(Actually it's more around 5:30 in the morning)


"Are you going to shower before you go to bed?"

"I think a bubble bath would be nice...care to join me?"

"I don't think so."

"I'll let you play with my rubber ducky..."

"What?"

Nick grinned.

"Party pooper."

"I'm going home now...I've got work tonight and so do you."

"You promised to read me a bedtime story..."

Nat sighed.

"And you said you were going to tuck me in."

"Are you whining?"

"No."
 
"Do you want me to get  your jammies for you?"

"Okay. I'm going to take a nice, long bubble bath...all by myself...in that 
big, lonely tub..."

"Awww. Poor baby..."

A few minutes later, Natalie heard Nick splashing around singing 
something about the Love Boat..."

"Rats!"

"What?"

"I dropped my duckie."

"Will you just hurry up and finish?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I dropped the soap too."

"Well get out and get it!"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"My toe is stuck in the drain."

"Well, get it unstuck!"

"I can't...Nat, could you come in here and help me?"

"Are you sure you can't do it yourself?"

"Nat..."

"What?"

"The water won't turn off."

"What?"

"Nat! I'm going to drown!"

Natalie rushed into steamy bathroom...

"If you're lying to me Nick...you're gonna get it!"

"Promise?"

Battling her way through the dense fog in the bathroom...Natalie found 
Nick up to his neck in bubbles with a sheepish grin on his face...

"You really are stuck..."

"Nat...the water is getting deeper..."

"Where are your tools?"

Nick smiled.

"My what?"

"Pliers...I need pliers to turn the faucet off!"

"Downstairs, I think...or in my trunk...

"Stay right there, I'll go get them..."

Natalie ran downstairs and rummaged through the drawers...no luck.

She frantically waited for the lift door to open. It was stuck.

"Nick! The door's stuck!"

She heard gurgling sounds in reply.

Nat vaulted up the stairs and slid into the bathroom.

Bubbles covered the floor, and Nick was nowhere to be seen.

"Nick!"

Nick stuck his head out of a mound of bubbles...

"Ha! I did it!"

"How did you get the faucet turned off?"

"That little thingy there on the side of the wall."

"Are you still stuck?"

"Yep."

"How on earth did you do that in the first place?"

Nick shrugged.

"Well let me see if I can help."

Nat began rolling up her sleeves.

She stuck her arm into the tub up to her elbow.

"Okay...got your..."

"Nat...that's NOT my foot."

"Nat...that's not my foot..."

"What?"

"Nat...you can let go now."

"What?"

"Nat. My toe?"

"Oh. Yeah. Your toe."

"Is stuck in the drain?"

"The drain...right. The drain."

"Is towards the other end of the tub."

"Oh...right"

Nat was wading through the dense cloud of bubbles...she couldn't see 
through them so...she let her fingers do the walking.

"Nat."

"Sorry."

"I think I found your duckie."

"No. You didn't."

"The soap?"

"Nope."

"Nat, the bubbles are disappearing."

"Aww. That's too bad. Well as soon as they do, I'll be able to see...er, 
get to the bottom...uh, I can see the drain."

"Nat, let me help you."

Nick took her hand and promtly pulled her into the tub.

Water splashed over the edges.

"Arrrrgggghhh! Ppppptttttt." 

Nat was spitting bubbles and wiping her eyes.

"Nick! I have all my clothes on!"

"So...take em' off!"

"But...no!"

Nat tried to gracefully exit from the tub...but fell on a naked Nick instead.

"Back so soon?"

"Help me get out of here!"

"Not until you get my toe unstuck!"

"I think I found your little duckie."

"That's not...LITTLE duckie?"

"Must've been in the tub to long, poor thing is starting to shrivel..."

Nick gasped and almost jumped out of the water..

"I got my toe out of the drain!"

"About time...another hour and your poor duckie..."

"Throw me a towel?"

Nat tossed it way over Nick's head...he reached for it...

"My, my, my..."

"Nat...turn around!"

"Fine."

Nat was toweling her suit dry and mopping her hair.

"Nat...will you please get me another towel?"

She tossed him a washcloth.

"Nat!"

"Sorry. I got the big one...towel that is..."

"Oh. And I'm going to borrow your black pajamas until my clothes dry..."

She made her way into the bedroom.

"What do I wear?"

"Birthday suit?"

"Nat."

"Here!"

She tossed Nick another pair of pajamas.

"I can't wear these Nat!"

"You can wear the washcloth then...like Tarzan...I'll be Jane..."

Nick thought about that...

Natalie was sitting on the edge of the bed dressed in Nick's pajamas when 
he came out of the bathroom...

"Schanke give you those?"

"How'd you guess?"

"Reindeer don't usually look like that do they?"

"They're moose."

"How's your toe?"

Nick smirked.

"Fine, thank you."

"What possessed you to stick your toe in the drain anyway?"

"Got you in the tub with me didn't it?"

Natalie sneezed.

"Uh, oh...catching a cold? Here, let me."

Nick took the towel from Natalie and moving to sit behind her, began to 
dry her hair.

"Feels wonderful."

"You look stunning in black silk..."

"You look pretty good in...yak."

"Moose."

"Right."

Nick finished toweling Natalie's hair and began yawning.

"What time is it anyway?"

"About 8:00."

"I should be going."

"You're going to drive all the way to your place in pajamas?"

"Guess you're right."

"You didn't read me my bedtime story either."

Nick frowned.

"That's true."

"Haven't tucked me in..."

Nick pouted.

"I forgot."

"You haven't given me a goodnight kiss..."

Nick sniffled.

"Fine...scoot over."

Nat slid under the silk sheets with Nick.

Nick rested his head under her chin.

Natalie picked up the book on the bedside table.

"Is this your bedtime story?"

"Uh huh."

Natalie whacked him in the head with the back of the book.

"RED HOT RIDING HOOD???"

"Nick! I'm not reading this!"

"Nat...it's great literature..."

"Litter for the immature! That's for certain!"

"Nat...don't be so critical...just read the first couple of lines..."

"Fine."

Natalie flipped open the book with a flourish.

She rolled her eyes and bapped Nick with the book again.

"A POP-UP Book!"

"Yeah, it's great huh? See, when you go to the part where she meets the 
wolf...Boing!"

Nat grabbed the book and threatened Nick with it.

"No...I've already gotten a dent where you hit me the first time."

"How can you even...Arrrggh! I'm going home now..."

"No, Nat please?"

"That little puppy dog look isn't gonna help you mister..."

Nick stuck out his bottom lip.

"Pretty please?"

He quivered his lip ever so slightly.

"Fine! But I'm not about to read that book!"

"Okay...There are more in the nightstand."

Natalie opened the drawer.

She pulled  out three more books.

And gave Nick an evil look.

"Red Riding in the Hood? Puss in Boots and Spiked Heels? Puss in Drag?"

Nick ducked, but not before he was bashed with all three books.

"Ouch?"

"I don't believe you Nick Knight! How can you read stuff like that? Where 
did you get them?"

"They were gifts...from Tracy..."

Natalie threw her hands up in the air.

"She thought I was lonely..."

"You will be in a moment!"

Nick pulled Natalie back into the bed.

The bed creaked.

"Just how old is this bed?"

The bed crashed to the floor.

"About...it's an antique or...was."

Natalie began to giggle.

"It's not funny."

"Yes it is."

"Where am I supposed to sleep now?"

"On your squeaky couch?"

"It doesn't squeak."

"Nick, it sounds like...it makes funny sounds when you sit on it..."

"Who says it's the couch?"

Nick burst out laughing.

Natalie was trying not to laugh.

Nick began to tickle her.

"Stop!" 

"You aren't ticklish are you Nat?"

"No!" 

She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Nat! Come back, I promise I won't tickle you anymore!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"Forget it!"

Then there was a ear-splitting scream eminating from the vicinity of the 
bathroom.

"Nat! Are you allright? Open the door!"

When the door opened, Natalie stood in the passageway...sopping wet.

"Nat? What happened?"

"I found the soap."

"And my duckie?"

"You'll be the first to know when I've gotten your duckie!"

"What?"

Nat grinned seductively...

They heard a voice from downstairs...

"NEEEEEKKK!"

"Helga?"

Nick went to the ledge just above the stairway.

"Helga?"

"Hello Neek, is that an elk or are you just happy to see me?"


Nick looked down...

"They're moose..."

Natalie came out of the bedroom. She had changed out of the drenched silk 
pajamas and was now wearing Nick's red dressing gown. She was deeply 
engrossed in a book she was holding.

"Nick, get this...In this version, Papa Bear is Goldilock's pimp."

She looked up.

"Helga?"

"Hallo!"

"Helga, was there something you wanted...needed...to ask me?"

"I ah, how do you say Neek? I left my bra...here."

Nat dropped the book...on Nick's foot.

"Bra!?"

"Coli! You left your bra-coli here! Yes! It's there...in the fridge..."

Natalie pouted.

"I never get to leave my bra-coli here!"

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Nat stormed into the bedroom.

"I find eet!"

"Good, that's good! Now go..."

The door to the loft slid open again.

"Janette?"

"Nicola...is that an antelope in your pocket...?"

"It's moose...what do you want Janette?"

"Such a temper! I came by to say hello..."

"And?"

Janette noticed the buxom blonde balancing the brocoli on her...

"And who is this Nicola? Hmmm?"

"Janette, Helga. Helga, Janette."

"Hallo."

Janette pushed her sunglasses to the edge of her nose and inspected Helga.

"Janette? What are you doing here? In the middle of the day no less? 
Testing your sunblock?"

"Sarcasm does not become you Nicola..."

"How did you get here then?"

The door slid open again.

"Tracy?"

"Hey partner...nice muledeer."

"They're moose."

Natalie came from the bedroom again with another book in her hand. She 
looked up.

"Janette...Trace..."

She walked slowly down the steps still engrossed in the book she held.

Nick groaned.

"Trace. What are you doing here?"

"Hey Nat! Like the books I got for Nick?"

"I'm finding this one particularly engrossing.

She sat on the edge of the couch. Tracy sat beside her, then Janette. 
Helga came to sit on the edge of the coffee table.

"What's thees one called?"

Natalie smiled wickedly.

"Jack and His Beanstalk..."

"Oooooooo"

"You ain't seen nuthin' yet..."

She flipped the book open.

BOING

"Oooooooooo"

Natalie smiled.

Janette gasped.

Tracy giggled.

Helga whispered something Norweigish.

And all eyes turned towards Nick...

All eyes are riveted on Nick...He backs away from the railing...and runs 
into the wall.

A heated discussion ensues involving various members of the gnu population.

"They're moose." Nick mutters trying to slink into the bedroom unnoticed.

"Speaking of endangered species...Oh Niiiiiccccckkkk!"

Nick cringed.

"Yes?"

"Which is larger, a caribou or..."

Nick slunk into the bedroom and threw himself on the floor level 
bed...and got poked by a spring for his troubles.

"Oh Neeeek!"

"Nicolaaaa!"

"Niiiiiicccckkkkk!"

Nick pulled a pillow over his head.

He reached over to the bedside table for the bottle of cow's blood.

The cork was stuck.

He pulled at it with his teeth.

He bit the cork in two.

He thought about flinging the bottle across the room, but that would only 
attract attention. 

So, he stuck his index finger in the bottle and forced the cork inside 
the container.

Then...he got his finger stuck.

Nick groaned.

What now?

Butter?

Nope.

Spit?

Nope. Mouth too dry.

Soap?

"That's the ticket!"

With bottle still attached firmly to hand...

Nick went into the bathroom.

"Arrrgggghhhh!"

He found the soap...

And the floor.

And then he found that Natalie  was standing at the door staring at him.

With a rubber duckie in her hand.

Can a vampire break every bone in his body?

Or will Natalie do it for him...

After all...he was caught...red handed.

(Groan...)

Nick lay on the floor staring up at Nat who was wielding the duck...

Nick tried unsuccessfully to stand up.

He fell into the tub...still filled with water.

He tried to get out of the tub.

The moose pajamas were see-through...

Nat slipped on the soap.

Nick fell out of the bathtub, but avoided landing on Nat. (Darn the luck!)

He instead ended up hitting his head on the sink and knocking himself 
unconscious.

Natalie sat up.

Hmm...what to do with a gorgeous, unconscious vampire, wearing 
see-through pajamas?

Nat grinned.

"Well, let's get you out of those wet clothes..."

(INSERT FANTASY SEQUENCE HERE)


(END FANTASY SEQUENCE) Put that bat down Dotti!


When Nick awoke he had a splitting headache...and he felt a draft.

Everything was fuzzy.

He found that he was lying in his bed...which was on the floor. With a 
spring poking him in the...

"Ouch!"

Nick started to sit up when he noticed that...

"Oh..."

Nick rubbed his head.

"How'd that happen? Where are my clothes?"

A voice from beside him answered...

"You don't remember?"

Nick jumped.

Nick clasped the silk sheet to his chest.

"Nat?"

"Yes..."

She purred huskily.

"Nat? What happened? Did what I think happen or am I just thinking that 
I'm thinking that what might have happened may have...Or..."

"Did we happen to?"

"You know..."

"You know?"

"We, uh, that is...did you and I...?"

"You don't remember? I can't believe you don't remember!"

"Really Nat...did we uh?"

Nat sighed.

"You sure know how to deflate a girl's ego...I found it pretty memorable..."

"What happened?"

Nat grinned wickedly.

"Well...after the wet pj contest..."

Nick gulped.

"Wet pj contest?"

"I dragged you in here and threw you on the bed...ripped off your clothes 
and..."
 
"Nat. You didn't..."

"Yup. Sure did."

Nick pulled a pillow over his head.

Then he sat up suddenly...the sheet slipping further...

"But Helga and Trace and...Janette?"

"Tracy liked the sheets...so silky and yet...so sheer..."

Nick groaned and sank under the covers.

"Boy, Helga sure has a way with a feather duster..."

Nick was banging his head against the floor now.

"And Janette?"

"She told me something about that cute little birthmark on your..."

"Nat..."

"And then she grabbed your duckie."

"My duckie?"

"I wrestled it away from her though...said it was mine. She wasn't too 
happy about that. Said it had been hers once..."

"The duckie?"

"What?"

"So how did I get this big lump on my forehead?"

"Well, after you rode your motorcycle naked through the livingroom..."

Nick gasped.

"Must have been that energy booster..."

Nat grinned seductively...

"Oh yeah...remind me to pick up a couple more of those...you'll need 
em'..for later."

Nat picked up the duckie and tossed it to Nick.

Nick lay there, staring at the ceiling and squeezing it (the duck).

Suddenly a large furry being hurled itself across the room and landed 
squarely on Nick's bare chest.

"Arrrrgggggghhhhh!"

"Now, Sydney...that wasn't very nice."

"Nat, get this Wookie wannabe off of me!"

"Not until you apologize to him."

"For what?"

Nat tapped her foot on the floor.

"You don't remember that either?"

"What?"

"Well, after you got through with your 'Born to be Wild' romp through the 
livingroom, you chased poor Syd around and...and..."

"And what? It couldn't be all that bad could it? I mean he's still in one 
big furry piece isn't he?"

"Barely."

"Why is he so mad? What did i supposedly do to him?"

"Well, you put him around your neck and...pretended he was a feather 
boa...while you danced on the coffee table to that RuPaul number."

"Ohhhhh."

Nick groaned.

Sydney planted a paw on Nick's nose."

"I'm sorry Syd...I reabby amb...ACHOOOO!"

Sydney let out a hiss, a 'rreeeeeooooow' and left a skid mark down Nick's 
front as he tore from the room."

"Ouch! Rotten, mice munchin', Mickey murdering, Ewok..."

"That's not nice Nick!"

"Accchoooo!"

"Are you catching a cold? You can't catch a cold. Your a vampire! 
However, you were parading around in your birthday suit for the better 
part of an hour..."

"An hour???"

"Well, it was more like 45 minutes...and then you did that Limbo thing..."

"Shoot me...please?"

"Wouldn't help...it'd go right through. Nah, my luck I'd have to dig it 
out and..."

"Nat! Could you hand me some clothes please?"

"Uh, forgot to tell you. You know how the bathtub was full and the faucet 
was leaking and...but then we fixed it, but then it leaked again..."

"Oh no..."

"Yup, flooded your closet."

"So what do I do now? Achhoo...go tube berk in dis sheet?"

"Here, you can wear this..."

"I can't wear that Nat!"

"Just until I dry your clothes! Don't be so stubborn! What if you get 
vampire pnemonia or something?"

"Fine, hand it to me."

"Nah, come and get it!"

"NAT!"

Nat raced downstairs...

Nick followed.

His sheet got left behind.

The door to the loft slid open.

"Nicholas..."

"LaCroix?"

Grace, gracefully cleared her throat.

"Uh, am I interrupting something?"

Natalie wiped the tears from her eyes and went to Grace, who was standing 
in the doorway wondering why Nick was standing on top of the piano 
holding a...

"DUCK!"

Grace and Natalie hurled themselves to the floor just as Sydney sailed by 
with Screed hot on his tail.

LaCroix clucked his tongue.

"Nicholas, get down from there before you hurt someone."

"I need a bandage."

"You NEED a psychiatrist."

Nick stuck his tongue at LaCroix.

"Oh, that's attractive."


Grace smiled at Natalie and cast her a worried glance.

"Uh, Nat...you do realize that there is a bald, madman chasing your cat 
don't you?"

Vachon began to strum his guitar and sing.

"Cat Scratch Fever...yeah, yeah, yeah..."

Suddenly a large wave of water wooshed over the wailing er, railing.

Grace and Natalie jumped onto the squeaky leather couch.

Screed was swept into the kitchen with Sydney clinging to his head.

LaCroix was not a happy camper.

"Auggh. Corinthian leather! And it's ruined!"

Vachon began to play Wipe Out.

Nick held on to his...

"DUCK!"

Natalie and Grace dodged yet another wave of water.

Nick was knocked from his perch by a gush of water.


"PPPLLLLTTTTTT!"

"Nick! Wake up!"

"Ppppttttt..."

Nick looked up to find Natalie standing over him with a bucket of water.

"Nat? What are you doing?"

"You spaced out again."

"What?"

"Don't give me that innocent 'what did I do?' look mister...you know very 
well what...first...the episode with the remote...the 'Helga' 
incident..."

"Helga incident?"

"Naughty pop-up books!"

"Naughty pop tarts?"

"Books! And let's not forget about how you single-handedly managed to 
scare off Grace with your little escapades...riding around naked on the 
motorcycle...dancing with a lampshade on your head...wearing Sydney as a 
skirt...serves you right if he bit you on the..."

"DUCK! Where's my DUCK?"


"Duck?"

"My duckie! I want my duckie Nat..."

"Nick, are you whining?"

"Noooooo. I'm not whiiiinnnnniiinnnggg."

"Behave yourself...Stop acting like a baby."

Nick was jumping up and down on the bed that was on the floor.

"You are going to hurt yourself..."

"But I want my duckie. I want my duckie. I want my..."

"If you don't behave I'm going to have to spank you."

"Promise?"

They heard a noise coming up the stairs. 

Suddenly, Screed was at the door...his fangs were stuck in the duck.

"Screed! What are you doing?"

"Mrrph...mmorrnhgh."

"Hey, I think I understood that..."

"What did he say?"

Nat went over and extracted the duck from Screed's mouth.

"Leaves somethin' ta be desired it does...no flavor in tha' one."

"Screed, it's a RUBBER duck."

"Oh."

"Hey Nat? Where's your cat?"

Nat eyed Screed questioningly.

"I don' go in fer the feline sort."
 
Nick grabbed his duckie from Screed. There was no air left in it. It was 
a little yellow pancake with a beak.

Nick started to sniffle.

"See what you did Screed!"

Nat cradled Nick to her.

"Sorry chum, got a nice squealer here fer ya tho'?"

Nick buried his head in Nat's shoulder.

"It's not the same..."

Nat patted him on the back.

"It's okay...we'll get you another duckie."

"I don't want another duckie...I want that one."

Nat sighed.

Screed shrugged and flew out the skylight.

Nick buried his face in the pillow, cradling the deflated duckie.

"Tell you what...you get dressed, and we can go to the store and get some 
Duct Tape for your duckie? We'll fix him all up and he'll be as good as new. 
What do you say?"

"I guess so...Can I play with the cart?"

Nat rolled her eyes.

"We'll see."


The End

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