(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay, my beta reader is back from vacation so I can finally update this. Here's where it all really starts to get interesting...)

The next morning

"Agent Mulder, please take a seat," said A.D. Skinner standing up and indicating the two chairs before his desk as Mulder closed the door to the office. Mulder crossed the room and sat down, doing his best to ignore the vacant seat beside him. Anything that reminded him of the emptiness in his life since Scully's death still caused painful pangs in his chest. He turned his chair fractionally away from the other, it was barely noticeable but the subtle action was not missed by Skinner.

"How are you?" he asked. Mulder shrugged.

"Coping," he replied.

"I'm very happy to see that your work has seen a bit of an upturn in quality the last month or so," Mulder nodded. "Do you think the counselling sessions are helping?"

"I suppose a little," Mulder replied, he wanted to be honest but felt a little uncomfortable with the subject, "I still miss her every second though, especially when I see something that reminds me..." he trailed off as he indicated the vacant chair. Skinned nodded silently, unsure of what to say in reply, eventually Mulder shifted slightly in his seat, beginning to feel uncomfortable and after a few more long moments he cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry sir, but was that all?" he asked. He had no real desire to get back to his office as all he had been doing was reading through a stack of old case reports, attempting futilely to regain some of his old enthusiasm for the x-files that had seemingly died along with his partner. However, at the same time, he didn't especially want to spend much longer sat in this chair discussing his feelings with his superior. Skinner regarded him for another short moment, then shook his head.

"No, a file crossed my desk this morning that I believe will be of interest to you, I just wanted to have a talk with you first before I showed you." Mulder sat up a little straighter.

"Do you think it's an X-File?"

"It has certain unexplained aspects yes, but I think you'll find more of interest that just those elements," Skinner paused, he had Mulder intrigued now.

"Then what?" Skinner pushed a folder over to him which he flipped open and glanced over.

"A murder?"

"Dr Scanlon was found dead in his apartment this morning. Does that name mean anything to you?" Mulder's head snapped up.

"He was the doctor who treated Scully's cancer. We found his name in that research facility. Wasn't he on the list of doctors employed by the shadow government to perform the experiments on women?"

"I have reason to believe so," Skinner replied. "He had bodyguards in the corridor outside his apartment and a panic button in his hand which was never activated. The police have found no trace evidence anywhere and CCTV footage shows no one entering or leaving the apartment."

"Suicide?"

"No, the manner in which he died would make that an impossibility."

"And that would be?"

"He was completely drained of blood," Skinner said, looking rather disgusted at the thought.

"And there was no trace evidence?" Mulder questioned again, Skinner shook his head. "That would be nearly impossibly to achieve without leaving some evidence behind," he said, talking aloud to himself more than to Skinner, "not to mention that the attack must have happened extremely quickly if he didn't have chance to push a panic button that was in his hand at the time."

"Do you have any thoughts?" Skinner asked, sensing that he wouldn't like Mulder's response.

"Well," Mulder said slowly, gathering his thoughts, "it sounds like a vampire attack to me." Skinner just stared at him.