Title: Embraced
Author: Shawen A. Greer
Summary: When faced with unspeakable evil,
sometimes love is your only hope. (This is
written in response to a challenge to write
an MSR story where Mulder is a vampire.)
Rating: PG-13
Classification: MSR, mild horror
Disclaimer: Character Jordan Auspex belongs to the
author. X-Files and all other characters belong to
CC, 1013, and Fox. The clan Tremere was
respectfully referenced from The Masquerade.
Feedback: I absolutely love to get feedback at
shawen@altavista.com. Please check out my other
stories and poetry at The Hall of 'X'
www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/8840

With special thanks to my beta reader Georgia for her
wonderful
insight!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Wednesday, 9:25 pm
Gertie's Bar

He has been here for hours trying to fill the emptiness
that is so painfully apparent on his handsome face,
attempting to fill the void with a bottle of cheap scotch. I
remain in the shadows, as I have done so many times
before, watching and waiting until the time is right for me
to introduce myself and offer him the gift. He seems
different tonight, almost unknowingly aware of my
presence, beckoning me to save him from the lies of this
life and lead him to the truth of eternity.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Here I am again, pouring my sorrows disguised as cheap
liquor into a shallow glass and hovering alone at the
corner barstool that has become my comfort lately. My
appearance here has been so regular since they closed the
X-files again, with the usual political rhetoric, that
Tracey the barmaid has my bottle and glass on the bar
without even asking for my order. Here in this dimly lit
corner, smelling of stale beer and cheap perfume I am
now a regular, which provides for me some sense of
normality in my life instead of the usual stares and
whispers I have grown accustomed to. I had enjoyed the
ability to hide in the basement, alone in the shadows with
my own agenda, but now I am forced into the light again,
having been re-assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit.

Scully spends most of her time at Quantico, and I refuse
to burden her with my manic-depressive outlook as of
late on the few brief occasions that we meet. It isn't as if
she can't see through my weak attempt at hiding it from
her though, obvious in her need to call me five times a
day for any number of vague excuses to ask if I'm ok. At
the weekly briefings, she greets me with that concerned
and marginally scared look in those beautiful blue eyes of
hers. God, those eyes! If I didn't already love her, they
alone would be enough to engulf me and I could think of
nothing that I would want more than to drown in them,
not in death but in life. It seems now as I grow older, I
desire a life so complete and so pleasant that it could
make me forget all the evil that I have seen, but there is
no measure of happiness that could replace the darkness
that has surrounded me.

Except my Scully, the beacon of light that chases the
darkness just by her presence, but how can I possibly tell
her how much I care about her and everything she means
to me after all the pain and loss that she has suffered
because of me. She deserves so much more than a man
who is a constant reminder of every painful memory.

"You know, hemlock would work much faster and
probably taste better than this watered-down shit."

I was so absorbed in my self-pity that it was as if the tall
beauty appeared out of nowhere, apparent by my startled
jump at the sound of her voice and the small splash from
my glass.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, mopping up the droplets from
the bar and my hand with the cocktail napkin provided.

"I said may I join you?" she laughed at my awkwardness,
a sweet melodic laugh that for a moment seemed to
brighten my lonely corner.

I tipped my hand toward the stool next to me as an
invitation, cautioning her at the same time that I was
probably not the best company. She replied that she was,
and that brought an unexpected smile to my hardened
face. Having taken her seat beside me, I saw for the first
time the beautiful woman who was unfortunate enough to
desire my company. Her skin was as white as Damask
porcelain and her dark hair flowed long and straight
down her slender body to her waist where a pair of black
leather pants began. Being weak when in comes to a
woman in leather, I found it difficult at first to bring my
eyes back up to where they began. Eventually able to
tear my gaze away from her thought provoking lower
body, I managed to slowly raise my eyes to the tight
fitting gray shirt that topped off the package and then to
the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen. They
weren't the warm blue of the ocean like Scully's, but an
ice blue that almost chilled you with a glance. I found
myself speechless and unable to break the steady gaze
that she had started knowing somehow at that moment
that I was in trouble, but at the time, I didn't realize the
full implication of that suspicion.

"I don't mean to intrude," she began, "it's just that I have
seen you in here so many times and noticed that you were
always alone and rather sullen, I thought maybe you'd
like to talk."

"Talk about what," I thought to myself. The
conspiracies, my sister's alleged abduction by aliens,
being in love with my partner and my best friend who it
just so happens has had so many precious things in her
life destroyed because of me, or just that fact that I am
alone, so alone that no amount of companionship eases
the loneliness except for her. Instead, I decided on "You
might say I'm a loner, so to speak."

"I can understand that," she nodded her head knowingly,
"I tend to enjoy my own solitude most of the time. It
seems that I never quite fit in you might say." She paused
for a moment lost in some uncomfortable memory before
adding, "I'm sorry, how rude of me," she said extending
her hand, " I'm Jordan Auspex."

I took her hand firmly in my own, and was surprised at
the strength possessed by such a frail looking woman.
"I'm Mulder."

"Mulder?" she asked her arched eyebrow punctuating the
curiosity on her face.

"It's a long story." I shook my head with a silent
chuckle. I learned long ago that the bar scene was not the
place to reveal a name like Fox.

"Well, I've got time, it's early yet. Maybe you could
walk me home. These days there are unspeakable
dangers in the darkness."

Unspeakable dangers were the mildest of the evil and the
darkness, that I knew first hand, and I found myself again
captured by her chilling eyes, unable to look away and
break the spell. I was under her control, a willing victim,
and I nodded my head in agreement of the proposed walk
knowing what evil might await me. I carelessly tossed
enough money to take care of my bar bill, plus a
generous tip for Tracey, onto the high polished counter
without ever breaking from her gaze. Her long fingers
laced with mine, and she led me through the heavy
wooden door and out into the darkness.

My head was screaming for me to wake up, to snap out of
the spell she had cast over me and find some excuse to
get away quickly, but the scotch I had consumed dulled it
to white noise. I knew that I was in danger if I couldn't
regain my senses now, but the power she now held over
me was strengthened by my own despair. The streets
were filled with the sound of laughter and disorder, and I
remember a random splattering of faces before me as we
walked silently in the night.

Still in my haze of confusion, I found myself at the
Reflecting Pool unsure of how much time had past.
Ironically, we stopped one bench over from the one I
normally share with Scully as Jordan spoke words of
love, and of life and forever. My silent plea became "Oh
Scully, where are you? Please help me!" as I found
myself terrified and intrigued by this experience. But,
you were nowhere to be found as you respected my
privacy and my need to be alone. My lovely enchantress
slowly straddled my lap accompanied by the sound of
rubbing leather, and I shivered unconsciously as I felt her
tongue lick my neck seductively from the collar of my
white t-shirt to the tender spot just behind my ear. I had
met her kind before, had researched all there was to
know. Her powers were obvious as she held such control
over me with her piercing gaze, but I could not look
away. I wanted to run as if my life depended on it, for
surely it did, but I was still and compliant, bound by the
restraints of her enchantment. I tried to scream but the
sound remained silent, lost somewhere between the
thought and the action.

Her voice filled my ear with whispers of desires and
power, and I nodded my clouded head slowly in an
admission of my want for such things. Zealous in the
pursuit of her prey, she wasted no time and I cried out at
the excruciating pain that pierced the side of my neck and
my hands immediately clutched at the silken strands of
her hair that covered us. She latched onto me so tightly
that it was as if she were actually part of me, and soon
my arms slowly released their tension and fell to my
sides in defeat. It didn't hurt anymore, in fact my body
felt rather numb and light as I opened my eyes willing
this to be a dream. In the trees that faced me across the
wide expanse of The Pool, I could see lightning bugs
dancing in the darkness, blinking in random flashes like a
world of Christmas Trees as the hum in my ears became
deafening. The cold tingling of numbness started at my
feet and rose gradually up my body like a silent caress
until my eyes closed again from sheer exhaustion.

The darkness grew heavy around me and I found it too
taxing on my strength to even breathe, yet my lungs
continued to function more out of habit than from need.
A hand gently stroked my weary brow and I prayed with
all my heart to a God that I had always questioned for it
to be Scully, here to rescue me from the pain and fate of
my stupidity. However, after much effort to open my
eyes, I was face to face with my sinister beauty as her full
lips still stained with the red of my blood pressed kisses
to my open palm.

"You're dying Fox," she whispered as her kisses slowly
worked their way up my arms, and I shivered though I'm
not sure if it was from the cold I now felt or from her
touch.

"What have you done to me?" I asked, though I already
knew the answer.

"I've given you the power to choose your destiny, my
love," she almost purred as she held my face in her
hands, "You can now have peace in your tumultuous life,
either by death or by life eternal that I can bestow upon
you, giving you power beyond your imagination."

I had always thought of death as a final refuge, an
everlasting darkness void of any pain or confusion, but
now as I was suddenly faced with its reality, I feared it's
near grasp. Though the thought of the end of my quest
with all its twists and turns in the search for the truth was
so tempting, and yet the thought of never seeing Scully
again filled me with a sorrow so great that I knew what I
had to choose. I had to accept the offer of life I was
given, in the hopes that it was not too late for Scully to
save me. We would think of something, together, for in
our unity we were invincible, or at least I hoped so.

"Help me," I gasped with the only remaining air in my
body. I feared that I had made the wrong choice at the
sight of the wicked smile that formed on her venomous
lips.

"Fox, you made me very happy," she said as she moved
off of my lap and took a seat beside me on the bench,
"you'll be ok, my love, I promise to take very good care
of you."

A moan was all that I could manage in response, as I
watched her bare her sharp, white fangs against the soft
skin of her inner wrist and offered it to my dry mouth as
the small stream of red began to flow. She told me to
drink and I immediately obeyed, suddenly filled with a
hunger unlike I had ever experienced before, and held her
arm so tightly to my mouth that I feared I would break it.
I felt warmth begin to fill my body again, though it was
more like the burning of a fire than a comfort. Her back
was arched with her head thrown back in pleasure and I
could hear the soft moans that escaped her open mouth,
my ears filled with the resonant beats of our united hearts
as they pounded in death instead of life. I felt like an
animal unable to control the unquenchable need in my
stomach, and found myself wild eyed and crazed when
she roughly pulled her arm from my grasp.

"Easy baby, not too much. You need to take it slow and
give your body time to adjust," she said in a motherly
tone and as if in response to her warning, an unyielding
pain developed in my stomach that caused me to double
over onto the ground and cry out in agony. She held me
in her arms there on the cold ground, my body shaking
violently as if I suffered from a fever.

"It'll be ok, love, this is the worst. Just hang in there
with me, you'll be alright," came her voice soft and
reassuring as she rocked my tired body through the
progression of my transformation. This was the last
memory that I have of my embrace as I laid in the arms
of this strange woman in my madness, having foolishly
trusted in spite of all that I know, to find myself the prey
of a vampire.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thursday, 10:27 am
Mulder's Apartment


The sound of Scully's voice pulled me from the darkness
and I mumbled a response, as I tried to turn my aching
body in her direction, but I soon gave up from sheer
exhaustion. I was in my bed now, safe in the familiar
blankets that I had grown accustomed to, her weight
barely tipping the mattress as she sat beside me shaking
me to consciousness. I knew that Scully would save me,
even from what was evidently a horrible nightmare,
though my body hurt in places that I didn't realize one
could feel pain. I must have really overdone it this time,
my head was spinning trying to piece together the night
before, and the pain in my stomach, though less intense
than I remembered, was now accompanied by a strong
need to be sick.

"Come on Mulder," she begged with both concern and
irritation, "Skinner is going to have your ass in a sling if
you don't get your act together. I've managed to cover
for you so far but you have to get moving. Let's get you
into the shower and drown you in some really strong
coffee."

"I always knew you wanted to get me in the shower,
Scully," I managed to tease with a croak, though I'm not
sure if she ignored me or just didn't hear me. No sooner
than the words left my mouth, my body began to shiver
again from the chill deep inside me, and I wondered how
my flesh could be so numb, and yet still feel so cold.

"Mulder!" she cried and she was on her feet as her
medical training sprang into action.

She rolled me onto my back with one great tug fueled by
sheer adrenaline and fear, and the terror seized my own
heart as I heard her loud gasp at what I was sure was the
sight of blood on the shoulder of my white shirt. Oh dear
God, it hadn't been a dream, and the image of Jordan
pierced my memory as her fangs had pierced my flesh.

"Oh my God, Mulder, you're bleeding!" That cool Scully
exterior began to erode quickly in her obvious panic as
she grabbed a handful of the sheet and pressed it to my
skin and the now dead artery beneath it.

"Not anymore," I quipped as sarcastically as a dead man
could.

"What happened to you Mulder? Were you in a fight?
This is serious, you could need stitches," she questioned
as she quickly checked my vitals and looked for a first
aid kit.

"I believe what I would need for a bite is a tetanus shot,
Dr. Scully," I said, but was scared at the strangeness of
my own voice. "However, I don't think there is much
sense in that either."

"Something bit you Mulder? Where did this happen, we
have to call animal control right away! Rabid animals
tend to gravitate to populated areas for food, their fear of
man abated by their sickness."

"No, Scully, it was a woman I met in the bar. She... "

"Ok, I've heard enough," she established with an irritated
tone. "Mulder, regardless of any perverted scenario, as a
doctor, I feel that I need to inform you that human bites
are worse than that of an animal. The saliva in a human's
mouth... "

It was my turn to interrupt, "She wasn't human, Scully."
I paused for the struggle of a deep breath before I
continued. "She was a vampire."

I could see the look on her face clearly, even if I wasn't
facing her. It was that skeptical look that I had seen
hundreds of times before as she processed my claim.

"A vampire," was all she said in that perfected Scully
tone.

I nodded; too weak for the banter that we normally
shared in my attempts to prove to her the mysteries of the
unknown. There was no debate this time, there was
evidence, and I was it.

I heard the flip of my partner's cell phone and with every
ounce of strength that I had, I sat up and pulled it from
her hands as they shakily pushed the buttons in an
attempt to get help. I disconnected the line and fell back
into the softness of the pillow below me as the tears
began to fill my eyes.

"Mulder, what are you doing?" she screamed, "You need
help!" She clawed at the phone that I clutched in my
hands, but I refused to let go.

"Who are you going to call, Scully...Ghostbusters?" I
tried to yell. "There is no help now, except death!"

The silence was almost deafening as we were submerged
in the darkness of despair, searching for answers to
questions that we didn't know existed. She sat down on
the bed beside me and gently took my hand in hers, and I
closed my eyes to block out everything but the feel of her
hands covering mine, and the soft passes of her thumb as
it reassuringly rubbed my knuckles. There was so much
that I needed to tell her about what was to come and what
she must do, but I needed her touch so much more right
now, and I squeezed her hand tighter as if that alone
would hold me here. I knew that these had to be our last
hours together, for if the folklore were true, Jordan would
be back after sundown for the pursuit of my first kill and
the completion of my transformation. This would put
Scully and anyone else around me in grave danger, and
yet I knew that someone had to put an end to this as
quickly as it would begin. If all of my information and
research in the past were true, I would return here before
sunrise tomorrow, and I had to make sure that someone
was waiting here for me, with a stake to release me of
this curse.

Her voice was shaky and quiet as she spoke, reminding
me much of the young girl I used to know, whose
innocence had vanished as a result of so many
unspeakable truths. "Mulder, your hands are freezing,"
she observed. "So you're telling me that you are a...
a..."

"No, Scully," I said before she could finish, "not yet
anyway."

"But you're saying that you will be," she paused with a
loud sigh before she continued. I could sense that fear
began to outweigh her skepticism, afraid of the
possibility she could be wrong in her disbelief. "Isn't
there anything that we can do? Certainly there has to be
a way to reverse this...right?"

Her voice trailed off in a plea, and I was unable to speak
any words to deny such hope, as I found looking at her an
even greater challenge. The tears were constant streams
now and she roughly brushed them from her chin with the
back of her hand. Maybe there was a chance, but it was it
was almost impossible, and even more risky, however, as
I looked into Scully's tear-streaked face, I knew that it
was worth any risk for her and I handed her back her
phone.

"Call Skinner," I sighed, "we'll need his help."

My strength was almost gone and I rolled back over to
my side and curled up in the tightest ball that I could as if
it could protect me from all the evil that surrounded me.
Skinner would come and together we would formulate a
plan. Until then sleep once again called to me and I was
too weak not to answer it. The last thing I remember is
hearing Scully on her cell phone trying to explain
something she herself did not understand.

"Yes, Sir, I'm at Mulder's apartment."

"No, Sir, it's a little more complicated than that. I think
you need to get here as quickly as possible, Mulder needs
your help."

"No, Sir, I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than that,
only that it's urgent oh, and Sir, please consider this
conversation classified."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

12:05 pm

The familiar voice of my superior roused me from my
tormented sleep, though I found it nearly impossible to
bring myself to complete consciousness. It was as if a
powerful drug controlled me and my body was helpless
against its effects.

"Agent Mulder," he said in that deep and questioning
voice that revealed his concern, "Agent Scully has filled
me in on," he paused, "the situation as it were, would you
care to elaborate as to the nature of your wound."

I closed my eyes to the dim light that peeked through the
closed blinds and surrounded me, and I laughed a weak
and tired laugh as I pondered the tale, wondering myself
at the believability, but the increasing pain in my stomach
and the numbness that I felt in my extremities were
enough to convince me of the truth. I sought for the
words in my sleepy confusion and relayed the events of
the previous night as they had unfolded. My eyes
remained closed, yet I could picture their faces looking
from me to each other in questioning disbelief.

"So, why am I here Agent?"

Skinner, true to form. Question, analyze, and get directly
to the point. "You are here, Sir, to insure that my
"becoming" never completes. One way or another."

His face remained expressionless as he evaluated the task
set before him. "Agent Mulder, not to say that the desire
to kill you has never crossed my mind, but am I to
understand that you asked me here for the possible task
of putting a stake through your heart because you have
become a member of the undead? Tell me that is not
what I heard." I knew that secretly his irritation was
more from his own fear than from anger, and I tried to
smile, though unreassuringly.

"That wasn't going to be Plan A." I joked. "Actually
more of a Plan, oh I don't know, D or so."

"Mulder," the sweet voice of Scully interrupted, "what
are we supposed to do?"

The hours that followed were filled with folklore and
legend as I struggled in my lethargic state to warn them
of the probable upcoming events. Jordan was most
certainly a dangerous creature, her power increased by
her obvious intelligence and apparent ability to read the
minds of her victims. The hiss of her whisper was still in
my head as she spoke of things that I had not given
conscious thought to, and had even expressed an apparent
jealousy of Scully. One thing was sure in my
uncertainty, Scully had to be protected at all costs. I
turned to her, and was comforted by the gleam that
bounced from the delicate cross that graced her neck, yet
found myself unable to continue staring at it without a
dull pain forming at my temples. "Scully, most
importantly, do not under any circumstances remove that
cross from your neck."

Her hand quickly reached up to take the precious metal in
her fingers, her eyes showing for the first time the true
fear that she tried to contain in her heart.

"Agent Mulder," Skinner began, "what exactly are we up
against? The sun will be going down in about two hours.
That doesn't give us much time to prepare."

Our conversation was interrupted by a coded knock at the
door to which Scully disappeared to answer. She
returned moments later followed by the comedy team of
Frohike, Langly, and Byers, dressed as though they
walked off the set of a bad horror movie. They wore
large crucifixes around their necks and carried boxes and
bags loaded with a various collection from garlic to holy
water, right down to some ominously sharp wooden
stakes that appeared to be fashioned from an old croquet
set, the rings of color making for a rather cheery form of
destruction. They stood their distance away from me,
cautiously watching. It was Frohike that spoke first.
"So, Mulder, how ya feeling? Well, for a dead guy that
is." There was an immediate jab from Langly's elbow.
"Ouch!" the shorter vampire hunter howled. "What? It's
true!"

Byers being the most diplomatic of the three stepped up
from out of the shadows, "I think what he means, Mulder,
is that we are here to help. Any way we can."

Scully had evidently called them as I slept, and I was
grateful. The more of them there were, the greater the
chance that Jordan would be destroyed along with
myself should such action become necessary. They
appeared to be prepared for any possible situation, both
from fear and from determination to save me from the
impending fates that waited for me.

Langly settled on the floor and opened his laptop, then
pulled his long blonde hair back into a ponytail, a sign
that he was ready to get into some heavy techno-research,
which no doubt meant hacking into a number of
government facilities until he found the answers that
would hopefully save me. "Ok, Mulder, now, give me
some background on the blood babe you met last night."

I coughed in an effort to clear my dry throat as Scully
gently lifted my head and touched a glass of water to my
thirsty mouth. The water cooled the burning that I felt,
however, having never been a great fan of water to begin
with, the taste was metallic and sickening and I shrugged
it away, choosing instead the dryness.

"Mulder, you'll dehydrate if you don't drink something,"
she scolded.

"I think that is the least of my worries and this point," I
answered, trying to smile to relieve some of the concern
that wrinkled her thoughtful brow. "Her name is Jordan
Auspex," I began and paused as all eyes in the room
turned to me.

"Auspex? Like as in extrasensory perception, awareness,
and premonitions?" Langly asked.

"Precisely that." I confirmed and laid my head back
down into the cool pillow. "It's possible we are dealing
with a rather ancient clan known as the Tremere. They
were known to be visionaries by demeanor, and I have
reason to believe that, Jordan specifically, also has the
ability to read and control minds."

"Of course she does," Frohike said dropping his arms to
his side and shaking his head in frustration. "That should
make this a piece of cake."

I described the scene as best as my weary mind could
remember about our conversation and the events from the
previous evening, and gave a detailed description of my
beautiful assailant from the color of her ice blue eyes to
her black leather pants.

The latter seemed to perk up Frohike as his head shifted
so quickly in my direction I wasn't sure I even saw it
move. "Black leather pants?" he exclaimed sounding like
a hormonal high school kid, "Now that is tasty!" His
eyes focused on some far off place deep in thought,
scaring me more than possibly Jordan herself. As if in
confirmation of my suspicion, he snapped to attention
and in his ever-so-charming way turned to Scully with a
mumble of, "Hey, Agent Scully, got any black leather
pants?"

She politely ignored him with only a glance in his
direction, focusing on her task at hand, which was to
unpack and ration out the supplies that were contained in
the boxes and bags, more concerned about the situation at
hand than to match wits with Frohike. Quite frankly, I
thought it noble of her considering the unfair advantage
she would have in such a match.

My head was becoming clearer and my strength was
returning a little, and I knew that could only mean one
thing; the sun was setting and darkness was beginning to
creep into my room and my soul. "Ok everyone, we
don't have much time. The basic run down is this. If
Jordan is killed before I make my first kill, everything
reverts back to the way it was and I will be restored to my
old self again." I turned to Skinner, "Sorry about that,
Sir." I smiled. "If I do well feed, for lack of a more
politically correct word, then the stakes are raised a little.
Not only must Jordan be destroyed, but my victim cannot
die. If the victim dies, my transformation will complete
regardless of what happens to my blood babe as Langly
so eloquently put it."

I continued my crash course in vampire legend as I made
my way from the bathroom to my dresser, cleaning the
dried blood that still stained my neck and changing into a
clean shirt. I assigned them each a perimeter and
instructed them what to do. "A vampire can only be
killed by a stake through the heart. Not the lung, not the
stomach, you basically get one shot. Anything else will
simply piss her off. The other things only buy you time.
Garlic is said to ward vampires away, but it has been
rumored that others are drawn to it; both may in fact be
legends. The crosses and holy water will burn her and
will protect you somewhat, but they will not kill her.
Weaken her with them and then stake her quickly. Do
not remove the stake! I can't say that any more
emphatically!"" I turned to my superior and highly
regarded friend, "Sir, let me apologize now for the
dangerous situation that you will be in, but due to your
size and your training, I need you to be on hand here in
the apartment and the hallway just outside. She will
make every attempt to get in, and you stand the best
chance of overpowering her. Do not think lightly of her
power and her strength." Remembering one other detail
of my encounter I took his arms in each of my hands and
spoke clearly, "Do not look into her eyes. Whatever you
do Sir, do not become entranced by her eyes, I believe
they are the source of her power. If she can't entrance
you, she can't take you." He nodded his understanding,
determination flashing in his eyes as I saw his jaw flex
undoubtedly at the clenching of his teeth.

My final instructions were for Scully. There were so
many things that I wanted to say, that I feared I may
never get to say, but the touch of her hand on my face
when I stopped in front of her told me that she already
knew them. "Scully, I want you to go somewhere that
has a lot of people. A bar, the hospital, I don't care
where, just make it somewhere you wouldn't normally go
and somewhere very public."

"Mulder, I'm not going anywhere. If what you're saying
is even remotely possible, I can't even imagine the
injuries that could be sustained. As a medical doctor I
have to stay."

"But, Scully," I tried to reason, "I have reason to believe
that Jordan will go after you because you," I paused
trying to find the right words to say in front of so many
eyes, "are my partner. And that puts you in a very
dangerous situation, more so than anyone else."

"Mulder, I took an oath, and I can't turn my back on that
regardless of the circumstance or the nature of
the...affliction. You said it yourself, Mulder, I'm your
partner. And partners don't leave while the other one
may be in danger."

My eyes fell to the floor as I shook my head in defeat and
a nervous laugh escaped me. "Ok, Scully, you win."
Then with all seriousness I forced myself to look at her
one last time so that I could ensure that she understood
my final instruction, "But remember what I said about
your cross...no matter what, ok?"

"Ok," she said slowly, her eyes staring at me as if I were
a stranger. The last bit of light disappeared from the
window and I saw Scully through somewhat distorted
vision. "Mulder, your eyes," she uttered almost
inaudibly, "They are like ice."

I watched the fear as it rose inside her and she swallowed
it back down, face to face with her disbelief. The empty
horror in her eyes was more than I could bear and I
turned away from her and hid my face from the others.
"It's time." I announced and the four men gathered their
supplies and ran to their assigned posts, faithful friends
willing to face the mouth of hell itself in order to rescue
me from it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hours passed and Scully and I sat alone, separated by the
expanse of the room, silent and searching for what to say.
I remained in the shadows, hiding the evidence of my
transformation in the darkness. She remained in the light
as if it were a safeguard from her seeing whatever horror
she had faced in my eyes.

The pain in my empty stomach began to intensify again,
and I pulled the blanket off my bed in one graceful tug,
and huddled with it in my darkened corner trying to drive
away the chill of death that was shaking my body.

"Mulder," I heard her say, softly and cautiously, "Are
you alright? Can I help you?"

The only help I needed right now, she could not provide.
For I knew that at this phase of my becoming, the only
thing that would ease the pain and the chill was blood.
"No, Scully, just stay away from me please. I can't...
it's best that I am alone. You should have left when I
told you to."

The sound of her footsteps brushing the carpet were to
my ears as loud as if her heels clicked over a hardwood
floor, hollow and echoing as she came to me against my
wishes. I knew that she would. As she drew closer, a
new sound took over, familiar in its rhythm, and I
became dizzy in its hypnotic cadence. My own dying
heart seemed to beat in time with hers and the desire and
the fantasy began to overtake me.

In my mind, she came to me, so much like my dark
enchantress, straddling my body with her own and licking
my neck over and over again until my breath came in
short, heavy pants. Her hands released me and she ran
her fingers through her hair and piled it high on top of her
head, exposing the creamy white skin of her neck. It was
my turn to taste her, and my tongue slid from the base of
her throat to behind her ear, feeling each pulse under her
skin. My tongue then turned to my teeth; feeling the new
sharpness that rested there and I again brought my
hungering mouth to her skin. I took her quickly and my
new fangs slipped easily into her body. She uttered only
one quiet scream as every muscle clenched to me in a
mixture of surprise, fear, and desire. Settling into the
moment, she relaxed slightly, lost in some erotic state
that we had entered into, and I laid her back onto the
floor desiring her in so many ways, and yet needing her
only in one.

"No!" I screamed in a wounded roar breaking the trance I
had sunk into and remembering that Scully stood within
inches of me now and gravely in danger from something
I could not control.

"Mulder!" she cried, "Let me help you! Tell me what to
do!"

"Leave me Scully! I can't control it I don't want to
hurt you. Please!" I begged to her with everything good
and decent that was still in me, and she ran from the room
with faith in me and with a fear that I could smell as if it
were her perfume. I returned to my corner of shadows
and cried a tearless cry, because no moisture would fall
from my lifeless eyes. I needed her so badly, yet I feared
that I would hurt her. The hunger was so great, that it
seemed impossible to resist. So I covered myself with
the cold blanket and waited, praying that death would
find me soon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

4:40 am

"Mulder," her voice called to me from across the room,
rousing me from my weakened state. I tried to answer
her, to tell her to go away, but I couldn't. Neither the
strength nor the desire was there for me to do so. She
crossed the floor again, cautious but determined, and
knelt on the floor beside me, taking me into her warm
arms. I felt her salty tears hit my cheek in warm puddles
and opened my eyes to see her beautiful face. "You're
dying aren't you, Mulder? What you said is true, and
you're dying because you need blood don't you."

I nodded and formed my words slowly, though my voice
found only a whisper to convey them. "She hasn't come
has she, Scully? She's not coming for me." My words
were a revelation as well as a relief and she pulled me
tighter into her arms.

"Hold on Mulder, you have to hold on," her tears
continued and my heart broke for the pain that she was
enduring again because of me. "It's almost sunrise...
then you can rest. We will think of something for
tomorrow night, we'll make her come."

Her words brought frozen tears to my eyes that I thought
were impossible, she didn't understand. "Scully, I won't
make it to sunrise," I heard myself say, "I told you it was
a one time shot, I either feed or I die."

Her chest began to shake and she tried so hard to not to
fall apart. "You can't leave me, Mulder, I need you," she
said and she kissed her tears from my face. Suddenly,
her tears stopped and she looked at me with new hope
and determination. "What if I give you blood?" she
asked.

"What!" I tried to scream and I pulled myself upright
with every bit of strength that I could find.

"Now wait, listen to me," she cautioned, "you said that
your transformation would only complete if you fed and
your victim dies, well, what if you drink enough to keep
you alive but not enough to kill me? It will buy you time
until we find her and then it can still be reversed."

"Scully, I can't! Please, just go away, please don't make
me do this!" it was my turn to beg. Logically her
solution made viable sense, but could I stop once I had
her?

But she was unwilling to let me decide, she instead was
going to make sure that I fed as she knelt over me and
nuzzled my neck with her mouth. Unlike my fantasy, I
found myself aroused by more than just the desire for her
blood and the beating of her heart pounded in my head. I
moaned at just the feel of her so close to me, and
instantly missed her warmth as she pulled back to look at
me. She tilted her head to the side and flipped her hair
behind her shoulder stretching her soft neck to allow me
access.

"Scully, no!" I pleaded breathlessly one last time, losing
myself to the hunger. The only thing that stopped me
was the shimmer of gold that hung above her breast and I
winced at its appearance. Realizing what was stopping
me, she did something that can only be described as a
great act of love, for she reached up and held her beloved
cross in her hand for a moment before carelessly ripping
it and its chain from around her and flung it to the far side
of the room.

"Do it, Mulder," she commanded again, and this time I
obeyed.

I pulled her to me with more strength than I knew I
possessed and I hesitated for only a second before sinking
my sharp developing fangs into her warm skin. Her
hands clutched at the back of my shirt and then at my
hair, but she didn't utter a sound. The warmth of her
blood flowed into my mouth and down my burning throat
as I experienced a feeling more erotic than anything I
could have imagined. My heart beat in perfect time with
Scully's as she lay in my arms holding me as she shared
the warmth of her body and her soul.

"Mulder," I could hear her whisper, which only made my
want for her increase.

But it was the other voice that stopped me, that made me
realize what I was doing. It was Jordan's evil hiss that
echoed about my room, and I released my grip of Scully
to look up in search for my beautiful master. Not seeing
her, I looked back at the pale and lifeless form that I held
in my arms. Her blood burned through my veins and my
vision became blurred from the tears that formed. My
God, what had I done? Was she alive? "Oh Scully," I
prayed, "please be alive."

As if in response, she drew a shaky breath and I pulled
her close to me, holding my shirt to the still open wound I
had created. Her body was still and her breathing was
shallow, I had taken too much, I wasn't able to stop.

"Agent Mulder," I heard Skinner's voice call out
followed by the closing of my front door, "it's almost
sunrise and we haven't seen any sign of her," his voice
grew closer until I knew that he stood at the doorway.
"What should we...dear God! What the hell have you
done?" His voice was pure rage and he began to charge
me, when from out of nowhere a shadowy form appeared
between us and with one arm expertly threw Skinner
back toward the doorway.

"Leave him alone," I heard Jordan warn, "He needs to
feed. He has not yet become."

"I'll be goddamned! If he kills her, it will be over my
dead body," Skinner countered.

"That can be arranged," she laughed.

He threw the vial of holy water that he carried at her, but
she anticipating it, moved easily out of the way. His next
hope was the crucifix and he held it out in front of him
inching his way toward Scully and me. The sight of it
obviously disturbed her because she turned away slightly
with a hiss. It didn't deter her however, and she
continued to inch her way with him.

"Walter," she said as if talking to a child following him
step for step, "Do you think that little cross is going to
scare me?" Receiving only silence as a response, she
easily kicked it from his hand causing him to fall back
onto the bed and the cross to fly against the wall and
break in two from the impact.

He pulled the ringed croquet stake from under his coat as
she descended; her fangs gleaming in the lamplight, now
looking more now like a wild animal than a woman.
"Come on!" he yelled as they met in a tangled fury and
rolled to the floor. Her hand caught his wrist as he struck
from beneath her on the floor attempting to impale her,
and he pushed her face upward from her chin with his
other hand to keep her deadly mouth at bay. She easily
pushed his hand away from her face and then slammed
his other arm into the floor with a snap. He cried out in
pain but continued his struggle, unwilling to allow her to
escape. Her free hand slashed across his face, and her
fingernails, which seemed more like claws, left behind
four trails of blood on his cheek. My hope sank as I
watched this man that I almost believed to be invincible
being overpowered by this woman, by this demon, and I
was helpless to do anything about it. He tried to fight
her, but it was too late, she had already seduced him,
locking him in her penetrating gaze. I heard her whispers
and her promises, much like she had whispered to me,
and I watched as her tongue snaked out to his cheek and
to the blood that was flowing from the wounds she had
caused. I watched his expression, powerless and in pain
as she continued talking of the plans that she had for us.

Still holding Scully in my arms, I could hear the sounds
of the waking birds outside and I looked up at the gray
light creeping in the window and knew that sunrise was
just minutes away. I had to act quickly or we would all
perish at her hand, possibly for all eternity. With new
hope I walked over to the boxes that still sat in Scully's
lit corner of the room and retrieved the one remaining
stake that had been left for Scully's safety. I held it for a
moment turning it in my fingers, looking at the rings on
the end that were the deep color of Scully's blood.
Without a second thought I turned and walked to where
they struggled on the floor. Whether her mind was so
concentrated on Skinner that she didn't see me coming,
or whether she thought I was coming to her aid I will
never know, but her destruction came as swiftly as I
could raise the stake above my head and bring it down
into her dead heart.

Skinner's voice cursing her to go back to hell was the
only sound I heard as I lowered that stake. She howled as
the wood pierced her body, only the rings now visible
from her back. Having done what needed to be done, I
stumbled wearily back to Scully, still lying motionless,
the dried blood staining her neck.

"Scully," I whispered, "she's dead. Hang on sweetheart,
please hang on." I pulled her onto my lap and rocked her
as if to comfort her, though I wasn't sure she could hear
me, but I knew somehow that she did.

At that moment, The Lone Gunmen came running in
having heard the commotion from the radio that Skinner
carried from their various posts around the perimeter,
only to stop short at the sight before them. A
disbelieving Skinner stood above a slowly decaying body
as it turned to ashes, burned by the bright stream of
sunrise that crossed the room to the floor where it lay.
More horrifying than that, I'm sure, was the sight of me
holding a Scully whose neck was bruised by the puncture
wounds I had inflicted, evidenced by her blood that still
surrounded my mouth.

"Holy mother of God," was Frohike's response to the
scene before him.

Too weak now to reply, I sank down on the floor next to
her and closed my eyes. I could hear them scrambling
around us as Skinner came to his senses and began
barking orders and making preparations for us to be taken
to Bethesda Naval Hospital where they would ask no
explanations from the F.B.I. The darkness was
suffocating and I felt my body drifting in and out of
consciousness. "Help her please, don't let her die!" I
begged, but I knew that the sounds that I emitted formed
no audible words. I sank into the abyss, praying for us to
be together, either in life or in death, for I knew was that I
could not be without her, certainly not for eternity.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

3 days later
Bethesda Naval Hospital

The sterile hospital smell greeted me as I exited the
elevator and passed the nurses station with hardly a
glance. I knew the whispers that were following me,
having been discharged a day earlier. The F.B.I. may not
have to offer explanations to the unexplainable, but it is
not hard to imagine what rumors are started when two
agents are admitted simultaneously. One with puncture
wounds to the neck and a body almost completely
drained of blood, and the other whose white blood cell
count is higher than most leukemia patients with no
explanation why, and then miraculously the next day's
blood draw shows complete normality. Combine those
puzzles with dried blood on the face of agent number two
that is a perfect match for agent number one's blood type
and all it takes is a dime store novel enthusiast to start
whispering vampire. However, I was not a vampire,
thanks to my partner, my friend, and ultimately my
savior. Scully's blood has sustained me almost at the
cost of her own life.

As I turned the corner, a rather stern looking Skinner
greeted me outside her room, I had anticipated this
moment and braced for what I was sure was going to be a
right hook straight to the jaw, but the blow never came.

"Agent Mulder, I don't pretend to understand what
happened the other day, nor do I have any explanation as
to what I saw. However, the one thing that I do know is
that I owe you my life. Thank you." His hand gripped
my shoulder briefly and then he was on his way down the
hall toward the elevators.

I stood outside her door leaning against the cold flowered
wall as I thought again about what to say to her. She had
offered her life to save me, and I had almost killed her.
Once again her trust in me had almost destroyed her. The
opening of the door interrupted my thoughts, and I turned
to face the three unlikely vampire hunters.

"Hey Mulder," greeted Langly, "wanna go watch the
fights with us? Bootleg satellite transmission."

"Yeah," Frohike added, " starts in a hour and a half if
you're interested, they say its gonna be a blood bath!"

The look on my face evidently voiced every word in my
head and Frohike quickly tried to rephrase his statement.
"It's alright guys, you're allowed to say the word blood,"
I reassured them. "However, I think I could live without
ever hearing the name Jordan again."

As if fate somehow taunted me, at that moment the
loudspeaker blared above my head paging a Dr. Andrew
Jordan to surgery, stat. I just shook my head and again
fell back against the support of the wall behind me.

"She's been waiting for you," Byers stated.

I nodded and smiled a reluctantly smile. We said our
goodbyes and they followed Skinner's trail down the
empty hallway, after a sharp and supportive slap on the
back from Frohike.

The door clicked gently as the catch released and I slowly
pushed it open to reveal Scully looking small and frail in
the white sheets of the bed. I approached her quietly;
afraid that she was sleeping, and stood at the foot of her
bed just looking at her, her beautiful auburn hair fanned
on the pillow surrounding her now flushed face like a
copper halo. At that moment she was the most beautiful
woman I had ever seen. Though I admit that the desire
that burned in me that night had still not subsided
completely, it was not her appearance that made her
beautiful. But her love for me so great that she would
give of her own life, as I would have done for her.

"Hey you," she whispered, catching me off guard, "I was
wondering where you were."

The smile on her face warmed me more than her blood
had in my cold dying body. She was healthy and happy,
and I loved her, though words were still not easy for me.
There was so much that I wanted to say; that I needed to
say as she held out her hand to me and I went to her side
to take it in my own. Her touch was enough to release
the emotions that I held inside, and warm salty tears
streamed down my cheeks as I took her in my arms.

"Oh, Scully," I cried, "I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Her fingers ran through my hair as she held me,
comforting me from the fear that had finally taken over.
We sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, holding
each other as if afraid to let go. My head fell to her
shoulder and I felt the roughness of the bandage at her
neck and was again reminded of what I had done, of what
she had made me do.

"Scully," I said as I dried the tears, unashamed for she
alone had seen me cry many times before, "What the hell
were you thinking? I could have killed you!" I held her
beautiful face in my hands as she smiled up at me.

"You were dying, Mulder. My only thought was that I
had to save you."

My tears were dry now and I looked at her through
changed eyes. Changed because of our experience and
because of the undeniable love that it had forced us to
recognize. "I would gladly die rather than harm you." I
whispered, brushing the hair back from her face. "I don't
know what I would have done if I had lost you."

Her hand took mine and held it to her cheek. "Mulder, I
was never in danger. I trust you with my life," she said
through a teary smile, "I knew that you would save me."

I smiled at her trust in me and remembered the gift that I
had brought. "That's not all I saved." I grinned as I
reached in my pocket for the small gold cross that hung
on its new chain and held it up as it twisted and gleamed
in the light. "This is becoming a regular thing, Agent
Scully," I teased, "do you think you can keep this around
your neck this time?"

She leaned forward slightly and held up her hair for me to
clasp her necklace back where it belonged. My fingers
lingered over the bulky white bandage and she pulled my
hand away to kiss my knuckles gently. "Dana," I
whispered, "I promise, I'll never hurt you again."

"I never said that you hurt me, Mulder," she
said with an evil grin, and I wondered if it was possible
that the desire I tried so hard to forget was present in her
as well, but before I could say anything the door opened
and the doctor came in to make his rounds.

After checking all of her vitals again and her
satisfactorily answering all of his concerns, he told her
that he saw no reason why she couldn't be released if she
was careful. "Do you have anyone that can help you for
a few days?"

"Yes, I do," she replied taking my hand again.

"Ok, then. I should have your release papers done within
the hour. Take care Dr. Scully," he nodded and was gone
again.

"You don't mind, do you Mulder? I could call Mom and
I'm sure she would come over...after a battery of
questions."

I pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand in reply. "There
is nothing that I would like more than to stay with you." I
said meaning longer than the doctor had recommended.
Her smile told me that she understood.


Fin