Beta thanks go to Heather-Anne, who is my personal goddess of punctuation and grammar. <g> Thanks, H-A!!

DISCLAIMER: The Forever Knight characters in this story do not belong to me. They were created by J. Parriott and B. Cohen and are owned by Sony/TriStar. No profit is being made from the posting of this piece of fan fiction. It is purely to share for the enjoyment of the fans of the show.

Crime scene lights lit the park with unnatural brilliance. Tracy walked around the milling uniformed officers to where the coroner stood over a tiny body laid out on a stretcher, covered with a sheet.

"I still can't believe anyone could do this to a child," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "She couldn't be more than six. What kind of a monster would do such a thing?" She turned in time to see her partner appear out of the darkness from beyond the floodlights. "Oh, geez, Nick ... I'm sorry!"

"That's okay, Trace. I was wondering pretty much the same thing myself. Anyone who can get pleasure out of the rape and strangulation of little children has got to be one sick bastard."

Nick's curse startled Natalie. He rarely used invectives on the job, and since his conversion had not so much as uttered a "damn." She looked at him quizzically. "Did you find anything?"

Oblivious to the coroner's body language, he answered, "Not a thing. All the evidence we have so far suggests she was killed somewhere else and dumped here. This is the fourth child in two months, and the second one in less than a week. I'm concerned that our killer is needing more frequent 'fixes'. These are children, Nat! Little children...." His shoulders sagged. "...And we're not any closer to catching this guy."

"Are you all right?"

"Not really." He sighed heavily, turning away from the small corpse.

Natalie turned to Tracy, nodding in Nick's direction. "You'd better get him home. It's been a tough night for all of us. Convince him the paperwork can wait until tomorrow."

"I'm worried about him," Tracy said softly. "He's been so down since the third victim ... and now this."

"I'll check in on him later," Natalie promised. "Just see to it that he gets home safely. Please?"

"You bet." The young detective approached her partner and put an arm across his back, gently pushing him away from the coroner's van and back toward the Caddy. "We're going to catch this guy, Nick." She tried to sound reassuring.

"Not if I find him first," the vampire mumbled too softly for mortal ears.

Near dawn, the same night:

The elevator rattled to a stop, and Natalie pushed open the heavy sliding door. Darkness greeted her. Only the flickering light of the fireplace lent any illumination to the cavernous room.

"Nick?" Silence greeted her inquiry. "Nick? Are you all right?" She made her way carefully across the loft, feeling her way in the darkness. When she reached the couch, she found her quarry sprawled across the leather cushions, one arm flung over his eyes, the other dangling limply off the edge. Empty bottles littered the coffee table and floor.

Kneeling next to the couch, she lifted the arm from his eyes, cradling his hand in hers. Her other hand brushed an errant lock of dark gold from his forehead before trailing down to cup his cheek. "It's been a hard night." The obvious statement fell on seemingly deaf ears. "None of us like dealing with children this way," she continued. "Want to talk about it?"

A glint of gold greeted her from beneath hooded eyelids. "Why, Nat?" he whispered roughly.

"Why talk about it?"

"No. Why ... why would God allow this to happen?" With fluid grace, he sat up, pulling her with him. She sat on the couch, looking into gold-rimmed blue eyes. "HOW could a loving God, a Father and Protector, let little girls be led to the slaughter?"

"You can't blame God...."

"Why? WHY can't I blame Him? How is it that He allows me, an 800-year-old vampire, a murderer, to live while He lets innocent young children die? That doesn't make sense!" He ran his fingers through tousled hair. "Does that make sense?" Rising to his feet, he paced the length of the couch before walking over to the fireplace and staring into the leaping flames.

Natalie walked up behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "God doesn't 'let' these things happen. They just do. He gave us all free will. Some people abuse that privilege ... some use it to His glory. You'll solve this case, Nick."

He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist. His eyes, now the deep blue of a summer sky at twilight, met hers. "I pray you're right," he said, just before his lips touched hers.

Pulling her closer to him, he deepened the kiss. His hands roamed up her back, caressing her. He hadn't felt such an urgent need for many months. Backing her toward the couch, he fell on top of her when her knees buckled at contact with the cushions. One hand kneaded a breast through the thin cotton fabric of her blouse, while his mouth continued to devour her. She could feel his arousal pressing against her thigh, straining for release.

Suddenly, a chill swept through her, and she pushed him away. "Nick! ... Nick!" He looked dazed, rattled. As she shook him gently, he slowly began to come around.

He brushed his lips with his fingertips, bewildered at his own actions. A shudder ran down his spine. "I'm sorry, Nat.... I don't know what got into me. I didn't mean...."

"Shhhh," she quieted him. "You're upset. Exhausted. So am I. I guess we let things get a little out of control."

"I love you, Nat."

"I know you do." She caressed his cheek with a feather-light touch.

"I'm still not sure about my control. Before we can have the relationship we want, I have to be sure I won't hurt you."

"I have an idea about that," Natalie commented enigmatically, "but I'll save it for another time. You need to get to bed." Rising, she made her way across the floor to the elevator door. "Sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Thanks for coming over. I feel better. Really, I do." He gave her a courageous smile as he watched her pull the door closed.

Once he was alone again, the smile fell from his lips. With purposeful strides, he headed upstairs, prepared to spend a restless day's sleep.

The next evening:

"Oh, hi, Nick!" Natalie looked up from the autopsy she had nearly completed. The bedraggled appearance of the detective spoke volumes. Another sleepless day for the vampire with a soul. "You look beat. Didn't you get any rest?"

"Not much," he admitted. "Got anything new?"

"No, but I think you'll find the evidence interesting. Each of the four children was strangled. There were fibers embedded in all the ligature wounds. I just received the results of our latest test, and guess what?" She glanced up at the detective standing across the table from her.

"The fibers match?"

"Yup. This guy is using a piece of old-fashioned hemp rope, about a quarter inch in diameter, based on the width of the wounds. And not just any old hemp rope, either, but the same piece, or several pieces cut from the same length. The fibers are identical."

"This guy requires order in his life--ritual and consistency."

"That would be my bet." She walked around the table to lay a hand on Nick's arm. "The DNA evidence is consistent with the same perpetrator, as well. We most definitely have a serial child killer on our hands."

"I'd better take the evidence folder. Maybe I can get a DNA match in the national criminal database." He edged toward Natalie's desk and the paperwork strewn there.

Sensing he needed to be out of the morgue quickly, she gathered up the reports and handed them to him. "Good luck."

"Thanks. We're going to need it." He hurried through the door and strode quickly down the corridor, anxious to be out in the fresh night air.

"Nick!" Tracy waved him down as he entered the precinct. "Over here!"

Walking over to the Captain's office, he saw Reese seated with a woman he didn't recognize. Tracy practically shoved him into the room as he approached.

"Good evening, Detectives," Reese greeted them. "Have a seat.

"Ms. Walston, this is the lead detective on the case, Nick Knight, and his partner, Tracy Vetter. Nick, Tracy.... Ms. Walston is here at my request. She's an FBI profiler in Toronto on another case. I asked her to help with our child killer."

Nick nodded and smiled. "Welcome to Toronto, Ms. Walston." "Oh, please, call me Beverly." "Beverly.... We can use all the help we can get." He handed her the evidence folder.

Skimming the contents, she frowned before looking up at the detectives. "I don't get a good feeling about this. There isn't much to go on, but I can tell you that you're most likely looking for a white male, aged 25 to 35. He probably has a problem with women, which is why he is taking young girls. Perhaps he was abused by his mother as a young child. More likely, he was raised in an environment where men were constantly coming and going. He sees his mother, and all women, as sluts. If he married, his wife probably cheats on him. He's looking for purity ... virginity, so he takes pre-pubescent girls. Once he's had sex with them, they become as sullied as the other women in his life. He kills the girls as a way of acting out his anger toward his mother, and possibly, his wife."

She released a sigh. "Much of that is speculation, of course, but based on my experience, it's a likely scenario. Does that help?"

"Any chance this fellow might not have a police record?" Reese inquired.

"It's possible. Many times, these men seem perfectly normal on the outside. They may even hold a position of authority within the community--teacher, doctor, policeman...."

"A policeman?" Tracy jumped on the reference. "This guy could be one of us?"

"I was only using that as an example, Detective Vetter, but yes, it's possible. A policeman would be able to easily earn the trust of his victims and be able to get them to go along with him."

"That's really frightening," the young detective commented.

"And that's not the half of it," Reese added. "There have been two killings in the last five days. He could be picking out his next victim as we speak."

"Then what are we doing sitting around here?" Nick rose from his seat and took the file folder from Ms. Walston. Offering his hand, he helped her out of her seat. "It's time to start running that DNA profile through the database and see what we get." He glanced in his partner's direction. "Coming, Tracy?"

Retreating to his desk, he dropped the file near the computer. "Are you going to be in Toronto long?" he asked the profiler.

"No. Actually, I'm scheduled to leave on a red-eye flight," she glanced at her watch, "in about two hours. It'll be good to get home again."

"Didn't you enjoy Toronto, Beverly?" Tracy asked.

"Oh yes, very much. It's a beautiful city. One of my favorites, in fact." She smiled. "But I've been here over a week, and it's going to feel good to sleep in my own bed again. Good luck with the case." She waved to the detectives as she walked toward the exit.

"Thanks. We're going to need it," Nick said, plopping into his chair and accessing the national criminal database for a DNA search.

"Damn. No match," he cursed, after what seemed an interminable wait.

"Now what?" Tracy stood behind him, looking over his shoulder at the computer screen.

"Now we pray," he sighed.

Natalie stepped out of her shower and toweled her hair dry. It had been a long night, and it felt good to wash away the stench of death. She slipped into her warm flannel nightgown, as the April nights were still a bit chilly. Wrapping her pink terry bathrobe around her, she walked into the kitchen and began to open a can of tuna for Sydney.

The large gray and white cat swirled between her legs, meowing plaintively for his dinner. "You're a good kitty," Natalie said, stroking his soft fur as she set the dish of food on the floor.

More tired than hungry, she grabbed a baloney sandwich and a glass of milk. Curling up on the couch, she turned on her TV and tuned in an old black-and-white romance movie. Her dinner was interrupted by a soft knock.

After a quick look through the peek-hole in her door, she opened it and stood aside as Nick Knight, vampire detective, dragged himself through the door. "Shouldn't you be at home in bed?"

Stumbling over to the couch, he sat and looked up at her. "I couldn't sleep, Nat. I haven't been able to sleep for days. I needed.... I need...." His voice trailed off and he sighed. He didn't know what he needed, if he was going to be honest with himself.

Settling next him, she pulled his head to her chest, cradling him with her warmth. "This case is really getting to you, isn't it? Care to talk about it?"

Comforted by her touch, he felt himself opening up. "It was the last victim."

When he paused, she encouraged him. "What about the last victim?"

"She looked a lot like my sister, Fleur, when she was that age."

A small gasp issued from Natalie's throat. "No wonder you were so upset! Oh, Nick ... I'm so sorry!"

"You couldn't have known," he assured her, lifting his head to look into her eyes. "She just reminded me of an incident that happened a very long time ago...."

#### Flashback -- 1220 ####

Her screams of terror woke the deBrabant household. "NO! Let me go! Let me go!" She twisted and struggled in her captor's arms. Desperate, she bit his hand. That only earned her a curse and a slap across the face hard enough to stun her.

The mercenary knight began to drag his prey toward his waiting horse. Carrying the still-struggling girl, he was ill-prepared for the attack. A young man hurled himself at the intruder, tackling him at the knees and sending all three into the dust of the road.

Scrambling out of the way, Fleur watched in horror as her older brother fought gallantly against the heavier, better armed knight. Within minutes, several more men of the house joined the fray. Shortly, the intruder was subdued and thrown into the castle dungeon.

"What were you doing out at this time of night?" Nicholas had to keep from yelling into his little sister's face. His fear for her safety had turned to anger at her actions.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered defiantly. "The scent of the roses drew me to the garden. While I was lost in thought, he approached unheard. Before I knew what had happened, I was his prisoner. Surely he would have raped me, had you not come." She threw herself into her brother's arms and began to cry.

Nicholas held her close, stroking her hair--silvered gold in the moonlight. He loved her so. Since the untimely deaths of his father and older brother, Fleur and his mother were all he had left. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost either of them. While he stood shaken by the attack, he felt his faith grow stronger, and his heart swelled with a prayer of thanksgiving.

#### End Flashback ####

"That little girl in the park ... she looked so much like Fleur. It was like reliving the nightmare with a different outcome. I was so grateful to God that night for being with me, helping me to save my sister. Now I feel as though He has deserted me again. How can He let this happen to such innocence?"

"He hasn't deserted you, Nick. You just have to have faith. Faith that He'll guide you. Faith that you will find this man before another child dies."

"I don't know.... I just don't know. Sometimes I feel so helpless." He rested his head against her warmth once more and closed his eyes.

Natalie stroked the coolness of his cheek, brushing away a tear as it traced a scarlet path across his pale skin. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. Rocking him gently, she hummed a tune her mother had taught her. Eventually, her head dropped against his, and she joined him in sleep.

Nick stopped by the loft on his way into work the following night. A quick shower and a change of clothes worked wonders on his outlook. Baring his soul to Natalie hadn't hurt either. He felt almost energized for the first time in several days.

Walking into the precinct, he was met by an excited Tracy Vetter. "Nick! You're not going to believe this!" She was nearly breathless with excitement. "We've made a break in the case!"

"What?" Her partner looked at her, wide-eyed with hope. "What kind of a break?"

"Earlier this evening, a girl wandered off from her babysitter in the park. Some guy tried to nab her, but she got away."

"Got away? How?"

"She bit the guy. Can you believe that?" Tracy chuckled. "Come on. We have her in Interrogation Room 2."

Nick followed his partner to the room. Inside were a young girl and an older woman. "Hi. My name's Nick Knight, and this is Tracy Vetter. We're the detectives assigned to this case."

"Hello, Detective Knight, Detective Vetter. I'm Rosalyn Weimer, and this is my daughter, Kimberly."

"Hi, Kimberly," Tracy began, walking over to the frightened girl and taking a seat beside her. Nick retreated to the back of the room to watch. "My name's Tracy, and I'd like to talk with you about what happened tonight. Do you think you could help me?"

"Uh huh," the little girl nodded.

"How old are you, Kimberly?"

"I'm eight, going on nine in three months."

"Wow. That's getting pretty old! I'll bet you could answer a few questions, couldn't you?" Tracy scooted closer, trying her best to look like a confidant to the frightened child.

"Sure," Kimberly said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Can you tell me what happened tonight? You were walking in the park?"

"Yeah. My sitter, Mary, got distracted by her boyfriend, so I walked down the path to get away from their mushy stuff."

"And what happened as you walked away?"

The girl shivered and looked at her mother. "It's okay, Sweetie. Tell the detective what happened," her mother urged.

Turning to face Tracy once more, the child took a deep breath and continued. "A policeman walked up to me, and we started talking. He told me that my mum was hurt really bad in an accident, and he was there to take me to the hospital to see her."

"So, did you go along?" Tracy asked.

"Yeah. I thought it would be okay. I was really worried about my mum."

"Her father and I have always taught Kim not to speak to or go with strangers," Mrs. Weimer interjected. "We also told her to trust the police...." Tears welling in her eyes threatened to fall, but she wiped them away.

"So you went with the policeman?" Tracy continued. Kimberly nodded. "Did you get in his car?" Another nod. "Did he start to drive?"

"Uh huh. He took me to a house. I told him I didn't want to go in. I wanted to see my mum. He told me it would just be a minute, so I followed him. When we got inside, he tried to take me into a bedroom, but I wouldn't go."

"Good girl!" Tracy approved. "You were being very brave." The girl squirmed in her chair. "What happened next?"

"He grabbed me. He said I had to go into the bedroom and take my clothes off.... Mummy? Do I have to tell?" she implored.

"Yes, Sweetie, you do. Please tell Tracy what happened."

"He started to grab at my clothes. He tore my dress!" She sniffed back tears, her lower lip trembling. "I told him 'NO!', but he wouldn't stop ... so I bit him real hard and ran as fast as I could. I screamed 'FIRE!!' until somebody came and helped me."

Nick walked over to the table. "You did just the right thing. You must have listened very carefully to your mum and dad." He smiled at the frightened child. She looked at him nervously, glancing to her mother for support. Her mother smiled and nodded.

"I was really scared," she sniffed.

"I'll bet you were!" Tracy agreed. "But you kept your head about you and got away. Can you tell us anything about this man? Was he tall?"

"I think he was a little shorter than him," Kimberly said, pointing to Nick.

"Did he have any facial hair? A mustache or beard?" Tracy asked. The little girl shook her head. "What color was his hair? Do you remember?"

"Dark. He had a bald patch back here," she said, patting the back of her head.

"Very good!" Nick praised her. "Anything else you can remember? Did he have any tattoos?"

"Nuh-uh." The little girl fell silent.

"Just a couple more questions, then we'll see if we can get you an ice cream cone. How does that sound?" Tracy asked.

"Ice cream?" Kimberly perked up and smiled.

"Sure! What's your favorite flavor?"

"Chocolate!"

"Mine's strawberry." Tracy grinned. "Can you tell us anything about the house or the neighborhood? Do you remember passing any stores or buildings you recognize?"

"It was down by the lake," she began. We went past some really big buildings behind fences...."

"The warehouse district," Nick whispered.

"We drove for a long time. The house was kind of by itself."

"There weren't any other houses nearby?" Tracy wondered.

"Nope. It wasn't a very nice-looking house, either."

"What color was it?"

"I dunno, but the paint was peeling, and it smelled bad."

"Do you remember any of the numbers on the house?" Nick asked.

"Nuh-uh. I was too scared. I don't remember anything else. Can we get ice cream now?" She looked from one detective to the other, then to her mother.

Tracy grinned from ear to ear. "Sure thing! I'll take you to the cafeteria!" She left with the child and her mother in tow.

The three made it to the cafeteria, and Tracy ordered the ice cream. As they waited for the cones, she realized her partner had not followed. "Will you excuse me for a minute?" she asked Rosalyn and Kimberly. "I'll be right back." The pair nodded, and Tracy made a beeline for the bullpen.

She looked around, but couldn't spot her partner anywhere. "Hey, Captain!" She flagged Reese down as he was heading back into his office. "Have you seen Nick?"

"He said he needed to follow up on a lead, and he left."

"Damn!" She stomped a foot to emphasize her anger.

"What's the problem?"

"My 'partner' has run off on his own again," she sighed. "Better put out an APB and send backup."

"Where?"

"The warehouse district. Just look for a sea-green boat of a car...." She turned on her heel and strode back into the cafeteria.

"I've gotta run. Please check in with Captain Reese before you leave, okay? He may want to call in a sketch artist."

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Weimer nodded. "Thank you so much." She smiled and tilted her head in the direction of the child still happily licking her chocolate ice cream cone.

"It was nothing. She earned it! Bye, Kimberly!"

The girl looked up from her treat. "Bye, Tracy. Thank you!"

"You're welcome." With a smile, Tracy turned to hurry out of the station. As she reached her own car, her smile slid away. She had to reach Nick before he did something he'd regret.

The Caddy slowly rolled past warehouse after warehouse as its occupant spied with preternatural sight for a lone house along the road. Another car passed by. Nick was a bit surprised at the amount of traffic on what he would have assumed to be a nearly deserted street. He had wondered how Kimberly had found help so quickly when she escaped. Most probably a passerby with a cell phone. He'd have to check that out later. Her good Samaritan could be a possible witness to the crime.

Sighting lights about a block ahead, Nick pulled the car over onto the wide shoulder of the road and took to the air. He approached the house from the back, landing softly in the dirt of the yard. Sidling up to a window, he looked in through a crack in the drapes. A bedroom. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, except that the room was a mess.

He moved around the house, listening intently to the noises inside. Someone was watching television. He could hear the sounds of gunshots and fast cars--an action-adventure movie or cop show. Peering through the blinds, he spotted the room's occupant, sitting on the couch. The man was still dressed in the slacks of a policeman's uniform, but had stripped the shirt and jacket, exposing a white t-shirt.

Nick tossed a pebble against the window. At the sound, the man arose, raising the blinds to look out into the night. Seeing nothing, he returned to his seat. A moment later, another pebble hit the glass. Again, he peered out the window, seeing nothing. When the third pebble hit, he was getting angry. Grabbing his shirt, he flung it on and tramped to the door, stepping out onto the small porch.

A shadow leaped from the darkness, grabbing him from behind. He struggled, but could not free himself from the unnatural strength that held him. Nick spun him around, looking the man in the eye and synchronizing with the beat of his heart.

"Who are you? What is your name?"

"Tom Perkins," came the monotone reply.

"Why did you take those girls?"

"'Cause they was pure ... not like the whores who try to pass themselves off as virgins."

"Why did you kill them?"

"'Cause after I had 'em, they wasn't pure no more."

Rage built inside the vampire. Visions of the small bodies assaulted his memory. No penalty the justice system could invoke would begin to match this man's crime. Canada had no death penalty, except for him.

Nick spun the man around once more, attacking from behind. He wrenched the man's head to the left, exposing a long column of well-muscled neck. Glistening fangs and inhuman gold-green eyes flashed.

The sound of a car barreling up the street distracted him. He looked up from his victim to see Tracy pull to a screaming stop just inches from where he stood.

"Nick! Stop!" she cried, scrambling out of the car as quickly as she could. Confronting the vampire side of her partner was new to her, but vampires in general were not. She approached boldly, knowing that to show fear would only set off the beast's hunting instincts.

"You can't do this," she continued.

"Why not? This man deserves to die ... like his victims," her partner growled. She shivered at the tone. Never had she encountered him this way before.

"The police are on the way. Let them handle it. This is our man?"

"Oh, yes...." He stroked a finger down the length of the man's neck, feeling the muscles cord under his sensual touch.

"Nick, this isn't like you! You don't kill anymore!" Tracy pleaded her case, trying to get through to the man buried behind the face of a monster.

As she spoke, police cruisers began pulling into the front yard of the house. The presence of the other cops pulled him out of his rage. Closing his eyes tightly against the glare of the headlights, he released his captive to his partner.

Natalie came running and threw her arms around Nick, who now stood dazed and alone in the yard. The other officers were cuffing the suspect and reading him his rights. Tracy stepped back to give the couple a bit of privacy amidst the chaos that surrounded them.

"Thank God you're all right!" Natalie exclaimed, looking into sad blue eyes. "What just happened here?"

"I almost killed that man." The pain in Nick's voice was evident. "I don't know what came over me. When I saw him, I was filled with a rage I haven't felt in decades. I wanted to tear his throat out." He shivered at the memory.

"But you didn't."

"Only because Tracy and the others arrived. The bloodlust was so strong, Nat! I still feel weak."

"Come with me," she offered. "I'll drive you home." Turning, she began to guide Nick to the road, passing Tracy along the way.

"I'm going to take him home, Trace. He needs to feed and get a good long sleep."

"Thanks, Nat. I'll take care of booking the suspect. I don't think we'll have any trouble getting a warrant to search the house."

"Great. Talk to you later, then." She led the weary vampire back to the Caddy, parked a block down the street. After shoving him in the passenger side, she slid behind the wheel and drove them back to the loft.

Nick stumbled to the refrigerator and yanked the door open, rattling the appliance and its contents. Grabbing a bottle, he pulled the cork with his teeth and spit it across the room. Standing in front of the open fridge, he tipped the bottle to his lips, guzzling the contents. Dropping the empty bottle, he quickly grabbed another.

Natalie stood a short distance away, watching with a fascinated horror. When Nick's feeding frenzy finally began to abate, she took him by the arm and guided him to the couch. They sat for a while in silence, while he continued to drink. She waited patiently, knowing she could not rush him. He would speak when he was ready, and she would be there to listen.

Finally setting the bottle on the table, he turned to her; a sadness reflecting deep into his soul showed in his eyes. "I nearly lost it tonight, Nat. I thought I was over that. I thought that not only would I never kill again, but that I'd never want to kill again. I risked my soul over that scum. I would have killed him if Tracy hadn't shown up when she did."

"But you didn't. That's what's important. And you're genuinely sorry now for your actions. You haven't damned your soul again. What you need to remember is that God is there for you. That He forgives you. All you need to do is ask. Let go of the guilt. Faith is not an easy task to bear. You need to learn to forgive yourself and to ask forgiveness. But most of all, you have to believe that God forgives." She stroked a warm hand down his cheek, turning him away from the crackling blaze in the fireplace to look at her. "I believe in you. Through you, God worked a little miracle. That man will never kill another child. You saved them, Nick. You saved all the children."

He sat, stunned by the revelation. "I did good?"

"You did very good!" She smiled at him warmly. "Very good indeed." She leaned in to press her lips against his, feeling his delicious coolness against her skin. He deepened the kiss, opening his mouth to her, probing her lips with his tongue. She gave in to his gentle caress, opening herself to him. His arms were around her, holding her close. This was what she wanted. This was what she craved.

He moved to nuzzle her neck, burying his face in her chestnut curls. She could feel his tongue against her skin, his teeth nipping lightly. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips, and she melted into his embrace. She twined one hand through his golden hair, kissing whatever she could reach.

After a few minutes, she felt a strange tickling buzz against her neck. Nick had gone quiet in her arms. She pulled back slightly to see that the exhausted vampire had fallen asleep. Here we go again, she thought, chuckling softly. Gathering him against her, she rested her head against his and closed her eyes.

Several hours later, the phone rang. Startled from her sleep, Natalie almost dislodged Nick from his resting place in her lap. He continued to snore softly as she picked up the receiver. I wish I could sleep like that, she mused. "Hello?"

"Nat? Hi, this is Tracy. I just wanted to let Nick know that we got the warrant a little over an hour ago and sent some men to the house. They found enough stuff there to convict this guy ten times over."

"What did they find?" Natalie asked, intrigued. "Did they find the rope?"

"Yes indeedy they did." Tracy's voice practically bounced with excitement. "And girl's underpanties, four pair. The guy kept trophies. Can you imagine that?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Natalie sighed. "Be sure to get hair and semen samples. I'll run the tests tonight."

"Already done," the young detective smirked. "Got 'em to the lab already. Captain Reese says you and Nick deserve a night off. He knows how tired you've both been. I called your office and booked you off."

"Thanks, Trace. I appreciate that. We could use the time off. Don't you go and work too hard, now."

"Only hard enough to see this guy put away. I'm not taking any chances with the evidence or the reports. There'll be no loopholes in this case. I figured Nick would want to know."

"You bet. He's sleeping right now, but I'll tell him when he wakes up. Thanks again. You take care."

"Okay. You too. Good-bye, Nat!"

Natalie hung up the phone and looked at the man cradled in her lap. Golden waves fell across his forehead, making him seem much younger than his apparent age of thirty-five. Softened by sleep, his features were youthful and gentle. It was almost unimaginable that this same man could transform into a creature of myth. She fingered the cross that hung, ever-present, around his neck. Being a vampire didn't mean you had to be damned. Being a vampire didn't mean you had to kill. Being a vampire didn't have to be bad....

He stirred beneath her, her gentle touches finally filtering through to some part of his brain. Opening his eyes, he smiled up at her.

"Good morning, Sunshine," she greeted him. "It's about time you woke up."

"What time is it?" He sat up and noticed sunlight streaming through the still-open blinds across the room.

"It's 10:30 in the morning, and I'm getting hungry." She stood and walked over to the kitchen. "Have you got anything in here besides microwave popcorn?" She ransacked the cupboards to no avail.

"Sorry. I didn't know I was going to have an overnight guest." He had wandered across the room toward her, skirting the bright patches of sunlight. Noticing the remote on a small table in the full light, he hesitantly reached for it ... and froze.

Noticing the sudden silence, Natalie turned around to see his hand in the full sunlight as he reached for the remote. He stood motionless. Her jaw dropped as she realized his skin wasn't smoking. "Nick!" She rushed to close the distance between them. "Nick! What's happening?"

"It doesn't hurt. It doesn't burn...." His voice shook with fear and wonder. Slowly, he lowered his hand and stepped fully into the light. Natalie grabbed at him to pull him back, but instead walked into the daylight with him.

"Oh, my God! The sun doesn't burn you! Nick, you can walk in the light!" She was nearly pulled from her feet as he lunged for the elevator. Following as quickly as she could, she rode the lift down to the garage with him.

Opening a side door, Nick stepped out into the full light of day. He stood transfixed, arms raised toward heaven, face upturned and eyes closed. As Natalie ran up to him, he dropped to his knees.

"Are you all right? Nick?" There was no smoke, no obvious sign of damage, but she was concerned all the same.

Standing, he engulfed her in a hug, raining sweet kisses across her face and neck. "It's a miracle, Nat! I've been given back my life in the sun!"

Tears stained her cheeks as words eluded her. It seemed impossible. He was still a vampire, yet here he stood in the glorious daylight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

Sweeping her up in his arms, he spun the two of them around and around until Natalie cried for him to stop. Laughing, he set her on her feet and steadied her. "I've got a wonderful idea! Let's pack a picnic! Come on!" He grabbed her by the hand and practically dragged her back into the elevator.

Once in the loft, he busied himself. From the recesses of an obscure cupboard he pulled out a basket. Literally flying upstairs, he pulled a blanket from his linen closet and brought it down. Loading the blanket and two bottles into the basket, he smiled at Natalie who still stood speechless in the doorway.

"Now we just have to go pick up something for you!" Taking her hand, he guided her down to the Caddy. A quick stop at a convenience store got her some fried chicken, potato salad and a Coke. Before she could catch her breath, she found herself down at the lakeshore.

Spreading the blanket on the beach, Nick fetched the basket of food. As they ate their respective meals, Natalie fidgeted. Her host noticed. "What's the matter? Is something wrong? Don't you like the chicken?"

"The chicken's fine." She chuckled, then gagged as a bit of meat went down the wrong way. He patted her on the back and she coughed. When the fit passed, she looked up, just a bit embarrassed.

"I've been thinking." She paused and squinted at the vampire in the bright sunlight. "Do you love me? Be honest!"

"Are you kidding? Nat, you know how I feel!"

"Not unless you tell me. You said the other day that you loved me. Do you?"

"Yes, of course! With all my heart!"

"But your 'condition' is still keeping us apart."

He hung his head and traced patterns with his finger in the sand. "I can't risk you. Hugs and kisses I can manage, when I'm sated, but more than that risks a bloodlust I wouldn't be able to control."

"That you THINK you wouldn't be able to control."

"I can't risk it." He looked up at her, blue eyes sparkling. "I couldn't live if I hurt you. And now I can't even walk into the sun as a way of ending it all."

"All the more reason for MY solution."

"And that would be...?"

"Bring me across." She said the words with a straight face, looking Nick directly in the eyes. She watched as his face registered shock and surprise, then anger that she would even consider such a thing.

Putting a finger to his lips, she continued, "Let me talk. Think about it. Becoming a vampire doesn't mean you lose your soul. It doesn't mean your soul is damned. Right before my eyes I have a vampire with a soul, redeemed by God. Being a vampire doesn't mean you have to kill. Being one doesn't mean you give up your life in the sun...." Nick shifted uneasily, wanting to protest, but finding himself unable.

"You stay young while I continue to grow older. All too soon I'll die." Taking both his hands in hers, she pleaded, "Bring me across. We can stay young together ... and make love without the fear, without the danger."

"You have no idea what it's like, Nat. When you're first brought across, the bloodlust is all-consuming. It's very hard to control."

"Then teach me. Teach me the control. Be my mentor. My guide. My love for all eternity." She could feel his resolve weakening. "All the horrible things you've always told me about being a vampire ... you've proven to be untrue. It is possible to be this thing and still be one of God's creatures. Please, Nick.... If you love me?"

"That could be considered emotional blackmail," the vampire cop grinned.

"Well, then ... arrest me. Do with me what you will."

She screeched with surprise when Nick produced a pair of regulation handcuffs and secured her hands behind her back. Carrying her to the car, he placed her in the passenger seat, then went to collect the picnic things. "You're under house arrest, Dr. Lambert," the detective told her as he packed the basket and blanket into the back seat of the Caddy.

"Are you going to read me my rights?"

"You have the right to remain silent ... and I highly recommend that you do so." He gave her a stern look as he slid behind the wheel.

"Don't I get a phone call?" she asked.

He turned steely-blue eyes on her as he started the engine. The fire that smoldered there hushed any further comments she might have made. They arrived at the loft, and he carried her inside. Taking her upstairs, he placed her on the bed. He repositioned the handcuffs so that she was now cuffed to the headboard.

He sank down on the mattress next to her, eyes glowing an unearthly gold, sharp fangs caressing his lower lip. "Be careful what you ask for...."

To be continued at an unspecified time in: ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've since moved on from Forever Knight fandom, and while I would like to write the final story in this series, I can't promise that I will ever do so. If interest is high enough, I might be persuaded; so if you like the series, please let me know.

Nat
nat1228@comcast.net)