From: glenn@v-wave.com (Glenn St-Germain)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.quantum-leap.creative,alt.tv.forever-knight
Subject: "KNIGHT LEAP", part 04/04
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 16:27:31 GMT
Organization: Videotron Communications Ltd. (V-WAVE)
Message-ID: <33d23c17.6101839@news>

Knight Leap
A Quantum Leap - Forever Knight Crossover
by Glenn St-Germain


Part 4

    When Al returned to the imaging chamber, he found Sam in Nick's
apartment, watching a Dracula movie on the big-
screen television.
    "Learning anything?" he asked.
    "Very funny, Al."
    "According to the police report, Natalie is attacked just outside
this apartment tomorrow morning. You've got one more
shift as Detective Knight before it happens. Best I can do."
    "Then I guess we'll just have to wait."
    Sam turned off the television with the remote control.
    "While we're waiting," asked Sam, "can you check something for
me?"
    "Shoot."
    "Look up a singer called Rebecca."
    "Rebecca? You mean, you don't remember?"
    "Must be in one of the holes of my Swiss-cheese memory," said Sam,
half sarcastically.
    "Yeah, right. She was this heavy metal chick who was killed
onstage. She had this song about killing her fans, and one
night some psycho in the crowd pulled a gun and blew her away. This
would have been just a couple of years ago for Knight.
And it was right here in Toronto."
    "So why did Schanke wonder where she is now?"
    "Knight's girlfriend is about to be killed, and you're wondering
about a weird rock singer?"
    "You said I had a day before it happened."
    "And I'd warn Natalie. Tell her to stay away from here. Tell her
to take a trip to Montreal. Tell her anything. Just keep her
away from here. And Lacroix."
    "I don't think that would change anything. Lacroix will just wait
for her to come back. No, if we're going to change things,
we'll have to deal with it head-on."
    "I guess you're right. But the important thing is, you have to
save Natalie."
    The next night passed uneventfully. Sam phoned Natalie and told
her that she was in danger from Lacroix. She told him
that she'd be careful, and that she'd carry extra garlic with her. Sam
told Al he didn't think Natalie was taking things seriously
enough.
    Sam arrived back at Nick's apartment just after five in the
morning, less than a half-hour before sunrise. He had brought
with him some Italian take-out, and was eating it when the door buzzer
sounded.
    He went to the intercom panel, and looked at the screen. Nick had
placed a small video camera outside, so he could see
whoever came to call. It was Natalie.
    "Nick! It's Nat!"
    The hair on the back of Sam's neck bristled. He knew that Natalie
knew the combination on the keypad which would
have allowed her to come in. Something was wrong.
    "Hi, Nat," he replied, stalling. "Come on up!"
    "I have something in my car... I need you to help me carry it."
    "I'll be right down."
    Sam made sure he had his gun... Nick's gun... with him, though he
doubted it would help against Lacroix. If that was the
problem.
    When he opened the outer door, he saw Natalie's Toyota parked
nearby, but no sign of the doctor herself. Then he heard
a rustle behind him. Behind him, and above. He turned around and
looked up.
    "Good morning, Nicholas!"
    It was Lacroix. And he was holding onto Natalie.
    "Lacroix! Let her go!" called Sam.
    "I'm sorry," replied Natalie. "I... I couldn't help..."
    "Join us, Nicholas! It's a glorious night, don't you think!"
    Sam ran to the fire escape and started running up the stairs.
Lacroix looked at him, with an expression of disbelief.
    "Stairs, Nicholas? For shame!"
    Lacroix still had one arm around Natalie's neck, his other hand
holding one of her arms behind her back.
    "Let her go, Lacroix," ordered Sam when he got to the roof. "It's
me you want."
    "It's been a long time since we dined together, Nicholas. And this
morsel looks... delicious."
    He leered at her, then licked her ear.
    Natalie responded by stepping on Lacroix's foot, driving the spike
of her heel into his instep. Lacroix gasped, releasing his
grip long enough for her to break free. Sam leapt at Lacroix,
shouldering Natalie aside before running into his target.
    Sam and Lacroix hit the roof together; Sam immediately rolled out
of the way.
    "Run!" he told Natalie.
    She ran to the top of the fire escape and went over the side.
Lacroix stood up, as if he were going to leap into the air to
intercept her. Sam pivoted on one foot and gave Lacroix a spin kick to
the head.
    Lacroix reeled from the blow, then looked at Sam, astonished.
    "You... you've changed. You're not one of us anymore!"
    "I was never one of you," replied Sam. "I could never be one of
you. No matter what you did. And that bothers you,
doesn't it?"
    Sam wondered if his tactics would work. By taunting Lacroix, he
could provoke him to anger. And angry opponents often
made mistakes. All Sam had to do was keep a cool head himself. And not
think about the fact that Lacroix had vastly superior
strength, plus whatever other bonuses he had from being a vampire.
    Lacroix's eyes turned red, and he leapt at Sam, fangs bared. Sam
readied himself, and grabbed Lacroix's jacket as he
came within reach. He rolled backward, bracing Lacroix's chest with
his foot. Sam landed flat on his back; Lacroix went sailing
over his head. And over the edge of the roof.
    Sam ran down the stairs of the fire escape. Natalie was nowhere to
be seen. He hoped she had gone into Nick's loft.
Lacroix had landed on a stack of wooden crates piled against the wall
of the ex-warehouse next to Nick's.
    Sam picked up a broken piece of crate, a board a few feet long,
pointed at one end. Lacroix lay on the crates, not
moving. Sam readied his makeshift spike and approached warily. Lacroix
remained still.
    He raised the wood over his head with both hands, point down, then
brought it down toward Lacroix's chest with as much
force as he could muster. But before he connected, Lacroix blocked the
incoming blow, shattering the board into splinters. He
kicked at Sam, striking a glancing blow. Sam staggered back a few
paces, then took a defensive position.
    "I gave you immortality, Nicholas!" Lacroix screamed with rage.
His eyes were still red, and his canine teeth were still
fangs. "I gave you the gift of life everlasting! And this is how you
repay me?"
    Lacroix advanced slowly on Sam; Sam slowly backed away, trying to
steer them to more open ground. Lacroix continued
with his ranting.
    "I don't know how you crossed back into the world of mortals,
Nicholas, but it won't last. I brought you across once, and
I will do so again! And I'll enjoy it this time just as much as I did
the first! More! And I'll take your girlfriend with us!"
    Sam pretended to cower, hoping he looked convincing.
    "Yes! Cower before me, Nicholas! Your fate is sealed!"
    He stood over Sam, who had his hands in front of him, trying to
ward him off. When Lacroix drew close enough, Sam
reached out with both hands and clapped Lacroix's ears.
    Lacroix reeled backwards, stunned. He tripped over some debris
from the broken crates and fell backwards. Sam
waited. When Lacroix started to stand up, Sam kicked him in the chest.
He allowed himself a quick look over his shoulder,
down the alley to the east. The glow of dawn was getting stronger. The
sun would be up soon.
    Sam turned back to Lacroix, and was immediately tackled. He had
turned his head only a moment, but it was enough for
Lacroix to press his attack. Sam fell backwards, with Lacroix on top
of him.
    Lacroix opened his mouth wide, licking his teeth and grinning
widely. Sam tried to turn his head, while Lacroix reached
toward Sam's throat. Sam finally was able to turn his head enough for
him to give Lacroix a chance to smell his breath.
    Lacroix gagged at the smell of garlic, and retreated; Sam had
ordered extra garlic toast with his lasagna. He kicked up at
Lacroix, catching him full in the chest. Lacroix staggered back,
looking as if he was going to be sick. Sam reached for another
piece of broken crate and brought it down on Lacroix's shoulder.
Lacroix reeled. Sam hit him again. And again.
    After the third blow, Lacroix dropped to the ground, dazed. Sam
pressed the attack, tossing his makeshift club aside and
hitting Lacroix with his fists, once, twice, thrice. Lacroix looked
up, looking hurt. His fangs had retracted; his eyes were no
longer red.
    "How could you, Nicholas?" he asked.
    "It's over, Lacroix," replied Sam. "You're a monster. You took a
good man and tried to make him into your own image.
But when it didn't work, you went after everything he held dear."
    "It was for you, Nicholas! I did it for you!"
    Sam realized Lacroix was stalling for time, using time for his
superhuman recovery. Lacroix got to his feet; Sam
shouldered Lacroix into the wall and held him there. The sky to the
east was becoming more brilliant, and Lacroix looked at it
nervously.
    "How many people have you done this to, Lacroix? How many people
have you condemned to a living hell? How many
have you killed, just so you could keep killing?"
    "Hypocrite! You have a multitude of deaths on your own conscience,
Nicholas. Or have you forgotten?"
    "At least I have a conscience."
    "Nicholas! The light! The light of the sun will kill us!"
    "I'm taking you with me. You've claimed your last victim,
Lacroix."
    "Nicholas! Please reconsider! I swear, I will not kill anyone ever
again."
    He looked nervously toward the east, then back to Sam.
    "It's too late for that, Lacroix. You turned Nicholas into a
creature of evil. That makes you ultimately responsible for any
crimes he may have committed. It ends today. It ends now."
    "He...?" asked Lacroix, weakly. "What do you mean...?"
    Before Sam could answer, the upper limb of the sun cleared the top
of the buildings to the east. Steam began to form
around Lacroix, rising up from under his cloak. He screamed. Sam let
him go and stepped back.
    "Nicholas!" Lacroix screamed, staggering toward the doorway. "No!"
    Sam grabbed Lacroix's collar and pulled, shoving him completely
out of the shadows. Lacroix stumbled two steps, then
fell to the ground, trying to hide his head from the sun. Sam turned
and walked away, toward the door to Nick's loft. Behind
him, Lacroix was screaming.
    Al was waiting in the doorway.
    "Nice work," he said.
    The screams died away. Sam turned and looked back to where he had
left Lacroix, and saw a pile of smouldering rags
where Lacroix had fallen.
    "He went through a lot of pain, Al."
    "He caused a lot of pain. You did the right thing, Sam. It had to
be done."
    "Where's Natalie?"
    "Inside Nick's place."
    Sam punched the keypad combination and opened the door.
    "How much did you see?" he asked.
    "Enough. You did great."
    "So why do I feel so awful?"
    "It will pass."
    Al followed as Sam wearily engaged the elevator.
    "Listen," said Al. "Ziggy says that the killings are over."
    "Glad to hear it."
    "And I found out about Rebecca. Nick said that it was one of her
backup singers who was shot, you see. She had taken
Rebecca's place that night because she wanted to be Rebecca, and..."
    "Al, not now."
    Sam slid the door open and walked into Nick's apartment. Natalie
sat on the couch, tightly holding a handkerchief.
    "Nick!"
    She stood and ran to Sam, and threw her arms around him. Sam
returned the embrace.
    "I thought you were finished," she whispered.
    "I got inside just in time," Sam replied.
    She let him go and took a step back.
    "Lacroix?" she asked.
    "I left him watching the sunrise."
    "Thank God," she replied, hugging him again. "It's over."
    He and Natalie held each other for a moment. After a few minutes,
she let go again.
    "I'm going to get some water," she said, and went to the kitchen
area. Sam sat on the couch, facing away from Natalie,
and talked into his hands so she wouldn't hear.
    "Will Nick ever get what he wants?" he asked Al. "Does he become
human again?"
    "I dunno," replied Al, checking the handlink. "But Ziggy says that
the summer after next, Nick Knight and Natalie Lambert
get married."
    Sam smiled.
    "Then there's hope for us all," he said.
    "Nick?" asked Natalie, returning from the kitchen. She was holding
the plate of half-eaten lasagna. "What in the name of
Pete is this disgusting stuff?"
    Before Sam could answer, time seemed to freeze for a moment.
Everything became edged in blue light, which erupted into
a St. Elmo's Fire before everything faded away...

the end... ?