Disclaimer: The usual... I do not own any of the characters, wish to make any money ore violate any copyright ownership.

Well, hope you like my story!!!!

Never to return

„Allow me to treat you to some blood.“

Nick answered with a gesture of tired exasperation. „Lacroix...“

„Indulge me. This is a special night. And a special... ah... vintage. Perfectly virginal.“

He raised his glass in a challenge that was not altogether playful. Their eyes met over the brim. Nick hesitated, then took a sip. There had been a slim chance that Lacroix was only toying wit his hurt, but the rich odour of human blood, half-forgotten, ever-present, filled his mouth and his body with ist wamth, reviving memories he strove to forget. He wanted to spit in disgust but couldn’t find the strength. He drained the glass and stared defiantly into Lacroix’s coldly smiling eyes.

„Another one?“

„Damn you.“ Nick rose and walked over to the window, stared into the soft drizzle of rain that blurred the lights of the city.

„What do you want?“

„Say good-bye.“

Nick forced himself with a more than human effort not to spin round. „You are leaving?“

„Yes, mon Nicholas.“

„Where are you going?“

„I really couldn’t say.“

„Will you come back?“

Lacroix seemed to hesitate only for a split second. „No. No, I don’t think so.“

Suddenly Nick felt awfully cold. „Well. That’s that then.“

He accepted another glass his mentor held out to him.

„I was going to invite you to listen to my show tonight. You might find it of some interest.“

„Yeah... sure.“ Nick knew that he should have felt something, but while he was waiting for the relief that surely had to be there somewhere beneath the confused emptiness he became aware of a sense of overwhelming loss.

„I will miss the Nightcrawler“, he said in spite of himself.

„Lacroix smiled faintly. „You will like his last broadcast then, mon fils.“

He dabbed his mouth with a handkerchief and rose to his feet. „You must leave now. This is a special appearance which deserves some thought.“

„Yeah...“, Nick repeated, awkward. He held out his hand. „Good-bye.“ It sounded almost like a question.

Lacroix took it. „Good-bye“, he said firmly.

When Nick turned to leave, the old vampire called him back. „You are still longing for the bright light of the day you have lost, aren’t you? You’d still give everything.“

Nick nodded softly. „I do. And I would.“

„Ah, mon Nicholas“, Lacroix’s soulless eyes bore into Nick’s with fond sadness. „If only I could see your face when you receive my parting gift.“ Suddenly he leaned forward and kissed the younger vampire formally on both cheeks. Then he turned in a gesture of final dismissal.

Nick felt sick. He had tried to wash away the guilt he felt at drinking human blood with glasses and glasses of Nat’s protein drink, but he couldn’t fight the memory.

„Oh God. God“, he moaned burying his face in both hands. With Schanke and Janette gone the world had become a much colder place. With Lacroix gone... it should be a relief. It had to be.

Finally Nick straightened and turned on the radio. The familiar voice of the Nightcrawler filled the room.

„Good night, my children, and welcome to a special night. It is the last you will accompany me on my lonely voyage through eternal darkness. But let’s not be sentimental, mes amis. Tonight, I want to talk to you about choice. Life, any life, is based on choice. Some choices are hard to make, others aren’t but they all shape our lives. We choose and we have to live with the consequences. And even now, I hear you moan and gnash your teeth. It is too hard, you say, too cruel to be made to pay for eternity for one wrong choice. Is it? Well, I hold the cure in my hand. Rejoice, my friends. All you have wished for is at your disposal. Your ticket to freedom, to daylight and the ultimate reversal of choice.“

The silky voice stopped for a second, gave Nick time to regain his breath, to loosen the white-knuckled grip of his hands on the arms of the chair. He allowed the truth to sink in.

„How I got it? Unfortunaltely I must disappoint those romantic souls among you who think this is a loving womans’s tribute to the savation of her ever-so-troubled sweetheart. It isn’t. It is the result of cold science and colder materialism. Yes, my friends, materialism, for I am sure it will sell well. We can all be children of the night now. And children of the day too. There will be no more consequences. At last, we are free to do whatever we please without fear or commitment. Can’t you see it? I can. And that is why I’m leaving.

Yes, I could have destroyed this little bottle. As a matter of fact, I ripped its maker’s throat and spilled his blood. We spent many a night together, but somehow I could’t forgive him selling eternity to those bored with drugs and disco. But the anger has abided and I have understood that I cannot change the future. Therefore I place the key to salvation into my son’s hands.This is my choice. The Nightcrawler is stepping down and his last words are words of pity. I will not lecture you, I will leave you.“

And finally Nick understood. Even for a vampire his speed was astounding when he leapt into the soaking rain and balmy night of early spring heading for the CERK tower and landed in front of Lacroix’s glass enclosed cabin in the radio station within seconds.

Thedoor was shut and the curtain drawn, but Nick’s vampiric hearing enabled him to catch the last words.

„This is my parting gift to my cherished son. My loved one.“ The voice trailed off. The spell broke.

„No!“ The solid glass door shattered and sprayed Nick like crystal foam. He rushed in with a freak hope to prevent the worst, yet dreading the sight that would await him.

And stared increduously at the little tape recorder.

„Live and live well, mon Nicholas.“ The recorder clicked into silence.

Nick lifted his hands in a gesture of unspeakable helplessness, a stifled sound, somewhere between laugh and sob formed in his throat.

„Oh, damn you, Lacroix. Damn you“, he whispered.

A tiny bottle sat on the table next to the mircrophone. Nick took it and cradeled it in his palm. The cure, at last. The neon signs painted red and green shadows on his face. Chilled to the heart, he reached for the earphones and put them on.The rain-swept desert outside was waiting.

„Damn you, Lacroix.“

He closed his eyes against reality.

„Old habits die hard. Sometimes you have to kill them twice. Good night,Toronto. The Nightcrawler is dead. In the past, you heard him talk about almost everything. He talked about love and friendship and anger. And he talked about his son and friend whom he loved to the end and didn’t trust beyond. He left me this gift because he thought I’d already chosen. So did I. We share another mistake then.“ He laughed softly. Pain that had built up over centuries erupted in the sound as glass splintered and sticky liquid oozed over his fingers.

„Good-bye, Nat“, he whispered.

Nick turned to face his reflection in the window. Tears left traces of red on his pale face.

„Tonight I want to discuss the meaning of loss. Haven’t we all had the feeling to be left with nothing to hope for. What lies ahead seems like eternity. Sometimes it is...“

The phone rang. Nick picked up the receiver.

„You are on air.“