========================================================================= Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 23:12:02 -0400 Reply-To: Jill Marie Spetoskey Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Jill Marie Spetoskey Subject: Mortals 2/14 (fwd) I'm forwarding this for ks. Send any goodies to her. Jill ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 20:34:50 -0400 From: k s gritten To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: Mortals 2/14 Mortals 2/14 Natalie pushed a hand out of her cocoon of blankets and hit the snooze button on the alarm at the bedside table. No wait, that was not right. It was not the alarm that had awakened her. It was the phone. Stupid phone. As if in answer to the slur, the phone rang again shrilly. She fumbled for the receiver and answered sleepily, "Hello?" There was a pause on the other end, then a low, pleasant voice rumbled uncertainly, "I'm trying to reach Richie Ryan." At that moment the man in question picked up the extension in the living room. "I'm here," he said to both of them. To Natalie he said, "Sorry about that Doc. I was making some coffee and missed the first ring." "That's okay. I had to get up anyway," Natalie mumbled into the receiver, then hung up, leaving Richie to his phone call in privacy. She lay still on the bed for a moment, reflecting upon Richie's presence in her living room. It was odd having someone else in the house. 'Jeez Nat,' she thought wryly, 'When's the last time you had a man in your house overnight?' Too long, she decided. Now next time she would have to aim for a man that she was interested in having do more than sleep on her couch.... That amusing thought sent her out of bed. Richie had not technically been there overnight, but he turned out to be running on the same messed up schedule as the two women who had worked the night shift. Apparently he had left late and driven over night to get to Toronto, where he hoped to locate a friend of his. Richie had made good on his promise, buying breakfast for both women at a little cafe. The three of them had talked for some time over coffee, until neither Nat nor Tracy could keep their yawns at bay. As they were leaving Richie had asked for a recommendation of a cheap place to stay. *Really* cheap, it turned out--he had spent most of his money buying them breakfast. Nat had given him an exasperated look, but it was good-humored--he was a very personable young man, and both Tracy and Nat had taken to him. Richie had readily accepted Nat's offer allowing him to sleep on her couch, taking good-naturedly Tracy's jokes that she could identify him at the police station if he made any trouble at Nat's. Natalie glanced at the clock as she slipped on her robe, deciding that she had plenty of time to get ready for work that evening. As she padded out into the main room, heading for the coffee which wafted so appetizingly towards her, she heard Richie saying heatedly on the phone, "I *know* that Joe. I'll find him." Richie looked up as she went into the kitchen area and grabbed a coffee mug. "Look Joe, I'll call you back when I've got more information. I'll let you know where I'll be staying." She regarded him blandly as he hung up the phone, trying not to show any reaction to his obvious upset. Did she really want to get involved in a near-stranger's problems? He visibly seemed to shake off his unease, then said apologetically, "Sorry to wake you up, Doc. I had a friend call me back so I wouldn't run up your phone bill, but it took longer than I thought it would for him to get back to me." Natalie gave Sidney, the cat who had suddenly appeared on the counter demanding attention, a pat and said easily, "That's no problem. I really did need to get up." She took a sip of the coffee, then asked tentatively, "Are you okay?" So much for her resolve not to get involved. Where was this mothering instinct coming from? After a moment Richie said, "That friend I told you I was looking for? He might be in some trouble." It was obvious from his expression that there was more to it, but he seemed unwilling to elaborate. "What kind of trouble?" she asked. "Is there anything that I or Tracy can do?" Richie shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I don't want the police involved. I just need to find him, but I'm not sure how long it will take." "Well, if you--" Once again, Natalie was cut off, but this time it was by the figure of Nicholas Knight who came barreling through the door. Thankfully, given her visitor, the vampire cop was moving at human speed. "Nat!" Nick called as he entered the apartment, then came to a stop as he spotted her. Natalie could see him taking in her appearance, her robe and sleep-tousled hair, then Richie's presence. "Nat?" he said again, this time uncertainly. "Um, Tracy called and said that you had been in an accident this morning." She could easily read the expression on his face. It was just as well that vampires could not blush. For a moment Nat considered letting Nick's assumption stand, guessing that Tracy had purposely left out most of the story to tweak Nick's jealousy when he got here. Nat made a mental note to chew Tracy out, and then buy her a bottle of wine in appreciation for the good joke. "I'm fine, Nick. This is Richie Ryan--he got the worst of the mishap, but he's okay. I let him stay overnight on the couch." Ignoring the look on Nick's face she turned to Richie. "This is Detective Nick Knight, Tracy's partner." Richie extended a hand to Nick, who took it briefly. "Nice to meet you, Nick. You're lucky to have friends like Tracy and Doc." Given Nick's obvious lack of enthusiasm about his presence, Richie wisely moved towards the door. "Um, I'm gonna go take a look at my bike, see how bad the damage is." When he was gone, Nick turned to her enquiringly. "You let some stranger stay in your apartment?" "Oh, chill out Nick," she said, suddenly weary of the conversation. "Your friends are a lot more dangerous than that kid." She put her coffee mug into the sink and moved towards her own room. "I better get ready for work." His voice stopped her. "Nat?" She turned, and was pleased to see a gentle smile on his face. "I'm glad that you are okay." She smiled too. His jealousy and overprotectiveness she could do without. His friendship, though? "I'm glad you came. If you stick around we can go into work together." He nodded, accepting the peace offering, and she went into her room with a lighter heart.