Usual disclaimers, I don't own 'em, I'd like to but I don't. No money is being made, just sleep lost. Any and all Dark Perks have my permission to archive this wherever they'd like, all others can drop me a note at anteros@juno.com. In this story Janette never left Toronto and HF will never happen. Enjoy! The Chosen By: Cousin Mary June 1998 Tracy entered the Raven and plopped herself down at the end of the bar, she was looking for Vachon, but since he wasn't here she thought she might as well have a drink. "Hello ma petite." Tracy glanced up at the elegant woman behind the bar, she must be the owner, Janette Du Charme. Tracy had done her homework, she knew who and what she was, of course, that wasn't any reason not to be friendly. "Hello." "What can I get for you?" Janette smiled down at the sunny blonde, she didn't usually serve any of her customers, but in this case, she'd make an exception. "Just a beer please," Tracy said politely, reaching for her wallet. "No need for that my dear," Waving her hand dismissivly, Janette placed a mug of ale on the bar. "You're money's no good here." Tracy raised a brow, it wouldn't take a detective to realise something odd was going on. "And why is that? Have we met?" Janette smiled again, "No, but I know -of- you Tracy Vetter, I have been following your career." Tracy eyed the woman warily, a fan than? She had a few, her name appeared in the papers often enough, plus after her appearance on the Jerry Tate show some woman had actually gotten together and formed a fan club. Though this woman certainly didn't seem the type to ask her to speak to her support group or self-defence class. Tracy lifted her mug and took a sip of her beer, it was warm, just the way she liked it, her brand too. Strange that this woman should know that. "Have you?" She asked calmly. "You have no idea for how long," Janette picked a piece of lint off Tracy shoulder and smoothed a bit of loose hair behind her ear, there, perfect. "My name is Janette Du Charme, and I own this establishment." Tracy nodded, not indicating she had noticed the woman's touch at all, "I know who you are." She said simply. Janette was momentarily taken aback. 'Well,' she thought with amusement, 'Haven't I learned by now to never underestimate this one?' Another small smile curved her lips as she remembered the first time she'd seen Tracy Vetter, six years ago, a rookie cop, so intent on saving the world. For a very long time she had considered bringing this young woman into the night, long before she had been partnered with her Nicholah. But when she'd discovered her Tracy had learned of their kind, and indeed become involved with one of them (someone named Vachon she thought) well then, the decision had been made for her. She would not let her protégé die under some clumsy fledgling's ministrations. "I have an offer for you ma petite." Ever so calmly, Tracy took another sip of her beer, than placed the mug back on the bar, centring it perfectly on its coaster. "And will I like this offer?" Janette reached out her hand and with one sharp nail scratched across Tracy's jaw line, collecting a bit of blood on one pale finger. "I think so." To her credit, Tracy didn't even flinch. As she watched the vampire draw the blood into her mouth and sigh with pleasure, she knew what was coming. "You want to bring me across. Why?" Janette shrugged elegantly, "I have been watching you for a very long time my young one, you are meant to be of me." "This is fate then?" Tracy asked flippantly. Janette narrowed her eyes a bit, but then smiled, "If you like." Tracy sat there just staring, letting the blood drip down her throat and wondering almost idly why she wasn't upset by the prospect of being brought across. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed several other vampires were watching them closely, including Miklos, the usual bartender. There was probably no way she was going to get out of this alive, and at this point, she wasn't even sure she wanted to. "You were always meant for something more," Janette continued. Oddly enough she felt the urge to stop her from bleeding, folding a napkin she held it momentarily across the scratch until Tracy conceded to hold it herself. "Surely you know that." Tracy was coming to the stunning realisation that she -wanted- to be a vampire. It had nothing to do with love, she didn't want to be a vampire so she could be with Vachon. It didn't have anything to do with honour or nobility either, though she'd like to think she'd try to be as moral as her undead partner if she did come across. No, this was for herself, the immortality, the ties to the supernatural, that was what drew her to their world. Tracy lifted eyes she hadn't realised she'd dropped and regarded the woman before her intently. "It's tempting." She mumbled. "Of course it is," Janette mouthed, she hadn't realised until now that she'd forgotten to breathe. She had been watching this one for so very long, she was everything she wanted in a daughter: brave, selfless, a sense of honour that rivalled even Nicholah. From her first kill as a rookie when she'd taken out a sniper at the mayor's speech, to the day she'd realised her partner was a vampire, Tracy's every reaction had been exquisite. Never had she wanted to make someone her child so much. Tracy pulled the napkin away from her jaw and looked down at it, the bleeding had stopped. The blood had seeped into the paper and made a rather interesting blot, if she tried to interpret it would she learn something? Shaking off such musings, Tracy looked back up her would-be master. She wanted to be brought across, she'd already realised that. But was this woman the one to do it? Did it really matter -who- brought you across? Vachon seemed to be friends more than anything else with his fledglings, but then again, Vachon and the Inca had seemed to remember their own master with almost religious devotion. Janette watched as Tracy continued to mull it over, slowly she began to fear that she would not choose to join her. The raven-haired beauty sent a furtive glance around the bar, too many witness out here. Maybe if she took her into the back…? Perhaps she could simply sneak her out the back door and inform everyone she had mesmerised the girl into forgetting. On the other hand, once alone with her, could she stop herself from bringing her across? So absorbed was Janette in her own thoughts, that when Tracy touched her hand, she jumped. She then looked up almost fearfully and awaited her answer. "It'd be a honour to be your daughter Janette." She smiled shyly and allowed herself to be led into the back rooms. The crowd looked on as those twin doors shut, and they knew at last, Janette had found her chosen daughter. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. Send all comments and coffin building Girl Guide merit badges to anteros@juno.com