Incarnations of Immortality
By The Bear!


Chapter 15 
Nick’s Loft 

6:30 p.m. Friday December 15th 

Mulder and Scully pulled away suddenly at Nick’s teasing admonishment
and Natalie’s sudden gasp.  They both turned toward the two descending
the stairs with blood dripping from their fangs and their necks, as
neither had taken the time to close the other’s wounds. 

To say that Nick and Nat were surprised was and understatement.  Nick
was embarrassed at having interrupted such a private moment.  Natalie,
being a newborn- unable to control herself- felt her own fangs drop and
saw everything through a green/gold haze as the pheromones of vampire
sex pervaded the room. 

Fortunately, Nick recovered quickly enough to restrain Natalie from
doing anything to embarrass herself.  He quickly advised Dana through
their link to calm herself and Mulder down. 

Mulder felt Dana’s chagrin at being caught in a compromising position
by her ‘father’.  He was unable to keep himself from chortling at the
ridiculousness of the situation.  [Sorry, Scully,] he thought as he
began to laugh out loud. 

Mulder’s humor overwhelmed her own embarrassment and Scully dissolved
into laughter as well.  [I’ll get you for this, Mulder!] she thought to
him as she said, “Sorry Nick.  We didn’t hear you coming down.” 

Nick felt Natalie calm down as the tension was broken and chuckled
himself.  “I guess I’m not used to having to worry about catching my
daughter making out with her boyfriend in my living room,” he teased.
“I’ll make sure to walk loudly next time, so you hear me coming.” 

Natalie, now fully recovered, laughed out loud at that, while Mulder
smirked and Scully ducked her head in embarrassment. 

“Were those fangs I saw, Mulder?” Nick asked, looking at the rapidly
healing bite on Scully’s neck. 

Mulder smiled, showing off his new orthodonture, while he unabashedly
reached over to the side of Scully’s neck and wiped up the blood on two
fingers and then licked them clean. 

Scully melted at the tenderness of Mulder’s gesture, and copied it. 

Nick repeated his earlier admonition, “Alright you two, take it
upstairs!” as he and Natalie continued their descent. 

Scully smiled warmly at her ‘father’ and said, “It’s not my fault,
Nick!  We were just talking and Mulder went and proposed to me.  I can
hardly be held responsible for my subsequent actions!”  The delight on
her face was unmistakable. 

[I love you so much!] Mulder thought to her, letting his internal joy
wash over her in radiant waves. 

[I love you too] she replied.  [But I’m still going to make you pay for
this!] 

[Hurt me, G-woman!] he thought back, only half-teasingly. 

“Enough Mulder,” she said as she turned her attention to Natalie,
noticing the change.  “Natalie!  It worked!” she said joyfully.  She
leapt up and over the couch and flew over to Natalie, wrapping her arms
around her. 

Mulder was laughing again, as was Nick.  Natalie was hugging Scully
back, feeling a little of her through their joint link with Nick. 

Mulder, ever the perverse, said “You know, Nick, when all is said and
done, I’ll have a sister-in-law who is married to my father-in-law.” 

Everyone laughed at that, and Scully said, “I don’t care what you say
Mulder, we are *not* moving into a trailer park!” 

After the laughter had died down, Nick went to the fridge and grabbed
another bottle of Raven reserve label and two more glasses.  He sat
down in the chair and Natalie took up residence on his lap.  Nick
poured each of them a glass as Mulder and Scully returned to the couch.
“I see your choice of beverage has changed, Mulder,” he said, gesturing
to the two glasses on the coffee table. 

“Well, it’s no Scully special, but it is pretty tasty,” he answered,
picking up his glass and sipping. 

Natalie had been listening raptly to the sound of Mulder’s heartbeat
when it occurred to her that she shouldn’t be hearing a heartbeat at
all.  “Mulder!  Why is your heart beating?” she demanded. 

“I can’t answer that, Natalie,” he said.  “I have no idea what is going
on with me.”  He sat back and wrapped his arm around Scully, pulling
her close.  “Whatever it is, I know I like it,” he said, hugging her
tightly to him. 

“It would be interesting to do some tests,” Natalie began.  “Just to
see how advanced the vampire factor is.” 

“You don’t feel like a vampire, Mulder,” Nick added, reaching out to
him with his enhanced senses.  “You also don’t feel like any human I’ve
ever met.” 

“That’s normal.  I’ve never fit in well,” Mulder said, self-
deprecatingly.  “I can still feel you though, Natalie,” he said. 

Natalie looked stunned.  Scully looked at her and then back at Mulder,
“What do you mean, Mulder?” she asked, concerned. 

“The immortal buzzing,” he answered.  “It feels the same today as it
did yesterday.” 

“How is that possible?” Natalie whispered, afraid that somehow she
would still have to get involved in this whole ‘Game’ thing.  She
really didn’t want to do that, didn’t see herself as a swordfighter. 

“I don’t know.  It’s supposed to kick in when you die for the first
time.  At least that’s what you got from the Watchers, isn’t it
Scully?” he asked. 

Scully no longer held any of Perone’s memories, but she remembered
everything she had discussed or spoken regarding them.  “That’s what
they thought, anyway,” she answered.  “I don’t know how complete their
knowledge is,” she added. 

Nick had been thinking quietly.  He said, “You know- we don’t
completely die.” 

Mulder leaned forward, as though he didn’t hear him correctly, “What?” 

“If the heart completely stops, the person cannot be brought across,”
he said quietly, remembering Alyssa, whom he thought he had loved.
Whom he had killed when he tried to bring her across.  “It is a matter
of timing, and it isn’t the easiest skill in the world to master.” 

Mulder leaned back, muttering “she didn’t die…” 

Scully and Natalie were remembering their transformations- each so
recent as to be crystal clear in their minds. 

Nick continued, “We reach the crossroads of life and death.  We are
offered a choice; to go forward or back.  If we go forward, into the
light, death takes us.  The spirit is gone and the body is dead.  If we
go back, we are as you see.  Undead… Vampire,” he finished with a
smile, being deliberately melodramatic. 

“How is the choice offered?” Mulder asked, genuinely curious.  He and
Scully hadn’t discussed this.  Suddenly struck that his question might
be inappropriate, he quickly added, “Is it OK to ask that?  Is this
something that isn’t discussed?” 

Nick smiled again at that.  “Actually it isn’t usually discussed, just
because it is a relatively constant experience among vampires, and of
course we don’t normally discuss anything about ourselves with
mortals.” 

Scully looked at Nick and Natalie, sensing Nat’s reticence.  “It was
like a vast dry plain- featureless in all directions.  At first there
was nothing around me at all.  Then I turned around and saw…” she
paused remembering the intensity of emotion when she saw her sister. 

Mulder, sensing the combination of sorrow and joy in her, reached up
and gently stroked the side of her face.  [What did you see, Scully?] 

“ I saw my sister.  I saw Melissa,” she started.  “I was so happy to
see her!” 

Mulder stroked her hair as she burrowed her face against his neck,
tears falling onto his collar.  [You tell them, Mulder.] she silently
pleaded, unable to speak for a moment. 

Mulder felt torn by the guilt he sensed from her.  Especially when he
felt that he was the one who was guilty.  He wiped an errant tear from
his own eye- clear not bloody- and explained, “Those who we have been
working to expose, they had someone in Scully’s apartment…  Melissa
went there to see Scully.  They were waiting for Scully, but they
killed her sister by mistake.” 

“I tried to tell her how sorry I was…” Scully began again, sobbing into
Mulder’s shoulder and neck. 

“Surely she didn’t blame you?” Natalie asked, feeling Scully’s guilt
through Nick’s link. 

Scully looked up, wiping her eyes, and answered, “No.  She told me I
couldn’t blame myself, or let Mulder blame himself either.”  Regaining
her composure, she continued, “She offered me the choice- go with her
or back to Mulder.  Of course, you know which I chose,” she smiled and
pulled Mulder’s face to her own for a kiss.  [There was no choice.  I
could never leave you, Mulder,] she thought to him. 

“I wasn’t offered a choice,” Natalie said softly. 

“What!?” Nick practically shouted. 

“What happened?” Mulder and Scully chanted in unison, both filled with
overwhelming curiosity- Mulder, given Nick’s reaction- and Scully,
given her own experience. 

“I went to the place you described, Dana.  But there was no door.  I
looked around and finally shouted ‘Anybody around?’  Suddenly there was
this…” Natalie paused for several seconds, her brow wrinkling in
concentration.  “I can’t remember anything about it except that it told
me that I wasn’t supposed to be there.  ‘Your kind don’t come this
way,’ it told me.  Then I woke up to the taste of Nick’s blood in my
mouth.” 

Nick just sat there staring at Natalie, his jaw agape.  He couldn’t
formulate any words to say. 

“I take it that that isn’t supposed to happen?” Mulder asked gently. 

“NO!” Nick exhorted.  “I’ve never…” he trailed off, shaking his head. 

“I didn’t need a choice, Nick.”  Natalie said soothingly.  “I knew what
I wanted.  And, I got it!” she said fiercely, capturing his mouth in a
searing kiss. 

“Wow,” Mulder said.  “We’ve taken the paranormal to new heights,
Scully!” he said excitedly. 

For once, she was on exactly the same train of thought when it came to
‘work’ as Mulder was, “An X-File within an X-File,” she said. 

“X2!” Mulder agreed, laughing.  [Scary, G-Woman…] he began thinking to
her. 

Scully finished the thought, [operating on the same wavelength, G-Man!]


Natalie interrupted their tête-à-tête, “What do you mean by that?
What’s an X-File?” she asked, bewildered by their exchange. 

Mulder and Scully looked at each other for a moment before Scully
answered, “Our division in the FBI is sort of on the fringe- we
investigate anything that ‘conventional’ investigation is ill-equipped
to deal with.” 

“Paranormal, occult, extraterrestrial…  Any ‘inexplicable’ phenomena
that ‘conventional’ investigators wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole,”
Mulder continued. 

Scully joined in again, “These investigations are filed under X,
because they don’t fit into any of the usual categories.” 

Mulder finished, “Thus, X-Files.” 

Nick asked, “What did you mean by an X-File within an X-File?” 

Scully and Mulder looked at each other again for a moment before
responding.  Scully said, “If things like vampires and immortals are
‘paranormal’ to general society…” she began, “Then Natalie is in a
‘paranormal’ category above the general paranormal society.” 

“You’re in a class by yourself, Sister-in-law.  Or, is that stepmother-
in-law?” Mulder joked.  Turning to Scully, he asked, “Which do you
think?” 

Natalie interrupted, “Just Natalie, will be perfectly fine, thank you
very much Fox,” she began, shaking her finger at him.  “And I think you
land squarely in the ‘superparanormal’ right along with me!” 

Scully and Nick both laughed out loud.  Scully said, “She’s got you
there, Mulder!” 

“Alright, Alright.  No need to take my name in vain, Just Natalie,” he
teased, eliciting another mock-scowl from Nat. 

“We need to go see LaCroix again tonight,” Nick said to them all.  “I
need to introduce him to his newest granddaughter and I’m sure he will
be interested in your latest trick, Mulder.” 

“Ok, when?” Scully asked. 

“Why, Dana, did you have plans for this evening?” Nick asked. 

“Tentative plans,” she answered evasively. 

Nick looked at Mulder, but he seemed just as surprised as anyone else. 

“Are we going somewhere, Scully?” Mulder asked aloud. 

“I want to go somewhere, Mulder.  I want you to come with me, but I
would understand if you didn’t,” she said cryptically. 

[There isn’t anyplace on this earth I wouldn’t go, if I knew you wanted
me there with you, Scully,] he thought to her.  [Even your brother
Bill’s] he thought, eliciting a half smile from her.  [You know that,
don’t you?] 

“Yes, Mulder.  I know that,” she answered his unspoken question,
cupping his cheek in her palm.  She turned to Nick, who’s own questions
were pushing at her through their link.  “I want to go to Mass, Nick.” 

Nick read her determination through the link, and tried to gently
dissuade her, “Dana, Crosses and Holy Water are no laughing matter.
You could be seriously injured.” 

”Nick, you’re still thinking as though we were among the damned,” she
said, shaking her head sadly.  “That is a bad habit you need to break.”
When she saw that he was about to protest, she reached into her shirt
and pulled out the chain around her neck.  “Look Nick.  I’ve been
wearing this the whole time,” she said, showing him the tiny gold cross
on the chain. 

“I knew it!” Natalie said.  “I always knew vampires weren’t inherently
evil,” she said as she reached out to touch the cross Dana was holding.


Nick had to restrain himself from grabbing Natalie’s hand.  He watched
with wide-eyed anticipation while she reached for the cross, grasped it
unflinchingly and turned to smile at him.  “Maybe the vampire in us
brings our spirit closer to the surface.  The evil in your spirit was
burned by the cross, Nick” Natalie said in quiet wonder.  “But you
aren’t evil anymore.  You can be forgiven,” she trailed off into a
quiet whisper as Nick reached out to touch the cross. 

Blood tears streamed down Nick’s face as he hesitantly touched, then
grasped the gold cross hanging from the hands of his daughters.  All he
felt was the smooth metal surface.  “Thank you” he whispered to God.
The God he had thought to be forever separated from. 

“Meet us at the Raven by 2:30 ,” he said to Mulder.  “Natalie and I
need to start training anyway.” 

Scully impulsively snuck a quick kiss on Nick’s cheek before dragging
Mulder toward the elevator door. 

“Dana!” Nick said before they closed the door behind them.  “You might
try St. John’s Cathedral.  Father Rochefort.”  He turned away from them
toward Natalie, but not before seeing the smile of gratitude on his
daughter’s face. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s loft 
7 pm 

“Nick, surely you know by now- we aren’t evil!  I don’t feel evil.  I
don’t feel any less good than I did yesterday,” Natalie tried to
reassure him. 

“Nat, you haven’t done the things that I have done in my life,” he
began.  “I know, I know,” he said, overriding her attempted protests,
“I know in my mind that I am not beyond forgiveness.”  Tears began to
well up in his eyes, “But I feel such guilt inside me, Nat.  I feel so
awful for the horrible things that I have done.  And, I remember them
so clearly…  It’s hard to tell myself that that is all in the past-
long ago and far away.  I remember it like it was yesterday.” 

Natalie felt the depth of her master’s pain and remorse and was herself
moved to tears.  “Nick, you can never undo what you have done.  No
matter how you live your life, you can’t make up for the sins of the
past; none of us can.  You can only go forward, living now as you might
wish you always had.”  She stroked his cheek and softly kissed his
lips, then added, “you can’t earn forgiveness, Nick.  Only accept it
when it is offered.” 

Nick smiled at his beloved, feeling through their link the depths of
her love for him.  “Thank you Natalie.  I am so glad that you and Dana
were brought across in an age when it isn’t necessary to hunt to live,”
he said with a serious look on his face.  “However- it will still take
training before you’re ready for the general populace.  And, the
fastest way to accomplish this is…” 

Natalie interrupted, “Dana told me.  She said it would be strange and
confusing, but I’m ready.  As ready as I can get anyway,” she finished
hesitantly. 

Nick smiled and said, “Good.  Then there is no reason to wait.”  With
that he scooped her into his arms and unhesitatingly drove his fangs
into the smooth column of her neck. 

As the maelstrom of images assaulted her, her last independent thought
was, “she wasn’t kidding!” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Corbeau 
7 p.m. 

MacLeod came back to life as he usually did, gasping for air and having
little idea where he was and what had happened.  This brief moment of
confusion was compounded by the fact that he seemed to have a dead body
laying on top of his own.  While this was not the first time he had
experienced that particularly unnerving situation, this was the first
time that he and the body were both naked and apparently in the midst
of sexual congress.  All of that passed through his awareness in the
barest of moments before memories began flooding back.  He began to
relax as he realized that she wasn’t dead, she was just a vampire.
That thought struck him as being surreal, even for him, and he began to
chuckle. 

Janette woke to the sudden sound of a wildly beating heart right below
her ear, swiftly followed by the vibration of laughter across her
entire body.  She opened her eyes to look into those of her fair
Duncan, whom she had known for less than twenty-four hours.  “It feels
like I have always known him,” she thought incongruously.  Aloud she
asked, “What has amused you so, Mon Coeur?” 

An enormous smile broke out on MacLeod’s face had when he saw Janette’s
eyes open.  He reached up to stroke her face with the backs of his
fingers as he delighted in her mere presence.  It was almost as if he
had to convince himself that she was real.  “Mon Ange,” he began, as
she leaned into his caress.  “For a moment when I came to, I wondered
how I had ended up with a dead body on top of me; then my memories came
back and my next thought was, ‘She’s not dead, she’s just a vampire,’
and that thought struck me as being bizarre.” 

“Some believe that we are dead,” Janette began.  “That we are evil
spirits animating the bodies of the dead,” she said, only half in jest.
It was not always easy to go through life (or unlife) knowing that most
of those around you would be horrified to know what you really were- a
monster.  She didn’t often concern herself with what mortals thought of
her- but rejection was an unpleasant facet of her life that had been
with her since she had been mortal herself. 

“Balderdash!” MacLeod interjected.  “That’s pure nonsense,” he said,
tucking his fingers below her chin and lifting her face until her eyes
met his.  “As someone who has just gotten to know you rather
intimately, I can assure anyone that you are the furthest thing from
dead- and you’re certainly not evil!” 

Janette averted her gaze from MacLeod’s, “Yes, but I have done many
terrible things in my life, Duncan .  I never thought about it before,
it was natural that I should feed on mortals- that is just what we
did,” she said softly.  Returning her eyes to his, she caressed his
face and continued, “I reveled in the hunt, you know.  I laughed in the
face of my victim’s terror as I devoured their life.  I treasured the
fear that I could taste in their blood.  I was a monster, Duncan .” 

“We both have things in our past that we regret, Janette,” MacLeod
consoled.  “Regrets won’t change history.  We can only control what we
will do, not what we have done.” 

She laid her head back down on his chest and said, “I never used to
think of these things- worry about them, or feel guilty for my crimes.”


“What changed that?” MacLeod asked as he stroked her back with one hand
and ran his fingers through her hair with the other. 

Janette rubbed her face along Mac’s chest, luxuriating in the warmth,
the masculinity of his skin.  She began to tell the tale of Robert
McDonagh.  How she had fallen in love, how she had drank from him over
time- lessening the vampire in her, and how he had been murdered before
her eyes.  She told him how she had seemingly regained her mortality
with his death. 

“It didn’t last?” Mac asked as she paused in her story. 

“I don’t know if it would have been permanent or not,” she answered.
“I was brought back across some months later,” she said, pausing again
as the memories of those events played out in her mind once again. 

MacLeod caught impressions of a fire- a house on fire.  “It must be
from the blood sharing,” he thought.  It wasn’t a memory of his own, he
was almost certain.  “Janette… a burning house?  Why am I seeing that
particular memory?” he asked. 

“Yes, you must have caught that out of the bloodkiss,” she answered.
She resumed her caress as she continued the story, “I had tracked
Robert’s killers back to Toronto , ironically enough.  I killed the
corrupt fire inspector who had set up and killed Robert, but I still
hadn’t uncovered the evidence to clear his name.  Those who wanted to
keep that a secret had Robert’s son and his sister.  In a rescue
attempt, I ended up lying wounded on the floor with the house on fire
while Nicolas rescued the other two.  When he came back for me, I told
him to let me die.  He, of course, ignored my request and brought me
back across.”  She laughed humorlessly at that irony. 

“Why is that funny?” Mac asked, bewildered. 

“Nicolas has been trying to ‘regain his mortality’ for the last
century.  He thinks it is the only way he can ‘atone for his sins,’ yet
he would not allow me to keep the mortality he himself desired so,” she
answered.  “Such behavior is so like him.  He wants to grow old and
die, despite the wishes of his family, but selfishly would not allow me
the same.” 

Duncan felt an ache in his heart at the thought of Janette dying before
he ever met her.  Though he would have never known what he was missing,
now that he had her, he couldn’t imagine life without her.  “I hope you
won’t be angry if I tell you that I am glad he didn’t… whatever his
reasons were,” he said staring at the ceiling and trying unsuccessfully
to keep the heartache out of his voice. 

“Oh, chéri,” Janette reached up and placed a kiss on his chin.  “I
blame Nicolas, but the choice was mine in the end.  I didn’t have to
come back.  I do much better as a vampire than I would have ever done
as a mortal.”  She snuggled into his chest once again and hugged him
tightly to her.  “Besides, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this,” she
said, planting a cool kiss on his chest. 

Mac hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.  “What do you
mean you didn’t have to come back?” he asked, curious about how one
became a vampire. 

Janette smiled at the thought of discussing this particular subject.
“Trying to find out all of our secrets?” she teased. 

“Naturellement, mon ange,” he teased back. 

“Well, when one is brought across, one goes to the crossroad of life
and death.  There is a doorway and a doorkeeper.  One is offered the
choice- to go through the door into whatever lies beyond, or to go
back.  Heed one’s master’s call and return to this world as a vampire,”
she said. 

Mac mulled this over for a bit, then asked, “So… Nick is your master?” 

Janette just nodded her head, wondering how that might make him feel;
that she must call another man Master. 

“What was he to you before that?” he asked, sensing a mishmash of
confused feelings and remembering snippets of Nick in period dress over
a long time. 

“Brother… lover… husband…” she began.  “He has been all of those things
to me in the last eight hundred years.  LaCroix brought him across at
my urging early in the thirteenth century.  The three of us traveled
together on and off for six centuries,” she said, remembering good and
bad times.  “We were man and wife for 97 years before I left him.” 

Mac wisely chose to leave that discussion for another time.  “You said
he has been trying to become mortal again?” he asked, trying to lead
the discussion in a different direction. 

“Yes.  It infuriates LaCroix.  They have terrible fights about it, and
Nicolas has spent a great deal of time running from him.  LaCroix
always finds him sooner or later,” she whispered. 

MacLeod frowned slightly, remembering the events of Wednesday night.
“They seemed to get along well enough when I met them,” he said.
Nick’s daughter and lover were with him, and LaCroix seemed quite
genial towards them.  He seemed especially, I don’t know, proud I
guess, of Dana.” 

Though their discussion was seemingly placid, their caresses had grown
bolder and more stimulating.  Janette could feel the life returning to
Mac’s member as it stiffened along side of her thigh.  She was licking
and sucking at his chest, and his hands were wandering over her ass,
stimulating a rise in her own desire. 

“Hmm, chéri.  Can we discuss this later?  I would rather apply myself
to another pursuit at the moment.” She said between licks and kisses. 

Grasping her ass and sliding her up his body till their faces were
aligned, Mac answered, “Anything Milady wishes.” 

Their lips met in a searing kiss, and Mac suddenly rolled them both
over and broke the kiss.  His mouth moved to her breasts and one hand
moved down to find the cool wetness at the intersection of her thighs. 

Janette arched her back at the lovely sensation of Mac suckling her
breast and gently dipping into the moisture collecting between her
legs.  She ran her hands through his thick, luxurious hair, delighting
in his ministrations. 

Mac began to move down from her delightful breasts when he felt her
hands clutch in his hair and make as if to pull him back up.  He looked
up into her eyes with a question written on his face. 

Janette looked down at her lover and said, “It’s blood,” gesturing with
her chin at his hand buried between her thighs. 

Mac looked down at his bloody hand and back up at his lover’s face.
Seeing the ashamed look he asked, “This is normal?” 

“It’s the only body fluid we have,” she explained with some
embarrassment. 

Mac smiled and placed a kiss on her soft abdomen, “Then don’t worry
about it.” 

Janette sighed with relief at the smile on her love’s face.  She raised
her hands to her own breasts as the feel of her lover’s tongue began to
drive her wild. 

Mac worked on her for several minutes, stroking the roof of her vagina
while licking and suckling her clitoris.  He heard the fabric ripping
as Janette’s nails tore through the sheets she had began to grip.  He
heard her begin to pant, “Oh! Oh!  Oh Duncan …  I need… I need…” when
he realized what she needed.  He reached up with his free hand to her
mouth and she grasped it, biting roughly into the heel of his palm.
MacLeod winced at the pain, but was immediately rewarded with the
contractions around his fingers as Janette came. 

The link, while not as intense as the previous one was sufficient for
MacLeod to spend himself onto the foot of the bed as he felt her orgasm
through her blood.  “Oh, no!” he thought.  He was highly embarrassed-
he felt like an adolescent boy. He slowly kissed his way back up
Janette’s porcelain white body- turned slightly pink with a fine sheen
of blood-sweat.  He would have been concerned about that as well but
for her earlier comment.  Nevertheless he was still feeling sheepish as
he kissed his way to her mouth. 

Janette calmed back down from the delightful orgasm Mac had given her,
opening her eyes to meet his down turned gaze.  She imagined that she
knew the cause, having encountered such before when coupling with a
mortal.  She knew that no words would be appropriate, and that she
would just have to work to inspire a ‘return to attention’ on his part.


“I’m sorry, that hasn’t happened in a long…” he began. 

Janette silenced him with a kiss and rolled him onto his back before
she began to take a trip down his body as he had done for her.  She was
sure that she could evoke a response by the time she got there. 

She needn’t have worried about that.  Mac was ready for the next bout
before she made it past his throat.  He was embarrassed because he had
made a mess of the bed spread, not because he was down for the count.
Rapid response was one of the many benefits of immortality after all. 

Janette was delighted to find that her journey didn’t require the
languor she might have thought.  She briefly toyed with his nipples,
and ran her fangs along the muscles of his abdomen before arriving at
her destination.  She grasped him below the balls, encircling them
along with his cock- pulling the sack taught and smooth.  She laved the
taught skin for a few moments before placing small kisses along the
entire shaft of his member.  Each sucking kiss left a mark as she moved
toward the head- which by this time was so engorged as to be almost
purple in color. 

The remnants of MacLeod’s premature expenditure slowly oozed from the
tip as she worked her way up.  She looked up at his eyes, which were
fixed unwavering on her actions, and made one long, sensuous lick,
cleaning the shaft and head.  She watched him stare at her tongue as
she slowly brought this offering into her mouth and swallowed with
apparent relish. 

MacLeod’s eyes rolled up in his head as he let loose a low, guttural
moan.  He would have exploded right then if not for her grip at the
root of his cock.  The sensations that followed as she took him in her
mouth and bobbed her head up and down on him, sucking voraciously, were
sweet agony.  His ardent moans and groans were torn from his lungs as
though against his will, as the feelings of pleasure were nearly
painful in their intensity.  He began to plead with her, hoarsely
begging her to let him cum.  When she finally released him, his orgasm
was so explosive that he didn’t even feel the sting of her fangs.  It
if it weren’t for the sudden awareness of the link, he would have never
noticed anything beyond pulsing waves of his orgasm and the sensations
she elicited as she gulped down both fluids with abandon. 

“Sweet Jesus in Heaven, woman.  If I weren’t immortal I think you would
be the death of me!” he rasped. 

The look on Janette’s face as she sinuously crawled back up to him was
the look any woman gets when she has reduced her lover to a whimpering
pile of spent flesh; smiling satisfaction.  “Hmm.  You like that?” she
asked, coyly. 

“If you aren’t an angel straight out of heaven, you’ll certainly do
till one comes along,” he answered with a smile. 

Janette laughed delightedly.  “I don’t think angels do that, Duncan ,”
she joked. 

“I don’t know, I’m pretty sure I just saw God,” he replied.  Then he
became serious and looked deep into her eyes, “I have never felt for
anyone the love I feel for you Janette dúCharme.”  He reached to her
and took her face gently in his hands, “You are the most incredible
woman I have ever met.  You are more wonderful than I could have ever
conceived.  I feel like I have found what was missing in my life- as
clichéd as that might sound it is nevertheless the truth.” 

Janette felt a tear slip from her eye as the feelings welled up inside
her- feelings that she had never imagined she could experience.  “I
think that I would stay with you forever, if you would let me, Duncan.”
She didn’t know where these words were coming from, and frankly it was
scaring her a little.  She had never felt more vulnerable in her life
than at the moment she spoke those words. 

MacLeod had always fallen for strong, beautiful women.  His enemies,
and even some of his friends would say it was his biggest weakness.  He
knew with certainty, however, that he had never felt like this before
in his life.  Not once in four hundred years had he felt this strongly.
His own eyes were moist as he said, “Forever would be a fine starting
point, lass.”  He saw the warring of hope and doubt in her eyes and
added, “Here, now.  See for yourself,” as he tipped his head back and
bared his throat to her. 

Touched by his gesture, she pulled herself tightly to him and gently
pierced the flesh of his throat over a major vein and began to suck
strongly, thinking, “I love you Duncan MacLeod.  It shouldn’t be
possible, but I love you more than I could have ever imagined.” 

Though Janette might have been able to stop, if his life were at stake,
Duncan urged her on- reveling in this joining, which was more intimate
than mere sex ever could be.  Their joint thought as the darkness once
again claimed them was “Forever!” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

St. John’s Cathedral 
8 p.m. 

As Scully sat through the ritual of Mass, she felt herself become more
centered and focused.  The comfortable familiarity of this service
reminded her of her youth, her family, and of growing up.  No matter
how often they moved, or where they moved to, Roman Catholic Mass was
virtually identical wherever they went.  She felt closer to her family
and to God when she sat in a cathedral and listened to the priests’
solemn intonations from the Word of God. 

As she sat, she allowed her mind to ponder the events and actions of
the last week.  She never in her life imagined that she could have been
on such an emotional roller coaster ride.  The last seven days
contained more joy and sorrow, peace and torment, laughter and tears
than her entire puberty.  “Things are certainly on the right track now.
Thank you God for that!” she thought. 

She was feeling slightly anxious about going into the confessional.
She wanted absolution for the lives she had taken.  She was penitent
for that night- even though she felt they more than deserved death, she
also truly believed that it was not her place to judge and carry out
sentence on such people.  She didn’t feel bad that she had killed them
though, she didn’t feel guilt or remorse over their deaths- she just
wished that she hadn’t been the one to do it.  She was sure that that
didn’t make very much sense; she was wondering how to tell the priest
without confusing him or revealing her vampirism.  Maybe she would see
if she could whammy him, and then if she could, she would just remove
the knowledge from him after she had made her confession and received
her penance. 

Scully thought about God.  Not long ago her faith had been faltering,
but some of their more recent cases and events had led her back to her
foundering faith- and had strengthened rather than weakened it.  She
couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Nick to have gone for
centuries feeling separated and alone- cut off from God and beyond
forgiveness.  “It must have been truly horrible- beyond imagining,” she
thought with a shiver.  It’s no wonder he was so angsty all the time,
as Natalie described him.  “Wanting to be good, to atone; but feeling
like the sins of the past couldn’t be forgiven,” she thought.  That had
obviously made it impossible to forgive himself, and so he had beaten
himself up for every little slip or fall- feeling worse for every
mistake and discounting every success.  She prayed to God that he would
give Nick the strength to accept forgiveness. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder sat through the service as quietly, mentally and physically, as
he could.  He didn’t want to disturb Scully as she got whatever it was
she got out of this.  He might not have come to grips with the
existence of God in his own mind, but he wouldn’t do anything to
inhibit Scully’s faith.  So, he closed his eyes and focused on her
impressions of this service. 

He experienced her emotions and listened to her inner discussions and
prayers.  He listened to her thoughts about Nick, and even though he
only caught the emotions and a few word-thoughts, he marveled at the
self-loathing that Nick apparently felt.  He could sympathize, even
though Mulder hadn’t spent eight hundred years ruining lives and
causing deaths, he knew what it was to see the pain that his actions
caused others; especially those that he cared about, those he loved. 

Mulder knew from Scully’s mental re-hashing of her conversation with
Natalie that Nick’s guilt had driven a wedge between them on many
occasions.  That his tendency to blame himself for everything that went
wrong contributed to her own despair.  She loved him and ached for the
pain he felt.  Even though she was willing to forgive him- or more to
the point, felt that his life now was so removed from the harm he had
brought about in the past that forgiveness wasn’t even necessary.
Nick’s refusal to accept her love and mercy had been a constant source
of pain for Natalie. 

Mulder found himself sympathizing with both of them- yet he was still
in such denial about his personal feelings of unreasonable guilt that
he didn’t make the correlation to his own attitudes and behaviors.  He
watched as Scully stood up at the end of the service and walked toward
the confessional booths. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Chorley Park 
9 p.m. 

Tracy had begun her night in what was rapidly becoming her normal
fashion; She attacked Vachon as soon as she had slaked her waking
thirst.  Vachon had, again, been startled by Tracy ’s sexual appetite. 
She was amazed herself.  Part of it was the indisputable fact that
Vachon was the most fabulous lover she’d ever had.  Another
contributing factor was that she felt like a different person now.  The
propriety and seriousness that she had clung to so desperately her
whole life long now seemed inconsequential.  It was as though in
shedding her mortality she had shed all of the self-conscious
inhibitions.  She used to define her self-worth by the approval or
disapproval of her father, a tyrannical bastard who was never satisfied
with her, no matter how well she performed.  “Well, I have a new master
now,” she thought.  And, this one wasn’t quite the tyrant that her
mortal father had been. 

Following the thoughts of his newest childé, Vachon added aloud, “I
couldn’t picture you doing this with your dad!” 

Tracy looked up from where she was, his cock buried in her throat, one
hand massaging and pulling at his balls, the other with three fingers
plunged into herself.  “Oh, you are Bad!” she thought to him, giving
him a little squeeze before resuming her morning ritual. 

Vachon tipped his head back and groaned as he approached climax.  Tracy
let go of him and offered her wrist.  Again, she had timed it nearly
perfectly so that she reached her own precipice just as he bit down.
He filled her mouth just as the bite on her wrist filled his and they
came together once again. 

Vachon took her other hand and licked her fingers clean as they enjoyed
the afterglow.  He hugged her lithe, responsive body tightly to his own
and gently, but thoroughly kissed her; two thoughts flowing to her
through their link- ‘I love you so much!; and, don’t ever stop doing
that to me!’ 

Tracy laughed out loud, breaking the kiss.  “Better than an alarm
clock?” she teased. 

“Much!” he sighed. 

Tracy remembered those moments as she and Vachon were now flying over
the city of Toronto , ‘looking for a place to hunt’ he had said.  She
was very nervous and kept thinking of other, more pleasant thoughts to
distract herself. 

Vachon could feel his daughter’s disquiet and reassured her, “You don’t
have to kill anyone tonight, Trace.  Trust me.” 

“Of course I trust you, Vachon.  I’m just nervous- I’ve never done this
before.” 

“Shh, Trace.  We aren’t hunting innocents,” Vachon reassured her,
hearing the undercurrent of Tracy ’s thoughts.  “We’re hunting the same
kind you have been hunting for years.  Only tonight the hunt doesn’t
end with an arrest.” 

Tracy was both nervous and excited as they flew over a wooded area in
Chorley Park .  It was right on the edge of the city areas frequented
by drug dealers and other unsavory characters.  She followed as Vachon
slowed and began to fly just above the trees; listening for the sounds
of the particular prey he was interested in that night. 

The sounds of a low-voiced conversation carried by the wind attracted
both of their attention and they drifted over to the vicinity from
which it seemed to originate. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Jimmy and Tony were having a familiar argument; which one of them would
be the first.  The concept of taking turns was entirely foreign to
them. 

“I saw her!” was Jimmy’s final salvo. 

“Yeah, but I grabbed her!” was Tony’s swift riposte. 

Stunned by his adversary’s skillful repartee, Jimmy could aught but
surrender, “Bite me!” he grumbled. 

The object of their debate was a homeless woman that they had grabbed
for the purpose of an evening’s entertainment.  Jimmy and Tony were
brothers, in their early forties, who had been in and out of prison for
thirty of those years.  After their last 6 year stretch they had not
changed their criminal ways, but rather they had settled on targets
that were less likely to be missed.  Their ideas of entertainment were
torture and rape.  They had never done a stand for murder, but only
because they had been lucky.  They had been in and out for assault and
rape many times each. 

Tracy and Vachon had landed not far from the two brothers and had
listened to their argument.  Vachon had witnessed this scene a thousand
times in his life.  Tracy had had to clean up the aftermath many times,
but had never been in place to see it go down.  Vachon didn’t have to
urge her to act, she zeroed in on Tony and had him up against a tree
and her fangs buried in his throat in less time than it took him to
blink.  She stopped drinking long before his life was at risk, as the
images in his blood were repugnant to her.  This one had no remorse for
his atrocities.  He had no thought for the pain he inflicted beyond his
own enjoyment of it.  She held Tony propped up in one hand and turned
to see her lover treating Jimmy to the same. 

Vachon turned to his childé and said; “Now make him forget.” 

“I can’t, Vachon,” she began. 

He interrupted her, “You’ve done this before, Trace…” 

“No Vachon,” Tracy explained.  “I can’t let this piece of crap live.  I
wouldn’t be able to sleep tomorrow knowing that these two were out
there raping and killing.” 

“ Tracy , are you sure you want to be a killer?” Vachon gently asked. 

“I’ve killed before, Vachon... four times in the line of duty.  I never
had a single nightmare and I never felt the slightest guilt.”  With
that she spun Tony around gripped him around his neck. Whispering
harshly in his half-conscious ear, “you like to hurt women, do you?
When you wake up in hell, remember who sent you there!”  Then she
snapped his neck like a rotted branch. 

The woman on the ground jerked and whimpered at the sound, still
terrified and disorientated.  Vachon silenced the gibbering Jimmy with
a single stare and waited to see what Tracy would do next. 

Tracy let the body drop and went over to the homeless woman huddled on
the ground.  Capturing her heartbeat as Vachon had taught her to do,
she quieted the woman’s whimpers and instructed her to go to the
nearest shelter, forgetting the events of this night. 

As the woman left Tracy stood up, silently considering the vermin that
Vachon held enthralled.  She was grateful that Vachon had not killed
him.  She wanted to do it herself.  She looked at her lover and master,
asking, “Are you disappointed in me?” 

“No.  You didn’t lose control.  You made a conscious decision; one I
agree with.  You handled the woman fine…  I think you’re ready to be
around mortals again.”  Then he smiled and added, “Though I wouldn’t
want to be a criminal who meets you in a dark alley.” 

Tracy thought about that, “I’ll have to make sure I don’t kill the ones
I’m supposed to arrest.”  She captured Jimmy’s heartbeat and did what
Vachon had cautioned her never to do with a mortal- let her anger flow.
She was angry that these animals thought they could prey on innocent
women for their own twisted pleasure. 

To Jimmy it felt as though his brain and heart were caught in a vice.
He heard this woman screaming in his head so loudly that he thought his
ears were going to explode from the inside out.  The pain was
incredible- a thousand times worse than anything he’d ever felt before.


Vachon had never witnessed anything like this.  He had killed for food,
and for fun.  Of course he had killed in battle as well, but he had
never used the whammy to kill someone before.  Never had he killed with
such deliberate intent to punish.  Jimmy’s eyes and ears began to
bleed, and then his heart just stopped.  All the breath exhaled out of
his body and he collapsed on the ground, dead. 

Tracy ’s hands unclenched and she relaxed.  She hadn’t noticed that she
had tensed up every muscle in her body.  She felt a bit drained. 

Vachon sensed the exhaustion in his Childé and offered his throat,
“Drink, Tracy ,” he commanded.  Adding, “Next time just break their
neck.” 

Tracy grinned and impishly said, “Ok Dad,” as she took his offering.
She felt his acceptance of her decision through the bloodkiss.  She was
relieved, although she didn’t know why he would have disagreed; after
all he was a killer too. 

When she broke away she said, “Lets get rid of these and go to the
Raven!”  She was looking forward to being there as a vampire for the
first time. 

“We’ll dump the bodies in the lake.  Then we’ll go home and make sure
you feed well,” Vachon started.  When he saw her disappointment he
finished with “Maybe after that you can convince me to take you out.” 

Tracy caught the not-so-subtle proviso, “I think I can come up with a
compelling argument,” she said, reaching out to stroke him through his
tight jeans. 

“I have full confidence in you Querida,” Vachon said as he reached down
and grabbed the body of the late Jimmy Jackson. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Dirty Mick 
9:30 p.m. 

Methos thought this was probably the worst in the series of dive bars
that he had been to already tonight.  Looking for that bastard Froag
was taking a great deal more time than he had anticipated.  He knew
from reading the watcher chronicles about him that Froag tended to
spend his free time in dark clubs and bars looking for women, or dive
bars looking for fights.  Methos was hitting as many of each as he
could, knowing that Froag wasn’t much of a bar hopper and tended to
stay in one place until he found one of his goals- sex or violence. 

As far as anyone knew, Froag hadn’t left town.  The good news was that
his watcher hadn’t found him yet, meaning Methos wouldn’t have to worry
about being seen.  The bad news, of course, was that his watcher hadn’t
found him yet, which meant that he couldn’t use that source to track
him down. 

Methos spent the time while he waited thinking about these vampires.
They had come as a serious shock to his worldview.  He really thought
he had seen it all, and now he wondered if he really knew anything
about anything at all.  Now that he had seen a few of them he noticed
that they seemed to be everywhere.  He was pretty sure he saw one in
here tonight.  It was the stillness.  When they weren’t actually in
motion, it was like they were mannequins- they were absolutely
unmoving.  It was like looking at an eerily accurate carving, a moment
in time encapsulated and on display in the midst of the kinetic frenzy
around them. 

He wondered how Mulder had managed to take out Williams like that.  Was
he something more than immortal?  Had his girlfriend been able to turn
him into a vampire too?  It had happened outside a diner, just minutes
after sunset.  Surely Mulder couldn’t be in that place, at that time if
he were a vampire.  How had he torn off someone’s head barehanded?
Heads were pretty firmly attached.  Even a blow from a sharp sword, if
not landed at just the right speed and angle, wasn’t enough to
guarantee decapitation.  He remembered quite a few embarrassing moments
early in his life where he thought he had made the killing blow only to
watch his sword get stuck part way through.  The human body was at once
marvelously resilient and fragile.  The most horrendous damage could
heal, yet sometimes the least little blow could kill. 

He would head to the Raven Sunday night with a few questions on his
mind. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

St. John’s Cathedral 
9:30 p.m. 

Scully walked over to the confessional with a strangely light-headed
feeling.  She hadn’t been to confession in a while; with work as hectic
as it had been lately, she hadn’t been to Mass in about four months.
She recognized father Rochefort from Nick’s parting mental shot as they
left the loft earlier in the evening.  She wondered if she should ask
him to forgive her for putting the whammy on him.  “Is it a sin to
whammy a priest?” she asked herself.  “Better than putting his life at
risk I suppose,” she rationalized. 

She paused just before entering, “No, I’d better ask.”  She decided
that she could hardly expect absolution if she went into this with less
than pure intentions. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Father Rochefort was properly shocked.  “She is coming into the
confessional!?” his mind shouted at him, incredulous.  He had seen her
in the congregation during the Mass and had actually stopped breathing
for a moment.  As soon as he had recovered his breath he had
immediately given thanks to God that Father Gianninni was giving the
service that night.  He was sure he would have been unable to continue.
A vampire in the church!  Sitting through Mass!  He was waiting for the
flames to erupt at any moment.  When they didn’t he thought surely he
must be wrong, but he had never been wrong about this before.  Even
that homicide detective that had managed to pass an entire day within
these walls had obviously been a vampire.  At the time that had shocked
him as well, but that one had shown signs of serious weakness at the
profusion of holy symbols and relics in the cathedral. 

Nevertheless, the shock had transmuted into fascination with this
little vampire and her companion who had decided to attend service in
his church tonight.  The companion was definitely more uncomfortable
than the woman, yet he didn’t seem to be a vampire.  “Too alive,” was
how Rochefort thought of him.  He fidgeted and moved, and breathed too
much to be a vampire, whereas she had that preternatural stillness that
was one obvious indicator of vampirism.  Even a yoga master in silent
meditation had some animation; an eyelash twitch, the slight rise and
fall of the chest in breath.  The beating of the heart and the pulse of
blood through the body carried a subtle sense of vitality to a person,
no matter how still they tried to be. 

But vampires, they could be so still that they might as well be carved
from living quartz.  Like a DVD on pause, they seemed to occupy a
moment outside of time, and one could be forgiven for thinking that
they were indeed as dead as the legends claimed- until they chose to
move.  They had a fascinating sinuousness to their movement that went
beyond feline.  This one had sat through the service like that.  Her
movement startled him every time the congregation went to their knees. 
She went from stillness to motion with mechanical suddenness and
smoothness.  She definitely knew the routine of the Mass; unlike her
companion who was caught by surprise at every ritual motion.  All of
these thoughts rushed through Father Rochefort’s head in an instant as
Scully stood at the confessional, entered and sat down. 

Scully sat down and paused for a moment before speaking, still not sure
exactly how she was going to say this.  She noticed that the priest’s
heart was beating rapidly and she could smell the adrenaline coursing
through his veins.  She turned to look at him through the screen and
saw that he was afraid.  She didn’t understand why, “Surely he doesn’t
know what I am,” she thought.  Nick had taught her that mortals were
not allowed to know about vampires, that the enforcers forbade that
knowledge and mortals who couldn’t be whammied were brought across or
killed. 

Rochefort felt the icy grip of panic inside as the vampire just sat
there staring at him in that absolute stillness they had.  The church
did not accept the existence of vampires, but those within the church
who had encountered them knew the truth.  The old priest who had
introduced the truth to Father Rochefort had assured him that the
church would always provide sanctuary against such creatures.  And,
even when the vampire who had inexplicably taken a job as a police
officer had entered this cathedral- against everything his mentor had
said was impossible, Rochefort had felt no fear.  The vampire-detective
was so weakened by being inside the church that he had barely been able
to move. 

This vampire seemed to have no such vulnerability. 

Scully noticed that the priest seemed to be about to bolt from the
confessional.  “Father, are you alright?” she asked, concerned. 

Rochefort asked, “What do you want?” in a quavering voice- angry with
himself for the obvious fear he was projecting.  “This is the house of
God!” he thought.  “I am God’s servant, he will protect me.” 

Scully was baffled.  She restrained herself from looking back behind
her to see if the priest was talking to someone else.  “Father… I’m
here to confess,” she said very calmly- as though speaking to a madman.
She still didn’t realize that the priest knew she was a vampire- Nick’s
knowledge and experience from their deep link overcoming for the moment
her logic and deductive reasoning. 

Father Rochefort gaped at her.  “Are you serious?” he asked in
disbelief.  As her brows furrowed in confusion he whispered, “How can a
vampire even be in here?” 

“Well, obviously Nick’s information and experience is incomplete,” she
thought.  Fortunately her brain kicked back in before her mouth could
spit out the clichéd question, “You know about vampires?”  Clearly he
did.  The next question was whether the priest would be able to treat
with her like a person or would dismiss her as a monster.  Scully
hadn’t fully considered the idea that mortals might be prejudiced
against vampires- beyond the whole Witch-Hunt scenario. 

“Father, we are not evil.  Not all of us anyway,” she answered.  Seeing
his disbelief, she showed him the cross hanging from her necklace, “I
believe in God.  I believe that Jesus died for my sins.  I am a
Christian just like you are.” 

If the pope himself had walked up to him and said he was converting to
Jehovah’s Witness, Father Rochefort didn’t think he would have been
more surprised than he was right now.  In that moment he experienced
the feeling that a child feels when he becomes old enough to realize
that his parents not only didn’t know everything about everything, but
it seems that they don’t know much about anything at all.  His mentor’s
information was obviously far from complete. 

Scully watched while the priest gaped at her for a bit longer.  “Will
you be alright, Father?” she asked.  The doctor in her worried about
the possibility of shock, but it seemed as though his heartbeat and
respiration were returning to normal. 

Rochefort suddenly felt mortified.  A child of God had come to him for
forgiveness and he had, in essence, damned her as the devil’s spawn.
Not his finest moment, to say the least.  “I apologize, my child.  I…
I…” 

Scully smiled.  “It’s ok, father.  I imagine it was quite a shock if
you knew something of us already.” 

“I didn’t think vampires could… I’m sorry,” he said, realizing he was
about to make another offensive characterization.  “But I have seen a
vampire repulsed by the cross, child.” 

“We are not all good, either father.  People are people, even those of
us on the night shift,” she said with a smile, not wanting to get into
a discussion on a subject she herself knew so little about. 

Rochefort pulled himself together and said, “I will hear your
confession, child.” 

Scully was relieved- though they would have to have a discussion later
regarding the priest’s knowledge of vampires.  She didn’t want to
endanger him.  She composed herself and began, “Forgive me Father, for
I have sinned…” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder began to notice that he could think ‘aloud,’ as it were, without
disturbing or being disturbed by Scully’s thoughts.  It was like
sitting next to someone who was speaking on the phone- as long as they
weren’t yelling or directing their conversation towards you, you could
carry on your own conversation right next to them without either of you
bothering one another. 

Mulder pondered thoughts of God, and eternity.  That there was an
afterlife of some kind seemed evident from Scully’s experience- one
shared by all vampires, apparently.  Except for Natalie of course.  He
wondered about that as well.  If God did exist and there was a ‘Heaven’
or some sort of life after death, were immortals not invited?  Would
his ‘spirit’ be spent feeding the personal power of the one who took
his head?  He had the knowledge of Willy Williams, and all those who’s
heads he had taken- perfect recall seemed to be a normal part of the
immortal condition- but he didn’t really feel them as actual presences-
spirits or souls or whatever you want to call them.  It was more like
watching a movie. 

Scully just seemed so sure.  She wasn’t threatened by his disbelief,
she didn’t seem to be rocked by the pure evil they had witnessed, or
the brutal inhumanity they had seen perpetrated by people upon each
other and themselves.  None of that seemed to shake her faith.  It
shook his, and he didn’t even know if he believed in God in the first
place.  Once he had been so certain that God couldn’t exist, now he was
less certain about that as well.  “I guess I will have to table that
decision for now,” he thought.  Scully was in confession now, and
Mulder couldn’t help but listen in a bit. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Corbeau 
10 p.m. 

“Why proud?” Janette asked. 

MacLeod had gasped to life wrapped in the arms of a vampire for the
second time in as many hours.  While he was initially confused, as he
always was when coming back to life, he quickly remembered where he was
and whom he was with.  He decided that this was perhaps the most
enjoyable way to come back to life that he had yet experienced.
Usually they weren’t quite so pleasant. 

As they lay together in the afterglow of sex and death, Janette had
slid off him until she was laying on his left side, her leg draped over
his and her head snuggled onto his shoulder while he wrapped his left
arm around her.  Janette played with the hair on his chest and then
asked that question. 

It took Mac a moment to understand to what she was referring.  “I think
it was because she had taken down a group of renegade watchers who had
inflicted Mulder’s first death.” He answered.  “I think she was
embarrassed about it, because she seemed hesitant to discuss it, but he
pressed her to do so.  Like a parent would when their child had done
something special and they wanted to show the child off to their
friends,” he explained. 

“Nicolas’ childé is a killer?” Janette asked rhetorically.  “If I had
not seen him in your blood, I would be certain that we were not
speaking about the same person,” she stated emphatically. 

“Why is that?” Mac asked. 

Janette continued to stroke Mac’s chest, as though she could not get
enough of touching him.  “Nicolas has rejected everything about our
community for a century.  He drinks cow blood, he doesn’t kill, he
doesn’t do anything that has to do with the vampire,” she groused.  “He
wants to be mortal again.”  She gently kissed his chest and added, “At
least he did.  It is obvious that things have changed radically since I
left Toronto .” 

MacLeod, not knowing any of the players in Janette’s family beyond
meeting them- and a few memories of hers that lingered from the last
bloodkiss- remained silent on the matter. 

They lay in shared silence for a moment- just enjoying each other’s
physical presence before Janette realized, abashed, that Mac must be
very thirsty after being drained twice.  She sat up and moved to get
out of the bed. 

MacLeod asked, “Where are you going?” 

Janette looked back over her shoulder at him and answered with a small
grin, “I thought you might be thirsty” 

As though he just realized it himself Mac agreed whole heartedly and
made as if to get up himself. 

“Just lay there, love.  I will bring it to you,” Janette said,
forestalling him. 

She didn’t bother to put on any clothes, allowing MacLeod a most
wonderful view as she left the chamber to go out to the front room.
She called the bar and had one of the waitresses deliver a tray to her
quarters, leaving it outside the door.  She waited until she heard the
girl- a fledgling only a decade old- leave before opening the door and
picking up the tray. 

As she returned to the bedchamber she felt her heart catch at the sight
of him, gloriously nude, laid out on her bed like a virility statue.
She felt his eyes on her own form and watched as he rose to half staff
just looking at her.  She set down the tray beside the bed and handed
him a large bottle of water, “Water first, then we will see about
that,” she said, indicating his evident arousal. 

Mac greedily drank the water, slaking part of his thirst.  He was glad
that she had brought several as she handed him a second bottle without
any question.  “You were right, I was thirsty!” he said as he set down
the second empty bottle.  He looked at her standing there beside the
bed and couldn’t help saying, “You’ll probably grow tired of me saying
this, Janette, but God in Heaven!  You are so beautiful.” 

Janette laughed delightedly.  She stopped and struck a pose, crossing
her arms, one finger on her lips, and her face turned up as if in
thought.  After a moment she returned her eyes to meet her lover’s gaze
and said, “No… No, I am reasonably certain that I will never get tired
of hearing you say that.”  She added teasingly, “Especially if you say
it while lying before me naked and hard like you are now.” 

MacLeod grinned and crooked his finger at her in a ‘come hither’
motion. 

Janette played coy, pointing to herself and saying, “Moi?” before
crawling onto the bed and heading straight for Mac’s cock.  As she
reached it, MacLeod reached over to her and grabbed her by the hips,
lifting her off of the bed and settling her down over his face so that
he could reciprocate the attention she was about to pay him. 

MacLeod began to explore the territory before him, licking, sucking and
gently nibbling the contours before delving into the center.  He worked
his way down to Janette’s clit and gently stroked and teased the hood
for a minute or two before gently pulling it back to reveal that little
bundle of nerves.  That he circled with his tongue for a while before
pursing his lips around it and sucking it into his mouth.  He began to
stroke it in earnest as he felt her ministrations pushing him closer
and closer to the edge.  He wanted to bring her over first and finish
his journey inside of her. 

Finally Janette had to pull off of him and sink her teeth into his
thigh.  She came with a muffled scream against his leg. 

The pain of her bite was enough to help Mac keep from cumming, but even
then it was an exercise in iron will and he had almost lost it several
times.  Fortunately Janette only took a single swallow and the link
wasn’t established or else he would have been taken by her orgasm. 

As she recovered she asked “Why?” 

“I need to be inside you,” He panted. 

She climbed off of his face and lied down next to him saying, “Then
take me.  Right Now!” she commanded. 

Needing no further urging he knelt between her legs and penetrated her
in one swift thrust of his hips.  He rested most of his weight on his
knees and elbows, so as not to crush her.  She tried to pull him down
fully onto her and he resisted, “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. 

She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his back and
yanked him down onto her, pressing her into the mattress.  “I am
vampire; you could park a truck on my chest and not hurt me,” she
whispered savagely into his ear.  She then began to clean her blood off
of his face with her tongue. 

MacLeod groaned from someplace deep in his belly at her words and
actions.  He began to violently slam into her with all of the strength
in his body, and she spurred him on with her ankles crossed at the
small of his back.  He suddenly leaned back and thrust his arms between
himself and her legs, then dragged his arms up to her shoulders,
pressing her ankles between his shoulders and hers.  This pulled her
lower torso up off of the bed, and rotated her pelvis so that he
penetrated as deeply as possible on the down thrust and dragged the
head of his cock across her g-spot as he pulled back.  He continued to
slam into her as fast and hard as possible until he couldn’t take it
any more and he released into her powerfully. 

Having been driven to the edge again by his skillful maneuvering and
powerful thrusting, she leaned her head forward and bit into his neck,
just below the ear.  This time the link was established and they felt
the full force of each other’s orgasm in addition to their own.  An
entirely delicious feeling, but- due to their positions, Janette had to
end the link before draining MacLeod.  She made up for it, once he had
lifted himself off of her by going down and cleaning her blood off of
his cock and balls.  This, of course lead to a rapid return to full
tumescence and Janette finished what she had started a few minutes
before. 

MacLeod groaned in sweet agony as she sucked his sensitive head deep
into her throat.  He couldn’t help a single involuntary thrust, and
immediately apologized. 

She shook her head and responded by digging her nails into his ass,
eliciting another involuntary thrust.  After a couple more repetitions,
with her humming in delight and nodding her head, he got the idea that
she wanted him to do that.  He remembered that she didn’t need to
breathe, and it would appear that she had no gag reflex.  She looked up
into his eyes and began pulling him into her throat, grinding his
crotch into her face.  And, though he would never dream of doing this
with a mortal woman, he began to deliberately thrust himself up into
her mouth and throat.  She then removed her hands from his ass and
began to massage his balls and perineum. 

He knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold out for very long, but then
she suddenly slipped one finger up inside of him and found his
prostate.  He had never before in his life felt that particular
sensation!  He immediately began to spasm into her, screaming her name
as he came.  She stopped bobbing her head, but kept rubbing his
prostate and squeezing his balls.  He felt like she was squeezing the
life out of him as he continued to cum and cum, while she swallowed it
all.  When she finally stopped, withdrew her finger and slowly slid her
head up off of him he thought he was going to die.  When his head
slipped out of her mouth with a wet popping sound he thought he might
not come back this time.  His voice was hoarse and his breathing ragged
as he said, “Well, now I know what heaven feels like!” 

Janette smiled in delight, glad that she could elicit such reactions
from this man.  She had never done that for a man since becoming a
vampire.  Though forced to learn such techniques as a slave in the
brothel her husband had sold her into, she had never used them on any
man since gaining her freedom.  She had felt degraded at the thought of
such submission to a male’s desires in the past- but with MacLeod, she
wanted to do everything and anything she could to please this him.  She
knew from the bloodkiss that he felt the same way towards her- and such
knowledge was the most overwhelming thing she had felt in a thousand
years of immortality. 

MacLeod was exhausted.  He held her tightly in his arms and looked into
her dark eyes, saying, “I love you Janette.”  Then, he kissed her
before finally succumbing to sleep. 

Janette stroked his hair for a bit before getting up to go into the
club.  As she got dressed, her eyes kept returning to linger on his
sleeping form.  She felt a tenderness towards him that brought a tear
to her eye.  She leaned over him and kissed his forehead, whispering
“l'amour de mon Coeur,” before breezing out of the chamber and into her
club for another night- this time absent the melancholy she had been
wearing like a shroud for two years. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

St. John’s Cathedral 
10 p.m. 

“…it has been 4 months since my last confession,” she began, and then
paused, unsure of where to go from there. 

“Go on my child,” Rochefort said gently. 

“So much has happened to me since then father,” Scully hesitantly
started.  “Actually, up until a few days ago my life was as it had been
for years.  Then we came to Toronto for a professional conference; my
partner and I- we’re with the FBI.”  Scully remembered the feelings she
was experiencing almost a week ago.  Another puzzle laid out before
her, this time in the body of a man who’s cause of death was obvious,
but who’s cadaver was unlike any she had seen before. 

“We’ve been partners for seven years, father.  In many ways we were
already closer than husband and wife, even though we had never had a
romantic relationship,” she continued. 

Father Rochefort had heard this story before, but this time there was
the added element of vampirism that had him literally on the edge of
his seat, his mind whirling with questions. 

Skipping over a large emotional mess, she jumped right to, “We changed
that this week…  I suppose that it was technically fornication, father.
It wasn’t lust though,” she was quick to explain.  “Though desire was
definitely a big part of it.  We have loved each other for years; we
have been one person mentally, emotionally, socially- even spiritually
I think.  Just not physically.  Not until this week.”  She looked at
him through the screen and asked, “Is that a sin, Father?” 

“Have you been faithful to each other?” he asked. 

“For years now, even before we knew we were in love,” she answered. 

“Do you plan on staying together now that you have ‘consummated’ your
relationship?” he questioned. 

“We already have plans for our ten millennia anniversary,” she answered
with a smile, remembering when Mulder proposed to her. 

Rochefort almost choked at that, the sheer scale of vampire
relationships was mind-boggling.  “I… I would say that, in God’s eyes
you’re definitely married,” he said, stuttering slightly. 

Scully smiled even more widely at that.  The thought that God was
smiling down on her and Mulder’s relationship sent a tingle of warmth
through her cool body. 

Rochefort misinterpreted her silence, saying, “Is that all you have to
confess, child?” 

Scully’s smiled dimmed, as she answered, “No father.  There is more.” 

When she didn’t say anything more for several seconds he prompted her
again, “Go on then.” 

“Father, you know about my kind already.  That knowledge is dangerous-
mortals aren’t allowed to carry that knowledge, and if certain members
of my community found out…” 

“God protects me, child.  You don’t need to worry about that,” he
interrupted, forestalling any further discussion of that type.  He knew
that vampires could mentally influence people; he would have none of
that.” 

“Of course, father.  However, there are other… races if you will…” 

“Your ‘partner’ whom you brought with you tonight?” he asked. 

“Well, yes.  Do you know what he is?” she wondered the extent of this
priest’s information. 

“He isn’t vampire and he isn’t human.  Beyond that…  I’ve never seen
anyone like him before,” he answered truthfully. 

Scully didn’t respond for several moments and Rochefort added, “Child. 
What is said in this place remains only here and in the mind of God.  I
am constrained from sharing with anyone- even other priests.” 

Scully needed to get this off of her chest so she took him at his word.
“His kind appears human in every way until their something kills them…”


Rochefort again had to prompt her, “Something… or someone?” he guessed
what it was that she had to confess. 

“You guessed it, father.  A group that was, coincidentally, hunting for
another of his kind kidnapped him.  When they realized their error-
thinking that he was just another human- they shot and killed him… as
though he was a piece of garbage to be thrown away rather than causing
them to be inconvenienced.”  She remembered the horror and loss she had
felt- as though someone had reached in and torn her insides out.  Her
voice dropped to a whisper, “I was too late to save him, father… but
not too late to see them kill him.” 

“And…” he gently pressed. 

She continued to whisper, “I killed them, father.  I killed them all.” 

Father Rochefort could picture the reaction of an angry vampire to
seeing their lover slain before their eyes.  The image in his head
wasn’t pretty.  He thought the reality would probably be even worse. 

“Tell me, child; are you sorry that you killed them?  Are you sorry
that they are dead?” he pressed. 

“Father…  I am an agent of the FBI.  I firmly believe in justice.  I
believe their punishment was just- so, no; I’m not sorry that they are
dead,” she answered firmly.  “However, I also believe that justice is
something that should be decided in a court of law.  I am sorry that I
killed them.  It isn’t my place to be judge, jury and executioner.”
Scully lowered her head and whispered, “I didn’t think, I just
reacted.” 

Rochefort asked, “Do you think that that excuses your behavior, child?”


“No father.  It doesn’t excuse anything,” she answered, her expression
doleful. 

It was a hard question to ask, but Rochefort just had to know, “And if
your lover were permanently dead…” 

“Would I still by sorry?” she finished the question for him.  “Father,
I don’t want to be a murderer.  I don’t want to be a killer,” she
began.  “You have no idea how easy it would be to give in to that
desire.”  She paused for several seconds, “I’ve seen terrible things,
father.  I am a pathologist- I have seen carnage you could never dream
of; mass murders, torture, cannibalism…  I’ve seen things done to women
and children that would turn a maggot’s stomach.  I have hunted down
the monsters that perpetrate such atrocities,” she was near sobbing at
this point.  “I wanted to kill them, make them pay for their evil.
I’ve seen it in Mulder’s eyes as well- that desire to wreak instant and
fitting justice on the wrongdoers…  But we never did.  I never gave in
to that impulse in my life until I watched them kill Mulder.” 

Scully took a few deep breaths and regained her composure, “I still
wouldn’t be sorry they were dead, father.  I will always be sorry that
I was the one to take their lives.” 

Father Rochefort was moved by her recitation.  He could hear the
passionate desire to right wrongs.  He had heard it many times before
in the agonized voices of policemen who confessed before him, and it
never failed to move him.  To see such evil every day, and maintain
ones honor, to uphold the law in the face of such provocation was
laudable.  He had only one thing left to say, “Child, you are granted
absolution.  Your sins are forgiven.  Go with God.” 

It was just a man speaking the words, but she felt God’s forgiveness
fill her penitent heart, which might be cool and slow these days- but
was neither cold nor hard. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder was wowed by Scully’s confession.  He had really never known the
depths of her desire to exact vengeance.  She always maintained such an
even disposition- on the outside at least.  He was glad that they had
been able to refrain from surrendering to their desires for
retribution.  It would have changed the entire dynamic of their
relationship for the worse. 

He was also encouraged by the lightness in spirit that he felt from her
after receiving absolution.  He had, of late, begun to come up with a
radical new (new for him at least) theory; his guilt over the bad
things that happened to her was causing her pain.  It was also selfish-
by divorcing her from any responsibility for her actions, and the
negative consequences, he was in fact telling her that she was not able
to lead her own life and make her own decisions!  He was treating her
like a child.  Well!  No more of that!  He would put aside his guilt
and move forward.  He would forgive himself, even if it killed him.
And, he would ask her to forgive him- not for her pain, but for his
conceit. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Scully came out of the confessional with a lightness of step that
matched her lightness of heart.  She felt like flying, but knew that
would be a bad idea.  She practically skipped over to Mulder and
grabbed his hand, pulling him up out of the pew.  “Mulder, let’s go
flying!” she whispered conspiratorially. 

[Absolutely!] he thought to her.  He loved to fly with Scully almost as
much as she did.  He took her arm and she basically dragged him out of
the cathedral. [Where are we going?] he added. 

[Someplace high!] she answered. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

First Canadian Place , 951 feet up 
11:30 p.m. 

Scully had taken them for a rollicking ride through the sky.  She
luxuriated in the feeling of freedom and the sensation of the wind in
her hair, as well as the feel of Mulder wrapped up in her arms and
legs.  She was happy and horny and they hadn’t even landed before she
had begun her assault on him. 

By the time they had landed on the roof of the tallest building in
Canada , Mulder had one hand down Scully’s pants, stroking her clit
through the silky panties, and the other hand under her shirt and bra,
kneading her breasts and tweaking her nipples.  He was caressing her
fangs and suddenly impaled his tongue onto one of them, sending her
crashing down into orgasm. 

The blood from Mulder’s tongue was enough to spark an orgasm, but not
enough to really initiate a bloodkiss- it healed too rapidly.  Scully
was disappointed when, rather than tear her clothes off and ravish her,
Mulder put her back together- so to speak- and stepped back from her.
She could feel a sense of apprehension from her lover and was
concerned, [Mulder, what’s wrong?] she asked. 

Mulder stared into the azure brilliance of her eyes for a moment before
saying, “Scully, I want to confess…  To you.  I want to ask your
forgiveness.”  Feeling her ire, he quickly reassured her, “I’m serious,
Scully!  I don’t know if there is a God in Heaven, but I do know that I
have faith in you.  I know that I love you.  And, I feel that I have
ill-treated you.” 

[Alright Mulder,] she thought to him hesitantly, wondering where he was
going with this, and feeling anything but ill-treated at that
particular moment. 

“Scully, I want to ask your forgiveness for all the guilt and self
loathing I have dumped on you for the past seven years.  Every time I
told you that I was responsible for the bad things that happened to you
since you partnered with me,” he began.  “I am sorry for presuming that
I was such a dominant influence on your life and your mind that you
couldn’t make decisions for yourself.  As though you weren’t smart
enough or wise enough to weigh the potential consequences and choose a
course of action that involved risks.  To do everything you did because
it was your resolute choice- rather than my coercion.”  Mulder reached
out and wiped the tear from her cheek as he continued, “I’m sorry that
I ever made you imagine for a moment that I thought so poorly of you;
because I didn’t,” he said with tears in his own eyes.  “I have always
thought you were the stronger of us.  I was just selfish and self-
centered- I only thought of things and events in relationship to my
feelings and my supposed inadequacies.  Can you ever forgive me? “ 

[Oh Mulder.  You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, well maybe
some idea] she corrected, seeing the joy in her heart reflected in the
look on his face.  [That is the one thing that you were actually guilty
of doing to me… and it hurt a lot.  I always knew that it was just a
function of your painful past, and I always forgave you, without you
even needing to ask.]  She pulled him tight and laid a sweet,
compassionate kiss on his lips, [I absolve you of your sin, Mulder.  Go
forth and sin no more!] she said in all seriousness. 

As Scully let Mulder go, she noticed two things:  One, Mulder was
staring into her eyes, crying with joy, not noticing anything else
around them.  Two, they were floating about ten feet above the roof of
the building, and she wasn’t touching him. 

“Um, Mulder?” she began. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 


Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 16 
Nick’s loft 

2:00 p.m. Saturday December 16th 

Mulder woke up feeling like the sahara- dry and dusty.  As he sat up,
his stomach rumbled loudly.  He drew on a pair of boxers and stumbled
down to the kitchen.  He felt very strange- other than the hunger and
thirst, he was physically fine- no aches or pains at all.  “After last
night, I should be feeling like crap,” he thought, remembering the
drunken revelry that last night’s celebration had turned into. 

Most of the Toronto Community was there when Mulder and Scully arrived.
They were celebrating the new additions to the community; Natalie and
Tracy.  Mulder and Scully got a lot of strange looks initially, but
everyone saw that they were part of LaCroix’s inner circle- and they
all knew that this was not the place or time to wonder too loudly about
the new-comers.  LaCroix was not one to annoy- especially about matters
of family. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Raven 
2 a.m. 

They were laughing like two little kids when they finally made it to
the Raven.  They had been playing hide and seek for over an hour,
testing and honing Mulder’s new flying skills.  It was more of a game
between them, much less serious than the training Scully had done with
Nick.  First of all, they couldn’t block each other at all, so it
wasn’t too tough to find each other.  It had degenerated into a
glorious game of flying tag by the time they made it to the club. 

“Gotcha!” Mulder whispered huskily in her ear as he landed behind her
and roughly pressed her to himself. 

Scully stopped laughing as she felt evidence of Mulder’s arousal in the
small of her back.  She caressed his arms as he held her snugly to him,
one across her hips and the other just below her breasts.  “Then take
me!” she demanded, matching his throaty, breathless growl. 

They were behind the club, but Mulder didn’t even look around to make
sure they were alone before he acted.  He reached inside her coat, and
yanked her pants down to her thighs.  With his other hand he pushed her
down until she was bent over, arms against the rough brick wall
supporting her.  He unzipped his fly with one hand while pushing aside
the material of her panties with the other. 

She felt him plunge into her and begin thrusting powerfully.  His hands
ran over her body, massaging her breasts through the material of her
shirt, and sliding down under her panties to start rubbing her clit.
This was no long slow love making- this was fast and furious- it was
about overwhelming desire and need- not tenderness and love. 

It was exactly what they both required right now if they wanted to have
even the slightest chance of acting like civilized human beings once
they walked through the door into the club. 

When Mulder came, it was so powerful that he thought he would pass out.
He yanked Scully back upright and sank his teeth into the side of her
neck, sucking powerfully at the river of cool blood beneath the skin. 

Their link was almost as intimate as the bloodkiss already, and when he
bit her- they were so unified that Scully came too- without a single
drop of blood passing her lips. 

This isn’t to say that she didn’t want any: as soon as Mulder pulled
out; she spun around in his arms and sank her own teeth into him-
reveling in the purely physical sensation of his hot blood splashing
against the back of her throat, her tongue hungrily lapping at the
perfumed sweetness. 

She drained him- she couldn’t help herself.  While she waited for his
return, she cleaned them both up a little bit and put herself back
together.  “I am definitely buying some new clothes tomorrow!” she
thought.  “Sex in a power suit is too much of a hassle.”  She never
even considered the idea that they could just restrict their sexual
encounters to more ‘appropriate’ times and places.  She was thinking of
short skirts and low cut tops, Lycra and Spandex. 

Mulder gasped back to life just as Scully was tucking him back into his
pants.  “Sorry about that Scully,” he said.  “I just couldn’t wait
another second.”  He felt a little sheepish at his selfishness. 

Scully, of course, was having none of it.  “Good!  I want to make you
so hot and bothered that you can’t stand to wait another second,” she
said.  Sometimes she felt like she needed him so badly that it made her
want to scream.  She was glad that she could make him feel the same
way. 

“Are you kidding?  Just seeing you stand in front of me makes me think
about spontaneous human combustion!” he said seriously.  “Let’s go
inside before I can’t restrain myself from ripping your clothes to
shreds. 

Scully took his hand and they walked into the club. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder noticed Nick’s partner out on the dance floor, grinding her body
against that long-haired vampire that had accompanied them the night he
was killed- for the first time.  He pointed them out to Scully, who was
looking for Nick.  “There’s Nick’s partner, Tracy.  She’s dancing with
Vachon,” he shouted over the music.  “Is she…” 

Scully looked over where Mulder was indicating.  “Oh yeah,” she shouted
back- seeing the clear indicators of vampirism.  She reached out with
her senses and could feel her.  She felt very similar to Vachon, “Must
be because he brought her across,” she thought. 

[What ‘Must be because he brought her across’?] Mulder asked, hearing
that thought. 

[They feel similar… alike.  I don’t know how to explain it,] she
replied. 

[You can feel them through all these other people?] he asked,
incredulous. 

[Well, I can feel everybody around, but I can focus on them,] she
started to explain [It is just like looking at someone in a crowd- you
see everyone peripherally, but you focus on one at a time.  Speaking of
which…] she paused as she considered the crowd.  [I think you’re the
only one in this place that isn’t a vampire.  At least not entirely.] 

Vachon felt an awareness brush against his own for a moment and looked
around to see from whom it was coming.  He was surprised to see Nick’s
childé and her lover staring at him and Tracy.  “She couldn’t be strong
enough to do that,” he thought.  He waved at them and was then
distracted from any more thoughts on the matter as Tracy turned around
in his arms and began grinding her ass against his cock. 

Scully stifled a snicker when she saw Vachon’s focus snap back to the
lithe blond vampire that was pressed up against him.  She began to drag
Mulder through the crowd toward LaCroix’s office.  She thought that
that’s where Nick would probably be.  She tried to tap into her link
with him but found that he was too pre-occupied to answer. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick had arrived earlier with Natalie to see LaCroix.  They bypassed
the gyrating bodies on the dance floor and went directly to LaCroix’s
chambers.  Following a brief welcome from her new grandfather, Nick
took her down into the basement and into one of the hidden rooms below
the Raven. 

As he was about to open the door, Nick said, “You need a safe word,
Natalie…” he began. 

She looked confused, “A safe word?” 

“Yeah…  Casablanca .  That’ll do,” he said as he opened the door, swept
Natalie off of her feet and in an eye blink had her naked and chained
to a pair of manacles hanging from the ceiling, arms stretched above
her head. 

“Nick! What…” she began, startled. 

Nick stood behind her and put his hand over her mouth.  He leaned into
her and whispered in her ear, “If you really want me to stop, just say
Casablanca .”  Stepping away from her and around to the front, he
continued in a powerful voice, “Otherwise, slave, you keep your mouth
shut and do as you’re told!  Understand?” 

Natalie’s confusion rapidly changed to excitement and she was becoming
very wet just standing there, naked before her fully dressed master.
Her voice quivered as she responded, “Yes master.” 

“Very good, slave.”  Nick pulled out a remote control and pressed a
button, causing the chain to lower, giving Natalie enough slack so that
her hands were even with her face.  “On your knees, slave!” he
commanded. 

Natalie did so, ending up with her hands stretched over her head again.


“Now, then.  If you beg nicely, I might allow you to taste me,” he
said, unzipping his trousers. 

Natalie was already on fire; she didn’t see any whips or other forms of
punishment in the room, so she deduced that Nick wanted her to be a
totally compliant submissive slave for tonight’s game.  She was eager
to play any way he wanted.  “Please! Please master!  Let me suck you,
let me taste you and drink you,” she entreated in a pleading voice. 

“Very good, slave.  You shall have your reward,” he said as he pulled
his rapidly swelling member from his trousers and walked forward to
her.  He teased her with it for a few moments, eliciting further
begging before he let her suck him into her mouth.  She began to
rapidly bob her head up and down on his cock, straining against her
bonds to take as much of him in as he would allow.  After not too long
he began thrusting into her mouth and throat, His head tipped back in
ecstasy, denying himself a taste of her blood in order to keep from
coming. 

So ardent was her excitement that Natalie was dripping on the floor.
Though her mouth was too full to speak, she implored him through the
link to take her blood, to release himself into her.  Finally he gave
in and tipped his head forward, sinking his fangs into the fleshy part
of her hand above the shackles.  Natalie pulled her head almost off of
him and caught jet after jet in her mouth, holding it there until he
was finished. 

When at last his spent member slipped out of her mouth, Nick looked
down at the face of his lover.  She flashed him a mischievous grin and
opened her mouth to show him the load he had deposited there.  Then she
leaned her head back, and swallowed with relish; licking and smacking
her lips. 

The sight made Nick hard again almost instantly, and he commanded that
she should stand up.  He then bent her forward so that her torso was
approximately at a 45-degree angle to the floor.  He then stepped
behind her and sank into her in one smooth stroke.  He began a slow,
torturous pace that had Natalie begging and crying for more.  He
eventually built up speed until he was slamming into her, each stroke
sending his balls up to slap her clitoris. 

It was only the dearth of blood that kept Natalie from cumming like a
freight train.  She would have bitten herself, but her arms were pulled
up and away from her behind her head, and Nick’s hand on her back kept
her pressed down and unable to stand upright.  He knew she was on the
edge of orgasm, and he kept her there for several minutes until he gave
in to his own need as well as hers, pulling her upright and driving his
fangs into her neck.  He withdrew after the barest taste- just enough
to send another powerful orgasm ripping through his loins, filling her
once again- but not enough to forge the link, not enough to let her
cum. 

Natalie was on the verge of hysterics- sobbing and begging him to let
her cum.  Her body was wound so tightly that she thought she would
surely die if he didn’t let her cum. 

Nick let himself fall out of her, ignoring her begging for the moment. 
He slowly stepped around to stand before her, trailing his fingers
lightly over her supersensitive flesh as he walked.  He slowly stroked
her stomach and up between her breasts to her throat.  He noticed that
her nipples were so erect that they seemed to be trying to reach out to
him from her heavy, swollen breasts.  He whispered in her ear, “To whom
do you belong, slave?  Who owns you?” 

Natalie could barely stand, her legs felt like they were straining to
hold up the weight of the world.  His fingers on her skin were like
fiery brands, burning and scarring her flesh with pleasure so intense
that it was all she could do not to flinch.  Her thighs were soaked in
the blood of her desire and her face was soaked with blood tears.  She
answered his whispered questions with a hoarse shout, “YOU DO, MASTER! 
I BELONG TO YOU!” 

Nick smiled, not because he was torturing the love of his life, but
because he knew that the orgasm she was about to have would be more
intense than anything she had ever felt before.  He thought about going
minimalist- he could prick his finger on a single fang in her mouth and
it would be enough to send her over the edge- but he wasn’t strong
enough to deny himself the pleasure of sharing it with her.  He
whispered once more in her ear, ever so softly, “Should I let you cum,
slave?” 

Natalie could barely get through the sobs to whisper her answer,
“Please?  Please master?  Oh, please master.  I… I… b-beg you, please!”


Nick put his mouth to her throat and, with agonizing slowness, pierced
the taught, flushed skin of her throat with his fangs.  The moment he
gave her permission, she drove her fangs into his shoulder.  His blood
hit her tongue and there was a quarter-second’s pause.  

It felt like a nova went off in Natalie.  She would later swear that
she could feel each individual cell in her body burst with the
intensity of the orgasm.  She screamed so loudly that, had they not had
the benefit of vampire healing, Natalie would have permanently lost all
capacity for speech, and Nick would have been rendered eternally deaf. 

Their shared orgasm was so intense that Natalie was hanging boneless
from her manacles- her entire body still quivering- several minutes
later as Nick finished cleaning himself up and went over to release her
from the manacles. 

Natalie was still basking in the afterglow when Nick un-cuffed her.
She draped her naked body against his fully clothed one and kissed him
for several moments.  “Thank you Nick.  That was incredible.” 

Nick smiled, “The whole master/slave thing didn’t bother you?” he
asked.  He had been a little worried about that, despite her easy
acceptance of the past night’s bondage. 

“If you ever treated me like that in public, I’d stake you,” she
answered as she continued to come down from the intense high.  “But, in
the bedroom, I will gladly be your sex slave.  Whip me, spank me, tie
me up- just never deny me,” she said in all seriousness. 

“Why Nat, you kinky little hedonist!  I would never have guessed it in
a million years,” Nick said, chuckling. 

“Me neither.  I don’t think I came that hard from a single orgasm in my
entire life!” she said, remembering their first night together when he
had made her pass out.  “I think we need to build a playroom back at
the loft- maybe on the second floor?” she asked. 

“I think that can be arranged,” he said, already picturing the
possibilities. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s loft 
2:15 p.m. 

Mulder emptied a bottle of bloodwine, and of course it tasted great,
but he was still thirsty.  Orange juice sounded really good right now,
“And, I think I’m hungry for some real food,” he said to himself.  It
would be a couple of hours before the sun went down, so he knew none of
the other occupants would mind him taking off for a bit. 

He still couldn’t get over Natalie’s conversation with Scully, while he
and Nick were off with LaCroix again. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Raven 
2:20 a.m. 

Mulder and Scully stopped at the bar to get a drink before knocking on
the door to LaCroix’s office.  They heard him call them in just as
Scully was knocking. 

“There is no need for us to knock, Dana,” LaCroix began as they entered
the room.  It was evident that by ‘us’ he was referring to vampires in
general and his own scion in particular.  [Just ask,] he thought to
her. 

Mulder raised a brow at that.  He was well used to hearing from Scully
in his mind, it was strangely shocking to hear LaCroix. 

LaCroix, seeing Mulder’s reaction, arched his own brow, “You heard
that, Agent Mulder?” he asked, while reaching out with his senses as he
would to examine a vampire. 

“Yes,” Mulder answered.  “And I can feel you reaching out to me now,”
he said, somewhat surprised at the feeling.  It felt like his body was
being asked a question- indescribable to anyone who had never felt it
themselves. 

“Obviously you have changed a great deal since last night, Agent
Mulder,” LaCroix began. 

At that moment Nick and Natalie entered through the door on the other
side of the office.  Scully took one look at Natalie and thought
“Woman, freshly laid.” 

Mulder could barely contain his laughter at that thought, and Nick
desperately tried to scowl at his impertinent childé, but he couldn’t
wipe the satisfied smirk off of his mouth. 

Natalie, catching Nick’s amusement, took one look at Scully, made a
brief show of sniffing the air and said out loud, “Look who’s talking!”
She walked over to Scully and began to hustle her out of the office and
into the club, saying, “Come on, Dana.  We’ll let the boys chat for a
bit.”  In a much quieter voice she added, “I want details…” as the door
closed behind them. 

Mulder and Nick shrugged sheepishly while LaCroix let loose a long-
suffering sigh, and said, “Come along then, let us speak while your
intellects yet remain in your skulls- before returning to their native
homes in your trousers!” as he walked out the opposite door into his
private rooms. 

“Well, Agent Mulder; you still do not feel like a vampire, your heart
is still beating- though quite slowly for a mortal- and your body
temperature does not seem to have lowered greatly- though again, it is
less than a mortal’s.  Other than being able to hear me communicate
with Dana, have you noticed any other changes? 

Mulder smiled at that, “Nick can tell you about the first one- fangs” 

Nick answered LaCroix’s unspoken question, “He and Dana were sharing a
bloodkiss when Nat and I came downstairs this evening. 

“Fangs and you drink blood now?  Exclusively, or just from Dana?”
LaCroix asked- becoming more and more intrigued. 

“Actually, I drank from a bottle as well as from Scully.  But I also
drank water, so I don’t think it is solely blood.  I could probably
still eat, even though I haven’t since yesterday,” he answered-
realizing that he hadn’t been hungry all day, just thirsty. 

“Most interesting,” LaCroix said.  You will, of course, keep me
informed of any other manifestations?” he asked in a tone indicating
that a positive response was expected. 

Mulder was a bit lost in thought, and hesitated a moment before
answering, “Hmm?  Oh, certainly,” he replied. 

LaCroix was about to dismiss him when Mulder said, “Oh yes, there was
this one other thing,” He then rose up off of the floor an hovered in
the air, centered between the ceiling and the floor. 

Nick’s jaw dropped. 

Even LaCroix was somewhat stunned.  After gaping for a moment, he said,
“Agent Mulder- if you have a chance tomorrow, I would be very curious
to know what affect sunlight will have on you.  Just be sure, if you
choose to experiment, to expose only the smallest part of your skin at
first, and then only for a moment- in case you react like any of us
would. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s loft 
2:25 p.m. 

Mulder remembered what LaCroix had been saying in an offhand sort of
way.  He had been distracted when Natalie was recounting her ‘dungeon
scene’ with Scully in the club.  He had to avoid direct eye contact
with Nick, lest he break out laughing.  Apparently Natalie forgot, or
was ignoring the fact that speaking to Scully was like speaking
directly to Mulder as well.  The little shivers of excitement he was
feeling from Scully were pretty distracting as well.  He thought that
he might have to surprise Scully one of these evenings. 

The loud growl in his stomach snapped him back into the present and
reminded him again of LaCroix’s warning about the sunlight.  Well,
there wasn’t any food in Nick’s place, so he thought that now would be
a fine time to experiment. 

He took the elevator down to the ground level and opened the door.  He
was, of course, still shaded from the sun, on the north side of the
building.  Nick obviously planned ahead when remodeling the place for
vampire occupancy.  Even at the height of the summer noon , one could
open this door without any sunlight actually spilling into the
elevator’s interior.  “Still, it seems awfully bright out,” he thought
as he slipped on his sunglasses- though even as a normal human that
might be true.  He had, after all, spent the past few days without
actually seeing sunshine.  It struck him as somewhat of a surprise- he
hadn’t even thought about missing it, and now that he was out seeing
the sunlit street, he wasn’t sure it was all that much to write home
about.  “Of course, the desolate streets and alleys of Toronto ’s
industrial sector aren’t all that appealing, day or night,” he thought.


As soon as he finally realized that he was stalling, he pushed himself
towards the line of shade on the ground.  He could see the tiny
sparkles of the dust motes in the air as they drifted back and forth in
the air.  He could further see the vapor from his breath as it entered
the sunshine.  The sight of his breath hanging in the air reminded him
that it was cold outside; he hadn’t really noticed, though he was
wearing his trench coat, out of habit more than anything, he supposed. 
His face didn’t feel cold and neither did his hands.  “Stalling again!”
he thought, disgustedly.  Steeling himself, he extended the pinky
finger on his left hand and slowly moved the tip past the shade line
and into the light of day. 

“Nothing!” he thought.  He didn’t feel any pain, and he didn’t see or
smell any burning.  After another moment or two he put the rest of his
hand into the sun.  The same- nothing.  Mulder cautiously stepped out
into the afternoon sun. 

Mulder supposed that if he had not been able to stand out in the sun
for several hundred years, this would be exciting and amazing.  As it
was, it felt… normal.  He was somewhat interested in the fact that he
wasn’t feeling the cold, but other than that, this seemed like any
other day.  “Walking out to my car in the daylight is probably the most
normal thing I have done this whole crazy week!” he thought as he
unlocked the car and got in.  He tried to imagine whether Nick would be
pleased or upset by this latest turn of events. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Corbeau 
3:00 p.m. Saturday 

MacLeod had gone out for a bite, and was now performing his Kata on the
dance floor in Janette’s club.  He had managed to sleep almost until
noon .  “It’s going to take a while to grow accustomed to the night
shift,” he thought as he woke up next to his new lover. 

He had joined her in the club just as it had closed the previous night-
after sleeping off the aftereffects of fantastic, though terminal, sex.
Janette had thoughtfully provided several more bottles of water and an
enormous deli sandwich to appease his, by then ravenous appetite.
Afterward, they had again walked the late-night streets of downtown
Buffalo , this time reminiscing without pretense of mortality.  That
is, when they took a break from kissing one another.  MacLeod still
could not have described the downtown area if asked- his attention had
been focused entirely on her. 

As they approached the club, they both chuckled and Mac asked if there
were any stray heartbeats of which to be wary.  She made a show of
listening closely before answering that there weren’t. 

Their lovemaking this morning had been slow and sweet, as each tried to
demonstrate the aching tenderness that they felt for the other.
MacLeod marveled at the sweetness of his new lover.  She was more than
twice his age but, far from being jaded, she was as delightfully
responsive to his touch as a virgin being treated to her first sexual
encounter.  At the same time, she was able to do things to him that he
had never encountered before!  That trick with the prostate last night
was almost enough to throw him off-balance during the movements of his
morning exercises. “Well, afternoon exercises today,” he thought. 

Mac was marveling at his rare good fortune- having a person like this
drop into his life out of nowhere- when he was struck by an awful
thought.  It was so terrible that it did throw him off balance, and he
fell to the floor during a high snapping-roundhouse kick. 

“I am going to owe Methos for this,” he whispered as he sat on the
floor. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Janette woke to the sound of the shower being started.  She pouted for
a moment that Mac was not laying by her side in bed, but quickly
decided that a shower would make a most excellent excuse for rubbing
down his entire body- not that she really needed an excuse. 

She made sure to make a little noise as she opened the door, so not to
incite any violent behavior, and then pressed herself up against him. 

MacLeod smiled as he heard what was, at that moment, one of the sexiest
sentences in the English language- “I have an enormous water heater.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Vachon’s Church 
3:45 p.m. Saturday 

Vachon had managed to wake up before Tracy for once.  He lay propped up
on one elbow while he considered his newest Childé.  He hadn’t made
that many of them in his time- most of them on a whim anyway.  Only
Ursula remained, that he knew of, and she had nearly been lost to
Divia’s assault.  

Sad Urs, who still spent most of her time moody and brooding- she had
wanted him to kill her and instead he had brought her across- because
she was too beautiful to allow death to take.  She had never really
forgiven him for it, though she had gotten better since Divia.  Once
again she had had to choose life over death - even fight for it this
time.  “Perhaps that reminded her that life is something precious-
something worth enjoying,” he thought. 

This one, however, was nothing like Urs.  Tracy was vibrant and alive. 
She practically hummed with vitality and energy, even before she came
across- joining him in the eternal night.  She had not lost any
vivacity or exuberance, but had gained a depth of passion and fire that
had not been obvious in the mortal Tracy .  The way she had dispatched
those two last night had impressed him.  Not that he wanted her to turn
into some murdering fiend, but he didn’t share her partner’s opinion
that killing was inherently wrong, either.  “If one can hunt, and do
mortal society a favor at the same time, why not?” he thought. 

Her sexual appetite was also noteworthy, of course.  She amazed him
with her depth of desire for him.  She really couldn’t seem to get
enough of him- a fact that he would, no doubt, celebrate until the
stars fell from the heavens.  With that in mind, Vachon decided that it
was time for Tracy to wake up to the same glorious feeling she had
treated him with since her transformation. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Tracy woke to the most delightful sensation.  She looked down the
length of her body to find Vachon looking back at her from between her
thighs.  Suddenly he slid three fingers into her and moved his tongue
up to her clit, lightly flicking at it with barely enough force to be
felt.  He rapidly slid his fingers in and out while teasing her clit,
backing away as she tried to press her pelvis up into his face. 

Vachon’s smile got wider as Tracy struggled for more friction.  When he
judged that she was just about to go insane, he utilized the vampire’s
innate quickness to rise up and plunge himself into her without missing
a stroke.  He pressed his lips against her open mouth and impaled his
tongue on her fangs, giving her enough blood to incite her first orgasm
of the morning. 

“I love you Javier,” Tracy cried out both mentally and verbally as
Vachon began pumping furiously into her. 

Vachon pierced one of Tracy ’s sensitive lobes and then whispered, “I
will love you forever, Tracy!” 

The sting of the bite on her ear was enough for Tracy to reach the peak
once again and she drove her fangs into his shoulder, feeling him
quickly follow suit. 

Thus they woke up in the same manner as they had fallen asleep- buried
deeply into each other, bodies wracked by orgasm. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Following another romp in the shower, Vachon was sitting with his back
in the corner of his couch, Tracy in his lap.  They were enjoying a
glass of bloodwine and basking in the warm glow of feeling they had for
each other.  Vachon suddenly asked, “ Tracy , what do you want to do
about your apartment?” 

“What do you mean?” she asked with a hint of confusion to her voice. 

“Well, I didn’t know if you would want to keep it for appearance’s
sake, or move out entirely,” he answered.  “It would be more convenient
for you to have your things here, but I don’t know if it would have any
effect on your job if they knew you…” Vachon trailed off as he noticed
Tracy stiffening in his arms.  “What?” 

“I’m moving in here?” she asked with an annoyed tone to her voice. 

Vachon almost said out loud what he was thinking; which was, “Of course
you are!” but he caught himself just in time.  He knew that Tracy loved
him and didn’t want to be apart from him, but he also remembered that
‘modern woman’ thing.  As in ‘modern *independent* woman.’  It wasn’t
that he wanted her in his home; it was that he didn’t ask her first.
“Boy, I almost stepped on a mine there!” Vachon thought.  “I guess
watching soap operas has some redeeming value after all.” 

“I love you Tracy .  More than I have ever loved anyone in five
centuries.  I don’t want to live apart from you, but I would understand
it if you need to keep your apartment.  That’s what I was asking; do
you want to move in here?” Vachon asked. 

Tracy wasn’t entirely fooled, but she was mollified.  “Nice save,
Javier,” she said before melting back against him.  “Of course I want
to live with you.  I couldn’t imagine going back to a regular alarm
clock,” she teased, wiggling her butt in his lap.  “As for the
apartment, I will give 30 day notice tonight.  We can discuss moving
things later.” 

“And your job?  Your co-workers? Your father?” he asked softly. 

Tracy finished off her drink and set the glass down.  She hugged his
arms around her, loving the feel of his skin against hers.  “It won’t
hurt my job, and my coworkers won’t do anything more than gossip behind
my back, and that’s normal,” she answered.  “As for my bastard of a
father- I meant what I told you; you are my master now.  I couldn’t
care less what he thinks of me.  He is dead to me from today on.  The
only relationship I have with him is the detective/commissioner one. 

They lapsed back into a comfortable silence for a minute before Vachon
again spoke.  He was thinking of the relationship pitfall he had
skirted moments ago, “Querida, I don’t want any misunderstandings
between us- I haven’t been in a real relationship in a long time, and
things were very different then.”  He nuzzled her neck before
continuing, “I will probably say something along the line that will be
insensitive or rude or violates some sort of expectation you might
have.  If you will promise to just tell me when I do, I will try to
understand why it upsets you and fix it.”  He turned her in his lap so
he could see her eyes, “I don’t want us to fight over
misunderstandings.  That being said, we need to discuss a little of the
rules of the community.” 

Tracy was very happy to hear the first part- she didn’t want
misunderstandings either- felt a slight sense of trepidation at the
second part.  “What rules?” she asked. 

Vachon smiled reassuringly at his lover, “They aren’t really rules-
nothing in writing.  They are more like expectations- but very
stringent ones.  There are times when failing to meet expectations can
be a terminal mistake,” he said gravely. 

She could feel the undercurrent of seriousness to his speech and paid
full attention to what he was saying. 

“In the community’s eyes, you are my childé:  A fledgling vampire, and
I am your master.  In their eyes, you are my property, my slave.”
Seeing the little bit of hurt in her eyes, he plowed ahead before she
could speak, “I love you.  I respect you.  I always will.  I would
never treat you like a slave, like a possession.” 

Tracy just knew that there was a ‘but’ about to be revealed. 

“When we are in groups of the community, like the Raven, or the
upcoming gathering at the equinox this spring, everything you do will
reflect on me, as your master,” he said. 

“Ok, what’s the part I don’t want to hear?” she asked, knowing that he
was holding back. 

“A fledgling is expected to obey his or her master without question,”
he answered.  “It shouldn’t be a problem, Trace.  I only bring it up so
that you know about it ahead of time.  If you disagree with something I
say or do when we are among the community, you just have to wait until
we are alone to say anything.  That’s all- I don’t expect you to
blindly agree with everything I have to say or do, just don’t question
me in public- for both our sakes.” 

Tracy didn’t like the thought of expected obedience- it reminded her of
her mortal father, and anything that reminded her of him was a bad
thing.  “What do you mean, for both our sakes?” she asked. 

“I mean that I would be expected to punish any impertinence you
display, and I have no intention of doing that,” he said firmly. 

Tracy could see the resolve in his eyes, and the barest hint of
apprehension.  She stroked his jaw line with her fingers and asked,
“And what happens if you don’t?” She sensed that there was more to the
story. 

Vachon sighed, he didn’t really want to tell her, because she might see
it as emotional blackmail.  However, he also didn’t want to fight about
it or have her be hurt if it should ever come to pass.  “At best, I
would lose face in the community.”  Seeing her unwillingness to let it
go, he added, “At worst- depending on who the elder or group was- they
might kill us both; you for overstepping your bounds, and me for
refusing to correct you.” 

Tracy wanted to say, “Are you kidding?” but she could feel the
solemnity of his words through their link.  She sat in silence for a
moment, absorbing the magnitude of the situation.  It would be like
being with her mortal father at a police function.  She didn’t like
that comparison at all. 

Vachon could feel the anger and disapproval rolling off of his childé,
but she didn’t say a word.  “Quierda, it won’t…” he wanted to reassure
her that this wasn’t something he wanted or intended to exercise on
her, but she interrupted. 

Tracy gently covered his lips with two fingers, “Shhh, Vachon.”  She
was still pondering the comparison with her mortal father, and how much
she hated being with him.  He wanted to show her off like a trophy, or
a trained animal- be seen but not heard, unless it was to expound upon
*his* greatness.  She was almost going to say something about it until
she made eye contact. 

Vachon looked into the eyes of his childé with love and devotion.  He
sent waves of reassurance and adoration through their bloodlink. 

Tracy realized the fundamental difference in the two situations.  The
form was the same, kowtowing to the supposedly superior male in public,
in order to enhance his position and stature.  But the object of this
magnification- there was no comparison.  In private, her mortal father
had no love for her, no desire to spend time with her and never
supported her efforts.  No matter what she did to please him; no matter
what she did to gain his acceptance and approval, he rejected her. 

And then, there was Javier Vachon. 

He loved her enough to want her to be intimately connected to him
forever.  Not because of her efforts, but rather, in spite of her
failings and weaknesses.  He trusted her with a secret that placed both
their lives at risk, and never withheld his approval.  Everything she
did for him was met with acceptance and love.  Her efforts to please
him were always rewarded in the most wonderful way.  He was beautiful
and desirable and could have had almost anyone- but he chose her.  He
was patient and willing to wait until she was ready- reassuring her
against her fears and self-doubt.  He was perfect. 

“Javier, will you promise me something?” she asked. 

Vachon knew he would promise her anything, even if it meant endangering
them both.  That didn’t keep him from being afraid, though.  Afraid of
the consequences should she act in less than a subservient manner when
required.  He just nodded his head. 

Tracy gently grasped his face in her hands, staring deep into his eyes
she said, “Promise me that you will do whatever it takes, even if it
means to beat me or bleed me, to keep us safe and alive.”  At his look
of astonishment and protest she quickly added, “I can recover from
wounds and beatings, Javier.  I could never recover from loosing you.” 

Vachon could see and feel that she meant it.  He felt his love surge at
the self-sacrifice Tracy was willing to undergo for him.  For them
both. 

Tracy was startled as the world pitched and swayed around her when
Vachon swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to their
bedroom. 

Screams of ecstasy could be heard for nearly a block in every direction
for the next two hours. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Corbeau 
5:00 p.m. Saturday 

“Janette?” MacLeod asked as he gently dried her delicious backside.
Their shower had lasted over an hour, during which he had her screaming
his name no less than five times.  Of course, his own immortal healing
was all that kept him from being hoarse for the next month. 

“Again?  Duncan , you are insatiable,” she teased. 

He didn’t even blush, he just smiled and gave her a light spank on the
smooth creamy flesh before him.  “Later, vixen.”  He softly kissed the
pale cheek he had struck and then stood up, pulling her freshly washed
and dried body against his own.  He took a moment to smell her
wonderful hair, a warm tremor running down his body from hairline to
toes at the scent. 

Janette pressed herself back against him, desiring maximum skin
contact, as she hugged his arms around her, just below her breasts.
She took an unnecessary breath, just to feel those arms tighten against
her expanding ribcage.  “How I love him!” she thought.  “That this
simple touching could make my legs weak.” 

“Janette, I have to go back to Toronto tomorrow night,” he said.
Feeling her tense ever so slightly, he reassured her, “Not for long,
love.  But I promised Agent Mulder that I would begin his training and
arrange for a permanent teacher if I decided not to take it on myself.”


“Why?” she asked, genuinely curious.  “You just met him, didn’t you?
Why would you make such a commitment?” 

“It’s who I am, Janette,” he said as he gently kissed her neck.  “I
always try to help new immortals when I find them.  If they want my
help.  I couldn’t face knowing that they had lost their heads so young,
if I could have helped them.” 

“My hero,” Janette teased.  “What if they don’t want your help?” she
asked. 

“I can no force them, Janette.  I can only do what I can,” he answered.


“My practical hero… I don’t think I can let you go for that long,” she
said wistfully. 

MacLeod nuzzled Janette’s head, savoring the feel of her soft tresses
against his freshly shaved cheek.  He ignored the nagging voice in the
back of his mind telling him that this wasn’t real- that she couldn’t
love him; he couldn’t really love her.  That voice was getting quieter
every time she drank from him.  In those moments he could feel her
feelings and think her thoughts, and she his.  As unreasonable as it
might sound to anyone to whom he might describe it, he was in love with
this woman, and she felt exactly the same way. 

Janette wondered at the pause after her comment and was about to break
the silence when she heard his faint, unsure whisper, “Janette?  Would
you come with me?” 

MacLeod knew she had some issues with her ‘family’ in Toronto , and he
didn’t want to push her to do anything she felt uncomfortable doing,
but he did want her with him, if she were willing. 

She turned in his arms, deliberately dragging her luscious curves
against him.  She looked up at him, ignoring the stirring member she
felt beginning to harden against her as she moved her body across it.
She gazed into his eyes as though she were examining his soul. 

“I understand if you don’t Janette.  You don’t have to on my account if
you don’t want to…” he began. 

“Don’t I?” Janette asked in a peculiar voice. 

“Of course not…” MacLeod hastened to explain before she silenced him
with a finger on his lips. 

“Yes.”  At his raised eyebrow she elucidated, “Where ever you go, I
shall be with you.”  Smiling at the look of love in his eyes, she
appended, “For as long as you will have me.” 

“For as long as I live,” MacLeod answered.  “Forever if we can both
live that long.”  Smiling, he bent down to seal his promise with a kiss
that was tender and adoring. 

After long moments he broke the kiss.  “I was going to fly back early
tomorrow afternoon, but I will call and get us a flight after sundown,”
he said. 

Janette smiled, “If it were warmer, I would fly us across myself.”  At
his incredulous look she said, “I wouldn’t want you to get frostbitten,
even if it would heal quickly.  As it is, I will accompany you on a
lesser form of flight.”  She smiled sweetly and mentioned, “That leaves
us almost 24 hours to kill.  What ever shall we do?” she asked coyly. 

Mac smiled at the pretended artlessness of his lover.  “First, I’m
going to call the airline.  Second, I’m going to call Methos and
arrange us a ride from the airport.”  Answering her exaggerated pout,
he said in all seriousness, “Third, I am going to lay you down in that
bed over there and not let you out for the next twelve hours.” 

Feeling a delicious shiver run up and down her spine, and a low,
rumbling warmth in her neither regions, Janette virtually ran to get
him a phone to use. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Wikkid P’s Bar and Grill 
4:00 p.m. 

The sunlight hadn’t hurt him at all.  He drove around for a little
while until he found a restaurant that struck his fancy.  The smell as
he entered assured him that he had chosen well.  He hadn’t eaten, other
than blood, for a couple of days and Mulder quickly discovered that he
still enjoyed ‘real’ food.  He had chowed down a nice thick steak, a
basket of fries and was finishing his second glass of Newcastle brown,
fighting down a very momentary pang of sorrow at the thought of not
being able to share the restaurant experience with Scully anymore, when
he felt it. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Phineas Froag had been walking down the street, thinking about getting
out of this town.  He hadn’t encountered another immortal since that
weird guy on the roof the other night.  The one with the quickening
that felt unlike any other he had ever encountered before.  It was
weak, and he didn’t really feel it was entirely worth his time.
However, he felt his honor was at stake now- weird guy had managed to
escape him, shooting him right off of the roof.  “Plus he made me lose
my sword!” he thought angrily. 

Froag had retraced his steps, hanging out in that area hoping to see
weird guy again, but was almost ready to give it up.  His patience was
limited in the best of times, and this was not one of those times.  He
had managed to acquire another sword, at outrageous cost, and wasn’t
entirely happy with it.  He had been using the other one for so long
that it felt like an extension of his own arm, rather than a tool.  If
it wasn’t for the hope of finding this guy and getting his sword back-
not to mention killing the weird guy- he would have left already. 

While these thoughts of anger and vengeance played out in his mind,
Froag suddenly felt the power of another quickening wash over him.
Unlike last time, this was a ‘normal’ quickening.  Not the most
powerful he had ever felt, “Must be pretty young,” he thought.  With a
grin on his face he decided that this would help combat his boredom. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder watched the entrance to the restaurant cautiously.  He wondered
if he were about to see Methos or MacLeod walk through the door, or if
it would be someone new. 

The black hair and bear d framing the sun-browned face brought a quick
flashback to that night on the apartment roof. 

<“It might be small, but I’ll take it!”> 

Now he knew what ‘IT’ was, and why it was small then.  He also thought
that Froag would undoubtedly want to finish what he started the other
night.  Mulder wondered at the lack of fear he felt- he wasn’t certain
what to do, but he didn’t feel any trepidation.  He was sure that he
could escape- after all Froag couldn’t fly, could he? 

Mulder formed a plan of action in his mind as Froag walked straight
towards him. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Froag couldn’t believe his luck.  Sitting there in the sparsely
populated dining room was that weird guy that he had been looking for
all week!  He was going to get a quickening, get his sword back, and
kill that weird guy; all at the same time.  “Then I can get the hell
out of Canada !” he thought. 

He smiled as the weird guy made eye contact and stood up.  He watched
the guy pull some money out of his wallet and throw it on the table,
then turn and walk toward the back of the restaurant. 

“This is going to be easier that I thought!” Froag snickered to
himself.  He watched as the guy went through a door and out into the
alley.  The door swung shut behind him and Froag fully expected that
the guy would try to ambush him as soon as he went through the door.
After all, that’s what he would have done himself. 

Froag shot through the door and rolled on the ground, somersaulting to
his feet, sword out and swinging at… Nothing. 

“What the hell?” he shouted.  He could feel the guy, but he was nowhere
to be seen.  “He couldn’t have run very far, I still feel him,” Froag
thought.  He ran around to where the dumpsters were- the only hiding
place for twenty meters in either direction.  Again, nothing.  The
light was dimming as the sun fell behind the horizon, but even in
twilight Froag could see well enough to be sure that the guy wasn’t in
the alley.  He finally looked up at the buildings on either side, the
restaurant roof was three stories up and no fire escape, the building
across the alley had a fire escape, but it was retracted- if the guy
had used it, it would have been down. 

He shouted his frustration, “I will find you!” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder knew that he shouldn’t be laughing.  But, it was almost
impossible not to, seeing this immortal throwing a tantrum like a two-
year old child. 

He had taken advantage of his new skills and leapt for the sky the
moment the door closed behind him.  He had reached the roof of the
building across the street and turned to look back down just in time to
see Froag coming up out of a tumble and strike a blow at the air behind
him, no doubt assuming that Mulder would be there to hit.  Mulder
didn’t doubt that he could probably take this guy, what with his new-
found speed and strength, but had decided to do a favor for Adam
instead.  “Might as well try to make nice with the other immortals,” he
thought.  Besides, he could understand that Adam wanted to take his
friend’s quickening back from this jagoff for himself. 

After several minutes of waiting, listening to Froag grumble and curse,
and watching him pace up and down the alley, Mulder began to see a flaw
in his plan.  He couldn’t very well follow him back to wherever he was
staying, if he wouldn’t leave the alley.  It appeared that Froag was
going to stay as long as he could feel that Mulder was still there. 

The solution to Mulder’s dilemma occurred to him when he began to feel
the hunger-pangs. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s loft 
4:45 p.m. 

Scully woke to find herself alone in bed, and hungry of course.  She
quickly made her way to the kitchen to take care of the second problem
before focusing on addressing the first. 

[Where are you Mulder?] she asked as she saw the scene before him. 

[I was enjoying a nice lunch when I was rudely interrupted,] he
answered her. 

Scully asked, [Is that Froag?] 

[Yep.] 

Scully thought for a moment and then asked, [Mulder, why are you
watching him walk up and down an alley raving, instead of laying in bed
next to me as I woke up?] 

Mulder laughed at the question, [I thought we might find out where this
guy lives and tell Adam Pierson where to find him.  But, he won’t leave
the alley as long as he can feel me in the area.] 

Scully interrupted, [So you thought I could follow him?] 

Mulder smiled [See, I knew you were psychic, Scully,] he teased. 

[Mulder, why don’t you just tell him to meet you somewhere later
tonight, and we can send Adam in your place?] Scully thought to him in
a slightly exasperated tone.  [I want you here.  Now!] 

Mulder could feel the rising heat in Scully’s thoughts.  He could feel
her arousal.  [Great idea Scully!] he thought. 

Mulder looked around to see if anyone else could see him, then quickly
flew over the restaurant, landing behind some trees so the people in
the parking lot wouldn’t see him.  He ran over to his car and got in.
He quickly scribbled a note on the pad in the car and then drove around
the restaurant to the alley opening. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Froag was furious; he felt the weird guy’s quickening fade away for a
minute and was walking to the end of the alley when he felt it return. 
He looked up and saw the guy in a tan Ford Taurus stop at the mouth of
the alley, rolling down his window.  He heard the guy yell, ‘Sorry pal,
got a hot date, how about a rain check!’ and then he threw a balled up
piece of paper out the window before taking off. 

Froag ran towards the street, hoping to get a look at the license
plate, but by the time he got there the car was shooting around the
next corner and was gone.  He shouted his frustration and spun on his
heel, striding back to the ball of paper on the ground.  He read it and
then shoved it in his pocket.  “Tomorrow you die!” he growled and then
strode away. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

 

Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 17 
Nick’s Loft 

6pm Saturday December 16th 

By the time Mulder had returned, Scully was feeling very out of sorts. 
Mulder had been picking up on that feeling during his drive back and
ended up nearly hitting the garage door as he slid to a stop outside
the loft.  He jumped out of his car and practically ran into the
elevator. 

Nick and Natalie were watching Scully with some concern.  Ever since
they had gotten up that evening and come down stairs, she had been
pacing back and forth in front of the door to the elevator. 

“Dana, what’s wrong?” Natalie asked the pacing redhead. 

Scully looked up, surprised, at the question, “Nothing’s wrong, Nat.
Why do you ask?” she said with confusion in her voice. 

Her pacing continued unchecked. 

Nick and Nat shared a glance, the shared question resonating across
their link. 

“Well, I was just concerned that you might actually wear a trench in
the concrete…” Nick said, pointedly glancing at the floor underneath
Scully’s pacing feet. 

“What are you talking…” Scully began, following his gaze to her feet;
which she just realized were furiously pacing back and forth in front
of the elevator door.  She realized that she had been ignoring their
attempts to engage her in conversation for over 30 minutes.  She looked
back up at her master and his mate- her sister- and apologized
sheepishly, “Sorry Nick.  Sorry Nat, I’m just waiting for Mulder to get
here.” 

“Speaking of Mulder, Where is he?” Natalie voiced the question she had
been trying to have Scully answer for the last half-hour. 

Scully slowly made her way over to the now-grinning pair.  It was
almost as if she could feel her body’s resistance to leaving the
elevator.  She had been entirely focused on Mulder, watching his trip
through his eyes, silently urging him to hurry.  She absentmindedly
replied to Natalie’s question- her mind wandering back to the front
seat of Mulder’s car as he sped back to the loft- “Oh, he went out for
breakfast.” 

Nick and Nat both noted Scully’s thoughts wandering away again and
shared another look of concern.  Her body was standing right in front
of them, but her mind was obviously with her lover. 

Just then they heard the sound of car tires screeching to a halt just
outside the loft.  They saw awareness snap back into Scully’s gaze.
They watched in amusement as Scully returned to the elevator and begin
pacing even more furiously in front of the door while the elevator
slowly made its way up to the loft. 

Mulder was feeling even more frantic as he impatiently waited for the
elevator to reach its destination.  He barely had his hand on the door
when it violently slid open and he was flung to the back of the car.
Scully was wrapped around him, her teeth buried in his throat. 

She had no rational thought- as soon as the car reached the floor of
the loft; she was tearing at the door to get to him.  She barely even
saw him before she was on him.  She didn’t know what she was feeling
until she touched him, then the hunger rolled over her, and she knew
instinctively that only his blood would quell the pangs she was
feeling.  She felt his teeth tear into her shoulder before their
intertwined bodies hit the back of the elevator car. 

Neither would later be able to recall which one of them initiated the
flight to the bedroom, or even the flight itself.  All they knew was
that they needed to bury themselves in one another with all due haste. 

Nick and Nat stood, jaws agape, as the two flashed out of the elevator
car, fangs still locked into each other’s flesh, bits of fabric falling
away from the flying couple as they tore each others clothes off in an
effort to get skin on skin.  The lust they felt through the master-
childé link, combined with the pheromones saturating the air, was too
much for them to take, and Natalie quickly pounced on Nick, tearing at
his clothing and latching onto his shoulder, as he was quicker and
already had his teeth sunk into her throat. 

Had there been anyone left to witness it, a second mass of fabric-
flinging, snarling vampire flesh would have been seen flying up into
one of the bedrooms. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Tracy Vetter’s Apartment 
7pm Saturday 

Tracy had wanted to get some of her things to move to the church
immediately, as well as to give notice to her landlord.  Vachon went to
get a few cases of ‘provisions’ and said he would meet her at her
apartment in a couple of hours or less.  She had to drive, so that she
would have someplace to put things, and so it was that she saw her
father’s jaguar parked in the lot outside her building. 

“This had to happen sooner or later,” she thought to herself with a
sigh.  “I was just hoping for later.” 

She noticed with some annoyance that his car was empty, meaning that he
had obviously decided to let himself into her apartment to wait for
her.  He would no doubt be angry and just waiting to attack her the
moment she walked through the door.  She decided to speak to her
landlord first, so that she could spend as little time in his presence
as possible 

A week ago she would have been afraid of facing his anger.  Now she was
only afraid that she would give in to the desire to kill him. 

Commissioner Vetter was extremely angry with his daughter.  He had been
waiting at her apartment for hours, waiting for her to get back.  He
had worked his way through most of the bottle of bourbon she kept
around for his infrequent visits, and was fully primed for
confrontation when he finally heard the key in the lock to the front
door. 

“Where the hell have you been?!” he roared as soon as she walked in the
door.  “Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting for you?  Why
haven’t you returned my calls?” he began his tirade.  He anticipated
seeing guilty embarrassment on her face, to hear some pathetic excuse
come forth and was prepared to cut her off mid sentence.  What he got
was so far outside of his expectations that he was rendered temporarily
mute. 

All he saw was annoyance.  All he heard was, “None of your business;
No; and I didn’t want to speak to you.” 

Tracy was secretly amused by the response she got from him.  He looked
like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound
emerging.  She faced him fully, hands on hips, and wearily asked, “What
do you want?” 

When he didn’t respond, she continued into the apartment, walking
toward her bedroom to pack. 

He followed her into the bedroom and watched her begin packing her
clothes and other personal items into several boxes.  “What the hell
are you doing?” he demanded. 

Tracy almost laughed in his face.  “I can’t believe I used to fear this
man,” she thought.  Out loud she answered, “Packing.  I’m moving out.” 

“Where?  What the hell is going on?” he shouted, flustered and
confused, and enraged. 

He really was a tiresome little man, she observed.  “That also is none
of your business,” she answered.  “Now, if you will excuse me…” she
said as she walked past him with two boxes stacked in her arms. 

He had never been this angry before in his life.  He reached out and
grabbed her arm, meaning to spill the boxes from her hands and spin her
to face him.  He might as well have grabbed onto a passing truck.  Her
momentum was slowed not one bit, and he was yanked forward, face first
onto the floor.  Tracy continued unchecked and set the boxes down on
the floor by the door.  She unhurriedly returned to the bedroom where
her pathetic excuse for a father was just getting up off of the floor. 

Tracy looked directly into his eyes and said, “Don’t ever touch me
again.” 

He felt a chill of fear run up his spine at the tone of her voice and
the coldness in her eyes.  He made one last half-hearted attempt to
intimidate her.  “I am your father, Tracy!  You will…” he began. 

Tracy cut him off, “Except for sperm donor, there is not one positive
definition of ‘father’ to which you can lay claim.”  She continued in
the same menacing tone, “If you feel the need to communicate with me in
the future, I suggest you go through the chain of command,
commissioner.”  As an afterthought she added, “Oh, leave the door key
on the counter on your way out.  The landlord will be wanting it back
when I move.”  She then turned her back on him and began loading some
more boxes. 

Stunned at her dismissal, He silently turned and left the apartment,
slapping the key down loudly on the counter and slamming the door as he
exited. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s Loft 
7pm Saturday 

It was a very sheepish Mulder and Scully that made their way down the
stairs to where Nick and Natalie were waiting- their faces a
combination of curiosity, concern, and smirking. 

“And just what was *that* all about?” Nick asked his daughter. 

Scully looked to the kitchen, where Natalie was unceremoniously downing
a bottle of blood; Nick was at least using a glass, but he too appeared
to have consumed most of a bottle.  She glanced at Mulder and thought,
[you’re not helping, here!] as she saw that he was barely suppressing a
leer. 

[Sorry, Scully.  But, it’s a good question!] he replied silently.
[Mind you, I’m all for a good ravishing, but I’ve never seriously
considered doing it in front of our friends.]  Now the leer was no
longer hidden. 

Nick watched this interplay for a moment before asserting a little
authority, “Daughter, I asked you a question!” he said both aloud and
through the link to Scully. 

“I don’t know, Nick!” Scully almost whined.  “I… I've never…  I don’t
know!  When I woke up and he wasn’t there, I felt… I don’t know, antsy
I guess,” she said with a sigh.  “We usually… well you know.  When we
first wake up, I mean,” she said, embarrassed to be discussing this
topic. 

Nick smiled at his childé’s discomfiture.  “Dana, vampires are very
sensual creatures.  When they live as a pair, it is entirely normal for
them to have sex at least daily.” 

Everyone chuckled when Natalie muttered, “Thank God!”  Now it was her
turn to be self-conscious, as she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. 

Scully was still concerned, though.  “Yes, but… well it was more than
just desire, Nick,” she said quietly.  “The past couple of days, it was
like… I can’t come up with a good analogy,” she muttered.  Suddenly one
occurred to her, “It was like heartburn- where it feels like your
insides are on fire; and Mulder’s blood was like antacid putting out
the flames.  Except, the burning was throughout my whole body.”  She
looked up at Nick; his face was showing surprise and concern.  She
sighed again and walked with Mulder over to the couch where he sat in
the corner and she draped herself over him like a cat.  Neither had to
consult the other, they just automatically arranged themselves like
that. 

Nick and Nat traded glances before assuming similar positions in the
chair facing them.  “You were literally experiencing physical pain?”
Natalie asked. 

“Until this afternoon, it was more like mild discomfort.  I didn’t
really pay attention to it- like when you are a little hungry and grab
a snack, or feel an itch and you casually scratch it without investing
a great deal of thought.”  She turned to Mulder and stroked his cheek
as she said, “I needed you.  You were there, and I took what I needed.”


[So I’m just your boy-toy now, Scully?] Mulder thought to her with a
grin. 

[I was thinking more along the lines of sex-slave, Mulder,] she
replied, smiling broadly and leaning in for a gentle kiss. 

Nick and Nat shared a look at this blatant PDA and simultaneously
cleared their throats loudly. 

Mulder smirked at them as Scully pulled away.  “Sorry guys, Scully had
an itch,” he joked. 

Scully lightly slapped him on the chest, saying, “You are evil, Fox
Mulder!” 

Natalie’s medical curiosity was re-awakening and she made an
observation, “Today was different, though?” 

Scully sighed again and answered, “When I woke up, it felt like it has
been- I didn’t really even notice it at that point.”  She turned back
to Mulder and continued, “If you had been here, I probably would never
have noticed it.  We would have sated that need and moved on as normal-
or what passes for normal these days, anyway.” 

Natalie prompted her to continue, “But he wasn’t there.” 

“Right.  It got worse and worse until I felt like… I don’t know-
‘yawning chasm of emptiness’ seems so trite- but I don’t quite know how
else to describe it.  I just know I needed him desperately.”  She
looked shamefaced at describing this out loud.  “So, after breakfast, I
focused on him and asked him where he was.  I told him to get back
here…” 

“And when he got here you jumped him,” Natalie said with a grin.  “Not
only that, but you were broadcasting so strongly on the lust station
that you inspired me to attack Nick as well.” 

“Sorry about that” Scully said, clearly embarrassed. 

Nick was a little worried at Scully’s description of how she felt, it
reminded him of the way opium addicts described withdrawal symptoms. 

Scully suddenly remembered where Mulder was, and what he was doing when
she recalled him.  “Oh God, Mulder.  I made you leave him when we could
have had him.”  She closed her eyes and ducked her head in shame, “He
was right there, and I told you to let him go.”  [I’m so sorry,
Mulder.] 

Before Nick or Nat could ask the obvious question, Mulder jumped in,
“Shh, Scully.  It wasn’t just you.  I obviously felt it too, or I would
never have acceded.”  He gently stroked her cheek, down to her chin,
and lifter her face to meet his gaze, “We don’t know what would have
happened if I hadn’t come back.  Besides, I’m sure he’ll show up for
the challenge.” 

Nick and Nat both spoke at once, “Who?!”  Nick continued with, “Who did
you let go, Mulder?  What are you talking about?” 

I was having breakfast when our friend from the other night dropped
by,” Mulder answered. 

“You saw Froag?  And you let him get away?” Nick nearly shouted. 

Scully ducked her head again and Mulder answered, “Don’t worry, Nick.
I told him to meet me tomorrow afternoon.  He’ll show, I’m sure of it. 
That’s supposedly the way it is between immortals.” 

Nick wasn’t entirely placated.  “And what do you plan to do with him if
he does show up?” he asked. 

Mulder answered, “Nothing.”  At Nick’s glare, he continued, “We’re
going to pay a visit to our friendly multi-millennial man, and see if
he wants to take care of it.  I think he should have first shot, don’t
you?” 

Nick snapped, “Since when does the FBI condone vengeance?!” 

Mulder was stunned by Nick’s outburst, as were Scully and Natalie. 

“Nick, that’s hardly fair…” Natalie began. 

Nick abruptly stood up, catching Natalie in his arms and setting her
into the chair.  He began pacing, saying, “I know, I know.  Immortals
and Vampires are outside the jurisdiction.  I know it, but I don’t like
it.  It’s wrong; it makes me feel like a hypocrite.  It’s my job to
catch killers and incarcerate them so that the court can mete out
justice as defined by the law!  I hate it when I have to cover up
murders because ‘The Community’ is above the law.  I know it’s
necessary, I just don’t like it.” 

“And now you have to do the same for Immortals,” Mulder added,
sympathetically.  “Believe me when I tell you that I understand.  I
know Scully does too.  I have lived for nothing more than trying to
expose conspiracies and cover-ups for the last 7 years.” 

“Exposing vampires would only lead to more death and destruction,
Mulder,” Natalie said sorrowfully.  “I imagine that the revelation of a
race of immortals would create chaos as well,” she added. 

“I imagine it sounds like a thin rationalization, but I think Nick was
right when he said ‘Immortals and Vampires are outside the
jurisdiction,” Scully began.  “These people are not going unpunished-
they are being dealt with by the communities to which they belong.” 

“That rationalization might work with your community, Scully,” Mulder
began.  “But, it doesn’t sound like immortals have enforcers or a
council to ‘uphold the code’ as it were.” 

“You don’t know that, Mulder,” Natalie said.  “You should ask Adam; if
he is older than LaCroix, surely he has been around long enough to
know.” 

“Even if there is such a group, it is obvious that they don’t stop us
from killing each other- any more than your enforcers stop you from
hunting humans.  They only intervene if you endanger the ‘community’s’
secret, right?”  At Nick’s solemn nod, he continued, “So only the
sloppy ones are dealt with.  It’s ok to kill humans, so long as you are
neat and tidy about it.” 

“I don’t like it either!” Nick shouted.  “What am I supposed to do
about it?” he said wearily as he sat down on the arm of the chair, next
to Natalie. 

Mulder hugged Scully tightly to his chest.  Scully answered for him,
feeling his pain through the bond.  “We are all of us killers, Nick.”
She turned to Natalie and said, “You will have to kill one day as well,
Natalie.  To protect yourself, Nick, or even to uphold the Code.  If
you live long enough you too will be a killer.” 

Mulder added, “We will try to protect the good guys, catch the bad
guys, and deal with the moral quandary of those in between as best we
can, Nick.  That’s all we can do.”  Mulder sighed resignedly,
“Sometimes we might even accomplish some good- save some lives, stop
some evil; but we won’t always win.” 

Scully caressed her lover’s hair and said, “We have been losing the
fight against evil ever since we were partnered together, Mulder.”  She
smiled brightly and added, “Frankly, I’m looking forward to winning a
few now.  I almost pity Alex Krycheck the next time we encounter him.” 

Mulder’s sour mood evaporated in an instant.  “Oh yeah, not to mention
that black-lunged son-of-a-bitch Spender!” he said with a chuckle and a
gleam in his eye as he pictured the event. 

Natalie decided to play hostess.  She got up and went to the kitchen,
returning with two bottles and four glasses.  She poured the bloodwine
for everybody and then returned to Nick’s lap in the chair, saying, “So
Mulder, tell us about your little adventure today.”  She leaned forward
with a big smile on her face and whispered excitedly, “You went out
into the sunlight!  Tell me everything!  How did it feel?  Did you use
any of your new abilities?  How did the daylight affect them?” 

Her child-like questioning caused Mulder to laugh.  “Alright, Natalie. 
I’ll tell you all about it. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Raven 
7pm Saturday 

LaCroix was waiting.  It wasn’t something he did with much for bear
ance.  He was accustomed to demanding immediate obedience and
attendance.  This one, however, would not respond well to such
treatment.  Johannes was not as old as himself- nearly five hundred
years his junior- but he was stubborn and hard headed.  If LaCroix
wanted any cooperation from him, he would have to be civil; verging on
respectful. 

He had met Johannes several centuries ago, and had not been
particularly impressed.  A vampire who dedicated his life to historical
research and study was not the type with whom LaCroix tended to
socialize.  However, if anyone in the community knew about immortals,
or watchers, he would be the one. 

Of course LaCroix had to entice him, somehow, to fly to Toronto from
his home in Luxembourg .  It wasn’t that Johannes was unwilling to
travel, but to demand his presence on such short notice, without
explaining his reasons… well, some sort of compensation had to be made.
Money was not a concern for Johannes; his interests were for things of
historical significance.  LaCroix had had to offer him one of his
personal journals from his campaign in Gaul , as well as a promise to
spend a day at his home in Luxembourg discussing the journal once he
had had time to study it.  The latter was, of course, dependant upon
the Vampire Scholar’s ability to assist LaCroix with the information he
desired. 

LaCroix was especially intrigued when Johannes had indicated the time
frame of his campaign in which he was most interested; as it
corresponded almost exactly to his experience with the tribe Mr.
Pierson had led.  Never one to believe in coincidence, his attention
was quickened by the thought that Johannes might be interested in
information about a particular immortal.  If necessary, he could use
that as a wedge to pry an admission of knowledge about immortals. 

Finally LaCroix felt Miklos approach his office escorting the
Historian.  “Show him in, Miklos,” he said before the bartender could
knock.  He stood and donned a mask of conviviality. 

“Johannes, welcome to the Raven.  Please sit,” he said, indicating the
chair before the desk.  Turning to dismiss Miklos he said, “Thank you
Miklos, you may return to the club.” 

Johannes took the proffered seat and waited for the door to close
before he said a word.  Accepting the silent offer of bloodwine from
his host he spoke, “Well, LaCroix.  What is it you want to know so
badly that you were willing to part with one of your personal journals
to bring me here?” 

LaCroix almost smiled.  “Right down to it, very well.  I am interested
in an individual I encountered several days ago.  He was very old for
someone who is able to walk in the daylight,” he said, watching closely
for Johannes’ reaction. 

Johannes remained impassive, “Why ask me?  How is it that you think I
might know of this ‘old man’?” 

“You are renowned among the community for your knowledge of the
historically arcane Johannes.  This was not an old man in the sense of
aged, but rather in the sense of… not mortal.” 

“Are you saying he was a vampire that walks in the sun?  There is no
such thing, to my knowledge LaCroix.” 

“He was no vampire.  His heart beat like a mortal, but he recovered
from a fatal assault within seconds.  And, I had met him before.  Long
enough ago that no mortal would have survived it, let alone without
aging.”  Seeing Johannes wanted to protest, he added, “In addition, my
son had two rather unusual encounters this week with a different
individual who also seemed rather… not mortal.” 

The Historian could tell that LaCroix had more information than he was
giving; that he knew some of the answers already to the questions he
was asking.  He seemed to be more interested in finding out whether he
himself was privy to the knowledge, than in seeking answers to his
questions.  “Unusual in what way?” he asked simply. 

LaCroix knew that Johannes believed that he was giving away nothing
with his answers, but already he had determined that the Scholar knew
of immortals.  Now he would see if he knew anything about these
‘watchers’.  “He also recovered from fatal injury.  Twice before my
son’s own eyes.  Then there is the beheading and subsequent, shall we
say ‘shocking’ occurrence.”  Oh yes, he definitely knew about
immortals.  “Then there is the group that, *observes* these immortals…”
“Ahh, that struck a nerve, he actually almost flinched,” LaCroix
thought to himself.  “Observes… and *hunts* them.” 

The moment he bristled, ever so slightly, at that comment, Johannes
knew he was lost.  He knew LaCroix had seen it and interpreted it
correctly.  “Fortunately he is not so ungracious as to smile at it,” he
thought to himself angrily.  “Well, at least I will get the journal
with the Methos information; though it would be better if I didn’t hold
him to his obligation to come to Luxembourg to discuss it with me.” 

Seeing and feeling the self-flagellation, followed by the acquiescent
anticipation, LaCroix knew that he had been correct in his estimation
of Johannes’ interest in his journal.  He would leave that revelation
for later, if at all.  “So then, Historian, tell me the history of the
Immortals and the Watchers,” he said; shocking his guest with the depth
of his knowledge.  “…And I will tell you about the Hunters.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s Loft 
9pm Saturday 

Mulder hadn’t been sure how to present the events of the afternoon- not
because of anything he did, but rather because he was concerned about
Nick.  He was worried that Nick would be jealous or angry because
Mulder seemed to be getting the best of both worlds- all the powers of
the vampire, with none of the weaknesses.  Nevertheless, he detailed
the events of the afternoon.  At one point he almost laughed- realizing
that Nick had paid rapt attention to the recounting of driving in the
daylight, eating a steak and drinking a beer, whereas the ladies didn’t
bat an eye at that and only wanted to hear about Froag.  “What a
difference eight centuries makes,” he thought. 

[What do you mean by that?] Scully asked silently. 

[Nick seemed almost excited about the story until I started talking
about Froag.  Whereas that’s when you and Nat got interested,] Mulder
explained.  [Being confronted with violent death from a psychopathic
headhunter is far less out of the ordinary than sunlight, food and beer
when you’ve been a vampire for the better part of the millennia, I
guess.] 

Nick was sitting back with his hands steepled before him, index fingers
gently tapping his lower lip.  Natalie was off his lap and standing
behind the chair, her hands absent-mindedly toying with his hair.  Nick
was thinking about how Mulder fit into the community and the code.  He
was not a mortal, but not a vampire either.  Any vampire who saw him
would assume he was mortal, and mortals weren’t allowed to know about
vampires.  “What would an enforcer do?” he wondered.  “Do they know
about immortals already?  Why would they keep it a secret?” 

Mulder and Scully were both startled when Nick asked, “What does Dana
get out of it?” 

“What do you mean by that?” Scully asked, somewhat sharply. 

Nick hadn’t necessarily meant to verbalize that thought, but he
clarified, “I was just wondering what you get out of this bond with
Mulder.”  When he saw her ‘are you an idiot?’ look he hastened to
explain, “I don’t mean personally, Dana.  I was referring to the
changes Mulder is undergoing- all of them positive, so far.” 

Natalie caught Nick’s train of thought and continued, “And, you don’t
seem to be lacking anything, so we can tentatively rule out a parasitic
effect, but are you changing at all, Dana?” 

Scully thought about the question for a moment as a large grin stole
across her face.  She began to chuckle softly and then louder.  Mulder
could hear her thoughts as she wondered how her family, acquaintances
and co-workers would answer that question if they could see her now.
Soon Mulder was laughing along with her as she imagined Skinner with
smoke pouring from his ears when he walked in to their office and found
Scully planted in Mulder’s lap, whispering sweet nothings in his ear
and nibbling on his throat. 

Finally she answered the question as Mulder wiped the blood tears from
her face and idly licked them from his fingers.  “Nick, if you knew me
before I came to Toronto , you wouldn’t know where to begin listing the
changes I have gone through,” she said incredulously.  “No more ‘Ice
Queen,’ that’s for certain.” 

Both Nick and Nat showed identically quizzical eyebrow lifts, causing
Mulder to snicker as Scully clarified, “I’m not especially known for
displaying emotion on the job.” 

[That’s not true Scully- you never hid your annoyance, frustration,
exasperation, irritation…] Mulder began when Scully cut him off with a
slap on his chest. 

“Enough from the peanut gallery!” she said aloud.  Turning back to Nick
she said, “Seriously, Nick there have been so many changes… I have no
idea what changes are because Mulder and I finally admitted our
feelings; or because I finally learned that at least some of the,
heretofore paranormal, is real; or because I became a vampire; let
alone if they are because I am drinking immortal blood.” 

“We will just have to deal with anything as it comes- after all, we
aren’t going to stop doing it,” Mulder said. 

Scully growled at the thought, “You’ve got *that* right!” 

Natalie was concerned about the feeling of disquiet that she was
sensing in her master.  “What is it, Nick?  You seem more than just
curious,” she said, combing her fingers down through his hair. 

Nick looked up at his lover and smiled softly at her look of concern.
“Nothing important, at least not yet.  Just thinking aloud.”   He
reached up and pulled her hands around to his mouth and kissed each
palm before returning his attention to his other daughter.  Changing
the subject entirely, he asked, “Have you and Mulder made any plans
about your immediate future?” 

Mulder smiled and said, “Trying to get rid of us already, Nick?” while
nuzzling his lover’s face with his cheek. 

Scully was starting to become slightly distracted by Mulder’s
attentions- not enough that she was even aware of it yet, but desire
was once again beginning to build in the back of her mind.  She had
missed Nick’s question, but heard Mulder’s answer, and caught the gist
of it.  “We’ve pretty much ruled out staying in the FBI- at least in
any full-time capacity,” she said. 

“We thought we might be able to consult on occasion,” Mulder added. 

“We definitely need to go back to Washington to get things settled
before deciding where to go from there,” Scully said as she
unconsciously began stroking Mulder’s chest; the fragrance of his blood
beginning to register on her senses.  “We’ll have to deal with our
resignations…” 

Mulder continued the line of thought, “…Our apartments and such…” 

Catching Mulder’s gaze, Scully resumed “We’ll have to deal with the
boys…” 

“And your mother,” Mulder finished. 

“God, yes.  That’s going to be an interesting conversation!” Scully
commented. 

Mulder grimaced and said, “I just hope your brother Bill is out to sea,
and not home for the holidays.” 

Scully stopped rubbing his chest and laughed out loud.  “He’ll probably
burst a vessel, seeing us together.” 

“No ‘probably’ about it.  I just hope he doesn’t piss you off too much.
I don’t think your mother would approve of you draining your brother
for Christmas dinner.” 

Scully stiffened slightly and said in a haughty voice, “I have more
self control than that, Mulder.  Besides he’d probably taste funny.”
Scully paused in surprise, and then commented, “I can’t believe I even
joked about that.” 

Nick added, “Just so long as it’s a joke, Dana.”  He sighed somewhat
dramatically, and then leaned forward in his chair. “I hate to be the
obdurate one here, but I have to remind you that you cannot share your
new status with mortals.  Not even your family.  Especially not your
family.  You would be putting them and yourselves at risk of your
lives.” 

“I know, Nick.  Having the enforcers pay a visit on my mother is the
last thing I want to have happen.  We will find a way to be careful.
If something slips, I’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t remember
it.” She said resignedly. 

Nick muttered, “Just hope she isn’t a resistor.” 

Natalie decided to lighten the subject, “Will you two be able to come
to our wedding?” 

Scully and Mulder both recognized the change of subject for what it was
and smiled gratefully at Nat.  “That’s two weeks, right?” Scully said.
Turning to Mulder she raised an eyebrow in question. 

Mulder said, “If we leave Monday, take a week to put affairs in order,
spend Christmas with your mother…  We could be back up here in time for
the wedding.”  It’s where we go and what we do after that that is still
in question.” 

“Why Monday, Mulder?” Scully asked.  “We could probably catch a plane
tomorrow…” 

“I still want to meet up with MacLeod tomorrow night,” Mulder
explained.  We need to decide whether or not I will take him up on his
offer.” 

That surprised Natalie.  “Why train?” she asked.  “Surely you don’t
need it now…” she began. 

It was Nick who answered.  “If Mulder wants to hide what he has become
from the watchers, he would do well to train in the ‘normal’ fighting
styles; using his ‘extra abilities’ only as a last resort.”  Though he
was answering Natalie’s question, he was clearly making a strong
recommendation to Mulder as well. 

“I hear you, Nick.  I think I would want to anyway.  If it is going to
be such a large part of my life, it would behoove me to become more
skilled.”  He then smiled widely.  Besides, I studied fencing at Oxford
, and I really enjoyed it.  It should be even more enjoyable now.”
Seeing raised eyebrows all around, Mulder clarified, “I mean the study,
not the application.  Besides, Pierson said MacLeod could take him, and
he is at least two thousand years old.  MacLeod must be really good.
Plus, he can tell me all about being an immortal.”  Looking into
Scully’s eyes for any sign of dissension, he continued, “The more I
consider it, the more I think that I should train with him.” 

Natalie asked, “Does that mean you will move to Seattle ?” 

Scully remembered, “He said something about not having lived in Toronto
before…  Maybe he was thinking of moving here?” 

“If it is only six months or a year, I guess it doesn’t really matter
where it is.  That isn’t a great length of time even for a mortal.  It
will give us time to plan the next decade or two.  Where we will go,
and what we will do,” Mulder said. 

Nick commented, “Remind me to give you Aristotle’s contact information
before you go.”  At the look on Mulder’s face he elucidated, “No not
*the* Aristotle.  He provides a service to the community.  He arranges
new identities- absolutely ironclad.  Much better than the stuff you
see from government agencies.” 

Scully smiled and changed the subject back to the wedding.  “Will you
really be able to put together a wedding in two weeks?” 

Natalie laughed, remembering what Nick and LaCroix had both said to her
concerns in that very area.  “When I asked Nick that question he said
that I shouldn’t worry about it.  He said, ‘Anything is possible when
you say the magic words.’” 

Mulder looked at Nick, who was avoiding anyone’s direct gaze.  “What
are the magic words?” 

Natalie laughed again when Nick ducked his head in obvious
embarrassment.  “Money is no object,” she answered for him. 

“Ah.  How will you explain that on a detective’s salary?” Mulder asked.


Natalie’s smug grin threatened to split her face wide open as she
whispered in a mock-conspiratorial tone, “He’s going to acknowledge
LaCroix as his father.  I can’t wait to see the looks on everyone’s
faces.” 

“You don’t have to sound so gleeful, Nat,” Nick groused, crossing his
arms and huffing like a little boy. 

“And you don’t have to be so glum!  The gossip and stares will die
away… eventually,” she finished with a snicker. 

“I can hardly wait,” Nick grumbled. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Tracy Vetter’s Apartment 
9pm Saturday 

When Vachon arrived at Tracy ’s she was clearly furious.  He had felt
the progression from annoyance to the present state begin almost from
the moment she had gotten to the apartment.  He could tell that she had
had an unpleasant confrontation, but he didn’t know with whom.  It
hadn’t occurred to him that her father might be waiting for her there. 
In Vachon’s mind, a reasonable person would have seen that Tracy wasn’t
home, and tried again later, let alone that the person would not only
wait for hours, but then blame the absent person for not being there to
greet unexpected visitors.  He didn’t know Richard Vetter well enough
to guess that he would be so entirely unreasonable, despite Tracy ’s
description.  By the time he got to her door he could feel the barely
restrained violence roiling off of his childé in pulsating waves.  He
broadcast love and reassurance as forcefully as he could before he
walked into the apartment. 

He was almost startled by her appearance when he walked in the door.
She was fully vamped out and her fingers were flexing like an eagles
talons as it rived the flesh from its prey.  “Trace, what happened?” 

“He was waiting for me,  like a mugger.  An emotional mugger, waiting
to assault me as soon as I opened the door,” she seethed, fingers still
flexing, body vibrating as she restrained herself. 

“Who, Tracy?” 

Vachon could hear her teeth grind as she growled out the reply, “That
rat-bastard ex-father of mine.”  In spite of the fact that she didn’t
need to breathe at all, her breath was coming like a bellows between
each word as she continued, “He… makes… me… so…*ANGRY!*” 

“Tracy, I…” Vachon started 

Tracy interrupted as she began to slowly stalk across the room towards
him, “I want to lift his body up over me; tear his head off and bathe
in his blood!” 

“That wouldn’t be a good…” he tried to get a word in edgewise, but she
interrupted again. 

“Vachon, I need you.  I need you to take me, possess me; ravage me and
remind me that I belong to you alone,” she whispered loudly.  “I need
you to pound into me until I am insensate; until there is nothing of
him left in me.  Until you are the only thought in my mind.”  Her voice
took on a pleading note, “I need you Javier.  Please?” 

Through the anger and lust he could sense her desperation.  She needed
to be the center of someone’s attention; to be valued and desired and
cherished.  He knew that she wanted him to be rough and domineering,
but he could tell that, in the end, she would need him to finish with
tenderness and compassion.  As he grabbed her by the back of her hair
and dragged her throat to his awaiting fangs, he was already looking
forward to both. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

It was just past 1am as Vachon pulled the exhausted body of his childé
into his arms on the floor in front of the fireplace.  He had done
everything in his power to wear her out.  Every trick and technique he
had learned in five centuries of sexual experimentation had been
brought to bear , and still it had almost been himself that had
succumbed first to the need for respite.  She amazed him with her
ability to take everything he had, everything he did, without missing a
beat.  Things he knew she had never even thought of doing before, and
she willingly did it all.  He had ruthlessly possessed her, using her
body in ways she had never imagined. She gave as good as she got,
though.  He had lost count of the number of times she had brought him
to peak, and he had been careful to make sure she had at least two for
every one of his.  Even with vampiric healing, they were likely to be
sore when they woke up. 

It was during the last bout that she had finally broken, emotionally.
As he had predicted, she needed it rough in the beginning to assuage
her rage; however, it was the loving tenderness and gentle affection of
the final coupling that tore down the walls of bitter resentment and
anguish that her erstwhile father had spent her lifetime constructing. 
Her last orgasm had left her tremulous and sobbing in his arms as
almost thirty years worth of tears were shed in the space of ten
minutes. 

Finally she had cried herself out and was now sleeping in his arms.  He
was exhausted, but sleep eluded him.  He had lived for roughly five
centuries as a vampire, but fewer than three decades as a mortal.  In
all that time, he had never felt anything, good or bad, as deeply as
the emotions his childé had been going through while she cried.  He
felt the deeply bitter resentment and sense of betrayal that she
suffered as a result of her father.  He discovered that before meeting
him, Tracy had defined her existence by the approval of her mortal
father.  Approval that he never fully gave, withholding it as a tool to
bend this intelligent, vivacious young woman to his will.  It took the
shedding of her mortality to break away from the emotional shackles
with which he had bound her.  In the end her father had sentenced her
to life imprisonment- she had to die to be freed. 

The feelings that were pounding through his veins were more intense and
profoundly momentous than he had ever experienced.  His head and heart
were seething with intense and conflicting emotions; heart-rending
compassion for his childé’s anguish and stomach-wrenching fury for her
father’s abuse.  He was torn between the desire to wrap her in his arms
and never let her go, and the desire to find that man and inflict the
most horrifying demise conceivable upon him. 

In the end his rage dissipated somewhat, as the sorrow he felt for
Tracy overwhelmed him.  Soon his face was wet with bloodtears as he
cried for the innocent child that had been so viciously abused.  Though
Richard Vetter had never physically harmed his daughter, his mental
cruelty had almost broken her spirit.  Vachon could hardly imagine what
Tracy might have been capable of if she had grown up in a loving and
supportive home.  Selfishly, he was glad that she had not.  He wanted
nothing but the best for her, but he also knew that it was unlikely
that he would ever have met her in the first place under such
circumstances, let alone ended up her sire.  He was so amazingly joyful
to have her in his life that the though of never meeting her in the
first place was like a stake in his chest.  His own past seemed like an
insubstantial dream and he was somewhat discomfited to realize that he
had lived for so long with so little impact on the world or the people
in it.  Other than killing a lot of them, of course.  He had flowed
through his existence with no real purpose or meaning.  Avoiding the
responsibility placed on him by his own sire, fleeing his brother in
darkness who wanted him to accept that responsibility.  His brother,
the Inca, who had himself died upholding their master’s charge- to
prevent senseless violence and death.  His shame for his behavior was
new to him- do doubt elicited by his childé’s ingrained sense of right
and wrong- of duty and responsibility. 

Regardless of whatever events in both their lives had occurred to bring
them to this point, he was grateful that they were both here.  Vachon
didn’t know how his life was going to change now that he had a
conscience, but he knew that it would.  He laughed when he remembered
that Disney movie where the puppet wanted to become human, and the
powers gave him a guide to show him right and wrong- “something
cricket… Jimmy… Jamie… something like that,” he thought.  He knew he
would never call Tracy ‘Button’ again, but maybe a new Nickname was in
order. 

The last thought on Vachon’s mind as he finally succumbed to sleep was,
“Goodnight, Cricket.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Raven 
12:30am Sunday 

Johannes had spoken almost without pause for nearly three hours before
finishing his overview of the history of the watchers, and what was
known of immortals. 

LaCroix pondered the information silently for several minutes while
Johannes refreshed himself with several glasses of bloodwine.  Finally
he spoke.  “Who else among us knows about this?” 

Johannes seemed almost taken aback by the question.  “Why, I haven’t
the faintest idea, LaCroix.  I have never discussed the subject with
anyone outside of the watchers.” 

“And there are no other vampires among these ‘watchers?’” LaCroix
asked.  “That seems unlikely, doesn’t it?” 

“I don’t know with any certainty; however, I have never seen or heard
of any of us among the watchers,” Johannes answered.  “However,
vampires in general aren’t particularly avid historians, to my
knowledge.  It is not inconceivable that I am, or was, the only one
with this knowledge.  You have lived longer than I and yet you were
ignorant of their existence until very recently, were you not?”  At
LaCroix’s acknowledging frown he pressed on, “Now, LaCroix.  You
intimated that the watchers are hunters of immortals.  I can assure you
that that is not the case.  Perhaps you will explain to me why you have
drawn this conclusion.” 

“To your knowledge, watchers have never hunted their charges?” LaCroix
asked. 

Johannes shook his head and vehemently denied it, “I have been involved
with this group for four centuries, LaCroix.  I have access to every
record they have written- there is not even a hint that this has ever
happened before.” 

LaCroix leaned back in his chair and looked down his nose at the
historian.  “Then this development is either very new, or you and your
‘brethren’ are blind to the possibility.  I suspect the truth lies
somewhere closer to the latter.” 

He went on to tell him of the events leading to the deaths of the
watchers who had captured Mulder.  He left Mulder’s immortality out of
the tale, allowing Johannes to believe that he was merely a mortal toy
of his granddaughter’s.  He also left out the age of the immortal that
the watchers were hunting- and the fact that it was the same man
referenced in the journal in which Johannes was so interested. 

Johannes was shocked.  He wanted to deny that it was possible, but of
course that was shortsighted.  LaCroix would not have dragged him all
the way to Canada just to provide him with false information regarding
the watchers, a group of which he shouldn’t even be aware.  “You said
one of them was called Perone?”  At LaCroix’s nod he frowned.  “I am
not familiar with that name.  I will have to look into this carefully.”
He stood up abruptly, “If there is nothing else?” he asked, waiting for
LaCroix to give him the journal they had discussed. 

LaCroix made no expression has he opened the center drawer on his desk
and removed an ancient, leather-bound book.  He handed it over to
Johannes without a word. 

“I will contact you when I am ready to discuss this,” Johannes said,
indicating the journal. 

“Of course,” LaCroix said smoothly, rising from his seat.  “I always
keep my obligations.”  Pausing for a moment he added as nonchalantly as
possible, “Perhaps you would inform me of your findings on these
hunters?”  At Johannes’ raised eyebrows he explained, “As I now have an
acquaintance among the Immortals.” 

Johannes stiffened, “I must caution you, Immortals are not to know
about the watchers- it would make our task immeasurably difficult if
they knew of us.” 

LaCroix smiled pleasantly, though his eyes more resembled a snake
poised to strike, “I can certainly understand why you would wish to
keep such information in confidence.” 

Johannes, recognizing the precarious nature of the situation he was in,
capitulated without protest, “I will certainly keep you informed of my
findings.”  At LaCroix’s minute bow, he said, “Then I will bid you good
night, yes?” 

LaCroix answered in kind and opened the office door for him.  After he
left, LaCroix returned to his chair and sat back, sipping his
bloodwine, as he contemplated the encounter. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

3232 Tableau Ave. , Apartment C 
2:30 a.m. Sunday 

Methos was walking up the street, back to his apartment after another
fruitless game of ‘find Froag.’  “Lousy bugger is not following his
normal pattern,” he thought, frustrated.  The watchers still hadn’t
found him either and Methos was beginning to get the idea that he must
have left the city.  “Which, again, one wouldn’t expect, seeing as how
he had missed out on Mulder’s quickening,” he thought with annoyance. 

He was muttering to himself as he walked when he felt it.  He was about
two houses away from his apartment when the quickening impinged upon
his grumbling.  He immediately stopped and did a slow 360-degree turn. 
He then stopped moving and listened- but nothing.  He kept one hand in
his jacket on the hilt of his sword as he resumed walking toward his
temporary home. 

When he approached the door to unlock it he was surprised when the knob
turned freely.  Now he drew his sword, less concerned with any nosy
neighbors than he was with being unprepared for an attack.  He knew Mac
was still in buffalo, because he had called and asked to be picked up
at the airport tomorrow evening.  It was unlikely that he could be
lucky enough to find Froag waiting for him- he shouldn’t even be aware
that Methos was in town.  That left the newly immortal Mulder as the
most likely candidate.  However, Methos had not lived five millennia by
assuming the best.  “Besides, why would Mulder be sitting in my
apartment, in the dark?” he mumbled softly to himself as he opened the
door. 

Both Mulder and Scully heard the mumbled question and were chagrined to
realize that they had forgotten to turn on the lights, no doubt leading
Mr. Pierson to his somewhat cautious entry.  They had wondered what he
was waiting for, standing outside the door for a length of time.  In an
effort to allay his fears, Mulder softly called out, “It’s agents
Mulder and Scully, Mr. Pierson.” 

Methos reached in and turned on the lights, looking about the room to
verify that the two Americans were alone before lowering his sword and
fully entering the apartment.  “Why are you sitting in the dark?” he
asked, still not comfortable with the situation. 

Mulder gave his best disarming smile.  “We got tired of waiting
outside, so we came in,” he said, ignoring the real question. 

Methos remained where he was just inside the door, still not happy with
finding these two in his place in the dark.  “Yes, but why didn’t you
turn on the lights?” 

Scully chided him, “To see what?  The Mattress?  The Chair?  As
diverting as those were, we covered them pretty quickly.” 

Mulder continued with, “We had to find other things to occupy our time
while we waited.” 

At Methos’ somewhat bemused look Scully said, “You’re asking the wrong
questions, Mr. Pierson.” 

Mulder was enjoying the tag-team effect and followed up with, “What you
want to know is why we came here at all.”  [This is fun, Scully!] he
thought. 

[You are such a little boy sometimes,] Scully thought back, but she
didn’t quit.  “Isn’t it?” 

Now Methos was quite thrown- aggravated with his fruitless search and
the annoying way these two were talking to him, like a bad Gilbert and
Sullivan comedy.  He walked over to the chair and sat in it, elbows on
knees and face buried in his hands he sighed out, “Yes, very well. Why
are you here?” trying to convey his annoyance while sounding like the
soul of longsuffering patience nearing the end of its rope. 

Mulder smiled and said, “Would you feel better if we told you that we
know where Froag’s staying?”  Seeing Pierson perk up he couldn’t help
but add, “Unfortunately, we don’t.” 

Seeing Pierson’s near-homicidal glare, she quashed Mulder’s joke.  “We
do, however know where he will be tomorrow evening.” 

Mulder whined, [Spoilsport!] 

Scully replied, [What are you, five years old?  Just give him the
address.] 

Mulder pouted a little but rattled off the address to Pierson, adding,
“It used to be an auto parts warehouse.  Now it seems to be abandoned.”


“Seems to be?” Methos asked. 

“Well, there were some people using it last week, but they are gone
now.” Mulder said, braving Scully’s wide-eyed glare. 

Methos asked, “Are you certain that they…” 

Scully interrupted. “Quite certain,” she said flatly. 

Methos raised his brows in question, but Scully ignored him.  “Come on,
Mulder.  Lets get out of here, I’m hungry,” she said as she dragged him
towards the door. 

Methos remembered something suddenly and said, “Agent Mulder, could I
impose on you to pick up MacLeod at the airport tomorrow, as it seems I
will be otherwise occupied?” 

“What time?” he asked. 

“Their flight is due in at 6pm ; Preston Commuter Air flight 63 at Gate
36c” Methos said. 

Mulder answered, “Sure.  We’ll see you at the Raven tomorrow night?” 

“Yes, I’ll be there,” he said as they walked out.  “Providing I’m still
alive,” he added as he shut the door. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

 

Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 18 
Terminal 3 

Lester B Pearson International Airport 

6:02 p.m.   Sunday December 17th. 

MacLeod had kept his word; by 7 a.m. they were both so exhausted that
they passed out, their bodies tangled in the sheets, their limbs
wrapped around each other’s. 

As the plane taxied to the gate, MacLeod was reliving the previous
night in his head.  He had marveled at his reaction to her.  He hadn’t
had that much sex… well, pretty much ever.  In the short time he had
known Janette, they had loved each other more times than he had done in
a month with any other woman he had ever known.  He had never had
difficulty rising to the occasion before, but with Janette, it seemed
like he was constantly aroused.  A look in her eyes, a soft touch, a
single sultry sentence- that was all it took for him to be ready for
the next bout.  Even more marvelous was the fact that she seemed to
feel the same way.  Her constant delight in his body didn’t seem to
weaken with the frequency of their coupling.  He had no doubt that if
they had not succumbed to fatigue, they would have continued all day
long. 

They had stopped for a few moments at a time for Mac to drink and eat,
as he needed to replenish his blood supply frequently.  Neither of them
even considered her not taking his blood- that was the most intense and
intimate part of their union.  For those few moments while she consumed
him, they were joined more completely than mortals, or immortals, could
ever imagine.  To know one another so completely; to feel their deepest
doubts and fears, their greatest joys and delights; to bask in the
warmth of each other’s love; it was magnificent.  He had lost count of
the times they had cried at the beauty of this thing between them, it
was second only to the number of times that they had laughed till they
had no breath (figuratively for her). 

Though they had been fast and furious at times, mostly it was
leisurely- as they explored one another’s bodies, learning their
secrets.  It turned out that Janette had the most sensitive legs- from
the backsides of her knees all the way up to the crease at the top of
her thighs.  When Mac would caress the backs of her thighs while
running his tongue along the top, just under her glorious cheeks, she
would squirm and moan almost as loudly as if he had been attending
directly to her clitoris. 

Janette had shown Mac his own unexpected erogenous zones- she found
that nibbling on the soft bit of flesh at the crease on the front of
his shoulder, where the arm meets the chest, she could send tingles of
pleasure straight to his groin.  His cock would twitch every time she
nibbled him there.  The insides of his thighs a couple of inches above
his knees were so sensitive that when she bit him there to drink, he
came prematurely.  Any other time, with any other woman, he would have
been mortified.  Instead he and Janette had let fly peals of deep
laughter- both of their bodies shaking with mirth.  Of course the
laughter had ended with a groan when she began to clean the spilled
seed from his lap with her mouth and tongue. 

MacLeod turned away from his reminiscing and looked at Janette.  He
found that she was staring at him, a small grin on her lips. 

“Pleasant thoughts my love?” she asked. 

“Very,” he answered.  “I was thinking about how amazing you are, how
unbelievable this thing between us is, and how amazingly much I am in
love with you.” 

Janette's grin softened into a broad smile and she grasped his right
hand in both of hers, bringing it up to her face and nuzzling her cheek
against his palm.  “You are my heart, Duncan .  I love you so much,”
she whispered intently. 

Mac slid his hand along her face and into her hair, gently grasping the
back of her head and drawing her toward him for a slow, languid kiss.
A kiss that might have turned into something more had the plane not
reached the gate at that moment. 

As the passengers stood up and began to gather their personal
belongings, MacLeod noticed that Janette seemed hesitant to rise.  Her
bear ing when she did rise was just slightly stiff- a noticeable change
from the relaxation she displayed as they kissed.  He imagined that he
knew what the problem was; she was nervous about seeing her family.  He
didn’t pretend to understand the full convolution involved in her
family dynamics.  Her brother/master and her father/master/grandfather;
not to mention the new additions that she hadn’t even met yet; she had
a great many issues that she needed to resolve- if she could overcome
her fear. 

He kept them standing in front of their seats as the stream of
passengers debarking passed them by.  He drew her into a tender embrace
and softly kissed her lips, never removing his gaze from hers.  Knowing
that the answer was probably ‘no,’ he whispered, “Is there anything I
can do to help, Janette?” 

Normally Janette would have been embarrassed by anyone who noticed her
nervousness (or fear, if she were brutally honest with herself) and
pulled away in denial.  This being Duncan, however; her response was to
melt into his arms, warmed by his tender concern- not even for a moment
fearing that he would think poorly of her.  She rested her forehead
against his and gently sighed, “Mon cour, you are sweet for asking, but
there is nothing to be done but to face this and move on.  Knowing that
you are by my side is all that I will need to make it through this
ordeal.” 

“Will it really be so horrible?” he asked gently, stroking her lower
back with his large hands. 

Janette pulled away from him and collected her purse from the floor in
front of her seat before answering, “Probably not.  Mostly I think, I
did not want to be confronted with his guilty conscience, and self
loathing,” she said as she indicated that he should collect their
carry-on from the storage compartment and debark themselves.  “Nicolas
can be so tiresome, with his brooding self-pity, his constant whining
about being damned…” she paused and looked down at her hands, which
were nervously clutching at the straps of her handbag before continuing
in a whisper, “The worst part is that, at the end, when I was with
Robert, I began to believe what Nicolas had been saying for a century. 
I thought we were damned, and as I regained my mortality I thought I
had been saved from that horrible fate.” 

MacLeod simply put his hands on hers, waiting for her to finish. 

“Then, for him to so callously disregard my request, for him to
selfishly throw away what I had thought of as my salvation because he
couldn’t have it!” her whisper had turned into a hiss by this point and
she stopped speaking and took a moment to visibly get hold of herself. 

MacLeod squeezed her hand gently and asked, “And now?  How do you feel
now?” 

Janette smiled warmly at him.  “Are you asking if I still believe that
Vampires are damned?  No.  I am grateful to be immortal once again.
What angers me is that he convinced me otherwise…  That he almost made
me give up eternity for a silly notion that immortality was a curse to
be feared, rather than a gift to be savored.”  She guided MacLeod out
into the aisle to leave the plane, noticing that everyone else had
already gone.  “I suppose I should be indebted to him for helping me
realize that humans shouldn’t be treated like cattle, but I don’t think
I needed to give up immortality to learn that lesson.  We don’t have to
kill to survive, as I was once taught.” 

MacLeod smiled as he followed her off of the plane.  “Maybe this will
be good for her,” he thought.  He felt the quickening of an immortal as
they entered the jet way, but was unconcerned, knowing that Methos was
supposed to be picking them up.  “I think Methos is here,” he said.
The fact that the quickening wasn’t as strong as Methos’ didn’t
register until Janet spoke. 

“ Duncan , there is at least one vampire out there,” she said.  She
wasn’t terribly concerned; on the one hand, a vampire wouldn’t do
anything in such a public place, and on the other, he/she or they
didn’t feel nearly as powerful as she knew she was. 

MacLeod stopped, stilling Janette with a hand on her shoulder.  “Now
that you mention it, that quickening doesn’t feel strong enough to be
Methos.” 

Janette lightly gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth, “Could he have
fallen to this Froag person you mentioned?” 

MacLeod hadn’t seriously considered that Methos could loose to Phineas
Froag.  He had never met him, but knew by his reputation that he was an
undisciplined, if vicious, fighter.  He had been training with Methos
ever since he decided to re-enter the game.  He was confident that
there were very few immortals that could defeat Methos; however, he
also knew that in combat anything could, and often did, happen.  “If it
is, I will take care of him,” he answered coldly.  Thinking of what she
had said, he asked “Why would he have a vampire with him?” 

“That would seem to be an odd coincidence,” she agreed.  “Perhaps we
should go see?” she asked.  “If necessary, I can handle any
interference from my type,” she reassured him.  “They don’t feel more
than two hundred years old, if that.” 

“Well then, love of my life, let us indeed go and see for ourselves,”
MacLeod said with a half-bow and a dramatic sweep of his arm. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

“Are you sure this is the right plane, Mulder?” Scully asked as they
watched the line of passengers exiting the plane trickle to nothing. 

“No.  I’m sure it’s the plane Methos said he would be on, but that
doesn’t mean that…” he trailed off as he felt the quickening. 

Scully felt it as well, being intimately tuned in to Mulder’s feelings.
She also felt something else. 

“Is that a vampire?” Mulder asked. 

“I think so.” Scully answered. 

“Why would MacLeod feel like a vampire?” Mulder asked rhetorically. 

“We’ll have to ask him,” Scully answered anyway. 

Both raised an eyebrow when they saw MacLeod and a lithe, raven-haired
vampire walking out together.  Their body language was very intimate,
even though they weren’t actually touching.  There was no doubt that
they were ‘together,’ they thought. 

Ironically, that intimate body language was the first thing that
Janette and MacLeod noticed about the duo waiting for them.  MacLeod
whispered, “It’s ok, I know those two,” as they saw Mulder and Scully
standing outside the gate. 

Scully reached out to the vampire with her senses and was struck by the
age and power that she bore; much more than her master, but slightly
less than LaCroix.  Strangely, she felt like Nick- the same way Tracy
felt like Vachon.  That didn’t make sense; that she could be older than
Nick, yet be his progeny.  Suddenly, she recalled a memory of Nick’s
and realized that it must be Janette.  Still, she felt awfully powerful
for someone a thousand years younger than LaCroix- nearly his equal! 

[That’s Janette!] she thought to Mulder. 

[Who?] he asked, not recognizing the name. 

[She is Nick’s sister… well now she is Nick’s childé,] she thought. 

Mulder was confused.  [He turned his sister?] 

[Long story, Mulder.  I’ll explain later.  I wonder how those two met,]
she wondered. 

[That’s an awfully big coincidence, Scully,] Mulder thought
suspiciously.  Struck by another thought he asked, [How many siblings
do you have, Scully?] 

Scully spent several seconds culling through the memories she had from
the deep link with Nick before answering, [I think there is another
surviving sister out there, but as I remember, they are estranged.  Of
course, I thought he and Janette were at odds as well, yet here she
is.] 

MacLeod and Janette approached the two FBI agents and Mac wondered to
himself if their appearance was something taught by the Bureau to all
of its agents- they stood nearly motionless, their eyes hidden by
sunglasses, their body language alert but relaxed.  The only movement
they made was for their heads to move slightly toward one another, and
then back toward Janette and himself.  It was almost as if they were
having a conversation without moving their lips.  He found it highly
disconcerting. 

Janette, for her part, was intrigued by the pair.  She felt the mental
approach by the woman as she exited the jet way, and allowed her own
power to flow forth in answer.  The confusing thing was that Janette
would swear that the woman was childé to Nick, yet she was over a
century old, almost two!  Janette would have instantly known if Nick
had brought anyone across during the previous century when they had
shared blood while she was still living in Toronto .  Nick had never
been skilled at hiding memories during the bloodkiss! 

Then there was the question of the man by her side- his heart was
beating, but so slowly!  If it weren’t for that, she would have thought
he was a fledgling vampire.  Furthermore, he felt like he was the
woman’s fledgling.  Had she tried to turn him and he only came across
partially?  Such creatures were always wildly unstable, and had to be
destroyed.  Duncan indicated that he had felt an immortal, was that why
this one felt so strange to her?  Duncan was immortal, but he felt to
her senses exactly like any other human. 

Duncan said that he knew these two, and he didn’t seem concerned.  She
would remain wary, but wouldn’t worry about it unless she felt him
change. 

MacLeod set down his bag and stuck his hand out toward Mulder.  “Agent
Mulder?  What happened to Methos?” 

Mulder shook his hand and answered, “He had a conflicting engagement.
He said he would meet us at the Raven tonight.” 

MacLeod accepted that for the moment, not wanting to discuss anything
of substance in the public airport concourse.  He offered his hand to
Scully and said, “Agent Scully, this is…” 

“Janette dúCharme,” Scully finished for him.  She decided to offer her
the courtesy due a powerful elder vampire, “It is an honor to meet you,
my sister,” she said with a half-bow.  “I am Dana Scully.”  [Play along
Mulder! She is an elder, and could kill us both before we even knew
what hit us.  Plus, from what I remember, she was pretty pissed off at
Nick last time she saw him…] she thought to Mulder. 

[No need for us to bear the brunt of that,] he agreed.  He gave a half-
bow as Scully did and said, “It is an honor to meet you, elder, My name
is Fox Mulder, but everyone calls me Mulder,” in what he hoped was an
appropriately respectful tone. 

Duncan was stunned.  He couldn’t think of a single thing to say in
response to the exchange. 

Janette paused for a moment and then suddenly laughed out loud in
delighted humor.  “Are you sure you are a childé of Nicolas?  I have
never known him to have a polite bone in his body!” 

Drawing on her memories of Nick and Janette’s last encounter, and her
knowledge of Nick’s changed outlook on life, “or unlife, as he might
have called it,” she thought; she said, “He is not as you remember him,
Janette.” 

She sobered.  “So Duncan tells me,” she said as she turned to head
toward the baggage claim, a perplexed MacLeod in tow. 

[That went well,] Mulder said sarcastically as he and Scully turned to
follow. 

[Hey, we’re not dead!] she answered back with an internal chuckle. 

[Well, I’m not anyway,] Mulder joked. 

[Careful, Mister!  Or you will be!] she said as they caught up to
Janette and MacLeod. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Sam and Sullie’s Auto Parts 
6pm Sunday December 17th 

Methos sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the largest room
in the building.  He had been waiting for three hours for Froag to
show.  Not that Froag was late, but he wanted to be here when he showed
up.  Hopefully he wouldn’t bolt when he saw it wasn’t Mulder waiting
for him; he didn’t want to waste time chasing this walking pile of
rubbish, he just wanted to take his head- take back Scott’s quickening
and get the hell out of Toronto .  He was well tired of seeing vampires
everywhere he looked.  He wanted to go spend some time someplace sunny-
let the thought of night-stalkers bake out of his system as he lay on
the beach, absorbing the rays.  He knew his attitude towards this
situation was somewhat pusillanimous, but he was having a very
difficult time dealing with this sudden knowledge. That his 5000 years
of life could be ended on a whim by any street punk who was lucky
enough to get bitten as a snack and turned into a vampire.  Not only
that they existed, but also that they had been around as long as he had
and he’d been totally unaware. 

Methos’ musings were interrupted by the feeling of the quickening as
Froag loudly entered the building. 

Phineas was feeling furious.  “Well, you cowardly bastard, I’m
surprised you actually showed up!  Finally got tired of running?” he
shouted as he entered the building.  He stopped short when he saw the
figure sitting on the floor, a sword across his lap.  “Hey!  You’re not
the freak I’m looking for.  Where is that lily-livered sap?  Sent you
in his stead, huh?  You his ‘teacher’?  Poor little…” 

Methos interrupted his rant, “Shut up and fight, or did you plan to
wear me down with your charnel-house breath?” 

Froag’s eyes narrowed and he suddenly charged the seated figure,
drawing his sword from his trench coat. 

Methos sat, unmoving until he could determine the angle Froag was going
to strike from.  As he swung his sword towards Methos’s head, Methos
brought up his sword, deflecting the blow just above his head, and then
rolling forward into a summersault and onto his feet.  He immediately
crouched back down as he sensed Froag’s recover and backhand swipe. 

As the blade whistled above his head, he swept his own sword in a tight
arc around his body and launched a snap cut behind him, calculating
that he would at least partially eviscerate his opponent.  He was
surprised when his sword encountered almost no resistance at all.  When
his body caught up with his swing, bringing him around to face his
opponent, he saw that Froag had been able to pull his abdomen back away
from the strike.  Methos had barely scratched him, drawing blood but
leaving him essentially unhurt. 

Froag was, however, overextended by his dodge and Methos sought to
capitalize with a quick snapping cut up toward his head.  Froag was
able to block this, barely, and step back to regroup himself. 

“Damnation! He’s quick!” was all Methos had time to think before Froag
again hurled himself toward him with a stabbing lunge. 

Methos parried the lunge and began to slowly back up as he parried blow
after blow.  He quickly realized that Froag’s style- inasmuch as it
could be described as a style- was to utilize his quickness in a
ferocious attack, attempting to overpower or overwhelm his opponent for
a fast kill.  He showed no finesse or skill- just speed and power.
Methos was able to deflect every blow with relative ease, but couldn’t
muster a counterattack.  He resigned himself to a defensive role and
waited for him to tire or make a mistake. 

Froag saw that he wasn’t going to be able to break through with brute
force- his favorite method- and so used the one trick he had ever
mastered. 

Methos parried a series of sweeping criss-crossing slashes bringing
Froag’s sword up and over his right shoulder for a strong descending
cross-body hack.  He brought up his sword in both hands to his upper
left to block what he was sure would be a massive strike- presenting
his left shoulder forward, his right arm across his body.  Too late he
saw his mistake as, rather than sweeping out and down, Froag dropped
his hands in front of his stomach and lunged forward, dropping the tip
of his sword into a stabbing blow. 

Methos was able to keep from taking the strike in the chest by bringing
his right arm further up and taking the strike deep into his right
bicep. 

Froag saw the wound he had inflicted on his opponent’s sword arm and
assumed the battle was over.  Unfortunately for him, Methos didn’t even
break stride as he countered- his bicep was out of commission, but he
was able to twist his entire body to the right, bringing his sword
across a horizontal plane toward Froag’s head.  The blow wouldn’t have
been enough to take his head, but Methos wasn’t aiming for a killing
blow.  He sliced across Froag’s eyes, blinding him. 

Froag screamed out in rage and pain, dropping his sword as his hands
came up to his face.  Methos took the time to switch his grip and run
Froag through the abdomen, causing him to drop to his knees and double
over in agony. 

Before pulling the sword from Froag’s gut, Methos harshly whispered in
his ear, “Scott Santeramo was my friend.”  He then yanked the sword
free, twisting as he pulled.  Froag would have screamed, but his
diaphragm was shredded.  The last thing he heard was his opponent
shouting the ritual chant, “There can be only one!” 

Methos swept Froag’s head from his shoulders with a single cross-body
swing.  He then had time to gently lay his sword on the warehouse floor
as the quickening began to pour forth from the decapitated corpse that
was Phineas Froag.  Had there been a living observer in the room they
might have heard him whisper, “Welcome back, Scotty,” as the energy
snapped into his body, picking him up off of the ground and tossing him
around like a rag doll. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Sheraton Gateway Hotel 
7:30 p.m. Sunday December 17th 

Janette and MacLeod had invited Mulder and Scully to join them in their
suite at the Sheraton before leaving for the Raven.  As the hotel was
connected to the terminal, they hadn’t even had to go to Mulder and
Scully’s car.  They sat in a rather comfortable conversation group,
Mulder and Scully sitting in their customary position on an overstuffed
leather couch, while Janette and MacLeod shared a matching loveseat.
Janette was curled up against Mac, wrapped by his arm, but not actually
in his lap as Scully was with Mulder. 

MacLeod had gotten the story about Froag, sans Mulder’s vampiric
abilities, and was at once glad for, and worried about his friend
Methos.  He imagined that Methos could take Froag with little trouble,
but he was well aware that there are no guarantees in battle. 

Janette finally began asking the questions that had been bothering her
since she saw the pair in front of her.  “Dana, is Mulder your childé?”


“Mulder isn’t a vampire, Janette.  He is an immortal, like Duncan .”
She answered. 

Janette just stared at Scully, letting her incredulousness show, and
letting some power slip forth as a subtle reminder of their relative
stations. 

[Mulder, if she requires me to share with her, she’s is going to find
out anyway…] Scully began. 

[Why not just share then.  Maybe she will keep it quiet that way, if
she understands why we want to…] he responded. 

[Mulder, I’m pretty sure that what she knows, he knows.  You know?] she
thought. 

“It’s ok with me, Scully.” 

Scully stood up and stood before Janette expectantly. 

Janette divined Scully’s purpose and asked, “Would you like to do this
in private?” 

Scully shrugged.  “What I know, Mulder knows.  I assume the same is
true for you and Duncan?” 

Janette smiled and stood, drawing the smaller woman into her arms. 

Scully bared her throat; as the younger sibling she would play the
submissive part. 

Janette hadn’t shared with a sibling in a long time, and Dana was very
beautiful.  She felt her arousal quicken at the thought of taking this
one and showing her some of the more pleasurable aspects of belonging
to a vampire family.  She hoped Duncan wouldn’t be too put off by this,
but he would have to accustom himself to sharing her with her family.
She licked at Scully’s jugular to make it stand out more prominently,
eliciting a shiver of excitement from her just before she struck,
sinking her fangs deep into her younger sister. 

Scully had to restrain herself from jerking back at the shock of
feeling Janette’s warm tongue on her neck.  She was embarrassed by the
arousal she was feeling from this woman, and by the fact that Mulder
was feeling her response.  She sighed as she felt the sting of
Janette’s fangs in her throat.  She responded by driving her own into
the ivory smoothness of her neck. 

Mulder almost embarrassed himself by groaning out loud.  Probably the
most erotic sight he had ever beheld was right in front of him.  Plus,
he could feel everything Scully was feeling, it was almost as if he was
in the bloodkiss along with her. 

Duncan would have seen Mulder’s eyes turn and his fangs drop if he had
been able to tear his eyes away from the vision before him.  He felt
himself stiffening in his slacks and hoped that Janette would forgive
his inherently male response to her behavior.  He thought that this was
probably normal behavior among vampire siblings, and didn’t necessarily
have a sexual connotation, but to him it was like watching two
beautiful women kissing and fondling one another.  He didn’t know a
heterosexual male who could realistically claim not to be turned on by
such a sight.  He hoped he would be able to keep himself from dragging
her off to the bedroom the moment she released Dana. 

Scully was again overwhelmed by the intensity of sharing with such an
ancient vampire, though she could feel Janette’s humor at being
described as ancient.  “One millennium is not ancient, Dana” she heard
Janette think.  Scully saw the events surrounding her meeting Duncan
MacLeod, felt the deep emotion she had for him.  She also flashed back
to Janette’s brief stint as a mortal, and the subsequent return to
immortality- age and power intact.  She felt Janette's feelings of
betrayal for the way their master ignored her request, coupled with a
secret relief that he had brought her back across regardless of her
desires. 

Janette was shocked to see that Dana had indeed only been turned the
previous week.  She felt a pang of sympathy at the events leading up to
her conversion, and understood how it was that Nick came to be her
master.  She saw the changes in Nick and saw that he had brought
Natalie across as well.  She was astounded to see the depth of change
in her brother/master.  She would never have imagined that he would be
willing return to the fold, as it were.  “LaCroix must be so pleased,”
she thought.  She was amazed at the depth of the link Dana had with her
lover and partner.  She was also stunned by the changes he had gone
through, while maintaining all of his human abilities.  “You are
correct to worry about the enforcers, Dana.  Mulder’s conversion… if
that is the correct term, should be kept hidden if at all possible,”
she thought to Dana.  “ Duncan will have to know, though,” was her last
thought to Dana as she broke the kiss. 

Scully’s head was swimming, and her body was aroused to the point of
pain.  She needed Mulder, and she needed him *right now!* 

Feeling her sister’s need, as well as her own arousal, she whispered,
“You may use that room; gesturing toward the bedroom behind her.  She
then released her hold on Scully and grabbed MacLeod’s hand- dragging
him toward the other bedroom. 

Mulder heard the whisper and lunged forward, tackling Scully into the
loveseat, bowling it over just as MacLeod stood up out of it, pulled by
Janette.  Again, Mac missed the sight of Mulder displaying his vampiric
abilities.  If he hadn’t had his eyes glued to Janette’s retreating
form as she pulled him toward the bedroom, he would have noticed that
the other two never hit the floor on the other side of the loveseat,
but rather flew across the room and into the bedroom, staying about 3
feet off of the floor the whole way.  Although, as lust-filled as his
mind was at that moment, even that might not have been enough to move
his thoughts away from getting himself buried inside Janette as soon as
humanly possible. 

Janette’s lust was such that they ended up having sex fully dressed.
She unzipped MacLeod’s fly and pulled out his member while he slid her
dress up around her hips and pulled her panties aside just enough to
slide home.  He was already inside her when they fell onto the bed and
within moments he was pounding himself into her as if to drive her
through the mattress.  It took less than two minutes before her fangs
were in his throat and they were wrapped in simultaneous orgasm.
Janette once again licked him clean and put him away while waiting for
him to revive. 

She was still wrapped in the warm glow of the bloodkiss, reveling in
the depth of feeling and caring that were communicated between them
during those moments, when he ‘awoke.’ 

After the standard moment to recover from yet another ‘death,’ MacLeod
turned to look upon the face of his beloved.  “Thank God for the
bloodkiss,” he said as he reached toward her and stroked her lips with
his thumb. 

“It is one of the very best things about being a vampire, I think,”
Janette said. 

“There are no words that could adequately convey to you just how much I
love you, Janette.  But I know you can feel it in the bloodkiss-
because I feel your love for me,” he said. 

Janette looked at her lover, his eyes dark with desire and shining with
unshed tears, and felt her heart give an extra beat.  “After they
leave, you and I need to talk, Duncan .” 

Normally when a woman said that to a man, the man would be worried for
the future of their relationship.  Another benefit of the intimacy of
the bloodkiss is that MacLeod felt not even a glimmer of nervousness.
He knew their relationship was secure in that aspect.  “What about?” he
asked, never ceasing his gentle stroking of her cheek and lips as they
lay facing one another on the bed. 

“There may be a way to establish a more permanent… a continuous link
between us,” she said.  Seeing his eyes light up, she hastened to add,
“There would be side effects, and even some risk.  It is something I
saw in the kiss with Dana.” 

Duncan tried to calm the feeling of overwhelming eagerness that he felt
at the thought.  “I can hardly wait for that discussion, Lassie,” he
whispered. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Janette and MacLeod had moved back to the living room of the suite and
were each enjoying a beverage- Mac from the room’s minibar, and Janette
from her own stock which she had brought from the Corbeau- when Mulder
and Scully came stumbling back into the room.  They were both giddy and
acting just slightly tipsy as they made their way back to the couch,
arm in arm. 

“Sorry about that,” Mulder said- not looking the slightest bit
apologetic.  “Scully gets… needy.” 

“Hey!” Scully shouted, slapping Mulder on the chest.  “That’s not
true!” she said in mock indignation. 

Mulder just stared at her, one eyebrow raised and a goofy grin on his
face, for several moments. 

Scully’s shoulders dropped and she sighed dramatically, “Ok, ok,” she
capitulated.  Turning toward Mac and Janette she crinkled her nose and
whispered conspiratorially, “It’s true, I do.” 

Mulder pulled her into his chest and nuzzled her hair, saying, “Hey
gorgeous, that was *not* a complaint, just an observation.” 

Changing the subject completely, Scully bounced excitedly and said,
“Hey Mulder!  Are you going to ask Duncan …” 

As thought just remembering himself, Mulder said “Oh yeah!”  Turning
toward Mac and Janette again, he asked, “Does your offer of training
still stand?  I’d like to take you up on it, if it does.” 

“Well, yes it still stands,” MacLeod answered.  “However, it would
appear that I am going to be moving to upstate New York just as soon as
I can make arrangements to do so.  It might be after the holidays
before I can dedicate myself to your training.” 

Mulder and Scully looked unconcerned, and MacLeod thought they might
not be taking things seriously enough.  “This is a dangerous time for
you, Agent Mulder.  You might not meet up with another immortal
immediately, but if you did, you would be unable to defend yourself!
Not all of us are good people- there are many who would just as soon
take your head as look at you.” 

“I know that MacLeod.  I met one just the other day,” Mulder answered. 

Duncan sat back in the couch and whispered, “The diner.  That was you?”


“How did…” Mulder began. 

“Methos saw the quickening from the hotel room you loaned him.  By the
time we got there you were gone, but we found the blood and a sword.”
MacLeod looked into Mulder’s eyes, “Who was he?  How did you beat him? 
Where did you get a sword?” he finished shaking his head, realizing
just how many questions he had. 

Mulder looked at his lover, [How much should we tell him?] 

[Janette said that we have to tell him, plus she knows everything
already,] Scully answered silently. 

Mulder just nodded.  Turning back to MacLeod he said, “Janette can tell
you about the changes, and what that means to the two of you.”  Seeing
MacLeod’s confusion he added, “Suffice it to say that I can take care
of myself… I just want to know more about who we are… and I don’t want
to have to rely on ‘special abilities’ every time I meet an immortal
who thinks that I would look better if I were a foot shorter.” 

He smiled broadly at MacLeod and stood up, bringing Scully up with him.
“We are going to go back to DC and close out some things there…” he
began. 

“Resign from the FBI…” Scully continued. 

“Sublet our apartments…” 

“Put our things in storage…” 

“Spend Christmas with Scully’s Mom…” 

“Then come back here for Nick and Nat’s wedding at the end of the
month,” Scully finished. 

Mulder said, “If you are still willing, we will then find a place near
wherever you are and we can begin training.  If you change your mind,
maybe you can give me a lead on someone else to train me.” 

Scully looked at Janette and said, “Will you be going to the Raven
tonight?”  at Janette’s hesitation she added, “You know I can’t keep
anything from Nick or LaCroix if they want to share blood with me.” 

Janette stood, along with Duncan .  “Of course.  You may tell them that
Duncan and I will be there in a few hours.  We need to see his friend,
and make sure he survived his contest in any case.” 

Duncan stuck his hand out to Mulder and said, “We will see you later
tonight then.” 

Mulder shook his hand with a wry smile, knowing that MacLeod was in for
a surprise when Janette told him everything that was going on.  “Yes,
tonight.”  Turning to Janette he gave a half-bow.  “It was an honor to
meet you, elder.  Thank you for… everything,” he said, indicating the
bedroom with a tilt of his head and a small grin. 

Janette smiled widely and said, “Of course.  It was wonderful to meet
you both.”  Moving to Scully she hugged her tightly and whispered in
her ear, I will look forward to spending time with you while the ‘boys’
play with their swords.  We can shop!” 

Mulder laughed out loud, hearing the comment through their link, and
thinking to Scully, [Oh, no! sister’s shopping- just remember, I’m not
*that* rich!] 

Scully just chuckled at both comments.  “Thank you for your
hospitality, Janette, Duncan.  We will see you tonight.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Tracy Vetter’s Apartment 
8:30pm Saturday 

Tracy woke up hungry.  She extricated herself from Vachon’s arms and
went to the pack he had brought in with him the previous night.  She
quickly drained one of the four bottles she found therein, and started
a second one as she returned to the couch in the living room. 

She sat and stared at Vachon who was still asleep on the floor before
her.  She remembered the events of the night before.  She was amazed to
discover that they had slept almost 24 hours straight.  “Good thing for
vampire constitution or I would be almost crippled from lying in the
floor that long,” she thought. 

She was still amazed at the depth of Vachon’s love for her; she had
used him last night- taking out her rage on him, drowning him in the
tears of her sorrow- but he took it all with a tender smile and a
loving touch.  She was so in love with this man, she knew she would
never be able to adequately express it.  She hoped that he felt it in
the bloodkiss, like she felt his love and passion for her.  She
remembered their conversation about appearances in community
gatherings- his hesitancy to bring it up and his statement that he
would never treat her like a slave, never discipline her physically. 

She wondered why she suddenly felt a wave of disappointment at that
thought.  She was happy when he had said it, even though she had later
extracted a promise from him to do whatever it took to keep them alive
and together.  She wondered now at the stirrings of arousal she was
feeling at the memory- “Beat me or bleed me,” she had said.  She
decided to table that thought for the moment.  Right now, she wanted to
crawl into his arms and remind him just how grateful she was for last
night, how grateful she was just to belong to him. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Vachon had gone to sleep, finally, after several hours of holding his
beloved in his arms and feeing the sorrow and pain of her life- so
evident in the final bloodkiss before she had finally passed out.  He
had felt angry that her father had been so cold and callous to her; he
had felt her pain as though it was his own.  Now he was slowly
awakening to the joy that came from having Tracy for a childé. 

He looked down his torso to see his childé on her knees, bowed as if in
supplication before his erect member.  She was gently licking and
kissing its length, while her hands were on his balls, gently stroking
and pulling on them.  It was as if she were paying obeisance to his
cock- lavishing attention on him with no thought for her own pleasure. 
He was accustomed to her vigorously pumping on him, while driving
herself towards orgasm as well.  That didn’t seem to be the goal this
morning. 

“ Tracy , come up here,” he whispered, indicating that she should mount
him. 

Tracy shook her head, “Javier, let me do this for you,” she said
between kisses and licks.  “I am the luckiest vampire in the world to
have you for a master.  Let me show you how delighted I am,” she
pleaded, not stopping her ministrations, but slowing, almost pausing
while awaiting his permission. 

Vachon again thought that he didn’t know what he had done to deserve
this much pleasure, but he would certainly allow her to continue if
that is what she wanted. 

Tracy smiled broadly when he nodded his head in consent.  She said,
“Last night, I needed you.  I needed you to possess me, remind me that
I belonged to you alone.”  She paused to take him into her mouth and
slowly, inch by inch, slide him down her throat until her nose was
pressed against his abdomen.  She slowly bobbed her head up and down a
few times and then, just as slowly as she swallowed him, she pulled up
and off of him, her cheeks hollowing with the suction she applied.
When his head came out with a resounding pop, she continued, “You did. 
And, this evening I wanted to show you how grateful I am.” 

She continued her ministrations, switching between long slow strokes
deep into her throat- with little bobbing movements at the base- and
kissing and licking the head, paying special attention to the area just
below and underneath the ridge of the head.  She never put a hand on
his cock, keeping them occupied on his balls, and stroking his perineum
and anus. 

Vachon thought he was going mad from the pleasure.  His fingers were
tearing into the carpet on the floor, and he it was all he could do to
keep from grabbing her and throwing her to the floor so he could take
her and drive himself into her- fast and deep.  He could see that her
nipples were painfully erect, and he could smell that she was dripping
wet, and yet she didn’t touch herself.  She just kept up this
maddeningly slow pace.  He felt as though he had been on the cusp of
cumming for several minutes- he knew if she would just speed up even a
little bit and let him bite her, he could cum; but she refused to do
so- continuing to suck him hard and slow. 

She felt his orgasm coming before he did, his balls tightening up
against his body and the muscles under his perineum twitching.  She
slowly slid one hand up his torso, caressing his neck and then up to
his mouth. 

Vachon was desperately restraining himself from grabbing Tracy ’s hand
and bringing it to his mouth for the bite he needed.  He was trying to
let her guide this session, not sure what her plan was, but wanting to
find out.  When she moved her hand across his body to his neck and
chin, he couldn’t wait any longer.  He bit into he heel of her hand
like it was a ripe peach, sucking the blood noisily.  As soon as the
blood hit the back of his throat, he came extremely hard, filling his
lover’s mouth. 

Tracy had her lips locked around the head of Vachon’s cock, her cheeks
hollowed with suction, waiting for him to cum.  Instead of swallowing
it, she allowed it to fill her mouth, stream after stream, until her
mouth was nearly full. 

Vachon came down from his orgasm and released his childé’s hand,
licking the bite until it ceased bleeding.  When he looked down at her
face she released his cock with a slight popping sound, causing a
shiver to race up his spine.  She then showed him the load that he had
deposited in her mouth, and slowly let it drizzle down her throat, her
mouth open the entire time so he could see it disappear.  It was one of
the most erotic things he had ever seen. 

Tracy smiled as her master groaned at the sight of her swallowing his
cum.  She still felt an ache in her chest from the overwhelming desire
to pleasure him, to show him how much she loved him and needed him.
She dragged her nipples across his abdomen and up his chest as she laid
herself out on top of his supine form.  She brought her head up till
her mouth was at his ear, “Good evening, my master.  You must be
thirsty.  Drink me,” she said before offering her throat to his mouth. 

Vachon was slightly taken aback; Tracy seemed to be in a somewhat
strange mood this evening.  He took her up on her offer, hoping the
bloodkiss would show him what he needed to know.  He gently sank his
fangs into the ivory column before him and drank deeply of her. 

Tracy resisted the urge to bite him, knowing that he would allow it,
but wanting to nourish her master.  She would replenish herself from
the bottled blood he had brought. 

Vachon drank long and deep, digging down into Tracy ’s psyche, looking
for the answer to his question.  He found his answer at the same time
he realized that she had not bitten him in return- she was intending to
provide his breakfast from herself, rather than the bottles he had
brought for that purpose.  He was touched by this act of sacrifice and
devotion his childé was displaying.  He was also a little taken aback
at the reason behind this evenings actions; Tracy was giving herself to
him as a gift.  She was making herself his reward for what she felt was
the blessing he had bestowed on her- making her his childé.
Subconsciously, Tracy wanted to be dominated. She needed for him to
take her, to show her that he owned her.  She wanted to show that she
belonged to him. 

He had sensed this need to be possessed in her subconscious.  She felt
it- knew she needed something but didn’t know what it was.  This was
going to require some serious thought- he had never really played D/s
games before, and he had the impression that it wasn’t just a game
Tracy was thinking of- she wasn’t even thinking in those terms, she
hadn’t actually put words to the feelings she was having.  Tracy needed
to be dominated, but hadn’t fully realized yet it herself. 

For now he would leave the subject alone.  He would need to talk to
someone and find out what he needed to do about this.  He wanted to be
anything she needed him to be for her.  Right now, he needed to feed
her and get her, and her stuff, back to the church.  They were expected
at the Raven in a couple of hours. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick’s Loft 
8:30pm Saturday 

Mulder and Scully arrived at the loft to find Nick and Nat cuddling on
the couch, staring at the fire.  Natalie looked slightly disheveled,
her eyes and face slack with recent pleasure.  Nick looked like the cat
who ate the cream; unable to wipe the smug grin off of his face.  The
scent of sex and blood was heavy in the air. 

They had left the loft just after sunset, before Nick and Nat had
gotten up for the day, and it seemed that the two had made good use of
their “empty nest.” 

The smell hanging in the air of the room was too much for Scully, she
thought to Mulder, [Upstairs Mulder.  Now!] 

Mulder was glad that she was able to restrain herself long enough to
get upstairs while still clothed.  He blurted out, “Uh, hey guys… We’re
going to go… freshen up.  We’ll be back down in a minute, Ok?” 

Nick and Nat both smirked at the two as they went up the stairs.
Natalie, still basking in the afterglow of another psyche-shattering
‘torture-gasm,’ as she was coming to think of them, was extremely
emboldened and shouted after them, “Before or after you screw each-
other’s brains out?” 

Nick broke out into laughter as they heard the slightly embarrassed
reply, “Uh, after,” that Mulder tossed over his shoulder just before
Scully yanked him into their bedroom. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Natalie sank back into Nick’s chest and once again looked into the
flickering flames of the fireplace.  Feeling a vague sense of disquiet
emanating from her lover she said, “Penny for your thoughts, Nick?” 

Nick buried his face into the wavy mass of brunette hair against his
chest and hugged his lover tightly to him.  He gently sighed and placed
a kiss on the crown of her head.  “I worry about Dana,” he said
quietly. 

After a moment with no further elucidation, Natalie turned herself in
his arms until she was sitting sideways in his lap so that she could
look at his face.  “What is it Nick?” she asked. 

Nick wasn’t sure what he thought, exactly.  Or, perhaps it would be
more true to say that he did know what he thought, but not how to
explain it, or even if his concerns were justified.  Finally he asked,
“What does Dana’s behavior remind you of, Nat?” 

Natalie believed that she knew where Nick was going with this; she too
had thought about Dana’s seeming addiction to Mulder’s blood and body. 
She was less concerned though.  “You mean the way she acts when she
hasn’t had a dose of Mulder recently?” 

Nick nodded his head, “Exactly!  It’s like she is an…” 

“Nick,” Natalie interrupted.  “You are looking at it from one viewpoint
only- a cop’s view.  Instead of picturing a junkie- think of the way a
vampire acts when they’re hungry for blood, and think of the way you
act when you’re affected by strong emotion.” 

Nick’s brow wrinkled at Natalie’s words, “What do you mean, Nat?” 

Natalie gently stroked his cheek and sought out eye-contact before
continuing, “Nick, how many times did I come over here to find your
refrigerator door yanked off of its hinges, and broken bottles all over
the place?  Isn’t that the behavior of an addict?” 

Nick shifted uncomfortably, “Nat, that’s…” he began before trailing
off; knowing that what he was about to say was thin rationalization at
best. 

Natalie finished his statement for him, “Different?  Is it Nick?” she
didn’t let go his gaze until he answered her. 

“No.  I suppose it isn’t that different at all.” 

“I think the only difference is, that her actions are the result of
overwhelming positive emotion, rather than negative.” 

Nick acknowledged the truth of what Natalie was implying, “You’re
right, Nat.  It isn’t like a drug addiction, but it isn’t entirely the
same as the bloodlust either.  It seems to have a physical component
independent of their emotional bond.” 

“How do you mean?” Natalie asked. 

“Remember how she was when Mulder was out to breakfast?  She wasn’t
even consciously aware that her body was suffering from withdrawal
symptoms.” 

Now it was Natalie's turn to crinkle her brow. 

Nick continued before Natalie could comment, “And remember how she
described the feeling- as a ‘yawning chasm of emptiness’.  That’s the
way heroin addicts describe their feelings when they need another
dose.” 

Natalie didn’t have any response to that. 

Nick kissed his lover’s forehead and said, “I’m not saying that there
is a problem.  I don’t know if this is a bad thing or not.  I do know
that it is something I have never seen or experienced before and I am
concerned for the well-being of my childé.  That’s all.” 

Changing the subject, Natalie asked, “How do you feel about all of
these childér you have suddenly?”  At his questioning look she
elucidated, “You went from one estranged childé for the last eighty
years, whose existence you regretted, to where you are now; four
childér, two who are less than a week old, one who is also your sister-
your older sister- and is also estranged, along with the original
estranged childé.” 

Nick chuckled.  “I don’t think Serena ever counted as my childé, Nat.
I never trained her; I never shared blood with her.  She was a mistake,
a victim of my misunderstanding.” 

Natalie frowned, “Ah, ah, ah!  No angsting allowed tonight Nick,” she
said, not wanting her lover to start brooding.  “And what about
Janette?” she asked with brows raised. 

Nick smiled down at Natalie, recognizing her attempt to lighten his
mood.  “Jealous, Nat?” 

Natalie slid her hand up into his hair behind his ear as she said,
“Hmmm, not any more.”  Then she grabbed the hair on the back of his
head in her fist and growled, only half in jest, “You’re mine now
buster.  Don’t forget it!” 

Nick smiled gently at his love’s growl and answered, “I will never
forget it, Natalie.”  He then leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. 

Natalie broke the kiss after several moments.  “Mmm, nice!  But, you’re
avoiding the question Nick.” 

Nick sighed heavily.  “I can’t think of Janette as my childé, even
though I guess she is, technically.  In my mind she’ll always belong to
LaCroix, and I’ll always think of her as a sibling.” 

“Will she ever forgive you, do you think, for bringing her back
across?” Natalie asked wistfully as she snuggled into his chest- just a
little sad for her lover’s sake.  She truly was no longer jealous of
Janette.  She was entirely secure in her relationship now- thanks to
the bloodkiss and the revelation of Nick’s undying love that it
brought.  She was sad for Nick that Janette would hate him.  She knew
he loved Janette deeply- though in a different way than he loved her-
and that he missed her presence in his life.  She too looked forward to
the day when she might become friends with the older vampiress, whether
she was sister or aunt, she would be family. 

Nick was glad that Natalie was secure enough to ask about Janette
without any resentment or distrust.  Even though she would never be his
lover again, he still loved Janette.  “Someday, Nat.  She did have a
choice, after all.  She could have gone into the light and died just
the same as if I hadn’t bitten her.” 

Both of them turned as they heard Scully say, “Someday may be sooner
than you think, Nick.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

When they got up to the room, Scully suddenly stopped and turned on the
bemused Mulder. 

Mulder, feeling the hesitation and disquiet emanating from her, gently
asked, “What is it, Scully?” 

“I… I feel so… so… I don’t know Mulder; out of control I guess?” she
stuttered. 

Mulder captured her face in his hands and drew her up to meet his eyes,
“And that frightens you?” 

[A little, bit?] she thought. 

“Scully, you know that I love you.  You are, literally, a part of me.
You initiate this, but don’t think for a moment that I don’t need it
just as badly as you do.” He answered.  [Frankly, I don’t care if that
makes me a freak or not, Scully.] 

Scully was startled at his thought, “I never thought of you as a freak,
Mulder!” 

[No, but you were starting to think of yourself that way, weren’t you?]


Scully just hung her head, realizing that that was exactly what was
scaring her.  She thought she was becoming some kind of freak,
laughable as that description might be given their current
circumstances. 

Mulder pulled her tightly to his body, squeezing her as hard as he
could, knowing it wouldn’t hurt her.  “Scully, to the world we are
freaks, and we have been for years.  Now it’s just more pronounced.”
[This thing we have between us?  It’s worth it.  It is worth *anything*
Scully.] 

Scully whispered into Mulder’s chest, “You’re right, Mulder.  It is
worth the price.” 

Her anxiety forgotten for the moment, she threw him to the bed and
proceeded to ravish him.  Their joining was fast and furious, neither
wanting to keep Nick and Nat waiting too long for the somewhat
momentous news they had to share. 

They put themselves back together and were exiting the bedroom just as
Natalie asked Nick if he thought Janette would ever forgive him. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

“What do you mean by that?” Nick asked.  How would Dana know anything
about Janette beyond what she had seen in his blood? 

“Where did you two take off to this evening?” Natalie asked at the same
time. 

Scully went to the fridge to get some more blood, and a couple of
glasses- Nick and Nat already had theirs- while Mulder went over and
took up residence on the chair.  “Well,” Mulder began, “We had to pick
up MacLeod from the airport for Pierson, since he was going to be
busy.” 

Scully was pouring the blood for herself and Mulder and added, “So we
had to hurry out first thing.” 

Mulder couldn’t resist needling her just a little, “Well… second thing
maybe.” 

She glared at Mulder for a moment before continuing, “*Any* way…  We
went to the airport and waited at the gate while the passengers
debarked.” 

“We waited while everyone left, but no MacLeod,” Mulder added. 

Scully continued as she handed Mulder a glass and took up residence in
his lap, “We were about to leave when I felt another vampire- a very
old one.” 

“At the same time I felt a quickening,” Mulder added.  “Then MacLeod
came off out of the jet way; but he wasn’t alone.” 

“Are you saying that MacLeod was with a vampire?” Nick asked, looking
back and forth between the two on the chair.  “Did he know…” 

“Oh yeah,” Scully said.  “It seems that MacLeod found himself a lady
friend while he was away.” 

Natalie was bewildered.  “MacLeod picked up a vampire girl, and brought
her back with him?  Why?” she asked. 

Mulder and Scully both smiled tenderly at that question.  It was Mulder
who answered, “They are in love, Nat.” 

Nick almost choked at that.  “Love!?  What? How? What?” he sputtered. 

Mulder smiled a secret smile as he said- in a bad British accent,
“Three very good questions.” 

Scully hiccupped a laugh at that, dribbling a little of the bloodwine
down her chin. 

Mulder continued as though nothing had happened, “It gets better.”
[You go ahead, Scully.  I know you are dying to tell him,] he thought
to his lover. 

“I got to meet our sister, Nat,” Scully said as she wiped the spilled
bloodwine onto her fingers and then licked them clean. 

Nick felt himself get a little light-headed.  He carefully set down his
glass, as he thought he might spill it at any moment. 

Natalie was a little behind the curve and said, “MacLeod is involved
with Serena?” 

Nick whispered, “No, Nat.  Not Serena.” 

“Oh my Goodness!  You mean Janette is back?” Natalie gasped. 

Looking into Scully’s eyes, Nick asked, “Is she still…” 

Scully’s smile grew wide, “No.  She isn’t mad at you Nick.” 

“How can you be sure?” Natalie asked.  She didn’t want brood-boy making
a reappearance. 

“We shared blood,” was Scully’s answer.  “So, I can be certain that she
and MacLeod are really and truly in love- strange as that seems” she
said, answering the next question she saw forming on Nick’s lips.
“And, I can be certain that she no longer holds a grudge against you,
Nick.  In fact, she was happy to hear of your ‘return to the fold’ as
it were.” 

“Would you…” Nick started to ask, but hesitated, looking at Mulder. 

Mulder instantly knew what Nick was asking for, and felt a momentary
pang of jealousy, but it was gone as soon as it started.  He too was
secure in his relationship, and he knew that this was common among
vampire families.  [It’s ok Scully.  I don’t mind,] he thought to her,
feeling her concern for him warring with her inherent desire to share
with her master.  [Just so long as he keeps his hands off of your Ass!]
he added, jokingly. 

Scully stood up.  “You don’t *have* to ask, Nick.  You *did* bring me
across,” she said. 

Nick simply said, “You’re right, I don’t have to ask.”  He was
reminding her that there might be times when he would make demands, but
this wasn’t one of them. 

Mulder knew it was a good thing that he could feel Scully’s feelings,
and vice versa.  He didn’t for a moment believe that he would have
survived all of these changes without that.  For example this; another
man was about to bite his love on her neck and suck her blood.  Despite
knowing and feeling that this was not a threat to him, or to their
relationship, there was that niggling little bit, that tiny smidgen of
jealousy that wanted to rear it’s ugly head. 

[Gee, Mulder.  Where was that jealousy when it was Janette sucking on
my neck?] Scully asked her lover with a knowing smirk. 

[Ok, so I’m a pig,]  he replied.  [But, it was just a little, little,
tiny bit of jealousy.  Vestigial, really.] 

[Mm-Hmm, and the lust you felt when it was Janette’s teeth in my
throat?] 

Mulder smiled sheepishly, [Ok, that was bigger, I admit.] 

Scully didn’t have time to answer as Nick drove his fangs into her neck
at that moment.  She returned the bite and shared with him her
experience with Janette.  In return, she saw his memories since waking
up that afternoon.  “And you worried about my appetite?” she thought to
Nick as they broke the link. 

Scully tried to resist, but finally gave in to the laughter that was
burbling up in her throat.  “My Goodness, Natalie,” she choked out as
she wiped the bloodtears from her eyes.  “I can see the piano and the
dining room table, but the Kitchen Sink?” 

Mulder joined his mate in laughter, while Nick just looked un bear ably
smug.  Natalie almost managed to flush with embarrassment, while
fighting her own grin at the memories.  She collected herself long
enough to say, “We need to get ready.  We’re supposed to be on our way
to the Raven soon. 

With that, she grabbed Nick’s hand and they went upstairs. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Sheraton Gateway Hotel 
9:30 p.m. Sunday 

After walking Mulder and Scully to the door, MacLeod returned to the
love seat and sat down next to Janette, facing her.  “Now then, lass.
Tell me about this link that you saw in Dana. 

Janette grasped MacLeod’s hand and brought it to her lips for a moment
before speaking.  “Dana and her lover share a bond… very much like the
bloodkiss, but it exists all the time.” 

Mac raised his eyebrows at that 

“It is not entirely as intense; they feel each other’s feelings and
hear each other’s spoken thoughts, but don’t experience each other’s
memories,” she continued.  “If they concentrate, they can see and hear
what the other is seeing and hearing, but it doesn’t seem to intrude.” 

Mac sat back and whispered, “Incredible!” as he considered the
implications.  Remembering what else Janette had mentioned, he asked,
“What side effects?  Was that what Mulder was referring to when he
mentioned ‘special abilities’?” 

Janette nodded her head 

MacLeod suddenly stiffened; inhaling sharply, he asked, “Is he a
vampire?” 

Janette smiled at the combined fear and excitement in her lover’s
voice.  “Non, Mon Cour, he is not.  However, he does have some…
actually many of our abilities- apparently with none of our
weaknesses.” 

Mac frowned lightly as he reached back to his lover’s cheek, stroking
softly. 

Janette hummed with pleasure as she leaned into his gentle caress.
“Hmmmm… you know; sunlight, garlic…” she said quietly. 

“Does he drink blood?” MacLeod asked neutrally. 

Janette smiled at the absence of tone to MacLeod’s voice.  Recognizing
that he might have some qualms about drinking blood, even though he had
none about her consuming his own.  “From a bottle?  Yes, though not
exclusively.  He can, and apparently does, still eat solid food.” 

MacLeod raised a single eyebrow, “And… from other than a bottle?” he
prodded gently. 

Janette smiled even more widely, turning her face to kiss the palm of
his hand.  She turned back and looked directly into his eyes.  “It is
the sharing of blood with Dana that has created the link.”  She waited
to see his response. 

MacLeod had shuddered lightly at the thought of drinking a bottle of
blood.  Now he imagined himself drinking from Janette.  Sharing blood
with her as he had seen her do with Dana.  The mental image of that
bloodkiss, combined with the thought of drinking in the life of his
lover, caused him to stiffen in his pants with desire. 

Janette witnessed his eyes dilate, heard the increased heart-rate, and
saw the movement in his slacks.  “Not an entirely unpleasant thought
then?” she asked playfully. 

“Not entirely,” he said- his attempt to remain cool failing somewhat
when his voice broke on the second syllable.  Considering what else she
had said earlier, he asked, “What risks?” 

Janette pulled slightly back and spoke seriously.  “One is the unknown.
Their link has grown from mild empathy to its present state in only a
week.  This has never happened before in our history- at least so far a
I or even my master, my original master, knows.”  She added, “I have no
idea what this could become.” 

“I hardly think that fear of the unknown should stop us from
experiencing anything in life, beloved,” Mac said with a gentle smile. 
His smile dimmed somewhat as he said, “You said ‘one’, what is
another?” 

Janette smiled at that, knowing that he would be more distressed at the
thought of this than any potential danger that might befall him
personally- because it would affect her directly and immediately.  “She
has become dependant on his blood.”  At his raised brow she clarified,
“Physically dependent.  She becomes discomfited if she goes very long
with out it.” 

MacLeod lost any trace of excitement and became grave.  “I will not do
anything that might hurt you, Love.  I couldn’t live with myself,” he
said with great feeling. 

Janette’s eyes welled up at the depth of affection emanating from
MacLeod.  “Mon Cour, I agree that we may not want to rush into this
without more thought.  I also know that, even though they entered into
this unknowingly, they wouldn’t give up what they have for anything.” 

MacLeod hugged Janette tightly to his chest and whispered, “We’ll see,
Love… We’ll see.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

The Raven 
11pm Sunday 

Tracy and Vachon arrived at the Raven hand-in-hand.  Tracy was excited;
she hadn’t actually spoken to her partner or Natalie since her
conversion Thursday night.  She wondered what Nick would have to say. 

Vachon, for his part was still riding on the high of his time with
Tracy .  He had never in his wildest dreams, and there were some pretty
amazing dreams that he had had about Tracy , imagined that she could be
this responsive, this desirable.  She was like a sweet confection and
he couldn’t get enough of her.  He was imagining all the things he
wanted to try and do with, or more to the point, to her.  He had never
played with dominance and submission in a relationship, but he would be
lying if he said it didn’t interest him.  Tracy ’s behavior that
evening had aroused him to the extreme.  He would have to find out all
he could- but who to ask… 

Vachon’s musings were interrupted when his childé tugged on his arm and
directed his attention to the back of the club. 

“Look, Vachon, there’s Nick.  Can we go talk to him?  I haven’t spoken
to him since…” she trailed off, looking into his eyes hopefully. 

Vachon said, “You go ahead.  I’m going to find Urs.  You two should
meet, at least.  You’re basically sisters now.”  He drew her tightly to
him and roughly kissed her, as though reassuring her that he wasn’t
looking for his older childé for any other reason than what he had
stated, while also reminding her that she belonged to him, alone.  As
though she needed any reminder! 

Tracy would have felt breathless after the short but intense kiss- if
she had needed to breathe in the first place.  She was giddy as she
practically skipped across the room to where Nick was seated with
Natalie. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Nick and Natalie were watching, with no little amusement, Mulder and
Scully out on the dance floor. Vampirism seemed to have shed most, if
not all, of Scully’s inherent stoicism- as she was flinging herself
about with abandon.  One moment she was grinding herself against Mulder
in a dance that was almost equivalent to actual intercourse, and the
next jumping away from him to convulse her entire body to the high-
speed Techno pumping out of the speakers. 

Natalie was laughing at the look of astonishment on Mulder’s face while
watching Scully dance.  Astonishment, turning quickly to lust as she
once again began to grind herself against him. 

Nick was amused, but too keyed up to really get into it.  He kept
glancing over to the entrance, waiting impatiently for Janette to
arrive. 

Natalie finally got tired of Nick’s fidgeting and lack of attention
span.  Every time she made a comment or tried to start a conversation,
Nick would stare at her blankly for a moment then ask, “What?”  She was
about to get up and drag him downstairs for a quickie- just to help
settle him down- when Tracy came bouncing up to the table. 

Nick was startled by Natalie’s sudden laughter and looked up to see
Tracy staring down at him with a quizzical look on her face.  “What?”
he asked, confused by Tracy ’s sudden appearance and questioning stare.


“I said, Hello Nick… twice,” Tracy answered.  “What century were you in
this time?” 

Nick sputtered as Natalie’s laughter increased in volume. 

Tracy turned to Natalie and said, “Gosh, Nat.  Is it old age?  In a
century or two do you think our minds will start to go too?” 

Nick was still a little lost and Natalie took his hand and patted it
gently, as if dealing with a senile old man, “It’s ok, Nick.”  Turning
to Tracy she added, “You’ll have to forgive him, Trace.  Nick’s sister
is supposed to be here tonight, and he’s a little nervous about seeing
her.”  Noting Tracy ’s change, she said, “I see you and Vachon came to
a decision.” 

Tracy smiled and said, “You too, huh?” 

Natalie couldn’t hide her deep pleasure as she responded, “Oh yeah!
So, is it everything you imagined it would be?” 

Tracy said, “I don’t think I really knew what I was getting into, not
fully- but I love it.  I love Vachon so much!”  Tracy ’s grin grew
puckish and she added, “The things he does to me…” 

Natalie’s expression matched Tracy ’s as she responded, “Tell me about
it!” 

Nick stood up, saying, “On that note, I think I’ll go see LaCroix.”  He
bent down and caught Natalie’s lips in a quick, but passionate kiss,
and whispered, “Let me know…” 

“Of course,” Natalie answered quietly.  More loudly, and with a wicked
grin she added, “Now shoo!  I have some bragging to do here.” 

Nick mock-shuddered and quickly walked away, not entirely comfortable
with the thought of discussing his sexual prowess with his partner. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder and Scully didn’t last more than 45 minutes on the dance floor
until they lost control.  Mulder had enough presence of mind to drag
her to the back door and out into the alley before she began tearing
off clothes.  He quickly looked for witnesses and grabbed her to his
chest, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist and her arms
around his neck as he flew them up to the roof. 

He had his zipper down and his cock out before they landed and it was
but a moment before her panties were pushed aside and he was inside
her. 

Scully didn’t restrain her scream of pleasure as he sheathed himself
into her in a single hard stroke.  He hesitated for a moment, buried
inside the love of his life and thinking in amazement, [I’m so lucky,
Scully.  I still can’t believe I get to do this with you!] 

Scully thought [I Love you so much!]  She began chanting out loud as he
moved within her, “So Good… So Big… So Good… So Big…” over and over. 

“Ohhhhhhh, here it comes, Scully!” Mulder shouted. 

She sank her teeth into his neck just as he began to ejaculate.  Mulder
restrained himself, wanting to feel the drain; wanting to feel the
onset of his own death. 

Scully felt Mulder hold himself back from biting her, and began to feel
him slipping away.  His light-headedness, combined with the shared
sensation of Scully’s orgasm prolonged his own.  He continued to gush
into her center, as his blood poured out down her throat.  It was a new
level of intensity for them both, and it didn’t stop until his heart
did. 

Scully withdrew her fangs as his legs buckled and his body collapsed to
the rooftop.  She licked him clean and put him away as she waited for
him to wake up.  “Oh, Mulder,” she thought.  “”What you do to me…” 

Several moments later Mulder woke up to find himself physically,
mentally, and emotionally enveloped in the loving arms of his soul
mate. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

LaCroix gave a disapproving glance to his son.  “They are doing *what*
on my roof?” 

Nick sighed.  He was sitting in his master’s office, enjoying a glass
of bloodwine and relaying current events, when LaCroix mentioned that
he would like to speak to Mulder again, following his successful
daylight adventure.  Nick had opened his link to Scully- and
immediately shut it back down, sensing her current activities might be
better left in private.  He instead asked Natalie where the two might
be, and she answered that she saw them leave through the back door.
Nick expanded his senses, searching for his overly amorous childé; he
sensed more of an ‘up’ direction than toward the back alley.  Putting
two and two together he regretfully informed his master that Mulder
was, at that moment, otherwise occupied on the roof with his childé. 

“I will have Natalie send him in when they come back down.”  Seeing
that LaCroix was not mollified, he added, “It seems that part of the
bond Mulder and Dana share requires frequent… reinforcement.  Physical
reinforcement.” 

LaCroix raised a brow at that, but remained silent for the moment. 

Nick continued with the latest news, “It seems that Janette is back in
town, Father.” 

LaCroix was surprised to hear that, “Really.  I would have thought that
we would not see her for at least a decade.  She seemed quite angry
with you when she left.”  He couldn’t resist needling Nick just a
little bit. 

Nick frowned slightly and fidgeted in his seat.  “Yes.  Well… I didn’t
expect to see her for quite a while either.  However, it would seem
that she met someone.  She apparently thinks she is in love,” he said
with just the slightest bit of rancor. 

LaCroix grinned ever so slightly at his son’s bitterness.  “Jealous,
Nicolas?  The good doctor isn’t enough for you?” 

Nick would no doubt have flown off the handle at that comment not too
long ago, but he was happy for the first time in several centuries, and
not even his master’s needling could get to him.  “I’m not jealous
LaCroix; I’m skeptical.  She only met him a few days ago, yet she
apparently thinks of him as the love of her life!” he shook his head
disbelievingly. 

LaCroix leaned back in his chair and asked, “And how is it that you
know all of this?   Have you spoken to her?”  His question came out
evenly, giving away nothing; he thought. 

Nick raised a brow and teasingly asked, “Now who is jealous?”  He
quickly continued before LaCroix could comment, “No.  I haven’t spoken
with her, but Dana has.” 

“Why would she seek out Dana?”  LaCroix asked, confused.  “How did she
even know you had another childé?” 

Nick smirked and let drop the other shoe, “She and Mulder went to the
airport to pick up Duncan McLeod.  He had traveled to Buffalo , NY ,
where he met and fell in love with…” 

LaCroix sat up quickly in he chair, “Surely not…” 

“Your darling daughter,” Nick finished with a barely concealed snicker.


LaCroix corrected him.  “She is your daughter now, Nicolas, not mine,”
he grumbled. 

“In any case… I think there is something compelling about immortals to
vampires.  Look how essentially attached Dana has become.” Nick began. 

LaCroix stood up, and began pacing.  “Are you suggesting that Janette
has become similarly attached?  That she is sharing blood with this
man?” 

“No.  She is feeding from him, but he is not drinking from her.  She
isn’t physically dependant on him like Dana is with Mulder.  But how
else could she have fallen so hard, so fast for him,” Nick questioned. 
Beginning to pace furiously back and forth, he expanded, “It’s more
than just the blood though.  They were drawn to each other at their
first meeting…” he tapered off as he saw the incredulous look on
LaCroix’s face.  “She shared with Dana.  Dana shared with me,” he
explained. 

LaCroix raised a single eyebrow, clearly indicating that there should
be one more sharing in that chain. 

Nick knew there would be no point in arguing.  Secretly he wanted this,
but he had resisted it out of habit.  He unbuttoned his collar and
walked into his master’s embrace. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder and Scully returned to the table to find Nick gone, and Natalie
sitting with Nick’s partner, Tracy.  They were both smirking and
giggling. 

Scully was still bright-eyed and slightly disoriented from her coupling
with Mulder- The post-coital euphoria took several minutes to wear off
any more. 

Natalie and Tracy each took in Scully’s appearance and scent, coupled
with Mulder’s slightly smug grin, and burst out in laughter. 

Scully shook her head slightly and asked, “What’s so funny?” 

Natalie gave her a salacious grin and teased, “God, Dana!  I thought
you were going to rip his clothes off and take him right out there on
the dance floor!” 

Scully just smiled guilelessly and said, “I was going to, but he
dragged me outside.”  This, of course prompted even more laughter from
Tracy and Nat. 

Mulder tried to change the subject by asking, “What are you two up to? 
Did you run Nick off?” 

Tracy answered with a broad smile, “Natalie was just telling me how
Nick tied her up and screwed her until she screamed.” 

Mulder blushed ever so slightly and stammered, “Uh, Scully?  You want
me to go get us something to drink?” 

All three ladies laughed at that. 

“Don’t worry, Mulder; Nick and Lucien want to see you anyway.  They’re
in the office.” 

Mulder turned to Scully, but she pre-empted him, saying, “You go ahead
and play with the boys, Mulder.”  Turning to Nat and Tracy, she eagerly
took a seat and demanded, “Tell me all about it!” 

Mulder beat a hasty retreat toward LaCroix’s office. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder had just finished recounting his activities since last speaking
with LaCroix, when he noticed both Nick and LaCroix stiffen, and
suddenly stand up.  He was rising to his feet as well when the door to
the office suddenly opened and Janette swept in. 

“I see that you have gotten rid of those dreadful strippers, LaCroix,”
she spoke into the dumfounded silence that greeted her. 

Mulder recovered quickly, but wisely kept silent, merely bowing his
head slightly in acknowledgement to her. 

“Yes, well… they tended to attract a rather boorish crowd,
unfortunately,” LaCroix replied- his sardonic tone spoiled by the
barest hitch of emotion. 

Janette smiled at LaCroix before turning to Mulder and saying, “I left
Duncan at your table; however, rather than abandon him entirely to the
clutches of your lady friends, might I impose on you to chaperone him?”


Mulder glanced at LaCroix and raised a brow; seeking permission to
leave, which the Elder Vampire granted with the barest of nods.  He
wasted no time in, once again, beating a hasty retreat from what was no
doubt going to be a rather uncomfortable situation.  On his way out, he
noted that Nick was still standing dumbfounded- rendered speechless by
the presence of his sibling/childé. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

Mulder made it out to the bar to find MacLeod speaking with Adam
Pierson.  “I thought that felt stronger than just MacLeod,” he mused to
himself. 

“Janette said that she left you with the ladies.” Mulder stated as he
approached the two immortals. 

MacLeod chucked and said, “Yes.  Well fortunately, Adam here came in
just in the Nick of time to save me.” 

Adam laughed, “Do you know what those women were talking about?  I
don’t think I’ve ever seen MacLeod blush like that before.” 

Mulder laughed as well, “Why do you think Nick and I were hiding out in
LaCroix’s office?” 

Adam and MacLeod laughed even harder at that. 

“Everything went alright, then?” Mulder asked Adam. 

“Yes.  It’s over now,” he answered simply.  “Time for me to get the
hell out of Canada .  I feel a serious need for sun, sand and surf  in
my immediate future.” 

MacLeod frowned slightly, “I didn’t know you were a big beach fan,
Adam.” 

Mulder recognized Adam’s feelings right off.  “You mean that you want
to go somewhere where the night life’s a little quieter, right?” he
said with a sympathetic smile. 

Methos wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible.  He felt
paranoid being in a room full of them.  “Yeah, well look- thanks for
coming up here Mac- I owe you one…” 

MacLeod interrupted, still concerned about his friend’s reactions, and
trying to lighten him up, “Actually, I owe you.  I wouldn’t have met
Janette if you hadn’t called me up here to watch your back.” 

MacLeod had told Methos about Janette in the little bit that they had
been speaking before Mulder came out.  The thought of Mac letting this
‘woman’ feed off him- actually killing him, repeatedly…  Frankly, it
gave him cold shivers up and down his spine.  He wanted to be happy for
his friend who had been moping ever since Anne had left him, but he was
just too wigged out.  He didn’t want MacLeod to know- didn’t want
things between them to again be like they were when Mac had discovered
that Methos had been one of the Four Horsemen.  All he could think
about was getting out of Toronto and getting his head together about
this whole Vampire issue. 

He said, “How about we call it even, Mac.”  He drained his drink and
added, “Look, I’ll let you know when I figure out where I’m headed,
Ok?”  He stuck his hand out to Mulder and added, “Nice to meet you, and
good luck with your training, alright?” 

Mulder quietly shook Adam’s hand and let him make his escape. 

MacLeod started to follow him when he felt Mulder's hand on his arm,
restraining him. 

Mulder said, “Let him go, MacLeod.  He needs to deal with this alone.” 

“How would you know what he needs?” MacLeod demanded. 

“I didn’t need a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology to see that the whole
idea of vampires being real was freaking him out,” Mulder responded.
“But, hopefully, it gives me some credibility when I tell you that I
know what I’m talking about.” 

Momentarily diverted, Mac asked, “I thought you were a field agent.” 

Mulder began to regale MacLeod with the tale of this career in the FBI.


===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

“Well, Nicolas.  I see that things have changed significantly since I
left, hmm?”  Janette began, as she gracefully slid onto the couch along
the wall of LaCroix’s office. 

LaCroix chuckled and sat back into his chair behind the desk.  “I
didn’t imagine I would find you in Toronto for at least a decade, my
dear.  Usually you punish Nicolas with your absence for much longer
than two years.  What brings you back so soon?”  He hastily added, “Not
that I am displeased to see you again.” 

Nick finally recovered sufficiently to take his seat, though he still
had yet to speak. 

“How could I stay away grand-père?  I have heard that I now have two
new siblings.  When I last saw my dear Nicolas, he was seeking his own
mortality, not taking it away from others,” she teased not entirely
ungently.  “What a momentous two years it must have been to change the
beliefs and behavior of two centuries.” 

Finally, Nick brought himself to speak.  “Yes, well… not even two
years.  It has only been two weeks… less actually.”  He laughed at
himself as he added, “I guess I finally ‘pulled my head out,’ as
Natalie would put it.” 

“And how is my newest sister...” Janette began, as the three of them
lapsed into catching up on the events that had transpired since they
all last parted. 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 

It was well past two in the morning and once again, all the mortals had
left and the club was officially closed for the night.  Always in the
past that had meant that only vampires populated the dance floor and
bar.  Tonight there was more than one incarnation of immortality in the
mix of bodies moving to the pulse of the music. 

LaCroix looked upon his family, now an extended family; joyful and
content in their existence. 

Vachon had Tracy grinding against his front, and Ursula writhing
against his back on one part of the dance floor.  Near them were
Janette and MacLeod, lost in each other’s eyes as they moved to the
beat.  Nick was moving Natalie about the floor with all the grace and
style that centuries of formal dance could teach.  Mulder and Scully
were on the other side of the floor from Vachon and his childér- it
seemed that Scully didn’t exactly hit it off with Urs.  He thought that
he would have to look into that situation before too much later. 

As he watched them he realize that this was what he had dreamed of for
centuries- maybe not exactly as he had once hoped it would be, but not
at all bad. 

“Perhaps,” he admitted quietly to himself, “Even better.” 

===== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ===== 


Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Epilogue 
Somewhere in Toronto 

8 a.m. Monday December 18th 

A man stood before a desk.  There was a chair there, but he had not
been invited to sit, and- given his failure to acquire what the man
behind the desk wanted- he didn’t want to press his luck. 

The man behind the desk looked with icy contempt at the flunky before
him.  “I gave you a simple assignment.  I told you where they were
staying, and what they were doing here in Toronto .  All I asked it
that you keep an eye on them and tell me where they were at all times.”


The man tried to defend himself, “They haven’t been there since the
first day of the conference.  They had someone else check them out of
their rooms, and they haven’t been back.  They missed their flight out
of Toronto , and there is no record of them taking any other flight.
There is no movement on their credit cards, they haven’t checked in to
any other hotel or motel in the city.  Their rental car hasn’t been
turned in yet, so it is possible that they have driven out of town, but
there is no record of them going through any checkpoint into the
states, nor any hotel or flight records anywhere in Canada .” 

The man behind the desk raised his voice only slightly, “Do you think
you are telling me anything I don’t already know?  If I wanted an
explanation for your incompetence, I would have asked for one.  The
only thing I want from you is their present location.  Until you have
that, you have nothing I want.”  He leaned forward slightly in his
chair and said in a more normal tone of voice, “Now, I suggest you find
out where they are.  Do it quickly, or I will find someone else to
replace you.”  The threat of permanent replacement was unspoken, yet
clearly communicated. 

The man spun around on his heel and left the room. 

Another man, older stepped out of the shadows in the corner of the room
and sat before the desk.  “Good help is hard to find, but if you keep
killing them off, you’ll make it even harder.” 

The man behind the desk was not amused.  “You were supposed to be my
backup.  Your daughter is partnered with the ones who were chaperoning
these two, and you are no more help to me than he was!” he growled,
indicating the man who had just left the room. 

“My daughter… has chosen this time for one of her inconvenient little
‘I’m a grown woman, quit trying to tell me how to run my life’ temper
tantrums.” 

The man behind the desk angrily crushed out his cigarette. “I’m not
interested in your family problems, commissioner.  If you cannot handle
a simple request to keep an eye on two people, doing nothing more
devious than attending a conference, then it may be time for us to re-
evaluate your usefulness to the program as well,” he said smoothly as
he removed a pack of Morleys from his coat and lit his next, drawing
deeply and blowing the smoke into the commissioner’s face. 
 
END