Part Four

Eric rearranged the papers on his desk for the third time in about five minutes. 
He checked the clock again and sighed.  How long until Knight was due in? 
He was tired of waiting, and so *bored*.  With the exception of the 'headless
bodies' case, things had been surprisingly quiet for the last few weeks.  He'd
wrapped up one case this afternoon, and wanted to wait for Nick's opinion on
another.  

And then there were the headless bodies--two bodies and no leads.  Natalie
couldn't tell them much, other than it was done by a very strong person and
with an extremely sharp blade.  However, she had managed to extract a few
tiny pieces of the metal from one of the bodies, and had sent it in for testing.  It
was the most they had to go on right now.  He started to read the reports over
again, hoping to find something he might have missed.

*****

Needing to think about what had happened to Eric at the Raven last night,
Nick had gone for a short drive before heading for work.  Nick pulled into the
precinct parking lot and turned off the car.  Natalie had told him about it, and
he was starting to wonder about his young partner.  At first, Nat had been
uneasy during Daisy's 'talk' with Eric, but once it was all over, she'd realized
that Marguerite had made the right decision.  Maybe the only way to convince
Eric to be careful was to put some fear into him.

"So, just how mad are you?"  The sound of Marguerite's voice startled him
slightly.

Smiling, he turned to her.  "I'm not angry.  I'm not sure what to think."

She smiled back.  "Okay."  She handed a box to Nick.  "I have a little
something for Eric.  Could you give it to him for me?"

Nick's smile turned mischievous.  "A gift?  Does Lacroix know that you're
giving other men gifts?" he teased.

Marguerite rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.  "It's a cross, Uncle Nick. 
*Please* make sure he wears it.  It's not much protection, but it's the best I
could do."

"Do you think that this girl is going to be a problem?" Nick asked seriously.

"I hope not."  Marguerite sighed.  "I have enough things to worry about right
now.  I don't want to add Eric's safety to the list.  But I think he should wear
the cross just as a precaution.  It's not going to stop a determined vampire, but
it should give him an edge."  

*****

Eric was struggling to stay focused on the report in front of him, when a
shadow came over his desk.  He glanced up to see a surprising visitor--the girl
from the Raven.  She looked just as beautiful as she did last night, only now in
the bright lighting of the precinct, he could see the pallor of her skin.

He noticed several people looking their way inquisitively.  This was going to
be all over the precinct in a flash...and Nick was going to kill him.  How was he
going to get rid of her before Knight got here?  "Dani..."

Dani gave him her best flirtatious smile.  She heard his slight intake of breath
when he recognized her, and his heart was beating slightly faster than normal. 
She mistook this for interest on his part.  "I hope you don't mind me coming by
like this, Eric.  I wanted to see you again, and this was the only way I knew to
reach you."

He stood up quickly, hoping that she wouldn't notice how nervous he really
was.  "No, no.  It's fine.  I don't have much time, though.  My partner will be
here soon, and then I have to get to work."

"I won't keep you long."  She moved closer and placed a kiss on his cheek.  "Is
there somewhere we can talk?" she whispered in his ear.

Eric was torn.  It was a fairly stupid move to go anywhere alone with this
woman, but more and more people around the department were starting to
watch the two of them.  More gossip for the rumor mill, since he was just as
'mysterious' as Nick--he kept his life away from the precinct private.  A sneaky
glance at the clock told him that Knight would be in at any moment, so he
decided to take a chance.

"Sure.  I think there's an interrogation room free."  He took her hand and
began to lead her towards the room.  They were almost to the door when Nick
caught up with them.

"Eric!"  Nick realized that the girl with his partner matched Marguerite's
description exactly.  Yep, she was going to be a problem; it figured.

"Knight, nice of you to show up for work," Eric joked, inwardly relieved.

Nick replied, "If I'd known that you were going to have such a pretty guest, I'd
have made an extra effort to be on time."  He gave the 'young' woman his most
charming, boyish smile.

Dani knew who he was, of course.  God, he was handsome.  She found herself
smiling back.  "I met Eric last night, and had such a good time that I had to
come and thank him."

A look passed between the two vampires.  Nick wasn't falling for her excuse,
and Dani knew it.  Nick turned his gaze to Eric.  "Captain's looking for you,
Eric, and he doesn't sound happy.  Why don't I walk your guest out while you
go see what he wants?"

Eric tried not to look as confused as he felt.  "Sure."

Dani turned to Eric as Nick took ahold of her arm.  "I'll call you soon."

Nick dragged her off before she could hear Eric's reply, if he had one.  He
waited until they were out in front of the precinct to speak.  He gripped her
elbow firmly and growled, "You *won't* be calling Eric anytime soon.  I
would be very angry if I saw you anywhere near him...and you don't want to
make me angry."

What was so special about this mortal that so many of her kind were protecting
him?  Dani struggled to free herself, but it was no use--the elder vampire was
just too strong.  "And why should I stay away from Eric?  I'm not scared of
you.  My master..."  Surely Branwen wouldn't let him get away with
threatening her.

"I killed the vampire who made my master, so the threat of your master does
not frighten me."  He squeezed her arm even tighter and growled in answer to
her hiss of pain.  Angry blue eyes stared into her wild amber ones.  Feeling her
fear, he decided his point was made, and pushed her away from himself.  She
backed away slowly, cradling her arm against her body as she did so.  Then she
was gone.  Nick took a few calming breaths before heading back into the
precinct to find his partner.

********************

Marguerite stood in the doorway to the morgue, unwilling to interrupt Natalie,
who was deeply involved in her work.  She watched for a few minutes, finally
stepping further into the room when she spied a person heading down the hall. 
Though she made no noise, Natalie said, "Don't bother sneaking up on me, I
know you're there."  Nat turned and smiled, obviously proud that she'd been
able to catch the person sneaking up on her for a change.

"Now would I do that?" Marguerite teased as she fully entered the room.  She
hopped up on the empty examining table opposite Natalie's current 'patient' and
nodded towards the body.  "Don't let me interrupt."

"I was just about finished.  We can talk while I close up."  Nat turned around
to clean up.  "So, what brings you here?"

"You.  I wanted to see how you were."

"I told you last night, I'm fine.  I just got a little nervous, that's all."

Marguerite smiled.  "I believed you.  I was just wondering how that case was
going.  I know it was bothering you."

Natalie grimaced as she replied, "It's going nowhere.  I'm waiting for some test
results, but I'm not confident that anything is going to come of them.  How
about you?  Is Lacroix any better?"

"Not really.  I caught him staring out the window when I came home last night;
he didn't even hear me come in.  It's almost definite that this creepy Branwen
woman is the one from his past.  And then Kayla told me she wanted to come
home when I spoke to her.  I convinced her to stay where she is."  Marguerite
sighed.  "I stopped by to give Uncle Nick a cross for Eric before I came here. 
Three new ones in town..."

"That's it!" Nat yelled excitedly.  Suddenly, it all made sense.  Someone with
superior strength, even with the sharp blade.  "I don't know why I didn't think
of this before."  She lowered her voice as she moved to close the door.  "A
vampire.  It could be a vampire, covering his kills."

"Or *her* kills," Marguerite interjected; her interest was definitely peaked
now.  "Don't forget that it could be a woman just as easily.  When are you
going to tell Uncle Nick?"

"I think I'm going to call him now.  The sooner he knows, the better off we'll
all be."

********************

She watched him through the cover of the trees.  It was a wonderful night for
the hunt; the Spring air was crisp, and there was very little moonlight.  The less
light there was, the better.  She did not want to be seen with her prey.

At first, she had hunted only for sustenance.  She would have properly dumped
the first body if she hadn't been interrupted.  After that it became a
game...although she hadn't really intended on leaving any more than two
bodies.  If it weren't for the fact that she'd heard Lucius on the radio the other
night, she and her fledglings would have been long gone.

She followed the man for a short distance in the cover of the darkness.  He was
the perfect victim, really, from his looks to the situation.  He was tall and
muscular, with short blond hair.  Didn't he know how dangerous it was to be
out jogging this late at night in the middle of a deserted park?

Finally, she grew tired of stalking him and moved so that she appeared ahead
of him on the path.  Appearing to have been coming from the opposite
direction, she 'stumbled' and fell.  True to form, the young man stopped in
order to help the 'damsel in distress'.  Impatient for the kill, she sank her fangs
into his neck as she dragged him down to the ground.


++++++++++++++++++++


Counting the hours until he could drop Eric off at home safely, Nick glanced at
his partner again.  Eric was still admiring the crucifix that Marguerite had given
to him.  Nick had to admit that it was very nice; somehow, his niece had
known exactly what Eric would like.

After Natalie had called him to tell him her idea that the killer could be a
vampire, Nick had wanted to go to the Raven to question Lacroix about any
new vampires in the area.  But he didn't want to take his partner into the club
near so many members of the Community, especially if one of them happened
to be the killer.  He'd decided not to share this little bit of information with his
partner--not just yet, anyway.  

**********

The club was fairly crowded.  Marguerite was at a table in the back, rather
than at the bar.  Miklos had just left her a drink, glowering at the small group
of males that just happened to be standing near her as he passed them. He'd
been far too serious lately; perhaps he was picking up on Lucien's strange
moods.

Picking up her glass, Marguerite glanced around the room.  She'd have to see
about finding a dance partner if Alejandro didn't show up soon.  Looking
towards the entrance, she spotted the vampire that had been in her store the
other night.  Frankly, she was surprised that she hadn't seen him before this.  It
didn't take him long to find her in the crowd, and they made eye contact as he
made his way toward her across the dance floor.

She finished off her drink and set the glass down.  He gave her a friendly smile
as he approached her, and she found herself wondering just how many women
fell for his phony charm.  She kept her hands behind her back, just in case he
got it in his head to try and kiss one.

"It's so nice to see a friendly face.  I wasn't sure if I'd see you here."

"I told you that I'm here quite a bit...and you'll find that almost everyone is
friendly here."

Shane inclined his head.  "Very true.  I was here for a short time last night, and
found that I really liked the place.  It's really amazing."

Finally, something he was sincere about.  Marguerite smiled, thinking of
Janette.  "The previous owner was quite proud of it; she worked hard at
making this club a success."

"My name is Shane, by the way.  I didn't get your name the other night."

"I didn't offer it to you.  It's Marguerite."

"Would you like to dance, Marguerite?"

She shrugged.  Why not?  At least she wouldn't have to try and make small talk
with him.  And when they were done dancing, she would introduce him to a
few other women who might be more interested in his...charms.  She allowed
him to take her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor.


From the bar, Miklos watched Marguerite dance with the young stranger.  He
didn't care for the fledgling at all, and he was sure that Lacroix would not
approve either.  Hopefully, Lacroix was too busy with his radio broadcast to
observe what was going on, but Miklos rather doubted it.  He could see that
the stranger was getting closer to Marguerite with each moment that they
danced, and would probably make some kind of move soon.

He knew that Lacroix did not mind Marguerite mingling with the patrons, but
Lacroix had also asked Miklos to keep an eye on her while she did so.  As
much as he would have liked to interfere, he had promised Marguerite long
ago that he would not...not unless she asked for help.  And he would do just
about anything for her.  She had restored the club  to the way it had been
before Janette left.  No more amateur strip nights, thank goodness.  All he
could do was watch and wait to see if he was needed.


It didn't take long for Miklos' suspicion to become a reality.  A sensual song
started to play, and Shane quickly reached his hand out and grabbed at
Marguerite's hip in an attempt to pull her to him.

Marguerite pushed his hand aside.  "I didn't mean to mislead you by accepting
your invitation to dance, Shane, but I am very much involved with someone at
the moment."

"So I've heard.  The owner of the club, if I'm not mistaken.  Are you concerned
that he might see us?  I'm not afraid..."

"Neither am I," she interrupted.  "But *you* should be.  More importantly, I
am not interested in you.  I'm going to get something to drink, and I'd
appreciate it if you were gone by the time I return."  She turned and strode
away towards the back rooms.  She shared a barely perceptible look with
Miklos as she passed the bar, and knew that Shane would be gone in a matter
of minutes.

Needing to let off some steam, she headed for the broadcast booth.  She barely
had her hand on the doorknob when the door was jerked open.  In a flash, she
found herself dragged inside and pressed up against the now closed door. 
Lacroix's mouth was on hers in a demanding, passionate kiss.  Marguerite was
immediately aroused, and returned his kiss with equal fervor.

Brushing her hair to one side, his lips found the softness of her neck, devouring
every inch of her alabaster skin.  He growled softly, holding her hands up
against the wooden frame of the door.

Wrapping a leg around her lover, Marguerite pulled him closer.  If she were
mortal, her heart would have been pounding in her chest.  She had never
wanted anyone more than she wanted Lacroix, especially at this moment. 
"Lucien, please..." she whispered, her voice thick with passion.

Lacroix released her hands as he moved his own to her waist.  She whimpered
as his fangs entered her flesh, and her thoughts became his.  She could sense
his passion, his thoughts, the power that flowed through his veins. And she
wanted more.  Feeling dizzy with lust, she swayed in his arms.  Pleased by the
rising heat he felt in her, a primal growl escaped Lacroix's lips.  He took a
fistful of Marguerite's hair and tilted her head further back.

Marguerite sighed, reaching her hands to unbutton his shirt.  Wanting to
control their lovemaking, Lacroix pushed them out of the way.  He grabbed the
front of her sweater roughly and pulled, sending the buttons spraying onto the
floor.  Marguerite barely noticed; all she could think of was this total feeling of
ecstasy.  He pulled off her sweater and began to tug at the tank top that had
been underneath.

"Not so fast," she panted as she grabbed at his wrists.  "You've had enough
fun.  Now it's my turn."

Lacroix smiled devilishly.  "And just what are you planning on doing?"

She grinned back as she replied, "This."  In an instant, she had switched their
positions, and now it was Lacroix against the door. She tore at his shirt,
scratching her nails against his flesh in the process.  He jumped slightly when
she drew blood, but out of desire, not pain.  Marguerite placed her mouth over
the cut and sucked at the blood that trickled out.

She worked her way up to his throat, placing nipping kisses as she went.  More
than eager to help her, Lacroix took a firm grip on Marguerite's buttocks and
lifted her up.  Wrapping her legs around his waist, she let out a small growl as
she pushed his head to one side and thrust her fangs into his neck.  She
shuddered as his blood filled her mouth.  Lacroix leaned back against the door
for support as waves of pleasure passed through him.

Her passion sated for the time being, Marguerite rested her head against
Lacroix's shoulder as he carried her to his chair.  They sat in silence for several
minutes.  Finally, Lacroix asked quietly, "Feeling better?"

"Mmmm...  Much."  Marguerite lifted her head to look into Lacroix's eyes. 
She traced his full bottom lip with the tip of a finger before leaning in for a
kiss.  When she pulled back, there was a twinkle in her eyes and she was
smiling mischievously, but she remained silent.

"It seems I've ruined another article of your clothing, mon amour," Lacroix
commented lightly.

"You can buy me a new sweater," she teased.  "You're not exactly dressed for
company either."

"So it would seem," he replied distractedly as he noticed his torn shirt for the
first time.  Movement outside the 'window' of the booth caught his eye, and he
was reminded of the reason she'd left the dance floor in the first place.

"Who was that you were dancing with?" he asked, idly stroking her denim clad
hip as he waited for an answer.

Marguerite frowned at the thought of Shane.  "His name is Shane.  He was at
Fleur-de-lis the other night, and I mentioned the Raven in passing.  He claimed
that he was just visiting."  She twisted her head around to see if he'd done as
she demanded, and left the club.

Lacroix gently turned her face back to his.  "Miklos had him out the door
before you even came back here."

"Are you angry?"  Her eyes searched his for an answer.

"No, of course not."  He took her hand and brushed his lips against her fingers. 
"I believe that he was in here last night, but he left before you and Natalie
arrived.  If he comes in here again, I would like to have a little talk with him."

"Lucien," Marguerite warned.

"Just a talk, Marguerite."  Lacroix did his best to look innocent, but
Marguerite wasn't buying the act.  She did her best to look as if she believed
him without laughing, and then moved as if to rise from his lap.  

Pulling her back down, he mock-growled, "Where do you think you're going?"

A giggle escaped her lips this time.  He just didn't seem at all imposing as he
was now: half-naked with her curled up on his lap like a cat.  She kissed him
before stretching sensually and attempting to stand again.  This time he let her
go.  

"I'm going to get changed.  Do you want me to bring you another shirt?"

"You're not going anywhere dressed like that."

Genuinely puzzled, she looked down at herself.  She had on jeans and tank top
that bared her belly button.  The only difference from before she'd come in here
was the matching sweater that had covered the tank top.  The majority of her
dresses showed more skin than this.  "Like what?"

"Here, take my jacket and put it on."  If she didn't understand, he refused to
explain himself to her.  Still with a bemused expression on her face, Marguerite
allowed him to slip the jacket on.  Stealing one last kiss, she slipped from the
room.


End Part Four