From owner-fkfic-l@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Sun Mar 10 15:58:28 1996 Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by violet.berkeley.edu (8.7.1/1.33-960227) id PAA04587; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 15:58:21 -0800 Message-Id: <199603102358.PAA04587@violet.berkeley.edu> Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3264; Sun, 10 Mar 96 18:53:51 EST Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5227; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 18:53:50 -0500 Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 19:56:58 -0500 Reply-To: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Subject: Consent, Freely Given: Lucy (1/5) To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Status: RO X-Status: This story is a sequel to "Consent Freely Given: 'Til Death Do Us Part". It pretty much stands on its own, but it'd probably make a little more sense if you read that first. CONSENT, FREELY GIVEN: Lucy A Forever Knight story by TJ Goldstein and Sorcha O'Faolin [comments to vanguard@packet.net] FK characters created by James Parriot and Barney Cohen. Everybody else created by us. [Part 1 of 5] Nick sat gently on the stone bench that faced the wide headstone. It had been ten years since he had buried Natalie here, on the hill facing the sunrise. The headstone was simple, wide, half empty. They'd arranged to be buried next to each other early on in his mortality. Truthfully, he'd never expected to be burying her. Now the other half of their headstone was likely to remain blank forever. His fulfillment of his bargain with LaCroix had seen to that. Still, the last ten years had been good ones. The weeks he had spent away from home regaining control after LaCroix brought him back across had been hard, but since then he had been happy watching his family grow. Especially Lucy. "She's different than Richard or Fleurette," he said aloud. "She has this beauty that radiates from within. I can't even describe her, Nat. In the last few years we've gotten so close, the two of us. She's ... " He stopped. "I miss you, Nat." LaCroix had let himself into Nick's home and after looking briefly around, decided that it was too mundane to bother with a closer inspection. He sat down and waited, opening the bottle that he had brought to share with his protege. Within a half an hour or so, a key turned in the lock. "Dad, I'm home," Lucy said as she hung her coat up. "We finished studying early. None of us could take it any more." She walked into the front room and saw LaCroix staring at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know Dad had company." LaCroix stared for a moment. It was impossible. She was ... Of course not. True, she had the long blonde hair and blue eyes. And naturally there would be a resemblance to Nicholas, he was her father! But still, it had been almost 800 years, and here Fleur stood before him. Of course that was ridiculous, he told himself. This was Nicholas' youngest child, not his sister. LaCroix chided himself for staying away all these years after all. "I'm terribly sorry," he said, finally, "you just look so much like your aunt, it's unnerving." "My Aunt?" She laughed. "You must be mistaken. I don't have an Aunt." He rose and took her hand, politely raising it to his lips. "Surely your father has mentioned ... no, I suppose he wouldn't have." She smiled shyly, no one had ever kissed her hand before. "You'll have to forgive me, I don't know your name. I'm Lucy Anne DeBrabant." He smiled in spite of himself. Lucy Anne. Part of him thought he should have guessed it years ago, but then, he would not have imagined Natalie going along with such a bit of consideration from Nicholas. "I am LaCroix," he said. "Lucien LaCroix. I believe you are my namesake, my dear." "Then you must be an old friend of the family. Funny, no one ever mentioned you." She shrugged, "I guess it never occurred to me that I was named after someone." She gestured towards a chair. "Would you care to sit down. Can I get you anything?" She noticed the open bottle. "At least a glass maybe?" He looked at the bottle. "Of course, where are my manners? Please accept my humble apologies." Once again he took a seat and waited. He had never been one for giving explanations unless they were at least asked for. "That's a great accent you have. Has anyone ever told you that you talk like someone out of a novel?" She handed him a glass. He poured himself a glass of blood secure in the knowledge that it looked enough like the wine it was mixed with to fool a mortal, and laughed. "Like someone out of a novel? Which one?" Completely at ease, she sat down across from him. "Oh, I don't know, I guess some sort of Victorian Romance." He pondered that for a moment. A Victorian Romance. So enchanted with her was he that it took him a brief moment to realize that she didn't actually mean a Victorian romance at all, but the fictionalized account of one. "I suppose that is possible. Do you read many of them?" "Not any more, but when I was about sixteen or seventeen, I couldn't get enough of them." She looked confused. "Where did you say my Dad was?" "I don't believe I did." "Well," she laughed as she flipped her legs up over the arm of her chair. "Do you think you could? I mean, I suppose you look safe enough, but how do I know your not a crook or some escaped lunatic?" "You don't," he laughed. "I suspect your father will be quite angry with you for sitting here and talking with me." For the first time, Lucy realized that she could be in trouble. "I see, tell me how did you get into the house?" "I'm afraid we'll have to leave that a mystery." Lucy rationalized that if she were in trouble, the best thing to do was remain as calm as possible. She leaned further back into her chair and smiled sweetly. "How long have you known my father?" "Almost all his life." "Then you must have known my mother too." "I did, for a time. She was a remarkable women." "Yes," said Lucy sadly. "She really was. I still miss her. We all still miss her." He was surprised to find that her sorrow made him almost regret the turn of events. Almost. "I suppose your father misses her most of all." "We all miss her in our own way." "Indeed." He sipped his drink. "Tell me, Lucy Anne, would you care to go out for a bite ... to eat?" "Perhaps. When?" "Now seems as good a time as any." "It would be except that my Dad should be home any minute, and he'd get upset if he didn't know where I was." "You could always leave him a note." He was intrigued with this one. "To tell you the truth, I'd rather stay home and wait. I'm getting a little worried about him. He didn't mention going anywhere tonight. Besides, I thought you came here to see him." "I came here to catch up with your family. He'll be here when we get back." She thought about it. If he had broken into the house, he wouldn't be inviting her out to dinner. And they wouldn't have to stay out very long. With any luck, Dad would be waiting when she got home. "Sure, why not? How do you feel about pizza?" LaCroix smiled. He hadn't expected her to give in so easily, but he found that it exhilarated rather than disappointed him. As for the pizza, well, he could deal with that later. Hypnotism came in so handy sometimes ... "I think pizza would be wonderful. You name the place." Nick was ready to apologize for being so late when he returned home. "Lucy?" There was no answer. A tinge of worry crossed his mind. As he hung up his coat, he saw the note taped to the coat rack. To my dear, handsome, understanding, sweet, etc. etc. Dad, Gone out for pizza. Love Ya, Your charming, cute as a button, etc. etc., yet humble, Loving daughter Lucy He laughed. It was so typically Lucy. He took another step into the house and smelled blood. It was bottled he realized in a moment, but then he recognized the vintage. He was glad that Lucy wasn't there in the house when LaCroix had arrived, but it chilled him to think that they were both out there in the night. He had to find her before LaCroix did. Before he could decide where to look first, he heard Lucy's laughter outside the door. He let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding, then caught it again as he was hit by the presence of his master. "You are so funny, I had no idea that my Dad had such an interesting life before he became a teacher. Oh please, you have to tell me more!" Nick froze in place. She was all right. There hadn't been time for him to have brought her across. But just what LaCroix been telling her? He watched as they entered, LaCroix's arm around his daughter's shoulder, waited for them to notice him. "Dad, you're home, great! Look who's here, a really old friend of yours, and he is much fun. We have to talk him into staying for a few days." Lucy beamed that infectious smile that usually melted her father and anyone else who knew her. This time, he wouldn't be melted. "I wish I'd have known you were coming, LaCroix. I'd have ... made plans or something. And I wish you'd have asked me before you went out, Lucy." Lucy was confused. "Gee Dad, what's the problem? I got home early, you weren't here, we had company, we went out for pizza. I did leave you a note." Gently he took her hand and drew her into a hug. "Of course, there's no problem. I was just worried about you, that's all." Lucy smiled again, "I'm fine Dad." "Good." He turned to LaCroix. "So, what are you doing here? Just 'in the neighborhood'?" LaCroix eyed him. "I was thinking of you and I remembered that your dear Natalie has been gone for ten years this month. I found myself wondering how you and your little family were getting along. Lucy Anne," he smiled warmly at her, "has been filling me in on all the events of the past few years. I'm pleased to hear that you have grandchildren." "Yes," he said carefully. There didn't seem to be any malice in LaCroix's statements, but with him, one never knew. "We're all very happy about it. The family will go on." "I had thought that perhaps you were ready to take me up on my offer of a prolonged trip. We did discuss the matter the last time we met." Nick tried not to flinch. That was what he had been afraid of. "No, I don't think I'm quite ready yet. Lucy's certainly old enough to leave alone for a little while, but ... " He smirked. "Always something heh, Nicholas?" Lucy looked at Nick. "! In the first place, I am twenty years old, don't make me sound like such a baby." She turned to LaCroix. "In the second place, a trip? Where? I'm almost finished with the spring semester. Can I go too?" "No." Nick was surprised at the ferocity of his single spoken word. "No," he said again, more gently. "It's only been 10 years, LaCroix." He changed the subject, praying she wouldn't go back to it. "It's not all that long." "What's the difference to such as us Nicholas? Ten years or an eternity, it's all the same." He moved closer to Lucy. "You would enjoy a vacation, wouldn't you my dear." She was a bit startled. She realized that she had been staring at him, he was different from anyone that she had ever meant. Smiling she recovered her composure. "As a matter of fact, I would." Lucy put her arm through her father's, "I think we could use a few weeks off. I don't think that we've had a real vacation together since Mom..." Her voice trailed off. Even now she couldn't say the words that meant her mother was gone. "You've been working too hard on your new book Dad." She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm concerned about you. This sounds like it could be something we both need." Nick had an ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had lodged there when LaCroix mentioned "eternity". He was cutting too close to the edge of propriety. Nick didn't want to think about what that could mean, but he couldn't avoid it. He'd seen that look on LaCroix's face before. It was almost ... human. As much as he liked the thought of a kinder, gentler LaCroix, it meant only one thing, and he could not accept the one thing it meant. "I don't think you would enjoy his idea of a vacation, Lucy. Besides, I'm getting close to finishing this draft, and I need you to help me with the revisions." "Maybe Lucien is willing to wait until we're finished." She smiled coyly at him. "Are you?" "My dear Lucy Anne, how could anyone deny such a gracious request from so charming a lady?" LaCroix practically purred for her. Lucy tried not to giggle, her eyes twinkled and a wide grin spread across her face. "There father, it's all settled. As soon as the book is done, we're off. She turned to LaCroix unable to curb her enthusiasm, "where shall we go?" LaCroix took her hand, kissed it reverently and held it. "You are My Queen fair one," he laughed. "Ask and I shall take you anywhere your heart desires." The ugly feeling spread to his whole body, and he felt weak in the knees. No, he thought. Not again. "LaCroix, I wonder if you might do me the honor of a conversation in the kitchen," he said, wondering if he managed to keep his emotions out of his voice. "Of course Nicholas, lead on." "Don't keep my devoted subject too long Dad. We have lots of planning to do," Lucy called after them. Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine: News of the Science Fiction Universe http://www.cybervanguard.com Come visit us, or write us at vanguard@packet.net for sponsorship info From owner-fkfic-l@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Sun Mar 10 15:58:31 1996 Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by violet.berkeley.edu (8.7.1/1.33-960227) id PAA04599; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 15:58:28 -0800 Message-Id: <199603102358.PAA04599@violet.berkeley.edu> Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3269; Sun, 10 Mar 96 18:53:58 EST Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5245; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 18:53:58 -0500 Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 19:57:14 -0500 Reply-To: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Subject: Consent, Freely Given: Lucy (2/5) To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Status: RO X-Status: CONSENT, FREELY GIVEN: Lucy A Forever Knight story by TJ Goldstein and Sorcha O'Faolin [comments to vanguard@packet.net] FK characters created by James Parriot and Barney Cohen. Everybody else created by us. [Part 2 of 5] Nick didn't answer her and instead proceeded to the kitchen, closing the door and turning on LaCroix after he entered. "We're even, LaCroix," he hissed. "You have no right to do this." "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about Nicholas." LaCroix leaned on a nearby countertop, and smiled innocently. "What is it that you think I'm doing?" "I've only seen you moon over a mortal once, and that was quite enough. She's my , LaCroix. She's mortal and I want her to stay that way, so before you do something we both regret, ." "Why Nicholas, you surprise me. And I thought that you had grown emotionless." His smile deepened into something much more sinister. "It seems that you can be moved to anger after all." He put a hand up in warning. "Before you feel the need to threaten me further, I feel compelled to tell you that you needn't be concerned. I promise you that I will not do anything that makes Lucy Anne unhappy. Oh, by the way, I am very pleased with the name you gave her. All things considered, I find it quite appropriate." "Don't make me regret, it LaCroix. You didn't want to make Fleur unhappy either, so that doesn't tell me anything. I'm telling you that if you think you're falling in love with her, now's the time to disappear, it happens." "I have no intention of leaving until I chose to leave. At the moment I chose to stay. Do I make myself clear, Nicholas?" He had ceased the pleasantries as his anger grew. "It is not for to order about." Nick sat down, trying not to let his despair get to him. The last decade had been so happy. Why did it have to end with LaCroix's arrival -- and what could mean misery for Lucy? "I'm not trying to order you about, I'm just trying to defend my child. Surely can understand that." "Would someone please tell me what all the shouting is about?" Lucy glared at her father, she was clearly upset. "What's wrong Dad? I have never known you to speak to anyone this way, and certainly not a guest in our home." "Well Nicholas, at least one member of your family has manners." Nick took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. He knew his daughter well enough to know that getting upset with her was the quickest way to get her to tune him out completely, and that was the absolute worst thing that could happen at this moment. "LaCroix was just ... just what, LaCroix?" LaCroix smiled, Nick's obvious discomfort amused him. "We were just re-enacting a very old scene that we had gone over in the past. You see, you were quite astute when you said that I was like someone in a novel." She looked at Nick in amazement. "Why Dad, you never told me that you'd done any acting." Nick laughed despite himself. Acting? ? "Well, I've done a lot of things in the past that I suppose have never come up in conversation." He wondered how long LaCroix would let this dangle. "Yes Lucy Anne, I assure you, your father can give quite a performance." He smiled at Nick. "You flatter me, kind sir. Monsieur LaCroix is quite the thespian himself Lucy. Although, he does tend to chew the scenery." Never mind the other actors, he thought. LaCroix bowed. "I have always preferred romance my dear. Your father on the other hand could never get his fill of tragedies." Lucy rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this. What else haven't you told me about yourself Dad?" "Oh, I'm sure that what you don't know about your father would surprise and shock you sweet Lucy Anne." LaCroix shot a challenging glance at his childe. "You may be right. I was really shocked to find out he used to be a homicide detective." Lucy did not see the exchanges going on between the two. "Yes, well, that was a long time ago. It was a long time ago," Nick said, feeling as if an avalanche had started and there wasn't a damned thing he could do to stop it. "Much as I hate to change the subject, I've given that little matter we were discussing earlier some thought Nicholas, and I've decided to take you up on your very generous offer." Nick was afraid to find out what his "generous offer" was. "Really." "Yes. I would love to be your house guest until your book is finished." "Of course," Nick said, wondering just how far he could stretch a book on the Crusades. -------------------------- Nick stared at the monitor and the new file he'd brought up to start the next chapter of his book. There really wasn't a next chapter. He'd been finished for weeks. But there was 'The Problem', as he'd come to think of it. Since his arrival LaCroix had been Lucy's constant companion, when she wasn't in school, his every waking moment was spent with her. Except, of course, for the evening they had decided to have a family dinner and Richard and Fleurette had brought their families with them. Nick had been disappointed he'd avoided the evening, because Lucy put great stock in Rich's opinion, but he had been relieved for his son's sake. Fortunately, he had been able to avoid discussing him by keeping Lucy distracted with the subject of the new book and school. It would have been much too hard on him to know that LaCroix was even in the house, much less romancing his sister. And successfully, it seemed. Nick was at a loss for what to do. He couldn't badmouth LaCroix, because he hadn't actually anything wrong since his arrival. All he had done was pay attention to a young girl who loved the fact that someone beside her father was hanging on her every word. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly, as he had been doing often lately, when Lucy walked in. She leaned over him, put her arms around him, and kissed the top of his head. "Have I told you lately that you work too hard?" He put on a smile for her. "You know, Luce, I'm worried about you." "Funny you should say that. I was about to tell you the same thing." She sighed as she sat down. "You go first." "You've been spending so much time here at home that you're not spending any time with people your own age." There, at least was something he could safely say . "I see. I had a feeling it was something like that. What you really mean to say is that you'd like me to stop seeing so much of Lucien. You think he's too old for me don't you?" "He old enough to be your grandfather, at the very least." She laughed. "We haven't talked about his age much, but he is several years younger than you Dad." He smiled. "Is that what he told you?" She touched his hand. "That's what my eyes tell me Dad." "Well, I guarantee you, he's quite a bit older than he looks." "I don't believe that age is important, but feelings are," she answered softly. He sat her on his lap as he had when she was small. "I know you feel that way, honey, but ... There's a lot behind that. A lot that you should never be burdened with." "That's a confusing statement." She looked up at him. "What are you so afraid of? Lucien is your friend, you named me after him. Why does it upset you to find that I could care for him?" He sighed, remembering how he had tried to dissuade his sister from getting involved with LaCroix. *This is what he is!* he had screamed at her, eyes glowing red as he slammed the other vampire against the wall. *This is what I have become!* The revelation hadn't stopped Fleur. He knew it probably wouldn't stop Lucy, and he didn't want to think about what would happen if she were to find out what he was. "It doesn't upset me that you could care for him. It upsets me to think that you might get hurt." She sighed. "Dad, do you remember what you did when I was eighteen and wanted to try beer?" She stroked his cheek. "When you couldn't talk me out of it, you let me try it. I didn't like it, but I was too proud to tell you, so I forced down a whole bottle. Then I got good and sick. I asked you why you didn't stop me, and you said that sometimes the only way to learn was to teach yourself. You loved me enough to let me go, and I taught myself. I'm twenty now, and I know I still have a long way to go, but I'll never walk if you don't let me fall." He remembered the incident in question. "Good and sick" only began to describe what had happened to her. "Some lessons are permanent, honey. It's not like that beer, where you spend the night worshipping the porcelain receptacle, and when the headache is gone you're fine." "I know that a heartache is worse than a hangover. I remember how you helped me when I was sure that I would love again because Timmy Pierce broke up with me." Heartache. He was talking about eternal damnation and she was talking about a teenage crush. "It's more than that, honey. Much, much more than that. More than I could ever explain." "If you can't tell me about it, how do you expect me to understand?" He hugged her. "I guess I'm just asking you to trust me on this one." "Then I guess we've come full circle, haven't we?" "I suppose we have. But the question is, are you going to trust me on this or not?" "I think the real question is do you trust me?" As she looked at him tears began to form in her eyes, she tried to hold them back. "Oh honey, I do trust you. But I've known LaCroix for ... much longer than you think. It's ... complicated. It's not that I don't trust you, I do. But you're working from incomplete information." He toyed with the idea of making up something terrible, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to his daughter. She would have seen through it anyway. She nodded sadly and walked away. A few hours later, LaCroix awoke to the strains of Beethoven's symphony no. 8 - unfinished, the tune was a particularly haunting one. To his surprise, it was not Nick, but Lucy sitting at the piano. "I had no idea that you had inherited your father's musical talents," he said quietly. She seemed so sad. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't open them, but it was obvious that she had been crying. "Mom said that when I was a baby Dad would play and I would stop crying to listen. From the first time I was able to sit up, I've sat next to him on this bench and watched him play." She smiled softly as she stopped playing. "I guess I've always been at Dad's elbow." He sat down next to her and draped a gentle arm on her shoulder. "And now he's hurt you." "He doesn't trust me." LaCroix felt himself anger that Nicholas -- that anyone could hurt Lucy. She had well and truly invaded his heart, like it or not. "Why?" "I don't know why. He doesn't trust my opinions, my judgment," she waved her arms in frustration. "He doesn't even trust me enough to tell me the truth. He doesn't think I can handle it. That's what hurts the most." He was torn. As much as he liked the thought of separating Lucy from Nicholas' influence, he could see how it was hurting her. "Perhaps he feels he's protecting you." "You're what he thinks he's protecting me from." He smiled. It was coming to a head. He had promised himself he wouldn't push the situation. He had eternity. He didn't have to rush. But still, it cheered him to think that he might be able to end this ridiculous charade in the near future, and get on with the serious business of living. "Why do you think he feels the need to do that?" "He says that I don't know everything I need to know about you. He's afraid that I'm going to get hurt." She wasn't looking at him. "We're just friends, I mean nothing else has happened. How can I get hurt?" He squeezed her shoulder. He felt that she loved him, or could. If he pushed it now, he could lose her. He had meant what he said to Nicholas -- he would do nothing she did not want. Oddly enough, though, he didn't want to prolong her pain, even if it meant taking a risk. "Perhaps he thinks it might go farther." "I love my father, and I would never hurt him intentionally. His opinions do have a lot of bearing on my decisions. However, my emotions are just that, emotions. What I care about or who I care about is my choice." "Is he trying to tell you that you shouldn't care about me?" "No, he's not so much concerned about how I feel about someone, as he is about whether or not I get hurt." "Very perceptive of you. Most people your age would not be so quick to give their parents that much credit." She leaned her head on her hand and smiled mischievously. "That reminds me, mind if I ask you a rather question?" "Of course. I have no secrets from you." "Would you mind telling me your age?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "After all, you do know mine." "I'm as young or as old as you want me to be" She laughed. "What a cop-out. Hmm, let me see," She pretended to eye him critically. "Oh, I'd say somewhere between thirty and forty." "Correct as always My Lady." After all, there were years, scores, decades. [End of part 2] Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine: News of the Science Fiction Universe http://www.cybervanguard.com Come visit us, or write us at vanguard@packet.net for sponsorship info From owner-fkfic-l@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Sun Mar 10 15:58:36 1996 Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by violet.berkeley.edu (8.7.1/1.33-960227) id PAA04607; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 15:58:31 -0800 Message-Id: <199603102358.PAA04607@violet.berkeley.edu> Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3274; Sun, 10 Mar 96 18:54:03 EST Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5263; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 18:54:03 -0500 Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 19:57:29 -0500 Reply-To: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Subject: Consent, Freely Given: Lucy (3/5) To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Status: RO X-Status: CONSENT, FREELY GIVEN: Lucy A Forever Knight story by TJ Goldstein and Sorcha O'Faolin [comments to vanguard@packet.net] FK characters created by James Parriot and Barney Cohen. Everybody else created by us. [Part 3 of 5] Nick didn't answer her and instead proceeded to the kitchen, closing the door and turning on LaCroix after he entered. "We're even, LaCroix," he hissed. "You have no right to do this." "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about Nicholas." LaCroix leaned on a nearby countertop, and smiled innocently. "What is it that you think I'm doing?" "I've only seen you moon over a mortal once, and that was quite enough. She's my , LaCroix. She's mortal and I want her to stay that way, so before you do something we both regret, ." "Why Nicholas, you surprise me. And I thought that you had grown emotionless." His smile deepened into something much more sinister. "It seems that you can be moved to anger after all." He put a hand up in warning. "Before you feel the need to threaten me further, I feel compelled to tell you that you needn't be concerned. I promise you that I will not do anything that makes Lucy Anne unhappy. Oh, by the way, I am very pleased with the name you gave her. All things considered, I find it quite appropriate." "Don't make me regret, it LaCroix. You didn't want to make Fleur unhappy either, so that doesn't tell me anything. I'm telling you that if you think you're falling in love with her, now's the time to disappear, it happens." "I have no intention of leaving until I chose to leave. At the moment I chose to stay. Do I make myself clear, Nicholas?" He had ceased the pleasantries as his anger grew. "It is not for to order about." Nick sat down, trying not to let his despair get to him. The last decade had been so happy. Why did it have to end with LaCroix's arrival -- and what could mean misery for Lucy? "I'm not trying to order you about, I'm just trying to defend my child. Surely can understand that." "Would someone please tell me what all the shouting is about?" Lucy glared at her father, she was clearly upset. "What's wrong Dad? I have never known you to speak to anyone this way, and certainly not a guest in our home." "Well Nicholas, at least one member of your family has manners." Nick took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. He knew his daughter well enough to know that getting upset with her was the quickest way to get her to tune him out completely, and that was the absolute worst thing that could happen at this moment. "LaCroix was just ... just what, LaCroix?" LaCroix smiled, Nick's obvious discomfort amused him. "We were just re-enacting a very old scene that we had gone over in the past. You see, you were quite astute when you said that I was like someone in a novel." She looked at Nick in amazement. "Why Dad, you never told me that you'd done any acting." Nick laughed despite himself. Acting? ? "Well, I've done a lot of things in the past that I suppose have never come up in conversation." He wondered how long LaCroix would let this dangle. "Yes Lucy Anne, I assure you, your father can give quite a performance." He smiled at Nick. "You flatter me, kind sir. Monsieur LaCroix is quite the thespian himself Lucy. Although, he does tend to chew the scenery." Never mind the other actors, he thought. LaCroix bowed. "I have always preferred romance my dear. Your father on the other hand could never get his fill of tragedies." Lucy rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this. What else haven't you told me about yourself Dad?" "Oh, I'm sure that what you don't know about your father would surprise and shock you sweet Lucy Anne." LaCroix shot a challenging glance at his childe. "You may be right. I was really shocked to find out he used to be a homicide detective." Lucy did not see the exchanges going on between the two. "Yes, well, that was a long time ago. It was a long time ago," Nick said, feeling as if an avalanche had started and there wasn't a damned thing he could do to stop it. "Much as I hate to change the subject, I've given that little matter we were discussing earlier some thought Nicholas, and I've decided to take you up on your very generous offer." Nick was afraid to find out what his "generous offer" was. "Really." "Yes. I would love to be your house guest until your book is finished." "Of course," Nick said, wondering just how far he could stretch a book on the Crusades. -------------------------- Nick stared at the monitor and the new file he'd brought up to start the next chapter of his book. There really wasn't a next chapter. He'd been finished for weeks. But there was 'The Problem', as he'd come to think of it. Since his arrival LaCroix had been Lucy's constant companion, when she wasn't in school, his every waking moment was spent with her. Except, of course, for the evening they had decided to have a family dinner and Richard and Fleurette had brought their families with them. Nick had been disappointed he'd avoided the evening, because Lucy put great stock in Rich's opinion, but he had been relieved for his son's sake. Fortunately, he had been able to avoid discussing him by keeping Lucy distracted with the subject of the new book and school. It would have been much too hard on him to know that LaCroix was even in the house, much less romancing his sister. And successfully, it seemed. Nick was at a loss for what to do. He couldn't badmouth LaCroix, because he hadn't actually anything wrong since his arrival. All he had done was pay attention to a young girl who loved the fact that someone beside her father was hanging on her every word. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly, as he had been doing often lately, when Lucy walked in. She leaned over him, put her arms around him, and kissed the top of his head. "Have I told you lately that you work too hard?" He put on a smile for her. "You know, Luce, I'm worried about you." "Funny you should say that. I was about to tell you the same thing." She sighed as she sat down. "You go first." "You've been spending so much time here at home that you're not spending any time with people your own age." There, at least was something he could safely say . "I see. I had a feeling it was something like that. What you really mean to say is that you'd like me to stop seeing so much of Lucien. You think he's too old for me don't you?" "He old enough to be your grandfather, at the very least." She laughed. "We haven't talked about his age much, but he is several years younger than you Dad." He smiled. "Is that what he told you?" She touched his hand. "That's what my eyes tell me Dad." "Well, I guarantee you, he's quite a bit older than he looks." "I don't believe that age is important, but feelings are," she answered softly. He sat her on his lap as he had when she was small. "I know you feel that way, honey, but ... There's a lot behind that. A lot that you should never be burdened with." "That's a confusing statement." She looked up at him. "What are you so afraid of? Lucien is your friend, you named me after him. Why does it upset you to find that I could care for him?" He sighed, remembering how he had tried to dissuade his sister from getting involved with LaCroix. *This is what he is!* he had screamed at her, eyes glowing red as he slammed the other vampire against the wall. *This is what I have become!* The revelation hadn't stopped Fleur. He knew it probably wouldn't stop Lucy, and he didn't want to think about what would happen if she were to find out what he was. "It doesn't upset me that you could care for him. It upsets me to think that you might get hurt." She sighed. "Dad, do you remember what you did when I was eighteen and wanted to try beer?" She stroked his cheek. "When you couldn't talk me out of it, you let me try it. I didn't like it, but I was too proud to tell you, so I forced down a whole bottle. Then I got good and sick. I asked you why you didn't stop me, and you said that sometimes the only way to learn was to teach yourself. You loved me enough to let me go, and I taught myself. I'm twenty now, and I know I still have a long way to go, but I'll never walk if you don't let me fall." He remembered the incident in question. "Good and sick" only began to describe what had happened to her. "Some lessons are permanent, honey. It's not like that beer, where you spend the night worshipping the porcelain receptacle, and when the headache is gone you're fine." "I know that a heartache is worse than a hangover. I remember how you helped me when I was sure that I would love again because Timmy Pierce broke up with me." Heartache. He was talking about eternal damnation and she was talking about a teenage crush. "It's more than that, honey. Much, much more than that. More than I could ever explain." "If you can't tell me about it, how do you expect me to understand?" He hugged her. "I guess I'm just asking you to trust me on this one." "Then I guess we've come full circle, haven't we?" "I suppose we have. But the question is, are you going to trust me on this or not?" "I think the real question is do you trust me?" As she looked at him tears began to form in her eyes, she tried to hold them back. "Oh honey, I do trust you. But I've known LaCroix for ... much longer than you think. It's ... complicated. It's not that I don't trust you, I do. But you're working from incomplete information." He toyed with the idea of making up something terrible, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to his daughter. She would have seen through it anyway. She nodded sadly and walked away. A few hours later, LaCroix awoke to the strains of Beethoven's symphony no. 8 - unfinished, the tune was a particularly haunting one. To his surprise, it was not Nick, but Lucy sitting at the piano. "I had no idea that you had inherited your father's musical talents," he said quietly. She seemed so sad. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't open them, but it was obvious that she had been crying. "Mom said that when I was a baby Dad would play and I would stop crying to listen. From the first time I was able to sit up, I've sat next to him on this bench and watched him play." She smiled softly as she stopped playing. "I guess I've always been at Dad's elbow." He sat down next to her and draped a gentle arm on her shoulder. "And now he's hurt you." "He doesn't trust me." LaCroix felt himself anger that Nicholas -- that anyone could hurt Lucy. She had well and truly invaded his heart, like it or not. "Why?" "I don't know why. He doesn't trust my opinions, my judgment," she waved her arms in frustration. "He doesn't even trust me enough to tell me the truth. He doesn't think I can handle it. That's what hurts the most." He was torn. As much as he liked the thought of separating Lucy from Nicholas' influence, he could see how it was hurting her. "Perhaps he feels he's protecting you." "You're what he thinks he's protecting me from." He smiled. It was coming to a head. He had promised himself he wouldn't push the situation. He had eternity. He didn't have to rush. But still, it cheered him to think that he might be able to end this ridiculous charade in the near future, and get on with the serious business of living. "Why do you think he feels the need to do that?" "He says that I don't know everything I need to know about you. He's afraid that I'm going to get hurt." She wasn't looking at him. "We're just friends, I mean nothing else has happened. How can I get hurt?" He squeezed her shoulder. He felt that she loved him, or could. If he pushed it now, he could lose her. He had meant what he said to Nicholas -- he would do nothing she did not want. Oddly enough, though, he didn't want to prolong her pain, even if it meant taking a risk. "Perhaps he thinks it might go farther." "I love my father, and I would never hurt him intentionally. His opinions do have a lot of bearing on my decisions. However, my emotions are just that, emotions. What I care about or who I care about is my choice." "Is he trying to tell you that you shouldn't care about me?" "No, he's not so much concerned about how I feel about someone, as he is about whether or not I get hurt." "Very perceptive of you. Most people your age would not be so quick to give their parents that much credit." She leaned her head on her hand and smiled mischievously. "That reminds me, mind if I ask you a rather question?" "Of course. I have no secrets from you." "Would you mind telling me your age?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "After all, you do know mine." "I'm as young or as old as you want me to be" She laughed. "What a cop-out. Hmm, let me see," She pretended to eye him critically. "Oh, I'd say somewhere between thirty and forty." "Correct as always My Lady." After all, there were years, scores, decades. [End of part 3] Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine: News of the Science Fiction Universe http://www.cybervanguard.com Come visit us, or write us at vanguard@packet.net for sponsorship info From owner-fkfic-l@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Sun Mar 10 15:58:40 1996 Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by violet.berkeley.edu (8.7.1/1.33-960227) id PAA04624; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 15:58:38 -0800 Message-Id: <199603102358.PAA04624@violet.berkeley.edu> Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3288; Sun, 10 Mar 96 18:54:17 EST Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5301; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 18:54:16 -0500 Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 19:57:44 -0500 Reply-To: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Subject: Consent, Freely Given: Lucy (4/5) To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Status: RO X-Status: CONSENT, FREELY GIVEN: Lucy A Forever Knight story by TJ Goldstein and Sorcha O'Faolin [comments to vanguard@packet.net] FK characters created by James Parriot and Barney Cohen. Everybody else created by us. [Part 4 of 5] "Well Dad... What do you think?" Lucy turned around as she showed off her new look. Her dress was formal, floor length, midnight blue satin, and very form-fitting. Her long blonde spirals were pulled back with a midnight blue satin ribbon and long wisps curled around her face. Nick stared for a moment. He had never seen her like this. Never seen her in anything more formal than a prom dress. It was no where near as mature as this. Never realized that she was all grown up. He stood up from the piano and walked over to her, almost dazed. "You look ... you look beautiful. What's the occasion?" But as soon as the words came out of his mouth he realized that he probably didn't want to hear the answer. For the most part their relationship had recovered in the months since the 'You don't trust me' incident, but he had watched as LaCroix had grown closer to his daughter. To his suddenly very grown up daughter. "Lucien is taking me out to dinner tonight at a very chic restaurant." She looked at him, hoping for, but not expecting, a favorable response. He knew what she wanted. He tried to smile, but his heart was breaking for her. It was too late. Either she would reject what LaCroix was and be heartbroken, or she would accept it and be forever damned. Truly a no-win situation for his child. But still, he tried to smile, pushing back the weakness and the thought that he might never see her again as paranoia. "You'll floor everyone there." She threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. "Oh Dad, I love you so much." He held her for as long as she let him, eyes shut tight against the future. For this last moment she was still his little girl, holding his hand when they walked down the street, coming to him to fix the boo-boos, crying about boys. When he let go of her she would be a woman, grown up and ready to make her own decisions. He had raised her as best he could. Now it was time to let go. And when he did, he sent her off to finish getting ready so she wouldn't see the tears of blood. ------------------------ Begin pt. 3 LaCroix smiled for the umpteenth time as he looked at Lucy across the table from him. She was more beautiful than even he had imagined. Comparing her to even his beloved Fleur was doing her a disservice. Tonight, when she had appeared he had wondered if he had ever seen anyone more beautiful, anyone less like a child. Seeing her like this, smiling and so beautiful he realized just how lonely and empty his life had been for so many centuries. . He was hooked. He knew he was hooked, and that he would wait for her forever, if necessary. "I must tell you, Lucy Anne, that you are truly stunning tonight." Lucy blushed. "Thank you, kind sir. While we're handing out compliments, I think I should tell you, that you look very dashing this evening." He bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Why, thank you, My Lady. May I say that I am most honored by your presence." He returned her smile. He had learned that she loved it when he spoke in the manner of the courtiers that he had become accustomed to so long ago, and it amused him to realize how much it had crept back into his speech patterns. He took her hands in his and kissed them both. He could feel her heart racing. Closing his eyes, he let his lips linger, savoring her warmth and excitement. Lucy blushed sweetly. "I've never been anywhere as elegant as this place." She moved her head closer to his in confidence. "You're like no one I've ever known. You make every one else I've ever gone to dinner with seem like an unsophisticated child, and I've dated seniors." He smiled, her naivete was so refreshing. He looked deeply into her eyes, still holding her hands. "Perhaps age has its advantages after all." She looked up at him shyly from under her eyelashes. "It has every advantage as far as I'm concerned." He let go of her hands and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "There are many advantages which you have yet to learn." His voice grew deep and caressing. "It would be my heart's delight to teach them to you my sweet Lucy Anne." Lucy trembled slightly, her head was swimming with his compliments. She was becoming intoxicated with emotions she had never felt before. She wasn't quite sure what to say. She was afraid that she might seem too immature for him if she said the wrong thing. He sensed her uncertainty, and it pleased him. "Would you like to dance my angel?" "Yes, I'd love to." She smiled with relief. He stood up, pulled her chair out for her, and led her unto the dance floor. He paused for a moment, anticipating their first embrace, then took her into his arms. Her heart was racing with the closeness of him. She closed her eyes and moved with the romantic music that was playing. "I feel as though time is just standing still." He smiled, "yes my dear, I know exactly what you mean." ------------------- It wasn't until close to midnight that Nick began to worry. At first it had been a small amount of concern, reasoned away with the thought that while Lucy was mortal, his own time schedule had shifted hers somewhat. It wasn't unusual for her to be wide awake and raring to go when the sun came up. It was one concession to his lifestyle he had allowed to affect her. By 2 am, he had begun to pace, like a caged tiger. He downed more than one bottle of blood as he worried. Despite the obvious tension, his relationship with LaCroix had been somewhat amicable during his stay: he truly believed that LaCroix wouldn't do anything she didn't want. Didn't he? By 3 am he was ready to tear the head off ... something. He couldn't remember the last time such feeling had welled up in him. What if he had told Lucy and she had consented? Taken off with her in the night, never to be seen again? No. He couldn't even think about it. Some small part of him held out a hope that she would be reasonable, would turn her back on ... on what, on what he was? No, that wasn't what he wanted. So what did he want? Happiness for her. Normality -- as much as it was possible - - for her. He wanted what Natalie would have wanted for her: a husband, children, a life in the blissful happiness of mortality. Then he sensed it: LaCroix. With hurry bordering on frenzy he tried to sense a second vampire and realized he was being stupid. There wouldn't have been time for that. And he did hear a mortal heartbeat. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for whatever might happen next. Nothing. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. And still nothing. He could hear Lucy's heart pounding. Was it fear? He took a step toward the door. It would be just like that bastard to take her right on his doorstep. But if he was wrong and burst out onto the porch ... He kissed her. It was more than she had hoped it would be. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Not nervous or clumsy or groping as she had been kissed before, but with reverence. What had he called her? 'A precious flower whose delicate petals were opening before him with graceful beauty.' That was the way he made her feel. He covered her face with gentle kisses, his lips trailed down to her neck and lingered there. He held himself back, content for the moment to feel her pulse racing and smell the perfume of her blood, an exhilarating scent, peaches mixed with hyacinths. The racing of his daughter's heart thundered so loudly in his ears that Nick could almost feel it. Finally he reached for the doorknob, planning to casually walk out and feign surprise if necessary. But when he did open the door and saw LaCroix poised at his daughter's throat, he felt his eyes glow red -- he realized an instant later that LaCroix's were still blue. His first reaction was to throw him across the lawn and stake him. But then he thought of Lucy. He would definitely have to put an end to this somehow, now. Before it did go further. LaCroix had the restraint of age, but even he had his limits. He calmed himself, glad that Lucy had her eyes closed, and tried to get that "surprised" look on his face. "Oh," he said after what seemed like a year, "you're home." LaCroix laughed. "Really, Nicholas. How predicable of you." "And you." Lucy was upset. It couldn't have been just a coincidence. Her father had to know she was on the porch with him. How could he do this to her? She would have to tell him soon that she didn't want to be protected anymore. And if she did need protecting, Lucien was perfectly willing to take care of her. "Lucy Anne and I" LaCroix said, "were just saying goodnight after a perfectly charming evening." He turned to Lucy. "One that I hope we will be able to repeat many times in the future." He kissed her hand. "You should get some rest now, my dear. I believe it's time your father and I had an old fashioned chat." Lucy nodded, then turned to her father. "Goodnight, Dad," she said coolly, then turned to LaCroix. "Goodnight, Lucien, and thank you," she said softly, then kissed him briefly and brushed past her father into the house. Nick stared at LaCroix for a moment. "I suppose you think you've won." "This is not a battle between us for Lucy Anne's affection." "No, it's a battle between us for her soul." "Touche, Nicholas. Surely as her father, you should know that Lucy Anne is as intelligent as she is beautiful. You cannot stop me from offering her immortality." "No." Nick felt suddenly exposed on the doorstep and motioned for LaCroix to follow him inside. "But she is my daughter and I have a responsibility to protect her from you and from what you want to do to her." "For once, Nicholas, I believe our goals are the same. All I want is Lucy Anne's happiness." What he would never admit was that he knew now that he was in love, and it frightened him to think that she could reject him "Then stay here and live with her as normally as possible. She doesn't have to know what you are." He knew it was futile, but he didn't see too many alternatives. "I'm her ," he said, feeling his anger rising, "and with a little suggestion, in ten years she's questioned what I am." "Lucy Anne deserves to know the truth. And the right to make her choice. This isn't the Middle Ages anymore, Nicholas, you cannot simply assert your right as head of the family and decide for her." Lucy had stood at the top of the steps long enough. Lucien was right. It was her life, and her choice. But what were they talking about? She had always found LaCroix to be different from anyone else, and her father had always been a little strange, but never strange. "Would somebody please fill me in on what you two are talking about?" She glared at both of them. "What do you mean when you say you could offer me immortality? If I have to make any decisions, then I'd like to know just what it is I need to decide about." Nick's face was ashen realizing she had heard them but he had known it would come to this from the moment he had walked into the house and felt LaCroix's lingering presence. They both turned to her and Nick reached out for her hand. "Sweetheart, come here." LaCroix held his hand out as well. His eyes did his asking for him. Lucy looked at both of them, then pursed her lips and sat down angrily. "I will not come to either one of you until I know just what the is going on. Just what is it that you are afraid Lucien will do to me? And don't tell me I can't handle it. I want the whole story this time." Inwardly Nick smiled, seeing the instantaneous twinge of shock on LaCroix's face. He may be in love with Lucy, but nobody knew her as well as her father. That would be his weapon, along with the stubborn streak that was finally coming out. In this case, the bottle of beer had just put itself on the same level as parental authority. "OK, you're right. You deserve an explanation. An explanation I should have given you years ago." He took a deep breath. "And I'm sorry I didn't." Her face softened a bit and she smiled at him. "You're forgiven, and I'm waiting." Her smile gave Nick courage and he forced himself not to look at LaCroix, instead keeping his eyes even with hers. "When you were little, and your mom ... " He saw her eyes darken with sadness. Neither of them had gotten over that, even after a decade. "When this became an issue, you were too little to understand. I didn't want you to grow up in fear, the way Ritchie and Fleurette did. And then when you were older, you didn't ask, and I couldn't bring myself to tell you because ... because I was ashamed of what I was, of what I still am." The thought of her mother had saddened yet calmed her. "What has this got to do with Mom? I can't picture her ever doing anything wrong." She grew defensive. "As long as I've known the two of you , I have never been anything but proud that you were my parents." "No. You're mom never did anything wrong. Quite the opposite." He sighed. "When your mom and I met, I was like I am now, and I didn't want to be. She offered to help me ... escape my fate, and we fell in love. Eventually she succeeded, and we left Toronto, where we'd been living, and went into hiding from the others." he allowed himself a glance at LaCroix. "What others, Dad?" "Others who felt threatened by my redemption. Who would have killed all of us given a chance." He paused to see if she would respond, then continued. "We were happy," he said, a bittersweet tone creeping into his voice. " was happy. For the first time in I don't know how long. I found my faith again, and I was able to enjoy it. We had beautiful children and we could be so ... normal. We could go to the beach, and the pool, and I could take you three out to the park for picnics and ball games, and everything any normal father wants to do with his children." "What does Lucien have to do with all of this?" "He showed up at your mom's funeral. He wanted to take me back ... to my old life, to what I had been. I didn't want to go, but I knew that if I didn't he would see to it that the Enforcers killed us all." Again he paused, this time expecting a response from LaCroix. "That's conjecture on your part, Nicholas. I never threatened you." "You didn't have to talk about it. The threat was implicit in your very presence." He turned back to Lucy. "I agreed on the condition that afterwards, when I was back in control, I could come back here and raise you. I couldn't bear the thought that you might lose me right after you lost your mother." Lucy sat and listened, trying to put it all together. Sorting out the bits and pieces in her memory of that time. "I knew that it wasn't what your mom would have wanted. She..." He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that now was not the time to spring a blood tear on the situation. "she worked so hard, and then risked so much to bring me back across. I still feel like I betrayed her." Lucy held up her hands. "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. One at a time. First of all, what threat did Lucien imply? What did Mom bring you across from? And how did you lose control? And I think you need to be a little bit more specific, Dad." He stood, nervous energy making him want to fly from this place, from the entire subject. As though he could drop the subject and get his little innocent daughter back. "Let's take that second one first." "Yes, Nicholas, let's." LaCroix's eyes sparked with the cat- about-to-pounce-on-a-mouse look Nick had become so used to. Nick glared at him and continued. "When I told you your mom and I met at work, that was the truth. But I didn't tell you that she was the County Coroner up in Ontario and I was brought in on a slab." "They thought you were dead?" She was growing more than a little suspicious. "No, I had been caught in an explosion at the station and I dead. I had been dead for 800 years." He waited for her response. She raised her eyebrows. "Well, that's different." She tried not to react too much. "You must have made quite a first impression on Mom." "Well, um, yeah. Scared the hell out of her, not that she showed it. You don't normally expect corpses to reach out and grab you. But she listened to me, and she believed me when I told her that I wouldn't hurt her. I tried to make her forget the whole thing, but your mom was what we call a 'resistor'. She couldn't be hypnotized, and right there that put her in jeopardy from the Enforcers. They're the ones who enforce the code. No mortal is to know of our existence." She was trying hard to absorb and understand all that her father had been saying. Still, this all had such an unnatural morbid undertone to it, it was hard to believe. The look in her father's eyes told her that he did believe it, and Lucien seemed to be enjoying his discomfort, she wasn't quite sure what to make of that yet. "What do you mean mortal? Why are you different?" Nick looked hard at her. She hadn't yet shut him out. Maybe, just maybe this would work out. "I am ... " He laughed slightly. "There really is no easy way to tell you this, but I suspect that you could figure it out pretty easily. You have all the clues. I won't go out during the day, I haven't come with you to church in ten years, you've never actually seen me eat anything, and now I've just told you I'm not mortal. Lucy, your father is a vampire." 'Vampire? Like Dracula? Pointy teeth, neck biting, blood sucking, bats, that sort of thing?" She looked up at him in confused amazement. Amazement. Not horror, as he had feared. "No bats, but basically." He was torn. Part of him wanted her to accept him, but part of him wanted her to be shocked, to be repulsed at the thought that this was what LaCroix wanted for her. "Neck biting, blood sucking and all." She turned to LaCroix. "And you, Lucien? What is your part in all of this?" "My part is as creator. It is I who gave your father immortality, who allowed a burned out soldier of the Crusades to be here, today, with a lovely daughter." "Yes," Nick added. "It is also he who hounded me through eternity when I tried to repay society for my sins and regain what I had lost." Lucy got up and stood in front of LaCroix. She stared intently at him. "And all those beautiful things you said to me tonight. Was that because you love me, or because you wanted to hurt my father?" Nick tried not to smile. If nothing else, he had taught her to look hard at a situation, to look behind the words. LaCroix took her hands, gently. "Once, I wanted to hurt your father for depriving me of the woman I loved. I swore revenge. But I have had my revenge. It is long over. In you I have found true love once more, as I never thought possible. If I wanted merely to hurt your father I would simply take you. I love you too much for that." Lucy looked deep into his eyes. "And I love you. For the first time in my life, I've realized what it is to love and be loved." LaCroix put his arms around her. "My sweet Lucy Anne, my precious love. I promise you that I will never harm you. I only want to share with you all that I am. To give you an eternity of love and happiness." Nick's skin crawled to see LaCroix's hands on his daughter but he fought back his anger, knowing it would only push Lucy away from him. He realized his hands were clenched waiting for her response. Lucy laid her head against LaCroix's shoulder and looked up at him. "Are you saying that want to turn me into a vampire?" "I am saying that I want to spend eternity with you." "And I'm saying that I need to know exactly what you mean by that." LaCroix's smile broadened. He loved her. He truly loved her. "What I mean by that is that I want to bring you across into immortality." She snuggled closer to him. "As much as I love you, I have to say that I need time. Time to learn, time to understand, and time to make a decision." Nick felt himself relax. She wasn't jumping into this. If she did decide to go, it would be with her eyes open. Not like him. She wouldn't awaken in the darkness and wonder what she had become. LaCroix considered her answer for a moment. "Yes. Take all the time you need. Be sure this is what you want. I won't have you jumping into this without thought and being miserable like your father. All I want is your happiness." "Lucy, sweetheart," Nick said, "there's something I think you should know before you make your decision. Ask LaCroix what his revenge on me was." LaCroix didn't allow the question to alter the look on his face. "Nicholas, really." "No, LaCroix, she has a right to know." "Lucien," Lucy said quietly, "I really do need to know everything." "Certainly. My revenge on your father was to give him what he wanted. When he found his mortality I let him have it. I always knew where you were. I simply left him alone and let things play out to their natural conclusion." "That's a very polite way of saying he let your mother die." He felt his voice crack and tried to keep it in control. Lucy pulled away from LaCroix. Her eyes begged him to deny it. "Is that true? Did you let my mother die?" LaCroix sighed. Count on Nicholas to try and twist this around onto his shoulders. "If I had brought your mother across it would have been against her wishes." Lucy looked at LaCroix, and then at her father. LaCroix looked gentle, open. Nick looked concerned, and harried. With a look of pain, yet total determination on her face she said, "I love both of you. And both of you say you love me. I'm not going to speak to either one of you until you both come up with the same story. When you're ready to tell me the truth, I'll be up in my room." With that she turned and left without looking back. "Her mother may not have been there to finish raising her," LaCroix said when the shock wore off, "but that is definitely Natalie Lambert's child." [End of part 4] Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine: News of the Science Fiction Universe http://www.cybervanguard.com Come visit us, or write us at vanguard@packet.net for sponsorship info From owner-fkfic-l@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Sun Mar 10 15:58:38 1996 Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by violet.berkeley.edu (8.7.1/1.33-960227) id PAA04619; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 15:58:36 -0800 Message-Id: <199603102358.PAA04619@violet.berkeley.edu> Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3281; Sun, 10 Mar 96 18:54:13 EST Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5284; Sun, 10 Mar 1996 18:54:11 -0500 Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 19:58:03 -0500 Reply-To: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine Subject: Consent, Freely Given: Lucy (5/5) To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Status: RO X-Status: CONSENT, FREELY GIVEN: Lucy A Forever Knight story by TJ Goldstein and Sorcha O'Faolin [comments to vanguard@packet.net] FK characters created by James Parriot and Barney Cohen. Everybody else created by us. [Part 5 of 5] Nick was smiling. He was shaking his head in disbelief, but he was smiling. With that much of Nat in her, he was sure she would make the right decision. Before either of them said anything else, they both could hear her crying softly into her pillow. Nick looked at LaCroix and realized that there was no way they were going to agree. His daughters muffled sobs stabbed at him and he knew that there was only one thing he could do. He stood up and climbed the stairs, knocked softly at Lucy's door and opened it when there was no answer. He sat down on the bed and stroked her hair, as he had done when she was small. "Honey, I came up here because ... because I can't bear to see you so unhappy. I know you love him. I know you want to be with him. It's ironic, but I guess I'm just a product of my generation. When I was brought across, I to kill to survive, and I find it hard to live with that. Most of the pain I've had to endure from LaCroix stems from that and his attempts to make me accept what I was. But it wouldn't be like that for you. You would never have to kill as I did. "I always felt that I lost my soul when I consented to LaCroix. But your Mom made me realize that it wasn't what I that was the problem, but what I . She was right. "I'm not going to lie to you. I don't want you to go through with this. I don't want you to be under his thumb, hounded through eternity if you should decide 500 years down the line that you don't love him anymore. I don't want you to live with the fear of the sun, unable to have a normal life. Unable to have children to carry on for you. I was lucky to have that chance, and I'll never get it back. I know that. "But all I really want is for you to be happy. If you understand everything that it means and you still want to go through with it, I'll ..." He felt the tears and couldn't stop them this time. "I'll stand by you." Lucy hugged him fiercely. "I'll be honest with you, Dad. I don't know what I want. This is a lot to handle. I'm hurt and confused." She touched his tears. "You're my father, no matter what you are. I love you, and I love him, Dad." "I know this is a lot to take in. I don't want you to be hurt confused. What can I do or say to help?" She shrugged. "I don't know. Just love me, trust me, and be patient." He smiled and nodded. "You've got that. And you're always going to be my daughter, no matter what are." He kissed her forehead. "Do you want me to stay with you and answer any questions, or would you rather be alone?" "There is one question I'd like to ask." The words had not stopped screaming in her head since she first heard them. ( He your mother die... ) She paused, trying not to start crying again. "About Mom....?" It finally dawned on Nick what was upsetting her so. He remembered how devastated she had been by her mother's death. Even after he had returned she had still been plagued by nightmares and it had taken close to a year for her to recover. He almost regretted firing that particular salvo at LaCroix. It might be the straw that breaks the vampire's back, but what good was it if it broke his daughter's heart too? He knew his own was close to shattered. "I ... shouldn't have said that." Her voice broke. "Is it true?" She felt so fragmented, every piece was an unbearable pain. She saw that LaCroix had been standing in the doorway watching. Nicholas was right, he thought, neither of them should have mentioned Natalie. The look of torment on his beloved's face filled him with concern. Nick held his daughter close, as though he could shield her from the world with his presence. Why did he suddenly feel like defending LaCroix? She would get over the heartbreak. She wouldn't get over the vampire. So why couldn't he just leave it at that? But when he looked into her eyes and saw how devastated she was, he couldn't. "No. It's not true." Lucy looked at both of them. "If I believe that, then you lied to me, Dad. And if I don't, then Lucien is somehow responsible for my mother's death." She looked directly at LaCroix. "What's your answer?" "There is no real truth, Lucy Anne. Everyone truly believes that the way they feel is the truth. Your father and I have been very foolish. We've allowed our own feelings to harm the one person we care most about in the world." He drew closer to her. "The only truth I can offer you now, my darling Lucy Anne, is that all mortals die." "He's right," Nick said finally. "Your mother's cancer was nobody's fault. If LaCroix offered me the chance to bring her across it wouldn't have changed the fact that it wasn't what she wanted, no matter how desperately I wanted to save her." "The one constant about immortality is that life goes on around you. People are born, live, and die." He turned her face so he could see it, LaCroix's words echoing to him across the centuries. "Like a beautiful flower. And we are left behind with an eternity of mourning." There it was, the truth. There was no choice between purity and evil. There were only two different perceptions of the same truth. And now, she had to chose. "I need some time to think about this on my own, a retreat away from both of you. When I've made my decision, I'll come back. Since I plan to leave in the morning, I'll say goodbye to both of you now. She hugged her father tightly. "I love you Dad." He returned the embrace. "I love you too, sweetheart." She stood up and went to LaCroix. She held out her arms to him. "Lucien." He took her gently into his arms. A maelstrom of thoughts filled his mind, with her at the center. Finally he could say nothing except, "I love you." "I love you too," she answered , hugged him tightly and then pulled away. She went to the closet and pulled out a suitcase. "Would you both excuse me please? I have to pack." She turned to her father. "I'll call you before I come home Dad, but not until I've made my decision. Try not to worry too much. Remember, I'm a big girl now." Nick nodded and followed LaCroix out of the room. He turned to her as he reached the door. "Remember, sweetheart, I trust you. She tried to smile. "I know." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lucy sat hugging herself as she watched the sunset. Her emotions had been tied into knots for days. She sighed, she was no closer to unraveling them as she was the day she arrived. Memories of the past, thoughts of the future, tried to tip the scales of her love. Her father and her family sat on one end, and Lucien on the other. She kicked at the sand in anger. How could they do this to her? Why didn't her father prepare her for this? Why should she be the one to make a choice? If Lucien really loved her, why couldn't he become a mortal and live in her world? She paused, what would his sacrifice cost him, she wondered. Would he still be himself, or would he hate her for forcing him to live a life he seemed to despise? If he were to become mortal, could she bear to let him die? She remembered how she felt when her mother died. She knew it was something that she had never recovered from, it still hurt so much. She took comfort knowing that at least she would never lose her father. What would Mom say if she were here? She knew she would take her father's side. She sighed again, if only Mom had lived... Her toes played with the sand. I have to be logical about this, she thought. How can I live life to the fullest? Mortal or immortal? Both her brother and her sister were married, were they happy? They seemed to be. Did she want children? Ritchie and Fleurette both had children. She smiled, remembering how moved her father was when Fleurette had named her first born Natalie. She thought about how sweet her all her nieces and nephews were. It had felt so good to hold a baby in her arms. Could she give up the possibility of having her own child? What about immortality? To be young forever with an eternity to see and try everything she wanted to, then... then what? Then she thought about never seeing another sunrise or sunset. She thought about what a vampire had to do to survive. She knew that she wouldn't have to kill anyone, but the thought of drinking blood made her shiver. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She wasn't sleeping very well, but then what could she expect? She'd been gone four days now, and still she could not decide. There was just so much to consider. At the moment she was pondering religion. She wondered what her father really thought about religion. She thought she knew. He still prayed, she knew that much. Would she really lose her soul if she became a vampire? Did that mean that her father didn't have a soul? Was Lucien evil, or her father? Would she become evil? She laughed softly at herself, of course her father wasn't evil, neither was Lucien. They both had so much love inside of them, how could they be anything but good? No, she decided religion was not a problem. On the fifth day she woke up and began to pack. She had made her decision and then went to sleep peacefully. She knew she had made the right choice. There was only one problem left. Could she make him understand? The one she knew would be hurt. When she arrived home, she was met by two sets of eyes, each filled with love and hope. She smiled lovingly at both of them. "Hi," she said nervously. Nick wanted nothing more than to fly to the door and scoop her up into his arms, but somehow there was an air of quiet decorum that prevented him. "Welcome home, sweetheart." "Lucy Anne, my dear," LaCroix said, "you look exceptionally beautiful. But then you always do." Nick laughed. The past few days had started full of tension between the two vampires but when it had settled, they had, surprisingly, found a rapport they had not had in centuries. "You old smoothie." Lucy smiled. At least they seemed to be getting along. She hoped that would make things easier. On both of them. "Well," she said, teasingly, "what's new?" "I think, my dear," LaCroix said, "that the question would be more appropriate if it were directed towards you." She shook her head. "You may be smooth Lucien, but you're not very subtle." She walked into the frontroom, but she didn't sit down. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I know that you both realize that my choice was not an easy one. I would like to ask both of you to be patient with me. I can't just tell you what my decision is without making sure that each of you understands why." She looked at them, and sighed. Why can't I be two people she thought. "I decided on the first day that I would not allow myself to be forced to chose between the father I adore and the man I love. Whatever the outcome, I still love both of you." She walked over to Nick and hugged him, then kissed his cheek. "I made my decision with love in mind, my father's love, the love that has always been there for me. It was the memory of my mother's love and your love Dad, that gave me the strength and the confidence to make the right choice." LaCroix watched them. Had he lost Lucy Anne forever? If he had he would release Nicholas and leave this place. He shielded himself for the pain of rejection. He was an old fool. Why would someone as sweet and pure as Lucy Anne chose to spend an eternity in darkness with the likes of him? He thought about leaving now, why wait to be hurt? Nicholas had won, he could see it in her eyes. But he had to hear it from her lips. He stayed. Nick wished he could assume that meant she had chosen mortality, but he knew his daughter too well. She wasn't finished explaining. Not nearly. He hugged her, then let her go and listened, hoping, no, praying, that "the right choice" was actually what she had made. "I think the most important thing that I have learned is that to live, is to face uncertainty. To cope with life, you must learn to trust and accept yourself, no matter who or what you are. I am what I am, and what I always will be, because of the love my mother and father gave to me." She looked at Nick with tears of love and appreciation. " will ever, can ever change that." "Dad, you raised me to be myself. Whatever I am at this moment, I am because of you." She stroked his cheek. "I think that we both know that I've finally reached the time when you can't guarantee my happiness anymore. I have to find it for myself." "I know that being a vampire has not kept you from being a loving father, or a truly wonderful human being. Because of that, and the love I feel for Lucien, I have decided to spend eternity with the two people I love most in the world. I hope that you will both still love me." LaCroix was stunned. Just when he had been prepared to lose Lucy Anne she had chosen him. The most ironic part of all this was that it was Nicholas' parenting skills that had helped to convince her. He walked over to her trying to regain his composure. "Lucy Anne, my angel," he whispered. He was afraid still to let his emotions show. She took his hand, but she still stood next to her father. She wanted desperately to know that he understood, that he still loved her. She wanted him to hold her and tell her it was all right. She knew deep down inside that she would have no real chance of happiness if she had made him unhappy, if he rejected her. Nick reached out to her and she leapt into his arms crying with joy. He held her for a long time, assimilating the words he had been dreading. He thought about all of his disappointments through the centuries and what he would have given to have lifted this curse. She was choosing freely -- more freely than he had done, and with more thought. Would LaCroix always love her? Or would he tire of her after a few centuries and break her heart? It wasn't his to say. She was an adult, a woman. He had to let go. He thought of Natalie, of her sweet face, grown quiet in death. LaCroix's words played back in his head. No, he thought, it wouldn't. [The end. Really.] Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine: News of the Science Fiction Universe http://www.cybervanguard.com Come visit us, or write us at vanguard@packet.net for sponsorship info