---------------------------------------------
based on characters from Forever Knight, etc.
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Natalie was sitting up in her hospital bed, a tiny newborn wrapped
in a pale yellow blanket slept soundly in her arms. Nick, standing
next to the bed, reached over and stroked the child's pale cheek
before transferring his affection to Nat. He grinned widely as he
gently caressed her hair, then leaned over to kiss her forehead.
Nat gazed up into his blue eyes and smiled. He looked so proud, so
happy, so ...human.

Suddenly the infant cried out for Nat's attention. Her joy suddenly
turned to terror as the child opened his eyes for the first time -
they were golden, and glowing. Nat reached out in panic for Nick,
but grasped only air. He was gone. Nat's heart started to pound. As
she scanned the empty room, the stark white walls seemed to close
in on her. Just as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness,
the baby screamed again. Nat stared down at her son in horror. Two
trickles of blood ran from his lower lip, where it had been
punctured by his own fully extended fangs.

Natalie woke from her dream startled and visibly shaking. She
rubbed her eyes, and was surprised to find her face full of tears.
The clock on the nightstand next to the bed read four a.m., and the
room was black and still. Consoling herself that it was only a bad
dream, Nat lay back down; but a moment later a real cry shattered
the silence. Nat jumped out of bed and scampered into the living
room, flicking the lightswitch on the way. The crying grew louder,
it seemed to be coming from the hallway. Nat unlocked the door and
opened it cautiously. At her feet lay a tiny infant, wriggling and
naked, in a plain cardboard box.

                          * * * * * * 

Nick was driving home after finishing an early shift. Nat was off
on a week's vacation and work just wasn't the same without her
around. He missed her terribly. It wouldn't have been so bad if he
could have seen her at home, but she had asked him not to come
around for a few days - said she needed some time to "think",
whatever the hell that meant. Nick was depressed and lonely, and
the pouring rain and thick fog he was driving through only
heightened his sense of isolation.

Not really wanting to hear LaCroix, but wanting to feel less alone,
Nick turned on the radio. LaCroix's velvety voice filled the air,
"...abandonment. What can be more cruel than being outcast by those
we love, or by those who should love us?  How many gentle hearts
are lost when lovers flee? How many emerge from the warmth of a
mother's womb only to be discarded to a cold concrete slab. We ask,
'why am I rejected'? It is a question with many answers, but only
one solution, a motto if you will, ...though others shall reject
me, I shall not reject myself."

Now feeling even worse, Nick shut off the car radio. Immediately a
loud crackling came over the police band, followed by a clear
announcement of Nat's address. Nick pulled out his cell phone and
quickly dialed her number. The car swerved on the wet pavement as
he made a hard left turn.

Nat answered on the third ring, "hello".

"Nat - are you okay!"

"I'm fine, Nick, just a little unexpected company. Nothing
dangerous."

Nick turned onto her street, "I'm coming over." He clicked off the
line before she had a chance to reply, or refuse. Nick parked on
the street in front of her building and noticed there were no
police on the scene yet. He hopped out of the caddy and ran up to
her apartment. When Nat opened the door Nick was standing there
fumbling through his keys looking for the one to her apartment.
During these last few days he had missed her dreadfully, but he
never understood just how much until he saw her standing there
before him.

Nat reached out and put her arms around Nick, fully realizing at
that moment just how much *she* missed him. She tugged him inside
and closed the door, "You should have come by earlier!"

Nick gave her a quick kiss on the lips and smiled, "You said you
wanted some time alone. Remember?"

"I'm sorry I said that now. But *you* could have been a little more
persistent." Nat felt so giddy and warm in Nick's arms that she
forgot all about Baby Doe, until he let out another wail.

"What on earth..." Nick mumbled as he eyed the room.

Released Nick from her embrace, Nat led him over to the couch where
the baby lay, wrapped snugly in her green wool sweater. She bent
over and picked up the child, and rocked it soothingly in her arms.
Nat grinned, "I told you I had a *little* unexpected company. He
was left on my doorstep." She nodded her head in the direction of
the cardboard box sitting on the coffee table, "I found him in that
about fifteen minutes ago, just outside my door. I washed him off,
wrapped him up, and called it in. He looks full-term and healthy,
but I do believe he's hungry."

Nick smiled as he watched Nat cheerfully rocking the baby and
making silly baby-talk, but his smile quickly faded as his heart
grew heavy. This was a side of Nat he had seldom seen, and truly
did not want to think about. Another thing in a list of things he
could never give her ...a daylight stroll through the park, a walk
along a sunny beach, his love, a child.

Nick's bleak thoughts were interrupted by a loud rapping on the
door. He went over and opened it to two plainclothes detectives.
Nick recognized the tall dark-haired man with the grey eyes, his
name was Craig. Nick met him once, and he didn't like him. The
feeling was mutual.

Craig recognized Nick and sneered, "Abandoned babies are a little
out of your jurisdiction aren't they, Knight? That is, when they're
still breathing anyway."

"Not funny," Nick growled.

As the officers made their way into the room, Nat strolled over
with the baby.

"Ms. Lambert!," Craig beamed at Nat. 

Nick glanced at Nat and then at Craig, "you know Natalie?" he asked
suspiciously.

"Yes, we've met on a ...couple of occasions," Craig replied. "You
haven't met my new partner though. Detective Knight - this is Paul.
Paul - this is Detective Knight."

Nick and Paul shook hands as Craig pulled out his notebook. He
looked around the room and headed for the out-of-place box. "Is
that what you found it in?"

Nat followed Craig over to the coffee table, "Yes. And *he* is all
I found in it - no note, no bottle, nothing. Not even a blanket."

"Nothing to trace," Craig sighed. "We'll have to ask around the
building, the neighbourhood, put out the standard plea to the
public."

Natalie cooed at the baby, "The poor little guy was just lying
there in his birthday suit, and I'd say his birthday was only a few
hours ago, if that." She carried Baby Doe back over to the couch.

"How long until Social Services gets here?" Nick asked.

"Fifteen or twenty minutes." Paul responded. "We'll just have to
wait here until they come."

Nat grinned slyly, "Nick, why don't you come here and hold the baby
while I put the coffee on." 

Nick walked hesitatingly over to the couch and sat down. Amused,
Nat gently placed the infant in his arms. Nick was noticeably
uncomfortable, and grew even more uneasy as he watched Craig follow
Nat into the kitchen. He could hear some giggling, but their voices
were so muffled even his keen sense of hearing could not pick up
the actual words. After a few minutes of that Nick had had enough
and stood up. He carried the child over to Paul and dropped it
firmly into Paul's arms, "here, you take him."

Stepping into the kitchen Nick asked, "Need any help?". Craig was
holding a tray while Natalie was busy filling it with mugs of hot
coffee, spoons, cream and sugar. 

"I think we've got it under control," Nat replied. Nick stood there
quietly until Craig left with the tray, "what was so funny, Nat?"

"Huh?"

"I heard you laughing," Nick grumbled as he walked over to her,
"just how well do you know him anyway?"

"You sound jealous," Nat teased.

"Should I be?"

Nat glanced towards the window, "don't you think you should get
going? It *is* almost dawn. You won't have enough time to get home
if you don't leave now."

"I think I'll stay." Nick abruptly turned around and headed for the
living room. Nat followed behind him with a wicked grin on her
face, secretly relishing his jealously.

Natalie sat next to Nick on the couch. Craig and Paul, who was
still holding the baby, sat down in the two chairs opposite the
couch. Craig took a long sip from his mug before starting his
interrogation. Turning to a fresh page in his notebook he
scrutinized Natalie, "start at the beginning."

"Well I woke up when I heard the baby crying." Natalie shuddered as
she recalled her dream, not honestly knowing whether it was the
haunting image of the vampire child, or Nick's disappearance that
frightened her the most. Nick was puzzled by her fleeting chill of
fear and put his arm around her. Nat continued, "I checked the
time, it was around four."

Nat just finished telling her story when there was another knock on
the door. Nick rose and answered the door. A short, green-eyed
redhead greeted him cheerfully, "Hello. I'm Karen Mantt, Social
Services."

Paul and Craig stood up as Karen walked into the room. She headed
straight for Paul who immediately handed the baby over to her.
Karen removed the wool sweater and wrapped him in a receiving
blanket.

"Where does he go from here?" Nat asked as she recovered her
sweater.

"Well, the hospital for a few days to make sure he's okay, and then
into emergency foster care until a more permanent space is
available."

"What if the mother shows up?" Nat asked.

Karen sighed, "it's unlikely, unless we get a tip that leads us to
her." Karen turned around and left with the infant. Paul picked up
the cardboard box and followed her out.

"I don't suppose you've seen any noticeably pregnant women around
here?" Craig asked Nat on his way out the door.

"I'm afraid I can't help you there." As Nat closed the door behind
him she noticed glimmers of sunlight filtering through the sides of
the blinds. She turned to Nick, "You better sleep in my room. Just
let me get in there and change the sheets."

Nick stepped towards her and smiled, "I think you're probably
right, but don't worry about the bedding." He put his arms around
her, "by the way, what was it that frightened you? I felt you
shivering when you were telling Craig about hearing the baby cry."

Again Nat shivered involuntarily, "Just a bad dream. It was
nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing. Do you want to talk about it?"

Nat kissed his cheek and grinned, "No, Nick. I really don't want to
talk about it." She slipped from his embrace and went into her
room, emerging a moment later with Sydney. "He'll sleep out here
with me."


Thanks to the black-out curtains, Natalie's bedroom was as dark as
Nick's loft was during the day. Being on the night shift, her need
to sleep during the day made them a necessity.

Nick undressed and slipped into Nat's bed, thick and sweet with her
scent. He clutched her pillow under his bare chest, imagining her
there, and felt the vampire begin to stir. Surrounded by her as he
was, Nick ached with desire, and was fighting to keep the vampire
at bay. /Perhaps he should have let her change the sheets/ Nick
moaned in frustration as he pulled the pillow out from under his
chest, turned it over, and buried his face in it. He felt cool
dampness on his cheek, and inhaled the scent of Nat's recent tears.
Nick's human love for Nat then overwhelmed him, and crushed the
vampire's burning lust.

With the vampire firmly under control, and his eyes a steady blue,
Nick envisioned Nat holding that baby in her arms and again thought
of the things he could never give her. He struggled to hold back
his own tears, but he knew it was a futile struggle ...it always
was. Nick's tears came freely now, mingling with those on Nat's
pillow. He knew at that moment that if they ever cried together,
they would become hopelessly lost in each other, and hopelessly
lost in eternal darkness. Nick fell asleep, and dreamed of making
love to Nat.
                          * * * * * * 

Natalie woke up late in the afternoon and went to Nick's loft to
pick up a bottle of blood for him. She arrived back at her
apartment just as the sun began to set. As she reached her door she
heard someone call out her name. Nat turned her head to see Craig
running up the stairs towards her.

"What are you doing here?" Nat asked.

When he reached the door Craig staggered for a moment to catch his
breath, "I'm just following up on the Baby Doe case, canvassing the
neighbours and such."

"I see," uttered Nat as she turned the key in the lock.

"Do you mind if I come in and ask a few more questions?"

Nat pushed the door open, "There's nothing else to tell. I told you
everything last night."

Craig flashed a coy smile, "Caught me ...how about a cup of coffee
then?"

Nat blushed slightly at his vain attempt to flirt with her yet
again. She had bumped into him many times in the cafeteria at work,
and he never failed to ask her out. She never failed to decline.
Nat smiled, "Okay. Come in."

Craig made himself comfortable in a chair while Nat went into the
kitchen. She pulled the bottle out of her shopping bag and slipped
it into the fridge, before making coffee.

                          * * * * * * 

Half-awake, Nick thought he heard Craig's voice in the other room.
It reminded him of when he first met Craig, about six months ago in
the Coroner's building. Craig was standing covertly outside Nat's
office peeking through the doorway. Nick had snuck up behind him
and grabbed him by the shoulder, "You seem to have an unusual
interest in the Coroner."

"There's nothing unusual about a man having an interest in a
beautiful woman," Craig snickered as he broke away from Nick's
grasp.

"There is when he hides in the hallway and spies on her," Nick
growled. He was tempted to clobber Craig then and there, "I think
you better leave." That was the last Nick saw of him, until last
night.

Nick fully awoke and quickly slipped on his jeans when he heard Nat
shout those very same words, "I think you better leave!" He rushed
into the living room to see Craig with his hands on Nat's
shoulders, almost pinning her against the wall. Craig spun around
just as Nick's fist slammed into his face. Craig stumbled backwards
and held his hand to his nose, blood oozing out between his
fingers.

"What's this idiot doing here, Nat?" Nick demanded as he pulled
Craig to his feet and shoved him out the door.

"I'm sorry Nick. I really didn't think he'd be like that. He's a
cop for God's sake. He just asked to come in for coffee." Nat
paused for a second and added, "I guess I won't have to worry about
him bothering me at work again."

"He bothered you at work?" Nick asked with some concern.

"Well, he was a little persistent in trying to get me to go out
with him."

Nick almost snarled at her, "So inviting him into your apartment is
supposed to discourage him?"

Nat crossed her arms defiantly, "I knew you were here, Nick. I
figured he'd discover you were here all night and *finally* get the
message."

Before Nick had a chance to counter, his cell phone rang. Nat went
to the kitchen for the blood and a glass while Nick took the call.
When she walked back into the living room, Nick was putting away
his phone. "They think they've found Baby Doe's mother."

"Who is she?" Nat asked curiously.

"The question is 'who *was* she', Nat. They found her body a few
hours ago under the Gardiner near Bathurst."

"Murdered?" Nat gasped.

"That's not entirely ruled out, but the preliminary results
indicate severe blood loss due to haemorrhage associated with
childbirth complications. No overt sign of foul play."

Nat sighed, "So this is one instance where the standard police plea
was accurate. The mother who abandoned her newborn really did need
medical assistance."

"You're half-right Nat," Nick replied. "She did need medical
attention, but she didn't abandon her baby. The preliminary report
also states the child was born where the body was found, and the
mother never left that spot."

"Then how the hell did he end up outside my door?"

"That's what I'm going to find out." Nick hurriedly downed two
glasses of blood while he finished getting dressed. He gave Nat a
hug and kissed her cheek, "Lock the door behind me. I'll stop by
later."

Nick arrived outside at the caddy to discover both his passenger
window and headlamp smashed in. It was a none-too-subtle message
from Craig ...a message that things weren't quite over yet.

                          * * * * * * 

After a twenty minute drive, Nick arrived at the Gardiner/Bathurst
site. He was tempted to go talk to LaCroix first about his timely
monologue, but that would have to wait, as would the other thing he
had to take care of. The area was still cordoned off, but only one
officer, Les Greene, remained on the scene.

Les had just finished packing up his things and was heading over
towards Nick's car. Noting the smashed window and headlight he
bellowed out in a loud voice that suited his burly physique, "Hey -
Knight!" "What the hell happened to your car?"

"Don't even ask," Nick groaned as he got out of the caddy.

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Les muttered as he got in his own car
and drove off.

Nick walked around the area, but the only visible sign that
anything at all had happened here was a large blood stain on the
concrete where the body had been. Nick climbed back into the caddy
and he too drove off.

About ten minutes later Nick arrived at the police station. Tracy
was nowhere to be found so he popped into Reese's office. As Nick
walked in, Reese looked up, "Tracy's not in tonight, Nick. She
booked off sick."

"Anything new on the Baby Doe case?"

"Only that murder's been all but ruled out, so there's no need for
homicide to be involved for the time being." Reese tapped the end
of his pencil on the desk, "However, I'm sure you have a personal
interest in investigating the mystery of his arrival at Dr.
Lambert's."

"If you don't mind Captain. I do have a couple of things I'd like
to check out tonight."

"I don't have a free officer to pair you with, Nick. It's this flu
going around - again. It's like a damn ghost town in here."

"These are things I can check out myself."

Reese leaned back in his chair, "Fine, go ahead. But if we get any
real murder and mayhem tonight, you're off this case pronto."

Nick nodded his understanding and left Reese's office. He stepped
over to a free desk, sat down in front of the computer and started
pounding on the keys. It only took a few minutes for Craig's
personnel file to pop up. Finding out what he needed to know, Nick
left his car at the station and took to the air. He materialized on
Craig's front porch and banged on the door. A few minutes later
Craig, with a heavily bandaged nose, appeared. "What the hell do
you want Knight?"

"The question is, what the hell do you want?" Nick barked. "What do
you want with Natalie."

"Stupid question, Knight. And you call yourself a detective? I want
exactly what you think I want - to get laid."

Nick wanted to smash Craig's face in again, and it took every bit
of his resolve to resist. He locked eyes with Craig for the whammy,
"Remember this. If you ever touch her again, I *will* kill you."
Not wanting to look at Craig's face for an instant longer than
necessary, Nick turned and left. He flew back to his car and then
drove to the Raven.

It was one of those rare occasions when the music in the Raven was
not deafening. In fact, as well as being at a much lower volume
than normal, it was unusually soft and soothing. The club was also
strangely empty. LaCroix sensed Nick's arrival and strolled out
from his booth, glass in hand, to meet him.

"So, Nicholas," LaCroix chuckled, "I gather from your presence you
were listening to my broadcast this morning." LaCroix led Nick over
to a table near his booth. They sat down and LaCroix offered, "it
was sheer coincidence that I happened upon the area and heard the
baby's cries."

Nick was somewhat startled, "*You* took him to Nat's?"

"Does that surprise you Nicholas?" LaCroix crooned. "I should think
it is a most logical place. She is a doctor after all, and
connected to the police department."

"I'm not surprised that you took him *there*. I am surprised that
you took him at all." Nick waited for a response from LaCroix, but
none was forthcoming. Understanding the conversation was over, he
rose to leave, "One other thing - about your broadcast - how did
you know the mother planned to abandon the baby? Was she alive when
you found her?"

"No, Nicholas," LaCroix sighed, "she was not alive when I found
her. I was not talking about the child. I was referring to the
mother."


It wasn't quite ten o'clock by the time Nick finished with LaCroix.
Under the circumstances, his work on this case was finished. Nick
headed back to the station, knowing that Baby Doe's expedition to
Nat's apartment would end up as an unsolved mystery. He spent the
next few hours going over paperwork, packing it in around two-
thirty.
                          * * * * * * 

Nick arrived back at Nat's place shortly before three and let
himself in. Nat had left a table lamp on, but was in her bed
asleep. Nick listened to her muttering in her sleep as he crept
into the room. He couldn't resist yet another stolen moment, laying
down next to her and feeling the warmth of her body against his. As
always, the experience ended as soon as it started, when the
vampire began to appear. Nick bolted upright, and his commotion
woke Nat. When she saw him there on her bed, she pulled him back
down. He closed his golden eyes so as not to frighten her. Nat
nuzzled his ear and whispered a sleepy, "I love you".

Nick kissed her lips gently and whispered back, "I love you". They
clung to each other for a precious moment, but both knew
instinctively that another minute of this and there would be no
turning back. They had too much experience in separation. Nick
pulled himself away from her and left the room.

Nat emerged from her room a few minutes later, dressed in jeans and
a loose sweater. "So, did you find out how Baby Doe came to be at
my doorstep?"

"Nothing I can write up in a report," Nick grinned.

"Oh?"

"It was LaCroix, Nat. It was sheer coincidence that he was in that
area and heard the crying. To him you were the most logical person
to take the baby to."

"Are you serious?" Nat asked in disbelief. She was stunned that
LaCroix would have bothered himself over the child. He had shown
his disdain of humanity countless times. "Somehow I just can't
picture LaCroix doing anything so ...benevolent."

"Well, Nat, lately I've come to believe that the thing LaCroix
despises most about humans is what he perceives as their utter
disregard for each other."

"So what are you saying Nick? He *had* to do something or he would
consider himself as apathetic as a human?"

"Something like that I suppose," Nick smiled, "ironic, isn't it?"

Nat just shook her head in confusion.

"Why don't you grab your coat and we'll go visit Baby Doe before
the sun comes up."

Nat hesitated, "I'm not really sure I want to."

Nick picked up her coat and helped her into it. Standing behind her
he quipped, "It's just a baby Nat. It doesn't have golden eyes and
fangs." He bent down and added in a whisper, "and I'm not going
anywhere."

Nat spun around in amazement, "What made you say that! How did you
know! That was *my* dream!"

"I'm a detective, Nat, remember?" Nick took Nat in his arms, "and
I have dreams too."

Nat hugged him tightly, infinitely relieved that he seemed more
amused by her dream than repulsed by it. She kissed him
passionately before whispering in his ear, "I still don't know how
you figured that out, Detective Knight."

Nick opened the door for her and whispered back, "You talk in your
sleep, Dr. Lambert."

-- The End --

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