Part Five

Unwelcome gifts, pets -- not one, but two, and now, crosses; it was all too
much for Lacroix.  He poured himself another drink.  When he heard Nicholas
and Natalie at the front door, he said, “We must talk, Marguerite.”  She poured
herself a drink and sat down.  “About what, Lucien?  This isn’t about my pets,
is it?”  He grimaced.  “No, I can tolerate those *animals* for you sake. -- You
really named them from a comic strip?”  She laughed and then asked, “What
should I have named them?  Caesar?  Zeus?”  Then more seriously, “Or
perhaps you’d prefer ‘breakfast’?”

Marguerite put her feet up on the coffee table and crossed her legs.  Lacroix
was distracted at the sight, and it took him a minute to connect the comment to
the memory of Nicholas’ pet.  He admired the view for another minute.  She
had on thigh-high leather boots, a short skirt, and some kind of scooped neck
shirt.  It was a shade of purple that brought out the intense color of her eyes. 
Very nice.  He decided to answer her seriously; he had no wish to waste their
time together sparring over inconsequential matters when their time could be
spent in more...pleasurable pursuits.

Finally, he answered, “Your animals are safe from me, Marguerite, but don’t
expect me to get attached to them.”  She patted a spot on the couch next to
her.  “I’d rather you were attached to me.”  Lacroix sat down next to her and
pulled her onto his lap.  “Oh, I am quite attached to you, my dear, and herein
lies the problem...  I would prefer it if your pretty little head stayed *attached*
to your body.” “It will, Lucien.  I promised you that I wouldn’t leave your
side, and I won’t.”

Lacroix caressed her cheek.  “You may come to regret that vow, my dear.  I
can be quite... demanding.”  Marguerite smiled as she leaned into his touch. 
She traced the outline of one of his ears as she spoke, “It’s only for a day or
two. -- And you’ll find I can be demanding as well.”  He murmured, “My, my,
we’ll make quite a couple, won’t we?”  She asked, “*Will* we?”

Lacroix pulled Marguerite close and kissed her.  Needing to be closer,
Marguerite managed to straddle Lacroix’s lap without breaking the kiss.  He
gripped her thighs and pulled her closer to him.  She moaned into his mouth as
he let his hands roam under her skirt and caressed her bottom.  Marguerite
broke their kiss to trace his jaw to his ear with her mouth.  When she nipped
his ear, Lacroix gave a growl and scraped his teeth against her neck.  She felt
her fangs descend, and it jolted her back to reality.

Gasping for air, she pulled back to look into his eyes.  They were fading from
gold, as hers were.  She started to speak, “Lucien, I...” He put a finger against
her lips.  “Hush, Marguerite.  I know what you’re going to say.  I’m not happy
with the situation, but I won’t force you.  I want you in my bed willingly.”  She
smiled knowingly.  “It won’t be long now, will it, Lucien?  Nicolas told me you
had a talk with him tonight.  It’s a step in the right direction.”

Lacroix considered this a moment and replied, “Tell me, Marguerite, what
direction will this relationship take when Kayla returns?  What happens when
this whole business with Marcus is taken care of, and Kayla wants to move
on?”  Irate, Marguerite tried to extricate herself, but Lacroix was still holding
onto her thighs.  She worked at freeing herself as she yelled at him, “Do you
think I care so little for you that I’d just leave?  I stay with Kayla because it’s
*my choice*. -- Last night you asked me why I fight what is in my heart.  I
want to know why you *deny* what is in yours.  Your feelings for me are as
strong as mine for you, but you’ll need to have faith in our love.  You can’t
control everything and everyone.”

She slapped at his hands.  “Would you let me go?!”  Stunned, Lacroix let go,
but Marguerite stayed where she was, and continued more calmly, “What
about you, Lucien?  Natalie told me that my uncle was going to move on with
you on the night I brought her across.”  He replied, “That was before you came
back into my life, Marguerite.  I would not leave here without you.”  She
questioned, “And if Nicholas wanted to stay?”  “I would have left without him
that night, and nothing has changed.”   She pleaded, “Lucien, promise me you
will continue to think about this.”   He said gently, “I have done nothing else
since last night.”

Kissing him quickly, Marguerite got up before he could reach for her again. 
The temptation to remain in his embrace was too great.  Taking her drink with
her, she began to pace the room.  Not understanding why she seemed anxious,
Lacroix watched for a moment before asking, “What is troubling you, ma
chere?” 

Marguerite stopped her pacing and watched the ruby liquid swirling in her
glass as she answered, “Nothing...  I have something I want to tell you, and
I’m just trying to organize my thoughts."  Lacroix looked at her over his glass
as he drained it.  Marguerite took the opportunity to finish her own drink.  He
asked, “Are you finally ready to tell me where Kayla had gotten herself off to?” 
Marguerite shot him a dirty look.  “How do you do that?”  Lacroix merely
smiled in response.

Despite her irritation, Marguerite continued, “About 500 years ago, Kayla and
I were in Spain when I bumped into a young man on the street -- literally. 
Kayla had intended on making a meal of him, but as she got to know him she
became quite attached to him.  She decided to offer him the gift of immortality. 
She felt it was time I learned how to make a child, and asked me if I was
ready.”  Lacroix paused in refilling his glass to ask, “And were you ready?”

Marguerite shrugged.  “As ready as I ever would be, I guess.”  “If you were
ambivalent about it, Marguerite, why did you agree to it...  Or did you?” 
Marguerite answered as she walked over to refill her own glass, “I did; I was
realistic...  I thought the chances of finding someone I would want to bring
across for myself were slim.  And at the time, I was quite...attracted to
Alejandro too, although making him one of us hadn’t occurred to me”

While Lacroix considered what he had heard, he drained his glass.  After
placing it on the table, he commented, “Since you are telling me this story,
Marguerite, I will assume the family crisis you mentioned has to do with your
son.”  She agreed, “It does...  When Kayla and I decided to come to Toronto,
Alejandro decided to stay behind.  We had just gotten settled here when he was
attacked and left half-dead in an alley.   One of his friends found him and called
here, but Kayla was already on her way.”

Lacroix asked curiously, “Why did Kayla go?”  Marguerite drained her own
glass and put it down.  “About a week before, I was attacked as I was leaving
the store.  I had to kill him, but I managed to find out that he was Marcus’
child before he died.  Kayla was sure that Marcus was trying to get me to go to
Alejandro, so she told me to go to you and Uncle Nick for protection, and she
left.”

Lacroix was silent.  Marguerite tipped her head to one side and studied him
curiously.  She was a little surprised; it seemed unusual that he didn’t have
some kind of comment.  She gave him an expectant look and said, “Well?” 
For a brief moment, Lacroix had been considering pouring himself another
drink, but Marguerite was looking for a response.  He had mixed feelings
actually, and he was going to need a moment or two to sort them out for
himself.  “Well, what?”

Marguerite made a face that was very familiar to him. -- It was the look
Nicholas gave when he was getting tired of the game-playing and wanted some
straight answers.  He suspected that tormenting Marguerite would not be as
entertaining as it had been with Nicholas. -- She would probably find a way of
getting back at him, and he didn’t know her well enough to even hazard a
guess as to what that might be...yet. She replied, “I think you know exactly
what I mean, Lucien.  Are you always so evasive?”

He rose from the couch and approached her.  “Evasive?  My dear, I am merely
trying to organize *my* thoughts. -- I trust Alejandro is recovering?” 
Marguerite nodded.  “He’s healing, but slower than normal.  He wouldn't be
able to travel at Kayla’s pace, so she had to leave him behind.”

Lacroix was secretly relieved that it would be some time before Alejandro
would make an appearance; there were enough distractions as it was.  He had
no intentions of sharing this self-serving sentiment, however.  He knew from
experience how Marguerite was feeling, and he didn’t want to upset her
further.  He brushed some stray strands of hair away from her face, and said
gently, “This must be very hard for you.”  Marguerite put her arms around
Lacroix’s waist and nestled her head against his chest.  “It was, but it’s getting
much easier to handle now.”

####################

It was an hour or so until dark, and Lacroix was up and dressed, sitting in the
living room with a drink.  He couldn't sleep, so what was the point of staying in
bed?  There was no room in the damned bed anyway.  First a cat, that he could
only assume was Natalie's, climbed into the bed.  He couldn't fault the little
furball though, because he had met the other animals.  The cat just slept at the
foot of the bed, not touching him, and that was just fine.  But then that orange
monster jumped up and curled up next to him.  That was even tolerable. It was
when the miserable animal started to nuzzle and lick him that Lacroix got up
from the bed.

Yesterday when he returned to the Raven, he had found the diary that
Marguerite had given him.  There was nothing in it regarding him save their
first meeting, naturally.  Nicholas had erased her memory of everything else. 
He had kept it close because it was once Fleur's, but the time had come to give
it up. -- Maybe Nicholas would want it? Marguerite would say that Nicholas
would rather have his freedom.

Lacroix's thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the front door opening.  It
was a vampire. -- A very old one judging from the presence he felt.  He was
about to get up when he heard a feminine voice call out for Marguerite.  Kayla
must be home.  He stood up as she entered the living room.  It took Kayla a
minute to unwrap herself from her hooded cape, and Lacroix took the
opportunity to study her.

She was about five feet tall, with auburn hair falling in gentle curls around her
hips.  She smiled up at him as she removed her sunglasses. "Ah, Lucius, it's so
nice to finally meet you."  Lacroix took Kayla's hand and kissed it.  "It is a
pleasure to meet you as well.  Marguerite has told us very little about you,
although we have had some...  distractions."  He gestured towards the florist's
box, now sitting on a barstool.

Kayla opened it up and read the note.  "Is this the only package she's
received?"  Lacroix replied, "No, we both received one the night before." 
Kayla picked up the cross to examine the sharpened end, and then threw it
back into the box.  "If it hadn't meant Marguerite's death, I would have torn
that bastard's heart out when I had the chance."  She moved to the back of the
bar, and got herself a glass and a bottle.  She gestured to the couch.  "Come sit
with me, Lucius. We have much to discuss."

Lacroix sat down next to her as she filled their glasses.  He had to ask, it was
going to kill him if he didn't.  "How is it crosses don't affect you?"  She shook
her head.  "I was born six hundred years before Christ, Lucius.  The religion
from my mortal days is much different from Christianity, but very similar to
yours.  Although you were alive during the dawn of Christianity; so you must
believe something of it, otherwise crosses would not affect you."  "Divia spoke
of an Etrusci named Caelia."  Kayla sipped at her drink.  "I was there when
Qa'Ra brought Divia over, but I left him soon after. -- An act which is not open
for discussion at this time. -- What I want to discuss is why my favorite child is
troubled.  It's not just Marcus, so why don't you tell me what else has
happened?"

He emptied his glass and answered her, "Marguerite has brought Natalie
Lambert across, after Nicholas 'accidentally' drained her, but apparently this is
not a problem.  She might be upset about my relationship with Nicholas, and
how it will affect my relationship with her."  He fleetingly thought that
Marguerite would consider that last sentence a gross understatement.  Kayla,
however, smiled.  "So you still care for her, do you?  And you and Nicholas
have been fighting over Marguerite like two dogs over a bone, haven't you?  I
know what she wants -- for you to give Nicholas his freedom, am I right?" 
Lacroix nodded.  "Do it, Lucius.  She might have gone with you that night if it
wasn't for her unborn child, and she seems to have retained a fondness for you
these past 700 years.  If her feelings for you have lasted this long, I doubt they
will fade now.  Do you love her?"

Lacroix was reluctant to share his feelings with a virtual stranger, especially
when he had only recently admitted them to himself.  He replied with one
word, "Yes."  Kayla fixed him with an intense gaze.  "But you do not think I
will let her go?  Believe me, Lucius, Marguerite is with me because she
chooses to be, and I let her stay because Marcus is still a threat.  If she wants
to be with you, I will give her my blessing. -- Know this, however.  If you ever
harm her, I will hunt you down and stake you out for the sun."  Lacroix
smirked at Kayla's threat, but he took it quite seriously.  "Ouch!  You're a
woman after my own heart."

Kayla refilled her glass, and briefly reflected on what she knew of Lacroix.  She
had heard that he kept Nicholas on a very short lead, which was a concept
Kayla could not fathom.  Having Qa'Ra for a master made her familiar with
Nicholas' end of the relationship, although she suspected Lacroix wasn't
motivated by the same reasoning as her late master. "If it's any consolation,
Lucius, I don't think you will lose your son once you give him his freedom. 
Now that he has discovered Marguerite is still alive, I doubt he would
disappear from her life." Lacroix considered this, and nodded.  "You are
correct, of course.  Nicholas was quite attached to Marguerite when she was
mortal, and it will be no different now.  Besides, I don't think Marguerite and
Natalie would take kindly to being separated at this stage in their relationship."

Marguerite rolled over and smiled; Kayla was home.  She was early too; it was
just about dark, and Marguerite hadn't expected her until almost dawn, if not
early the next night.  Confused, she sat up.  It had taken her so long to fall
asleep, because her mind had been swimming with everything that had
happened in the last few days.  She threw on her robe as she ran out the door;
she couldn't wait to see her maker.

When Marguerite got to the living room, she stopped in the doorway. -- Kayla
was talking to Lucien.  She wondered briefly if maybe she should have gotten
dressed first.  It was too late; Kayla had looked up as soon as Marguerite
appeared in the doorway.  They met halfway, and were hugging and laughing
like sisters.  "How did you get here so early?"  "I spent the day riding in the
sleeping compartment of the semi of a trucker I met in the States.  It wasn't
exactly luxurious, but I felt your discomfort, so I wanted to get home as soon
as possible."

Marguerite gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile.  "I'm fine now,
Maman, but how is Sasha?"  Kayla shot her an aggrieved look.  "I wish you
and your sister wouldn't call him that.  *Alejandro* is recovering, but it will be
awhile before he's his old self again.  I'm going to go upstairs and wash up. 
Lucius has invited us to the Raven this evening, but first I would like to meet
Nicholas and Natalie." 

Marguerite looked self-conscious.  "Oh, right...  I need to talk to you about
that." Kayla merely smiled.  "I will meet you in here when we are both dressed. 
Until later, Lucius."  She inclined her head toward Lacroix as he stood up
respectfully.  As Kayla turned to leave, she mouthed, "I like him," to
Marguerite, who suppressed a giggle.

Lacroix was taking the opportunity to study Marguerite.  He didn't know why
she had bothered with the robe; it was translucent.  It was cream colored, and
so was the nightgown underneath.  Both were extremely short, and form
fitting.  When Marguerite looked up at him, Lacroix was staring at her with a
bemused expression on his face.  She crossed her arms and gave him a look. 
"Are you done?"  He replied, "Had I known what you would be wearing to
bed, Marguerite, I would not have let you go so easily."  "I don't recall our
parting as being easy, Lucien."

She moved into his embrace and looked into his eyes.  "I cannot bear to be
apart from you any longer, Marguerite.  I will speak with Nicholas tonight." 
Marguerite could think of nothing to say; instead, she tipped up her head to
kiss him.  Lacroix lifted her up and kissed her fiercely, and she returned it with
equal passion.  He broke the kiss, but did not put her down.  "I want you to
spend the day with me, ma chere."  She gave him a mischievous smile.  "I'm
not sure I should leave Kayla; it *is* her first day back, after all."

Lacroix growled, "Marguerite..."  She wriggled in his grasp, and continued to
tease him.  "Since you asked me so nicely, Lucien, I'll be there.  If you put me
down, I'll even pack something you'll appreciate more than this."  Lacroix set
her down.  "It's a deal."

**********

Natalie was pacing the loft; she was bored out of her mind.  Nick had gone to
the precinct for his interview with IA.  Joe Reese had called Nick and asked
him to come in.  Nick had told her the Captain said it shouldn't take too long.
-- Tracy's father was convinced Nick had done nothing wrong, and was
pushing to wrap this up.  The commissioner had other problems; it seemed
Tracy's body had disappeared from the morgue without a trace.

Nat picked up the phone.  She decided to check her messages, and then maybe
call Maggie.  She admired the ring on her finger as the phone rang.  It was so
beautiful.  Nick told her that Maggie had picked it out.  Nat would have called
to thank Maggie first, but, judging from the way she and Lacroix had been
looking at each other last night, Nat decided to wait.  She didn't want to
interrupt anything, and even though Nick had told her about his conversation
with Lacroix, Nat wasn't sure how Lacroix would react to her news.

There were several messages: a few advertisements, Captain Reese to ask how
she was feeling, and Grace.  Nat was surprised to hear her friend's voice say
she was transferred back to fill in during Natalie's leave of absence.  Grace was
very concerned, and wanted Nat to call her.  When Nat hung up, she decided
she would go over to the morgue to see Grace.  She knew Nick wanted her to
stay inside, but she was going stir-crazy.  She needed to get out, even if was
only for an hour or so.  She should even be back before Nick got home.

**********

The elevator door opened with a bang, and Kayla was in the middle of
dispensing some motherly advice as she and Marguerite stepped out.  "Really,
Marguerite, would it have killed you to wear a dress or something a little more
feminine?"  Marguerite retorted, "Except for our shoes, Maman, we are
dressed the same.  What's wrong with jeans, anyway?"  Kayla replied, "Nothing
is wrong with jeans, but I think you could have worn something
more...appropriate for Lucius."  Marguerite said, "It's Lucien now, Maman,
and I have something more appropriate packed in my overnight bag."

Marguerite walked further into the loft and looked around curiously.  Kayla
came up behind her and asked, "Maybe we should have called first?  I thought
you said they would be home, Marguerite."  "Who thought they'd go out?  He
was supposed to give her an engagement ring last night...  Unless he took her
to her place to pick up a few things."  Kayla handed her the phone.  "Why don't
you leave a message on our machine in case they decided to go to the
townhouse?  I'm going to get us something to drink. -- We may as well wait
for a little while to see if they come home."

**********

Nat decided to use her newly found talent of flying to get to the morgue.  She
landed in a quiet area a few blocks away, and started to walk the rest of the
way.  Her head swam with memories of last night. She couldn't remember ever
being so happy.  Nick had taken her flying, and afterwards he'd taken her back
to the loft.  He had *finally* told her that he loved her.  Nat had never doubted
it, not deep down anyway, but it was so wonderful to hear him say the words. 
Then he had given her that beautiful ring and asked her too marry him.

She had accepted immediately, of course, and then led him upstairs to the
bedroom.  Nat smiled to herself as she recalled their lovemaking. If she had any
idea they could be together like that when she was mortal, she would have
pressed Nick harder to bring her across. 

Natalie was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't hear or sense the form
come up behind her until it was too late.  He injected her with something and
grabbed her at the same time.  As Nat slumped into his embrace, he took off
into the night.

End Part Five