The following is a little something that's been worming its way 
around in my head for a little while. Also, I'm not that great at 
sailing talk. In fact, the closest I've gotten to a sailboat is the 
'Pirates' computer game. And yes, I'll admit it... there are Star 
Wars like references in here... They managed to sneak in somehow.

All Forever Knight characters belong to TriStar. And now, on with 
the show!!

=====
A Pirate's Life for Me!
By April Ruskin
June 1, 1996
=====

"Ship Ho! Five points to starboard!" the lookout called.

The captain of the infamous pirate ship Bloodsport, a ruthless killer 
named LaCroix, looked at the unknown ship through a spyglass. 
"Ah, it's the H.M.S. Goody Two Shoes, captained by the 
'reformed' pirate Nicholas Knight. Prepare for battle!"

'Now Nicholas, you are mine.' LaCroix thought to himself while 
smiling deviously.

=====

"Nick, you can't lose hope!" Nick could hear the voice of the love 
of his life, Natalie Lambert, say in his head. "You'll find the 
wooden cup of Oragath sooner or later."

The wooden cup of Oragath is said to be a cure of vampirism. If a 
vampire were to drink the blood of a loved one from the cup, they 
would become mortal. It could also create a great milkshake if a 
person put milk in it. But that's another story...

"Thank you Nat," Captain Nicholas Knight whispered into the air.

Tracy Vetter, the second in command of the ship dashed into the 
room and said hysterically, "Captain! Captain! The pirate ship 
Bloodsport is closing in!!"

"LaCroix! Can't he leave me in peace?" Nick muttered darkly.

Nick and Tracy marched on deck and watched as the pirate ship 
sailed ever closer.

"Prepare for battle!" Nick called out.

=====

The battle raged back and forth between the two ships, neither side 
getting the advantage for long. Finally, the two captains met face to
face.

"Now then Nicholas, stop this foolishness and give in to what you
are. You cannot deny your destiny." LaCroix told Nicholas in a 
deceptively soft voice.

"Never you fiend!" Nick retorted while he advanced with his sword 
in his hand.

LaCroix gave a little sigh and said, "I thought you may something 
like that. Tippi my dear, would you bring our 'guest' out here 
please?" 

Tippi, the second in command of LaCroix's floating ship of death, 
walked on deck pushing a frightened Natalie Lambert in front of 
her. When the two women had gotten a few yards from Nick, Tippi 
smiled wickedly and put a knife to Natalie's throat.

"You see Nicholas, I have been doing my homework. I know you 
are in love with this mortal. So, I propose a deal. You come back to 
me, and I will let her live. If not, she will die here and now, and you 
will have to watch it happen." LaCroix told his wayward child.

Nick looked at Natalie with distraught eyes. 

'He couldn't seem to make a decision.' Natalie thought to herself, 
'Well, I'll make it for him.' With that, Natalie kicked Tippi in the 
shin and grabbed the arm at her throat at the same time. Tippi was 
caught off guard and Natalie escaped.

"Get her idiots!" LaCroix shouted at his followers. Pirates 
converged toward Natalie, but she got to Nick's side before they 
could capture her.

Nick tried to hold the pirates off with his sword, but it was a 
hopeless cause. Soon, Nick and Natalie were both captured and put 
into the brig of the Bloodsport.

"Now then Nicholas, let's see how long you can survive without 
drinking from the lovely lady trapped in there with you." LaCroix 
told Nick as he backed away from the door. Nick advanced toward 
the door, but was brought short.

"In case you didn't know, we just doused the door with holy water 
and hung crucifixes on it." Tippi told Nick through the window in 
the cell door. "So, you can't get near enough to the door to use 
your super-human strength, and Ms. Lambert isn't strong enough 
to open the door for you." 

=====

Weeks passed. Natalie was given all the food she could eat, but 
Nick was left to hunger. It was getting harder and harder for him to 
control his bloodlust...

=====

Suddenly, the prisoners heard a commotion on deck. Soon, the 
door to their cell burst open, and there stood Admiral Vachon, head 
of His Majesty's Royal Fleet. "Come on you two, let's get out of 
here."

Natalie got up gratefully, then turned with a frown to Nick. Nick 
couldn't move because he was so weak. "Nick?" Natalie moved 
towards him with her arm outstretched.

"Go Nat, just go." Nick growled as he looked at her with yellow 
eyes.

"He needs blood, NOW!" Natalie yelled.

Admiral Vachon handed Natalie a wineskin and said, "I came 
prepared. We collected this for him."

Natalie opened the bag and held it out to Nick. Nick grabbed the 
wineskin full of blood with dizzying speed and started to drink. 
Soon, the wineskin was empty, and Nick could control his hunger.

"Thank you Admiral." Nick told his superior.

"You're not safe yet Captain Knight. LaCroix and most of his 
followers got away." the Admiral told Nick.

"We'll worry about that later. How did you find us?" Nick asked 
Vachon after everyone was safely aboard the H.M.S. Watersprite.

"Your first mate was able to bring us the news of your capture." 
Reese told Nick as the ship sailed away from the burning wreck of 
the Bloodsport. Natalie moved towards Nick and leaned her head 
against his shoulder as he placed his arm around her and they both 
watched the lighted mass disappear beneath the waves.

=====

The End (?)

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