Title: Lack of Evidence
Fandom: Forever Knight
Category: Romance/ Slash
Pairing: Nick/ Lacroix
Rating: Adult
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belongs to me but to 
Sony/Tristar and TPTB.
I'm just borrowing them temporarily. No infringement intended. No profit is 
being made. 

Special thanks to Doris for beta reading.

This is the third part of my "Evidence"-Series that begins with "A Piece of 
Evidence" and continues with "Evidence of Love".


Lack of Evidence
by PJ
August 2003


Nick sat at his desk and browsed through the missing person files.
Despite the fact that they had no clue so far on their latest murder case he 
felt good. He and Lacroix had reconciled. They had laid aside their differences 
and formed the base for a new start. Lacroix had accepted his need to be a part 
of the mortal world and he had postponed his quest for an immediate cure. After 
a night of passion during which he had ingested a considerable amount of 
Lacroix's blood and a breakfast of the pure human variety he was in peak 
condition. Knowing that the blood had been voluntarily donated he felt no guilt 
about consuming it. For once he was at ease with himself.
The only thing that bothered him was the quarrel he had had with Natalie in the 
afternoon. But he would deal with her when the opportunity presented itself.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He picked up the 
receiver to answer the call: "Metro Homicide, Detective Knight?"
"Pardon the intrusion, Nicholas."
Nick smiled at the careful tone of his master.
"That's OK. Missing me already?", he asked.
"Always, mon fils. I was wondering if you would join me at the opera tomorrow 
evening. They are playing 'Lohengrin'."
"You mean as in a date?", Nick asked grinning. But a moment later he cursed 
himself because now he had Schanke's undivided attention.
Lacroix chuckled on the other end of the line. "If that is what they call it 
nowadays. I merely wish to discuss the performance afterwards with someone who 
has also attended the world premiere. There are not many around who are able to 
do that."
"I understand", Nick said. "And I would be pleased to accompany you."
"Thank you, Nicholas. I will see you in the morning then." 
Smiling Nick placed the receiver back on the cradle. Then he became conscious of 
Schanke's curious stare.
"So, you and Nat are finally going official?" Schanke asked.
"Schanke, it's not ---" he began when Natalie chose that moment to walk into the 
bullpen. Schanke looked slightly confused from one to the other. When Nick had 
breezed into the precinct this evening with a bounce in his step and a smile on 
his face he had been sure that the coroner was responsible for his partner's 
relaxed attitude. But one look into Natalie's drawn face told him otherwise.

Natalie approached their desks hesitantly. 
"Hi Nat, what brings you over?", Schanke greeted her.
"The final report on last night's victim", she said, focusing on Schanke. "I'm 
afraid there is little to go on for you. We found neither DNA nor anything else 
that might lead to her killer. Have you been able to identify her yet?"
"Nick's just screening through the missing person files", Schanke said, noticing 
that Nat had barely acknowledged Nick. Something was deeply amiss between these 
two.

Nick stood from his desk. "Can I talk to you for a minute?", he asked. Before 
Nat could protest he had dragged her to a conference room and closed the door.
"I did not expect to see you here anymore", Nat said coldly.
"And why is that?", Nick wanted to know.
"I thought you had given up and gone back to your old ways", Natalie said 
accusingly.
Nick looked hurt. "I think I owe you an explanation. You left before I could 
give you one."
Nat sat on the table and crossed her arms. "OK, I'm all ears."
Nick took a deep breath. "When I had this near death experience a few weeks ago, 
I realized something. If I succeeded in my quest, I would end up in eternal 
damnation when I die because the lives I have saved during my recent attempt for 
repentance are only a very small percentage of the number of lives I have taken 
before. I cannot become mortal now. I need more time to repent all my sins."
Saying this in front of her was hard. He had always tried to spare her detailed 
information about his former escapades for fear of driving her away. But he felt 
he needed to give her a rational explanation for his sudden decision to abandon 
his search for a cure before he told her what really prompted it. Perhaps he 
needed to believe himself that there was some ulterior motivation and not just 
the simple wish to revel in the pleasures of his nature for a while.
Nat regarded him, astonished. He had never told her exactly what he had seen 
during the experience. 
"I guess this makes Lacroix happy, doesn't it?" 
Nick looked at her sharply. Does she know anything? "Yes, it does", he said. 
Then he hesitated to go on. How much should he tell her? He could see that she 
was already upset by his revelations. 
"But why the change in your diet?" she wanted to know.
"The cow's blood has weakened me, restricted me in my effectiveness", he 
explained. "Don't worry, the blood I am consuming now has been freely donated", 
he added.
"I don't know, Nick. That is quite a sudden change in attitude. Why now?", Nat 
continued to ask. "I mean, the incident with the synaptic field dampener is 
already several weeks in the past. But it seems you formed your decision only 
recently. What happened?" 
"You are right. There is something else", he began. 
Before he could continue there was a knock at the door.
"Sorry to interrupt", Schanke shouted, "but we just received a call. There's 
been another homicide at Queen's Pier. Looks like the same MO."
They exited the room when Natalie's beeper went off. "Looks like it's my case, 
too", she announced. "I'll meet you there."

* * *

On their drive to the lake shore Schanke could no longer hold his curiousity in 
check. "OK, spill it, Nick! What's going on with you two?"
"What are you talking about, Schanke?"
"You and Nat."
Nick sighed. "Nothing. We are just friends, as I have often told you before."
"And who was that on the phone?" Schanke inquired further.
"That is not your business", Nick said in a tone that prohibited all further 
questions on that topic.
In an effort to distract Schanke he turned on the radio.
"Tonight's meditation is on lost loves", the smooth voice of his master filled 
the car. "The nightcrawler is in an extraordinary good mood tonight because he 
has rediscovered something he had thought irrevocably lost. Have you ever 
experienced anything similar to that total bliss that suddenly arises from the 
depth of despair? The lines are open for discussion. The following song is for 
you, my beloved."
"Oh please, spare me this crab", Schanke groaned and turned the radio off with a 
disgusting sneeze.
Nick smiled. He just hoped Nat did not listen to this before he had the chance 
to tell her. But how much should he really tell her?

Nick parked the caddy behind the coroner's van. As they neared the body his 
nostrils flared in answer to the rich scent of fresh blood that wafted from the 
area where the victim lay. He steeled himself for another gruesome sight. The 
victim looked indeed very similar to the one they had found the night before: a 
young woman with her throat slashed. Natalie, who had been crouched over the 
body, looked up when they approached. "I'm afraid you have a serial", she 
announced with a grim face. "Same MO as yesterday. Not much else to go on unless 
I find something when I have her in the lab." She stood and went to her 
assistant to give instructions for bagging the body.

Nick crouched down to get a closer look at the girl. In her outer appearance she 
resembled the girl killed the night before: curly blond hair, dressed for a 
night in town. The blood pools confirmed that it must have happened right in 
this place and not longer than an hour ago. The blood was calling to him. If 
Natalie did not come up with any hints that could lead to the assailant perhaps 
he could provide something that would give them a lead. As the spilled blood was 
very fresh there was a chance that there were still some images lingering in the 
essence. He cast a quick glance around. Schanke was interviewing the couple who 
had found the body, Nat was busy talking to her assistant. Nobody was paying any 
attention to him. He quickly dipped his finger into the pool of blood and 
brought it to his mouth. He took a moment to inhale the aroma, then he licked 
his finger clean. He had been right. There were lingering images in the blood. A 
darker part of him revelled a moment in the fear he sensed as one of the 
predominant emotions but he quickly suppressed that and concentrated on the 
other images: a pleasant afternoon spent at the lake, the anticipation of a date 
with a new acquaintance, waiting at the shore, then being grabbed from behind, a 
desperate effort to break free, a razor blade coming into view and the feeling 
of cold metal at the throat.

Nick stood abruptly. He suddenly needed to put some distance between himself and 
the blood. He retreated to the lake shore and inhaled deeply. Then he started to 
sort through the images again. So the victim had not seen her attacker. That was 
unfortunate. He had hoped he would receive a clear image of the assailant. But 
they should at least be able to get some samples for a DNA test from the 
victim's finger nails. 

"Nick, are you all right?", a concerned voice asked from behind.
He turned around and saw Natalie regarding him with a suspicious glance. She 
hadn't seen anything, had she?
"I'm fine", he stated. "I just needed some distance."
"OK", she sighed. "I'm heading back to the morgue then. I'll call you when I 
come up with anything helpful."
He gave her a nod and headed over to where Schanke had just finished 
interviewing the couple who had found the victim.
Nat shook her head. She wasn't sure. She had been distracted by her assistant 
but when she had turned her attention back to Nick she had seen him licking 
something from his finger. If this was a result from his change in diet... The 
thought made her stomach turn. 

* * *

When Nick and Schanke returned to the precinct, the computer announced a match 
in the missing person files with their first victim. Now that they had a name 
they could try to reconstruct her last whereabouts. Nick suggested to let 
dayshift start questioning the staff at the cafés and food courts along the lake 
shore. Perhaps the first victim had also met a new acquaintance on the beach and 
agreed to a fatal date in the evening. It was a long shot but the best they had 
so far.

* * *

Before going home he decided to swing by the morgue and see if Natalie had come 
up with anything helpful. As he entered, he found her putting away her 
instruments.
"Hi Nat! Have you found anything?"
"I've just finished the autopsy. The results from the lab aren't back yet. I can 
send the complete report to you by tomorrow."
"What about the knife wound? Was it the same weapon as on the first victim?"
"From the look of the wound I would say yes. I suppose the victim has been 
grabbed from behind and the wound was inflicted from left to right. So you are 
looking for a right handed guy. I can't say anything about the knife itself."
"How about a razor blade?", Nick supplied.
"Possibly. Why do you say that?"
"Just a hunch", Nick said evasively.
She gave him a curious glance but did not ask anything further. Instead she 
changed the topic. "So, what was it that you were going to confess when Schanke 
interrupted us at the precinct?"
He regarded her a moment, not sure how he should broach the delicate subject. 
The way he was fidgeting made Natalie anticipate the worst. 
"There is something you should know, Nat", he began. "Lacroix and I have 
reconciled."
"What?", she gasped looking at him as if he had gone crazy.
"I said Lacroix and I have reconciled", Nick repeated.
"I heard you the first time", Nat said. "But I don't get it. Just like that? I 
mean, we are talking about the guy who made your life a living hell during the 
last 800 years, right?"
"It has not always been like that", Nick admitted. "Most of our differences 
resulted from my quest to become mortal. The fact that I have postponed this has 
rendered a lot of our quarrels superfluous. We were both tired of this constant 
ongoing battle, I guess."
"What about the fact that he tried to kill me?"
Nick looked at her surprised. "You remember that?"
"Oh yes. Although I don't know who was messing with my mind that day, it did not 
work. It all came back during the next couple of days."
"Why didn't you say anything, Nat?" 
She looked at him incredulously. "What did you expect me to say? 'I'm sorry but 
I remember what happened on Valentine's Day, would you be so kind and try to 
make me forget again?' I don't think so!" He treated the subject with an ease 
that was unbelievable.
"I only did what I thought was best to protect you", Nick defended himself.
"See, that's what I mean. What makes you so sure that he won't come after me 
again?"
"We had a major talk yesterday. He has accepted my wish to remain here for a 
while longer. He won't interfere with my mortal friends anymore."
"And what did he want in return? Come on, Nick, you have told me enough about 
him that I know he does nothing without something in return."
Nick shrugged. "You said it earlier at the precinct: Postponing my quest has 
made him happy. And he wants my companionship on occasion. Like tonight: we are 
going to the opera."
"Sounds to me like you have just made a deal with the devil."
"Lacroix is not the devil", Nick stated with emphasis.
"I'm afraid I don't see the difference", Nat countered, her temper getting the 
better of her now.
"That's not fair, Nat. Why don't you give him a chance to prove otherwise? I 
won't deny that he is a fierce opponent if you cross him but he can also be a 
wonderful companion and a loyal friend." And a passionate lover, he added in 
silence, already feeling a longing for his touch.
Nat considered him a moment. The passionate way he was defending his master was 
odd. Perhaps Lacroix had messed with his mind as well.
"This really means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
Nick hesitated. "Yes, it does", he confessed. "Making peace with Lacroix has 
lifted a huge burden I wasn't even aware of carrying around."
"Then I hope this will work out for you. But be careful. Don't let him force you 
into anything."
"He won't", Nick said with conviction. Then he leaned forward and gave her a 
chaste kiss on the brow. "Sun's coming up, I need to go."
With that he walked out of the morgue, leaving Natalie in a state of total 
confusion.

* * *

When Nick stepped out of the lift, the loft was cast in total darkness but he 
could sense the presence of his master upstairs in the bedroom. After a quick 
stop at the refrigerator, he walked up the stairs and opened the bedroom door 
with a feeling of anticipation. 
The room was aglow with innumerable candles. Lacroix stepped out of the 
bathroom, dressed in Nick's robe, a flask of oil in his hand.
"Good evening, Nicholas", the elder greeted him. "How was your night?"
"Exhausting", Nick sighed, surprised about the romantic setting.
"Then let me take care of you, mon fils. Undress and lie down on your stomach", 
Lacroix ordered.
Nick did as he was bid and Lacroix sat down beside him. He opened the flask and 
poured a considerable amount of oil on his back. Then he started to knead the 
tight muscles.
"Hmmm, that feels good", Nick murmured. He slowly felt the exhaustion being 
replaced by another feeling.
"And may I ask what has caused this exhaustion?", Lacroix inquired.
"We had another homicide at the lake shore and I had more quarrels with Nat. You 
know, somehow she did not believe me when I told her about our reconciliation."
Lacroix raised his eyebrows. "And why is that?"
"She thinks I made a deal with the devil", Nick quoted with a grin.
"I can't imagine where she got that notion", Lacroix returned in a mocking tone.
In the meantime he had finished with Nick's shoulders and moved to the lower 
parts of his body. When he came to the back of his thighs, Nick drew in a sharp 
breath and clawed his fingers into the sheet.
"Turn around", Lacroix ordered. Nick complied and Lacroix paused a moment to 
regard the evidence of Nick's arousal with satisfaction. "I suppose you are not 
too exhausted for a little sport before going to sleep?"
"Not at all", Nick replied with a toothy grin. 
Lacroix shed his robe and turned his full attention to the front of Nick's body, 
this time using his tongue to lick a wet path across every part until he reached 
the centre of Nick's craving. Mouthing all of him, he expertly brought him to 
the edge. Just as Nick thought he could not bare it any longer, the elder 
stopped, causing his son to whimper in protest. He reached for the flask again 
and poured the oil over himself. Then he took a position between his son's legs 
and entered him in a single thrust, eliciting a roar from Nicholas. He settled 
into a rhythm which his son matched in wild abandon, the tension continuing to 
build in both of them. Nick was the first who could not take anymore. Growling 
deeply, he raised his head and buried his fangs into Lacroix's neck. Only 
seconds later the action was mirrored by the elder vampire, causing both to find 
their release at the same time accompanied by a shuddering roar. They continued 
to drink from each other until they were completely sated. 
Still embracing, they drifted into a deep slumber.

* * *

Nick awoke and found himself enclosed in Lacroix's arms. The elder vampire was 
still asleep. He carefully freed himself from the embrace and stepped into the 
bathroom to take a shower.
When he returned, Lacroix had propped up an elbow and cast an admiring glance at 
his son's body.
"Thanks for the massage", Nick said. Sitting down on the bedside he captured 
Lacroix's lips in a lingering kiss.
Before things could go any further they were interrupted by a loud banging on 
the lift door.

"Yo, Nicky-Boy, are you up?", Schanke's cheerful voice sounded through the loft.
Nick groaned. "I'm sorry, it's Schanke. I'll try to get rid of him as soon as 
possible."
"You really should do something about your door lock, Nicholas", Lacroix 
scolded.
"I know", he sighed. He slipped on his robe and stepped onto the landing.

Schanke looked up as he heard the bedroom door open. A slightly dishevelled Nick 
appeared on the landing, his hair still damp from a recent shower. Schanke 
considered him a moment. If he didn't know better he'd say his partner looked 
like he was just about to jump over the railing.
"Hi sleepyhead. Hope I didn't wake you? I just thought to swing by your place in 
order to deliver the report from dayshift. It seems they have managed to track 
down the girl's whereabouts."
Nick fixated him with an angry stare and turned to walk down the stairs. 
"Schanke, it's my night off as you know very well. This could have waited until 
tomorrow."
The silence following his retort was disturbed by the noise of a running shower. 
Nick groaned inwards. Was there a chance that the noise was too low for mortal 
ears? No such luck. Schanke cast a curious glance towards the bedroom then back 
at his partner who seemed slightly embarrassed.
"Wait, you've got company? I'm sorry Nick, I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I 
haven't noticed Nat's car outside."
This was too much for Nick. He locked onto Schanke's heartbeat and lowered his 
voice: "There is no one else here. You will leave now and not mention this 
again."
Schanke shook his head. What was it he was supposed to do?
"I need to run, Nick, or the Captain will harass me for being late again. Enjoy 
your night off."
Nick sighed with relief as the elevator door closed behind his partner. He 
padded over to the fridge and took a long draught straight from a bottle.

Lacroix emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed. He smiled as he noticed his 
son's disappointed face.
"Do not fret, mon fils. We have eternity to indulge in our desires. But right 
now we have only one hour before the opera begins. I am heading to my place to 
change into proper attire and I suggest that you do the same. I will meet you at 
the entrance of the theatre in 40 minutes."
Then he vanished through the skylight.

* * *

Nick reached the theatre and found his master already waiting for him. It was 
the opening night and the foyer was crowded with numerous people in elegant 
evening wardrobe. They took their seats in a box that Lacroix had reserved and 
waited for the overture.
Lohengrin was one of Nick's favourite operas and not only because it was set in 
medieval Brabant. When he had attended the world premiere in Weimar, he had been 
deeply moved by the music and the passionate story itself.
As the lights went out, he felt Lacroix's hand on his thigh. He covered it with 
his own and remained in this position as the music began. It was a classic 
production. The voices were remarkable and everything else was well done.
Nick let himself get carried away by the emotional performance that he totally 
forgot Lacroix's hand on his thigh. A gentle squeeze as the curtain fell brought 
him back to reality, suddenly becoming acutely aware of his master's closeness.
"Did you enjoy the performance?", Lacroix breathed into his ear, sending a 
shiver down Nicholas' spine.
"Yes, very much. Thank you for inviting me", he whispered back.
"Then let us retire to a more private place where you can express your gratitude 
in due form", Lacroix suggested, smiling at the hungry look in Nick's eyes.

* * * 

When Nick and Lacroix landed on the roof of the warehouse, they heard a 
heartbeat from inside. 
"It's Nat", Nick sighed. Her visits were becoming a little ill timed lately.
"Do you want me to wait here while you talk to her?", Lacroix asked, a hint of 
annoyance in his voice.
"No", Nick said determined. "She has to get used to seeing you in my company. 
But let's take the lift. And don't try to scare her away", he added.

Natalie looked up when she heard the lift door open. Then she frowned as she 
recognized the second person that stepped into the loft. Her memory of their 
last meeting was more or less blurred but she had not forgotten how she had been 
drawn to him like a moth to the flame. Her frown however soon turned into open 
admiration as she took a closer look at the vampires. They were quite a pair, 
both looking stunning in their tuxedos, exuding an air of aristocracy. They 
really must have hit it off at the European Courts, she thought. The women were 
probably standing in line for a fatal date.
"Hi Nat", Nick greeted her. "What brings you by?"
"I'm sorry, I did not know you were bringing company", she apologized, suddenly 
feeling very awkward. He had said they were going to the opera but she had 
thought that was some kind of duty Nick had accepted in exchange for Lacroix's 
non interference with his life. She had not expected that Nick would bring him 
home afterwards. He probably wasn't easy to shake off. Poor Nick. She cast a shy 
glance towards Lacroix. 
"Dr. Lambert", the elder acknowledged her. Then he moved towards the 
refrigerator and filled two glasses from a bottle. Before returning into the 
living room, he sliced his thump on a fang and added a few drops of his blood 
into one glass which he then handed to his son. Nick accepted the offered glass, 
their fingers touching a moment longer than necessary in the process.
"Can I offer you anything, Doctor?", Lacroix asked politely. "I am sure Nicholas 
keeps something around that meets your needs."
"Uh no, thank you", Nat managed to say. She turned to Nick.
"I just came to bring you a copy of my final report on last night's victim. You 
are lucky this time. There was enough skin for a DNA sample under her nails."
Nick had sat down on the chair opposite from Nat and scanned the report. Lacroix 
took a position behind him, placing a hand casually on his shoulder. How Nick 
could endure such a possessive gesture like it was the most ordinary thing in 
the world was beyond Nat's comprehension. Watching the two interact was getting 
to her nerves. Lacroix was playing gracious host like he owned the place while 
Nick was acting way too casual around him for her taste. 

Still focused on the report, Nick absent-mindedly took a sip from his drink and 
nearly choked as he discovered the unusual ingredient. A wave of desire rushed 
through him. He squeezed his eyes shut to keep Nat from noticing their sudden 
change of colour. While he tried to get things back under control, he was 
acutely aware of his master's firm touch on his shoulder.
"Nick, are you all right?", Nat asked with a mixture of surprise and concern in 
her voice.
"I'm fine", he managed in what he hoped was his normal voice. "It just went down 
the wrong way."
"I didn't know this could happen to vampires", she said while Nick shot a dark 
glance at Lacroix who presented a picture of purest innocence. 
Nat had the feeling that there was some sort of communication going on between 
them she wasn't aware of. The tension in the room had suddenly risen to a 
remarkable degree, making her feel like an intruder. She certainly did not want 
to get caught in the middle of another fight.
"I need to get home", she stated rising from her chair. 
"Thanks for bringing this by", Nick said, immensely relieved at her 
announcement. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye Nick", she answered and walked to the lift. Before closing the door she 
nodded to the elder vampire. "Lacroix".
"Doctor", he replied with a slight bow.
Both vampires let out a heavy breath as the lift began its descent.
A moment later Lacroix found himself attacked by his son, throwing both of them 
off balance. Lacroix landed on his back with Nick on top of him.
"You", Nick shouted. "One minute longer and I would have taken you there and 
then!"
Lacroix chuckled. "Now that would definitely have scared her away, don't you 
think? Besides, didn't you say it was time she got used to seeing us together?"
"That's not what I meant", Nick said with exasperation.
"May I suggest my place for our next encounter?", Lacroix said. "Mortals do not 
tend to drift in there unannounced."
"Good idea", Nick admitted. "But not now."
Kissing him fiercely on the mouth he started to remove Lacroix's jacket.
"Shouldn't we move to the bedroom then?", Lacroix asked when Nick paused to take 
a breath.
"No! We are perfectly fine here. No more delays, Lacroix!"
Lacroix smiled at his impatient child who began to unbutton his vest.
After having dealt with Lacroix's tie and vest, Nick turned his attention to the 
shirt, finally exposing his master's skin. Hungrily he bent down and licked a 
wet path across Lacroix's torso. Lacroix enjoyed his child's attention with 
delight before urging him further downwards. Nick reached for the belt, intent 
on freeing the object of his desire. He quickly removed the last of his master's 
clothes as well as his own before turning his attention back to the lower part 
of Lacroix's body. He took a position between his legs and started to lick. 
Lacroix clawed his hands into Nick's hair and pressed him against his body. 
After a few caressing licks Nick mouthed all of him and began to suck in 
earnest. He fell into a steady rhythm that was matched by Lacroix's thrusting 
hips. As Lacroix's thrusts became more violent, Nick reeked his teeth along the 
whole length of the sensitive organ, eliciting a wild roar from Lacroix. Then he 
straddled him and impaled himself upon his master. Together they rocked in a 
feverish rhythm while the tension built in both of them. Lacroix reached out and 
drew Nick's neck towards his hungry mouth. He bit down deeply before he felt his 
son's fangs enter his shoulder. Both experienced the other's climax through the 
blood causing their bodies to shudder in ecstasy.
After a while of deliberate blood sharing, Lacroix released his child. He 
gathered him in his arms and flew them into the bedroom. 
"I'm afraid, your rug requires professional cleaning", he stated after a glance 
backwards. He settled his son onto the mattress and crawled in behind him. Soon 
sleep overtook them both.

FIN