The shrill ringing of the phone woke her up. She
grabbed it.

"Hello?" Her heart in her mouth she answered.

"Dr. Lambert? It's Lucien LaCroix. I got a message
that you needed to reach me. What may I do for you?"
The aristocratic voice on the other end of the phone
made Natalie both shiver and filled her with a sense
of reassurance.

"Thank you so much for calling me back. I don't know
where to begin. My five year old daughter was
kidnapped last night, and the kidnappers are demanding

five million dollars by Thursday. I didn't know where
else to turn...please, can you help me?" She started
crying again.

"Of course my dear. Where are you? Exactly?"

She told him the address of the hotel.

"Stay there, don't do anything. I'll be there by
tonight."

She whispered, "thank you, LaCroix." The phone went
dead.

She set the phone back down and tried to go back to
sleep. She tossed and turned and finally got back up
and ordered room service. She went into the
bathroom and took a shower, then put on fresh clothes.
It was 8 AM. She picked up the phone and called her
office. She told her director that she was ill, and
that she wouldn't be in that day, but that she might
stop by to pick up some work later.

There was a knock at the door, and she opened the door
to find breakfast. She tipped the server, then sat
down to eat. She wasn't very hungry, but knew she
needed to keep up her energy. After she finished, she
took out her research and started to try and distract
herself. At about 6 PM, fatigue finally overcame her
and she crawled back into the bed, tears falling down
her cheeks as she fell asleep and prayed for her
daughter's safety.

A knocking at the door woke her up. She looked at the
clock and saw that it was just after midnight. She
stumbled out of bed and went over to the door.
She looked through the peephole and saw LaCroix
standing on the other side of the door. Relief swept
through her. She opened the door.

"LaCroix, it's really you. Please come in." He hadn't
changed, of course. He wore a black Armani suit and
carried a black trench coat over his right arm.

He looked at her, and marveled that Natalie Lambert
hadn't changed very much in the intervening years. Her
hair was shorter, but she still lacked the lines on
her face that would indicate her advancing years. He
did a mental calculation and realized that she was
about 43. She didn't look anywhere near that. He
narrowed his eyes. In fact, she didn't look even close
to 35. She still looked like a woman in her early
thirties. He entered the room and looked around.

She nervously went over to sit in one of the chairs
flanking the small table where her work was laid out.
LaCroix put his trench coat on the foot of the
bed, then sat down in the other chair.

"You're looking quite well, my dear. The last few
years have been very good to you, it appears. So, tell
me about your daughter and this situation."

Natalie told him about Tony, finding out she was
pregnant, moving to Portland, changing her name, the
birth of her daughter, and the events of the last day.

"Her name is Nikki. Nicole Lucia Antoinette Knight.
She's amazing. Everyone says she looks like me, and
she is the most important thing in my world."
She got up and went to her wallet, pulling out a
picture that had been taken at Christmas. The two of
them were wearing matching green velvet dresses,
and Nikki was sitting on her lap next to a huge
Christmas tree. She handed the picture to LaCroix. He
wordlessly took it and noted that Nikki was a
miniature version of the woman in front of him, right
down to their smiles.

"She's lovely. She does look exactly like you. And I'm
honored that you named her after me." He inclined his
head at her, and smiled as he returned the photo to
her. "So, does her biological father know about this
situation?"

Natalie shook her head. "No, he doesn't even know she
exists. Tony lost his wife a few months after Nick
left, and he moved to England for a teaching
position. I considered telling him, and I know it's
probably selfish of me, but I wanted her to myself.
Tony is a wonderful man, but the relationship we
had wasn't something I wanted to continue, and he
wasn't ready for a child." She sighed. "I've lost so
much in the last ten years, I didn't want to give
up any part of Nikki. She's my world, LaCroix. She's
the only thing that keeps me going." She started
crying again.

LaCroix took a pristine white handkerchief out of his
pocket and silently handed it to her. She accepted it
and dried her eyes.

"Thank you. I'm sorry." She composed herself. Finally,
she steeled herself to ask the question that was
burning inside of her. "So, have you seen Nick?
How is he?"

LaCroix studied her for a moment, weighing his
response. "Nicholas is...fine. I saw him last year. He
is here in the States, working as a private
investigator, of all things. He's out east." He didn't
elaborate where "out east".

"Natalie, I need to ask you. Why did you contact me
instead of Nicholas? I know he gave you a means to
contact him, as well. I believe you made the
right decision, but what made YOU decide to call me?"

She looked at her hands, clasped in her lap. When she
looked up at him, there was anger blazing in her eyes.
"This isn't just about money, LaCroix.
These people took my DAUGHTER. I want them to pay for
what they are putting us through. I don't want them to
be able to hurt anyone else, ever. And if anything
happens to Nikki, I want to be there to watch them
suffer. Do you understand?"

He smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, I do understand.
You have grown very wise through the years, my dear.
Very well. They said they would contact you
within 72 hours. That gives us two days left. I have a
few errands to run before dawn, and some arrangements
to make. But before we do that, shall we
go to your place of employment and retrieve your
work?" He stood as Natalie nodded and reached for her
briefcase. She put her laptop in its case,
gathered all her documentation, and got her coat on.
They left the hotel and headed for her laboratory.

LaCroix left Natalie at the hotel at 4 AM. She had
retrieved her files, both computer and paper, from her
lab, and she realized she was bone weary. She
also knew she had another phone call to make. She
picked up the phone and dialed directory assistance in
Toronto. She called the old precinct, praying
that Joe Reese was still around. She spoke to the
switchboard and sighed in relief when she heard the
operator say, "Hold just one minute while I
connect you."

Soon a remembered voice, sounding tired, answered.
"Captain Reese."

She smiled. "Hi Joe, it's Natalie Lambert."

"Natalie?! Wow, it's great to hear from you. How have
you been? Where are you?"

She laughed. "I'm fine. I live in the States now, in
Portland, Oregon. But, I have to ask you a favor. Last
night my daughter was kidnapped, and the police here
thought it might have to do with a past case, maybe
someone I testified against and is out now? Is there
any way to check on that?'

"You got it. Give me the names and contact information
for the officers working on the case. I'll have recent
release records checked and send the information to
them."

"Thanks, Joe. Oh, and by the way, make sure you tell
them it is for Natalie Knight." She held her breath,
knowing that Joe would leap to the obvious
conclusion.

"Knight? Natalie, please tell me that means that you
and Nick got together and have a family?"

"No Joe, sorry. I haven't seen Nick since he left
Toronto. I don't know where he is, other than that he
is out east somewhere. I wish that were the case. I
just wanted a fresh start when I moved, and I wanted
to honor Nick's memory. I'm sorry, but I really don't
want to talk about it, please?" She hoped he wouldn't
probe.

He sighed. "OK. It's none of my business. I'll get
that information to them. Is there a number I can
reach you at?"

She gave him her cell phone number and email address,
then hung up. Memories started surfacing, and she
realized how much she missed Nick. With Nikki gone,
she felt her loneliness even more strongly. Tears of
loneliness and frustration, fear and helplessness
welled up in her eyes. She turned out the light and
curled up in bed hugging a pillow to her chest as she
finally succumbed to the weariness she was feeling.

LaCroix entered the small club off of Burnside just
inside the gates to Chinatown. He looked around,
noting that most of the patrons, both mortal
and immortal, had left. Only a few hearty souls
remained, either brooding in one of the small booths
lining the wall, or else involved in an intense
conversation in one of the three alcoves off toward
the back of the room. The DJ had already stopped
spinning dance music, and a lone young vampire
sat on the stage playing an electronic mandolin. The
young one was quite good, LaCroix noted to himself.

He approached the bar and felt that the woman behind
the bar was a vampire, at least two hundred years old.
He sidled up to the bar and asked for the "house
special". She looked at him and caught the resonance
that accompanied his age and power. She poured some
bloodwine into a goblet and handed it to him.

"Tell me, young one, how do I contact your Community
Elder? I need to converse with him or her." His tone
wasn't friendly, but he wasn't threatening, either.

She held up a finger, asking him to wait. He inclined
his head. She disappeared into a door at the back of
the bar, and a few minutes later came back followed by
a beautiful woman dressed in a red velvet dress.
LaCroix's expression became one of shock.

"Janette? I can honestly say that THIS is one of the
biggest surprises I've had in many years."

A smile played at the edges of her sensuous mouth.
"Well, it's nice to be able to do something
unexpected. How are you, grand-pere?" She leaned over
and kissed him on the cheek.

LaCroix growled deep in his chest. Grand-pere?
GRANDFATHER? How DARE she...

He calmed down and looked at his one-time daughter. He
mentally reached out to her and discovered that he
could still feel a link with her, albeit quite
a faint one. He took her hand and brought it to her
lips. "You are more beautiful than ever, my child." He
released her hand, and she gestured for him to follow
her. They went through the door she had emerged from,
and he found himself in a well lit paneled corridor.
The hallway ran for several yards before dead-ending.
To the right was a stairway, to the left was a heavy
wooden door marked "PRIVATE". Janette took him through
the door. They entered a spacious office. There were
no windows and there was a gas fireplace against one
wall, a small bar, and a large wooden table---which
obviously served as her desk, dominating the long wall
of the room directly across from the door. She walked
in and proceeded to sit down behind the table.

"So LaCroix, what brings you to Portland? I would
think this town is a bit too small for you. Seattle,
perhaps." She picked up a glass that had obviously
been recently poured and took a sip, studying him.

"I am here on personal business, at the request of a
friend. What inspired YOU to choose this quaint little
burg, Janette?" He suspected he knew the reason, but
wanted to hear it.

Her expression remained inscrutable, but finally she
seemed to make a decision. "I am here on Nicholas'
behalf, although he does not know where I am. When he
left Toronto, he called me and begged me to watch over
Natalie for him. He told me what had happened. He knew
I would understand the loss he was experiencing, but
he also knew that he must not know where she is,
lest he become obsessed with her. Our Natalie has
proven to be quite...resilient. She is here, in
Portland, and she has a child. Nicholas does not know
about the girl. I have made sure that the local
community knows that she is under my protection."

LaCroix decided to put his cards on the table. "I am
here because Natalie asked me to come. Her daughter
was kidnapped last night and the kidnappers have
demanded a five million dollar ransom."

Janette immediately reacted. Her eyes flashed golden
and she stood, leaning her hands on the desk. "WHAT?!
Someone has STOLEN her daughter and DARES to make
demands? Who is it... tell me LaCroix, who has DONE
this thing?"

He regarded her with intense satisfaction. "We do not
know as yet. Nikki was taken right from her bedroom.
Natalie does not even know why she was targeted. She
has contacted the local authorities, and has gathered
all her work project notes together. She even called
Toronto to see if it could possibly be related to a
case from her past. But I will tell you this,
Janette. She wants revenge. 'Sweet Natalie' is out for
blood...literally and figuratively. Which is why she
called ME instead of Nicholas."

Janette sat slowly back down, still seething with
rage. Although Natalie was not aware of her presence
in Portland, she had kept very close tabs on Natalie
and Nikki, for Nicholas' sake. She had told him when
Natalie had left Toronto, and pledged to follow her.
Once a year she sent him a letter detailing Natalie's
work and that she seemed to be happy. She had thought
long and hard about telling him that Natalie had not
only had a daughter and named her Nicole Knight, but
that she had been unable to determine who the
father of the child was. There was no man in Natalie's
life, and Janette had seen the ring she wore on her
ring finger, suspecting it was from Nicholas.
Reluctantly she had concluded that if he knew Natalie
was a single mother raising a daughter, with no
partner, that he would risk both their lives to
be with her. She knew that someday, somehow, they
would come together. But not yet.

"All right, LaCroix, since she seems to trust you,
perhaps we should work together, hmmm? I did not know
that you had 'mended your fences' with her,
so to speak. How did this happen?"

Patiently LaCroix told her about the last few days in
Toronto with Nicholas, and how he had gone to Natalie
to explain to her what had happened and the
consequences of their fated encounter. He admitted
that he had misjudged Natalie, and that he had given
her his contact information should the need
ever arise. He also told her about Nikki's father,
relaying the story he had heard just hours ago from
Natalie.

Janette sat silently through his recital. Finally,
when he had completed his narrative, she spoke. "So,
THAT is the story of little Nicole. Tell me LaCroix,
does Nicholas know of your relationship with Natalie?"

"No. He does not know of my change of heart, as it
were. I deemed it wiser if he still feared for her
life on my account, as a further buffer to
keeping him away from her. The good doctor has
continued to surprise me. Pleasantly, I might add. Did
you know her daughter's full name?" Janette shook her
head. "Nicole Lucia Antoinette Knight. Supposedly
after Nicholas, myself, and a passing acknowledgment
to her biological father. I must say I was touched. I
feel almost like the child is a...goddaughter of
sorts."

"Well, LaCroix, what are we going to do? By the way,
it is almost dawn. Do you have accommodations?"

He shook his head. "We wait until the kidnappers call
back. And no to your other question. I went straight
to Natalie's hotel when I arrived. Are you offering?"
He tilted his head to one side and contemplated her.

She laughed. "Yes, I suppose I am. My suite is
upstairs, as I'm sure you have surmised by now." She
rose and offered her hand to the ancient being.
He took her hand and raised it to his lips. A frisson
of pleasure shivered up her spine. It had been many
centuries since she and LaCroix had been...intimate.
She found the thought of it quite pleasant and
anticipatory. She led him up the steps across the
hallway from her office, and neither of them spent the
day alone.