!" he admonished. 
  
"Okay, okay. It's just that I'm so mad at him for all he put you through." 
  
"Still, you can't kill him." 
  
"I know, Renee would poke me to death with her poking stick if I killed her 
beloved LaCroix. Besides, this is DenialLand. Here, everyone lives happily 
ever after." 
  
"And you're here?" Nick asked in disbelief. "You're the Queen of Angst, and 
you're living in a world where everyone lives happily ever after?" 
  
She leaned in closer. "Just because I write angst doesn't mean I want to 
live it. I'm looking for happier things in my own life. Now, you were 
looking for me?" 
  
Then, they heard a commotion from the other side of the balcony. Valerie 
came running into view. She stopped before them, breathless. 
  
"Quick!" she gasped. "The other fanatics know Nick is here! The Knighties 
are coming! The Knighties are coming!" 
  
"What do we do?" Deanie asked. She had to get rid of the rest of these 
people. She didn't want to share Nick. Well, maybe with Valerie, but no one 
else got to share Nick! "We have to hide." 
  
They heard a noise from the doorway through which Val had just run. 
  
"Let's go!" Val urged. Both women grabbed one of Nick's arms and started 
pulling him to the opposite doorway. 
  
"What's going on?" he asked, bewildered. 
  
"We're saving you," Valerie answered. "From the rest of the faction." 
  
"Trust us," Deanie said, and Nick let them drag him into a secret passageway 
in the castle wall. 
  
*****To be Continued*****