From: martin@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_GATEWAY_FILE (Michele Martin) Newsgroups: alt.tv.quantum-leap.creative Subject: XOVER:The Witness pt9 Date: 18 Mar 1995 19:03:15 GMT Organization: Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Message-Id: <3kfapj$c86@news.duke.edu> scene 11b Metro Station 10:10 pm *This situation is getting out of hand* thought Nick to himself as he 'recovered' from his flashback. *That man...can't...be here! It can't be the same man I met in 1863. I'd know it if he were one of us.* He shook his head, wondering if there was any way this case could get even more complicated. Just then, as if in answer to his unvoiced query, the desk sargeant called across the room. "Knight! Paul Edwards is here! He says someone just attacked Scott!" "What?!" said Mulder, Sam, Nick and Scully all together. Nick decided it was time to make an 'executive' decision. "Okay. We've got to divide our resources or we'll be here all night. Schanke, you and Agent Scully start seeing if you can get some answers out of Greene or Nash or whatever his name is. Agent Mulder, maybe you can talk to Mr. MacLeod here, since he's an American citizen and you seem to think he's got something to do with all that's going on. Nat, can you come with me and see if Scott is alright? I'll try and get a description of the attacker. Then we'll all regroup and compare notes." There was a brief pause while everyone considered what he said. Even though he desperately wanted to talk to MacLeod himself, Nick thought this was the best way to handle a rapidly deteriorating situation. The FBI agents and 'Schanke' seemed to think agree, because none of them launched a protest. As if on cue, everyone turned to their own task. 'Schanke' and Scully led 'Greene' to one of the interrogation rooms, and Mulder began to ask MacLeod a few basic questions. Neither 'Greene' or MacLeod seemed particularly thrilled with the situation, but Nick wasn't terribly concerned with their opinions. He turned to Nat. "Are you sure you're okay? I know it's been a trying night. Maybe I should call Grace or one of the others..." "No, Nick. I'll be fine. Maybe doing something will help me get my mind off of...other things. Let's go make sure Scott's alright." As they entered the lobby, they saw the anxious-looking Paul Edwards standing by the desk. "Mr. Edwards! Is Scott alright? Did you see what happened?" Nick asked. "Scott's over there. He's not hurt very badly. But I think we need to talk." Paul answered in a very serious tone of voice. Nick nodded, and Nat went over to where Scott was sitting down. Nick noted that he looked a little pale and tired. As Nat bent down to look at where Scott indicated he'd been injured, Nick heard her involuntary gasp. She looked back at him in concern. "What is it, Nat?" he asked. She hesitated, apparantly not wanting to alarm Scott or Paul. He shot a glance at Paul before going over to investigate whatever it was that had Nat so upset. Then he saw Scott's neck...and the wounds. *It looks like he was attacked by one of us...but why? And how did he manage to escape?* "What happened?" he asked again, looking back and forth between Scott and Paul. "Did you get a good look at who did this?" "He's in my car," answered Paul. "What?" "Dad clonked him pretty good," said Scott smugly. "Clonked?" both Paul and Nick asked in confusion. Nat looked at both of them, then interjected, "Um, I'd better take Scott over to the infirmary and put something on this." She sounded a little bit frightened, and looked at Nick for confirmation. He nodded, aware that he'd better find out _exactly_ what had happened as soon as possible. If Scott really had been bitten by a vampire, his life might be in jeopardy. Nick didn't like the the thought of Scott's becoming a vampire...and the thought of trying to explain it to Paul was even less appealing. Of course, if the injury was superficial, he'd still have to make sure neither Paul nor Scott found out...or remembered...what or who it was who had attacked him. He turned back to Paul. "So, the assailant is in your car? I think you'd better show me." "Yes." Paul led Nick outside and over to the car. Nick couldn't get a good look inside until Paul opened the door. Then he gasped. *Gregory! I knew he was hiding something. But why attack Scott? And how did a 40+ year old mortal _clonk_ a vampire?* "You recognize him, don't you?" Paul asked, breaking Nick's train of thought. "Ah, well..." "Scott says he's a vampire. That's how he was able to fly down in front of his and that's why he bit Scott on the neck." *Uh, oh. He _saw_ Gregory fly. And he suspects...he knows...damn.* "You didn't see him fly," Nick stated, looking into Paul's eyes. "I did see him fly," Paul replied, taken aback by Nick's emphatic contradiction. Nick stared harder, trying to erase the memory from Paul's mind. He began to hear the beating of Paul's heart as he stated again, "You didn't see him fly." Nick was staggered by a blinding flash of blue light that seemed to come from _inside_ of Paul Edwards. He covered his eyes and almost fell, but Paul caught him. "I don't think you should do that again," Paul said, in the same tone of voice one might say 'you should put on a sweater, it's cold out'. Nick looked back at him in shock...and fear. "Who...what are you?" he asked, almost in a hiss. "Please, I don't want to hurt you. I didn't want to hurt him," Paul indicated the unconscious vampire in the back seat of his car, "but I also didn't want him to hurt Scott. I know that you are a vampire, like him, but I also sense that you want to help us. I don't think he can be put into a regular jail, but perhaps you know of a safe place where he can be kept so that he won't try to hurt Scott again." Nick pulled himself together. Paul was right--it was more important now to protect the only witness to this case they had...and to put Gregory somewhere where he could be watched. Nick had a suspicion he wasn't the only one who'd want to talk to Gregory about tonight's incident. Such sloppiness in any vampire's behaviour was a threat to the entire community. He could find out the truth about Paul Edwards...and Duncan MacLeod...later. "Okay, I know a safe place. Tell the FBI and Schanke that I, ah, recognized the man you described as the assailant and am following up a lead. That should mullify them for now. Tell Nat as well." "Does Dr. Lambert know the truth about you? And will Scott be alright?" "To answer your first question, yes, Nat knows. I'd like to know how you do, though..." "It's complicated..." "I don't doubt it. To answer your second question, I honestly don't know. It depends on how quickly you were able to rescue Scott. I'll drop off our friend here and get back as soon as I can. After I have a better look at Scott I'll be able to tell you more. Can I use your car?" Paul nodded, and handed Nick the keys. Nick locked the back seat again, then got into the drivers seat. As he was about to turn on the engine, he asked Paul one last thing, "How long will he be out?" "Until someone wakes him up. I thought that would be best." *I've got to find out how he did that!* "Okay, good." With that, Nick started the engine and headed off to the Raven. -- Michele Martin martin@abacus.mc.duke.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evil Guest Immortal: "I have you now, MacLeod." Duncan MacLeod: "I admit it. You're better than I am." EGI: "Then why are you smiling?" MacLeod: "Because I know something you don't know..." "..._I_ am the star of this show." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------