Title:   "An Alternate Ending"  (Last Knight Spoiler)
By: Arletta Asbury
g4akl@charm.net

This is a revision of my first attempt at Fanfic, so please, 
remember that and try to be kind.  It was inspired by my hatred 
of the ending of "Last Knight".  I hate it, hate it, hate it!

Laurie said something about "...for the hundreds of alternate
endings yet to be written" and this is one of them.

DISCLAIMER:
The characters of Nick, Natalie, Lacroix, etc. are characters of
the Forever Knight show and as such are the property of TPTB
which are now, I guess, James Parriot and The SciFi Channel.
I have just borrowed them.

********************************************************************

"Damn you, Nicholas."

For nearly eight centuries his son had struggled with the
conscience of a knight.  But the events of this evening were too
much for him to bear.  Lacroix sensed his pain and knew only one
way to resolve the situation.  Lacroix hoisted the stake in one
smooth motion.

And paused. --  Tears, clear tears were in Nicholas's eyes.
Lacroix heard Natalie's heart still beating faintly.

Nick felt a blow and then the room went dark.


                            *   *   *


Natalie awoke in a hospital bed groggy and not fully realizing
what has happened.  She lay there and tried to remember but
flashes of images she had never seen before clouded her mind.

Eventually, she looked up to see an IV leading into her left 
arm and feels with her right hand a small neat bandage at her 
throat.  Closing her eyes, she shook her head as realization 
finally dawns.

                            *   *   *

Lacroix enters the room and speaks quietly, "I must talk with you
Dr. Lambert".

She glances at the patient in the other bed then returns her
gaze to Lacroix and he nods in understanding.  "She is
unconscious and needn't concern us.

"Are you sufficiently recovered to leave this...hospital?"
Lacroix asks.

"Yes, I believe so.  Tell me what,.... how,........ why,.....
where's Nick?"

"All in good time, doctor" as he lifts her into his arms and
flies out of the room and the hospital to the open night sky.

Natalie closed her eyes against the onrushing air as Toronto
lay beneath her feet. The view was dizzying and she was still
weak from blood loss.  When Lacroix put her down gently, she
opened her eyes again and found herself sitting on Nick's sofa.

He holds up his hand to still the question she was forming.
"You should not put such trust in one so.... suicidal."

"What are you doing?  Let her go!  Let me go...." came a voice
from the other side of the room.

Natalie turned to see Nick handcuffed (with his own handcuffs?)
to the radiator there.  She started to rise but Lacroix pushed
her back down on the sofa.

"Tell me doctor, is it possible that so much of your blood,
the blood of his true love, could have been the 'cure' he
is seeking?"

"Wh..what do you mean?"

"I *mean* I can no longer feel him thru our blood bond.  He is
too weak to break the handcuffs and free himself.  And he is warm
to my touch."  "What have you done?"

Natalie gasped and shook her head speechless at his words.

Nick struggled against his cuffs proving Lacroix right.

"What should I do?  Hmmm.  Bring you across....bring him
across, again?  Hmmm.  I think not, *yet*.  I'll give you
ten years of mortal life together.  Start a family, enjoy
the sunlight, whatever you wish *but* after the bloom fades
on the myth of happy mortal life as it will in that time,
I'll return and claim my children.  Both of you."

Natalie's eyes widened in surprise but she said nothing
in reply.  Nick stiffened and shot Lacroix a questioning
look as he said "What do you mean 'both of us'?"

"I saved you both last night.  Now you both owe me your
lives.  And I *will* reclaim what is mine, eventually."
The look of defiance on Nick's face was unmistakable
but Lacroix chose to ignore it.

"One more thing, Nicholas, you must give up that foolish
job of yours.  It is *much* too dangerous for you as a mortal.
Nicholas, do you promise to find another amusement?"

Reluctantly, Nick nodded in agreement, police work was too
dangerous, *now*.  With that answer, abruptly, Lacroix
was gone........for a while.


The End

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