All Hallows Challenge
By Kristen Fife

Part 1 - Sizing up the Field of Battle

"So Nick, do you have any plans for Halloween this year? It falls on a
Friday, and I've been invited to a very cool event at Casa Loma. I
think you'd really enjoy it, I'd really like it if you would consider
coming with me." Natalie asked her favorite detective as they were
leaving the coroner's office on a cold September pre-dawn morning.
They were walking toward the Caddy, as Natalie's car was in the shop,
again, and Nick had offered her a ride to and from work for the three
days that her car was expected to undergo repairs. 

Nick threw Natalie a pained look. "Gee Nat, you know how much I hate
celebrating on Halloween. And there is always such a rise in weirdo
crimes during that time of year. I'm sure I'll be pulling a long shift
that night." Nick frowned as he thought about the North American
obsession with Halloween and how much he tried to avoid any social
activities on that day. 

"I already checked with Tracy; you guys are both off that night. In
fact, she and Vachon are planning on attending as well.  We were
thinking it might be fun to all go together; and it isn't a typical
Halloween Party, it's more of a costume party with a historical theme.
Vachon is planning on going as a Conquistador." Natalie giggled at the
irony, which she understood, and Tracy understood. Although Tracy
didn't know how WELL Natalie understood the reference for Vachon.
Tracy was still ignorant of Nick's nature, although Natalie had been
trying to convince Nick and Vachon to tell her. Nick was resisting on
a number of points, none of which really made any sense to Vachon.
Natalie knew that the true reason was that he truly cared for his
partner as a person and counted her a friend. He was deeply concerned
that if she learned his true nature she would not only be deeply hurt
at being deceived for years on end, but also that she would be reviled
by his nature. Privately, Natalie gave more credit to Tracy than that,
considering her relationship with Vachon. But it was Nick's decision
and Vachon felt enough concern from the Enforcers potential actions
over his own involvement with her.

Nick frowned. "Tracy and Vachon are going? You're sure? And what kind
of a historical costume party?" he asked suspiciously.

Natalie's reply surprised him. "It's sponsored by some of the members
of one of those living history groups...this one re-enacts the Middle
Ages through the Renaissance. It's a fundraiser for a special museum
trip. Apparently Jenny Schanke is a member of the group at the
University, and Tracy and I each bought 2 tickets from her."

"Living History? Huh. I've vaguely heard of them. So what kind of
costumes are we supposed to come in?" He found himself just the
tiniest bit intrigued. And, if it was for charity, he *might* be
willing to consider it. 

Natalie grinned. "Any character from the time period from 1100-1600,
at least that's what Jenny told me. She stressed that normally their
group doesn't allow any real or literary characters in their pageants,
but since they're opening this up to the general public, they expect a
lot of King Arthurs and Robin Hoods." 

She didn't add that her own research and planning were geared toward
something very specific for her costume...

"Hmmm. Do you have any more information on it? I might be interested,
especially if Vachon is going" Nick finally relented.

Natalie pulled a flier out of her purse just as they reached the Caddy
and handed it to Nick. "Here is the advertisement for it. I need to
know by next Tuesday if I need to find another date" she flippantly
replied as she got in the car and Nick closed the door.



As he walked around to the driver side of the car, his mind was
rapidly digesting her comment, "...find another date..."

Twenty minutes later, as they pulled up to her apartment building,
Nick parked the car and got out to open her door and walk her up the
steps to the entrance of her building. As they stood in the chill of
false dawn, Nick caught Natalie in a quick hug. "You know, I think
I'll go ahead and say yes to this Halloween party. It might actually
be fun. Do you know what you're going to be going as?" he asked as
casually as he could.

Natalie, smiling to herself at the success of her plans, stated
casually, "No, I haven't decided quite yet. Maybe someone from Tudor
England or from the Renaissance. I'll have to look at some costume
books." She paused, "I think we'll have a good time, Nick. I'm really
glad you'll come. Goodnight." She stood on her tiptoe, kissed his
cheek, then let herself into her building. 

Nick walked back to the Caddy unaware of the small grin on his face at
the thought of Natalie in a full Renaissance gown...

Part 2  - Devising the Strategy

Two nights later, Natalie and Tracy were in the University library
looking through dozens of historical costume books. 

"Hey Natalie, what do you think of this book?" Tracy asked as she held
up a large tome. 

Hispanic Costume: 1480-1530, by Ruth M. Anderson.

 Natalie laughed. "I think you should be able to get some excellent
references from that."

As they perused the detailed documentation, Natalie asked "are you
sure you want to wear something like that? It looks awfully hot. All
that velvet and those layers. I have a feeling we're going to be
roasting in 20th century comfort, not a 'mini ice age'".

Tracy bit her lip. "You may be right. Maybe I should think about other
areas than Spain. Huh. How about you, Nat? You know what your time
period is?"

Natalie smiled a secretive smile. "Oh yes, I already made my decision.
I have one of Jenny's friends helping me out. In fact, I'm going
fabric shopping with her tomorrow before I go in to work. She has a
pattern all chosen. I'm keeping it under wraps."

Tracy playfully slugged her in the arm. "I thought we were supposed to
be in this TOGETHER. Don't give me that 'it's under wraps' crap". She
grinned to take the sting out of her words.

They both started laughing and decided to leave the library before
some of the librarians threw them out.  As they exited the large
building, Tracy turned to Natalie. "Seriously, at least tell me what
time period you are thinking of."

Natalie relented. "12th or 13th century...I think I want to wear
something that might have been worn in the Court of Love by Eleanor of
Aquitaine. Do you know that she was instrumental in starting the great
age of the Troubadours?  I've been reading about her and the impact
she had on medieval Europe. She was queen of both France and England
in her lifetime. She was an amazing woman. She shaped the thoughts and
practices of several generations." She smiled at the thought of the
look in Nick's eyes.

"Wow, that sounds like you've already done a lot of research.  What
color are you wearing? I'd hate for us to be in the same color." Tracy
tried for fish for more information.

Natalie laughed again. "OK, I'll give you a hint. Probably some shade
of blue. You know, you might think of wearing something from the
Renaissance. From what I've seen in photos, the lines would be really
flattering on you. You should ask Jenny if she has any ideas."

Tracy's forehead furrowed as she considered Natalie's idea. "Maybe."
She looked at her watch. "Do you want to grab a quick bite before we
go to work?"

Natalie smiled. "Sure, that sounds good. How about Thai? I haven't had
that in forever. My treat, even."

"You're on!" Tracy agreed as they walked to Natalie's newly repaired
car. They headed to Yonge Street and one of Tracy's favorites.

Later that night as Tracy sat across from Nick attempting to get some
paperwork done, she noticed him glancing at her regularly out of the
corner of her eye. He obviously had something on his mind, and she
smiled to herself. Finally, after fidgeting at his desk for an hour,
Nick cleared his throat. She ignored him. He coughed. Twice. Finally
she looked up.

"Maybe you're coming down with something Nick; do you need a cough
drop?" She asked innocently.

"Uh, no. Just a tickle in my throat." Nick temporized. "So, I hear you
and Vachon are going to the Halloween party at Casa Loma. Natalie and
I are going, did she tell you?" He fairly blurted out the last part.

"Yeah, I knew Natalie bought two tickets. I wasn't sure whom she was
bringing. I'm glad it's someone I know and even like", Tracy smiled
and winked at her partner. She turned back to her paperwork, waiting
for the next question, knowing it was torturing Nick. He was great at
police detective work, but his skills in ferreting out information
about women tended toward the downright amusing. He cleared his throat
again.

"So, Nat said Vachon is going as a Conquistador. Have you decided on a
time period yet?" He finally got the words out.

"I'm not sure. Natalie suggested a Renaissance costume. I'm going to
the library tomorrow night. How about you?" Come on fishy fishy, Tracy
thought to herself.

"I was thinking maybe Renaissance myself, actually." Nick tried to be
as casual as possible. "Is Natalie going Renaissance too? She
mentioned it the night she asked me."

"I don't think so...she mentioned something about troubadours", Tracy
gave the agreed-upon response that Natalie had coached her on when
(not IF) Nick got curious.

Nick blinked. Several times. "Troubadours?" He asked.

"I think they were some sort of musician," Tracy responded.

"Actually, poets that were self accompanied would be more accurate;
minstrels were the musicians," Nick absently replied, his mind turning
to the sort of costume Natalie would be wearing if she was thinking of
"Troubadours". And, what sort of costume he would be looking at. He
would need to make some quick connections to have an authentic costume
done in only five weeks.

"Geez Nick, has anyone ever told you that you can be way too
analytical?" Tracy mumbled.

"Huh?" Nick's train of thought was momentarily distracted.

"Nothing. Hey, maybe you should go as a Knight, a Crusader of some
sort. That would be a hoot!" Tracy smiled at the thought of the play
on his name.

Nick grimaced. Luckily Tracy didn't notice, but continued on "you
could get a sword and wear a surcoat with a cross on."

Nick looked at her quizzically. "And when have you had occasion to
learn what a 'surcoat' is?"

Tracy rolled her eyes. "Nick, we're all going to the same party.
Wearing period costumes. Of course I've been doing research. Vachon is
the only one who seems to know exactly what he is going to be doing.
Anyway, unless you want to rent one of those cheesy costumes from a
supply store, you need to figure out your ensemble. I'm going to go
grab a cup of coffee." She stood up and walked away from her desk,
leaving Nick bemused.

He was torn between the thought of being a troubadour and of donning a
sword and the accoutrements of his original calling and current name.
He smiled and shook his head. Did he want to complete a set with
Vachon as two warriors, or did he want to lend an air of gaiety to the
affair? Either way, he needed to call someone that could outfit him
appropriately. Luckily he knew a costumer for the New York
Metropolitan Opera the owed him a very big favor...

Part 3 - Infiltration

Nick invited Tracy over to his loft a week later. She was shocked, not
knowing what warranted the invitation. She had only been to his loft a
handful of times in the years she had known him. She got there just as
the sun was dipping below the horizon, and when she walked in the
door, the loft was a place transformed. There was a short, plump
middle-aged woman holding a tape measure up to Nick, whose left arm
was stuck straight out as the woman made notations on a pad of paper.
As Tracy looked around her, she saw several dozen bolts of fabric,
each at least a meter and a half tall, leaning up against the wall.
There were three full sized mannequins lined up in a row near the
entertainment center, and a long worktable against one wall. In place
of Nick's dining room table was a workstation was set up with a sewing
machine, serger, and a heavy-duty iron.

"Hi Tracy. This is Jeanne Adler, a friend of mine. She's making my
costume for the party, and I thought you might be interested in having
her make yours if it wasn't done yet. Is yours finished?" Nick asked
jovially.

Tracy stared at him. "Uh, no. I haven't even started. I just narrowed
it down to a few choices. I have the book in my car..."

At that moment Jeanne looked up from her measuring. "Not necessary,
just tell me what time period you're looking at. Nice to meet
you...Tracy, was it?"  The costumer peered at Tracy with large dark
eyes. Her long dark hair was caught in a braid down her back and
tinged with grey at the temples. She snapped her tape measure shut and
walked over to Tracy. She put her hand out. "I'm a professional
costumer by trade. I've done anything from Roman togas to high
Elizabethan court dress and just about everything in between."

Tracy took her hand. "Tracy Vetter. Very pleased to meet you. I was
thinking about either Italian Renaissance or late Tudor. My date is
going as a 16th Century Spanish conquistador. I looked at the clothing
from that period for myself, but it just seemed way too stiff and
heavy for me."

"Hmmm. Yes, from what Nick's told me about this event you'd want
something lighter to be able to dance in.  A lot of people don't know
that Northern Europe was going through a cold spell in that time
frame, which is why all the velvets and heavy fabrics. I think the
idea of Italian Renaissance is a good one. And if your date is going
as a conquistador, he'll have a lot of red, gold and black, I'm
guessing." Her eyes twinkled. "And if you're trying to impress your
date as much as Nick is trying to impress HIS, you'll want something
spectacular." She peered over her shoulder at Nick.

"Jeanne, you don't have to embarrass me in front of my partner. She,
Natalie and I all work together." Nick was obviously startled to be
teased by the earthy costumer.

"Hah! You call me to come to Toronto for three days, put me up at the
Hilton, import all my equipment and say it's just for 'friends'. I
know you better than that, Nicky boy." She snorted and took Tracy's
arm to lead her over to a sketchpad.

The next three hours passed quickly for Tracy and Nick as they were
measured over and over, and muslin "mock-up" patterns made. After
choosing some beautiful fabrics, she reluctantly said good-bye to the
costumer, with the assurance that she would stop by the next night. As
Nick came down from the bedroom dressed and ready for work, he
suggested that they take his car. Tracy started to disagree, then
thought the better of it. They got in the Caddy and headed downtown to
the precinct.

"Nick, how do you know Jeanne? She's fantastic. And where is she
from?" Tracy asked once they were on their way.

Nick cast her a droll look. "We met several years ago when I was in
New York, which is where she's from. She had just gotten divorced and
needed a place to live. I had a friend that was letting me use his
penthouse apartment for the summer while he was in Europe, and when a
mutual friend introduced us, I invited Jeanne to move in for a few
months. I didn't ask her to pay any rent, so she was able to get back
on her feet. I was doing some consulting for a museum security project
that summer, helping them set up a night time security system for a
DaVinci exhibit they had coming to town.  So, I just called in the
favor when this came up. She works for the New York Metropolitan
Opera."  Nick didn't add that all the "friends" involved were vampires
that frequented the Opera and knew the arts community because of the
mutual late nights that they all shared.

"Wow Nick. I had no idea you had lived in the States. That's a great
story, and I'm really grateful for your help." She blushed. "Uh, how
much will I owe you for this?"

Nick looked at her and grinned. "No charge. Jeanne's doing the work
for me as a favor, and I already paid for all the materials before I
invited you over. Just consider it an early Christmas present" and he
winked at her.

Tracy's face lit up. "You are something else, partner!"

Nick held up one finger. "BUT...you cannot tell Natalie about my
costume. If she is going to be secretive, I want her to be just a
surprised. Deal?"

Tracy laughed. "You guys....OK. I'll just say that you two are going
to stun everyone there!"

Part 4 - Mortals Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Natalie moved around the body on the table in front of her, moving the
light to illuminate the corpse better before she resumed recording
into the small microphone at her throat. "Severe lacerations up the
left lateral trapezius consistent with reports of being dragged by a
car." She paused as she looked up to see Nick standing outside the
plate glass window. She waved her hand and held up two fingers. As she
completed her observations, she turned off the recorder and pulled the
rubber exam gloves off. She walked out of the exam room and smiled at
Nick.

"Hi Nick! I haven't seen you in days, what have you been up to?" she
squeezed his arm as she walked past him toward her office. He followed
behind her, a small smile on his face.

"Oh, just getting ready for this Halloween party next week. Not to
mention interviewing dozens of witnesses to that concert shooting from
Tuesday. Tracy and I both have talked to at least three dozen fans
each" He rolled his eyes.

They entered Natalie's office and she walked over to her desk and
picked up a report. "Three bullets, one to the head, one glanced
through the left shoulder, one in the gut. Ballistics should tell you
whether it matches the McCarthy gun," Natalie stated as she handed him
the report.

Nick took the report from her and smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate you
putting a rush on it. We want to nail this guy if the ballistics
match...and we're pretty sure they will." Nick paused a moment and
casually opened the report and read it over cursorily. When he looked
up, he had an impish smile on his boyish face. "So, you all set for
the party? Is your costume complete?"

Natalie laughed at him. "Yep, mine's all done. How about you?"

Nick's grin stayed in place. "I should have it day after tomorrow. By
the way, did you want to drive together?"

"I guess I assumed that we would. Why don't I come over to the loft
and change there? I'd feel rather silly traipsing around town alone in
the getup I'm wearing. The party starts at 8, I can come over around
6?" Natalie suggested.

Nick leaned over and took her hand, bowed, and then kissed it. "As my
lady wishes."  Natalie's breath caught in her throat at the grace in
his movement and the unexpected touch of his cool lips to the back of
her hand. Nick heard her heart rate increase and smiled enigmatically.
He turned to leave, and ever the showman, stopped at the door and
turned back around to give her a courtly bow (that had graced some of
the courts of the middle ages themselves) before he opened the door
and walked through. Natalie's heart continued to beat rapidly in
reaction to his gestures, and she decided she was very much looking
forward to seeing him in full medieval regalia.









Across town at the old abandoned Church that served as home to Vachon,
Tracy walked in to meet him.

"Vachon?" Tracy's voice echoed from the high ceiling in the dimly lit
church, just a half dozen candles lighting the chill air. "Are you
here?"

A puff of air on the back of her neck was all the warning she got
before a low sultry voice replied "Oh, I'm here querida..." as Vachon
stepped around her quivering body and grinned at her flushed skin and
increased heart rate.

"What IS it with you vampires always scaring the living daylights out
of those of us that LIKE you?" Tracy voiced in exasperation.

Vachon moved past her with vampiric speed to lounge indolently on an
overstuffed chair. He picked up his guitar, strummed a chord, then
grinned at her. "It's fun. What can I say?" His dark eyes sparkled
with mischief, and Tracy shook her head, then laughed.  She crossed
over to his chair and sat down at his feet with her back against his
legs and looked backward at him.

"Will you play me something?" she pleaded softly.

He didn't say anything but started strumming the guitar, a slow
plaintive air that stirred her. She didn't recognize the tune, but she
felt the power behind it. He strummed for almost half an hour, humming
occasionally. Tracy let herself become lost in the music. The candles
in the church lent an air of mystery and grace to the mood. Vachon was
obviously in a good mood tonight. He didn't often play for her upon
request.

Finally, he seemed to have decided that he was done musically. He laid
the guitar down and began absently stroking her hair, lost in the
sensation of her fine hair between his fingers. After several quiet
minutes of reflection, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
He grinned, then levitated up and over her head, just to see the
exasperation on her face. She laughed at him and shook her head as she
unfolded herself from the floor. Both of them were in good spirits and
seemingly attuned to each other. "So, did you want to do anything
tonight?" Tracy asked him in an amused tone. She herself was dressed
in black leather pants and a wine colored sweater, in case he decided
he wanted to go out and do something.

Vachon thought for a minute, then said, "actually, there is a jazz
ensemble playing over at the Montreal Bistro on Sherbourne. The
saxophonist is an old friend; would you be interested?"

"Sure, it sounds nice. I'll drive. It's too cold to take your bike."
Tracy replied.

Vachon's face fell so that he looked like a small child denied a
treat, but then he got a wicked gleam in his eye and an impish smile
on his face. As they walked out of the club to Tracy's car, Vachon
followed her to the driver's side. Tracy gave him a confused look.
"Uh, Vachon, I'll drive..."

Vachon put his arms around her and whispered, "Want to fly instead?"

Tracy's face took on a look of shock, then she smiled a big grin. "Do
you mean that?"

Vachon grinned. "Nah, just wanted to see if you WOULD want to." Tracy
slapped his chest.

"Beast!!!!" She huffed at him and pushed him roughly away. "Get in the
car."  She got in on the driver side and contemplated pushing the
vampire out of a moving vehicle. She wondered if she had any stakes in
the car, or garlic. She thought about stopping for some holy water.
Finally she sighed and realized that it was just...Vachon. She turned
started the car to let it warm up for a few minutes.

Vachon, for his own part, decided he might have gone too far. He and
Tracy had seemed so much in tune with each other.  He had thought she
would find his joke funny, but he realized he had miscalculated. He
quickly tried to think of ways to make it up to her. As he sat in the
car, he glanced at the stony look on her face and wondered what she
was thinking.  

"Trace? I'm sorry. That was mean of me and I didn't even think. Please
forgive me?" Vachon said very softly. Tracy turned to look at him.

"I know Vachon. It just wasn't very funny to me. Never mind, let's
just go." Tracy was personally stunned that the vampire had apologized
to her. He must have realized he'd gone too far. She was secretly
pleased with his apology. She made an effort to break the silence by
changing the subject.

"So, did you want to come to my place to get ready for the Halloween
party on Friday?" She asked as casually as she could.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That's this Friday? Sure. I'll come over just after
sunset. Can I plop my stuff in your car so I don't have to carry it
over? It's awkward." Vachon's reply startled her.

"Do you have it here? Might as well load it now." Tracy suggested
while waiting for the car to finish warming up.

Vachon didn't say anything, but grinned and got out of the car and
loped back into the church. Tracy popped the lid on the trunk. A few
minutes later Vachon returned carrying a large gym bag and a small
piece of weekender luggage, along with a belt strapped across his
chest like a sash. He went to the trunk, opened it, and then put the
bags in the trunk and slipped the belt over his head. Tracy realized
that the belt had a scabbard with a sword attached to it. He stowed
that as well, and shut the trunk lid with a <thunk> then got back into
the passenger side. He grinned at her.

"All set. You can leave it in your car if you want, I can haul it up
to your place after I get there. It weighs about 80 pounds all
together," Vachon stated casually.

"Wow. Um, Javier, is that all your ORIGINAL stuff from, you know..."
Tracy's voice trailed off into a question.

"From when I was mortal before I was brought across into the land of
the undead, you mean?" Vachon teased her. "The sword and the
breastplate are my originals, but the rest is relatively new, about
100 years old. I was amazed to find that there are still honest
armorers out there." He shrugged. "Ready to go to the club?" With that
change of subject Tracy knew she wasn't going to get any more answers.
She started the car and they

 took off for the jazz club.

Part 5 - Onto the Field of Battle

As Natalie got out of the shower, she decided to leave her hair loose
under the veil of her costume. Rachel had shown her a few options for
wearing her hair, but she knew that the easier the better. SHE didn't
have a lady in waiting to attend to her personal grooming needs. She
grinned at the thought. She continued drying off and pulled her hair
up with a barrette to keep it off her face and neck as she finished
getting ready. She had decided to wear a very subtle bit of makeup to
give her some color. She started by applying eyeliner and a dusting of
gold powder to her lids and put just a touch of pink lipstick on. When
she was done, she dressed in jeans and a warm sweater, put on her
boots and picked up her costume, cocooned in a long dress bag. She
also grabbed the small hatbox that contained the accessories she had.
She walked down to her car, got in, and started it to head over to the
loft.

When Natalie arrived at the loft, she pulled into the extra bay next
to the Caddy. She carefully took out her clothing and draped it over
both arms before she went to the lift. It took her a couple of tries
to figure out how to maneuver the buttons with her hands full, but she
managed it. As the lift stopped on the second floor, she took a deep
breath and walked forward. She stood outside the door to the loft,
knowing Nick would hear her heartbeat and wonder why she didn't just
come in. She called out softly. "Nick? It's Nat. My hands are
full...can you open the door?"

After a couple of minutes the door opened and Nick stood there, his
hair damp from his shower, wearing a black silk lounging robe. He
looked adorable and Nat grinned. "Hi, sorry but my hands were full..."

Nick smiled. "No problem, come on in." He gestured her through the
door. As she came in, he tried not to show his curiosity too much,
with the hatbox especially...

Natalie walked over to the dining room table and gently placed the
hatbox on it, then laid out the long garment bag. It was longer than a
suit bag, obviously originally intended for wedding dresses or formal
gowns. She took off her coat and put it over the back of one of the
chairs. She turned towards Nick and grinned. "Why don't you finish
whatever you have left to do, I obviously interrupted your shower..."

"No, actually you didn't. I've been out for about 10 minutes. I was
just getting something to...drink." Nick gestured toward the kitchen
counter and the open bottle and half-filled glass.

Natalie didn't say anything, nor did she frown. She knew tonight would
be distracting for Nick and he knew his own tolerances and needs. She
sadly reflected that it was a shame that Nick wouldn't be able to
enjoy any of the food that was described in the program...it sounded
wonderful and a bit exotic to her 20th century palate.

"Well, go ahead. Mind if I take this outfit upstairs? I don't want it
to wrinkle too much before I even get it on." Natalie grinned at him.
He smiled and playfully bowed.  She again picked up the garment bag
and the hatbox and carefully made her way upstairs to the bedroom,
wishing once again that Nick had a coat closet downstairs...

Nick finished pouring his dinner and fixed Natalie a cup of tea while
she was upstairs. She returned a few minutes later. "I used the hook
on the back of the bathroom door, I hope you don't mind", she said as
she descended the stairs.

"Of course not", Nick replied, "I made you some tea, I heard on the
radio that it's really cold tonight."

"You're not kidding! It must have been around minus 5 degrees on the
way over. I'm just glad I'll have on a warm outfit tonight", Natalie
said as she took the mug from Nick to sip at the hot tea. "Mmmmm,
that's good. Thank you."

They went into the living room to sit on the sofa. Nick had already
lit a fire and turned the thermostat up to a comfortable temperature
for Natalie. He had also put in some medieval music in an effort to
set the mood for the evening. They sat in companionable silence, both
of them sipping their respective beverages and listening to the music.
Natalie tried to figure out what kind of music it was, her head tilted
to one side to try and identify any of the instruments. Finally she
shook her head and turned to look at Nick, who was watching her. The
music stirred many memories for him, and he pushed them back. He
wanted this evening to be enjoyed for what it truly was, a pageant. He
idly wondered what the rest of the costumes and atmosphere were going
to be like. Finally, he stood up.

"Do you want to use the bathroom to get ready or the bedroom? I'll use
whatever room you don't." He politely inquired of Natalie.

"Um, how about I use the bathroom so I can take advantage of the
mirror!" She smiled a bright smile. "I'm guessing you will be a little
more comfortable getting into your clothing...a few more years of
practice?"

Nick laughed. "Maybe, but it HAS been over 700 years. OK, if you need
help with anything just holler." They took their dishes to the
kitchen, then Nick grabbed Nat's hand and brought it to his lips. Her
heartbeat increased slightly with the pressure of his cool lips on the
back of her hand. She inclined her head, and then Nick led her up the
steps, not relinquishing her hand. When they got to the second floor,
he led her into the bedroom, then turned and put his arms on her
shoulders and tenderly kissed her forehead. He didn't say anything,
but gently turned her around and gave her a very gentle push toward
the bathroom. Natalie chuckled as she walked through the brightly lit
doorway and shut the door after her.

Nick turned around and went to his closet to pull out the clothing he
had received that week from Jeanne in the mail. He was amazed at the
amount of detailing and accuracy. But, then, Jeanne WAS one of the
best in her field, or she wouldn't be with the Met. As he laid out all
the accoutrements of his outfit, he smiled to himself as he began the
laborious process of dressing in clothing lacking zippers, Velcro and
snaps.

Natalie got into the bathroom and started taking off her street
clothes. When she was wearing nothing but her birthday suit, she
chuckled and pulled out a pair of opaque white tights. Rachel had
assured her that tights were fine if the weather was cold. She opened
the garment bag and smiled at the clothing inside. She gently pulled
out the first garment, a snowy linen under dress with a keyhole
neckline. She pulled it over her head, amazed again at how well it
fit. She never realized how much a tailored piece of clothing fit only
HER. After she had pulled the fitted bodice over her torso and settled
the skirt over her hips, she looked at the true piece of artwork
before her.

She remembered that Rachel had called it a "bliaut", and had
pronounced it blee-OH. They had looked at several different costume
books and historical references before deciding on the bliaut. It was
a deep sapphire blue, almost navy, in a silk almost lightweight enough
to be a chiffon, but with enough body so that it was not sheer.
Running through the silk, almost like a pinstripe, was gold thread
that would shimmer with every movement she made, every breath passing
her lips. She smiled as she pulled the long flowing garment off the
hanger. The front had a deep v-neck which showed the keyhole neckline
of the under dress. The sleeves were fitted in the upper arm then just
above the elbow they flowed out to graceful, deep bell sleeves. The
bodice of the dress was ruched, or gathered, horizontally on the
front, outlining her slender figure. The skirt fell in full graceful
skirts to the floor, like a nodding flower. She carefully pulled the
overdress over her head and settled it on before she tightened the
lacings, which drew the ruching taut against her torso. Finally, she
opened the hatbox and pulled out an oblong piece of sheerest white
silk chiffon with a tiny gold band of ribbon around the edges. She
settled that on her head and drew out a headband of brass, etched with
a pattern of repeating fleur-de-lis. She settled the circlet over the
sheer veil, leaving it trailing down her back, with just a little bit
of the fabric framing her face.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was stunned at the
transformation. She felt utterly feminine and...demure. Not a word she
generally applied to herself, but the clothing she wore, while
covering her from neck to floor, was also graceful and flowing,
silhouetting her figure. Having been literally made to measure, it fit
her as nothing she had ever worn. She sat down on the toilet seat and
took out the final piece to her ensemble, a pair of delicate sapphire
blue velvet slippers, eternally grateful that it had not rained in the
previous 24 hours. She touched up her lipstick and transferred her few
possessions to the small sapphire blue velvet bag that she had
brought.  She took a deep breath and knocked on the door gently.
"Nick, are you decent? Can I come out?"

"I'm almost done, you can come out" was the muffled reply through the
heavy wood of the door. She opened the door, hoping that Nick
appreciated the effort she had put into her period costume. She
stepped through the door just as Nick looked up from the bed and
putting on his shoes.

His jaw dropped in admiration. He had imagined her in several
different period costumes but the bliaut was stunning on her. Whoever
had made the outfit for her had known what they were doing, and it
showed. He took in the veil, the circlet, and the simple beauty she
presented. He stood up and just looked at her.

For her own part, Natalie's heartbeat raced when she saw Nick. He was
wearing a garment she had seen dozens of pictures of, and had
considered the female version of for herself. He wore what was called
a cotehardie, a short fitted tunic that buttoned down the front to
stop at the bottom of his hips. The left half of the garment was a
palest blue, the right half was a darker blue, the exact color of his
intensely blue eyes. His legs were encased in tights, and the right
half was the light blue, the left half the same darker blue as above;
she remembered that the interchanged pattern was called
"parti-colored". The long sleeves had tiny gold buttons going from the
outside of his wrist to his elbow, and larger versions of the buttons
marched down the middle of the garment from top to bottom. He was
wearing a wide black collar with an attached hood settled about his
shoulders, and he had on a black leather belt hanging low on his hips,
from which depended an empty scabbard. The belt and scabbard looked
well cared for but definitely old. She wondered where the sword was,
and fleetingly wondered also if he would wear it all evening. On his
feet were black shoes that looked almost like they had pointed toes
and came up almost to the ankle.

On the bed, she saw a round-bellied stringed instrument, realizing it
was a lute. She smiled. So, he had decided to take her hint and would,
indeed, be accompanying her as a troubadour. As her eyes returned to
his, she could see the frank admiration in them, and she blushed and
lowered her eyes. Again, the word "demure" sprang to her mind.

"Oh Natalie...you look stunning." Nick's soft words caused her to
blush even deeper and she smiled at the ground.

"Thank you Nick. You look exactly as I had pictured you would. I love
the colors." She finally raised her eyes to meet his. They both
continued to grin at each other for long seconds. He walked slowly
towards her and raised her hand to his lips, at the same time bowing,
putting one foot forward and leaning forward. It was an amazing
movement, exceedingly graceful and yet completely unlike the modern
bow given in polite society.

"Natalie, it would be my honor if you would accompany me as my lady
and inspiration this evening." Nick's words, although simple, rang
with an emotion that she couldn't quite place. She dropped a small
curtsey.

"It would be my pleasure, monsieur de Brabant", she replied archly.

Nick stood, reached for his lute and slung it over his back, looped
across his chest, and then offered his arm to her. They walked down
the stairs and Nick left her side to go over to a long chest she had
seen so often that she literally didn't see it anymore. Nick dropped
to one knee and opened the trunk, taking out a long slender wrapped
bundle and a long dark cloak. He closed the lid and put the wrapped
bundle reverently on the top, then stood up and offered the cloak to
Natalie. It was long, black, and had a hood but no buttons. There was
a huge pin at the front, which she assumed kept it closed. Nick took
the cloak and slung it over her shoulders, then gently fastened the
pin, being careful not to snag her veil. He kissed her forehead, then
turned back to the long bundle. He carefully unwrapped it and held
aloft a broadsword, obviously an antique. It was well over a meter in
length, the steel somewhat pitted, with scratches along the length of
the blade. He turned it in his hands. Natalie held her breath.  Was
this his original sword?...

"This is one of the last physical remnants of my days as a mortal. I
carried this blade to the Holy Land, where I killed in the name of God
and country. I haven't carried it in almost 350 years. Somehow it does
feel right, this evening." Nick said, as he lowered the sword and
carefully slid it into the scabbard at this left side. He
unconsciously checked the hang of the sword, then walked back to
Natalie. "My lady, are you ready for a night of revelry and possible
debauchery?" He leered as her as he proclaimed the last, and Natalie
laughed.

"Oh, yes, quite ready, mon chevalier." She looped her hand through his
proffered arm, and they exited the loft.



Tracy woke up from her nap about 30 minutes before sunset, and went
into the bathroom to take a hot shower. Once she had finished, she got
out of the shower and carefully dried off. She blew her hair dry, and
went into the kitchen for a drink of cold juice before she returned to
her bedroom. She looked at the clothing hanging on the back of her
door that had been delivered to her the previous day, and her mind
still looked in awe at the work that Jeanne had accomplished. Finally,
she slid her bathrobe off and approached the beautiful fabrics almost
reverently. She pulled down the soft cream-colored silk garment,
remembering that Jeanne had told her it was called a 'chemise". It was
absolutely decadent feeling, and she smiled with the thought of the
sheer sensuous pleasure of having the silk next to her skin. It was a
long garment, very simply constructed. It had a square neckline that
was very low-cut and had a drawstring inside a casing all the way
around. The long raglan sleeves were very full and billowy, ending
with a simple tie drawstring casing at the wrist. The rest of the
garment simply hung to the ground. She carefully took it off the
hanger and slipped it over her head. She was just adjusting the
neckline by tying a bow in the drawstring when she heard a knock at
the door. She quickly glanced at the clock and realized it must be
Vachon. She went to the door, and looked through the peephole at her
favorite vampire.

She opened the door. "Hi Vachon. Come on in. I'm glad you're here,
I'll need some help with my costume if you don't mind."

He walked in and ogled her standing there in the almost sheer
billowing garment. He could almost see the outline of her slender body
through the fabric. "Um, sure. I do need to go get my stuff out of
your car, can I get the keys?"

"Oh, sure." Tracy smiled and went over to her kitchen counter where
her purse was and pulled out her car keys. "My spot is on the 3rd
level, #34. Just let yourself in when you come back."

Vachon walked back out the door and Tracy went into the bathroom to
finish her hair. She pulled out the note from Jeanne with the
instructions on how to get her hair into the "caul" (it looked like a
really fancy hairnet to her, and she giggled at the thought of wearing
the delicate gold and pearl creation as a cafeteria server) and the
included pins to keep it in place. She worked on it for a few minutes
and then she looked at herself in the mirror, comparing it to the
picture Jeanne had included. She admitted it did look good with her
hair and coloring. She continued to put on just a touch of makeup,
then exited out into her bedroom, looking at the stunning overdress
that Jeanne had provided. She couldn't believe how beautiful it was.
The high-waisted bodice of the dress was a small checkerboard material
in cream and golden squares, and on every fourth golden square was
sewn a small seed pearl. In sharp contrast, the full skirts were made
of a black satiny fabric, with a band of gold braided trim around the
bottom, just above the hem. The sleeves were each made in two pieces,
the top half of the black fabric and the bottom piece of the
checkerboard pattern. Each sleeve piece was slashed to show the
billowing sleeves of the creamy chemise underneath. Tracy had never
worn anything so opulent in her entire life, and was stunned at the
strong colors and beauty of the garment. She took it off the hanger
and carefully slipped the somewhat heavy garment over her head, just
as she heard the  < thunk > of something heavy hitting the floor in
the living room.

"Vachon, you ok?" She called out.

"Yeah, just didn't get a good grip on one of the bags when I had to
open the front door. Sorry."  His muffled voice came through the
closed door.

"I'm going to come out now and I need you to tie up the laces on my
dress. You decent?" Tracy asked.

"Sure, come on out." Vachon replied.

She opened the door and walked out. Vachon's back was to her and he
was bent over, pulling pieces of clothing and armor out of the bags in
front of him. When he heard the rustle of fabric, he stood up and
turned around to look at Tracy, and almost fell down. She looked like
a princess. He had never seen anyone that could rival her. He gulped.
"Tracy? Oh my...you look amazing!" he stuttered out.

She smiled and dimpled. "Why thank you, Vachon. I'll probably look
even better if I get this dress closed in the back. Would you do the
honors, please?" She turned around and he could see there were
grommets on either side of the back of the dress, with a long gold and
black piece of braided cord threaded through the bottom two eyes. He
walked hesitantly towards her and threaded the cord up through the
grommets, pulling the dress taut. When he finished he tied a doubled
bow and leaned forward to drop a kiss on Tracy's bare neck, feeling
his fangs aching and reeling in his vampire by force of will. He
reluctantly pulled back.

"OK, all laced up." He managed to say in a jovial tone.

"Thanks. I just need to go get this completely situated and then I'll
be ready to go. Do you need any help with anything?" Tracy asked.

"I'll probably appreciate some help with some of the buckles, but not
until we actually get there. I'm NOT wearing ARMOR in the car. It
doesn't bend." He rolled his eyes. Tracy grinned as she walked out of
the room. Vachon took a deep breath and tried not to think about Tracy
as he started pulling out the pieces of clothing from his bag. When he
had pulled them out, he called out to Tracy.

"Hey Trace, can I use the bedroom for this?" He heard her muffled
affirmative and he went into the bedroom to change.

Tracy put some of the finishing touches on her costume, including
manually "lifting" her bosom so that it was a little more prominently
displayed. She also dusted some glittery powder on her exposed neck
and upper chest, and applied a tiny bit of eyeliner and color to her
lips. When she was satisfied with the results, she slipped into the
low-heeled black shoes that Jeanne had approved as suitable for a
one-time event. She wanted to wear modern shoes if she was going to be
dancing. Finally, she picked up a small black and gold purse, and
walked out into her living room, wondering how long it would take
Vachon to get ready.

As she reached the living room and opened her closet to try and figure
out which coat would be best with her costume, she heard the bedroom
door open and turned to see Vachon come out. Her eyebrows lifted when
she saw her favorite vampire.

He was wearing...poofy...pants. They came to his knee, and they had
wide stripes alternating in bright yellow and black vertical lines. He
had tan socks, or stockings, on as well as brown shoes that were low
and flat and buckled across the top. His white shirt had a high collar
and sleeves almost as full as her own chemise. Over the shirt he wore
a vest-like garment in black that buttoned all the way down the front
and had a peplum of several different pieces that looked like plackets
coming over his hips. "So, Vachon, is this what you wore way back when
you were mortal?" Tracy asked.

"Pretty close. The fabrics of today are a lot more comfortable." He
grinned at her. "It'll look better when I get the rest of it on. Trust
me. Ready to go, Princess?"

"PRINCESS? What is THAT supposed to mean?" Tracy bristled. Her
overbearing father had called her Princess growing up.

"Uh, just that you look like a beautiful princess?" Vachon wasn't sure
why she seemed upset.

Tracy blushed. "Oh, thanks. Sorry if I got bent out of shape. Yep, I'm
ready." She settled her raincoat over her shoulders as Vachon picked
up one of the bags he had brought in. She noticed he had left his
sword in the car. They left her apartment and went down to her car.



Part 6 Victory Celebration - In The Ballroom

As Nick and Natalie walked up to the front door of the famous Casa
Loma, Natalie could hear music, talking and laughter wafting out from
the open doorway. Natalie realized how impressive the structure was in
the clear gibbous moonlight, and there were torches outside lighting
the driveway and front walkway. Nick smiled at her wide eyes. He put
his left arm around her shoulder and hugged her close to him as the
entered the wide doorway. They entered a large room with a 3-story
ceiling that came to a sharp peak and had beams upholding the gabling.
The walked on hardwood floors covered with opulent area Persian rugs. 
Directly in front of them was a massive fireplace, with a merry fire
in the grate. Directly across from the door were high archways, some
leading to windows, one leading to a sweeping staircase, and other
passages they could not readily see into.

As they entered, a young teenager dressed in what looked like livery
of red and white intoned "My Lord, My Lady, Pray be welcomed to our
All Hallow's Eve celebration. If you will surrender your invitation, I
will attend you." He bowed. Natalie pulled the tickets out of her
small purse and presented them to the youth. Another, younger boy
dressed exactly the same as the elder, came by to take Natalie's
cloak. She unfastened it and handed it to her; he handed her a wooden
token with a number on it. She looked at and guessed it was the
equivalent of a medieval coat check. Their young guide swept his hand
to his left and led them past a huge embrasured window through a
doorway and into a large library with a beautiful herringbone parquet
floor. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with bookcases filled
with bound volumes. There were inviting chairs throughout the room,
each occupied by an exotically dressed man or woman, most dressed in
long dresses or tunics of some sort. As they continued through the
library, they came into what was obviously a large dining room; the
table, which could easily seat 50 guests, was long and laden with
candles and a buffet fit for a king. At least it looked that way to
Natalie. She cast a covert look at Nick, who was taking it all in with
a wry smile.  She leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"So, remind you of any place in particular?" She smiled at him.

He turned to look at her, taking her hand in his. He leaned in
conspiratorially. "It reminds me of one of LaCroix's country estates
in England." He winked at her and kissed her hand. Natalie laughed.

"My Lord and Lady, please feel free to partake of any of the victuals
that tempt you." Their guide had turned around and, while walking
backwards, indicated the huge buffet. Natalie had to admit the smells
were enticing.

He turned back around and led them to a doorway where they heard the
sound of music. Natalie grinned in delight as they passed through a
doorway to a huge conservatory. Plants lined every wall in front of
huge windows. The floor was a checkerboard of inlaid marble. Around
the walls were benches where more people were sitting. At the far end
of the room a small orchestra, all in costume, played various
instruments, only a few of which Natalie recognized. Their young guide
came closer to Nick.

"My lord, do you perchance play the lute you carry? If so, you are
most well come to join our entertainers of the evening. They spell
each other after every five or so pieces so that no one gentle is over
taxed, or misses the festivities." He looked quizzically at Nick.

"I do indeed play; perhaps if I can see some of the music I will join
for a set." Nick had dropped into character and was actually enjoying
the whole spectacle. It was a well-done theme, and some of the
costumes he had seen were quite authentic. There seemed to be at least
two or three hundred people scattered about the various rooms. Some
were on the marble floor dancing. He watched their steps and realized
they were engaged in a gavotte, something he truly HAD not seen in
practice in well over 500 years. It was lively and the lead couple was
just getting ready to start the rounds of kissing. He laughed in
delight. Natalie turned to watch and smiled at the light expression on
his face. It was so rare for Nick to be happy. Their young guide
slipped away, no doubt to shepherd some new arrivals in.

They continued to watch as the dancers changed to a more stately
dance. Natalie wasn't sure what it was. Nick saw the curious
expression on her face and leaned over to enlighten her. "It's called
a pavane. It's quite simple; would you like to try it?"

Nat looked at him in panic. "Nick, I have no idea how to do that."

He grinned. "I'm not kidding. Watch them for a few measures. It's only
a few steps, forward or backward. It repeats itself constantly." His
eyes sparkled with a challenge.

Natalie bit her lip and continued looking at the dances. It really DID
seem to be two steps forward, up on your toes, two steps back, then
forward. The man then went to one knee and the lady circled around
him. He stood back up and they continued the same pattern. She watched
it three times, then decided that if Nick wanted to try it she owed
him that for inviting him. "OK, I'll try it. There can't be that much
left to the dance."

Nick took her hand, bowed low over it, and led her to the tail of the
line. He guided her through the steps, and she couldn't help but
notice that HE looked like he'd been doing this every night of his
life. Then she smiled to herself. He probably had enough practice to
have done it for the equivalent of every night of SOMEONE's life. They
kept dancing and after a few repetitions she felt quite confident. She
hadn't realized these dances were so LONG. Finally, after a few
minutes, the "conductor" called a 15 minute recess.

As they exited the dance floor, she noticed that several people had
pieces of paper in their hands that they were studying.

She looked around to see if perhaps they were programs, then saw a
stack of them over on a low table next to the door. Still holding
Nick's hand, she went over to the table to check them out. It was a
list of what she supposed were dances. "Gavotte", "Pavane", "Brasle",
"Korobushka", something called "Road to the Isles" were all listed in
the next set. She had now idea what any of the words WERE except the
road one, and she had no idea what it WAS. She sighed.

"Nick, do you have any idea what any of these ARE?" she asked in
exasperation as she passed him the program. He grinned.

"Yup, I know most of these. It's ok, we can watch. But I might play a
set, since they give the music piece along with it and I know most of
these, as long as they actually have sheet music." He kissed her hand
then leaned to kiss her cheek. "Do you mind if I find out who's
orchestrating the players...pun intended" and he winked at her.

"No, go ahead. I'm going to see if Tracy and Vachon have arrived yet.
They should be here by now. I'll meet you in the dining room in a few
minutes. I didn't eat anything and could use a few bites, and that
spread looked amazing!" She dropped an abbreviated curtsey then went
back through the doorway into the dining room.

She looked around and caught sight of Vachon walking past the doorway
in the library. She hurried over, and saw Tracy. She gasped at the
pretty detective's gorgeous dress. She walked over to them. Vachon saw
her (or more likely heard her) first and smiled as she approached.

"Natalie, you look lovely!" He, like Nick, grabbed her hand and
planted a cool kiss on the back of it. She laughed, completely
enjoying the courtesies.

"Thank you, Vachon. You look quite impressive as well!" She turned to
Tracy. "Tracy, that is one of the most phenomenal dresses I've seen,
where did you get it?"

Tracy smiled and blushed. "Actually, I sort of got it from Nick. The
woman that made his costume made mine too. It was an early Christmas
present. She's amazing. I'll tell you about it later. Right now I was
just getting ready to find something to eat; do you know if they have
some sort of snack bar set out?"

Natalie laughed at the wistful expression on her face. "Oh, they have
something much more substantial than a 'snack bar'. Follow me."

Vachon cleared his throat. "Actually, since I'm not really hungry, I'm
going to look around. I'll meet you in the conservatory in a bit."

"OK, Nick's in there talking to the music master, or whatever it is."
Natalie turned to Tracy and grinned. "Hey, more for us." Tracy grinned
back and followed her through the doorway. She gasped when she saw the
amount of food set on the long table.

"Wow, you weren't kidding. This really IS a feast!" Her eyes were
bright as they took in the array and variety of dishes.

They went to the end, picked up plates and silverware, and proceeded
to sample the buffet choices. Once they had filled their plates, they
went over to two chairs flanking a small table. They each sat down,
being careful of their full skirts, and started nibbling. They quietly
chatted about the different costumes, and compared notes on their
respective vampire dates (although only Natalie knew they were BOTH
vampires), and jointly concluded that having "the boys" accompany them
was definitely worth the price of the tickets.

After about 20 minutes, they were interrupted by two young women in
their early twenties walking up to them. Natalie looked up. "Jenny!
Rachel!" She put her now empty plate on the table and stood up to hug
each girl in turn. She put one arm around each of the dark haired
girls and turned toward Tracy.

"Tracy, I think you know Jenny Schanke, and this is her roommate
Rachel Parry. Rachel, this is Tracy Vetter." Natalie introduced
everyone around. "Tracy, Rachel is the one who helped me pick out and
make my costume. She's really talented. And you should see their
apartment! You'd think they lived in the middle ages and not the 20th
century!"

They all laughed. Rachel and Jenny asked Tracy about her outfit, and
Natalie got to hear about Jeanne Adler. She wasn't nearly as surprised
as Tracy had been when she found out that Nick had lived in the
states. She knew that he had spent most of the early and middle part
of the century in Chicago and other large US cities. She was intrigued
to hear about the costumer, though. She wondered if the woman was
mortal or a vampire, and she filed it away to ask later in the
evening.

Just then she felt a pair of hands on her waist from behind, and she
turned to see Nick leaning down to kiss her cheek. She leaned back
into him.

Nick looked up and his eyes went wide as he took in Jenny Schanke,
dressed in a long red cotehardie with long white tippets. He stepped
to the left of Natalie and opened his arms. Jenny, without saying a
word, walked into his arms and hugged him.

"Jenny! You look beautiful. It's so good to see you!" Nick kissed her
forehead as she stepped back. He was shocked to see how mature and
lovely she was. He did a quick mental calculation and realized she
must be at least 18.

"Uncle Nick, I'm so glad you could come! Nat said she was bringing
you, but I didn't see you." Jenny's smile beamed at her "Uncle Nick".

Nick smiled back at her. "I was just talking to the maestro, offering
to play a few pieces in the next set." Then his eyes looked at Tracy
and winked. He had seen her outfit on the hanger since he had hand
delivered it to her.

She was introduced to Rachel, and the four of them chatted for a few
more minutes. Finally, Tracy looked around and realized she hadn't
seen Vachon for almost 45 minutes. She pulled Nick aside while Jenny,
Rachel and Natalie discussed the various costumes.

"Nick, have you seen Vachon?" She asked him. She wasn't worried, but
she was a bit annoyed.

"Actually, I did. He was in the other room talking to several of the
members of the group sponsoring the party." Nick offered, trying to
help.

"Hmmmm." Tracy didn't say anything else, but Nick felt sudden sympathy
for the young Spaniard. He'd been on the receiving end of Tracy's
temper over the years and knew that it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Nick tried to distract her by leading her back into the conversation.
The other three women were talking about the dances. Apparently the
medieval dances were only going to last until 10:30, when a DJ was
going to start spinning modern tunes for the younger set. He could
hear the strains of the current set ending, and realized that he would
be needed to fulfill his obligation in 15 minutes.

"Ladies, much as I hate to part company with such loveliness, I fear I
have committed to play in the next set. Will you please excuse me?"
Nick bowed a sweeping, graceful courtly bow and backed out of the
circle. They all laughed.

He walked back into the Conservatory and went over to the corner where
most of the musicians were keeping their instruments, and took the
next quarter hour to study the music. He knew he'd have no problem
keeping up with the other players. He was looking forward to playing
again. He fleetingly wondered if there was any kind of a regular group
that played. It would be fun to play tunes he hadn't heard live in
hundreds of years.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Vachon standing
there, wearing not only the clothing he had had on earlier, but also
full armor, which looked well-worn. Nick raised his eyebrow at the
younger vampire. "Vachon, you might want to go pay attention to your
date or you might be on the receiving end of her infamous temper. And
why are you wearing full armor?"

Vachon moaned. He was afraid Tracy had noted his absence. "Well, I'm
going to help out the group with a demonstration of the martial
variety. We're going to go practice while you guys are playing this
set, then before the DJ starts, we're giving a live demo on the
terrace." He narrowed his eyes at Nick then noticed the sword at his
waist. "You know, you might consider joining us. I'd LOVE to fight
someone old enough to really know what it means to wield a sword..."

Nick's eyes widened in startlement. "I don't have any armor, Vachon."

"Oh, come ON. You KNOW nothing can hurt you. Besides, I'm sure one of
the locals has something that will fit you. Just think about it.
You'll have 15 minutes after this set to get armored up. Besides, they
use practice swords, not live steel." Vachon jauntily saluted Nick
then sauntered off. Nick stared after him in surprise. He shrugged,
then turned back to his lute.

Just then he heard a rap on the floor, and turned around to take his
place in the section reserved for the strings. As they started
playing, he got completely involved with the music and lost himself as
memories swirled around the back of his mind.

Natalie heard the music start, and decided she should go at least
watch Nick. She was very glad that he seemed to be enjoying himself.
She turned back to the other three younger women, and suggested that
they go into the conservatory. They all agreed and walked back through
the doorway. Rachel and Jenny were impressed to see Nick with the rest
of the musicians. Just then two young men, both wearing elaborate
tunics and trews, nervously approached the girls and asked them to
dance. They were introduced to Tracy and Natalie, but it was obvious
that they wanted to dance. Nat and Tracy laughed and waved the young
couples onto the dance floor, suitably impressed with their skills at
the very alien, but interesting, dances.

"Nat, have you seen Vachon?" Tracy casually asked after watching Jenny
and Rachel with their young suitors for a few minutes.

"No, now that you mention it, I haven't; do you want to go look for
him?" Natalie turned to look at her friend. She knew that look as well
as Nick, and Vachon was definitely falling OUT of her good graces by
the minute.

Tracy was just about to say something when a tall handsome man in his
early thirties walked up to them.

"Ladies, may I tell you how lovely you both look this evening? My name
is Michel d'Aubon." As the tall, blond-haired man started to talk to
them, obviously interested in Tracy, Natalie smiled to herself. 
Vachon might not be pleased when he found out that his inattention
resulted in his very lovely companion being courted by someone else.

Just then the music ended with a grand flourish. The maestro, as Nick
had called him, turned around and rapped on his music stand loudly
several times, until he had gotten the attention of the entire crowd.

"Good Gentles, I would like to invite you to join us on the terrace
for a special demonstration of arms. Some of our members have agreed
to give you a demonstration of the ancient art of Chivalry. Please
feel free to exit through the double doors in the Great Hall or the
Library. The demonstration will begin in 15 minutes." He bowed and
then exited through a side door.

Natalie and Tracy exchanged curious glances. Michel, an actual member
of the local group, smiled and offered to escort them out to see the
display. Natalie wanted to go, but she wanted Nick with her. She
turned around just as Nick walked toward her. He kissed her, slid his
left arm around her waist, and reached out to shake Michel's hand.
They chatted for a few minutes, then Nick turned to Tracy.

"Tracy, I highly recommend you go see the demonstration. I think
you'll find it quite interesting." He smiled, then kissed Natalie on
the cheek. He whispered in her ear, "I'll meet you out there, too." He
squeezed her to him, then left her side, heading toward the library.

Tracy looked at Natalie. "What is going ON with them?" She asked in
exasperation.

Michel blinked. "Them?"

Tracy looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, just the friends we came with.
Would you be willing to take me to see this exhibition?"

Natalie had to pretend to be coughing so that poor Michel wouldn't
know she was laughing at Tracy's flirtations. He was quite taken with
the pretty detective, and she obviously was peeved at Vachon and
decided to let him know about it by spending time with another man...a
very handsome one, Nat had to admit to herself. Michel took Tracy's
hand, laced it through the crook of his arm, and led her to the
terrace. Natalie followed, still chuckling to herself.

Nick found Vachon and a few other of the other members of the local
group outside putting on armor. He was intrigued by Vachon's offer
that he "play". As Vachon saw him come toward them, he grinned.

"Nick! You decided to join us?" Vachon asked.

"Um, I was thinking about it. What do I need to do?" Nick asked.

Vachon turned to one of the other fighters. "Hey, Rorik, this is my
friend Nicholas. Can he wear your extra armor? I guarantee he will
impress you."

The young man facing Nick took his measure, his dark eyes looking him
up and down. "Have you ever fought in armor before?" His question was
curious, not accusatory.

"It's been a while, but yes." Nick couldn't believe he was doing this.
Rorik nodded, apparently deciding Nick was also a member of this
group, and therefore fully capable of taking part in their
demonstration.

"OK, come here." He proceeded to help Nick put on full plate armor,
and handed him, as Vachon had predicted, a wooden practice sword. It
was different from the practice swords of his youth. It was more like
a katana from Eastern martial arts, but heavier and it had a basket
hilt. Nick hefted it to get the feel of it, amazed at how comfortable
he was in the gear. It had been over 700 years since he was on
Crusade, but his memory didn't seem to have forgotten anything. Rorik
watched him with growing approval. Finally he handed over a padded
helm and shield.

Just then they heard a drum beat. Nick had no idea what to do, so he
got to the end of the line of 10 fighters, and proceeded to follow
their lead. They filed out of the corner they had been using to put
their arms and armor on, and they heard a loud voice declare:

"My Lords and Ladies, Pray Attend. For your honor and enjoyment, we
would like to provide a brief tournament of arms. Good Gentles of the
Field, approach!"

Rorik led the group out into the surprisingly bright light of several
dozen torches blazing under the cold autumn sky. Nick realized how
much he was enjoying himself. He caught the sound of Natalie's
heartbeat and unerringly turned in her direction. When she noticed
him, her eyes went wide with astonishment. He could hear her heart
rate increase and smiled.

The stentorious voice continued.

"Gentleman, please honor she who inspires you." One by one, the
fighters walked up to individual women in the on looking crowd, took
her hand, and bowed low over it and kissed it lightly. Nick watched
Vachon approach Tracy with a glint of mischief in his eye. Tracy's
eyes bulged to the size of saucers. Nick noticed she was standing next
to the tall, handsome man with tawny hair. He chuckled. Natalie was
standing close to her. Finally, as his turn came he approached
Natalie. Instead of bowing over her hand as everyone else had done, he
dropped to one knee before her. He took her hand and brought it slowly
to his lips. Her eyes glistened and she smiled. For one instant, they
were suspended in time. Nick felt as if his very long life had come
full circle. A feeling of peace settled over him. The torches shed
fluttering lights on his lady love, and he knew she was seeing him as
he had been when he was a young mortal man, and knew that she
recognized it. Finally he stood, stepped back a pace, bowed again, and
rejoined the ranks, standing next to Vachon. Rorik barked a command,
and all the fighters donned their helms and proceeded to "duel"
against each other.

Natalie watched the spectacle, stunned speechless. She didn't notice
the cold air or the applause around her. She only had eyes for Nick.
She watched as he and Vachon swung swords at each other, finding
strengths and weaknesses, parries and thrusts. After a few minutes,
they were the only two fighters left standing, and their moves looked
like a choreographed dance of deadly grace and beauty. Finally, they
heard the ringing of a steel helm, and Vachon made a dramatic show of
"dying". The crowd went wild. Tracy was still staring at the scene in
stunned amazement. When it was over, Michel turned to her.

"I had no idea you were here with Javier. He has mentioned his lady
often, but never told us her name." He kissed her hand, winked at her,
then sauntered off. Tracy looked after him in puzzlement. Michel knew
Vachon by name? What did he mean, Vachon mentioned his "lady" often?

Natalie came over to her and grabbed her arm to drag her inside. As
they entered the warm building she realized she was chilled. They
headed over to the dining room where cups of fragrant hot tea were
being passed out by more of the members in red and white "livery". As
they stood in line for tea, Tracy turned to Natalie.

"Did you have any idea about that?" She demanded.

Natalie grinned. "Nope. Not a clue. But they sure did look great,
didn't they?" Her eyes were sparkling.

Tracy shook her head and started to chuckle, then laugh outright.
Natalie joined her. Both women realized that their respective dates
had fared much better than they had dared hope. They got their tea and
then wandered into the Conservatory where a DJ was setting up a very
modern sound system. They went to sit on one of the empty benches in
the corner. They were replaying the fighting sequence when Nick and
Vachon joined them a few minutes later. Neither vampire had even a
hair out of place, but both of them looked relaxed and were smiling.
Natalie turned to Nick and moved over so he could sit beside her.
Vachon looked around and quickly spotted an empty chair, which he
pulled up to face the three of them. He looked at Tracy, and grinned
even more at the exasperated look on her face.

"Vachon, do you have something you'd like to tell me?" She asked in a
dangerously casual voice.

"I don't know, like what?" He asked innocently.

"Vachon...."

He laughed. "OK, ok. I've been a member of this particular group for
about a year. I saw a flyer for them when I was visiting a friend at
the University, advertising one of their demonstrations. I went to see
it and thought it was really interesting. I'd done this sort of thing
in the past, and I've been sort of the resident late period Spanish
guy." He shrugged and grinned at the gaping mouths of his three
friends.

Tracy shook her head, then turned to her partner. "And you, Nick?
What's your story?"

Nick quickly looked at Natalie. "Um, I was a member in college. I
didn't realize this was the same group." He looked at Tracy and saw
her roll her eyes, but thankfully she believed him.

Just then the DJ did a quick sound check then proceeded to hand the
mike to the maestro.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we would like to thank you all for coming and
for your generous donations toward the upcoming trip we have planned
for several of our students that are members of the University
chapter. It is with GREAT PRIDE that I announce that not only have we
achieved our goal of $5,000, but through a generous matching donation
from the de Brabant Foundation, we have DOUBLED it. This means that
ALL of our qualifying students will be able to go to Europe this
summer on an archaeology dig in Scotland. Thank you all, once again,
and enjoy your evening."

The DJ started playing some top 40 music, and Vachon swept a laughing
Tracy onto the dance floor. Natalie snuggled against Nick. They sat
watching the crowd and enjoying the spectacle. Finally, Nat spoke
softly. "So, I assume that you helped with the matching donation
part?"

Nick turned his head and kissed her forehead. "After you told me Jenny
was a member, I called Myra to find out more about it, and she told me
about the trip. This is something they try to raise money for
annually, and they usually struggle to get enough money for even half
the students to go. Once I looked into it a bit more, I contacted the
Foundation and asked them to set up a fund. We'll give a matching gift
every year, with a minimum of $5000."

Natalie sighed. "Schanke would be proud of you. I know I am. I got to
see my Knight in shining armor for real...how many girls get to say
that?"

Nick looked down at her, and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. Just then
a slow song came on and he led her onto to the dance floor to continue
to celebrate the most memorable Halloween either of them had ever had.

LE FIN


Disclaimers, Acknowledgements, Resources.

The preceding story is a work of fiction based on the characters from
Forever Knight. I did not create, nor do I own any rights to, said
characters.


Acknowledgements:

Thank you to all the members of the FKFanFic-L for their encouragement
as I spread my wings for the first time.

A very big thank you to my beta reader Cheri.

I am also grateful for the input of Chris and Clare N. who helped me
verify my American to Canadian conversions for metrics, especially
with the sewing information.

And, for those of you that are curious, yes this is loosely based on
the SCA. I purposely did NOT mention the SCA directly. None of the
characters outside of Nick, Natalie, Vachon, Tracy and Jenny are based
on any real or fictitious person, living or dead that I know of. If
you want more information on the SCA, go to www.sca.org.

Please note: the SCA has VERY STRICT rules and regulations regarding
martial combat. I took great liberties with this story. Also, women
and men are both eligible to fight, but in general the ratio is much
more heavily weighted toward the male members. No discrimination was
intended.


Research and Resources:

For the purpose of this story, I chose a very strict interpretation of
the terms "troubadour" and "minstrel." My sources can be found at:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Troubadour

Trouība`dour` n. One of a school of poets who flourished from the
eleventh to the thirteenth century, principally in Provence, in the
south of France, and also in the north of Italy. They invented, and
especially cultivated, a kind of lyrical poetry characterized by
intricacy of meter and rhyme, and usually of a romantic, amatory
strain.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Minstrel

Minīstrel n. In the Middle Ages, one of an order of men who subsisted
by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment
of a harp or other instrument; in modern times, a poet; a bard; a
singer and harper; a musician. Chaucer.

Many historians find the terms interchangeable. For the purpose of
this story I chose to limit the definitions.

Photos or drawings and articles about some of the clothing mentioned
herein:

http://deromilly.home.mindspring.com/bliaut.jpg
http://www.noelcostumier.com/150_Bliaut_Front_fin.jpg
http://www.chateau-michel.org/belle_bliaut.htm
http://www.chateau-michel.org/bliaut_class.htm
http://www.gelfling.dds.nl/bliaut.html
http://employees.oneonta.edu/angellkg/MEDIEVAL.HTML
http://www.fashionsintime.com/html/medieval_wedding.html
http://www.fashionsintime.com/html/cotehardie_wedding.html
http://www.enchantedcostumes.com/lady_muldroch_medieval_gown.shtml
http://www.sca.org.nz/collegium/costume/wardrobe_12C_frankish_noblewoman.php
http://www.gbacg.org/Patterns/wingeo.htm
http://www.chateau-michel.org/belle_bliaut.htm
http://www.antir.sca.org/WhosWho/p158.html
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rowen/renbk/paintings.html
http://www.desotohq.com/2003%20photos/mall%20capture/dscf0096_p1.jpg.jpg

(Conquistadors)

http://www.cardiffrose.com/crew2.html
(Vachon's costume)


Armor:

http://home.alltel.net/gundobad/armarmor.htm
http://home.alltel.net/gundobad/bodyarmor.htm


http://nortonarmouries.com/helms.html
http://nortonarmouries.com/bodyarmour.html

There are a ton of resources out there. Do a search under "armor"+SCA

Dance:

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/org/Medieval/www/src/contributed/grm/dance.html
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain.htm