Subject: x-over: Vampire's Play (01/02)


Hi folks!  I'll admit to having gone to see BRIDE OF CHUCKY on opening
night just to see Ben. :)  I dragged my hubby along too.  It was more
comedic than horrific, as many campy B movies are.  'Cept it seemed to be
supposed to be.

For the record, Ben's character is a cop by the name of Lt. Ellis, and
despite what I had heard, or possibly the way it was filmed, final editing
meant he did not die...  He had what my hubby calls a "popcorn part" - go
for popcorn at the wrong time, and you miss him completely.  He's just in
one scene.  (& he looks G*O*O*D, btw, I hate to say it but playing a cop
seems to suit him) He does speak in his role as a cop,  but only briefly.
Like I said though, however it may have been filmed, final editing meant
that Lt. Ellis didn't die... so that said, how about...... VAMPIRE'S PLAY.

FK characters aren't mine much as I wish they were, and I think I'm glad
Chucky ain't mine ('cept for the money his owners whomever they may be
make from him), nor the company he keeps.....  No infringement intended...
just borrowing for a little fun and chaos...

Mel and Michael may archive this, and so may any DP or T+Vpacker.
Anyone else, please ask first.

(note: In Bride of Chucky, Ben's character wasn't given a first name in
the credits... therefore I'm arbitrarily giving him one, Kevin, for this.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nick had received notification that his latest artifact had been delayed
in customs.  Something about having to check the background to confirm
that the person who was shipping him the "Heart of Dhambala" was in fact
it's legal owner.

Nick was very disappointed over this, because he had read in an ancient
manuscript that if a particular incantation was recited over it by a
vampire on Samhain in the presence of a recently deceased corpse, that the
spirit of the vampire would be transfered into the newly deceased, leaving
the human host as a living, mortal human once again.  According to the
text the spirit of the vampire, once transfered into the deceased's body,
if of sufficient time for their soul to have "already gone through the
great door", would be unable to return as a vampire, and thus would
wither, only to be completely destroyed at first light.  Needless to say,
Nick was quite upset.

Since Nick was expecting Natalie to come over any time, when his buzzer
rang, he just buzzed the person up, expecting it was she with her arms too
full to bother with letting herself in.  When the elevator door opened,
there was a delivery driver standing there, with a medium box in hand.
After Nick signed for it, he sat the box down and saw the courier out.  As
he let the man out, he saw Natalie's car pull up, so waited for her and
returned to his loft with her.

Nick had asked Natalie to come so he could explain about the Heart of
Dhambala.  He knew she'd be upset that he was once more trying some mystic
gobbledy-gook, and he tended to believe Natalie that this was all it was.
However, he knew in his heart that if there was a chance through any such
mystic or magic routes and he didn't try, he would feel as if he were
betraying himself.  He wished Natalie would understand that.  However,
as much as he knew it would upset her to hear about it, he knew it would
hurt her more to know he had tried such a route without at least telling
her.

As he was explaining about the heart to Natalie, he went on with
unwrapping his parcel.  As he pulled the much damaged and poorly repaired
doll from the box he looked at it oddly.  He held it up for Natalie to
see.  "Do you know what this is about?"

"No.  It looks like it was a cute doll once.  Someone must have loved him
to try and put it back together like that.  Does it say anything inside 
the box?"

Nick looked inside and found a small note that had been underneath the 
doll.  "The doll and the heart have a long history.  Please accept this
gift, as we believe the doll and the heart should both be in the same
place."  Nick read it aloud to Natalie.  Then added "It isn't signed
though. I wonder who sent it to me, or who knows what I'm. getting?"

Nick placed the odd little doll back into the box and took it down to the
garage level.  "After I have the heart, I plan to try the ceremony, after
which, whether it works or not, I plan to donate it to a museum.  I'll
keep the doll here, so that if they do belong together, I can give both to
them."  After, Nick put the doll into a safe place, not feeling any need
to check on him until such time as he was prepared to give the heart to
the museum.

Chucky had heard Nick explaining to Natalie both why he wanted the heart,
and the fact that it was being held up in customs.  He listened from his
new home on a shelf in the garage next to a container of Tortoise Wax and
smiled.  Just because he had always heard in his life that vampires were
mythic, he wasn't about to challenge this guy.  If someone had told him
he'd end up in a doll's body after he died, he'd have thought them ready
for the nuthouse... then.  And if this guy was a nut he obviously believed
he was a fanged creature of the night, and had managed to convince the
woman too.  If he wasn't and really believed he was, this guy would be too
nuts to be predictable.  Besides, he'd need the goof to sign for the heart
when customs was ready to release it.  So he'd just leave these ones alone
for now, and do to them whatever he wanted when he actually had managed to
get a new body for himself.  Chucky explored his new surroundings.  There
was a door that he could open and close with a spare remote to come and go
as he pleased.  Good.  That meant he could go out and have a little fun
while he waited for the heart to finally be returned.

**********

There had been a number of weird and horrific murders happen in Toronto
suddenly.  There had been 10 so far, in 9 days, although there had been 3
days without any.  It was turning into a media circus of sorts.  That was
when a police officer of some sort from someplace in New Jersey,
Hackensack maybe, after getting approval from the higherups, was teamed up
with Knight and Vetter.  Tracy and Nick had been called and asked to come
in early to meet the liaison, and get a briefing both in regards to him
and what he knew from the case.

Nick and Tracy both stared at the man before them.  Tracy could feel when
she shook the man's hand, that his flesh was warm, so she knew that it
wasn't Vachon playing some sort of cruel trick on her.  Yet before her was
a guy that looked like the identical twin of Vachon, except as a clean-cut
and fresh-faced cop.  Her father's dream come true.

Reese saw both of them staring blatently, and cleared his throat.  "Have
we got a problem people?"

Tracy mumbled her appology, but it was Nick who spoke first.  "I'm sorry
if we've seemed rude.  Lt. Ellis, you said?"  When the young officer
nodded, he continued, knowing some sort of plausible explanation was
needed, "I've never seen anyone look so like someone else.  Do you have
family up here?"  He knew it was a moot question since Vachon was a
vampire, but since Tracy didn't know he knew, it wouldn't do to ask if he
had spanish background some 400ish years back.  "You look remarkable like
a certain friend of my partner's."

"Not to my knowledge."  He smiled, relaxing.  At least there had been a
reason for their strange reaction to him.

After their briefing, in which Lt. Ellis was briefed on the Toronto cases
and filled the others in on the similar cases he had followed, they
decided that a visit to the morgue for any additional information Nat may
be able to offer might be a good place to start.

When Lt. Ellis walked in with them, Tracy saw a shock of surprise register
on Natalie's face quickly before she pulled her face into a neutral
cordial smile.  This puzzled Tracy until Natalie spoke.  "Wow! I've seen
your friend with the motorcycle once or twice when he's met you outside
the precinct.  This guy could be his twin!"  Natalie held out her hand to
shake his.  "I'm Doctor Lambert, but you may call me Natalie if you like.
Most people I work with do.  Especially these two."  She linked her arm
around Nick's in a way that indicated more than just co-workers because of
the way the newcomer's body-language changed.  "And you would be?"
Natalie was pleased that his hand was warm.

"Lt. Ellis, New Jersey State Trooper, but you may call me Kevin."  He
kissed Natalie's hand, and was dissapointed when she pulled her hand back.
He turned to Nick and Tracy.  "As may the both of you.  Since we'll be
working together on this, We might as well be friends."  He turned back to
look once more at Nat.

Tracy looked at the newcomer, and poked him much as a little kid would.
She winked at Natalie as she did.  When he turned his face towards her,
she leaned over and in a stage whisper that all could hear, said "I
wouldn't bother if I were you.  Nick and Nat keep telling everyone that
they're just friends, but each only has eyes for the other, and sometimes
they go all domestic-like.  There's even bets going on around the precinct
on how long it'll take these two to finally get their acts together and
get hitched."

He looked back at Nick and Nat, since Nick had moved over to stand next to
her in a rather protective or possessive gesture.  "Oh.  Sorry."  Nick
looked a little angry, while Natalie was blushing.  He whispered to Tracy,
"I hope he's not too angry.  I didn't know."  Looking back at them once
more, he added, "but they do make a cute couple."

Soon they had gotten all the details they could gather.  Nick, Tracy and
Kevin left, Nick reminding Nat to go to his place and wait for him after
work, and that he'd pick up the movies tonight.  Tracy wondered if this
was for Lt. Ellis' benefit, since Natalie looked slightly puzzled before
replying she would see him later.

For the next half hour or so, Nick continued to call the newcomer Lt, but
soon he cooled off a little.  During this time, when they were driving
from one location to another to give Kevin the tour of where the bodies
had been found, Tracy and Kevin were talking, about both the case and
just getting to know each other.  Tracy had asked him if he had any
Spanish background at all.

"It's really funny you should ask.  Most of my family look totally Brit,
which is mostly what we are.  My dad's family has some Irish and Scottish,
which I think is where the name Ellis comes from, but that's a long way
back.  My Mom's grandmother though, when she was still alive, she used to
tell me that every couple of generations there'd be one of the kids born
who looked just like me, and she said that according to family legend, we
all looked like our great-great-whatever grandfather.  Apparently one of
her ancestors was travelling in Spain at the time that they were sending a
lot of ships to the new world, and had a passionate liaison with a young
Spaniard who was to set sail the next day.  By the time she returned home
to the Isle, apparently it was obvious that she was pregnant, and her
family told everyone that she had married in Spain but returned home until
he returned, and later that he was killed in the new world.  I have no
idea if it's true, or just a family legend... But that's what my
grandmother used to tell me."

*He's a hell of a lot more talkative than Vachon is...  I wonder if this
guy is some great-something grandson of his*  Tracy grinned silently.
Refocusing on what Kevin had said, she smiled, "Most people have at least
a few people hiding out in the woodpile somewhere in their background.
But I think that's the first that I've heard a family legend based on it."

"She always told me it was because every few generations one of us is born
who supposedly is his spitting image...  I do have a photo of my
Grandmother and her brother around my age, and we really do look
remarkably alike, considering we come from a family of mostly dark blondes
or sandy browns, with a little red thrown in once in a while."

"Okay, we're here."  Nick announced to the other two.  "Lt., er, Kevin,
you see that first floor appartment that has the window half open?  That's
the unit."  They went in to the site of the day-old murder so that the
liaison could take a look around, then went on to the next.

Nick was uncomfortable with the newcomer, even after he had finally
relaxed about the way that the guy had come-on to Nat.  After all, she
hadn't reciprocated.  Nick began to reach out with his vampiric senses to
see if he could pick up anything else.  He became aware that this Kevin
Ellis fellow was likely hiding something.  The way his heartrate,
breathing and perspiration levels would changed when he said certain
things made Nick realize he must be hiding something.  Nick didn't think
this guy was the murderer, since his responses were not what Nick would
have expected them to be if he were, just that he knew more than he was
telling.

After the end of their shift, Nick offered to drop Kevin off at his
hotel.  Instead Tracy spoke, "No, you go on, Nick.  You've got your date
with Nat.  I'll drive him over in my car.  You go ahead home to Natalie."

After Nick left the other two at the precinct, he stopped by a video
store, but before picking up anything, made sure no one was watching and
took to the air, landing a few moments later at the old church.  Nick
sought out the Spanish vampire, and told him about the newcomer and how he
knew that the guy was hiding something.  He also mentioned that Tracy was
taking the guy to his hotel, and that they had been discussing stopping
somewhere for dinner as he left.  Vachon's verbal reaction was "What's it
to me?", however, Nick could feel the concern eminating from the younger
vampire.  He knew that Vachon would go and check this guy out pretty
thouroughly.

**********

Of the next 6 days there was only 1 with none of these wild murders, and
from the other 5 they accumulated 8 more victims.  Vachon kept following
them, and keeping tabs on his short-haired twin to the best of his
ability.  Tracy had taken to picking him up at his hotel before each shift
with enough time to stop for breakfast at Denny's, and frequently going
for dinner with him after work.  He did not like this fellow.  Although
Nick was certain that he wasn't the killer, just knew something more than
what he was telling, Vachon was certain this guy was.  And he didn't like
the way that Tracy seemed to be spending so much time with him.  Vachon
even ended up spending a day at this guy's hotel, having a hell of a time
staying out of the sun, but managing it.  And that was the day that there
was no murders, just adding proof-positive so far as Vachon was concerned.

Kevin, on the other hand, kept seeing something from the corner of his
eye and thinking that some long-haired punk version of himself was
stalking Tracy.  The result of this was that both Vachon and Kevin each
thought that Tracy's other friend was the murderer, and trying to stay
close enough to protect her from the other.

There was one night when Nick, Tracy, and Kevin were called in to the
office.  Each was taken to a separate room from the others and was asked
what their whereabouts was between 11:30 and 11:45 pm the previous night.
Each knew that there had been another murder take place then.  They had
been the ones to find out that the guard had passed the site of the murder
on his rounds at 11:32 and it had been fine, but when he came back through
the area at 11:45 to go to the washroom the visciously murdered body had
been there.  They each told their questioner that they had been stopped at
the morgue at that point.

Tracy was the one to realize what was happening.  "It's not Nick.  I know
these murders have almost all occured within a circle around his place,
but he's not the one.  I'm pretty sure that they've got cameras don't they
over at the morgue?  Why not just go get the tapes for yesterday and you
can see for yourself that he was there at the time that the hooker was
killed.  A camera is an impartial testimony to his locale.  If you think
it's him, you can always ask Nat too, but you know a camera can't lie
and if you think it's him, you could think she, or we, are covering for
him."

Captain Reese called over to the security desk at the Morgue.  He asked
the guard to borrow the tape briefly, and he'd send someone over.  When
the uniformed officer returned in a few minutes with the tape, Reese did
pop it into a VCR to play it.  "Tracy, I want you to know I do not think
it's Nick.  But one of the commissioners, not your dad though, has noticed
that they all seem to be within a circle which your partner's home is
smack in the middle of, and this is just a formality to clear him.  If we
have irrefutable proof, he won't ask that you and Nick be put on desk duty
until this is solved.  Otherwise I'll have to do that.  You two have the
best track record, which is why I've got you guys heading this."

They found where Nick, Tracy, and Kevin had entered, and freeze framed it
and pulled a print from it which showed the date as well as a time of
11:23.  "I'm glad you thought of this, Tracy.  I didn't know they had
cameras over there."  He continued to fastplay it until Tracy and Kevin
came out and went to the coffee machine. He freeze framed that too, and
took a print of that as well.  The time here was 11:36.  Then he continued
until the camera showed both Nick and Natalie step into the hall.  The
camera hadn't caught the fine detail, since this was happening way down
the hallway that it panned past as it scanned the lobby with Tracy and
Kevin.  Reese smirked however as he watched Nick look both ways in the
hallway, then lean over and kiss Natalie.  Tracy pointed out that it
showed the date and time there too, so Reese froze it there and pulled a
print of the kiss, complete with Natalie's hand on Nick's butt.  The time
was 11:44.  As it printed, Reese added, "I guess they don't know about the
cameras either."  Natalie waved to Nick, then went back in while Nick
walked down the hall to meet up with the other two in the lobby.  The
guard at the desk waved the trio off at 11:47 after Nick had stopped and
spoke to him briefly, as the other two finished their coffees.  Reese also
printed this too.  "Thank you, Tracy.  These will clear Nick to the
commissioner."

"Cap?"  When he looked over at her, Tracy continued, "Once you don't need
that pic, can I have it?  I'd like to... well, let Nick know no one
believes they're just friends." She grinned mischievously.

In the meantime, Tracy's vampire and mortal twins were both still trying
to protect her from each other...

**********

It was only a few days later when Nick received notification that the
Heart of Dhambala had finally cleared customs, and he should receive it
any time.  Chucky was very pleased.  Soon he wouldn't have to put up with
the the stupid vampire or his girlfriend.  Chucky began to chuckle as he
began to make his plans.

**********

Vachon had continued to follow Tracy and this 'Kevin' character.  The more
he saw of this jerk the more he disliked the fellow.  Not only did he look
much like what he would if he were clean-shaven and 'society' (and Vachon
had decided he didn't like the idea of people looking like him), but this
creep seemed to be very interested in Tracy.  Vachon was sure this guy was
the murderer, but until he could find some irrefutable proof of it, he had
to keep his suspicions to himself and content himself to following them,
ready to intervene on Tracy's behalf if or when the asshole tried anything.

Tracy had gone to dinner with him again.  She knew that Kevin was lonely,
and something about him besides just his looks reminded her in some small
way of Vachon.  Mostly he seemed like a kind person who knew nobody here
but she and her partner, and since Nick didn't eat in public because of
some weird reason to do with his allergies, she knew that the meals that
she didn't eat with him he'd be alone.  Not that it was purely mercy or
anything.  She did like the guy.  She just didn't like him as much as she
did her Spanish friend.  After they left the restaurant, Kevin tried to
put his hand around her waist.  Tracy instead pulled his hand away,
letting him hold her hand instead.  That didn't feel as intimate to her as
him having his hand on her body, even if it were just the waist.  He
walked her to her car, and leaned on her open window for a minute.  She
was afraid he might try and kiss her, but then he waved her off and she
was free once again.  She really didn't want to hurt his feelings.

From his rooftop vantagepoint, Vachon watched then walk out of the 24 hour
restaurant a block from the creep's hotel, and walk back toward the hotel
and Tracy's car.  He watched angrily as this American cop took Tracy's
hand in his as they walked.  He zoomed over to the rooftop of the hotel to
be closer and within hearing range.  He watched this jerk see Tracy to her
car.  The fellow leaned on her opened car window a moment, before pulling
his head back and waving her off.  As he walked back into the hotel,
Vachon heard him laugh slightly and say "Tomorrow's the day.  I'm really
going to do it!"  Then the hotel doors closed behind him.

Vachon flew to Tracy's and was waiting outside her apartment watching for
her to get there.  Enroute he kept thinking to himself *DAMN IT!!!  I knew
it was him.  He's decided to kill Trace tomorrow, and I have got to find a
way to stop it.*  After Tracy had gotten into her apartment safely, Vachon
popped open her trunk and crawled inside.  It might not be as roomy as
Nick's caddy, but it would do.  It would have to.  By the time he had been
inside it for an hour, however, Vachon was thinking to himself that maybe
being a bit of a pragmatist wouldn't be so bad after all.  After all, the
caddy trunk would be a heck of a lot more comfortable right about now.

----

It was the day after the Heart had arrived, and Nick was expecting one
more parcel.  An ancient tome from a Paris library was supposed to arrive
that day, and Nick had asked Natalie if she would mind staying over and
being ready to sign for it.  Nick was eager for it to arrive too, since it
held a detailed account of the Heart of Dhambala and a number of other
artifacts of antiquity.

Natalie woke to the buzz of the intercom.  Throwing on the robe that Nick
had left for her, She went to look on the monitor.  Seeing that it
appeared to be a delivery person, she asked him for confirmation, then
buzzed him up.  She had taken the package and set it at her feet and was
just in the process of signing for it, when she felt a sudden pain in the
back of her head and everything began to fade to black.  As she slid to
the floor, she thought that she could smell the tang of blood, but she
knew she didn't hurt that much.  She tried once to call out before she
slid into painless oblivion, but it was a feeble attempt at best, since
Nick slept like the dead at this time of day.

Chucky looked over his handywork.  Now he had a savagely murdered body
before him, all the information he could want on the heart, and having
decided on Nick for his new body, the means to lure his new body with the
Heart to him all at hand.  What could be better?  Chucky laughed as he
opened a couple of the shutters, and began to place things where he would
need them.  He knew that while Nick slept soundly, he didn't sleep
forever.  He would need to be ready soon.  He began by draging Natalie's
body into the center of the pool of sunlight spilling through the window.

----

Captain Reese was woken up by his wife.  "Sorry Joe.  It's dayshift, with
a big problem."  She handed him the telehone.

"Joe.  Sorry to wake you, but we may have trouble.  I just got a call from
a courier company saying that one of their delivery persons hadn't checked
back in from making a delivery, and hadn't responded to their pages
either.  They gave me the address of where it was going to, and the
address is not only in the middle of where the murders have been
happening, but also to Detective Knight.  I tried calling him, but I got
no answer.  You know your crew better than I.  I thought it better be your
call."

"I'll call his partner and ask her to meet me there.  If we need it we'll
call for a back-up.  But lets not call out a whole team unless there is
need to."  Joe silently thought to himself that either it wouldn't be
necessary, because Nick would handle the murderer, or else he or he and
Natalie would already be dead by the time that they arrived.  He prayed
that Knight and Lambert were okay as he dressed.  Then he called Tracy and
arranged to meet her at Nick's.

----

Tracy called the hotel and was put through to Kevin's room.  "Kevin! Get
dressed.  I think the murderer's at Nick's, and I don't know which of them
will be dead by the time we can get there.  The captain is meeting us.
I'll swing past as soon as I can get there.  Oh God, I hope Natalie isn't
there.  Nick'll kill him if he hurts her, and if Nat dies, he'll die too.
Hurry.  Be ready for me!"  Tracy hung up as she pulled a pair of sweats on
and tucked her shortie nightshirt into it, not bothering to fully dress.
This would do.  Stepping into her sneakers and grabbing her purse and gun,
she ran down to her car.  She pulled up the flashing light and stuck it on
her dash, then turned it on.  She sped all the way to the hotel, and was
there in surprisingly just over 10 minutes, which considering the Toronto
traffic, was a record.  Then they sped off in silence towards her
partner's loft.  Vachon, still in the trunk, being bounced and jolted very
unceremoniously as they raced along, bounced and jarred at every bump or
pothole in the road.

As Tracy pulled up before the loft and finally slowed down, she saw that
Captain Reese had beat her here and was already waiting, gun already in
hand.  Tracy rolled her window down.  "I know the code, Cap.  Follow me
in."  She left her door open and hoped out, running over to the alarm
panel by the garage door and entering a code.  As the door began to lift
she ran back to her car and drove in as soon as there was room, pulling up
next to the caddy.  As Reese followed her inside, he hit the button on the
inside to reclose the door.

The three mortals congregated near the rear of Tracy's car, and all were
equally stunned when the trunk of it suddenly popped open as soon as the
garage door was resealed, and out climbed Vachon.  He and Kevin both
stared at each other for a moment and blinked, then Kevin pulled his gun
as Vachon reached out with his hands to encircle the mortal's neck.  "Stay
back, Tracy!  He's the murderer!" they both cried in unison.

Tracy looked at the two dopplegangers before her, then to her captain, who
looked stunned at the similarity between them too, or perhaps the 'madman'
jumping out of her trunk had been responsible.  Either way, she was the
only one able to intervene.  She looked back at Vachon and Kevin.  "Okay-
*LOSE* the testosterone poisoning, boys... *now*.  Neither one of you is
the murderer.  He's probably upstairs, and now thanks to that little
outburst, quite likely knows we are here. Come on!"

Tracy tried to call the elevator, but the motor was not responding.  So
Tracy led them instead up the stairway to the loft.  As they entered they
saw that in the elevator doorway was the viciously murdered body of the
missing delivery guy.  Across the room on the other side stood Nick,
looking angrier than a wet hen and ready to kill something.  Then a
groaning sound caught their attention, and they spotted Natalie lying tied
up on the floor in a patch of sunlight.  She seemed to be just on the edge
of consciousness so far as any of them could tell.  Beside her stood an
animated little doll in poor repair brandishing a knife over her.  That
was when they each realized that Nick was trying to figure out how to
attack this little doll, and that it was also where his anger was focused.

Natalie began to come-to, and after taking a look around closed her eyes
again, lest the doll realize she was awake now.  As she pulled slightly at
her bindings, Natalie realized that the ropes on her wrists were not tied
tightly enough, and that if she could just work the knot a little, she
should be able to free herself in short order.

Chucky looked over at the newcomers.  "Join the party.  But don't come any
closer or the doc dies!"  Chucky laughed as he slid the knife slightly
across a part of Natalie's throat that wasn't near the vein or artery with
just enough force to cause a small cut that began to bleed slightly,
running slowly down to the back of her neck.  Now he stopped laughing, and
looked at Nick.  "GIVE ME THE HEART!" he yelled.

Natalie was working on freeing her hands, almost having it completed when
Nick dropped the amulet to the floor and placed his foot on it.  "Let her
go or I'll destroy the Heart of Dhambala."  Nick said evenly.

In a stunned panic Chucky stared over at the cord of the amulet protruding
out from below Nick's foot.  He hadn't planned for this turn of events.
Natalie suddenly got her hand free, and used this moment while he was
focused on Nick to snap her hand out as hard and fast as she could into
the doll's back, sending him flying through the glass window and dangling
from a foot that lodged between parts of the shutter mechanism.  Natalie
slammed her hand down on the remote where Chucky had left it nearby,
causing the shutters to roll down and crush Chucky between them and the
window sill with enough force to leave the doll in pieces.

As soon as the shutter was down, Nick raced to Natalie's side, and cradled
her in his arms.  "Oh god, Nat.  Are you okay?"  He felt the goose-egg
welt on her head, while Kevin went over to verify that the body sticking
out of the elevator door was indeed beyond help.

After the panic was over, Tracy looked at everyone else, including her
Captain.  "We'll need a plausible story.  No one will believe a doll did
this."  She walked over to Natalie and knelt beside her, with Vachon
following suit, and placing one hand around Tracy in an easy manner.

Reese spoke quietly from the background.  "I don't think there is a
plausible story for this.  I think this will have to be another unsolved
for the books.  We need to call this in people.  So let's figure out what
we are going to say."

**********

It was just a few days later that Tracy and Nick were seeing Lt. Ellis off
at the airport.  To Nick's dissapointment, he was taking the Heart of
Dhambala with him, as evidence involving a large number of unsolved cases
in his jurisdiction.

As they are sitting in a waiting lounge, Tracy turned to Kevin.  "You told
me about your family legend, Kevin.  Tell me, did the legend ever credit
a name to the woman who'd gotten pregnant from the Spanish sailor?"

Kevin smiled and took Tracy's hand.  "Yes, actually...  Her name was Mary
Catherine Fitzroyal."  They all stopped and listened as Kevin's flight was
anounced.  Instead of saying more, the American cop pulled Tracy into an
embrace, and kissed her.  Then he turned and headed into the 'passengers
only' area beyond which his plane was now boarding.

**********

Because of the incident at the loft, Natalie and Nick, and therefore also
Tracy were all on a week's leave of absence.  Nick dropped Tracy off at
her car, then drove home to the loft, where Natalie was waiting for him.
Their plan was to watch videos, and just generally relax and recuperate
from what happened, now that they were finally allowed back into the loft.
For the first couple of days following the incident, Nick had stayed at
Nat's as people came and went from the scene in his home.

Tracy started to drive home, but found herself wanting to stop by the
church instead.  She entered slowly, nodding to Vachon as he looked up
from his guitar.

"He gone?"

"Yeah."  Tracy watched Vachon tuning his guitar.  "Hey, does the name
'Mary Catherine Fitzroyal' mean anything to you?"

Vachon set his guitar down, looked at Tracy, and blinked.  Twice.  "Maria
Fitzroyal?  Yeah.  Long time ago."

Tracy couldn't quite figure out the expression that played across his
face.  "Tell me," she said.

"She was English.  I loved her.  She was why I signed up to go to the new
world.  I hoped to return rich enough that her father would allow us to
wed.  Been a long time since I've heard her name or thought about her.
She was tall and beautiful, and had a real firey spirit."  Vachon frowned
for a moment, then asked, "How do you know the name?"

Tracy slid over to sit beside Vachon, grinning mischievously.  "Oh, let's
just say you kiss a hell of a lot better than your descendant does."  As
Vachon opened his mouth in a shocked expression to reply, she captured his
mouth in hers.
_________________________
| End of Vampire's Play |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this piece :)