Disclaimer: Unfortunately, in real life, Nick doesn't belong to me, but to 
Jim Parriott, Sony/Tristar, and to other people who abuse him, ignore him, 
and just plain don't appreciate his wonderfulness. 
  
Deanie, Valerie, and the Queen of Perverts belong to themselves, and are use 
d 
with permission. 
  
Nickypops? Well, I don't know who invented them, but it wasn't me. :) 

  
  
The Nicholas Chronicles, Part III
********************************* 
by Deanie, with assistance from Valerie 
March 20, 2000 


  
<< When we last left our heroes . . . (okay, our authors), they were running   
from the other Knightie fanatics and had dragged Nick into a secret locked 
bedroom suite >>

"Okay!" Nick held up his hands, as if to ward the two fanfic authors off.
"What exactly is going on here? Why are we hiding?" 
  
Neither girl answered, just kept staring at the gorgeous vampire. 
  
"And why are you looking at me like that?!" He asked. 
  
"Like what?" Deanie asked, innocently. 
  
"Like I'm chocolate and you're starving." 
  
"Actually, I'm not starving, 'cause I had those . . ." Val stopped abruptly. 
    
She had broken into her emergency open-in-case-of-hurricane stash of 
Nickypops that morning. But she didn't want Nick to know that. Imagine what 
he'd say if he knew his Fanatic Knighties were eating anatomically-correct 
chocolate replicas of his gorgeous body. Imagine the real Nick covered in 
chocolate . . . 
  
"Val?" Deanie called. "Val!" 
  
Nick moved closer, concerned. "Is she having a flashback?" 
  
"She's nineteen, not nine hundred! What could she have to flash back to?" 
The doctor-to-be looked at him with irritation. "Val?" Deanie waved her 
hand in front of her net-twin's face. "Valerie?" 
  
Val suddenly snapped back to reality. "Oh. Sorry. What was I saying?" 
  
"I don't remember." Deanie turned to Nick. "What were you saying? You 
wanted chocolate?" 
  
Nick sighed in exasperation. What was he going to do with the two of them? 
   
"Why are we hiding in here?" 
  
"What does that have to do with chocolate?" Val asked. 
  
"You two have a one-track mind," Nick groaned. 
  
"So you didn't bring us chocolate?" pouted Valerie. 
  
Nick took a deep (metaphorical) breath. "Next time," he promised. "Now, 
will you explain why we're hiding from the rest of the Fanatics Knighties?" 
  
"Well, we're mainly hiding from one person. 'Cause we need to protect you," 
Valerie began. 
  
"All this for one person?" 
  
"Well, she is the Queen of Perverts. You have no idea the kinds of things
she talks about on-list. Silk scarves, and . . . other things . . ." 
  
  
Nick's eyes widened. "Perverts? I thought there were minors in the faction?
How can you have perverts if there are young, impressionable minds around? 
Wait! There are minor Knighties here. I don't think I can condone this -" 
  
"Relax, Nick," Deanie explained. "Nay's been keeping them in line." 
  
"Nay? Renee? The LaCroix-a-holic? But isn't she one of the Perverts?" He   
stopped, staring at the two women in front of him. "Aren't you Perverts, 
too?" 
  
Deanie and Val exchanged guilty looks. True, they were by no means the most   
vocal of the group.....But hey! Deanie was indignant. "I haven't even gotten
hit by the water vat once!" 
  
"Water vat?" Nick looked puzzled. "Do I want to know?" 
  
"There's a water vat in the headquarters. Abra uses it to douse anyone who 
gets overheated," Valerie explained, but Nick still looked confused. "Mostly 
the Cousins, when they get talking about how sexy LaCroix is." 
  
"And she's never used it on the two of you?" Nick asked skeptically. 
  
The two shook their heads solemnly. 
  
"Not even when you were talking about anatomically-correct Nickypops?" he 
asked. 
  
Deanie gave a high-pitched squeal and buried her head in her hands. 
  
Val turned away quickly, but not before Nick saw she was blushing furiously.    
He could sense the rush of blood to her face as it reddened. 
  
"Wait a minute!" Deanie turned to look at Nick. "What do I have to be 
embarrassed about? I wasn't a part of that discussion." 
  
"I was," Val admitted with a nervous giggle. "I ordered a whole case." 
  
"A whole case?" Nick echoed. 
  
"Well, Florida has a hurricane season, you know . . ." 
  
"You have a whole case?" Deanie asked. "Will you share?" 
  
"Will you two please stick to the subject at hand!" Nick roared. 
  
The two girls looked up, startled. "What were we talking about again?" Val 
asked. 
  
"Why we're hiding?" Nick reminded them. 
  
"Oh, that," Deanie nodded. "Because we want you all to ourselves?" 
  
Nick took a step back. They were starting to get that look again. Like they 
wanted to eat him like he was a Nickypop. "You dragged me in here for that?    
The two of you? For what . . . a threesome?" 
  
Val and Deanie looked shocked. 
  
"Never!" Deanie denied vehemently. "You should be ashamed of yourself for 
even thinking such a thing. This is a PG-13 rated fanfic! There are minors   
reading this! What kind of people do you think we are?" 
  
"I . . ." Nick didn't know what to say. He had misjudged them. He would 
have to apologize. 
  
Boom! All three turned in the direction of the pounding noise coming from 
the room's only door. 
  
"They've found us!" Val exclaimed. 
  
"What now?" asked Nick, as the door started to break. 
  
  
< to be continued >