Vampire love story

Natalie dropped in her chair, mouth agape.

Nick stood there stunned, his rarely beating heart clutching.

Joe Reese stood there looking at the two primary players in this scene, wondering who would make the first move.

The doctor stood there realizing he was breaking news.

Commissioner Richard Vetter looked like he was about to go for his gun.

Amidst all this drama, Vachon stood in his unnatural stillness, stunned beyond the ability to speak, move or think. If the doctor were the fanciful sort, he would have sworn the young man's eyes glowed gold for a fraction of a second.

"I take it you didn't know?" he asked quietly. Vachon shook his head slightly. The doctor had to smile. Seeing the love this young man had for his patient, he was sure this news would be welcomed.

"Congratulations, sir, you're going to be a father."

No one was prepared when the five hundred year old vampire turned and walked out of the hospital.

***

Vachon hurt beyond words. Tracy had betrayed him. But when? They'd been together every night since they first became lovers. She must have been with another man before then. Was it really betrayal then?

But she must have known! How could she be his lover and not tell him she was carrying another man's child? Vachon felt wild with rage. His golden girl had lied to him. This he never expected.

The part of him that told him never to lie to himself screamed to be heard, but fear kept Vachon deaf to its pleas. Flying into the night, he ran, trying to outrun the pain.

***

Natalie pulled Nick aside. "He doesn't think the baby's his."

"Oh, come on, Nat. Even he can't be that stupid."

"Would you believe it, Nick? Knowing that vampires can't have children, knowing that rule has never been broken, would you be so quick to believe that I was carrying your child?"

Nick looked at Natalie, and seriously thought about her question. Taking her arms in his hands, he pulled her up to him. "Yes, Natalie. Yes, I would believe you." He kissed her gently. "I will always believe in you."

Falling in love with Nick just a little bit more, Natalie once again turned her attention to Vachon. "Go find him, Nick. Bring him to the lab. We'll get it through his thick skull."

Nodding, Nick left the hospital, and took to the skies.

Commissioner Vetter was gloating. He knew that Vachon fellow was good for nothing. Now he was walking out on Tracy after getting her pregnant. Well, Tracy always did have to learn her lessons the hard way. Now she'll have to come home and let him take care of her and the baby. He always knew she'd end up like this one day.

Reese read the commissioner like a book. Taking the doctor aside, he made a special request. "Please, doctor, don't let the commissioner in to see Tracy until she's stronger. He'll use this pregnancy to hurt her. Please, as a favor."

The doctor looked at Reese, and saw genuine compassion in his eyes. Remembering the commissioner's pompous attitude, the doctor nodded. "Of course, Captain. On this, we concur completely."

Reese smiled, then walked back to Natalie. "Where'd Knight go?"

"I think he wanted to talk to Vachon."

"Yeah, well, news of impending fatherhood can shake even the toughest guy. Need a ride?"

"Well, I kind of wanted to make sure Tracy was okay." She didn't want Tracy to know that Vachon had bolted. She knew those would be the first words out of the commissioner's mouth.

"What do you mean I can't see her? She's my daughter! Do you know who I am?" Natalie heard the doctor's staunch refusal. She saw the smug smile on the Captain's face, and grinned broadly.

Linking her arm through him, they walked out the door. "Nice job, Captain. Very nice job."

***

Back at the lab, Natalie pored over her notes. She never considered that the baby might not be Vachon's. The trick now is to prove it.

The door to the lab crashed open. Natalie saw Nick carrying Vachon in, using every bit of strength his extra three hundred years gave him. Throwing him in a chair, Nick turned to Natalie. "Honey, I'm home."

"I've told you about bringing company home for dinner without calling first."

"I'm out of here." Vachon started to get up, only to be shoved back down.

"Sit there, you idiot. You've got some explaining to do. How could you walk out on Tracy?"

Mutinous eyes stared back at Nick. Silence.

"You get her pregnant and then revert to form and run out? I don't think so, Vachon. You've got a responsibility here?"

"Do I? How do you know it's my responsibility?"

"Let me slap him, just once, Natalie." Disgusted, Nick walked towards Natalie's desk.

"Don't worry, Nick, I've got an even better weapon." She walked over to Vachon and offered him a small cup. "Let's settle this Vachon. Give me a sample and we'll find out definitively if you could have fathered Tracy's child."

Vachon refused to even touch the vile thing. Natalie continued, "Vachon, you've lost the ability to heal. You don't need to drink Tracy's blood every time you make love. And even though you didn't notice it, you cried mortal tears tonight, not blood tears. Is it so inconceivable that you now have viable sperm in your semen?"

"Geez, Natalie, give me a break." Vachon looked very uncomfortable with this topic. I guess they didn't have much in the way of open sex education in the 1500's, Natalie surmised.

"Vachon, this baby is yours. You have to know that."

"No shit, Natalie." Jumping out of the chair, he began pacing the lab. Nick and Natalie stared at him in surprise.

"You know the baby's yours, Vachon?" Nick asked, perplexed.

"Of course I know. Tracy would never betray me." Vachon reeked of pain and fear.

"Then what's this all about?" Natalie asked.

Vachon stood at the end of a table, his booted toe scuffing the floor. Anxiety permeated the room. He couldn't talk. Natalie went to him, putting her arm around him. "Are you afraid of the responsibility?" He shook his head 'no'. "What are you afraid of, then, Vachon? I've never seen you like this."

Tear filled eyes looked at Natalie. The pain in them made her catch her breath. "What have I done, Nat? What kind of baby did I give her?"

Understanding dawned on Natalie like a beacon. How stupid she was not to have realized before. "You're afraid the baby won't be normal?"

"How could my baby be normal? Look at me. You know what I am. Did I give Tracy a beautiful baby, a son?" The wistfulness on his face reached right into Natalie's soul. "Or did I give Tracy some kind of creature?" Wiping away the tears with a quick brush of his hand, he walked to the far wall, needing to be alone.

Natalie's mind was racing. Vachon's concerns were real, but she desperately wanted to put his mind at ease. Nick came up behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "Can you help him?"

"I don't know. He's so scared."

"He has a right to be."

"I know, but there's got to be some way-" Natalie had an idea.

"Vachon, come here please." He walked back to her, his emotions under control again. "Would you be willing to give me that sample after all?"

"Why? I know the baby's mine."

"Let me take a look. I'll see if the sperm looks normal. If everything looks normal, would that give you some ease?"

Vachon thought a moment, then nodded. "Vachon, it doesn't mean everything is okay, but I could rule out the worst. Do you want me to do the test?"

Vachon nodded once again. Handing him the cup, she had to laugh at the look on his face. "Geez, Natalie," Vachon mumbled as he walked out of the lab.

***

Not waiting for the results, Vachon flew back to the hospital. Finding the doctor, he asked how Tracy was doing.

"Fine, Mr. Vachon. She's still sleeping. You can go sit with her if you like." Vachon nodded, turning to go. The doctor stopped him. "I'd like to apologize for the way I handled the information earlier. I'm glad to see you're back."

"Did her father give her a hard time?" Vachon could only imagine what Daddy Dearest had to say.

The doctor shook his head disgustedly. "That seems to be the general consensus about his behavior, isn't it? But to answer your question, no. I didn't allow him to see her."

"Good. Doctor, did Tracy tell you about the baby?"

"No, we discovered it while examining her."

"Then she doesn't know." A small smile played about his lips. "Guess I'll go break the news." He paused. "Doctor, the baby's okay, isn't he?"

"He's fine so far. After a shock like she went through, however, we need to monitor her for possible miscarriage. The next few days will tell."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"No, I'm sorry. At this stage of her pregnancy, if she's going to lose the baby there's very little we could do."

An urgency, a determination entered Vachon's soul as never before. His son would be fine. Nothing would happen to him. He'd make sure of it.

Entering Tracy's room, he marvelled at how fragile she looked. Looking outside, he gauged the time before dawn, and estimated he had an hour to go. Stroking her hair, Tracy turned her face into his hand in her sleep, seeking his touch. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the worry and fear, and reached out to comfort Javier.

"What's wrong-ow!" Reaching for Javier caused her gunshot wound to throb. "What happened to me?"

"You were shot. Do you remember?" Tracy's mind reeled through the possibilities. The Raven came clear in her mind.

"We were checking out the body..." She started to get the picture in her head, but it was still hazy. Vachon filled in the rest.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"Sore. I'm glad you're here." Vachon bent and kissed her lips gently.

"Are you okay? You look like hell."

Vachon laughed. Hell was a good description of this night. "Actually, we got some good news. I think it's good news anyway." Thoughts of Tracy's reaction haunted him. He pictured everything from joy to horror. He desperately hoped she would want his baby. "The doctor told me something." Struggling for words, Tracy jumped in.

"What's wrong, Javier? You look scared."

"Tracy. Look at me." Taking a deep breath, he told her. "Tracy, you're pregnant."

Tracy's hand immediately went to her stomach, pressing, protecting. "Are you sure?"

"The doctor confirmed it." He didn't say any more. Tracy's reaction was silence. "Say something, Tracy."

"Wow." Tracy's grasp of the English language never failed to impress him.

"Wow? That's all you have to say is 'Wow?'"

"What do you have to say, Vachon?" Tracy couldn't meet his eyes. The vampire who never wanted responsibility was going to be a father. Could adios be far away?

"Aren't you even a little happy?" The vulnerability in his voice shook her. Looking into his eyes, she saw his yearning, his desire for this child.

"You want the baby?" she whispered incredulously, her blue eyes shining.

"Yeah, Tracy. I want our baby. I love you. You'll make a good mother for our son."

"Excuse me, I'll make a great mother for our daughter." She kissed him with several quick happy kisses over his face. He remembered what else the doctor had said.

"Tracy, we're going to have to be careful. With the shock you've had, the baby could still be in danger."

"Oh bother. Nothing's wrong with the baby, the baby's fine." Tracy's absolute certainty was back in place. Hey, it worked before! "We won't let anything happen to the baby. You have to marry me, you know. I wonder when I'm due?"

Vachon was jolted. Somehow, the thought of marriage had conveniently slipped past his brain. "Marry you?"

"Absolutely. We're going to do this right. Our children will have two parents, thank you very much, and Nick and Nat can stand up for us. Do they know?" Tracy was talking a mile a minute, and Vachon felt a further shifting of his soul.

"I hate to interrupt, but dawn's nearly here. I'll be back later. You rest." He kissed her again, then kissed her stomach. "Goodnight, mi hijo," he whispered.

"Your son could be your daughter, you know."

"No way. I'd have to kill every male around her as soon as she turns sixteen, and with me, it's a little too easy." Tracy laughed, and pulled him down for another kiss. "You're gonna be a great daddy." Kissing her one last time, he remembered one more unpleasant bit of business. "Your father knows."

"What?!" Tracy's eyes were huge, imagining that scene.

"Your father was there when the doctor told me. I think he's going for a gun."

Tracy was quiet. She'd always lived for Daddy's approval, and always feared his judgement. She looked at the man who had made her a mother, and smiled. "So what?"

****

Across town, at the scene of the earlier attack, decisions were made to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.

The Enforcers decided to act.