In any case, the shootings and stabbings had been straightforward. Witnesses, powder burns on hands and clothing, and fingerprints everywhere. Almost boring, if it weren't for the cost of human lives. She reminded herself not to become too callous. Sometimes she feared her job would have that effect--making human life seem cheap; disposable. It was a daily struggle to remember that people had inhabited these bodies. "Dr. Lambert," Janette smiled, "Please, don't let me interrupt your work. We need to talk, but I am waiting for Nicolas to join us. He has been. . . unavoidably detained."
Natalie smiled back, a bit uncomfortable in her presence. "Janette, I thought you were dead."
Janette smiled. "As Monsieur Twain would say, 'Rumors of my demise are highly exaggerated.' You last saw me as a mortal. After that, Nicolas and I confronted the kidnappers, and I was shot and fatally wounded by them. I begged Nicolas to let me die and to rescue the others instead. He could not bear that I should die. I do not blame him. I understand." "I returned to life as a vampire. I moved on when it became clear I could not return to the Raven. After all, I had left everything behind when I went to Montreal and became mortal. I could not very well return and resume my old identity here. I had given LaCroix the club before I left. It would have looked strange, and others would have . . . disapproved. I am now in an awkward situation, since I should not even be in Toronto. There have been, shall we say "developments" since I left that moved me to chance returning here. The identity I assumed in the interim awaits me elsewhere, if I choose to return to it.
She motioned toward the latest cadaver. "Please, I am interrupting your work, and you have much to do. The rest can wait for Nicolas when he appears."
Natalie picked up the tape recorder, which was safely enclosed in a plastic bag. "I'll be making some observations on tape," she said. "It keeps me from getting pens all bloody. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to engage in conversation while this is going on."
Janette smiled, amused. "That is quite all right, Dr. Lambert. I am quite able to wait. Perhaps your comments will be instructive."
The rest of the time was spent with Janette perched in a chair, trying to look patient, while Natalie talked quietly into her tape recorder, or probed the corpse for clues.
Continuing with the autopsy procedure worked for a little while, but Natalie could not fully concentrate on her work. Sitting silently behind her was the sister and eight hundred year old lover of her only love, Nicholas.
So many visions of her past dealings with Janette and the vampire community raced through her head, that focusing on her detailed work was becoming impossible. So many emotions were filling her, that it was difficult to pinpoint which was the most disturbing. The anger and the jealousy she had felt stemming from Nick’s refusing to lose his former lover as a mortal began to resurface. Bringing her back meant he needed her, he wanted her. Checking over her shoulder, she flashed a nervous smile at Janette and then pretended to turn back to her work. The painful thought of their close relationship tore at Nat’s soul, but there was something that was even more painful. Janette had been a mortal; it was not for long, but she had been a living, breathing woman, with a regular heartbeat. It was something that for the past six years, she had been struggling to help Nick accomplish. Over and over she had told Nick that his condition was physical, but Janette had proved to all that it was more than just that. She had said it was love that had allowed for the change, her love. The night Nick had brought her, wounded, to the Morgue, she had said that it was the love that had brought her back to her humanity. It went against all scientific logic, but it had worked: A real cure, not a temporarily drug-induced one. The night that Janette had been shot, she had seen first hand that the transformation had really taken place. While examining her, she found all the normal vital signs of temperature, heartbeat, and blood pressure. There was a bullet hole that bled and did not immediately heal. The idea was unsettling, but Janette had managed to do with love what all the best in modern science could not accomplish.
All her feelings stirred restlessly inside her as she did a few more routine tests on the body before her. A troubling mixture of thoughts and feelings blurred together inside her. How could the only answer for a cure be love? There must be a physical reason, there must be something else that she forgot or maybe withheld. No, she didn’t believe that. There was something special between Janette and her mortal lover, Robert. Sniffing, she took in a deep breath to clear her head. He had already told her that he would not attempt such a cure with her, and she had already told him that she understood. The only promising possibility now lay in this time travel experiment. It was time to put all other thoughts and emotions behind and look towards the future; well, actually, look towards the past. If only Nick could go back and stop this curse before it ever began.
Again, she glanced back at Janette, who seemed to be studying her every action. This time Natalie felt that she had to say something. The silence was too uncomfortable.
"I just have a few more things to do."
Politely, Janette answered. "Please, do not hurry on my account. I am fine, Natalie." Turning back to her work, at which nothing was being accomplished, she tried to come up with some possible explanations as to why Nick would want to meet Janette at her lab. Luckily, she had just missed Tracy and a large part of the forensics team, but only by a few moments. How would she have explained to Tracy that the woman who supposedly died in the fire and who was not only a murder suspect but was possibly Nick’s sister was visiting her at the lab?
Thankfully the timing worked out well, but things still did not make sense. There was nothing that the three of them needed to discuss--or was there? After another attempt to finish the autopsy, she suddenly stopped. This was impossible, there was no way she could think of anything other than Nick’s vampire lover who remained calmly behind her.
Turning around to face Janette, she pulled off her latex gloves as she sighed. Cautiously, Janette looked back at the doctor knowing how difficult this must all be for her.
"Is everything all right, Natalie?" Natalie’s words were tense and curt. "Yes, just fine. Did Nick mention why he wanted to speak with you here?"
Immediately, Janette picked up on the coldness in Natalie’s voice, she had not meant to cause any problems.
"Actually, it was my idea to meet here."
"Oh, I see." Angrily, Natalie walked over to the hazardous waste basket and threw in her used gloves. Then she crossed the room and went to her desk and began to busily look through notebooks and other papers. She tried to look occupied so she would not have to confront Janette. Her diligent activity of moving the items around on her desk was interrupted when Janette moved close, and Natalie looked up at her.
"Natalie, I should probably tell you this now. I did not come back to take Nichola from you. I am here because I too know of the work at GenSearch. I know of Dr. Gellman’s work with time travel."
A look of complete shock covered Natalie’s face, but then she regained her composure. "So Nick told you of this, just as he ran to you after his first dose of Litovuterine B."
"No Natalie, it was not Nichola. Please relax, I am quite sure that no one else knows." She said this with an internal crossing of the fingers. With LaCroix, no one could really be certain.
"Then why do you come about this experiment? You were always happy with what you were."
"Yes, what you say is correct. I am not like Nichola in that way. I have never been ashamed of what I am, nor do I carry any guilt. As I am not bothered by what I am, I am still not pleased with how all events have turned out. The thought of changing some of my past is as important to me as Nichola’s cure is to him."
"Listen Janette, I don’t know what you think this is all about, but we are not talking about some fun excursion for you to occupy yourself with. This is important to Nick, and to me!" "Do not presume to think that you know what compels me doctor! You do not! I was in love with a mortal man, a good man! Whatever happens to me, does not matter. He deserves a chance to see his child grow. Yes, Dr. Lambert, I loved him that much."
The two women stared into each other’s eyes. Into each other’s souls. Each wanting and loving another whose love could only be obtained through a miracle. Seeing her in this new light, Natalie felt as if they could be sisters, but she could not find the words she needed to reach out to her. She was suddenly ashamed of the jealousy that had made her cold and unfriendly.
Again, Janette was first to break the silence.
"So you see Natalie, we are very much alike. Separated from the one we love by circumstances that are beyond our control."
Janette blinked away scarlet tears. She turned with some embarrassment, wishing it was darker so they could not be seen. With an understanding look, Natalie handed her a tissue. "Thank you," said Janette in a small voice. She began dabbing at the blood tears. A smile crossed Natalie’s lips as Janette wiped the tears away.
There was nothing to say. They both knew that they were trapped in this world without their loves if this experiment did not work. This might be their last chance for happiness. Janette suddenly glanced towards the door. Natalie turned too, as both gazed in the same direction at one very uncomfortable looking vampire. With tremendous fortitude, Nick walked towards the two women, now wondering about the sanity of putting them in the same room together. Back to Top / Back one page / Main Page / Prologue / Chapter One / Chapter Two / Janette du Charme by Elena du Charme, Nick and Natalie by Gwenn Musicante, with some editing. Edited 12/2/2002
Next page / Bottom
She jerked upright with a start. She had felt a sudden breeze from the door. "Nick," she began, but found Janette standing there, dressed as if she were ready for the opera, or a concert. Nat's mouth hung open. She shut it, consciously. The last time she had seen Janette, she had been mortal.
Next page / Top / Bottom
She turned her head to hide the emotion that still burned within her, in spite of the vampire she had become again.
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
She could feel her stomach sink. Somehow the one thousand year old vampire looked more beautiful each time she saw her. No wonder Nick could not let her go. The night he had brought her back across was too emotional and happened so rapidly that they never had a chance to discuss Janette’s return. Did he think she didn’t know from the bite marks on the two victims that it was a female vampire that had killed them? And that the only female vampire that wanted them dead was Janette? They had both looked into each other’s eyes that night, and knew how those two had died. And although he never said a word, it was obvious that he had not been able to resist making Janette a vampire again.
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
An unyielding sadness pulled at her, as she held back her tears. There was also something special of her love for Nick. If only he would try to take a little at a time, as Janette had done, and love her as Janette had loved Robert. Surely their love could conquer the vampire in him.
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
Next page / Back one / Top / Bottom
Next page, and bottom / Back one / Top
Chapter Three / Chapter Four / Chapter Five / Chapter Six / Chapter Seven / Chapter Nine / Chapter Ten / Chapter Eleven / Chapter Twelve / Chapter Thirteen
