Part I
Tracy got home and logged on to her computer to check her email. It had taken her a few 
years to finally break down and buy a PC for her personal use, but now she couldn't 
remember how she had survived without it. Her email inbox downloaded. What a 
difference the broadband made! She grinned at the tolerance on Nick's face when she had 
started extolling the virtues of the new technology. Finally Nick had admitted he'd had 
broadband for almost a year. She had grumpily avoided him for two nights.

Finally, as her email started filing onto the screen, she suddenly sat up straight. An email 
from Cehri? She clicked on the email. The subject line was "Invitation to an Installation". 
She scanned the email excitedly. Cehri was going to have an art installation HERE? In 
Toronto? She followed the link to the Art Metropole gallery and scanned the list of 
upcoming exhibitions. Wow…Cehri had been chosen as one of 10 North American 
women representing contemporary art in an American-Canadian joint venture to further 
interest in young girls to pursue contemporary art careers.

As she read the bio for her American friend, she felt a bit guilty for having kept in such 
poor touch with her. They had met when Tracy had gone to Seattle for a special course in 
new law enforcement technologies at the University of Washington for a quarter. She and 
Cehri had both attended a book signing by the world-famous spiritual paranormalist, Uri 
Geller. They had stood in line together for over two hours waiting for their respective 
turns to have their books signed and actually meet the celebrity. Tracy had made some 
cryptic comment about the people waiting in line; most of them seemed to be over 40, 
and had a distinctive air of overage hippies. She and Cehri were the only women under 
30 in the whole group. Cehri had laughed and joked back with her about the Seattle 
natives; she had only been in the area for two years, having moved out to the West coast 
from Wisconsin. They started talking, and after the long wait and the thrill of meeting 
Uri, they had decided to go get coffee together. They had hit it off, and Tracy was 
fascinated by the woman. She had never heard of digital art, and made the mistake of 
lumping Cehri in as a graphic artist. She had been firmly corrected about the nuances of 
the graphics art world. They found that they had a lot of similar interests and background; 
for the three months she had been in Seattle, they had become good friends and stayed in 
touch loosely. 

Apparently Cehri had succeeded, despite some lean years as a "starving artist". Her work 
had been seen by an agent from New York and she finally managed to get the exposure 
and recognition she needed.   Her agent had entered her works into the juried competition 
for the international show, and apparently she had blown the panel away. The tour had 
started in LA, and gone across the states to New York. Now it was making the Canadian 
circuit. Toronto was the first leg, then Montreal in Quebec and finishing in Vancouver 
BC. Cehri would be coming to Toronto to set up the installation in a month, and of course 
wanted to not only see her old book-line buddy but also to send her an invitation to the 
gallery opening. 

Tracy checked the clock. For once working the night shift was problematic. Darn. She 
would be fast asleep by the time it was reasonable to call Seattle with the three-hour time 
difference. She sent a quick reply to Cehri, letting her know she would try calling her 
early that evening, west coast time. She hit the send button, and then finished perusing 
the rest of her mundane mail before going to bed. It was getting on towards 8 AM and 
she had to be up by 3 PM for a dentist appointment. As she slipped into sleep her dreams 
became collages of bright lights and giant walls of flat screen monitors. 

That evening, Tracy picked up the phone and dialed the number Cehri had listed in her 
email. The answering machine picked up, and just as she was about to hang up, Cehri's 
voice chimed on, "hold on…let me turn this thing off." There was a "beep" and then a 
frustrated "hello?"

"Cehri? Hi, it's Tracy Vetter from Toronto. I got your email, I cannot believe how 
fantastic the news is!"

Cehri's voice was warm and Tracy could hear her smile in it. "Tracy, I'm so glad to hear 
from you! Yeah, crazy about the show, huh?"

As the two women caught up on their lives for the next hour, Tracy arranged with Cehri 
to pick her up at the airport when she arrived the following month. With the promise of 
an emailed itinerary, Tracy hung up the phone with a warm feeling inside. Although they 
had followed vastly different paths, it seemed as if the two women still shared a lot of 
common interests and values. 

Cehri had always had an interest in the paranormal and things beyond the physical world, 
and Tracy mused on what she would say if introduced to Vachon. She chuckled and 
resolved to introduce her exceedingly sensitive friend to him and see if she had any 
comments or insights about the vampire. Still smiling at herself, she got ready to go to 
work.

Later that night, Nick noticed Tracy's good mood, even while filling out paperwork, and 
finally put his pen down.

"So, what's got you in such a good mood tonight?" He quirked his eyebrow at her and 
gave her his famous lopsided grin.

She looked up at him and a big smile cracked her face. "An old friend of mine from the 
States is coming into town next month for an art show. I haven't seen her in almost four 
years, and I talked to her on the phone before I came in to work. I'm really excited for her 
and can't wait to see her."

Nick became intrigued. "She's coming to Toronto to attend an art show?"

"No, she's exhibiting. Do you remember that joint Canadian-American educational 
program that showcases women from North America? She is one of the artists that were 
chosen to represent the States. She's a digital artist, and has a huge installation going in at 
the gallery for three months. She's coming to supervise the installation."

Nick's eyebrows raised. "Wow, she must be good. I'm acquainted with one of the panel 
members that juried the entries, and he told me it was really stiff competition. What's her 
name?"

"Cehri Amista."

Nick whistled. "Wow, I remember Christophe mentioning her. She blew everyone else in 
that category away. Maybe you'll introduce me when she is here? I've dabbled a very 
little bit with graphics. I'd love to get some insight from a true professional."

Tracy looked at him in surprise. Not only had she not known her partner was so well 
connected in the art community, she also didn't realize he was that interested in 
computers. He never mentioned it.

"Well, I'm planning on going to the opening reception of the show, and Cehri said she 
could get me a few invitations. I'll see if she can get you one or two; do you think Nat 
would like to come a well?"

Nick smiled. "That would be great, I'll ask Natalie about it."

Later that night as Nick was in the morgue checking out the report from a case, he 
broached the subject with Natalie.

"Hey, do you like modern art? Tracy has a friend from Seattle exhibiting at Art 
Metropole as part of a joint Canadian-American project. She invited me along and 
wanted to know if you might be interested as well."  
 
Nat looked at him. "When is it? I'm swamped for the next couple of weeks while Jerry is 
on vacation." 
 
"Tracy said she's coming in to town next month, so I'm guessing it will be then. I'll 
check it out." His eyes twinkled. "I'm also going to see if someone I know from the 
Ontario Arts Commission is going; he was on the jury panel."

Natalie's jaw almost dropped open. The chance to meet someone in Nick's life that she 
didn't already know? She wouldn't pass THAT chance up in a million years. "As long as 
I can get off of work for that evening, I'm there." 

Nick leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "Art reception it is. I've got to get back to the 
precinct, I'll see you later." And he was gone. 






Part II 
One month later, Tracy stood at the baggage carousel at the airport waiting for Cehri. 
They had talked several times in the intervening weeks, and Cehri seemed excited to be 
in Toronto. She had admitted to Tracy that it was her first time outside of the States. 
Tracy was shocked; she had always assumed Cehri was extremely well traveled. She had 
promised to show her the sights of Toronto. 

As bags began sliding down the shoot, Tracy looked around for Cehri. Finally she saw 
her, and grinned. She didn't look like she had aged a day in the last five years. If it 
weren't for the fact that it was broad daylight on a sunny spring afternoon, Tracy might 
have suspected ANOTHER undead creature in her life. She chuckled at herself; Vachon 
had accused her of seeing vampires everywhere since they met. She had even entertained 
the thought of Nick as a vampire over the last two years.  

Cehri walked toward her, and Tracy hugged her. She stood back and looked at the pretty 
woman before her. Her heart-shaped face was framed by a halo of brown hair and her 
large dark eyes were sparkling. 

"How was the trip?" Tracy asked.

"LONG!" Cehri rolled her eyes.

Tracy laughed. They waited for the carousel to circle around and Cehri grabbed her 
luggage. Tracy led the way to her car, and they traded stories back and forth. Each 
woman was amazed at the other's career path.

"So, Tracy, now for the girl talk…are you seeing anyone special?" Cehri's voice was 
teasing. When she had been in Seattle, Tracy had been VERY popular with the men in 
her classes. Being only one of three women in the program of 50 had meant she had a full 
social life. Cehri had gone out with her several times and had found the personality types 
in the students a refreshing change from the techies she knew from working in the 
software field.

Tracy blushed. "Well, sort of. We've known each other a couple of years, but we are very 
different. His name is Vachon. Maybe I'll introduce you to him." She quickly changed 
the subject. Cehri was intrigued but knew better than to push.

Tracy asked her questions about the art exhibit as they drove to the hotel. Tracy had 
offered her apartment, but the Arts Council was providing a hotel, and Cehri wasn't sure 
of her schedule and didn't want to put Tracy out at all. She did get a promise from Tracy 
to show her around the police precinct as well as some social activities during the two 
weeks she was scheduled to be in Toronto.

They arrived at the hotel and a valet came out to get Cehri's bags. She went to check in 
while Tracy parked the car. They were going to grab a late meal at the hotel bistro. Lunch 
for Tracy, dinner for Cehri who was still on west coast time. 

Tracy met back up with Cehri in the lobby after she had dropped her bags off in her 
room. They walked to the restaurant, and were happy to note that they were the only 
patrons. They were seated, ordered their food and drinks, and started talking about 
Cehri's art.

"So, where do you get your inspiration?" Tracy felt no artistic urges and was fascinated 
by anyone who did. She was amazed at the art she had seen Nick produce in HIS spare 
time, and she loved listening to Vachon play and sing. 

Cehri sighed. "You know, that's the one question that no artist seems able to answer 
consistently. I get it from everyday occurrences, or a conversation, or an article I read. It 
all depends. One of my friends in Seattle is a writer, and she and I have discussed this. It 
just…happens. I'll get an image or partial image in my mind, and then spend days or 
weeks waiting for it to reveal itself to me. For example, the image I submitted to the 
juried competition was something I got based on seeing my niece at Christmas. I only see 
her once a year or less, and I'm amazed at how fast she is growing. I started thinking 
about the stages a girl goes through to become a woman, and that metamorphed into the 
piece I gave my agent Jillian to submit."

Tracy was fascinated. She had seen the image when she had received the email about the 
show from Cehri originally. It had been stunning yet simple. The central figure was a 
female form in silhouette walking on a beach next to a red ocean, and in the dark sky was 
a collage of rather abstract images ranging from a birthday cake, to a dollhouse, to an 
image of a knight on a horseback, to vague figure of a baby carriage. All the images were 
discernible but yet more suggested than fleshed out. The lines had been simple and clean 
yet very subtle and interpretive. 

"Wow. I think I'm just too analytical for that sort of thing. I can't even draw a straight 
line without a ruler. My partner, Nick, is an artist. You'll meet him at the reception on 
Thursday night. He actually knows one of the members of the jury board, Christophe 
someone-or-other, and knew your name as soon as I mentioned it."

Cehri perked up. "A friend of yours knows Christophe LeBlanc? Wow. Do you have any 
idea how much I'd love to meet HIM?" Her enthusiasm piqued Tracy's curiosity.

"OK, spill. What's so special about this guy?" Maybe this whole show would be 
interesting to watch beyond just the art work…

Cehri blushed. "Um, I'm an admirer of his. He is an acknowledged artist in his own right; 
you should see his photography."

Tracy wasn't convinced. "And?"

"OK, OK, he's one of the best looking straight, single male artists in North America."

Tracy laughed. "Oh, I think this reception is going to prove to be VERY interesting."

They both laughed and continued their conversation as they finished their meal. They 
talked a little about the paranormal, and Tracy introduced the topic of fantastical life 
forms. She started with the recent book that had been published about fairies by Brian 
Froud. She wanted to see if Cehri was open to the possibility of other intelligent 
humanoid life forms sharing the world with mankind. 

Cehri hesitated talking about some of her views and experiences, even with someone she 
knew shared her belief in the paranormal. Finally, she responded. 

"Well, to be honest, I personally believe in fairies. There is too much folklore and too 
many common beliefs around the world to discount the idea. If you study any legend or 
myth, there is generally a basis for it in real life. And in our jaded world, the resurgence 
in things like nature religions and even pop culture proves that the human psyche still has 
a deep-rooted belief in things beyond the visible world. Both good and evil. Fairies, 
elves, werewolves, vampires, dragons, unicorns, all of them have a place in world culture 
and history. We'd be fools to say that such creatures are extinct or non-existent, just 
because science hasn't found them."

Tracy smiled to herself. And resolved to make sure that Cehri met Vachon at least once 
while she was in town. As long as she didn't KNOW what he was, it should be safe 
enough. 

Finally looking at her watch, Tracy got up to go to work. She and Nick had a large case 
they were investigating, and she wanted to be sure she wasn't distracted on Thursday 
during the reception. She hugged Cehri and got up to leave.

Part III

Tracy stopped by to see Vachon before going in to work. As she entered the old 
abandoned church, she called out to him. "Vachon? Are you around?"

She felt a sudden chill on the back of her neck and she turned around to find him standing 
behind her. She squeaked. 

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THAT?" 

He laughed.

They walked to the area that Vachon had made into his living quarters, and sat down. He 
casually picked up a green bottle he had been drinking from when she came in, and 
offered her some Diet Coke. She took it and sat down.

"What brings you here, Trace?" He asked her as he took a swig from the bottle.

Tracy watched in fascination, knowing there was human blood in the bottle. She was 
always morbidly entranced when she saw him with blood in his hands.

"Oh, just to remind you that Thursday night is the art reception I invited you to come to 
with me. I'd really like it if you could make it. I want my friend Cehri to meet you. She's 
in town for a couple of weeks. I also want your opinion of her art. Nick and Natalie are 
coming too." Her answer was distracted; she was still staring at the bottle in his hands. 
He took another swig, just for effect.

"Sure, I'll go. What's the attire, and should I meet you there?" 

Finally Tracy looked up at him. His casual acceptance puzzled her. It was so hard to tell 
what he would be inclined to say "yes" to. He constantly surprised her. And, she admitted 
to herself, that was one of the reasons she was so attracted to him.

"Semi-formal. Basically no jeans. This is a modern art crowd, so I'm guessing leather is 
ok. It's at Art Metropole. Do you know where that is?" He nodded. "I promised to pick 
up Cehri, so I'll probably be there fairly early. It starts at 8 PM. Here's the invite". She 
handed him the postcard that was the invitation to the reception. "Just meet me there 
when you can. It isn't supposed to be a huge reception, so you should be able to find me 
fairly easily." She stood up to leave, and he did as well. He walked her to the door, and 
placed a cool kiss on her cheek as she left.

Part IV

The evening of the reception, Natalie walked into Nick's loft just as the sun set. He had 
offered to take her out to dinner before the reception, and she had jumped at the 
opportunity. Her short blue cocktail dress was simple yet elegant. The square neckline 
and cap sleeves made a nice frame for the gold heart pendant she wore, a Christmas gift 
from Nick the year before. She had worn mid-heel pumps, since she knew she would 
probably be standing most of the evening. Nick was walking down the steps just as she 
stepped through the door and she smiled in appreciation. He had decided to wear a 
definitely modern look for the occasion. His suit was dove grey with a subtle iridescent 
weave to it. The jacket had a standing mandarin collar and eastern flair to it, buttoning 
off-center down the front and falling a bit longer than she was used to seeing on him, 
almost to mid-thigh. The material begged to be touched and as he came over to her, with 
a grin on her face, she reached out to caress his arm. Unsurprisingly she found a smooth 
silk under her fingertips. 

His eyebrows quirked upwards in amusement while a smile played around his lips. "Do 
you approve? You look lovely, as usual." 

Still wearing a grin, she replied. "I wanted to see if the jacket felt as good as it looked 
like it should. And it does; I do like this look on you. And thanks."

Nick grabbed his car keys and wallet and they headed out the door to the restaurant he 
had made reservations at. 

Across town, Tracy was just pulling up in front of the hotel to pick up Cehri. She was 
wearing a maroon velvet pantsuit, an impulse buy from two years before that she had 
never had the nerve to wear. She figured a modern art reception was just enough out of 
her normal routine to qualify for the outfit. As she rang up to Cehri's room she was 
unaware of the admiring looks she was getting from the men sitting and walking 
throughout the lobby. 

Just as she set the phone down, Cehri walked into the lobby. Tracy grinned at the outfit 
she had on. It was definitely NOT conservative in the least. The olive green silk pants she 
wore had slightly flared legs, and the long-sleeved dark purple paisley velvet burnout t-
shirt was revealing without being too much so. She had on some sort of metallic camisole 
underneath, and the pewter color showed through the dark mesh of her shirt to create a 
striking effect. Her dark hair was loose around her face and shoulders in a cap of curls. 
She grinned when she saw Tracy, and they spent several minutes complimenting each 
other. Finally, laughing, they 	 headed for Tracy's car. 

When they arrived at the gallery, they walked down a narrow, dark hallway into a 
decidedly industrial-looking concrete room. Tracy's jaw dropped. Every wall, including 
the ceiling, had huge flat plasma screens forming a giant grid everywhere except the 
floor.  All the screens were currently dark save for the ones on the ceiling which showed 
giant star fields and gaseous nebulae playing along the screens. They actually WERE 
moving, very slowly. They didn't look like photos, but they were very realistic. She 
couldn't describe them. Cehri was watching her reaction.

Tracy turned to her. "Wow, this is incredible. How long did it take you to do this?"

Cehri smiled. "It took me about 9 months. Let me introduce you to Jillian and Paul." She 
took Tracy through the room into a smaller one which was set with tables bearing 
appetizers, and a bar in the corner. Tracy could smell coffee and looked about, finding an 
espresso cart in the corner behind her. Cehri continued walking, and Tracy noticed a man 
and woman standing talking to what appeared to be the caterer. She followed Cehri over.

"Tracy Vetter, this is Jillian Clay, my agent. And this is Paul Larson, the gallery 
manager." Tracy shook hands with each of them. Jillian was tall and slender, with short 
dark hair. The black sheath she wore had a definite east coast feel to it. Paul Larson was a 
fairly non-descript middle-aged man with twinkling green eyes and a broad smile. They 
exchanged chit chat for a few more minutes before Paul excused himself to confer some 
more with the caterer. Cehri caught Tracy glancing wistfully at the coffee cart and 
laughed. "Tracy, get some coffee for heaven's sake. If I'm not mistaken, this is the 
equivalent of 4 AM for you."

Tracy grinned sheepishly. Jillian looked askance at her. "I'm a police detective, and I 
work third shift. I'm usually not awake until closer to 8 most nights." Jillian grinned with 
the explanation and took her over to the cart and smoothly ordered her a triple shot latte.

Cehri excused herself to continue checking on the installation. It was just after 6:30, and 
guests were due to start arriving at 8. The timing for the installation had to be just right. 
Jillian and Tracy found themselves talking over coffee.

"So, what division do you work in? It must be fascinating to be a woman in a mostly 
male dominated field." Jillian's remarks caused Tracy to bristle just a bit, but she finally 
realized the other woman was trying to make conversation.

"I'm a homicide detective. All the men in my family, and several of my female cousins 
are all in law enforcement. It was pretty much second nature for me. In fact, I met Cehri 
five years ago when I was in Seattle taking a special law enforcement class at the 
University of Washington." Jillian nodded absently as if her answer put several questions 
to rest.

"Homicide? What an interesting division of law enforcement. What made you decide to 
get into that particular field?" Jillian's interest seemed fairly genuine, although Tracy got 
the impression that she was truly only trying to make conversation to be polite, and was 
using her professional attributes. She didn't mind, as this woman was responsible for 
Cehri's recognition.

They continued talking for a few more moments before Cehri came back and invited 
Tracy back into the main installation room to see a demonstration. She gratefully 
followed. As she did so, she noticed that each wall seemed to be representing an element. 
One was water, one was air, one was fire and the final was earth. Each wall held images 
which coalesced and merged one screen into another. The images were distinctly separate 
but each one flowed seamlessly into the next. And the focus seemed to flow from one 
element to the next so that no single element fought for notice with another, but each took 
precedence one after another. It was truly awesome, and the images were vivid but 
strangely not overwhelming. 

Tracy didn't realize that she had been watching the fire wall expand from a scene of 
sparks to a raging forest fire for over half an hour. The eeriest part of the entire 
experience was the silence. There was no sound or music accompanying the cascade of 
images. Overhead, the universe continued to form, reform and coalesce. Cehri had left 
her alone to view the display, but finally walked up to her as Tracy looked at the door to 
the reception area. 

Cehri stood watching her expression, a small grin on her own face. "Well, do like it? The 
installation is called "The Phoenix Cycle" to reflect the birth and rebirth of the physical 
world."

Tracy turned toward her, the blues of the water wall reflecting on her face as it became 
the dominant element in the display. "Cehri, it's amazing. I cannot even imagine how 
much effort went into this, creating each image and animating it. I really have to tell you 
I have newfound respect for your art! Thank you so much for making me a part of this." 
Her humble thanks touched Cehri and the smile on her face was enough to light up the 
entire room on its own.

"I'm so glad you like it. This is definitely the most complex set of images I have ever 
created. Come on, let's go get some food before the press arrives and I don't have a 
chance to do anything but answer questions." She took Tracy's arm and led her back into 
the reception room.  They managed to each get a plate of food and sit in the gallery office 
before the press started arriving at 7:30, half an hour before the public.

Part V
At precisely 8 PM, Nick and Natalie arrived at the outside of the gallery. Nick glanced at 
his watch. They were waiting for Christophe LeBlanc, Nick's friend from the Art 
Commission. Natalie finally understood that Nick knew him from the de Brabant 
Foundation. She had asked him innocently what name Christophe knew him by. His 
expression told her it wasn't as Nick Knight, homicide detective. She teased him gently 
for a few minutes before a figure arrived in the darkness. As he approached Nat smiled 
appreciatively. He was about 6 feet tall, mid-thirties, with hair so blonde it appeared 
white. His skin was as pale as any vampire, but Nick had already told her he was human. 
As he stepped into the bright light of the gallery, Nat did a double-take. One of his eyes 
was bright blue, the other a pale leaf green. Rather than look odd, it was completely 
balanced. His face was strikingly handsome. He carried himself with a grace and 
assurance that let her know he was self-confident, although not cocky or overtly arrogant. 
When Nick introduced her, he took her hand and bowed over it and kissed it, his soft 
French accent belying his European background. She blushed, and hoped he didn't notice 
too much.

Finally, as they glanced around, they realized that other guests had started to arrive. 
Christophe opened the door for them and they entered the gallery. An usher stood just 
inside the door handing them programs, urging them to proceed through the main gallery 
into the reception area when they had finished viewing the display. Natalie gasped when 
they entered the main showroom and she saw the silently moving images. She became 
completely engrossed in the images of water that caught her attention. She felt Nick slip 
his cool hand into hers. The sheer enormity of the display took her breath away. She 
could feel Christophe on her other side, wandering over to the wall of Earth. He seemed 
to be deliberately ignoring the water, the element currently showcased. 

Finally, not knowing how long she had gazed at the images, she felt Nick tug her hand 
gently. She shook herself and looked around. The gallery was filling up quickly and there 
seemed to be a line outside the front entrance. Ruefully, she pulled away and let Nick 
lead her to a doorway in the far corner. Christophe was right beside her and smiled at her 
warmly. They walked through the doorway into a softly lit room which had a table of 
appetizers, a bar, and a coffee cart in one corner. Servers in white jackets and black pants 
were circulating throughout with wine on trays. She gratefully grabbed a glass of white 
wine from a passing waitress. Nick still held her hand, and she squeezed it gently. He 
looked at her and smiled. They started talking about the display when suddenly Tracy 
appeared next to them.

"Nick, Natalie, I'm glad you could come." She turned to look at Christophe, then 
stopped. Nick grinned and introduced them.

"Truly a pleasure. I hope you'll allow me to introduce you to the artist later; she's a 
friend and mentioned an interest in your photography earlier." She smiled and dimpled at 
the attractive man. He smiled easily back at her.

"It would be an honor to meet Cehri. Her work is superlative. I'm amazed and gratified 
that she has even heard of me." They continued bantering for several more minutes. 
Finally, Tracy turned to see if she could find Cehri. 

"What a delightful woman, Nicholas. You seem to surround yourself with beautiful and 
amazingly vibrant women." He winked audaciously at Natalie, almost causing her to 
choke on her wine. 

At that moment, Tracy returned with Cehri. As they all turned toward the artist, Nick 
heard her heart increase when she saw Christophe, a slow blush creeping up her cheeks. 
Nick smiled to himself as Tracy started the introductions with Christophe. Cehri dragged 
her eyes away from Christophe to smile at Natalie, her heart once more beating regularly. 
When she turned to Nick, her heart rate increased again, and all the blood drained from 
her face. Her eyes widened and Nick could detect fear emanating from her. 

She shook his hand reluctantly and turned to Tracy with what seemed to be a desire to 
bolt. Nick frowned, unsure what he had done to alarm her. Her hand was shaking as it 
shook his. She dropped it as soon as she could politely. She mumbled something about 
seeing to her other guests, and turned around with one quick look over her shoulder at 
Christophe.

Tracy had a confused expression on her face. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." 
She hurried after Cehri.

Christophe and Natalie turned toward Nick together, both of them with puzzled looks on 
their faces. He smiled and tried to interject a comment about the artist and her work. Both 
his companions seemed relieved at the chance to resume polite conversation. Natalie 
stood close to him and rested her hand on his arm, in an attempt to reassure him. The only 
problem was, neither of them were sure what he needed reassurance about.


Part VI
Tracy hurried after Cehri, who was heading straight for the ladies' room. She caught up 
with her just as Cehri was washing her hands in steaming hot water.

"Cehri, are you ok?" Tracy asked with concern of her friend.

The artist turned to look at her with a haunted look on her face. "Who WAS that guy with 
Christophe?" She demanded.

Tracy frowned. "That's my partner, Nick. We work together. What's wrong? You look 
like you saw a ghost."

Cehri gazed intently at her. "You work with him? Every night?"

Tracy nodded. "Of course every night. We've been partners for just over two years. He's 
also a good friend. Why are you acting like this?"

Cehri took a deep breath. Finally, she seemed to make a decision. "I'm sorry. He 
just…struck me the wrong way, I guess. I assume he is the one that you said knows 
Christophe?" She tried to gain her equilibrium and calm herself down. Tracy wasn't sure 
what was in her head but she nodded.

"I'm a little nervous tonight, I guess. Thanks for coming after me, I should be all right." 
She smiled weakly at Tracy. "I should probably get back out there." She nodded toward 
the door. Tracy still wasn't sure what was going on, but had no choice but to follow her.

As they walked back into the reception room, Tracy saw Vachon. With a quick look of 
concern at Cehri, she left and walked over to him. Cehri followed her with her eyes, but 
turned as someone approached her to congratulate her on her exhibition and compliment 
the installation.

Tracy got a smile on her face as she neared Vachon. He was wearing black leather pants 
and a leather suit jacket over a blood-red silk shirt. His dark hair was pulled back. He 
didn't sport his usual biker look, but instead looked much more subtly sinister. If she 
didn't know his true nature, she might have thought of him as a mobster. As she 
approached, he got an impish grin on his face. 

"Hi Tracy. Wow, that first room is amazing! And the artist is a personal friend of yours? 
She is very talented! I almost got lost in that water wall!" His eyes sparkled as he leaned 
forward to kiss her on the cheek. Suddenly he noticed her outfit and his grin became quite 
appreciative. "And you look delicious." 

She laughed and swatted him. "I'll take that as a compliment, but I do NOT intend to be a 
midnight snack for you tonight, mister! So just keep your appetites to yourself." She 
laughed again at his look of chagrin.

Just then Nick, Natalie, and Christophe wandered over. Christophe was introduced to 
Vachon. He noted the subtle interplay between the Spaniard and Tracy, and realized that 
although she had flirted with him earlier, she obviously was interested in the dark man in 
leather. He sensed a subtle danger around the man, and decided that it wasn't worth 
pursuing. Besides which he had barely had time to meet Cehri, and his interest in her was 
much more personal than even Nicholas knew. He had seen a picture of the lovely artist 
when her entry had been submitted, and he had been haunted by her face for months. 
Finding out that Nicholas was able to get him a personal introduction had seemed like a 
godsend to him. As the rest of the Toronto natives bantered among themselves, obviously 
all well known to one another, he quietly excused himself and went to get a drink. As he 
approached the bar, he saw the object of his interest just shaking hands with someone 
who was starting to walk away. He veered toward her instead, and her face lit up to see 
him.

"Ms. Amista, I must tell you that your work is stunning. I thought your juried entry was 
inspired, but this work is beyond words. It's truly an honor to meet you." He smiled, and 
the answering smile on her face touched him deeply. 

"Please, call me Cehri. And thank you. Your opinion means quite a bit to me. I'm a big 
admirer of your photography. I saw your show on Moroccan architecture and the use of 
color was visually captivating." He blinked in pleased surprise. The Moroccan exhibit 
had been small but one of his favorites.

As they started to talk quietly, each felt a growing connection to the other, and a current 
of subtle electricity seemed to flow between them. Finally, after about 20 minutes, Cehri 
ruefully realized that, as the host, she needed to mingle some more. As she started to 
reluctantly turn away, Christophe caught her hand. 

"Do you have plans after the reception is over? Would you do me the honor of having a 
night cap with me if you don't have a prior commitment?" His words were polite, but the 
intensity of his voice froze her in her tracks. She smiled and nodded her head.

"I'll find you, just hang around. Most people should be leaving around midnight if not 
before." She smiled and finally turned to walk away. 

She saw Tracy standing in line for the coffee cart and grinned to herself, knowing her 
friend's caffeine addiction. None of her earlier companions were around, so she quietly 
walked over to her. Tracy noticed her out of the corner of her eye and turned toward her.

"So, I saw that you were talking to Christophe. Anything interesting?" Her attempt at 
subtlety caused Cehri to snort, then grin. 

"Well, if you call a date for a night cap interesting, then yes. I know I do." 

Tracy laughed and walked up to the barista to order another latte. As soon as she had it in 
her hand, she steered Cehri over toward Vachon, who was talking to one of the other 
guests. As they approached and Vachon turned to look at them, Tracy introduced Cehri to 
him. 

If possible, Cehri's reaction to Vachon was even more spectacular and disturbing than her 
reaction to meeting Nick. She barely managed to stammer out a greeting before she DID 
bolt away. Tracy stared after her. 

She looked back at Vachon. He had a slight frown on his face. "Do you have any idea 
what that was all about?" She asked him.

He sighed. "Off hand, if I was to guess, I'd say she is one of those rare humans that is 
sensitive to my kind, and recognizes us for what we are instinctively." He answered, 
trying not to say anything that could be misconstrued by any listening ears.

Tracy frowned and looked after Cehri. She could buy that theory in relation to Vachon, 
but not Nick. Something had to be going on. She turned back to Vachon and excused 
herself. He wandered back over to Nick and Natalie.

"Nick, did you meet Tracy's friend, the artist?"

The elder vampire nodded.

"Did she act…oddly to you?" Vachon's leading questions immediately got Nick's 
attention.

"Yes, did she with you?" At Vachon's nod he moaned. Vachon kept nodding. 

"I think she's a Sensor. I sort of explained it to Tracy, but I don't think she believed me. I 
take it she was there when Cehri reacted to you?" At Nick's nod, Natalie finally chimed 
in.

"What are  you two talking about?" Her voice was low but demanding. Nick turned to 
her. He looked about carefully to make sure no one was within hearing distance, then 
decided to guide her outside the building. 

They passed back through the display room, and it took firm self-control from all three of 
them not to get enthralled with the brightly glowing screens. Finally they made it out the 
front door and Nick took them over to the parking lot. They stood next to the Caddy 
while he explained.

"Some mortals are psychically sensitive and can recognize a vampire immediately. We 
call them Sensors. Depending on their personality type and sensitivity, often times they 
become Hunters." He sighed and looked at Vachon, who just returned his look.

"I don't think she is someone that would ever be a Hunter. But she is VERY sensitive. 
We should probably leave soon. All our presence will do is upset her. Since Tracy has 
seen  her reaction to both of us, and Vachon told her about Sensors, she * might * put 
two and two together and come up with a vampire partner." There was a resignation in 
his voice and he frowned. Vachon was nodding in agreement with him at this point. 

Natalie just sighed as well. "OK, I'll go in and say good night to Tracy for all of us. I'll 
tell her Nick and I aren't feeling well and that Vachon offered to drive the car." She 
turned to leave.

Nick turned to Vachon. "Are there any Enforcers in the city that you know of? This could 
get ugly. Although, Tracy said she's only supposed to be here through the end of next 
week."

Vachon frowned. "I haven't heard about any.  Tell you what, after we leave I'll go head 
over to the Raven and ask around. We'll probably be OK since she's leaving soon. I'll 
see if I can convince Trace to keep her away from me, and you should probably do the 
same. She mentioned something about Cehri wanting a tour of the police station." Nick 
groaned, but agreed with Vachon.

Natalie walked back out just then, and they all got in the Caddy, with Vachon driving, 
when she told them that Tracy was watching from the doorway.

Part VII
 
After Vachon, Nick and Natalie drove away, Tracy returned to the reception. It was only 
9:30, but she had promised Cehri a ride back to her hotel when the show was over. And 
she sincerely wanted to talk to her friend alone about what her problem was.  As she 
entered the reception room, she saw Cehri deep in conversation with Christophe. Tracy 
walked toward them, noticing that the crowd had started to thin quite a bit. As she 
approached, Cehri looked at her, then nervously looked past her shoulder, then seemed to 
relax visibly. 

"Tracy, Christophe and I are going to go out after the show for drinks. You don't need to 
stick around. You've been great with your help, and I really appreciate it." Cehri was 
trying to be polite and seem to give Tracy an out for the rest of the evening, but Tracy 
also knew how much the artist wanted to spend time alone with the tall Frenchman. 

Deciding on the better part of discretion, she smiled and leaned in to hug Cehri. She 
congratulated her, shook hands with Christophe, and decided to leave.

As she drove home, she mulled over the artist's reaction in her mind. It had been fear, she 
was sure of it. If it had just been Nick OR Vachon, she would have just attributed it to 
coincidence. Her reaction to Christophe wasn't the same, so she was pretty sure it wasn't 
due to the fact that they were male, either. She just couldn't figure out what it was about 
Nick and Vachon, a common thread that would have set her off.

Finally pulling into her building, she sat in her car. She looked at her watch; it was just 
after 10. She thought about going to the church to see Vachon but he probably wasn't 
home yet. He had to drop off Nick and Natalie, and then go back for his bike to the 
gallery. He probably wouldn't be about for at least an hour or so. She started the car 
again and on a hunch headed to the Raven.

As Nick and Natalie headed up to the loft, with Vachon with them, they tried to figure 
out the best course of action for Nick to avoid Cehri. Not coming to any new conclusions, 
Vachon took off to go to the Raven, leaving by the skylight.

Natalie stayed with Nick. She could tell he was upset. Finally, she asked him if he wanted 
to go for a drive. It was still early, and she knew that sometimes when his nature was 
bothering him it helped for him to get out and be distracted. He looked at her gratefully, 
pulled her into a hug for a moment or two, then took her hand and led her back down to 
the Caddy. They got in and set out for a drive along the lakeshore.

Part VIII
Tracy arrived at the Raven and walked in. As she passed through the crowd, she tried not 
to imagine which of the patrons ate vegetables and which didn't. She knew that Toronto's 
vampires hung out here, and that she wasn't supposed to know that tidbit. She sidled up 
to the bar and ordered a drink to calm her nerves. 

As she sipped her drink she turned to see Vachon walking in the door. He unerringly 
turned right toward her and sighed. He walked over to her, still looking dangerous in his 
leather suit. He got to the bar and ordered the "house special" wine. Tracy was just 
looking at him over the rim of her glass, a speculative look on her face. Finally, when his 
drink came, she broke the silence.

"So Vachon, what are you doing here? Are Nick and Natalie OK?" Her voice was 
dangerously neutral.

"Yeah, the doc was a little green around the gills and Knight wasn't doing too well

either. They said they must have had something wrong to eat at dinner. They mentioned 
going to a sushi place before they came to the show."

Tracy's expression relented. "I hope they're OK."

Vachon shrugged. "They'll be fine, I'm sure. So, what are you doing here?"

Tracy sighed. "Hoping to run into you and find out more about the conversation we had 
earlier." 

Vachon looked at her. "Well, I'm here for the same reason, and it would really make my 
life a lot easier if you left. I need to talk to some specific people, and they wouldn't 
appreciate you being here with me. If you want to meet me at the church, I should be 
there in about an hour."

She frowned, tossed back her drink, then leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "OK, 
I'll do that. But you have one hour before I come looking for you again." She walked out 
the door and Vachon heaved a huge sigh of relief. 

He turned back to Miklos. "Is LaCroix around?" Miklos nodded toward the sound booth. 
The "ON AIR" sign was on, which meant that LaCroix would be busy until 4 AM.

He turned back to Miklos. "Have you heard whether or not there are any Enforcers in 
town right now?" 

The burly bartender looked at him intently, trying to fathom the reason for the question.

"Is there a reason they SHOULD be in town? Something LaCroix should know about?" 
His question was an answer in itself, but Vachon needed to make sure.

"I take that as a 'no'. And no, there is no reason Enforcers should be in town right now." 
He answered as carefully as he could. Just because Cehri existed was not a reason for the 
Community to worry. If she only stayed a week or two, and didn't run into or seek out 
any more vampires, everything should be fine. That being reasoned out, he needed to talk 
to Tracy and stress the importance of keeping Cehri away from the Community. And 
trying to figure out a way to do so that didn't alert her to Nick's true nature. He tossed 
back his wine then left by the back door so he could take to the air unnoticed.

As she left the Raven, Tracy headed to the church to wait for Vachon. She was still 
bothered by something about his pat explanation, but she couldn't put her finger on it. As 
she was driving, she kept replaying the scenes of Cehri meeting her friends in her mind. 
Suddenly she compared the reaction to Nick and Vachon both. The first meeting with 
Nick had seemed almost a recognition of some sort. Her partner had looked very 
debonair, his good looks classic, and his charm had been very genuine. Her reaction to 
Vachon was more understandable. Vachon in black leather radiated "threat". She had 
seen the look on Christophe's face when he had sized up the Spanish vampire, and she 
had a feeling that Christophe was worldly enough to recognize danger when he saw it. It 
was Cehri's reaction to Nick that was bothering her. What had she sensed from Nick that 
had set her on edge?

She pulled up to the church and kept the engine idling. She had a small frown on her face 
as she puzzled over the entire incident. Finally shaking her head, she turned off the motor 
and got out of the car to slowly pace up the walk to the old church and shivered 
involuntarily. The church was eerie when it was dark and deserted. She realized she had 
never been here at night alone. Vachon was always there when she entered, or she came 
while it was still daylight out. Mentally knowing it was de-sanctified and the home of a 
vampire played games with her active subconscious. 

She opened the door. It was never locked. Vachon had few possessions, and no need to 
worry about his personal safety; who would bother a vampire? She found the light switch 
for the hallway and walked into the main congregational. She plopped down into one of 
the overstuffed chairs, absently chewing at her lower lip as she continued mulling the 
entire evening in her head, yet again.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but Vachon soon appeared. He didn't sneak up 
on her, but she was so lost in thought he may as well have. As he walked toward her, she 
looked up, startled. She glanced at her watch, and saw that it was just before midnight.

"Did you find out anything?" She asked worriedly.

"There aren't any Enforcers currently in town, so your friend is safe. But she MUST stay 
away from any of the Community. That means me, and especially the Raven."

"No problem there. Cehri isn't into the whole Goth scene. She wouldn't even go with me 
to a club I heard about in Seattle, so I won't have any problem keeping her away from the 
Raven. She's only here another week." Tracy's reply reassured Vachon that it would only 
be a matter of keeping her away from Knight and then things could get back to normal.

He sighed. It was too bad; he really liked her art and would have enjoyed learning more 
about her. He often sought the company of artists, writers and musicians. They somehow 
seemed more alive than most mortals, and saw the world differently. And their blood was 
sweeter than wine with the elixir of their creativity.

He started, seeing that Tracy was watching him. He grinned at her, but she knew him 
well enough to be suspicious.

"What are you thinking?" She asked as innocently as possible, not fooling him one bit.

"Oh, just about artists and the creative process." True enough. He walked over to the 
small refrigerator he kept and pulled out a familiar green bottle. Opening it, he took a 
swig. Tracy got that intense look on her face that signaled her fascination with his diet. 
He continued to drink in silence, enjoying the look on her face. Her heart danced in his 
ears, but he ignored it. 

Finally shaking herself out of her reverie, she sighed. "OK. Well, there's not much more 
we can do. Did you have any plans for the rest of the night? We both look pretty swanky 
and I'm not ready to go to sleep yet." 
 
Vachon grinned. "Funny you should ask. There's this new club over on Front Street I've 
been thinking about going to. Let's go."  
 
Tracy grinned back and they got up to head on out.

Part VIII
Cehri shook hands with the last of the guests to leave, and Jillian stood waiting for her, a 
huge smile on her face.

"Well, I'd say that this installation is a BIG hit. I've gotten several requests for meetings 
with local galleries interested in talking about your work."

Cehri hugged her. "Jillian, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all your work on my 
behalf. Why don't we get together tomorrow afternoon? Call me at the hotel tomorrow 
morning and we'll meet for a late lunch or early dinner." 
 
Jillian nodded, and went back to talk to Paul Larson about the rest of the show. Cehri 
turned around and saw Christophe waiting for her, a smile on his face. She smiled back 
and walked toward him.

He took her hand and kissed it, causing her to blush. "Are you by chance free for that 
nightcap?" His eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

"Yes, let me just talk to Paul Larson, the gallery owner, and get my purse." She walked 
away, feeling the French photographer's eyes on her back. 

She stopped in the office, retrieved her purse, and agreed to return to the gallery the 
following day in the early afternoon, before her meeting with Jillian. She said her 
goodbyes and walked back to Christophe. Silently, he held out his arm, and she slipped 
her hand through the crook of his elbow. They walked out and he led her toward his car, a 
black Mustang convertible. She smiled at the car as he opened the passenger side door for 
her. She slid in and waited for him to come around to the driver side and get in.

"I like your car. So, did you have any ideas about where you'd like to go?"

"I used to live in Toronto before I moved to Montreal, and I know of a nice little bistro 
over on Yonge that's open late. Is that acceptable? I'll be happy to drop you off at your 
hotel whenever you're ready." 

"That sounds lovely. I actually could use a little something to eat. I was so nervous I 
didn't really get anything to eat." 

Christophe pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Yonge, and they talked 
animatedly the entire time about art, cultural differences between Canada and the US, and 
Christophe's travels. Cehri was especially interested in his trip to Morocco that had 
resulted in the photographic show she had seen several years earlier.
 
As they pulled up to the small restaurant, Cehri's heart was pounding. Christophe was 
even more fascinating than she had thought. Although he had obviously traveled around 
the globe and was worldly, he didn't make her feel in the least naïve. He had asked her 
about her own art, and he had known a surprising amount about her work. 

As Christophe opened her door and held out his hand for her to get out of the car, she 
noticed that his hand was shaking just a bit. She wondered if he was nervous as well, and 
if so, why? He shut the door behind her, but didn't relinquish her hand as they walked 
into the restaurant. Her heart was beating fast. She couldn't believe that she was with 
someone she had had an interest in for several years. And it appeared that he actually had 
an interest in her as well. It was unbelievable!

As the host seated them at a small table near the window, she looked at her menu and 
realized how hungry she truly was. She finally decided on a chicken Panini sandwich. 
She put her menu down and looked at Christophe. He continued scanning the menu and 
finally put his own down, then smiled. "What are you going to have?"

"I think I'll have the chicken Panini sandwich with pasta salad."

"That's a good choice. I'm going to have some soup and salad. Did you want some 
wine?"

Cehri hesitated. She had had a couple of glasses of wine at the gallery, and didn't really 
have a good head for it. Finally she shook her head. "No, I think I'll just stick to water."

He smiled at her. The waiter came back at that moment, and they ordered. When the 
waiter had left, Christophe restarted the conversation.

"So, how do you like Toronto so far?"

"I haven't had much of a chance to see it, but what I HAVE seen so far has been very 
vibrant. There seems to be a lot of diversity in the city. Seattle is similar, although I think 
Toronto is a lot cleaner. And flatter! Seattle is all hills and mountains. It's one of the 
things I do like about the area. Have you ever been there?"

"I've been through it once or twice, but I've never stopped. I've heard a lot of good 
things about the city, and I've spent quite a bit of time in Vancouver, which I hear is 
similar, at least the terrain around it. Why did you choose Seattle?"

The conversation continued for the next two hours, each one learning more about the 
other. The food was good, but neither one really tasted it as they were engrossed in their 
talk. Finally, at 2 a.m., Cehri looked at her watch and realized how late it was. She 
sighed.

Christophe paid the check, and they walked back to the car. As he opened the door, he 
lifted his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. She turned to look at him, a streetlight 
illuminating her features. She smiled at him, and he leaned forward to kiss her gently. 
Both of them felt a jolt of electricity pass through them and the gentle kiss quickly 
became more passionate. As they wrapped their arms around each other for several 
minutes and explored their mutual attraction, the night continued on around them silently.

Finally, Cehri broke away for some air. She looked up at Christophe, her face aglow and 
a huge smile on her face. "Wow. That was incredible." 

He smiled back. "I've been wanting to do that all night. You have no idea how enticing 
you are. I have a confession to make. Ever since I saw the photo that accompanied your 
entry to the show, I've wanted to meet you." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. 
"Not only are you extremely gifted as an artist, but you are a beautiful and fascinating 
woman. I hope you'll let me get to know you better while you are in Toronto."

Cehri's eyes had gone huge as he spoke. She had no idea what to say. That this man, 
worldly, sophisticated, and complex was interested in HER seemed almost unreal. Finally 
she managed to stammer out, "I'd like that very much. The attraction is mutual." Not 
trusting herself to say anything else, she gently pulled back. "I hate to say it, but I really 
do need to get some sleep."

He kissed her forehead and opened the door for her. She got in, still dazed by the turn of 
events. Christophe walked around the car and got into the driver's seat and started the 
engine. As they drove back to her hotel, he picked up her hand in his and held it. Neither 
one knew that the other's pulse was racing.  As they pulled up to the entrance to the hotel, 
a valet came forward to help Cehri out of the car. He asked Christophe if he needed the 
car parked. Christophe shook his head, but got out of the car and walked around to hug 
Cehri.

"What room are you in? I'd like to call you tomorrow if I may?" 

"Room 124. I should be back by early evening." Still not sure how to react, she smiled at 
him.

"I'll call you around 6:30. If you don't make any plans, I'd like to take you to dinner."

She gulped. "That would be great. I'll plan on a late dinner. Thank you, and good night."

Once more kissing her hand, he winked at her and got back in the car to drive away. 
Cehri stared after him, wondering if she really WOULD be able to get any sleep with all 
the sheer wondrous events of the evening swimming through her head.  She had a small 
smile on her face as she passed through the lobby, and stayed on her face the entire way 
to her room.

Part IX
Tracy woke up the next afternoon and remembered back to the night before and smiled. 
She and Vachon had danced until almost dawn. The club they had gone to was playing 
amazing music, and she had needed to work off some of the stress from the evening. She 
had had NO idea Vachon was such a great dancer. Just one more layer of attraction to 
him. She sighed in disgust with herself. "Tracy Vetter, why do you ALWAYS have to 
fall for the most unobtainable man for a million kilometers around?" She shook her head, 
avoiding the thoughts of her high school boyfriends, the rebellion she exhibited by dating 
them. Oh well, maybe she just needed to accept the fact that she was drawn to the bad 
boys. She got out of bed and went to take a long hot shower. As she washed her hair, she 
started thinking back to Cehri and her reaction to Nick and Vachon. She didn't 
understand it. What did the two men she spent most of her waking hours with have in 
common other than her? 

As she got out of bed and started making coffee and some breakfast, she tried putting 
pieces of the puzzle together. Vachon and Nick seemed to know one another; maybe 
there was something about the Raven? She knew they both spent time there. She wasn't 
sure what it was about the dark club that attracted her partner. She knew he was moody 
and went through bouts of depression, maybe the club's atmosphere appealed to his 
broody nature. Then of course there was the fact that they were both musicians. She had 
heard Nick play the piano a few times, and he was truly gifted. If it weren't for the fact 
that he was one of the best detectives she had ever met, she would think he'd pursue 
music or art full-time.

Still turning the facts over in her mind as she got dressed, she looked at her watch. Not 
quite six. Nick might still be asleep but Natalie should be awake. She wanted to find out 
if they were both feeling better. She picked up the phone and dialed Natalie's number. 

"Hello?"

"Hey Nat, it's Tracy. I just wanted to see how you're feeling after the food poisoning you 
got last night." 
 
"Oh, I'm doing a lot better. Thanks for asking. How about you? How late did you stay at 
the show?"

"I left around midnight. Vachon and I went dancing at a new club across town. We 
danced the night away! I'm glad you're doing OK. How about that partner of mine?" 
 
"I don't know, I haven't talked to him today, but he should be awake in an hour or so. I 
need to run. I'll see you tonight, I have some laundry I need to do before work." 
 
"OK, Nat. See you later." 
 
"Bye".

As she hung up the phone, she thought to herself that Natalie sounded awfully chipper for 
someone that supposedly had spent a miserable night with gastrointestinal distress. She 
hated the fact that she doubted her friend, but something was going on, and she was 
determined to get to the bottom of it. 

She decided to call Cehri at her hotel and find out how her date with Christophe had 
gone. As she was patched through to Cehri's room, she decided that maybe the best thing 
to do would be to ask outright about her friend's reaction to her partner. It was very odd. 
As the phone rang a third time, there was no answer and the voice mail kicked in. Since 
she didn't trust hotel voicemail, she decided to go on by the hotel before she went to 
work and drop a note off for the artist.  

She got dressed and sat down to pen a note to Cehri. She put her work number at the 
bottom and asked her friend to call her whenever she got in. Putting the note in her purse, 
she decided to call Nick. She picked up the phone and dialed the loft. He picked up after 
two rings.

"Knight here"

"Hey Nick, it's Tracy. How are you feeling?"

"Uh, hi Tracy. I'm doing better. Still a little under the weather, but I'll be in tonight."

"Are you sure? Food poisoning can be pretty nasty." 
 
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll leave if I'm not feeling well. So, I'll see you at the precinct?"

"No problem, see you then." 

She hung up the phone, a frown on her face. First Natalie, now Nick. She was having a 
really hard time believing they had gone home sick last night. But why the big charade? 
What were they hiding?  She shook her head, perplexed and disappointed. She checked 
her watch and saw it was just after 7:00 PM. She grabbed her keys and purse and headed 
over to Cehri's hotel. She parked the car and took the elevator up to the lobby. As she 
exited and headed for the front desk, she saw Christophe LeBlanc standing there, and a 
grin appeared on her face. She walked over to the handsome Frenchman. He turned as 
she approached and a smile appeared on his face. He held out his hand.

"Detective Vetter, wasn't it? So nice to see you again."

She took his hand and shook it. He turned it over and brought it to his lips, causing her to 
blush. 

"Yes. It's good to see you too. Are you waiting for Cehri?"

He dropped her hand and inclined his head. "Yes, we're going to dinner. She should be 
here shortly, were you looking for her?"

"I just wanted to drop off a note for her. I was going to leave it at the front desk, but 
maybe you'd be willing to give it to her?" 
 
"I'd be happy to, but if you wait just a moment, she should be right here. I just spoke to 
her."

Tracy thought for a moment then nodded. "OK, thanks. So, where are you going to 
dinner?"

They started chatting for a few moments, and then Cehri appeared. She was surprised to 
see Tracy, but her greeting was warm. Tracy handed her the note.

"Hi Cehri. I was going to leave you a note to see if I could get on your busy calendar." 
She grinned to let her friend know she was teasing. Cehri blushed and giggled.

"Yeah, I seem to be much more popular here than at any of the OTHER shows." Her eyes 
were sparkling and she cast a sidelong glance at Christophe. He caught the glance and 
winked at her.

Tracy coughed. "Well, my work number is in the note, I'll be there until 5 AM if you 
want to give me a call before you go to bed, or you can call me at home tomorrow. I'm 
off on Tuesday and Thursday next week, and I usually go in to work around 9 or 10 PM."

Christophe was listening intently. "Ah, so you are a night owl, Detective Vetter?"

She shrugged. "I've always been more of a night person. Working the graveyard shift 
suits me. Anyway, it was good to see you again, Mr. LeBlanc." She held her hand out 
again. He took it and shook it.

"Please, call me Christophe. And tell Nicholas that it was good to see him again."

"I will. And call me Tracy." She grinned at him, turned to hug Cehri, and then left to go 
to work.

After she was gone, Cehri turned to Christophe, a puzzled look on her face. 

"Christophe, you know Tracy's partner?"

He nodded.

"How long have you known him?" 

"Oh, about five years. He is on a few of the charitable boards I'm also on. We've been 
acquainted through them. He volunteers his time quite a bit. He is also an artist and 
musician, although only as a hobby. Which is surprising, as I've seen his work  and heard 
him play; he is quite good. I had no idea he was a police officer until last night; it truly 
surprised me."

"Really? Why?"

"Nicholas is a very complex man. He has a rather broody nature, but he is very generous 
with his time and money to very worthy charities, and I didn't know his occupation. I 
guess I assumed he was a businessman." He shrugged.

"Hmmm. He volunteers and donates money? He just gave me the creeps, I don't know 
why. But you and Tracy seem to like him and think highly of him. Maybe I was just 
nervous. Anyway, shall we get going?" She grinned at him and he took her hand to lead 
her out to his car.

Part X
As Tracy pulled into the precinct parking lot, she saw Nick's caddy sitting in his "usual" 
spot. She shook her head and sat in her car for a few minutes puzzling over the previous 
night, Cehri's reactions, Nick and Natalie's "food poisoning", her conversations with 
Vachon. Finally, she came upon one conclusion, something she had thought about in 
passing that she had dismissed as ludicrous. She thought about it, and the more she 
thought the more it fit. She got out of her car and slammed the door behind her. She 
marched into the precinct, her temper on a very tight leash. As she approached her desk, 
she saw Nick's back to her, his blond head bent over a file, pen in hand. She stopped, 
trying to cool her boiling anger. Finally, she approached the desks.

Nick looked up and smiled at her. "Hi Tracy." 

She looked at him carefully. "Hi Nick. Are you in the middle of something important?"

"No, just doing paperwork."

She looked at the file on his desk. "Would you be willing to go over to the morgue with 
me? I want to ask Natalie some questions."

He frowned. "Sure. Now?"

"Yes, I think it's important." 

He shrugged and pulled his coat on, then stuck his head into Reese's office. "Hey 
Captain, Tracy and I are going over to the Coroner's office for a bit." Reese mumbled 
something that Tracy didn't hear and Nick turned back to her. He pulled his keys out of 
his pocket and they headed out to the Caddy and pulled out the parking lot, heading 
toward the Coroner's office. 

After a few minutes, Nick started talking. "So, what case is this about?"

Tracy stared icily out the window for several seconds, then turned to face her partner.

"Nick, could you please pull over? I want to ask you something." 

Nick frowned, glanced at her, and then pulled the car over into an empty parking lot.

"What's up, Tracy?" He turned to face her, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Nick, we've been partners for, what, 2 years now?" She watched his face.

"Almost, yes. What's going on?" He was starting to feel unsettled as she stared at him.

Finally she started talking again, and her voice was rough with emotion. "Nick, every 
night I trust you with my life. And I had hoped that over the last couple of years we had 
become friends. I know you are an extremely private person, and I respect that. And Lord 
knows, I have my own secrets. But you know what? I just figured out something tonight 
that really explains a lot to me. So, I'm going to ask you something and I want a straight 
answer. Are you a vampire?" 

Nick's eyes grew wide. It was one of the last questions he had expected from her. His 
heart beat quickly in his chest twice. He looked at her, and a half dozen lies and flip 
answers flitted through his mind. Then he saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes, and a 
surge of guilt swept over him. He knew she was a resistor, so he couldn't just make her 
forget the whole incident. Finally he looked away.

After several seconds he sighed and answered, still without looking at her. "Yes, Tracy, 
I'm a vampire. Like Vachon."  He heard her swift intake of breath and finally looked 
back at her. Tears were pouring silently down her face. She was staring at him, the hurt 
and anger plain on her face. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief 
and handed it to her. She knocked it away.

"You bastard!" She hissed then got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She 
started walking away from him through the empty parking lot. 

Nick got out of the car and shouted. "Tracy, wait!" She ignored him and kept walking. 
Suddenly she ran into something and looked up into the face of her partner, whom she 
didn't even know at all. 

She backed away. "Stay away from me, Knight. I don't want you around right now."

He didn't move. "Tracy, we need to talk about this."

She shook her head and turned around and started running the other direction. Again, he 
was right in front of her. "So Nick, what are you going to do? Chase me all night? 
Pretend I'm a mouse that you are chasing and toying with before you EAT it?" His cold 
stare chilled her to the bone, and suddenly his eyes began glowing the feral amber she 
had only seen on Vachon's face a few times. He opened his mouth in an evil grin and 
showed her his fangs.

"Is that what you want? To be chased until you are so exhausted your legs cannot hold 
you up anymore? To feel the terror of cornered prey, knowing death is just around the 
corner? Is that what you want, Tracy? IS IT?" Slowly his eyes returned to normal and his 
fangs retracted. 

She was shaking in terror. Until she had seen Nick's transformation, she hadn't really 
believed it could be real. She stumbled backwards, shaking her head. "No…no." Nick 
quickly walked toward her and grabbed her arms in a gentle, but vise-like grip.

"Tracy, I'm sorry I frightened you. But we NEED to talk. I owe you an explanation, and 
you need to understand some things." He stared intently at her, his eyes seeming to bore 
into her soul. She was still shaking violently. Finally she dropped her eyes and nodded. 
Nick could still hear her heart racing in terror. He felt worse for frightening her than he 
could ever believe possible. Slowly, he released her arms and stepped carefully back. He 
waited until he could tell her heart was slowing down before he even thought of speaking 
again.

"First of all, I know that no amount of 'I'm sorry' will even begin to make amends; but I 
truly AM sorry. Believe me, I have thought about telling you many, many, MANY times, 
but the laws of my kind are very harsh. I know Vachon has told you about the Enforcers. 
But it isn't only the Enforcers that I have to contend with." She looked up at him, anger 
and resentment still flaring in her eyes.

"Then what, Nick? Or should I say "who"?" He sighed and glanced away from her, off 
into the distance.

"First of all, I'm a bit of an outcast from the rest of the Community. Very few vampires 
have any respect for me at all, and many of them hold me in contempt. One of the few 
reasons I'm tolerated at all, other than my age, is the fact that my sire is the head of the 
Toronto Community, and won't put up with what he terms as 'insolence' from the 
'youngsters'." He sighed.

Tracy's face furrowed in puzzlement. "Nick, I don't understand. What are you talking 
about?"

He turned back to look at her. "I've been a vampire for almost 800 years, Tracy. And for 
the last 150 of those years, I've been trying to regain my mortality. I hate what I am, what 
I've done over the centuries. For that, I've been almost completely ostracized from my 
kind.   Those in the Community who despise me and my way of life, including my sire, 
would think nothing of using the people in my life to make me miserable. THEY are even 
more of a threat to you, and anyone I care about, than the Enforcers." His eyes held 
infinite sadness and suddenly Tracy understood some of his moodiness and depression. 

"Nick, let me get this straight. You're trying to become MORTAL again?" She tried to 
sort through what he was saying. 

He looked at her. "Yes. I made a huge mistake based on false pretenses 800 years ago, 
and I've had to live with the consequences of that decision. Tracy, I'm a cold-blooded 
killer. I've killed and ruined thousands of lives. I dream about all the faces of my victims, 
I'm haunted by the ghosts of all the men and women I've ruthlessly drained of blood and 
life. I have been trying, for the last 150 years, to do some small bit of good in the world. 
But it will never be enough to make up for all the evil I've done in the past." He looked 
away from her, pain clearly etched on his face. 

Compassion for him flooded through her. "Oh, Nick. I had no idea." 

He turned back to her. "Tracy, believe me when I say that I didn't tell you because I 
wanted to protect you. I have felt horrible for lying to you, especially since you already 
know about my kind. Vachon has put himself in grave danger by letting you continue to 
EXIST. Your life would be in even more of a risk if it was found out that you know about 
me, as well. You cannot let ANYONE know that you know about me. Including Vachon. 
I'm not saying this to try and run your life, I'm saying it to try and SAVE it." His eyes 
were pleading, imploring her.

"Natalie knows about you, doesn't she?" She asked quietly, trying not to sound 
accusatory. 

He sighed, again. "Yes, she knows. She's been trying to help me regain my mortality for 
the last six years. The only reason SHE is in no danger is because my sire thinks I'm just 
using her for my own ends." A look of intense pain crossed his face. It was something 
she hadn't seen often, but every now and then she had seen it when he watched Natalie 
leave a room. Suddenly some pieces clicked into place. 

"You love her, don't you? And she loves you." 

He whipped back around to her. "Whatever Natalie and I might or might not feel for each 
other is immaterial. We are * just * good friends. That's the way it has to be." The 
harshness of the statement startled Tracy. Whatever else he felt badly about, apparently 
that subject was not open for discussion. 

"OK Nick. But I need to think about all this. It's a lot to take in all at once. I just wish 
you had trusted me. I want to talk about this again later. But right now we should at least 
put in an appearance at the morgue in case anyone is asking about us." He nodded and 
they headed back to the Caddy and continued the drive in silence.

When they got to the morgue, they went inside and found Natalie in the middle of an 
autopsy. Tracy wrinkled her nose and paled almost as much as Nick, but she didn't say 
anything. Natalie looked up and smiled at them.

"Hi guys. I'll be right with you." She finished the task she was working on, then snapped 
off her rubber gloves and turned toward them. Her smile faded as she saw the tension 
between the two blond detectives. 

"OK, what's wrong? Spill it." Her business-like candor made them look at each other. 
Nick nodded at Tracy and then went to make sure the door was closed and locked.

Quietly, Tracy declared, "I know about Nick"

Natalie gasped and looked at Nick, who continued to stand guard at the door. He nodded 
to her, resignation written on his face.

Natalie looked back at Tracy and heaved a sigh. "Well it's about TIME you knew. I've 
been telling him for years that he should have told you up front, once he knew you knew 
about Vachon."

Her reaction stunned Tracy. "You have? You did?" She glanced back over at Nick, the 
anger creeping back into her face. Nick looked at the floor, avoiding the gazes of both 
women. 

"Yes. However, I know some of his reasons for not telling you, and if he explained them 
to you, he wasn't overestimating the danger." She looked from Nick to Tracy, trying to 
gauge how much Nick had told her. 

He looked up at her. "I told her about my quest and how the Community has taken it. 
And I also told her about LaCroix. Maybe hearing it from you will reinforce the gravity 
of this whole situation."

Tracy's brow furrowed. "LaCroix? The tall creepy guy that owns the Raven?" She 
gasped. "HE's your master?" Nick nodded. She whistled. "He makes MY overbearing 
father look like Santa Claus."

Both Nick and Natalie chuckled at the comparison, knowing how apt it was. Finally, 
Natalie spoke up again.

"Tracy, I've met a few members of the Community, and believe me when I say that Nick 
really is different from them. To my limited knowledge, he is the only vampire that has 
ever felt guilty about what he is and what he's done. The person you've known the last 
two years is STILL the same person, regardless of what he's done in his past. If I know 
him, he's probably wallowing in guilt and shame for having lied to you the past two 
years." Both women turned toward Nick, who was fidgeting with downcast eyes, and 
would have been blushing if it was possible for a vampire to blush.

Tracy rolled her eyes. "Nick, give it a rest. It's over and done with. We'll deal with it. 
You still owe me a LOT of explanations, but give me a break! I'm still your partner." 

Nick looked up, hope in his eyes and smile on his face. He looked so much like a puppy 
that had been bad that Tracy finally laughed. So did Natalie. Nick didn't even get 
offended that they were laughing at him, so relieved was he that one more person in his 
life knew about him and still accepted him. 

Finally, after the laughter subsided, Natalie turned back to Tracy. "Tracy, I'm very 
serious about the Community. If ANYONE, including Vachon, finds out you know about 
Nick, your life really will be in serious danger. Please, promise you'll think about what 
we've both said?" The look in her blue eyes finally made Tracy think that perhaps there 
was some truth to the danger they had been presenting. 

"OK, I'll THINK about it. But Natalie, you and I are going to sit down and have a serious 
discussion about this. SOON." Natalie nodded, thinking to herself how much of a 
RELIEF it would be to be able to talk to SOMEONE about all the bizarreness that had 
entered her life the night Nick sat up on her table. Someone that also had feelings for one 
of the Undead…

Nick cleared his throat. "Nat, do you have any reports for us? Anything that might justify 
our coming over here?" 

She thought about it. "Yep, I have the DNA report from the Abernathy homicide." She 
went over to her desk and pulled a file out of her tray, and handed it to Tracy. The two 
detectives walked out the door to return to the precinct.

Part XI
Cehri had just gotten in from her wonderful dinner with Christophe. It was just after 2 
AM, and she remembered the note that Tracy had given her. She opened it up and 
debated calling her friend, still somewhat ambivalent about the company Tracy was 
keeping. Finally, she picked up the phone and called Tracy's work number. After two 
rings Tracy picked up.

"Detective Vetter, Homicide."

"Hey Tracy, it's Cehri. Is now a good time?"

Tracy chuckled. "Oh, fine for me. Are you JUST getting in from your dinner with 
Christophe?" 

The teasing note in her voice made Cehri blush. "Yes, well, we had a great dinner and 
took a drive along the lake." 

"I see. How about we get together tomorrow for an early dinner or late lunch and you can 
tell me ALL the gory details?"

Cehri sighed silently in relief. She had been afraid Tracy was going to invite her over to 
her place of work. She had originally wanted to see what the police precinct was like, 
maybe to get some inspiration, but she didn't want to run in to Tracy's partner again.

"That would be great. Do you want to meet at the hotel again?" 

"Sure. How about I swing by around 4?" 

"That sounds good. I have to go over to the gallery at 1. I'll meet you in the lobby at 4. 
Have a good night, Trace." 
 
"Yeah, you too. See you tomorrow." 

Cehri hung up the phone and started getting ready for bed, a bubble of happiness still 
inside of her.

Tracy put the phone down and stared thoughtfully at it for a few minutes. Nick glanced at 
her, but didn't say anything. He was still hesitant about how to talk to her, not sure how 
much forgiveness she actually felt for him and what to say.

She looked at him. "Nick, come with me for a walk?" 

He nodded and got up to follow her. They went to the break room, where she got a cup of 
coffee. They walked out in the hallway and over into a corner that was empty. She started 
speaking softly, knowing that he could hear her every word with his acute hearing.

"Nick, I'm worried about Cehri. Vachon told me she is what he called a 'sensor', and it 
was her reaction to you and Vachon that actually started me thinking about…what we 
discussed earlier. Do you think she's safe?"

He looked at her, then started speaking. "She's fine as long as all she has are feelings of 
unease about…us. As long as she doesn't try and pursue anything from it, and never 
knows what it is she was uncomfortable about, she's fine. Vachon already checked and 
there aren't any Enforcers in town. Unless she stays in Toronto and starts poking around, 
no one is going to bother her. But you have to make sure she stays away from us, and 
especially away from the Raven." 

Tracy nodded. "I get the impression that she's just as happy to avoid you and Vachon. 
She isn't the confrontational type, and truth be told, she seems so busy with Christophe 
and her show that I'd be surprised if she really has much more time to spend with ME." 

Nick nodded, then grinned. "So she and Christophe have hit it off, huh? That's good to 
hear. I've known him a few years, and apparently when his wife died about ten years ago, 
he threw himself into the art world, volunteering on top of being on the Canadian Arts 
Council, and traveling around the world. He's really a good person. If Cehri is intriguing 
him that much, I hope something good comes of it." 

Tracy nodded, relieved to hear that her friend was apparently in good company. She 
finished her coffee and they went back to their desks to finish up the slowly diminishing 
mound of paperwork.

The next day, as Tracy waited in the hotel lobby for Cehri, she watched all the 
businessmen and women go about their daily lives. She felt somewhat alien in the 
daylight world, especially after finding out about Nick last night. Her world seemed so 
incredibly surreal since she had met Nick and Vachon. She wondered what would happen 
when they both left her life; would it seem dull in comparison? 

Cehri walked into the lobby at that point, and came over to give Tracy a big hug. 

"Hi, are you hungry? I'm starving!" She led the way to the same dining room they had 
eaten in before.

Tracy laughed. "Yes, I'm hungry." They were seated and looked over the menu, then 
ordered when the waiter came by.

Finally, ice teas in hand, they started talking. Tracy had decided to keep the conversation 
focused as much as possible on Cehri, hopefully in an effort to keep her distracted.

"So, how's the show going?" 

"Oh Tracy, it's unbelievable! Jillian has got offers POURING in for work for me! I have 
no idea how I'm going to find the time to DO all of them! This city seems to have 
something … magical about it." Her eyes sparkled, and Tracy could tell she wasn't just 
talking about the art world.

"So, has Christophe been able to help you make any additional local connections?" She 
smiled at the artist, teasing her.

Cehri blushed. "Well, yes, he has brought a few potential clients to the gallery. He's also 
lined up some meetings for me in Montreal, since he knows a lot more people there. He 
lives there, did you know?" Tracy shook her head. "Anyway, I'm sure his introductions 
will be invaluable." She stopped, cleared her throat, and took a drink of her iced tea.

Tracy grinned at her. "So, have all your meetings with him been strictly professional?" 

Cehri's cheeks flamed even redder. "Well, actually, no. Most of our time together has 
been social." She looked up at Tracy. "Tracy, he's AMAZING. I've never met anyone 
like him. And, to be honest, I can't imagine I would ever want to."

Tracy spent the rest of the meal asking her questions about Christophe, and was pleased 
to know that Cehri's time was, indeed, going to be spent mostly in his company. They did 
make plans to go to the museum and Tracy promised to take Cehri around town on her 
next day off, show her some of the touristy and local sites. She was very careful to make 
plans during the day, so there was no chance of running into any of the local creatures of 
the night. Assured that her friend wouldn't be running into any of the Community, and 
that her time was well occupied with Christophe, she left Cehri just as the sun was 
setting, and thought about Cehri's comment about the city being a magical place. She 
realized that Cehri was more right than she knew. Magical and dangerous, but home just 
the same. She headed toward Nick's loft to sit down and get some more answers from 
him about his life, his origins, and to better understand this added "magical" dimension of 
her own life more fully.