"Give me an e-mail flame war any day." Lisa thought as she stared out a the growing crowd of FKFIC-Lers. As nervous as she was, she didn't really think she was THAT nervous. Until a hand touched her shoulder. She screamed. When she landed she found herself facing Laurie Salopek.

"Uh... Nevermind. I'll tell you later."

"What? Tell me what?" Lisa said, trying desperately to bring her pulse back to normal.

"Well," Laurie searched for just the right words. "The guy responsible for our having a third season is here."

"Good. I was worried Mr. P. would be late."

"Not THAT guy," Laurie said, looking nervously at the closed curtain, as though she could see the audience through the thick material.

"What?" Lisa yanked open a hole in the curtain and searched the audience. She didn't seen anyone unusual. Good heavens, she thought. It's not bad enough I've had to get in front of actual cameras and ACT this week. Then they force me to speak in front of the great Mr. P. But NOW... The rest of her thought disappeared as she saw him. She squeezed the edges of the curtain together and looked back at Laurie. "You know, you really should be making this speech, Laurie. Being the first assistant listowner and all."

"No way. Look, you'll be fine. Really. Come on--read your speech to me again."

Laurie dragged the ever-brave FKFIC-L Assistant Listowner of record into the depths of backstage.

"All I'm saying is we should have told him Mr. P. had changed the script." Karin said for the umpteenth time today as she followed Jennise though the crowd. Heading for D-Day. Judgment Day. The wrath of Pops.

Jennise suddenly stopped, spun around and said in a harsh whisper. "You're right. Happy!? Or should I grab the microphone out of Lisa's hand and tell the whole crowd that you were right and Pops may just send us into the sun or worse yet FIRE ME as head writer before the season premiere is over!?"

"Not necessary." Karin replied, grinning triumphantly. Jennise, you're hysterical. Take a few... What do vampires do when they hyperventilate?"

"They don't hyperventilate. Wait! That's it. We're vampires. I can get a job writing on ANY show. Just a little whammy and..."

"Get into more trouble with Sir." Karin said. The pleasure of hearing her friend admit she was right was beginning to wear off. Sir might not be happy with the changes. In fact it was highly doubtful. Jennise was probably right. She hadn't allowed a single change that didn't improve upon their original script. But that original script had had LaCroix's approval. He highly disapproved of things he hadn't approved. "Do you think he'd notice if we waited a hundred years or so before saying hello?"

"Not at all. You ignore him. Maybe while he's dealing with you I can tell him about the script and slip away before he registers what I said."

LaCroix glared at several overly enthusiastic list members and they scuttled off. Both young vampires were immediately aware of his frustration as he turned to them.

"You led me to believe this was to be a private screening," he remarked coldly, settling in his high-backed throne of a chair.

"It is. P..." Jennise's words faded into a light coughing spell.

If it had been anyone but LaCroix, Karin might not have had the self-control to hide her laughter. "Sir, this *is* a private screening. The producer thought the fans deserved a thank-you."

"Then let's get this over with. We shall discuss notes later." LaCroix allowed himself a small smile at the quaint industry phrase.

"Yes, sir." The two vampires said in unison. They turned and fled into the crowd.

Jennise sought out Mr. P. and the special crew seating area. She nodded to him and he in turn nodded to someone behind the curtain. She could have sworn she heard a faint yelp. Jennise and Karin took their seats on each side of Mr. P. He turned to them.

"You're sure there's no way he'll pull his money?"

Jennise grinned confidently at him. The Creator really thought this was still his show. I shouldn't have been so cooperative. She thought. "No. He won't pull his money. But he might make some changes in the production staff." She swallowed hard.

She and Karin were production staff, after all.

The curtain on the stage slid open stopping at the edges of a gargantuan tv screen. Lisa McDavid, Assistant Listowner, stepped gingerly toward center stage. The room fell quiet, mostly out of respect for her obvious nerves.

On the stage Lisa scanned the gathered crowd. My friends. My friends. They're nice people. I'll be o... She suddenly stopped her anit-neves litany when she saw LaCroix at the back of the room smiling at her. Why is he smiling?! Her mind screamed. She turned to dash off the stage and saw Laurie there.

She mouthed overexaggeratedly, "Go on."

There's nothing to do but to do it.

"Hi, everyone. Welcome. What a wonderful week it's been!"

The crowd erupted into cheers. When she raised her hand to signal for quiet, Lisa was startled at the immediate compliance. Smiling, she began to relax. Just a little.

"It's been a long fight for renewal, but we won. Tomorrow night the world will be greeted with the premiere of the third season of Forever Knight. Before we start your special preview I think we should say 'thank you' to the man responsible for our being here--Mr. P."

Jennise and Karin both glanced back at LaCroix when Mr. P. stood and accepted his applause. Both wondered how Pops was going to handle the evening. Unfortunately, Jennise thought, I can still see his face clearly once the lights go out. I should have listened to Karin. No way I'll ever tell her that, though.

"And everyone knows our illustrious writers," Lisa continued. She was really getting into the swing of this introduction thing. "THE Daughter, Jennise and Cousin Karin."

Both vampires stood and took their bows. On stage Lisa looked to the back of the room. "And..." LaCroix's smile disappeared. Ever so slightly he shook his head "no."

"And with that done. Let's get down to business." Even she was surprised at how steady her voice was. "Tonight, you the stars, get to see a sneak preview of the show you helped to make. The season premiere of Forever Knight, Season Three. Your contributions truly helped to make this episode the best so far. If anyone has to go to the bathroom please do so now because there will be no commercials, just little 10 second black spaces. You will see all show and nothing but show. Enjoy."

With that the auditorium lights faded down and Lisa, her hand in a classic auto model movement, gestured to the huge screen as she backed off stage. Seconds later she and Laurie tiptoed down the side stairs and took their reserved seats on the front row just in time for the show to BEGIN.

"Hey, Betsy! I see you found the place all right!"

"Oh, be quiet! I don't *always* get lost! Besides, I've been on every street in this city *twice*--I now know it better than the natives." Betsy did a double-take. "But what are *you* doing here?! Didn't you know that *he* was going to be here?"

"Yes, I knew. I don't have anything to worry about," she said, unconcerned.

Betsy stared at Maureen, sure that she had finally lost it. She isn't usually so *naive*--has she really gone mad?

Maureen turned around as she heard someone call her name, and waved and smiled at someone across the lobby, calling out "Hi, Nancy!" Betsy turned to also greet their neighbor, then cringed as she noticed LaCroix standing in the doorway to the theatre, glaring toward them. Betsy tugged on Maureen's sleeve, then tried to nod her head unobtrusively toward the vampire to point him out to Maureen.

Maureen frowned at her, saying, "Are you developing a twitch, Betsy? I know the War was stressful, but it's over now."

"He's *here*," Betsy hissed through her teeth, trying to point toward the vampire without being obvious about it.

Maureen turned to look where Betsy had indicated, and exchanged glances with LaCroix, then smiled and nodded at him. Betsy's jaw dropped when he smiled back at Maureen, with no hint of rage in his face or eyes, then turned to enter the theatre.

"Um, Maureen... I thought he threatened to, um, *kill* you? Didn't he?" Betsy said, starting to doubt her own sanity.

"Oh, that was *ages* ago. We're over that now." Maureen smiled, remembering...

The angry vampire (surely that's redundant?) towered over the Mercenary, eyes glowing red. "You have angered me for the last time. We will end this *now*, and I will be bothered by you no more!"

He bent over her neck, baring his fangs, and was about to bite when she said "Pocket."

He stopped, startled. He looked at her face, and said, "*What* did you say?"

"I said, 'pocket.' Look in my pocket."

"Why would I want to do that?" he snarled, bending over her throat again, and opening his mouth to expose his fangs.

When she didn't shrink back, he paused, then pulled back. He sighed/snarled, and said, "Which pocket?" (Narrative hooks get them every time!)

"Inside coat pocket."

He pulled open her coat roughly (no need to be *gentle* with the wench!), and pulled a set of folded papers out of the pocket. He kept one hand wrapped around her neck as he opened the papers and started to read. As he read, he frowned, and the hand around her neck loosened, then dropped away.

She wanted to rub her neck, but she'd be damned if she'd give him the satisfaction. She stood calmly and watched him as he read through the papers.

He sighed (without the snarl this time), and looked up from the pages. "How did you get this information?"

"It's a cliche to say that I can't reveal my sources, so why don't I just say urkkgh!"

He tightened the hand that was once again wrapped around her throat. "I asked you a simple question. A simple answer is all I require. Now, where did this information come from?"

She tried to talk, but only a choke came out, and he loosened his grip slightly. This time when she tried to talk, actual words came out. "I have a friend who was there when it happened; she helped me find them all..."

...Robin pulled a cassette tape from her pocket. Betsy V. took the walkman from her belt, inserted the cassette, then walked toward LaCroix.

When LaCroix glared down at Betsy, Natalie cautioned, "Believe me, you want to use the headphones."

LaCroix reached out and took the walkman from Betsy with the hand that had been at Janette's neck. LaCroix's eyes widened as he turned on the cassette and listened to the first few moments. He glared down at Natalie.

"One never knows about people and their pets," she said, seeing Janette smile at the echo of her words. "We've got a full twenty minutes of that."

"Not any more." LaCroix tore the headset off and tossed it down to Betsy V. "This one's mine. Destroy the tape," he ordered.

Betsy just grinned at him. "Sorry, I'm a double agent."

"...Can't you blackmail him with something? Something you could threaten to publicize?"

"Like what? He's never left any witnesses; besides, I can't think of anything he'd be ashamed to have spread around."

Betsy got this innocent look on her face. "How about, oh, I'm guessing here, something like, say, a recording of LaCroix talking baby-talk to his pet goldfish?"

"A wha----!!" Natalie choked while an incredulous laugh and a piece of powdered-sugar doughnut tried to use her windpipe at the same time. After a few minutes, she had recovered enough to ask as she reached for some Kleenex to wipe her eyes, "Where are you going to find something like that, even if it exists?"

"It's on Ivy's tapes. I was listening to them when she surprised me in LaCroix's apartment building."

"Hold it. These tapes are *real*? You're not just making this up?"

Betsy feigned indignation. "Do I look like the type of person who would invent something like that? The kind who could come up with dialogue like, 'And 'ow is daddy's favowite fishy today? Umm? Is 'oo hungwy? Oo, yes, I can tell 'oo is vewy hungwy. Look! Daddy bought Spiky's vewy favowite fishy food. Nothing but the best for Spiky-wiky, awen't you my Spiky-wiky?'"

By now, Natalie was laughing so hard she was in danger of falling off her chair. Finally, after a long while, she got herself almost under control. "Spiky-wiky?"

"That's what he said."

LaCroix stared at Nick, who shrugged, "I told you your place was bugged when I apologized."

Nick took a step toward LaCroix, who raised a hand to Janette's throat again. "They've got copies of the tape," said Nick. "Dozens of copies. And there's a loud-speaker system right here. Maybe we should just hook it up--"

"No!" said LaCroix quickly. "There's no need... No need to act hastily." He withdrew his hand from Janette's neck, then released her hands and smoothed down the sleeve of her dress. In response, she smacked him in the shoulder, then stalked her way past Nick, to join her Ravenettes. "I'm certain we can come to terms," finished LaCroix, holding out his palms.

He glared at the Mercenary he had in his grip. "I thought I *finally* had taken care of that particular problem, and now I find it returning to roost in my nest yet again." He shook himself slightly; thinking about pets had got him talking in animal metaphors.

"It won't *be* a problem... If you let me go. All those people in there," indicating the pages that LaCroix still held, "no longer have a tape of you, um, *talking* to Spike. Each tape has been replace with a tape of Elton John singing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me." The real tapes are ready to be sent to those radio stations listed there." LaCroix glanced again at the pages he held. "There are an awful lot of them, aren't there? The list of radio stations alone takes up two pages. Single spaced." The pages he held started to crumple in his hand, as it slowly closed into a fist. Maureen quickly added, "The tapes will only be sent to the radio stations if I don't check in at regular intervals. So long as I'm alive, your secret is safe."

He suddenly tightened his grip, and Maureen tried to gasp as the flow of air was cut off. His eyes glowing again, he leaned down to the helpless mercenary. "I will *not* be blackmailed! You will tell me where to find the tapes..." he said, staring mesmerically into her eyes, which started to glaze over. "Tell me!"

"I... Don't... Know..." she managed to gasp out.

"What!?"

She tried to speak again, but not enough air was getting through. When LaCroix realized what the problem was, he kindly loosened his grip again. "I gave the tapes to my lawyer to hide, and he passed them on to someone else." She panted for a moment, then added, "They could be in Tibet now, for all I know!"

LaCroix flinched slightly, thinking of Tibet. He released her throat again (this was getting to be a habit!), and stepped back, thinking hard.

Maureen watched him, waiting to see which way the cat would jump (so to speak).

"Perhaps I should get the information from your *friend*..." LaCroix suggested slyly. "The one who helped you find the tapes?"

Maureen laughed, albeit a little hoarsely. "She doesn't even know *who* my lawyer is! You're barking up the wrong tree, Lucien!" Maureen shook herself slightly. Darn, now he's got *me* doing it!

They stared at each other for a moment, then Maureen reached out her hand. LaCroix stared at it, astonished, then back up at the woman's face. "We seem to have an equal advantage... Or perhaps, disadvantage, here. Why don't we call a truce, or at least a cease-fire?" she suggested. "Can't we shake on it?"

The vampire was taken aback. *No one* ever offered to shake hands with him! He chuckled, suddenly amused at the temerity of the mortal. Although this does seem to be a trait of the redheaded variety.> He decided to take the little Mercenary up on her offer, and took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he bent down to kiss the back of it, in a gesture of courtliness that had been out of date since before this one's grandmother had been born. He felt her start of surprise, and smiled, pleased that he had regained the advantage in their battle of wills.

"We are agreed, then..."

The two women started to move toward the entrance of the theatre. Maureen, thinking of the vampire's hot glare, that Betsy didn't seem to realize yet had been directed at her, said, "You know, Betsy, you've been awfully nervous lately. Maybe you should consider a vacation. I can recommend a good travel agent. You like mountains, don't you...?"

(more interviews before the premiere)

The Lurkers lugged the camera over to Nat, managing to smack it around quite a bit since neither of them had been eating their Wheaties. Maddog took the microphone and shoved it at the coroner who managed to look very calm about the intrusion.

"Maddog here for Entertainment4Night. We're interviewing Dr. Natalie Lambert, coroner and designated intelligent presence. Dr. Lambert, mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"Go ahead," Natalie smiled at the camera.

"If you were going to be stranded on a desert island for a year would you take a man or a truck filled with chocolate?"

"Godiva?"

"Any kind you want."

"The chocolate."

"Dr. Lambert, Starsky or Hutch?"

"Hutch, of course."

"Did you ever want to kill Tweety bird, have him stuffed and set above your fire place?" asked Maddog, Rastro zooming in for a close up.

"Doesn't everyone?"

"And our last question, before we move on to another victim, Natalie, when you fart at night, do you lift the covers to let the smell out?"

Dr. Lambert considered the question carefully then noticed that Detective Knight, possible future mate was staring at her. "I never fart under the covers. Nope, nope, not me."

"Yeah, right," Maddog shook her head, "So much for truth in reporting. Detective Knight, do--"

"Oi, I get to interview Nick!" Rastro objected, smacking her fellow Lurker in the head with the camera.

Judith Freudenthal slipped into her seat glad that she hadn't missed the beginning. She couldn't wait to see herself on the screen. She also couldn't wait to see the scene she'd written. Unfortunately she'd have to wait til later for that one. This would show all those who doubted her when she said she wanted to be a writer.

From the back of the room she carefully looked around noting who was here and where they were.

She almost hadn't made it due to several problems. First of all she had real trouble convincing her parents that the message/invitation was real. Then came the transportation and money problems. Once she had solved those the rest was easy.

She chose to keep her affiliation to herself for the moment. It would become clear to all when the time had come.

She looked forward to the adventure ahead of her. She hoped that she wouldn't return home with any new "allergies." Her diet was sometimes bad enough without having any new problems added. She was fairly confident that she would be protected by her friends.

She eagerly watched the premiere. By coming here she had made a friend or two quite jealous. Some couldn't believe that she'd run off to do this. Others thought it was great and wanted to hear all about it upon her return.

She was careful to stay out of sight of LaCroix. She did not want to have anything to do with him if she could avoid it. She was not a Cousin and frankly he gave her the creeps. He seemed to get too much delight out of torturing Nick and his friends. She was mad at him for what he had done to Nick and Nat.

Judy got off the plane and was glad to see her parents there waiting for her. For as much as she had enjoyed herself in Toronto she was glad to be home again. She was tired and wanted three things--her mom's great cooking, to sleep in her own bed after a shower in her own bathroom and chocolate.

"Was it worth it?" Her father asked. He somewhat knew the answer by the smile on his daughters face.

"Every penny. I even got to write couple of scenes as well as act in one. The Executive Producer held a premiere just for us. It was great. We all get our names listed in the credits. I have to tell everyone when to watch it."

"I'm glad you had fun." Her mother said. "You hungry?"

"Yes."

"How about a steak and some garlic potatoes?"

"Sounds good," Judy said. Only recently had she tried garlic and realized that she liked it. A small grin escaped.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just spent the last couple of weeks working on a show about a cop who happens to be a vampire. Garlic nauseates them," Judy said, purposely leaving out a few facts about her trip (mostly about the vampires she met because it would only worry them). "I made many valuable contacts. I also learned quite a bit."

"That's important," Judy's father said.

"We can't wait to hear all your stories," Judy's mother said.

Her father took her bag and they headed out to the car. She knew she'd be talking about this for weeks. And that she'd never forget it (assuming no one played mind games with her like they did with Nat).

Her piece of immortality securely in place (unless it ended up on the cutting room floor). Though doing a Star Trek would be a more secure place in immortality since it was only two years older than she was.