Dreams and Families

This is the fourth installment of my 'Dreams' series. The previous stories are archived on my website (www.crosswinds.net/~kannegun). It is not necessary to have read the previous ones, but it will make it easier to follow. This story begins several weeks following 'Dreams and a new life'. By my fictional alternate timeline it is February 1999.

Disclaimers: Characters and situations in this story were inspired by 'Forever Knight' and are the property of Sony/Columbia- TriStar. I intend no harm to them and promise to put them back... they'll just be a little happier than when last we saw them.

Permission granted to archive at www.fkfanfic.com, the DarkNN site and the ftp site. Anyone else interested, please ask....

CHAPTER 01/ 0?

"So when is it official?" Natalie's voice carried over the din made by their 20 month old daughter. Claire had discovered that kitchen spoons made interesting noises when applied forcefully to pots and pans, and took great delight in showing her sense of rhythm.

"That's up to the brass." Nick shrugged, striding into the kitchen and scooping up their budding percussionist. She squealed, first in protest as she was removed from her activity and then in delight as Nick floated up to the upper walkway, holding her loosely.

"Have they announced anything yet?" Natalie asked with a hint of annoyance, seeing her husband come into the bedroom holding Claire on his shoulders. The promotion had been offered six weeks ago, and Nick accepted the posting only a week later. They had both been sworn to secrecy, as there would be other promotions to coincide. Generally, all police promotions were announced at the same time.

"No, they haven't." Nick replied, setting Claire down on their bed as he watched Natalie finish preparing for work. Not one to sit still for long, Claire quickly rolled her way to the edge of the bed, and scooted over to the warm corner where their cat was sleeping. Sydney was surprisingly tolerant of the child's attention, and would merely run to a higher location when it got too much. Today, he merely purred as Claire clumsily petted him. "Let me guess, Grace is asking questions."

"I swear, sometimes her suspicions are just too accurate," Natalie sighed, emerging from the bathroom and sitting on the bed to put on her shoes. "I'm tempted to just whammy her..." Laughing softly at Nick's expression, she reached over and squeezed his hand, "I knew that would get you."

Shaking his head, he stood and walked over to pick up Claire. "I still don't understand how you can joke about it."

"And here I thought you liked my dark sense of humor," Natalie teased, following him down the stairs.

"I do," He whispered as he set Claire down in the kitchen. "I have. I will." He gathered her into his arms and kissed her forehead lightly. "Forever." Their lips met in a kiss that very quickly became passionate.

With obvious reluctance, Natalie pulled away. "Nick, much as I'm enjoying this, we are on duty in an hour."

"I know," He sighed. "Meet you for lunch?"

"You know where to find me."

#####
Striding into the precinct at exactly 9 pm, Nick signed in and went directly to his desk in the detectives bullpen. He still expected to see Tracy at the desk opposite his, even though it had been six months.

After a four month maternity leave, Tracy had returned to work, but on light duty, working out of her home or in an office doing research for all of the detectives on the squad. Ostensibly it was to keep her father, the police commissioner happy. In reality, it was to allow Tracy, a fledgling vampire, time to adjust to her new physiology, learn to control her urges and abilities.

Nick had had frequent contact with Tracy initially, but since meeting to discuss his promotion, she had not come to the loft, and her visits to the precinct were infrequent. Her email was upbeat, confident but Nick still worried. In his new position, he would not be able to cover for her, or help her. And he was not sure how well Vachon was really training her. Vachon's own training had been minimal. What he knew was self taught for the most part. This was in direct contrast to Nick's own transition period, which had taken several decades of LaCroix's close supervision. His training of Natalie was more closely resembling his own, although he had deferred to Janette for some lessons.

The room was strangely quiet from the moment Nick walked in. He could sense the gaze of others as he hung up his coat and sat down at his desk.

"Nick..." Captain Reese stood at the doorway to his office watching the activity in the precinct. "A word, please."

Nick stood, puzzling over Joe's use of the word 'please'. Joe's usual technique for summoning errant detectives involved simply shouting their name across the room. The volume of the summons would indicate how much trouble they were in. And generally, his summons of Nick was *very* loud. Following Joe into the office, he watched the captain close the door and sit heavily at his desk. "Yeah, Cap. What's up?"

"Got your badge?" he asked absently, pulling a thick envelope from the stack on his desk.

"Sure." Nick flipped the leather case across the desk, leaning back in his chair, watching as Joe slid the picture ID card out of the case.

"Promotion list came out yesterday." He said casually, sliding the ID into a new case. The black leather contrasted sharply with the gold trimmed platinum colored shield. Standing, he handed the case to Nick. "Congratulations, Captain Knight."

"Thank you, Joe." Nick responded, standing to shake Joe's hand. "It's been a pleasure serving under you."

Motioning for Nick to sit, Joe laughed, "Well, I wish I could say the same," He shook his head, "Nick, I have to be honest. There were times that I was not sure that my heart would survive your investigative style." Holding up his hand to silence Nick, he smiled, "You got results. I can't deny that. I learned to trust your instincts, but you can't claim to have gone by the book.... Sometimes I wondered if you'd even *read* the book."

"Guilty as charged on that, Joe." Nick agreed. It was different talking to Joe as a peer, and not as the junior officer. He had always respected Joe, both professionally and personally. While their styles differed, he had regretted the times that he would push to get his own way, or ignored Joe's directives.

"I think *your* challenge will be your temper, Nick." Joe said thoughtfully. "Find your outlet, vent to Natalie, but don't blow up in the precinct." He instructed. "If one of your staff screws up..."

"I know," Nick said dryly. "Take him aside. Call him into the office."

"In your case, I'd say the interrogation room," Joe teased. "You can be, ummm, loud."

"Point taken, Joe," Nick nodded. "I'll try not to scare anyone in my command."

"Just one more thing," Joe said, handing Nick a thick file. "You are expected at the 27th tomorrow for a briefing. You'll be sworn in next Sunday with three other new captains. Seven pm downtown. Dress uniform. They'll take pictures and have a brief reception as well. Families are invited, so bring Natalie and Claire. The press likes to see wives and children. Makes cops seem more human, I guess." Nick nodded and accepted the file. As he stood, Joe cleared his throat "Do you want some privacy to talk to Tracy?" She'll be coming in later tonight."

"That, umm, is not necessary," He said evenly. "She knows."

"Nick, the list just came out today. I realize that you knew it was coming, as you'd already accepted the posting, but she...."

"I did not want her to find out from a list," Nick said simply.

"So you told her?"

"I knew what pressure her father puts on her," Nick shrugged. "I wanted her to have time to decide for herself what she wanted to do, if I was not her partner."

Joe merely shook his head. It would do no good to reprimand Nick now for this breach of confidentiality. He'd always known Nick to be a man of honor, but one who did things his own way. He hoped that the brass knew what they were doing putting him in command. "Well, obviously, I'm not going to assign you any new cases. Get me status reports of all your pendings and go ahead and clear out your desk."

Nick walked out of the office to the curious stares of the other detectives. Settling at his desk, he motioned to a uniformed officer, "Hey, Miller, could you find me a few boxes?"

"Sure, Nick," She smiled. "Transferring somewhere?"

"Oh, is that what the rumor mill is reporting?" he smiled sarcastically.

"We-e-e-ll," she hesitated.

"Come on," he urged. "What is everyone saying about me? I'll tell you if its true or not."

Grinning broadly at the prospect of being the first 'in the know', she leaned over the desk. "The word is that Tracy is transferring out of homicide, and that you're going to the 27th, so you can work with Natalie again."

"I can't speak to Tracy's plans," He replied in a low voice, "and I would remind you that the department doesn't like Natalie and I working together. Makes 'em nervous."

"So no truth to any of it?" she asked, disappointed.

"I didn't say that," He grinned. "As a matter of fact, I have been assigned to the 27th." He paused, pulling out the very crisp looking badge. Flipping it open so she could see the command shield, he said softly, "as night shift commander."

"Replacing Stonetree?"

"He's going to days," Nick replied, smiling broadly. "Now remember, this is all confidential. The list isn't up yet."

"Sure, no problem, Nick. And I'll find you some boxes." She grinned, humming softly as she walked away. Nick could only hope that the list would go up soon... station gossip would not keep quiet for long.

Stacking the files from his active box, Nick pulled out some blank status report forms, and began to summarize the information. He could vaguely hear conversation in the break room.

"My goodness... is that my partner, doing paperwork?" Tracy's cheerful voice broke through the whispered comments.

Nick leaned back in his chair, and smiled at Tracy. She looked good, calm and relaxed. Her teasing expression told him more than her words. "And what of it?"

"I think that Samuals has made more progress with you than I ever did," she sighed, shrugging out of her coat. Sitting at the desk opposite him, she leaned forward and spoke softly, audible only to his vampiric hearing. "I'm fine."

"So, detective, what brings you into the station tonight?"

"Oh, I wanted to watch you pack up your desk," she declared in a loud voice. It was evident that she wanted everyone to hear her.

"Vetter, why would he be packing up?" Lapinsky asked, sliding his chair closer. He'd missed Nick's conversation with Miller, and was not about to miss *this* discussion.

"I was downtown having dinner with my father and he asked me to post this piece of paper on the wall here," she said smugly. Instantly, a crowd formed around the desk.

"And what do you have there?" Detective Lock called out from the back of the crowd. She'd been in the break room, trying to pump Miller for information. They had all suspected that something was happening when Reese paced the precinct for several hours waiting for Nick to arrive for his shift.

"I believe it is called a promotion list," Tracy smiled, standing and extending her hand to Nick. "And allow me to be the first to wish my *former* partner luck in his new assignment... captain..."

Nick stood and accepted Tracy's brief embrace. Her smile was genuine. While he had, at first, resented her political connections, and found her energy a distraction, they'd grown to be a smooth team. He'd learned much about the art of teamwork and cooperation from her. She'd come into his life at a time when he was reeling from the loss of another partner. And now, for the first time in six years, he was solo again...

"Thanks, Tracy." He acknowledged her congratulations as well as the warm wishes of the other detectives.

"You aren't off the hook, detective," She warned. "You've managed to weasel your way out of a lot of precinct traditions, but this one you won't," she smiled confidently. "I've already talked to Natalie, and we've arranged for the use of the back room of the Raven for a celebration Friday night. Ten pm. The 89th will cover any calls for us." She announced glancing around the room. "Any objections?"

"Yeah... I object." Nick protested.

"Too bad," Tracy smirked. "You aren't allowed to object. You just show up and pay the tab." Leaning closer, she met his look, which could only be described as terrified. "Actually, it doesn't matter if you show up or not... you'll still pay for all of us."

"Who arranged this?" he asked quickly, noticing her smug smile. "You? You talked to LaCroix?"

"No, Javier did. I *do* have my own connections. And I know it is your favorite club." She retorted, handing the promotion list to the desk sergeant. "But we really *do* want you there. It's all in fun. And Natalie will be our designated driver."

"Oh, all right." He sighed in surrender. He should have realized that Tracy would have everything lined up.

"Great..." she slapped him on the back. She was being her normal, perky self. Some things had not changed. He could only hope that she would not be this bubbly for all eternity. Or he might have to re-think his invitation for her to follow him to his next incarnation. "We're also celebrating Officer Chapman making detective." She announced, seeing the crowd around the bulletin board growing as the word had gone over the radio that the promotion list was out.

"So you can torment him as well?" Nick asked with mock politeness. He had begun to enjoy formal social events, but these impromptu gatherings were still not his favorite activity.

"But, of course," she smiled, sitting at her desk. "it's a tradition."

"Uh huh," He responded, doubtfully. "So you had dinner with your father?"

"Yes," She sighed, motioning toward the interrogation room. With a nod, he rose and followed her. Closing the door, she leaned against the wall. "And he is still alive."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Nick teased. He understood all too well how the vampire's urges could override reason.

"At times, yes," She sighed. "He's not happy, but we have come to an agreement."

"Which is?"

"I'll stay in homicide for another year as the senior partner, and then try for a position that is more to his liking. That is, unless Javier and I have decided that it is time to leave town. I didn't say that to him, though."

"How'd you get him to go along with that?"

"If I took the corporate crime slot that he keeps dangling, it's still a lateral move. I've convinced him that if he wants me in a command position, I need to be senior. And the way he wants to shift me around, I'm always junior in any team. I'll never get the experience to be senior partner, much less in charge of anything."

"Hmm... I'm impressed." Nick responded, leaning against the table in the center of the room. Tracy stopped her nervous pacing long enough to look at him.

"Really?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Trace, I know all about overbearing fathers." He looked at her with obvious meaning. She had met LaCroix once, and experienced the intimidation first hand. "Standing up to your father was, I'm sure, difficult. But your strategy of speaking to him in terms of an overall career plan was brilliant. It puts you both on the same page. He wants your career to progress, and so do you."

"For now," she said softly. "How am I ever going to break away?"

"You have more time than I do," he murmured. "I've been here for ten years. Pretty soon someone will notice that I still resemble my ID card."

"Then what?"

"I have some ideas... some of which involve keeping this identity. Don't worry. I've been through this many times. There is an art to knowing when it's time to move on."

"I thought you and Natalie already had a plan mapped out." She asked, her voice low. She did not think anyone could monitor them, but was always nervous talking about her new life.

"We do. It's always smart to have an escape set up. We may use it, we may not." He frowned, seeing her confusion. "When I took this promotion, it sort of altered the plan. If it goes well, I may need to age myself with makeup, but I don't want to simply disappear. But you do have a few years before people notice that you don't age. You can change your hairstyle, darken your hair... there are ways to extend it."

"Okay," She nodded. "All I ask is that you don't just disappear on us."

"I won't, I promise. Otherwise, everything going okay with you?" he asked

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I do want to talk to you and Natalie about practicing."

"Practicing?" he repeated, glancing at her quizzically.

"Yeah, when she first came back from her LOA, she said something about practicing..." Tracy said hesitantly. "I thought it might help me."

"Oh, that..." Nick replied absently. "Yeah, yeah, that was Janette's idea. I think we can work on that. I'll mention it to Nat."

"Thanks," she said, leaning against the door. "I guess we ought to go back out there before the gossips start working overtime."

"Yeah, wouldn't want Natalie to get the wrong idea." He teased, winking at her and laughing as she jokingly slapped his shoulder. It was good to see that her change in physiology had not changed her sense of humor.

CHAPTER 03/0?

"Nervous?" Natalie asked softly, leaning back against the pillows.

"No. Why do you ask?" Nick replied, sitting up and sliding to the end of the bed.

"You tossed and turned all day," she observed dryly.

"Sorry." He apologized, dropping a kiss on her temple before standing and crossing to the bathroom.

"You'll be fine," she said confidently, following him. It did not take a genius to know what worried him.

"Natalie, I've spent most of my 800 years on the fringes," he admitted, leaning against the sink, and pulling her into his loose embrace. "To be in the spotlight, a position of authority is something I've not done since, well..."

"Since you were a nobleman in the 13th century." She finished for him. He'd been unsuccessful in concealing his mixed emotions when they'd shared blood that morning. He was gradually letting down all of the barriers, letting her see things that he could not say or would not discuss. In a way it was easier for him than to tell her. "Just don't treat the detectives like peasants."

She grinned teasingly as he broke out in laughter. "Nat, have you *ever* seen me do that?"

"Not completely, but I know that you've not forgotten how." She said with mock seriousness. Kissing him lightly, she pulled out of his arms. With a sultry smile, she walked back into the bedroom. Moving gracefully, he followed her, reaching from behind to hold her tightly. His hands reached between the buttons of her pajama top to caress her.

"There's quite a few things that I've not forgotten, my love." He whispered in her ear, his kisses reaching the large vein on her neck. She sighed in delight, feeling his skilled touch. He knew just how to arouse her.

"I can tell." She murmured, turning to face him. Meeting his kiss with ferocity, she pulled him close, feeling her fangs drop. Pulling back slightly, their eyes met, golden with desire, fangs in place. Holding her head steady, he planted his fangs into her soft neck, and drank steadily. Leaning in, she found her preferred spot on his shoulder and bit. Together they filled each other with their love, their hopes and dreams.

####
Dressed and ready for work, Natalie came out of the bathroom to see Nick buttoning his shirt. Handing him the holster, she kissed him lightly, "You have a good group of detectives, Nick. I've worked pretty closely with them for the last year. They've come a long way. After Joe has briefed you, I'll fill you in on my observations."

"Thanks," he nodded. "And I'll double check with command to see if they're planning to restrict me in any way in the field when it's your case."

"Well, they promoted you knowing that I was primary ME for the 27th." She observed.

"Unless there is something planned for the coroner's office that you don't know yet." He replied, strapping on the holster and unlocking the nightstand to get his gun.

"Such as?"

"Aren't you pretty much the only full time night ME?"

"Yeah. Ever since Chang was reassigned." She agreed. "I've got Sam Wang, Dave O'Donnell both on three-quarter appointments and Brian Sabin who is half time."

"And the three of them together have less experience than you."

"What are you getting at?"

"Just that you might be up for a supervisory position soon, too, Nat." he said casually. "You are, to some extent, supervising already."

She sighed. "Nick. I don't want to be supervisor."

"And I didn't say that they were offering you anything. I just think it is prudent to keep your options open." He leaned over to kiss her temple and headed toward the kitchen.

Elyse was seated at the table, supervising Claire's breakfast. "Be careful of the Cheerios." She cautioned, seeing Nick and Natalie coming down the stairs.

Natalie laughed, seeing the exuberant waves of their daughter, sliding her feet gingerly across the floor. "Yes, I see."

"I'll sweep it up when she naps," Elyse said nervously, seeing the mess.

"If she naps." Natalie said with a shake of her head. At twenty months, Claire was energetic, and very curious. Leaving her was even more difficult now, as she seemed to learn or discover something every day. Seeing the world through her child's eyes was an incredible experience. She just felt fortunate that their wealth had allowed the luxury of a live-in caregiver. Elyse had become like a member of the family and obviously loved Claire intensely.

"Well, we'll try," She laughed.

####
The 27th precinct had changed very little in the 6 years since Nick had worked there. The paint was a dreary tan color, the lights were harsh. Pulling into the parking lot, he was surprised to see an empty place near the door, with his name posted. The sure sign of authority for the modern world... a reserved parking spot. Nick smiled, thinking of the era where his shield hung on a wall to reserve his seat at the table, his stall in the stable.

The desk sergeant nodded as Nick walked in the lobby and stood for a moment. He had begun this 'incarnation' at the 27th. It had been a return to a life he knew well, being a cop. He had, at first, worked solo. That had been his preference. It made it easier to conceal his special talents and abilities... and easier to keep from developing attachments to the mortals that surrounded him. Two years into his stint in homicide, he'd been partnered with Don Schanke. It was, at least to begin with, a difficult partnership. With time, they had grown together as a team. Don's death in a plane crash had sent Nick into a tailspin where he'd contemplated either the walk into the sun or moving on. It had only been through Natalie's efforts that he'd stayed in Toronto... and allowed his relationship with her to develop and grow.

"Memories?"

Nick looked up to see Joe Stonetree standing in the detective's bullpen, leaning on the doorframe. "Yeah, I suppose," he shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"I miss him, too," Joe responded, seeing Nick's gaze falling on the desks that he had occupied with Schanke six years before. "But I'm sure he's watching you and having a good laugh."

"I suppose. The place has memories for me. Some better than others." He shrugged, following Joe to his office.

"Well, Nick. It's been a long time."

"Not all that long, Joe." Nick said dryly, closing the door behind him before sitting.

"I guess that depends on your perspective."

"You could say that," Nick replied. For him it was merely an eyeblink since he'd worked at the 27th. And it was even less since the meeting in the morgue where Joe revealed his knowledge of Nick's vampirism.

"Not all of us have as broad a perspective as you, Nick," he said mildly, looking at Nick with a knowing gaze.

"Some conversations are best left alone, Joe," he cautioned. He knew *exactly* what Joe was hinting about.

"I remember," Joe nodded. "But I do need for you to be as honest with me as you can."

"Regarding?"

"Your limitations. If I am to cover for you..."

"Understood," Nick interrupted, visibly relaxing. "Simply put, dusk to dawn I'm available easily, literally at a moment's notice. Anything else requires advance planning. It's not impossible, but is more difficult."

"So if division calls a 2 pm meeting?"

"I'll be there," Nick replied. "As long as it is indoors and no windows."

"Good," Joe smiled, "outdoor events?"

"Not until sunset." Nick said flatly.

"Okay," he nodded. He had intended to ask more, but he could tell from the tone of voice and posture that Nick would not give him any more information. At least not now. "You found your parking place?"

"Yeah... I'd forgotten that little perk."

"Your office is next down the hall. It's a bit smaller than this one, but your computer and all the department manuals are there. If you want anything on the walls, talk to John Engle. The personnel files for the night shift are in the locked cabinet. All the performance reviews are up to date. I think you have at least three months before anyone is due. Feel free to run it by me if you don't think you've gotten enough information." He stood, pulling a thick file and set of keys off the shelf. "Office, and file keys." He said casually handing the keys to Nick. "And here are interim reports on all of the active cases for your command."

"I guess I have my bedtime reading for the next month," Nick observed taking the file.

"Get used to it," he cautioned. "You set your own hours as far as when you're in the station, but basically, you're on call 7 pm to 7 am, Monday through Friday. We alternate weekends, 48 hour on call."

"What about my allergy?" Nick asked quickly.

"If there is something that demands the actual presence of a command officer and you can't do it, page me," he instructed. "I wanted you in this position, so I accepted that." He leaned back in his chair. "It sounds like a lot of time, and it can be. If things are quiet, by all means, go home early. On weekends, I don't usually come in unless all hell is breaking loose. If they need you, they'll page you. Sometimes you can take care of the issue over the phone..."

"And sometimes not."

"If a high profile case comes in, you can very quickly find yourself doing 80 hour weeks," he cautioned. "You'll be the one talking to the media, unless division takes over publicity."

"So brush up on my etiquette?"

"Just don't treat them like peasants." Joe said sarcastically. He did not know exactly how old Nick really was, but he exuded the aura of medieval nobility.

Nick's professional façade dissolved with uncontrolled laughter. Joe looked at him puzzled, until he managed to choke out, "Natalie gave me the same advice."

"Well, she knows you better than any of us." Joe observed, pleased that the tension that had been building was eased.

"Speaking of which.." Nick began.

"Yes, you're now at the same precinct that Natalie covers."

"And division doesn't like that," Nick stated. "She was promised that she would not be forced to transfer."

"Because the coroner's office is being re-structured," Joe began. "I've only heard bits and pieces, but with Natalie being the only full time ME on nights, they don't feel that assigning by precincts is very efficient. She seems to get all the high profile cases."

"That's because she was the only full time person, or so she was told. She tried to pass on the last one."

"Stanley?" he asked with a frown. He remembered that as one of Nick's cases, but had not realized that Natalie had worked on it as well.

"Yeah. Convenient how command bends their own rules when it suits the need."

"Just remember that, Nick. Nothing is cast in stone... either here or at the coroner's office. But you were told correctly, they do not intend to make Natalie transfer."

"So what are they going to do?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think they've decided details... and even if they had, they'd tell Natalie first."

"So, Joe. Since having me as second-in-command puts an extra burden on you, why did you want me?" Nick questioned, leaning back in his seat, resting his arms loosely on the armrests.

"Like I said, Nick. You have a broader perspective than most. I thought you'd be good for the position."

"Good for the position?" Nick questioned. "I'm not exactly known for following department procedure. IA will tell you that my file with them is thicker than any other detective in homicide. Yes, I've won some awards, have a good conviction rate."

"The best," he interrupted.

"But I would think that command officers would also be good at following the rules that they are supposed to be upholding."

"All right," Joe said heavily. "You didn't want the conversation to go here."

"Oh?" Nick narrowed his eyes.

"I'm extending your stay in Toronto. I may not know the whole story, but I do know that eventually you will leave. At some point, someone will notice that you don't age."

"True enough," Nick agreed.

"And then you will leave," he stated, watching Nick's expression. "I had a feeling that it was coming soon... and well, I didn't want to lose you."

"You will eventually," Nick said softly. "You may have bought us a few years, but not a career."

"I realize that. And my previous offer still stands. I have connections in most provinces. Tell me an outline of the cover, and I'll do the rest."

"As in?"

"The records prior to your service here will disappear. Computer glitch." He leaned forward, "I have a feeling they were fiction anyway."

Nick smiled, picking up the thick file. "I just wanted to make sure that you weren't going to perjure yourself, Joe," he nodded. "So, give me an honest assessment of the group here."

CHAPTER 04/0?

"So, do I really have to do this?" Nick sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching Natalie style her hair. He could hear Elyse singing to Claire in the living room. He would much rather stay at home with his daughter than go to this celebration.

"Yes," she said firmly. "This means a lot to the other cops. It's a tradition. I won't have you spoil it for the other guys being promoted." Stepping closer until she stood in front of him, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "This won't hurt. I promise." Pushing him flat on the bed, she leaned over and kissed him, whispering, "if you're a good sport, I'll make it worth your while."

He stared up at her sparkling blue eyes, tinged with amber, wrapping his arms around her, "Promise?"

She stood, pulling him up with her, "absolutely."

#####

"Hey Vetter, how'd you get this place for the party?" Detective Lapinsky asked loudly, sidling up next to Tracy.

"I have connections," she said with a grin, leaning on the bar as she sipped her beverage from a stemmed glass. While most of the precinct's officers had arrived, and were very quickly getting in the party mood, Nick had yet to appear.

"Connections? You always have connections. Who this time? Your father?" he said sarcastically, watching Tracy calmly drink her red wine. Somehow he'd never pictured Tracy as a red wine drinker. And in all the departmental events he'd been to, she always was drinking coffee, or a coffee based drink.

"No, my husband's band plays here. I know the owner," she shrugged, carefully surveying the crowd, keeping her glass tightly in her grasp. In the short time since her conversion, she'd become a regular patron of the Raven and had quickly picked up how the regulars never set their glasses down unless directly in front of the bartender. The contents of the 'house special' was a carefully guarded secret, and carelessness would not be tolerated.

"Ah, that explains it. So he's the radical influence, eh?" Detective Lock teased, motioning to the bartender for a refill. "And where's the guest of honor?"

"Chapman is over there. I think he's getting initiated by the guys from Missing Persons. They just got a round of kamakazis."

"And Knight?"

"Not here yet. Natalie promised to get him here and I've not known him to be able to ignore what Natalie wants, at least not for long." She glanced at her watch. Again. Most of the precinct was intoxicated, or at least very relaxed. And Nick had not yet made his appearance. She could only wonder what tactics he was using to stall Natalie. "He'd better be on his way," she growled. "Or I'll go over to the loft and drag him here myself."

"Drag *who* here?" a low voice whispered into her ear.

She whirled and saw Nick standing beside her, grinning smugly. "Don't do that!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing a hint of amber as the vampire came dangerously close to the surface.

"Do what?" he asked with deceptive mildness. He might have renounced hunting years ago, but had not lost the instincts.

"Sneak up on me like that," she shot back, flashing Natalie a look of annoyance. She knew how it had bothered Natalie to have Nick surprise her in the middle of an autopsy.

"I'll think about it," he shrugged, giving her his best 'innocent' stare. "Ok, now that you have me here, what am I supposed to do?"

He could sense the approach of his master. Standing behind him, LaCroix looked over the pair sternly. This party had been planned against his better judgment. "Behave yourself, Nicholas," he cautioned, sternly.

"You don't trust me, LaCroix?" Nick responded quickly.

"You I trust. Your colleagues I do not," he stated firmly, giving Tracy a warning look. "Ms. Vetter, remember that I am watching."

"Yeah, yeah... got it. We'll be good."

"Sure about that?" Natalie asked sarcastically as LaCroix exited the room.

"Come with me," Tracy grabbed his hand, laughing as he looked helplessly at Natalie. She led him into the back of the room and handed him a shot glass filled with a clear liquid. "Drink," she commanded.

"Trace," he protested.

"Come on, don't be a baby. Drink it." She leaned closer and spoke in a low tone. "Javier has tested all the beverages that we'll give you. They are perfectly safe. You won't get any sicker than anyone else here."

"Uh, huh," he began, doubt clear as he took the glass and tipped it back. The liquid burned and filled him with a strange warmth, but he did not feel ill. "What is this?"

"Plasma," she whispered, "with a kick."

"A kick?" he asked quickly, feeling his balance shift. It was something he'd not felt in several hundred years. Not since a prospector in the old west slipped him something...

"Yeah, curare..." she laughed mischievously. She and Vachon had worked for the past week to obtain appropriate intoxicants for her partner. Natalie would curse her tomorrow for the hangover that her husband would suffer, but it would be worth it. She was determined to get her partner on stage with the karaoke machine. "You need to catch up. Relax a little. Unwind."

He put a hand out to touch the wall, feeling a slight dizziness. "Okay, Trace. I'm relaxed. Just don't make me pass out."

"Here," she pressed a glass into his hand and watched him cautiously drink the house special.

Taking a deep breath, Nick could feel his equilibrium return, "so what is on the agenda at these parties?"

"Hey, Knight... Nice of you to join us," the loud voice of one of the other detectives rang out over the music, and drew the attention of the other cops.

"Well, since I am paying for the party, I thought I might show up," Nick replied with a broad grin. Knowing that Tracy's concoction had not made him ill, he could relax and participate in the games that his mortal colleagues enjoyed. And besides, he had the promise of some special attention from Natalie to look forward to.

****
The karaoke machine had been Vachon's idea. At the time, Tracy had questioned him, but by the time the band had set it up, most of those present were most definitely in the proper frame of mind. She just wished that she'd remembered to bring a video camera. After seeing the staid traffic sergeant singing an off-key rendition of 'Stairway to Heaven', she realized that it would have been excellent blackmail material.

"Nat... hey, Nat!" Tracy waved at Natalie to get her attention.

"What?" Natalie responded, setting her mug down in front of the bartender and walking to the side of the stage. Predictably, she and Tracy were the only sober ones in the room. And she could tell from the mischievous expression that the detective had something in mind.

"I think that your husband needs to regale us with his vocal talents," she grinned, nodding toward Detective Lock who was in the midst of leading a spirited 'YMCA'.

"Good luck," Natalie said flatly. "He might be semi-intoxicated, but he's not going to sing to the precinct."

"Sure he will. I'll dare him," Tracy started flipping through the CDs, searching for the perfect song. "You just get him over here. I'll get him on stage."

Shrugging her shoulders as if to say she didn't believe that Tracy would succeed, Natalie walked over to the table where Nick was arm wrestling with one of the uniformed officers. Predictably, Nick won, but not as quickly as he might have in a more sober moment. "Hey, Nat... what's up?" he gave her a lopsided grin and pulled her into his lap.

"Not here, Nick," she said firmly, pulling him to his feet.

"What do you mean?" he asked petulantly.

"No public displays of affection. Sorry guys," Natalie wrapped her arm around his waist and guided him to the side of the stage where Tracy stood manning the karaoke machine. Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and initiated an impassioned kiss. Thrusting her tongue into his mouth, she felt the descent of his fangs, and low rumble of pleasure.

"OK, thanks, Nat," Tracy tapped her on the shoulder. She'd never seen her partner this drunk... actually she'd never seen him drunk period. She knew that Vachon had gotten intoxicated with Nick prior to his wedding, but never knew if Nick had been as drunk. Somehow she doubted it. "Uh, Nat," she repeated, hearing Nick's pleasured growl.

"What?" Nick grumbled, peering at Tracy through amber eyes.

"Can't you two wait?" she teased. Actually, she found it refreshing to see how committed her partner was to his wife.

"What do you want, Trace?" he asked, leaning against Natalie as his eyes cleared.

"Your turn," she announced, pushing him on the stage.

"No way," he protested.

"Yes, way," she said emphatically, grabbing the microphone. "Who wants to hear Nick sing?" With the cheers of the crowd, she handed Nick the microphone, and laughed, "you heard them. And here, I picked out a very special tune for you."

"What is it?" he sighed.

"Sunshine on my shoulders," she announced, hitting the start button. She knew that he'd pay her back for this, but it was worth it, especially when she saw Natalie holding up the small tape recorder that she usually used for dictating autopsy reports.
********

CHAPTER 05/0?

It had been several years since Nick had donned a dress blue uniform. In fact, the only time that he'd worn it since beginning his life in Toronto was for the memorial service for his partner after the plane crash. He'd been spared the emotional trauma of being a pall- bearer, but not the eulogy. Nor had he needed to fake the public grief for a partner that had become a friend. Wearing the stiff formal uniform had been a painful experience and it was not without a moment of reflection that he'd pulled it out of the closet. His mood was somber as he fastened the cufflinks, not hearing Natalie's approach.

"Nick, you're not going to a funeral," Natalie said softly, running a hand across his back.

"I know," he murmured, turning to face her. "Just thinking of the last time I wore dress blues."

"Schanke's funeral," she replied with a understanding nod. "Perhaps tonight I can give you more pleasant memories of dress blues." She smiled seductively, running a hand lower until she caressed his bottom. "After all, you *do* look very sexy in that uniform."

"Promise?" he smiled, pulling her against him, encircling her in his embrace.

"Absolutely," she paused to pull his face closer for a kiss. "I've always wanted you to put me in custody."

"Hmmm, now that sounds very intriguing," he said thoughtfully, bending down to meet her lips in a gentle kiss. "Hold that thought, though. We need to go downtown first." He broke away from her embrace, giving her a grateful smile. She could read his emotions with incredible clarity and knew exactly what buttons to push to raise his spirits.

****
Thankful for the early dusk of the February evening, Nick pulled the Caddy into the garage of the downtown police headquarters. "Tell me again why I'm doing this?" he asked as he opened the door.

"Because you'll be good at it," she replied. "And you'll be able to work without anyone questioning you or watching."

"More or less," he shrugged. "And there's still paperwork."

"Well, if you didn't let it pile up, it wouldn't be so bad," she chastised, knowing how her husband tended to neglect doing anything mundane.

"I hear you," he said, opening the door to the back seat and unstrapping Claire's car seat. Swinging the toddler into his arms, he turned to Natalie, "ready if you are."

"Absolutely. Let's do it," she took his outstretched hand. With Claire balanced on her father's side, they walked toward the building.

Pushing open the entry door, Nick walked up to the information desk. The crowd of officers and families could be seen in several meeting rooms down the hallway.

"Ah, Knight, isn't it?" the young cadet eyed him curiously. Nick's exploits were legendary among the trainees at the academy although few had actually met him. He nodded, surveying the gathering. "Command officers are over there in room 101. Congratulations, sir."

"Thanks," he said, and led Natalie through the crush of reporters and police cadets. He had never been to a formal promotion ceremony, despite serving as a police officer for nearly thirty years. He'd always moved on before the pressure to take a promotion became intense. Besides taking an oath, he did not know what to expect.

Walking into the room, Nick recognized most of the command officers but only knew a few of them. He was not known to socialize much with other police officers and only went to department parties when required. The newest commanders were more obvious by their unease. With one hand on the small of Natalie's back, and the other supporting Claire against his chest, he led them into the maze of officers toward familiar faces

****
Claire had fallen asleep during the swearing in, nestled against Natalie's shoulder as she sat proudly in the front row with the other captain's wives. This was the first time she'd been to a departmental event, not as a participant, but as a 'guest'. She was well aware of the sideways glances that she was getting from the other women. Police wives were bound by their common fears. That knock on the door by a partner in dress blues. The fact that Natalie's own job was, at times, as perilous as those of the uniformed officers made her stand out. She was not the same sort of observer.

"Mrs. Knight! Mrs. Knight, please step this way!" the firm voice of a young cadet broke Natalie from her reverie. The ceremony had ended and they were beginning to take the publicity pictures.

"Probably the first time anyone called her that," a whisper behind her was clear to Natalie's vampiric hearing.

"Yeah, I doubt we'll see her at an auxiliary meeting," another woman sniffed. "Always wondered who would be fool enough to settle down with that cowboy Knight."

"Wonder how he made captain. I hear he has the thickest IA file in the department."

"Humpf... wonder how long it'll be before she sees him come across her slab," her companion laughed conspiratorially.

Natalie smiled inwardly, thinking <that has already happened> Standing, she balanced Claire against her hip and turned, politely ignoring the words she'd heard. "Hello, I'm Natalie Knight. And you are?"

"Jennifer Missim. My husband is a Lieutenant, armed robbery division."

"Marge Winthrop. My husband is a detective in Corporate Crime," her voice suffused with pride, Natalie recognized her as the one who'd called Nick a cowboy.

"Mrs. Knight, we need the captain's wives now," the cadet urged her forward.

"Well, I'd love to chat, but since my husband is a captain, I need to go," she smiled with the steady gaze she'd perfected after years of dealing with vampires. The look that said 'don't mess with me, I know what you are thinking.'

"You know, Marge, if I did not know better, I would swear she heard our conversation," Jennifer murmured, watching Natalie walk away.

"Don't be silly," Marge said in a more normal voice. "Come on, I think they are ready for us to pose."

Natalie watched the women walk away, glad that she did not have the time for the auxiliary. After years of working in the department, she did not want to worry about the pettiness that went into the political infighting. Immortality and the knowledge that she would eventually move on to a different life had changed her perspective on that, and many other issues. Following the cadet, she found Denise Reese and some other women that she'd not met.

"Natalie! Oh, good, you brought the baby," Denise greeted her warmly.

"Well, I'm afraid she did not last long," Natalie said apologetically, shifting Claire to the opposite hip. The toddler had awakened when her mother began moving about, but was still sleepily nestled against Natalie's shoulder. She was relieved to see a familiar face.

"She has gotten big," Denise commented, gently rubbing Claire's back. "Are we into the terrible twos yet?"

"She is more mobile, but so far is not expressing too much independence," Natalie replied, glancing about the room for Nick. Most of the officers were still gathered by the podium and were making no effort to join their families.

"Hasn't leaned to say 'no' then?" she laughed.

"Not yet. And considering how stubborn both Nick and I can be, I fear she will be a handful."

"Have you met any of the other women yet?" Denise asked, seeing how Natalie kept looking toward the podium. While the department had numerous events throughout the year to bring families of officers together, Nick and Natalie had attended only those deemed required. And even then, because of her position, Natalie socialized more with officers than their families.

"No, we arrived just in time," Natalie explained. "They showed me to my seat, and I barely had time to sit before they began."

"Well, it is high time that you and Claire were introduced," Denise took Natalie by the arm and guided her around the gathering of captain's wives.

"It is a little late for such a young one, isn't it?" a petite gray haired woman nodded, approaching them. "And there is no doubt in my mind who this is." She reached a hand out to gently touch Claire's back, before looking up to greet Natalie. "I'm Betty Thelan. You must be Nick's wife. This little darling looks exactly like her father."

"Natalie, and this is Claire," she nodded. "Hmm, your husband is at the 89th?"

"Yes, have you met him already?" she asked, puzzled. She had not seen the Knights at many events and could not imagine how this very young looking woman would know her husband.

"I believe that Natalie has probably met more of the men here than any of us," Denise laughed. "She works in the Medical Division."

"Really?" Betty looked at her with surprise. "Are you at headquarters then?"

"Actually I'm a pathologist," Natalie replied casually. She had grown to enjoy the reaction that her profession caused. "Coroner's office"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed..." she stammered, looking at the younger woman with obvious embarrassment.

"That I was a secretary?" Natalie prompted.

"Well, you must admit that your position is not exactly where I would expect to see a young woman with a baby."

"I suppose not," Natalie shrugged. "But I worked in the department for nearly ten years before I was a mother." She smiled inwardly as Betty obviously was adding numbers in her head and trying to determine her age. Despite the fact that she had been almost 36 when Nick brought her over, she looked to be younger, and would eternally appear to be about 30... despite her 'official' age of 38.

"All I can say is that I wish I'd held my youth as well as you," Betty shook her head. Like most of the captain's wives, she'd assumed that Nick had married a much younger woman. Together they made a very striking couple.

"Well, Claire keeps me young," Natalie commented, smiling as she saw Nick coming toward them.

"Amazing that she says that now... considering how little sleep she lets us get," Nick said with a laugh, placing a hand on Natalie's back. "Good to see you again, Betty. And sorry to steal my wife away, but they tell me that we are needed for pictures." With a brief wave to her companions, Natalie followed him to the front of the room.

"So how are you holding up?" Nick asked, taking Claire from her arms. With the transfer she popped her eyes open and wrapped her arms around her father's neck murmuring something inarticulate. "And look who is awake. Hi Sweetie!"

"I'm fine, other than the fact that she thought I was a secretary," Natalie said sarcastically. "Here, let me fix her hair."

Standing still, Nick began making faces with Claire as Natalie pulled a brush from her purse and attempted to put some order into her blond curls. "So other than being mistaken for a sweet young thing?"

She laughed at his comment. "Well, I could see the mental calculator in action."

"You have to admit that you *don't* look your age, my love."

"I know," she said, all humor gone from her voice. "And that is not going to change." She did not want to leave their friends in Toronto, but knew that a time would come soon that her youthful appearance would become an issue.

*****
Two hours and many photographs later, Nick finally managed to make excuses to leave. Claire was becoming increasingly restless and they had finally let her toddle along with them. She never strayed far, but tended to cling to her father's pant leg whenever they were approached.

"I think Claire has had enough of adult conversation," Natalie murmured, picking up her daughter from where she had sat down forcefully and refused to move.

"And what was that you said about her being almost two?" Denise teased, seeing Natalie's frustrated expression.

"Famous last words, I guess," she said, motioning to Nick. "I think we need to go."

"In a minute," Nick replied, continuing his conversation. Natalie had lost track of all the command personnel that they'd met. She had never realized how complex the police department was. Nick was more adept at the political maneuverings than she'd ever care to be.

"Now, Nick," she repeated, shifting Claire to her other hip. "Unless you want your daughter to impress everyone with her vocal skills. She is close to a breaking point."

He turned, and saw the determined expressions that they both wore, and said a quick farewell to the other officer. Having a young child was the perfect excuse to leave. Not to mention that Natalie had promised to give him pleasant memories of dress blues...

****

CHAPTER 06/0?

Placing the stack of folders in one arm, Natalie leaned into the lounge, calling out, "Grace, I'll be on pager."

"Going somewhere?"

"Files to deliver," she replied with a wink.

"Ah, and I would also assume that you have an appointment?" Grace nodded with a knowing smile.

"Me? An appointment?" Natalie responded with her best 'innocent' look.

"At the 27th perhaps? I hear they have a new commanding officer."

"Perhaps," Natalie nodded with a non-committal gesture.

"Well, I promise not to page you unless it is truly a matter of life and death," she commented, giving Natalie an evil grin.

"Grace..."

####
Signing in at the desk of the precinct, Natalie looked around at the controlled chaos. To an outside observer, it was a normal evening. For Natalie, it was anything but. She'd adjusted over the past year to working without her husband's watchful gaze. It had been difficult, but she was very proud of her control. Much as she loved working with him, would it place a strain on their marriage, or either of their control to be so close? Nick's presence was going to be a mixed blessing. While command officers were usually not the first on the scene, Natalie had her doubts that Nick could, or would, stay in the background.

Trying her best to be inconspicuous, Natalie kept to her usual routine of distributing finalized reports to individual detectives, answering questions about pending cases, and greeting friends. All the while, she was acutely aware of Nick's presence.

"Dr. Lambert?" Nick's voice was calm, professional.

"What can I do for you, Captain," she asked coolly.

"Update me on a few cases, if you would."

"No problem. I just brought over final reports," she said politely holding the files tightly against her chest. She was all too aware of the attention being paid to the interchange.

"In my office, if you have a minute."

"Lead the way," she responded, following Nick down the corridor, and into an office. Locking the door behind her, he captured her arms and pressed her back against the wall.

"We need to give this very empty, sterile room some happy memories." He growled, low, as he bent to kiss her. It was a forceful, demanding kiss, one that spoke of his intense love and desire. She had found that Nick's love was never timid, never restrained. And she reveled in it.

"Nick, they all know we're in here," she protested, feeling his arousal with every caress, every kiss.

"And I'm the commanding officer," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her, threading his hands into the knot of auburn hair. His intentions were clear, and Natalie found her arguments were in vain. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her... and it did not matter that it was a semi-public place.

Pulling him away from the doorway, Natalie leaned on his desk, whispering, "This desk will never be this empty again."

Smiling, showing his sharp fangs, Nick followed her, murmuring, "I think we should dedicate it."

"We should," she agreed, wrapping her arms around his waist, drawing him into her embrace. Together they found peace in their love, sharing their souls, their hopes and passions.

####
"Captain Knight?" the voice of an officer outside the door broke them apart with the force of a bucket of ice.

"Yes," he growled, looking down at Natalie, who had sat up and was rearranging the clothing that she'd discarded in the fury of their passion.

"Homicide call. Who's up?" the doorknob rattled. With a frown, Nick fastened his trousers and pulled a file from the shelf behind him.

"Jenkins and Rowen." He called out, waiting for Natalie to nod before going to the door. Leaving her inside, he strode into the middle of the room. "What is it?"

"Body found in a dumpster."

"Okay... go to it. I'll give you a half hour head start." He instructed, remembering how he disliked his commanders arriving on the scene before he got there.

Walking back into his office, he saw Natalie holding up her pager with a frown. "My case," she said, clipping it back on her belt.

"Then I'll see you there," he said softly. "And thank you..." Seeing her quizzical look, he gestured to the desk, "for the memories."

She flushed slightly and gazed at him with love shining in her eyes, "any time, my knight," she whispered, picking up her briefcase and heading out the door.

####
Finding the crime scene wasn't difficult. It seldom was. The spotlights and ring of police cruisers marked the area like a beacon. Parking her sedan behind the coroner's van, Natalie stepped under the yellow tape with a nod to the officer keeping onlookers away.

"Vultures," she muttered as she approached the dumpster. It bore the usual noxious odors that she'd become accustomed to smelling. But there was something more. Something that only her vampiric sense of smell was detecting. And not even enough to clearly identify it. Just that it did not belong.

"What was that?" Detective Rowen asked, seeing her approach.

"Oh, nothing important," she muttered, studying the scene with practiced detachment. "So what do you have for me?"

"I would have thought you'd heard," he said with a hint of amusement. "You *were* with the captain when we got the call. At least that's what Engle said."

Natalie sighed impatiently. The desk sergeant was a notorious gossip... and had obviously noticed how long she was in the office. "OK, yes, I heard the rundown. What did *you* hear?"

"About this case? Or about the personal attention that our new commander was receiving from the ME?"

"Either... both," she replied with frustration, standing by the ladder set by the dumpster.

"Just that you were in a closed door meeting. That's all."

"Uh huh," she said doubtfully. She knew that there was more, and the fact that Mike Rowen would not discuss it told her that she and Nick had not been as quiet as she thought. Oh well, at least command officers were not subject to the kangaroo court. Or Nick would likely be buying the donuts for the next year! "And about the case?"

Mike brightened considerably. Locker room talk with a woman, especially the woman involved in the 'latest news' was not his favorite activity. It did not matter to him if his captain had been closeted with his wife...

"Well, okay, doc..." he grinned. "We have a male, found in this dumpster by the busboy of the restaurant over there. He wasn't there last night when the trash was taken out. Give us the word, and we'll move him out for you."

"Thanks, Mike," she said grimly, climbing the ladder to peer within. Noting her observations with practiced ease, she climbed down from the edge of the tall dumpster and gestured to the attendants who waited. Dressed in protective gear, the two men climbed into the metal container and carefully lifted the body onto a waiting stretcher.

"Doc!"

The alarm in the voice echoed and brought Natalie to the top of the ladder quickly. "What do you have?" she asked with concern.

"Well, either this guys not in one piece, or we have another victim."

She peered into the mounds of trash and saw the attendant pointing to a limb, distant to the sidelying body, and definitely not attached. "Well?" she prompted. "Does he have a left arm?" She watched as they rolled him onto the stretcher. "I guess that answers that," she replied. "Lift him out and start digging." Crossing the alley, she approached the detectives.

"Got something, Doc?" Nate Jenkins looked up from his notepad. Nate had been one of the more frequent attendees at her lunchtime seminars, and was more serious than some of the detectives.

"Not yet, they're still extracting the bodies."

"You mean, body. Singular."

"No, I mean bodies. Plural," she replied, all joking gone from her voice.

"Great. Just great," he sighed. "Mike, come' ere."

Mike strolled over. The senior detective of the pair, Mike spent more time with witnesses, and as little as possible with the bodies. He had been trying for several years to transfer out of homicide, and made it clear that except for flirting with Natalie, he wanted to be as far away as possible. "What? You done already, Natalie? Didn't know you were that fast. We'll have to extend our sympathy to your husband."

"Haven't started yet," she said with annoyance. Mike loved to tease, and she hoped that Nick would not take him seriously. Despite the fact that she was quite capable of taking care of herself, Nick still had a protective streak, and was quite possessive of her.

"What's the problem?"

"There's more than one body," she said grimly. "Or, I should say, we have a body and a piece... we haven't found the rest yet."

"Wonderful," he mumbled.

"My sentiments exactly," she agreed, "I just finished a serial case. This is not what I need right now." With a sigh, she walked back over to the end of the alley where the first body had been laid to await her inspection. The attendants had climbed back into the dumpster in search of more body parts.

Natalie felt the vibrations before she heard his voice. Much as it was a strain for her to be the impartial observer when she did a site visit for performance reviews, she knew that Nick would struggle to simply supervise. This would be his first case as a commander rather than the investigating officer.

"Ok, fill me in," Nick said firmly as the detectives walked up to him. He was acutely aware of Natalie's presence, and the thoughts of what they'd been doing less than an hour ago were fresh in his mind.

"Well, Sir, we don't have much to go on," Mike replied. "Male, mid 30s, throat slashed. No witnesses, no weapon." His voice trailed off.

Nick frowned. "That's all?"

"Uh, no," Nate broke in.

"Well?" Nick prompted. "Detective?"

Natalie stepped closer, sensing her husband's growing frustration. "What Nate is not sure how to report is that we have another victim. Or at least the suspician of one."

"Explain," he instructed, glancing between his wife and the two detectives who seemed to clutch their notepads like lifelines.

"One intact body... and one arm." She replied grimly.

"An arm? Nothing else?"

""Still looking," Mike pointed to the morgue attendants who were still digging in the dumpster.

"Well, keep on it," Nick commented, walking closer to the dumpster, allowing his senses to take in the scene fully. It was more difficult than he'd imagined to simply allow the detectives to run the scene. He wanted to be there, looking for a weapon. Questioning the busboy who'd found the body.

That was not his job, and he knew it. All he could do was to walk away... and let Natalie know what he'd smelled. Maybe she had sensed the same thing.

CHAPTER 07/??

The stack of memos had been read. Reports of all the new cases were filed. For once, Natalie was caught up. It was a rare occurrence lately and gave her a chance to do a little private research. While she had long since abandoned efforts to 'reverse' either hers or Nick's condition, gaining a better understanding of their physiology was still a priority. Not to mention the continued need to monitor their daughter for any signs that her 'special' genetic makeup was surfacing. So far, Claire appeared to be a normal, healthy toddler. A *very* healthy toddler. She'd yet to have any of the usual illnesses of infancy. No colds, ear infections... and the bumps and bruises that came with increased mobility disappeared with unusual swiftness.

Hidden in the back of her locked specimen cooler were the most recent tissue and blood samples- hers, Nick's and Claire's. The cryptic identification on the slides looked like any of the other 'official' cases. Most of the samples were kept at the loft's lab, but some things still needed the more advanced technology of the coroner's office. Natalie would use time slotted at the research lab whenever she had a case that could justify it. The most recent case where all they had was an arm was enough and she had an hour before tomorrow's shift.

She was about to unlock the cooler when she heard the approaching heart beat. Four am. Who was roaming the halls at this hour? She knew that Grace was busy in the histology lab, and the other ME on duty had a third floor office.

Watching the door expectantly, she sat at the desk, pulling an open file on top of the black notebook where she kept her private research. "Yes, come in," she called out to the knock.

"Natalie? You busy?"

"Dr. Coburn? What are you doing here at this hour?" she asked with genuine surprise, seeing her supervisor walk into the lab.

"I needed to talk to you, and I thought that for once, wouldn't make you stay late," he replied, glancing around the quiet lab. "You have time?"

"Of course," she motioned to the chair by her desk. "This must be very important if it's bringing you here in the middle of the night."

He pulled a thick file from his briefcase and nodded. "I don't know how much or what is going through the grapevine..." he began.

"Not that I pay attention," she interjected. Despite Grace's fondness for hearing all the news that was news around the office, Natalie paid scant notice to any of the activities of her colleagues.

"Didn't think you did," he continued, knowing how Natalie had reacted when she first became pregnant. It had been obvious that she did not like the attention paid to her relationship with Nick. "But I did suspect that you would know that some changes were coming since your husband is now command staff."

"He did mention something," she acknowledged. "And since no one has dropped any memos on my desk telling me to transfer anywhere..."

"Yes, yes, well, that is true," he responded nervously, pointedly ignoring her sarcastic tone. That had been precisely what had been done when she went on her maternity leave. "After reviewing workloads and analyzing our efficiency over the past several years, we have decided that it is time to reorganize the department."

"We? Who is this we?" she questioned.

"Oh, um.. provincial department heads. This is a policy change province-wide. Toronto is just the largest jurisdiction so it is more of a change for us than anywhere else."

"Wonderful," she sighed. Beaurocrats. That was the downside of her position. Those making administrative decisions were not in law enforcement, or even medicine. "Continue, please,"

"Well, of course you are affected," he said with a shrug, pausing for a moment, as if to see if she would interrupt again. "And this has nothing whatsoever to do with your performance this year."

"Just tell me what the powers that be have decided," she leaned back in her chair and put down her pen.

"Well, we believe that assigning our pathologists by precinct is not the most efficient utilization of personnel."

"No?"

"For example, when you were tied up with that trial last year, all of the other cases that came to the 27th were delayed." He held up a hand to halt her protest. "You complained of the workload, Natalie."

"So I did," she acknowledged.

"Not to mention the fact that you are the only full time coroner on nights. That means that most precincts are already getting a different ME for a lot of cases."

"I thought the other full time position was being filled," she protested.

"It is, but this is not strictly a night problem. There is an unequal distribution of cases on both shifts." He handed her a thick document which she could see was a policy statement. "So as of March 1, cases will be assigned by rotation."

"Rotation?"

"Yes. We have developed a numeric formula for active and pending cases that will be plugged into the computer, and prior to each shift, the supervising ME will pull the numbers for each person scheduled and transmit a call list to dispatch. Whoever is first up will be called for whatever comes in."

"Regardless of precinct?"

"Yes. Regardless of precinct," he nodded, watching her skim through the policy. "Our hope is that if someone is in the midst of a major case, others will automatically be diverted."

"So there won't be consistent teams any more?"

"No. And that was one of the comments that the police commanders had. Our compromise is that the captain can request the supervising ME to consult on any case."

"Supervising ME? And who would this be?"

"On day shift it's Jack Mills. And of course, you are the night shift supervisor."

"In addition to carrying my own caseload?" she questioned, her tone skeptical. They were assuming a lot if they'd already named her supervisor without even asking.

"Well, your administrative duties are factored in," he replied. "You are already supervising. You've been doing performance reviews for some time as senior coroner but not being compensated appropriately. We are just making it more official. Adjusting your pay."

"The pay doesn't matter, Mike," she replied swiftly.

"You are the best one for the job, Natalie, and you know it," he was quick to assure her. His fear was that she would refuse. He had never known Natalie to aspire to a managerial position, even though it could have allowed her a more normal life. That such a young woman would voluntarily remain on the night shift puzzled him.

"What about our days off? Who makes the assignments then?"

"The formula is set up so that you can rearrange it based on things that we can't factor into an equation, but on your days off it'll just stand. Hopefully you and Jack can coordinate vacations. He'll take a look at the numbers on your off time, and you can look at the day numbers on his days off."

"So it is decided?"

"Well, if you turn it down, we'll have to do an outside search. No one on days with adequate experience wants to come to nights," he paused for a moment. "Truthfully, you could be day supervisor, but I didn't think you'd take it."

"No, I have no desire to work days," she said with an obvious shudder. She'd rotated for a few years when first joining the coroner's office. The advantages of a more normal lifestyle were offset by the difficulty of getting anything accomplished with the increased traffic on days. The office was filled with extraneous people and every case had a lot of observers. She had very quickly developed a preference for the quiet of the night shift- and then she'd met Nick.

"But you'll do it?" he asked with trepidation.

"Yes," she sighed. "I'm not thrilled with more paperwork, but you're right. I have been supervising for at least the last year. And there were times that having the official title would have solved some conflict."

"Then it is settled," he said quickly, breathing an obvious sigh of relief. "Read over the policy. Payroll will be adjusted at the beginning of the month. We will announce it at the next joint department management meeting," he paused slightly. "You are welcome to come. Your husband will be there as well."

"And when is this meeting?" she asked with a tired sigh. She had known that her administrative duties would be ever-increasing. That was something that she'd never aspired to, never pursued, but seemed to be a natural progression. It was almost a comfort to know that any change would not be permanent. At some point, she and Nick would move on, and she would take on a new life and new career. Whether or not it would still be in the medical field was a decision she'd yet to make. While at one time, medicine was all she wanted to do, all she dreamed of doing, she wasn't sure *what* she'd do next. Maybe she would do something different... Eternity was giving her an entirely new prospective.

CHAPTER 08/??

The night had gotten off to a bad start. First, Claire had thrown a fit of temper when she saw Nick putting his gun into the shoulder holster. She had learned that it meant that her parents were heading into work. Despite having a full time caregiver, she had become clingy, following Natalie around the loft and crying whenever the left for work. Natalie had learned that no amount of reassurance would make things better. They simply had to endure the storm. Elyse would usually call one of them several hours later, and report that all was well, but it still did not make the departure smooth.

Then, the caddy wouldn't start. For a 36 year old car, it was surprisingly reliable but there were times that no amount of coaxing or fiddling with the carburetor would make it go. Having to drive Nick into the precinct made Natalie even later, so Natalie's temper was sharp even before she hit the door. The new pathologist was scheduled to shadow her that night. Ordinarily she did not mind mentoring new staff but tonight she simply was not in the mood. This would be his first night shift. He had been working in the department for a week, learning policies and procedures and doing some minor cases with the day staff. He'd only been in the field once, but came to Toronto with experience, so it was hoped that he would not need much of an introduction.

Walking into the lab, the scent of fresh blood hit Natalie even before she saw the shrouded body on the table. "Evenin' Grace," she called out as she hung up her coat and went directly to the locker room. She had to get out of there before the amber in her eyes was too obvious. The person awaiting her had only been dead an hour or so by the scent, and she had not been prepared. Finishing the flask that she kept in her purse, she felt her eyes clear enough to tackle the case.

"Natalie, this is Tim," Grace announced as she came back into the room. Natalie looked up with a frown. She'd forgotten about this. <Great. I've got a fresh body and an audience.>

"Well, go suit up and we'll get started," she said sharply, crossing over to the table to check her instruments.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" Grace asked softly after Tim had obediently gone out to the lockers to change into scrubs.

Natalie sighed, and perched on a stool, holding the folded plastic apron in her hands. "No, it wasn't," she admitted. "It's been a rough day," she sighed, standing to put on the apron. "Claire was not thrilled about me leaving her for work, and then Nick's car wouldn't start so I had to drop him off, so I'm late."

"Coffee or chocolate?" Grace interrupted, nodding with understanding.

"Not right now, but some hot cocoa later when I'm done," Natalie responded, looking up as she heard the door open. "Come on in, I don't bite,"

"Sure about that?" Tim hesitated at the door. He'd been warned that his supervisor had a quick temper but also knew that she was a skilled pathologist. It had been a calculated risk to take this position, but he knew that he could learn from her. Working nights had its appeal, but also its downside. But if this was who he had to spend his nights with... well that was a different story. What he had not been told was that she was a very attractive woman. Perhaps this assignment would not be that bad after all.

"Sorry about the greeting," she had sheepishly. "Trust me, my bark is worse than my bite." Taking a plastic apron off the shelf, she tossed it at him. "Shall we begin?"

Snapping on a pair of gloves, she flicked on the tape recorder and began her brisk dictation. Tim slowly walked over to the table and handed her instruments, making careful observation of her technique, but remaining quiet, to not interfere with her dictation. It was clear that she'd done many, many post-mortem examinations in the briskness of her movements and quick, confident comments.

Pulling off the soiled gloves, she turned off the recorder and tossed the cassette to Grace. "Eight pages," she called out.

"Ten," Grace responded, "or the cappuccino is on me." Tim glanced between the two women. Obviously, he'd missed something there. It was equally clear that they'd worked together for some time.

"Little game we play," Natalie shrugged. "Predict the length of the dictated report. Loser buys our 2 am snack." Stretching, she went over to her desk, and plopped the contents of her 'in' box in the middle. "Any questions so far?"

"So what is the routine on nights?" he pulled a chair next to her desk and watched her quickly sort the pile of papers into three smaller piles.

"Routine?" she laughed. "There is no routine. Nights is a lot different. You will seldom have routine hospital cases or home deaths scheduled for you... its pretty much all coroner cases, mostly police investigations."

"What was this one?"

"Hmm, here's the scene report," she opened the file that had been laid on top of her desk. "Like I thought, this is a homicide investigation." She handed him the file, "I'm surprised that it was left to us, usually whoever goes to the scene does the post."

"Why didn't they?" Tim asked, handing her the file.

"Jim Carpe went to the scene on his way home," she shrugged. "Since they need a preliminary ruling tonight to proceed with an investigation, they left the post for me."

"So that is okay?"

"Not preferred, but yeah, we all do it." Natalie flipped open the file, and hit the speed dial, leaving the phone on speaker. "Captain Knight, please," she said as soon as the phone was answered.

"Knight," Nick's voice was as annoyed sounding as hers had been, bringing a smile to Natalie's face.

"Hey, that didn't sound very happy," she chastised, noting Tim's questioning look.

"Well, what did you expect, Nat?" he groaned. "They dumped two fresh cases on us from day shift. The scene reports were minimal, no witness statements. We don't even know for sure that either one is homicide. So, since you are calling, do you have news for me?"

"Nick, I just did the post on the Perez case..."

"And?" Nick sounded hopeful.

"Homicide," she announced. "Single shot to the head. Execution style."

"Lovely, any other good news?"

"TOD less than two hours," she said grimly.

"Wonderful," he said sympathetically. He knew, better than anyone, that it would be more difficult for her. He could hear a heart beating in the background, so he said no more. Evidently someone was in the lab with her.

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"Is the Burns case next on your agenda?" the hopeful tone in his voice was hard to miss.

"I'm not sure, but I'll check on it. Dave might be doing it."

"Can you get away for lunch?"

"I'll try. Give you a call around 2, okay?"

"Sounds good," he replied before the connection was severed. His usual parting 'I love you' was so soft that only with her vampiric hearing could she hear it.

Tim looked up from the memo that he had been reading. It struck him how different the night shift was. First, the supervising ME was much more attractive, but also that atmosphere was more casual. Perfect for his needs. "You that friendly with all the captains?"

"Not generally," she remarked, thinking <this guy must not pay any attention>.

"That's her husband," Grace announced, sliding a rack of slides across the lab bench. "And if you think her temper is bad, you haven't seen anything."

"Bad?"

"Oh yeah, his nickname is the nightmare of the nightshift." Grace giggled slightly at Natalie's expression. They had both picked up on Tim's not so subtle attempts to flirt. The disappointment when Grace mentioned the word 'husband' had been painfully obvious.

"Captain Knight is your husband?" he questioned. He had heard about Nick Knight. Part of his tour of the precincts had been a rather frank discussion of different officers and how best to work with them. When it came to Nick Knight, all his tour guide had said was, 'leave him alone, don't question him and don't contradict him.'

"Yes, he is," Natalie nodded. "And I'll only warn you once. He does not tolerate unprofessional behavior, so whatever ideas you had, forget it."

"I didn't have any, umm, ideas, doctor," he protested, his voice icy. How dare she presume that he had designs on her of a personal nature?

"Umm hmmm," she mumbled, returning his frosty look. She knew that look. It was not the first time that a colleague had looked at her in that way. It told her immediately that he saw her in a different light that the male supervisor on days. "In any event, there you have the basic jist of nightshift. We do cases as they come in, get reports to the detectives as quickly as possible. If you can't get a final to them, they at least need a preliminary ruling before they can proceed with an investigation."

"Got it," he replied. He might say now that he was not interested in her, but he would bide his time. Let her get to know him better. Surely a woman this young had not gotten to her position based on her own merit alone. "So what now?"

"I don't think watching me type up a report and then sort through the mail would be very entertaining. If you want to go set up your lab, that's fine with me. I'll page you if anything comes in."

"Fine," he replied and left the room swiftly, breathing a sigh of relief. He was not sure if he'd be able to tolerate her mercurial moods.