Eddie sings the Blues 1/2 Well this my contribution, albeit belated, to Cousin Mary's suggestion of Tracy requesting a song from Lacroix. Spoilers here for Ashes to Ashes. The songs "Modern Girl" and "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" both performed by Meatloaf are copyright of him and their writers. No infringement of any other copyright is intended. Forever Knight is the property of Messrs Parriott and Cohen, and Sony/Tristar. No infringement of their rights is intended either. The gratuitous Star Trek reference, the copyright to which is held by Paramount Pictures, does not intend to infringe their rights. This story is my property, and I hold the copyright hereto. Permission is given to Mel Moser to archive at the fkfanfic site. Anyone else who wants it is welcome to archive also, as long as you ask me first, and keep my name and this disclaimer attached. I'd welcome constructive comments, but be gentle with me. I'm still quite new at this. I think that is everything so here goes. Eddie sings the Blues. By Spike Shovelton Lucien Lacroix studied the e-mail on his terminal with interest. He did not give out that address, sometimes to a few friends, but never so he was attached to it, or could be traced. Yet here it was an email, and an interesting one at that. To: rosebud@cerk.org From: cappuchino@hotmail.com Dear Nightcrawler, I would like to request a piece of music to be played on your show. Please play "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" by Meatloaf, and read the following message. Sometimes you don't see things up close, I can see it all, can see the chance I wasted for lack of courage. If you let her slip away then it will be the worst mistake of your life. I can see that you love her, but won't pay the price. Some prices are worth paying. I deluded myself into thinking it was friendship until it was too late. Don't make that mistake. I watch you with her, and it makes me almost weep to see such love. Take the chance. If you don't you'll regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon, and for the rest of eternity. That will be all that is needed. Thanks Coffee lover Lacroix studied the message with interest and looked at the e-mail, someone keeping it dark, that much was plain, not giving anything away. He sighed, he would play it of course and he moved to his mailbox and smiled as he began to draft a response to this. He was interested in this. It would be difficult to identify the sender. Nicholas had been a little dull recently, and their conversations had been stilted since the Divia incident. He was uncomfortable revealing so much of himself to his son, and had limited contact after that. No he needed an amusement, and this might divert him for a few hours. He smiled as he dialled a number from memory. "Wizard Waprdrives Science Fiction store, Larry speaking." Came the amused voice. Larry Merlin had to be the only vampire in history that ran a sci fi memorabilia store. He was a brilliant computer programmer, and an experienced hacker. His skills served the community very well. "Good evening Lawrence. How is business?" He asked and there was a pause. "Great, what can I do for you, General?" Larry paused. It was not good for the general to be calling him up like this. He quickly tried to think if he had done anything to offend the general, or contravene the code. He could think of nothing and held his breath. "I need to find someone." Larry waited, not being too pleased at the sound of this. "I have an e-mail address and would like to know the sender." "Right, what is the address?" Larry asked quickly and laughed. "Hotmail is not difficult to get into. It would take two hours, but leave it with me and I'll try to do it faster than that." He smiled as he hung up. Mr Scott had the right idea, multiplying his repair estimates by a factor of four. Larry did like the original series of Star Trek the best, nothing could compare to it for dodgy special effects and scantily clad aliens. Mind you Jadzia Dax in Deep Space Nine was a close second. He reminded himself that he had work to do and walked over to his computer. He called back in twenty minutes and Lacroix answered it. "The more they overwork the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." "Meaning?" Lacroix said quickly. "Meaning, I have your details, not difficult at all. Do you have a pen?" He waited and the other vampire listened. "Name is Vetter, Ms T. A. Vetter." "Is it indeed." Lacroix smiled as he took down the address and phone number. That was going to be most interesting, most interesting indeed. He looked at the details. So the little chit was issuing him a challenge, was she? He remembered with amusement their last meeting. He smiled as he arranged to work this into his monologue. He found the record easily enough and smiled as he dressed for work. The sun was just setting and he settled into his booth at the Raven and looked at his microphone. "So how have you been?" Nick looked at his partner. She was paler now; her face did not crease so readily with laughter. His partner had never mentioned Vachon, and hopefully she had forgotten his death. Lacroix was good at whammying, and it was better for her not to remember what had happened. "Fine." Tracy wondered how her life had become so dull. Vampires did add excitement, and it was hard, once you had seen the darkness to return to the light. She felt curiously in limbo. "How are your paintings going?" "Not so badly." Nick said and they drove in silence as he reached for the controls for the radio. He pressed the switch and Tracy did not protest. "When I was young my parents moved from the city to the coast for my mother's health. I once saw the most beautiful floating canopy in the water, a floating, iridescent sheath, shining as the sun reflected on the water surface." Tracy listened that voice was a killer. That being was a killer too, but the voice was almost tangible seduction. "I was not six years old and did not know better so I reached out for this beautiful floating creature. The pain of touching it was indescribable, a devouring agony. I do not remember much else, but the poison of the jellyfish nearly destroyed me. From that the lesson is that you should not reach for a jellyfish, some things are as deadly as they are lovely." Lacroix paused and Tracy smiled with interest as Nick looked at the radio. Lacroix rarely delved into his own life, this was a new tale to him. "Jellyfish?" "Quiet, this is getting interesting." Tracy said as she settled back into the seat. "Now I have an e-mail that reminds me of my encounter with a jellyfish. A request, but an unusual one. Perhaps the sender might like to discuss the matter again sometime. Nonetheless here is the request." Tracy listened to Lacroix reading her message and smiled. This ought to fetch him out. She could not discuss it with Nick, he would not tolerate interference, but Tracy had lost Vachon, and she did not want Nick to realise too late what he had lost. The music began to play. If you listen to the night You can hear the darkness call I can barely stand to wait I can barely stand at all. The voice singing harshly and bruising the words, yet still talented and beautiful in an odd way and Tracy smiled as she listened. C'mon closer to me now It's like we're sharing the same skin We gotta get out of this jail We gotta let the future in How easy it was to be wise after the event. She thought as the words flowed. So many things in your life That you're bound to regret Why didn't I do That? Why didn't I do This? So many chances you lost That you'll never forget Why didn't I make it? Why didn't I take it right there? She had kept her memories, had fought for them. Perhaps this was dangerous to do, but she could not summon up the energy to care. The loneliest words you'll ever know If only-if only it was so. The emptiest words that they'll ever be It could have been me, It could have been me Nick sat there listening to the words for a moment and he looked at her. You'll have to pay for it later If you don't get it when it's going for free Believe me. Believe me A kiss is a terrible thing to waste. A kiss is a terrible thing to waste. It's something that's always been true A kiss is a terrible thing to waste. Tracy raised and eyebrow and smiled. "Interesting song." He commented, as they let the words wash over them. She nodded at this and he smiled back. "Do you like Meatloaf?" "Not someone I am familiar with." Nick responded and studied her. "Is he a favourite of yours?" "I like some of the themes." Tracy said finally. "He does have a point. You should never leave it until it is too late." They arrived back from the crime scene and as she got out of the car Tracy smiled. The song was finishing and she studied him. "I think Natalie would be prepared to pay any price." With that parting shot she left him and went into work. End Part One Eddie sings the Blues 2/2 By Spike Shovelton See part one for disclaimer Nick was quiet and abstracted, trying to make sense of that strange request. Tracy smiled as he went to the morgue to offer Natalie a lift home. He did love her, so much it hurt to see, and they deserved to be happy. It was justice to make the Nightcrawler deliver it. She had seen how he played Nick like an accordion, especially with his recent shows about moving on, and giving up unequal struggles. Since Vachon had died she had started listening to Nightwatch of her own accord and the show had grown on her, appealing to the darker, concealed part of her soul. She had soon worked out that there was a relationship between the Nightcrawler and her unusual partner and from that had worked out what it was. She had been furious with Vachon for not telling her, but then it was too late for that, and she had been furious that he was not there for her to be furious with. As she came off shift she followed Nick, watching as he took Natalie home, and went inside, one arm around her waist. Then she drove aimlessly and found her car taking her towards the sea. She parked and looked out. It was winter so it would not be dawn for at least three hours. The nights were long in this season. Tracy looked at the view with interest. She climbed out of the car and sat down, enjoying the silence, broken only by the rhythmic lap of the water. It was a still place and she sighed as she studied the darkness above her with morbid pleasure. "You were quite right." Came a recognisable voice behind her. "A kiss is indeed a terrible thing to waste." She did not see him until he sat beside her on the ground. He was so still that he could have been a statue, alabaster skin and black marble clothes. He was remarkable to see, and knew it quite well. His face was so pale as to make most others in the Raven appear sunburned. She had never believed Vachon when he had denied that this was a vampire. "I hope it has achieved the desired result." She responded her voice cold. "Certainly I have not forgotten your kiss." She coloured as he studied her. As she did so the memories overwhelmed her. Flashback. After Ashes to Ashes Tracy looked up as she continued to tidy away the traces of Vachon from the church. She had felt as though someone was watching her, ever since she had buried Vachon next to Screed. She gathered up his guitar in her hands and ran a finger over the frets, producing a discordant whine. Trying again she sighed at the chord she produced. She stiffened, someone was watching her. Tracy looked around. "Is someone there? Who is watching me?" "I am." Came a voice that seemed to come from all around her. She forced herself to appear relaxed and looked over. She saw Lacroix appear, from nowhere and knew that her suspicion was correct, Vachon had lied and this was a vampire. A wash of sadness swept through her, but she bit her lip to prevent herself from giving in to grief. "I was planning to find you, to take a final statement about the head in the refrigerator." She said quickly and looked at him, putting down the guitar. "My condolences on your loss." His voice was very soft. She nodded, trying to work out what he was after, and what the reason behind all of this was. "As sorry as I am for your loss, there is something we must attend to." She studied him and waited, one hand closing around the hilt of her stake. She had carried it since Vachon had let it slip about enforcers. "That would be, Mr Lacroix?" She said quickly, moving to one side, standing by an open, wooden door. "It would be easier if you did not know about this." His eyes met her own and she felt herself sinking into them. "Vachon was a drifter, he moved on and left you behind." His voice was a soft purr. "Forget this death, and the pain. He moved on, and has gone. It will be easier this way." Everything in her wanted to give in and let that beautiful voice take her. She felt a splinter from the stake enter her finger and the pain shocked her back to reality. She was not going to forget. Her memories were all she had. She forced herself out of the iridescent pools of his eyes. "Screw you, Lacroix. I am not forgetting so get out of my mind before I stake you." She shouted, her rage and fatigue pushing her beyond wisdom. She no longer cared what would happen, what the price was. She was fed up of being the pawn in people's games. "A challenge then?" His voice did not sound annoyed and he moved towards her. "Forget the past, let it go." He came closer. Tracy knew that he expected her to back away, he was a predator. The hunter was to become the hunted. She did what he least expected and attacked, drawing her stake and moving forward to meet him. She drove the stake towards him, missing his chest on purpose and hitting his shoulder. The sharply pointed wood slid through the skin and hit the door the other side, splintering the rotting wood. "Drastic." He hissed. His voice was controlled and his eyes were flecked with gold, but he gave no other sign of the pain she must have caused him. "Some might consider you a hunter for that." "I don t like people messing with my mind, or anything else of mine." She said quickly. "Next time you try that I go for the heart." "Next time I will be ready." He reached for the stake and drew it out of his shoulder, with his other arm. As it came out the blood spouted from his shoulder and stained the black silk shirt with a darker colour. "I am sure of it." She looked at him for a moment and turned, holding out a bottle from Vachon's fridge. She had just attacked him, yet here she was offering him a drink, like a hostess. Well she had made her point, so he would now know. He took the bottle and as he did so his hand grabbed her wrist. "You ought not to lower your defences so." His smile softened his icy eyes to a warm aquamarine. "Especially not with me." Lacroix was impressed. This one had steel beneath the velvet and silk, and she was intelligent too. He wondered if her stake had been dipped in poison, for he was surely mad or bewitched. She had managed to get the better of him, managed to stake him. He ought to kill her for that. He dragged her forward. Hades take Nicholas, he would not allow this one to live, she had challenged him and would pay the price. He intended to sink fangs into her throat, but instead of her soft creamy skin, he found himself kissing her slightly parted lips. Tracy did not even think of struggling out of this, hell for a second she did not even think. She could only feel and her body enjoyed it. Then her mind reasserted itself. So it seemed did his, and within a second she was alone, he had gone without another word. She stood there, one finger touching her lips as she wondered what had happened. End Flashback "Should I be flattered?" Tracy asked and he shrugged one shoulder, an elegant gesture. He did not answer the question but rather smiled. "I do not agree with your desire to bring Nicholas closer to the Lambert woman. Tell me what makes you do that?" "He ought not to be alone. I have lost Vachon, I would not wish either of them to suffer that." Tracy paused a moment. "Nick deserves to be happy. When Vachon died I was sadder that I had not had the courage to take what I wanted, to book the hotel room, or seduce him into taking me flying, or whatever came of it. We were both afraid to act I think, and I pay the price." "Yet you wish Nicholas to be happy?" He looked at her. They had both lost people they loved. His Fleur had been taken from him, and he had sought to punish Nicholas. If he could not be happy then nobody else ought to be. Yet she had also had her chance of joy taken away and she wanted people to be happy. "Of course I do." She looked at him and he returned her gaze. "I don't want him to feel the regret I do, and you do too?" Her voice rose in question and he studied her again. She was an intriguing thing, with unexpected depths. The situation had been ripe for change; perhaps her action would have some interesting repercussions. "An intriguing argument." His smile reached his eyes and made him appear younger. "Tell me Ms Vetter, would you care to continue this discussion over a drink? Perhaps I could tell you some stories about Nicholas as a young man." "The world doesn't revolve around Nick. I would rather hear about you." Tracy heard herself responding, and found that the statement was true. "As long as I am not on the menu." "I never argue with a woman who wields a stake so well." He stood and offered her his arm. There was a pause and she took it, and fell into step with him as they walked to the car. Once inside it she began to drive and as she did so she flicked on a cassette and Meatloaf could be heard. "But that was once upon a time Now it's a brand new world Gimme the future. Gimme the future. Gimme the future with a modern girl." The End Notes 1) "The more they overwork the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain" is a quote from Star Trek III The Search for Spock, as is Larry's overestimating the time it would take. I just couldn't resist including it. 2) I don't know if it is possible for anyone to discover your personal details on hotmail, I just assumed that a hacker would be able to. If I am wrong then it's dramatic licence. 3) If anyone doesn't know, Eddie was the name of the character Meatloaf played in the film version of "The Rocky Horror Show." It seemed appropriate at the time.