Blood Eyes - Part 2
Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and everyone else belong to Chris Carter, 20th Century FOX, 1013 Productions, and the wonderful actors that portray them.
Rating: Anything between PG and PG-13. Why? For brief language and violent displays.
Feedback: Heck, yeah! Feedback of any kind is greatly appreciated.
Distribution: Yeah, right! Like anyone's going to want to. But if you'd like to distribute my work, try to email me solely to let me know where it's going.
Email: squall_leonhart23@hotmail.com
A/N: The second installment of my fic "Blood Eyes." You could probably follow this part even without reading the first part. I ask you (kindly, of course) to please review this story, whether you liked it or not. This part is longer than part 1, and personally, I like it better. Enjoy!
Mulder awoke with a start again at the sound of light knocking.
"Mulder?" Scully's worried voice slips quietly through the wooden door.
Mulder's heart jumped at hearing the sound of her timid voice.
"Yeah." Mulder walked sleepily to the door and opened it a crack.
"No, I don't want to convert just yet." He smiled as he peeked his head through the crack. He opened the door completely as Scully raised her eyebrow at his comment.
"Nice, Mulder." Her expression changed. "I heard you tossing about last night. I was just worried."
Mulder stood up awkwardly, remembering his frightening dream.
"Nah, I'm alright." He said, feeling his lying words still hanging in his throat. Apparently, he didn't hide his feelings well because Scully looked at him with confusion.
"Are you sure, Mulder?"
"Yeah." He said nonchalantly. "Let's get dressed. I'm starved."
After a quick breakfast involving an embarrassed Mulder bumping into a man, causing him to spill his scalding coffee on his newspaper and what appeared to be his taxes, they retreated back to their rooms to review the case. The agents were still giggling like children when they opened the door to Scully's room.
"Did you _see_ his face, Scully?" Mulder said through a laugh.
Scully just nodded, giggling too much to answer.
"Mulder, those were his _taxes_! That 'F' sentence certainly didn't start with a 'fine'."
They both stopped, letting themselves calm down before returning to work.
"Okay. We need to start on this case." Scully said suddenly, still smiling.
"Scully! Must you ruin a perfect moment?" he joked.
"Yeah, a real Kodak moment, Mulder. Now, let's get to work."
Mulder pushed out his lower lip in a mock pout. He liked these moments between him and his partner, where he felt what it would be like to be friends instead of partners.
Unbeknownst to Mulder, Scully was sharing similar thoughts.
Scully turned to the back of the room to search for the folder. When she pulled it out of the bedside table drawer, the phone rang.
Mulder picked it up quickly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Agent Mulder?" said a deep male voice.
"Yes, who is this?"
"This is Officer Lockes." He responded.
"Yes, of course." Mulder said, turning slightly, a thing that comes naturally t FBI agents when on the phone. "What have you got?"
"It appears we have another witness."
Mulder looked at Scully.
The town must have been small enough, for Samuel and Nina Cooper seemed to have already known officer Lockes.
"Hello Sam, Nina." He greeted them apon entering the door. They were an old, pleasant couple, about 60 or 70.
"This is Agent Mulder, and Agent Scully." Mulder and Scully automatically brought out their badges to show the couple as Lockes said their names. "They just want to ask you a few questions about what you saw a few nights ago."
"What did you see that night?" Mulder asked gently.
Sam started.
"Well, we were walking home from the drugstore. This neighborhood is small, so we usually walk everywhere." Sam said, not looking at either of the agents. "We were just walking when we heard what sounded like a fight. My wife got frightened, so I went ahead. In the alley, I saw a man beating up another man. The taller one was kicking the other man. He was cursing at him to be quiet."
Nina looked apprehensive, but Sam continued.
"I quickly turned to walk back home the longer way, and prepare to call the police. But when the man turned around, I could see his face. He had some blood on his face, under his eye. And his right eye was a dark red."
Scully turned around, not liking what she heard. But Mulder's face also showed signs of his disapproval.
Damn, this is not helping, he thought.
"He was a Blood Eye." Said Nina to Sam's right. Everyone looked at her, including Sam. Mulder's eyes widened momentarily, feeling the confirmation of his fears on his neck. He swallowed.
"A what?" asked Scully, still not used to the weird things she heard from people after 7 years.
"A Blood Eye." Nina repeated again, enunciating the words. "Some people get it when they're born. A blood red eye. They are weird people, violent. They have a tenancy to kill other people and be violent. Strange people. Leave you traces letting you know that they were there. A race the world hates and fears. Most of them died or were killed long ago. But they're back now." She spoke slowly, making sure that they understood her.
Everyone shared the same reaction. They all looked at her incredulously, Mulder, hiding his worst fears. He could feel his stomach leap when she spoke, fearing that he wasn't concealing his emotions.
Mulder stood up.
"What do you mean, Nina?" asked Lockes.
"They were a race of people a long time ago. Very few of them. Most of them died, but now they're back." Said Nina simply, giving Lockes a Don't-Look-At-Me-Like-That look.
"Thank you for your time Sam, Nina." He took up his jacket and put it on again.
Mulder and Scully followed Lockes out the door.
"Well that was a waste of time." Scully said.
"Maybe." Mulder said quietly, driving again.
Scully raised both of her eyebrows, questioning her partner's beliefs.
"You seemed to be interested in her story Mulder. And what do you mean, 'maybe?'"
"No, I'm agreeing with you, Scully. I think this woman and Amanda Grant may have something specifically in common." Mulder looked at Scully with a half grin.
Scully half-smiled back at Mulder's sarcasm.
"So are you saying you believe what they saw was true?" questioned Scully.
"I'm _saying_ that there might be some truth to their stories." Said Mulder matter-of-factly, swallowing his fear down to his stomach again.
What's he hiding? Thought Scully. There's some uneasiness to him on this case. It wouldn't be the first time he's not telling me something.
They had gotten back copies of the more recent crime scene photos and were now inside the manilla folder. Scully opened the folder and studied the photos and reread the case files.
"These are really bizarre photos. Don't you agree?"
"I do. Truly." Said Mulder, rubbing his eyes. He was then lost in thought.
That mark, thought Mulder. I've seen it before. They're taunting me.
"Mulder?"
"What?" he asked, annoyed.
"You had a weird dreamy look on your face. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm just... lost in thought." And indeed he was. For he could not get his mind off of the witness' claims, even through the night.
The man from Mulder's previous dream appeared again, although this time, he spoke. He was in the alley, the site of the crime. He was crouching over, doing something to the ground. As he walked away into the night, what he left behind matched the mark that was at the crime scene. Except this one looked more like an eye.
Mulder awoke this time knowing it was a dream. He was almost used to these dreams by now.
A race the world hates and fears...
Suddenly, Mulder's sharp instincts told him he was not alone. He whirled around on his feet; hands on the bedside table, where his standard FBI items were kept at night.
A man in a dark overcoat could be seen through the thin curtains on the balcony. The lack of light disallowed Mulder to make out any features except for the outline of his body.
Mulder automatically pulled the gun out of its holster. He pointed it at the man's chest.
"Who are you?" he whispered quietly.
He didn't move.
"Damn it, you're taunting me! Who are you?" he repeated carefully and quietly, as to not wake the entire hall.
"Someone you should feel close to." He said plainly and clearly, as if he were right next to Mulder. He could feel heavy child-like fears creep up back to him, past fears which he had contained long ago.
He knows... Mulder thought.
In a flash, he held out his arm, brandishing a large, curved knife.
"Put it down!" said Mulder. "Put _down_ the knife!"
The man ignored Mulder's voice. He placed the edge of the knife on the glass and slowly drew the knife across and around. It screeched, making that horrible nails-on-a-chalkboard noise, clearly leaving a huge mark on the clean glass. Mulder winced loudly at the horrific high-pitched noise, squinting to keep his eyes open.
Mulder blinked. All in that one blink, the entire sight disappeared. Mulder stood in the same position for a few seconds. Still clutching the gun, he rose to his feet and opened the glass door. The air outside was cool against his sweating skin. Mulder ran his fingers along the glass, finding the mark that the man left behind. It was the same mark at the crime scene. He was, of course, the murderer, but there was probably no way to apprehend him. Mulder check the floor above him, and the ground below him, but he was long gone.
When Mulder went to sleep again, he made sure to pull the second heavy curtains over the balcony door tightly.
The next day brought very boring investigation paths for Mulder and Scully, including more reports, and more gibberish from Nina.
"They are Blood Eyes. You can't kill them so easy. They are violent, feared people. It is best to leave them be!"
This time, Sam told them that Nina frequently visited her friends, who were all a part of a Native American/Wiccan religion.
"The wild story of hers might've come from there," he said.
Scully also had finally gotten permission to view the body of the deceased man. After autopsying him a second time, she found nothing out of the ordinary, leaving them right back where they started.
"I have a feeling," said Mulder one day to Lockes and Scully. "That we won't be able to catch him. He's already long gone."
Of course, he was proven wrong when Lockes called their hotel claiming there was some semi-washed blood in a nearby park. It was found in the wooded area.
Their arrival at the scene brought more chilly winds in the dusk, as it swept up the agents' trench coats. Both of them wore gloves and brought with them an evidence kit to take a sample of the blood back to the crime lab for identification. There was also a huge gash in the old tree. Apparently, it was an old gash. Scully gathered the evidence while Mulder searched the area for more details the might have missed the first time around. Suddenly, as Scully walked to the car, a loud gunshot rang in the air. Mulder and Scully both ducked instinctively. They drew their guns. Another shot filled the silent air. This time, the agents could vaguely identify the direction, and Scully placed herself in accordance to the direction.
"Mulder!" he called.
"Scully!" he called back. He seemed a little far off from he direction. Scully pointed her gun into the trees. Then another shot rang out again. Then there was another shot, but this gunshot sounded almost familiar. It was Mulder's.
"Mulder!" she shouted. She was interrupted when she heard leaves and twigs breaking from underfoot. It was farther off, but still audible. She pointed her gun in the direction.
"Mulder?!" she shouted again. No answer.
There was more movement, but this time to Scully's left, and then a couple of shots. Then, Mulder's blood-curdling scream filed the air.
"Mulder!!" Scully ran in the direction of his scream and could hear him moaning in pain.
"Mulder!" she said as she reached him. He was sprawled on the ground, clutching his left arm. Scully dropped to his side and carefully but quickly got off his jacket and coat. She could see the huge blood stain and tear on his dark shirt. Through it, Scully could see a huge gash in his upper arm, a loose chunk of skin and tissue hanging from his arm. He was obviously shot. Scully closed the wound and applied pressure to it on his upper arm.
Mulder cursed.
"Damn bastard! He got me! Got away!" he told Scully. With one hand Scully ran her had on the side of his face affectionately, to calm him down. Mulder looked at her, his face etched with pain. He put his own hand on his wound as Scully dialed 911 on her cellular phone.
Scully waited outside of the waiting room for a couple of hours at least while Mulder was in the ER. The doctor came out of the room and Scully stood up quickly.
"Well? How is he?"
"His upper arm suffered some tissue damage, but it's not serious. He has suffered very little muscle tissue, s it's hardly a problem. We have sewed his wound shut and all he needs now is some rest." Said the doctor.
Scully smiled slightly.
"If I know Mulder, he won't _want_ to rest."
"Yes, well, Mr. Mulder will need to. Thanks to you, though, he hasn't lost much blood, which, as you know, is common in gunshot wounds."
Scully nodded.
"Can I visit him now?"
The doctor paused.
"Well, I don't see why not." He smiled.
Scully stepped into the plain white room. On the bed, Mulder rested peacefully. There was a huge bandage on his right arm.
Scully walked over to his side and examined his face.
Wow, he looks so innocent when he's sleeping, she thought. But when he wakes up from surgery... he'll be a pain.
Mulder stirred. His face first registered confusion, then annoyance when he realized where he was and what happened.
"How do you feel, Mulder?"
He looked to Scully.
"Like crap, actually." He said with difficulty.
"Well, that's the way it's supposed to feel." Scully smiled. She put her hand on his and held it lightly.
"But are you alright?"
Mulder nodded.
"I think they're going to keep you here overnight..."
"Ooooooohhh, no. Not _here_, here, right?" he looked worried and looked to Scully for help.
"Nah, just kidding. It's not too serious, so they left you the option."
"What kind of option is that?" he asked as he was handed some clothes.
"Way ahead of you, Mulder. I picked them up after you were brought here."
Mulder flashed her a thank-you grin.
Mulder was forced to sleep with a dozen pillows to keep him sleeping at an angle to avoid hitting his wound. They were to return to DC the next day if they wanted to.
The pills he took lessened the pain and made him sleepy, but after he dozed off and woke up again, he was wide awake. He took another and forced himself to relax and sleep, but was waken again by his haunting thoughts. It was very vague, and not even dream-like. Mulder sat on the bed with the lamp on the lowest setting, thinking. About his wound, his attacker, his night visitor, and the Blood Eye legend. He tossed and turned to keep his rear from becoming numb, but then sat at the edge of the bed, face in his hands. His arm hurt, but he didn't seem to mind.
Mulder got up and looked out the window at the street below for awhile. Then he closed the curtains and sat on the noisy bed again.
What to do...
His thoughts were scattered when Scully's light knock came from the door. Mulder got up and let in his partner. The lamp barely illuminated the room. It was more like a night-light. He quietly closed the door behind her.
"Mulder, what's wrong? I can hear you pacing around." He looked at him worriedly. His brow had small beads of sweat forming.
"Mulder, have you been thinking again?" she joked, but the expression on his face was no joke. He looked slightly, oddly... sad?
"Mulder..." she questioned. "There's something about this case that you are hiding from me. What is it you aren't telling me?" she was concerned, and not demanding.
"Scully, I know more that I let on," he started, walking towards the balcony door.
"I know about..." he looked down, avoiding her eyes. "About the Blood Eyes."
"That doesn't surprise me, Mulder. Why didn't you say anything?"
At this remark, his expression changed to one of loneliness and sadness.
"They were wiped out several hundred years ago. They were supposed to be fearless, but feared. They had tendencies to be violent; and some killed other beings. They were all part of a secret race of people, not very many. They were also said to have some mystical powers... to have some strange connection to other abnormal races..."
Now Scully studied her partner, concerned.
"Scully, I..." he turned to her again. "I trust you. I want you to fully trust me."
"I do, Mulder." She sounded meek but assured.
"Not if you don't know me." He said quietly. He had thought a lot about this, especially now and decided it was time to let Scully know.
Scully cocked her head to look into his face, but he lowered his head. He lowered his head until he could not see Scully. He slowly raised his shaking right arm to his face and opened his right eye with his thumb and forefinger. With his other hand, he applied pressure right under his eye and let something fall into his open hand. Scully watched on. Mulder straightened his back, but kept his head down to avoid his partner's eyes. He kept his right arm down. When he raised his head, Scully looked deep into his eyes. His right eye, his once beautiful hazel eye, was now a blood red. Mulder's left eye was still the beautiful hazel, but his right iris was a blood red. Mulder was a Blood Eye.
Scully's face showed shock and concern.
"Oh my God..."
Mulder looked sadly at his partner, feeling that the connection; the attraction between them was now broken. He felt completely alone. He was almost on the verge of tears.
"Mulder..."
"I feel so... alone," he said timidly. "I'm afraid of the reaction, the fear."
Mulder surrendered to his emotions as tears ran down his cheeks.
Scully reached out and took Mulder into her arms, placing her head under his neck. He raised his arms and hugged her as well. Scully started to shed tears as Mulder put his head on top of hers.
"Oh, Mulder..." she whimpered. "No, Mulder. I think... it's a different kind of beautiful."
~Fin~
A/N: I may or may not continue this fic... it all depends on my mood and reviews ;) hehe...
Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and everyone else belong to Chris Carter, 20th Century FOX, 1013 Productions, and the wonderful actors that portray them.
Rating: Anything between PG and PG-13. Why? For brief language and violent displays.
Feedback: Heck, yeah! Feedback of any kind is greatly appreciated.
Distribution: Yeah, right! Like anyone's going to want to. But if you'd like to distribute my work, try to email me solely to let me know where it's going.
Email: squall_leonhart23@hotmail.com
A/N: The second installment of my fic "Blood Eyes." You could probably follow this part even without reading the first part. I ask you (kindly, of course) to please review this story, whether you liked it or not. This part is longer than part 1, and personally, I like it better. Enjoy!
Mulder awoke with a start again at the sound of light knocking.
"Mulder?" Scully's worried voice slips quietly through the wooden door.
Mulder's heart jumped at hearing the sound of her timid voice.
"Yeah." Mulder walked sleepily to the door and opened it a crack.
"No, I don't want to convert just yet." He smiled as he peeked his head through the crack. He opened the door completely as Scully raised her eyebrow at his comment.
"Nice, Mulder." Her expression changed. "I heard you tossing about last night. I was just worried."
Mulder stood up awkwardly, remembering his frightening dream.
"Nah, I'm alright." He said, feeling his lying words still hanging in his throat. Apparently, he didn't hide his feelings well because Scully looked at him with confusion.
"Are you sure, Mulder?"
"Yeah." He said nonchalantly. "Let's get dressed. I'm starved."
After a quick breakfast involving an embarrassed Mulder bumping into a man, causing him to spill his scalding coffee on his newspaper and what appeared to be his taxes, they retreated back to their rooms to review the case. The agents were still giggling like children when they opened the door to Scully's room.
"Did you _see_ his face, Scully?" Mulder said through a laugh.
Scully just nodded, giggling too much to answer.
"Mulder, those were his _taxes_! That 'F' sentence certainly didn't start with a 'fine'."
They both stopped, letting themselves calm down before returning to work.
"Okay. We need to start on this case." Scully said suddenly, still smiling.
"Scully! Must you ruin a perfect moment?" he joked.
"Yeah, a real Kodak moment, Mulder. Now, let's get to work."
Mulder pushed out his lower lip in a mock pout. He liked these moments between him and his partner, where he felt what it would be like to be friends instead of partners.
Unbeknownst to Mulder, Scully was sharing similar thoughts.
Scully turned to the back of the room to search for the folder. When she pulled it out of the bedside table drawer, the phone rang.
Mulder picked it up quickly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Agent Mulder?" said a deep male voice.
"Yes, who is this?"
"This is Officer Lockes." He responded.
"Yes, of course." Mulder said, turning slightly, a thing that comes naturally t FBI agents when on the phone. "What have you got?"
"It appears we have another witness."
Mulder looked at Scully.
The town must have been small enough, for Samuel and Nina Cooper seemed to have already known officer Lockes.
"Hello Sam, Nina." He greeted them apon entering the door. They were an old, pleasant couple, about 60 or 70.
"This is Agent Mulder, and Agent Scully." Mulder and Scully automatically brought out their badges to show the couple as Lockes said their names. "They just want to ask you a few questions about what you saw a few nights ago."
"What did you see that night?" Mulder asked gently.
Sam started.
"Well, we were walking home from the drugstore. This neighborhood is small, so we usually walk everywhere." Sam said, not looking at either of the agents. "We were just walking when we heard what sounded like a fight. My wife got frightened, so I went ahead. In the alley, I saw a man beating up another man. The taller one was kicking the other man. He was cursing at him to be quiet."
Nina looked apprehensive, but Sam continued.
"I quickly turned to walk back home the longer way, and prepare to call the police. But when the man turned around, I could see his face. He had some blood on his face, under his eye. And his right eye was a dark red."
Scully turned around, not liking what she heard. But Mulder's face also showed signs of his disapproval.
Damn, this is not helping, he thought.
"He was a Blood Eye." Said Nina to Sam's right. Everyone looked at her, including Sam. Mulder's eyes widened momentarily, feeling the confirmation of his fears on his neck. He swallowed.
"A what?" asked Scully, still not used to the weird things she heard from people after 7 years.
"A Blood Eye." Nina repeated again, enunciating the words. "Some people get it when they're born. A blood red eye. They are weird people, violent. They have a tenancy to kill other people and be violent. Strange people. Leave you traces letting you know that they were there. A race the world hates and fears. Most of them died or were killed long ago. But they're back now." She spoke slowly, making sure that they understood her.
Everyone shared the same reaction. They all looked at her incredulously, Mulder, hiding his worst fears. He could feel his stomach leap when she spoke, fearing that he wasn't concealing his emotions.
Mulder stood up.
"What do you mean, Nina?" asked Lockes.
"They were a race of people a long time ago. Very few of them. Most of them died, but now they're back." Said Nina simply, giving Lockes a Don't-Look-At-Me-Like-That look.
"Thank you for your time Sam, Nina." He took up his jacket and put it on again.
Mulder and Scully followed Lockes out the door.
"Well that was a waste of time." Scully said.
"Maybe." Mulder said quietly, driving again.
Scully raised both of her eyebrows, questioning her partner's beliefs.
"You seemed to be interested in her story Mulder. And what do you mean, 'maybe?'"
"No, I'm agreeing with you, Scully. I think this woman and Amanda Grant may have something specifically in common." Mulder looked at Scully with a half grin.
Scully half-smiled back at Mulder's sarcasm.
"So are you saying you believe what they saw was true?" questioned Scully.
"I'm _saying_ that there might be some truth to their stories." Said Mulder matter-of-factly, swallowing his fear down to his stomach again.
What's he hiding? Thought Scully. There's some uneasiness to him on this case. It wouldn't be the first time he's not telling me something.
They had gotten back copies of the more recent crime scene photos and were now inside the manilla folder. Scully opened the folder and studied the photos and reread the case files.
"These are really bizarre photos. Don't you agree?"
"I do. Truly." Said Mulder, rubbing his eyes. He was then lost in thought.
That mark, thought Mulder. I've seen it before. They're taunting me.
"Mulder?"
"What?" he asked, annoyed.
"You had a weird dreamy look on your face. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm just... lost in thought." And indeed he was. For he could not get his mind off of the witness' claims, even through the night.
The man from Mulder's previous dream appeared again, although this time, he spoke. He was in the alley, the site of the crime. He was crouching over, doing something to the ground. As he walked away into the night, what he left behind matched the mark that was at the crime scene. Except this one looked more like an eye.
Mulder awoke this time knowing it was a dream. He was almost used to these dreams by now.
A race the world hates and fears...
Suddenly, Mulder's sharp instincts told him he was not alone. He whirled around on his feet; hands on the bedside table, where his standard FBI items were kept at night.
A man in a dark overcoat could be seen through the thin curtains on the balcony. The lack of light disallowed Mulder to make out any features except for the outline of his body.
Mulder automatically pulled the gun out of its holster. He pointed it at the man's chest.
"Who are you?" he whispered quietly.
He didn't move.
"Damn it, you're taunting me! Who are you?" he repeated carefully and quietly, as to not wake the entire hall.
"Someone you should feel close to." He said plainly and clearly, as if he were right next to Mulder. He could feel heavy child-like fears creep up back to him, past fears which he had contained long ago.
He knows... Mulder thought.
In a flash, he held out his arm, brandishing a large, curved knife.
"Put it down!" said Mulder. "Put _down_ the knife!"
The man ignored Mulder's voice. He placed the edge of the knife on the glass and slowly drew the knife across and around. It screeched, making that horrible nails-on-a-chalkboard noise, clearly leaving a huge mark on the clean glass. Mulder winced loudly at the horrific high-pitched noise, squinting to keep his eyes open.
Mulder blinked. All in that one blink, the entire sight disappeared. Mulder stood in the same position for a few seconds. Still clutching the gun, he rose to his feet and opened the glass door. The air outside was cool against his sweating skin. Mulder ran his fingers along the glass, finding the mark that the man left behind. It was the same mark at the crime scene. He was, of course, the murderer, but there was probably no way to apprehend him. Mulder check the floor above him, and the ground below him, but he was long gone.
When Mulder went to sleep again, he made sure to pull the second heavy curtains over the balcony door tightly.
The next day brought very boring investigation paths for Mulder and Scully, including more reports, and more gibberish from Nina.
"They are Blood Eyes. You can't kill them so easy. They are violent, feared people. It is best to leave them be!"
This time, Sam told them that Nina frequently visited her friends, who were all a part of a Native American/Wiccan religion.
"The wild story of hers might've come from there," he said.
Scully also had finally gotten permission to view the body of the deceased man. After autopsying him a second time, she found nothing out of the ordinary, leaving them right back where they started.
"I have a feeling," said Mulder one day to Lockes and Scully. "That we won't be able to catch him. He's already long gone."
Of course, he was proven wrong when Lockes called their hotel claiming there was some semi-washed blood in a nearby park. It was found in the wooded area.
Their arrival at the scene brought more chilly winds in the dusk, as it swept up the agents' trench coats. Both of them wore gloves and brought with them an evidence kit to take a sample of the blood back to the crime lab for identification. There was also a huge gash in the old tree. Apparently, it was an old gash. Scully gathered the evidence while Mulder searched the area for more details the might have missed the first time around. Suddenly, as Scully walked to the car, a loud gunshot rang in the air. Mulder and Scully both ducked instinctively. They drew their guns. Another shot filled the silent air. This time, the agents could vaguely identify the direction, and Scully placed herself in accordance to the direction.
"Mulder!" he called.
"Scully!" he called back. He seemed a little far off from he direction. Scully pointed her gun into the trees. Then another shot rang out again. Then there was another shot, but this gunshot sounded almost familiar. It was Mulder's.
"Mulder!" she shouted. She was interrupted when she heard leaves and twigs breaking from underfoot. It was farther off, but still audible. She pointed her gun in the direction.
"Mulder?!" she shouted again. No answer.
There was more movement, but this time to Scully's left, and then a couple of shots. Then, Mulder's blood-curdling scream filed the air.
"Mulder!!" Scully ran in the direction of his scream and could hear him moaning in pain.
"Mulder!" she said as she reached him. He was sprawled on the ground, clutching his left arm. Scully dropped to his side and carefully but quickly got off his jacket and coat. She could see the huge blood stain and tear on his dark shirt. Through it, Scully could see a huge gash in his upper arm, a loose chunk of skin and tissue hanging from his arm. He was obviously shot. Scully closed the wound and applied pressure to it on his upper arm.
Mulder cursed.
"Damn bastard! He got me! Got away!" he told Scully. With one hand Scully ran her had on the side of his face affectionately, to calm him down. Mulder looked at her, his face etched with pain. He put his own hand on his wound as Scully dialed 911 on her cellular phone.
Scully waited outside of the waiting room for a couple of hours at least while Mulder was in the ER. The doctor came out of the room and Scully stood up quickly.
"Well? How is he?"
"His upper arm suffered some tissue damage, but it's not serious. He has suffered very little muscle tissue, s it's hardly a problem. We have sewed his wound shut and all he needs now is some rest." Said the doctor.
Scully smiled slightly.
"If I know Mulder, he won't _want_ to rest."
"Yes, well, Mr. Mulder will need to. Thanks to you, though, he hasn't lost much blood, which, as you know, is common in gunshot wounds."
Scully nodded.
"Can I visit him now?"
The doctor paused.
"Well, I don't see why not." He smiled.
Scully stepped into the plain white room. On the bed, Mulder rested peacefully. There was a huge bandage on his right arm.
Scully walked over to his side and examined his face.
Wow, he looks so innocent when he's sleeping, she thought. But when he wakes up from surgery... he'll be a pain.
Mulder stirred. His face first registered confusion, then annoyance when he realized where he was and what happened.
"How do you feel, Mulder?"
He looked to Scully.
"Like crap, actually." He said with difficulty.
"Well, that's the way it's supposed to feel." Scully smiled. She put her hand on his and held it lightly.
"But are you alright?"
Mulder nodded.
"I think they're going to keep you here overnight..."
"Ooooooohhh, no. Not _here_, here, right?" he looked worried and looked to Scully for help.
"Nah, just kidding. It's not too serious, so they left you the option."
"What kind of option is that?" he asked as he was handed some clothes.
"Way ahead of you, Mulder. I picked them up after you were brought here."
Mulder flashed her a thank-you grin.
Mulder was forced to sleep with a dozen pillows to keep him sleeping at an angle to avoid hitting his wound. They were to return to DC the next day if they wanted to.
The pills he took lessened the pain and made him sleepy, but after he dozed off and woke up again, he was wide awake. He took another and forced himself to relax and sleep, but was waken again by his haunting thoughts. It was very vague, and not even dream-like. Mulder sat on the bed with the lamp on the lowest setting, thinking. About his wound, his attacker, his night visitor, and the Blood Eye legend. He tossed and turned to keep his rear from becoming numb, but then sat at the edge of the bed, face in his hands. His arm hurt, but he didn't seem to mind.
Mulder got up and looked out the window at the street below for awhile. Then he closed the curtains and sat on the noisy bed again.
What to do...
His thoughts were scattered when Scully's light knock came from the door. Mulder got up and let in his partner. The lamp barely illuminated the room. It was more like a night-light. He quietly closed the door behind her.
"Mulder, what's wrong? I can hear you pacing around." He looked at him worriedly. His brow had small beads of sweat forming.
"Mulder, have you been thinking again?" she joked, but the expression on his face was no joke. He looked slightly, oddly... sad?
"Mulder..." she questioned. "There's something about this case that you are hiding from me. What is it you aren't telling me?" she was concerned, and not demanding.
"Scully, I know more that I let on," he started, walking towards the balcony door.
"I know about..." he looked down, avoiding her eyes. "About the Blood Eyes."
"That doesn't surprise me, Mulder. Why didn't you say anything?"
At this remark, his expression changed to one of loneliness and sadness.
"They were wiped out several hundred years ago. They were supposed to be fearless, but feared. They had tendencies to be violent; and some killed other beings. They were all part of a secret race of people, not very many. They were also said to have some mystical powers... to have some strange connection to other abnormal races..."
Now Scully studied her partner, concerned.
"Scully, I..." he turned to her again. "I trust you. I want you to fully trust me."
"I do, Mulder." She sounded meek but assured.
"Not if you don't know me." He said quietly. He had thought a lot about this, especially now and decided it was time to let Scully know.
Scully cocked her head to look into his face, but he lowered his head. He lowered his head until he could not see Scully. He slowly raised his shaking right arm to his face and opened his right eye with his thumb and forefinger. With his other hand, he applied pressure right under his eye and let something fall into his open hand. Scully watched on. Mulder straightened his back, but kept his head down to avoid his partner's eyes. He kept his right arm down. When he raised his head, Scully looked deep into his eyes. His right eye, his once beautiful hazel eye, was now a blood red. Mulder's left eye was still the beautiful hazel, but his right iris was a blood red. Mulder was a Blood Eye.
Scully's face showed shock and concern.
"Oh my God..."
Mulder looked sadly at his partner, feeling that the connection; the attraction between them was now broken. He felt completely alone. He was almost on the verge of tears.
"Mulder..."
"I feel so... alone," he said timidly. "I'm afraid of the reaction, the fear."
Mulder surrendered to his emotions as tears ran down his cheeks.
Scully reached out and took Mulder into her arms, placing her head under his neck. He raised his arms and hugged her as well. Scully started to shed tears as Mulder put his head on top of hers.
"Oh, Mulder..." she whimpered. "No, Mulder. I think... it's a different kind of beautiful."
~Fin~
A/N: I may or may not continue this fic... it all depends on my mood and reviews ;) hehe...