Incarnations of Immortality
By The Bear!

Chapter 6 
The Raven 
12:00 a.m.   Wednesday, December 13th. 

LaCroix had just completed his monologue for the night and was looking
out at the crowd in the Raven when he saw a face in the shadows of a
back booth that struck him.  He left the broadcast booth and walked out
into the cacophony that was Wednesday night at the Raven.  He wandered
over to the bar where he could get a better look at the man in the
back. 

As he drank his bloodwine and observed the man he suddenly remembered,
“I know where I’ve seen him before!” 

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

Gaul 

August 24, 74 AD . 

Roman might and discipline had, once again, won the day.  General
Lucius looked out over the aftermath of the battle with satisfaction.
The broken bodies of nearly one hundred score of barbarian vermin who
had sought to defy Rome ’s conquest lay about the base of the hill on
which he stood. 

This scum had harried his legion for weeks as they marched.  They would
attack in small groups and at night, striking and retreating like a
cowardly dog nipping at the heels of its master.  At last they had
captured two of their scouts and tortured the location of their village
from them.  His legion had swept over them like the tide, burning and
killing every living thing until only the leader of this pitiful band
remained. 

Lucius had had him crucified on the apex of the hill so he could see
what his rebellion had wrought.  He turned and looked up at this
barbarian chieftain, memorizing his face so that he could remember this
small, but sweet, victory.  He had to admit that there was something to
admire in the way this enemy stoically accepted his pain, and stared
his hatred towards the Roman General. 

“We will meet again,” the crucified man gasped out. 

“In hell perhaps,” the General said, spurring his horse down the hill
toward his troops. 

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

The Raven 

12:10 a.m.   Wednesday, December 13th. 

Methos was hunting.  He rarely participated in ‘The Game’ any more,
5000 years of life, most of it spent in violent times, had taught him
that the sidelines were a much safer and happier place to be.  There
were, however, exceptions. 

He had come to Toronto to meet an old friend.  He hadn’t seen Scott in
nearly 175 years, and had looked forward to surprising him when he
found out he had relocated here from South Africa . 

Unfortunately he arrived here just in time to find out that the reason
Scott had relocated, a headhunter with the unlikely name of Phineas
Froag, had followed. Methos had used his Watcher connections to find
out about him.  Froag lived for the Quickening. He was like a junkie
and once he latched onto a target, he followed until he got what he
wanted. 

Methos knew that this was just the type of club Froag was likely to
hang out at.  He would spend his nights here, and at the two or three
other similar clubs until he caught sight of him- or until he got word
that he had been spotted by a watcher in another city.  He liked Scott,
and wanted to make sure that his killer wasn’t allowed to keep his
Quickening. 

Gazing around the bar was silly, he knew.  He would know it the moment
another immortal entered the front door, but he did it anyway.  “It’s
not like I have anything else to look at,” he thought.  Suddenly he
noticed a man at the bar staring directly at him.  At first he didn’t
recognize him- tall, imposing even, blond crew cut, black Armani suit. 
“Where do I know you from, hmm?” he thought. 

Then he remembered. 

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

Gaul 

August 24, 74 AD . 

“Damned Romans,” Methos thought as he looked out over the aftermath of
the slaughter.  The broken bodies of nearly 800 of his warriors, along
with their wives and children, lay about the base of the hill on which
he stood. 

He had settled in this village 10 years ago as he was wandering the
world.  He had met a fine woman and had decided to stay a while- he had
nothing else to do, no obligations or interests to interfere, so why
not. 

He and his men had harried the legion for weeks as they marched, hoping
to divert them from overrunning the area they called home.  They would
attack in small groups and at night, striking hard, killing 20 or 30
and then pulling back, while another group would attack from another
front.  In this manner they killed hundreds at first, but the Roman
General swiftly countered.  He would cease his march earlier in the
day, giving up distance for the time it took to dig in and make a
fortified camp. 

Suddenly Methos began loosing more men than they were killing.  He had
pulled back to their village to plan their next course of action.  He
never knew how they had found him.  One day he woke up to the sounds of
the Roman charge.  The legion had swept over them like the tide,
burning and killing every living thing they could get their hands on
and their swords into.  He had been killed twice before waking up to
find himself being nailed to a hastily constructed cross on the watch-
post hill overlooking the remains of his village. 

He looked down at the face of the General whose troops had done this to
his villagers and gasped out through his agony, “We will meet again,” 

“In hell perhaps,” the General had said, while riding away. 

“Maybe sooner than that” was Methos’ final thought before he died,
again. 

Some of his villagers had escaped into the woods and returned to burn
the dead.  They pulled him down from the cross and threw his body into
a pile with the others.  Fortunately he woke up while they were
gathering fuel for the fire and fled into the woods himself. 

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

The Raven 

12:15 a.m.   Wednesday, December 13th. 

Methos remembered that he had sworn vengeance on the General who had
crucified him, but as the years wore on, he had stopped thinking about
the matter.  By the time Rome was sacked in 455 by Gaiseric, king of
the Vandals, he had forgotten it entirely. 

He remembered that in 1453 he had been toasting the death of Emperor
Constantine XI and the end of the last vestiges of the Roman Empire
when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks nearly a thousand years
after the sack of Rome . 

But surely that couldn’t be the same man; he hadn’t felt any
Quickening… 

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

He certainly wasn’t a vampire.  LaCroix could see his pulse beating in
his neck from here.  In fact, his pulse rate seemed to have
significantly increased several moments after noticing LaCroix’s
attention on him.  He might have dismissed it as patently impossible
except for two things; first, LaCroix could see recognition on the
man’s face, and second, his son had just this evening described a man
who survived gunshots and a forty-foot fall, seemingly unscathed.
“Perhaps such a man could live for two thousand years,” he mused. 

He turned to the bartender, “Miklos.” 

“Yes, General.” 

“The man by himself in the back booth…” 

“Yes, I see him.” Miklos said, barely glancing back for a moment. 

“If he leaves, I want him followed,” LaCroix locked gazes with Miklos
and continued, “Very discretely, Miklos.  He is absolutely not to know
that he is being followed.  Choose someone reliable.  I want to know
where he goes.” 

“Certainly, General.” 

LaCroix pondered for a moment and then decided, “Put his tab on the
house as well, Miklos.” 

“Anything else, sir?”  Miklos asked. 

“That will do for now.  I expect my son will be here soon.  Please have
him and whomever he has accompanying him join me directly.  And send in
2 bottles of the House Special and two of the plain Bordeaux .”
LaCroix said as he walked away from the bar and towards his office.  He
had a phone call to place. 

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

Nicks Loft 
12:20 a.m. Wednesday 

One thing had led to another; the conversation had transitioned from
speculation about the swordsman to a variety of topics.  Anecdotes and
stories about strange and unusual cases led to personal stories as
similar experiences were shared.  Each of them was surprised during the
evening not only by what they learned about their new friends, but also
by what they learned about their respective partners.  It was obvious
that none of them were normally very talkative about themselves, but
somehow this evening, which began with such a startling revelation,
turned into something none of them had ever experienced before; a
couple’s night out.  Dinner was ordered and eaten (and drank),
beverages were consumed, and fun was had. 

Nick excused himself as the phone rang.  Natalie was still laughing at
Scully’s story about Mulder singing the theme from shaft to her as he
lay on the floor of the hotel after a near miss with a vampire pizza
delivery guy.  Mulder, of course, vehemently denied that any such
incident had occurred, but even he was laughing about it. 

Natalie said, “I have to say that I have not had this much fun in
years.  I am already going to miss you guys when you leave this
weekend,” as she wiped away the tears of laughter that were running
down her face. 

Nick smiled indulgently at his betrothed, overjoyed to see her so
happy.  He picked up the phone and answered “Knight.” 

“Nicolas.” 

“LaCroix, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon, is something
wrong?” 

“Not at all Nicolas.  However, there is something I think you need to
see.  Why don’t you come to the Raven now?” 

“Of course.  I will be right over.” 

“Oh, Nicolas, you are entertaining guests,” LaCroix said, hearing the
conversation in the background.  “Is that the two FBI agents you
mentioned that I hear?” 

Nicolas was suddenly worried, “Yes…” 

“Bring them with you.  And Natalie of course.” 

Nick was now very worried, but he knew that he couldn’t really refuse,
and he didn’t think that now was the time to jeopardize his fragile
reconciliation with his father.  “Of course, father,” he whispered. 

“Do not fret so, Nicolas,” LaCroix said.  “There need not be any
permanent, life altering decisions made this night.  I merely wish to
meet these strangers with whom you have decided to share our secret.”
LaCroix said. 

“Very well.  We shall be there, LaCroix.”  Nick said, hanging up the
phone. 

Natalie had caught the whisper and the look of trepidation on her
fiancée’s face and her expression suddenly sobered.  Mulder and Scully
caught the change and turned to face Nick as he hung up the phone. 

“LaCroix has requested that we join him.  He has something he wants me
to see.”  Nick said quietly. 

Natalie’s eyes widened slightly and she said, “We as in you and I,
Nick?” 

Nick turned to Mulder and Scully.  “He wants to meet you two as well.” 

Natalie’s hands flew to her mouth involuntarily.  Despite what Nick had
said about the changes in his master, LaCroix was still her own
personal boogey-man; he had been ever since the events at the Azure
several years ago. 

“Mulder looked back and forth between Nick and Natalie, waiting for
further explanation.  Finally he asked, “Who is LaCroix?” 

Scully added, “Is he one of these ‘enforcers’ you mentioned?” 

Natalie snapped out of her thoughts and said, “No, it’s not that bad.
LaCroix is, well, you remember that Nick is the second oldest in the
Toronto community?” 

“LaCroix is the eldest, I take it,” Scully answered. 

Natalie nodded her head. 

“How much older?”  Scully asked.  “Nine hundred?  A thousand?” she
asked, still incredulous at Nick’s incredible age 

Nick was lost in thought, but responded “LaCroix watched Vesuvius
swallow his home in Pompeii ,” Nick said softly. 

Scully was shocked again, her mouth just hung open. 

Mulder had been watching Nick during the entire conversation.  “There
is more, isn’t there.  What is it, Nick?”  Mulder asked, concerned. 

“LaCroix is my Father.” 

Scully looked at Natalie, “That’s bad news?”  she asked. 

Natalie and Nick said simultaneously, “It’s complicated.” 

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

The Raven 
1:15 a.m. Wednesday 

Freddie was kicking back at the bar, checking out the crowd.  “This
Raven ain’t a bad place,” he thought.  “Plenty of likely victims on the
dance floor, and enough vamps around if I want my own for company.”
Freddie had rolled into Toronto after nearly getting caught in Buffalo
.  He had grown careless about where he took his meals, and had left a
trail even the mortal cops could follow, right to the apartment of his
last meal, while her drained corpse had lay cooling on the floor and he
was taking a shower to wash off the remains.  He had blown out the
window, naked, and flew right across the lake and into the outskirts of
Toronto . 

“Good thing we don’t feel the cold!” he laughed to himself.  He had
found this place a couple of nights ago and was presently in the
process of selecting his next ‘meal’ from the dancers on the floor.
Bottled blood had never really satisfied him- he preferred it ‘straight
from the tap’ as it were. 

None of the writhing dancers had really stood out to him and he was
about to resort to enie, meanie, minie, moe; when he saw one vamp and
three mortals walk into the club.  “Oh man!  That little red-head looks
delicious!” he whispered to himself.  He watched as they walked across
the club and straight to a door near the end of the bar.  “I may wait a
little longer,” he thought.  “Better to sharpen the appetite,” he
thought, smiling to himself. 

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

Nick led the others directly to LaCroix’s office, ignoring the
surreptitious glances from the vampires all around.  He felt slightly
uncomfortable.  Even though he had long ago ceased caring about The
Community’s opinion of him, his recent change of heart about himself
and his kind had began to rekindle a desire for ties to The Community. 
However, he still didn’t think that it was OK to treat mortals as
cattle- nothing more than food.  He wasn’t sure how he was going to
reconcile his desire for atonement with his burgeoning desire to belong
once again to The Community he had despised for so long.  “Better to
concentrate on the present, and worry about that later,” he decided. 

Natalie was worried about her new friends.  She still didn’t really
trust LaCroix- not 100% any way. 

Scully’s thoughts were chaotic and whirling with the stunning impact
that tonight’s revelations had struck upon her.  Not even 12 hours ago,
she would have sworn under oath that there were no such things as
vampires- they were a myth and whatever Mulder had seen, it wasn’t
supernatural.  Science would be able to explain it, somehow.  Now, she
not only accepted their existence, she had made friends with an 800
year old vampire and was about to meet one who had been alive when the
New Testament was written.  “Oh yeah, and he might just kill us
tonight, too.” she added.  The impact of that thought suddenly centered
her and allowed her to focus on this encounter, which just might be her
last. 

Mulder was thinking how cool it was that he was walking into a bar full
of vampires for a meeting with a guy who was about 2000 years old, to
talk about guys who only died when you cut off their heads.  It was all
he could do not to laugh out loud. 

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

LaCroix could feel his son’s trepidation as he entered the club.  He
smiled and thought of how he would have, not long ago, used this to
torment Nicolas.  He thought of the two mortals his son was bringing in
with him and his smile was replaced with a slight frown.  If he felt it
was necessary, he would erase these agents knowledge, or kill them.  He
knew that doing so would erase the tentative reconciliation he had
found with his son, and he hoped that it would not become necessary.
He would have to see if Nicolas had, for once, chosen wisely with his
trust. 

Nick stopped outside the door to the office and reminded Mulder and
Scully one last time, “Remember- don’t lose your temper.  Your
reactions will decide all of our lives tonight.”  He knocked on the
door and heard his master bid him enter.  He then opened the door and
led them into the office. 

LaCroix had decided on playing the master vampire.  He hoped his son’s
estimation of the agent’s concern for each other was accurate.  If so,
he thought he could use their fear of the other’s safety to guaranty
their silence.  He allowed his not inconsiderable power and presence to
flow outward from him like the tide- washing over these puny mortals
like the surf against the rocks. 

Scully remembered the power she felt from Nick this afternoon.  At the
time she thought it was the most impressive thing she could ever have
conceived.  What she felt now snuffed that thought like a candle.  She
felt as though this man seated behind the massive antique desk could
crush her with a thought.  It took every ounce of willpower she had
just to stand upright, and she couldn’t have met his gaze if her life
depended on it. 

Mulder’s cavalier attitude about this meeting was erased in an instant.
He was suddenly worried for Scully’s life.  His own he would gladly
forfeit to spare his beloved from the wrath of this vampire.  He would
have offered to do just that but he couldn’t breathe, let alone speak. 

Natalie was stunned.  She was reminded about how much she didn’t know
about The Community she was planning on joining.  She could tell that
this display was not for her benefit, but still found that she was
silently chastising herself for defying this creature, and endangering
Nick in the process, for the last six years.  Her sympathy for the
years Nick had had to endure this man’s domination nearly overwhelmed
her.  If this was the changed LaCroix, she couldn’t imagine what hell
Nick had gone through before. 

Nick understood what his father was trying to do, but felt that much
more and his newfound friends would break.  “Father, please.  I am
certain that they understand your point,” he said, respectfully.  He
dropped his barriers on the bloodlink to let LaCroix know that he
wasn’t challenging him; he was just concerned for his friends. 

LaCroix was satisfied that these mortals had been properly cowed.  He
slowly reeled in his power, not withdrawing entirely, but reducing it
to less intimidating proportions.  He gestured for Nicolas to make
introductions. 

“Father, these are Special Agents Dana Scully, and Fox Mulder of the
United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Agents, this is Lucien
LaCroix, my maker.” 

“Agents, I understand that my son has shared with you the knowledge of
our community.”  LaCroix said. 

“Yes Sir.” Mulder and Scully said in unison. 

“And he has told you the consequences of such knowledge.” 

Mulder and Scully glanced at each other briefly, and softly said “Yes
Sir.” 

“We will discuss that later.”  He turned to Nicolas, “I saw someone
tonight that might be the person you encountered last night.”  LaCroix
turned and opened the armoire behind his desk, revealing a CCTV monitor
and control system.  He pushed the playback on the recorder they saw a
man sitting alone at a booth in the club. 

Mulder and Nick both leaned forward and simultaneously said, “That’s
not him.” 

LaCroix looked surprised. 

Nick said, “Why did you think that was the man?” 

LaCroix leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands thoughtfully.
“I met this man a long time ago.” 

“He isn’t a vampire?”  Mulder asked. 

“I could clearly see his pulse and hear his heartbeat.”  LaCroix
answered. 

“How do you know him?”  Nick asked. 

“I killed him once, a long time ago” LaCroix answered softly. 

“Did you… drink from him, I guess?  Is he a hybrid of some kind,
perhaps?” Mulder asked. 

“No, agent Mulder, I didn’t *drain* him.”  LaCroix mused. 

“Can you tell us about it?”  Scully asked. 

“Are you sure you want to hear about it?  It was quite barbaric, I
assure you.”  LaCroix sneered slightly at the diminutive redhead. 

“How long ago, LaCroix?”  Natalie asked.  “Are you sure it is the same
man?” 

LaCroix didn’t really want to go into details with these strangers.  He
said, “He was a chieftain of a tribe in Gaul .  I led Caesar’s legions
into Gaul .  I had him crucified, after I wiped out his tribe.  It was
before I had been brought across.” 

Mulder’s photographic memory kicked in and he remembered studying Roman
history.  Actually he had been more interested in impressing the
devastatingly beautiful grad student who helped the professor teach the
course.  In an attempt to impress her, he had memorized just about
every text in the library dealing with Roman Military Conquest- that
being the subject of her doctoral thesis.  In the end, he found out she
was doing the professor, and had no interest in him, but he did learn a
lot about Roman History.  “Lucian LaCroix.  You were General Lucius the
Crucifier?” he asked, entirely forgetting the threat this man posed to
him and Scully.  “Wow!” he said, amazed at the thought of a piece of
living history sitting before him. 

LaCroix was startled momentarily.  “It has been a very long time since
I heard that particular description.”  A slow smile grew on his face
and he continued, “You must have a fascination with arcane historical
trivia to know that name.”  He changed the subject and said, “In any
case, I am quite certain that this is indeed the same man I crucified
in 74 AD.  He survived crucifixion and lived another 1,926 years, and
he is definitely not a vampire.  I would say that that puts him
squarely in the camp of the man you and my son met on the rooftop last
night.” 

“Where is he now, Father?”  Nick asked. 

“He left.  However, he is being followed.  We shall find out where he
is going and perhaps tomorrow night you might visit him in your
capacity of a homicide detective investigating a rather unusual death.”


“That is an excellent idea, father.”  Nick said with a smile. 

“Doctor Lambert, you and I need to have a conversation.”  LaCroix said.
He felt his son’s sudden rush of concern through their bloodlink.  He
turned to Nicolas and in a very decisive tone of voice suggested, “Why
don’t you and your friends go out and have a drink while you wait.
This shouldn’t take too long. 

Nick wanted to protest, but caught the tone in LaCroix’s voice and knew
he would only make things worse for Natalie if he reacted.  He leaned
in to Natalie and whispered in her ear, “It’ll be alright.  I love you.
I’ll be right outside.”  He then opened the door and indicated to
Mulder and Scully that they should precede him. 

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

Freddie was still sitting at the bar when the three exited the office. 
He watched as the vampire led them to a booth overlooking the bar and
the office.  He wasn’t going to do anything until he could get the
redhead alone.  He wasn’t afraid of the other vampire, after all he was
250 years old, and he didn’t think anyone else in here could match
that.  He just didn’t want to make a scene; that’s all.  He ordered
another bloodwine and sat back to wait for his opportunity. 

Nick was distracted by the thought of Natalie in there alone with
LaCroix and didn’t notice the vamp at the bar who watched as they left
the office and took a booth to wait. 

Mulder and Scully exchanged glances, concerned for their new friends.
“Will she be alright, Nick?”  Scully asked. 

“What is going to happen?” Mulder added. 

“He won’t hurt her,” Nick said- almost 90% sure he was speaking the
truth.  “I think he wants to test her resolve.  She has spent the last
6 years trying to ‘cure’ me after all,” Nick said quietly.  “He
probably wants to make sure she is really willing to give that up.” 

“Is she?”  Scully asked. 

“There was a time when she wanted me to be mortal, almost as much as I
wanted it.  She thought of marriage, family, that sort of thing.”  He
sighed.  “I really didn’t want her to have to give up the sun, the
daylight.  However, she wants me more than she wants the sun.  And,
even though I know I am being thoroughly selfish, I’m glad.  I want her
to be with me forever- no matter what.  I would rather have her as a
vampire than to lose her to old age and death.” 

Mulder understood exactly how Nick felt.  “But you feel guilty about
what she is giving up, don’t you,” Mulder said.  It was a statement,
not a question. 

“Yes.”  Nick sighed. 

Scully got mad, she knew that Mulder was speaking for himself, thinking
that he was bad for her, that she deserved ‘better’ than him.  “What is
it that makes you guys think that we are unable to decide what is best
for us?”  She shot them both a withering glare.  “You put us on a
pedestal and think you’re looking out for our best interests; but don’t
you see?  It’s lonely up on that pedestal!”  She was almost overcome
with emotion and actually had to choke back a sob, “I want you, not
some idealized man, 2.5 kids and a white picket fence,” she said
directly to Mulder and then turned to Nick and continued, “and I
imagine that Natalie feels the same way!”  She abruptly stood up and
said, “Now, where is the restroom?” 

Nick silently pointed toward the back of the club, his eyes wide at her
outburst. 

Scully looked back where he had pointed and said, “When I get back I
don’t want to hear any more ‘I’m not worthy’ crap out of either of you,
Ok?”  She looked back and forth between the two men, both sitting
slack-jawed and looking up at her with wide eyes.  “Otherwise I am
going to find a nice chair leg for you,” she said- pointing at Nick,
“And you, I’m going to shoot.  *Again*” she said- pointing at Mulder.
She then walked off, head held high. 

Mulder and Nick sat silently for a moment before they both began to
smile.  “Again?”  Nick asked with a slight smirk. 

“Long Story” Mulder replied with a teeth-baring smile of his own. 

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

Scully dried her hands and checked her makeup.  The tears that had
threatened to flow she dabbed at lightly with a paper towel.  She took
a couple of deep breaths to calm herself as she marveled at the
stupidity of men in general and her man specifically.  She idolized
Mulder.  There was no one else on the planet she could possibly want to
be with.  He had totally ruined her for other men ever- and that was
before last night’s mind-blowing sex- yet he felt inadequate.  She was
the one who was inadequate- Mulder could have any woman he wanted at
the drop of a hat.  She was sure that that little blond waitress was
out there even now chatting him up.  She was glad that she knew her man
well enough to know he wouldn’t even notice.  She might feel
inadequate, but also knew her partner.  Though she wasn’t sure that she
deserved it, she knew he loved her and only her.  As long as he knew
that she wanted him, he wouldn’t even look at another woman. 

She was walking out the door thinking of exactly how she was going to
demonstrate just how much she wanted him when she got him back to the
hotel this morning.  It was at that moment that she felt herself
grabbed from behind- one hand around her waist, the other over her
mouth as she was swiftly pulled out of the club through the back door
and into the alley. 

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

Natalie stood before LaCroix.  She was nervous and cursed her heart for
giving it away.  She determined that she would not outwardly show her
fear, even though she knew he would detect it from her heart rate. 

LaCroix observed her for a moment.  He heard the fear that her heart
betrayed, but admired her poise, as she outwardly gave no indication of
her feelings.  He briefly considered toying with her for a bit, to see
how far he could push before she would give, but decided against it.
He would test her resolve, no doubt about it, but he would avoid doing
anything to anger his son.  So long as Nicolas was content to return to
the fold, LaCroix would not be the one to break the peace. 

“May I call you Natalie?” he started with.  “Doctor Lambert seems so
formal.” 

“Yes Sir” Natalie said stiffly.  She remembered the power emanating
from him earlier.  She did not want to do anything to provoke him if
she could avoid it. 

“Sit down, Natalie,” LaCroix chuckled lightly.  “Relax.  I am no longer
a general, and this is no army.  You need not stand at attention.” 

Natalie took a seat across from him and tried to relax.  It didn’t
work.  She was worried about Dana and Mulder… and Nick… and herself…
and Nick and herself… and… 

LaCroix broke her reverie.  “Do you not feel as though you have been
betrayed, Natalie?  Nicolas has decided to throw away 6 years of your
work as though it was nothing.” 

Natalie decided that the only way she would make it through this was by
being brutally honest, both with LaCroix and with herself.  “Nick
wanted to be human.  I wanted Nick, any way I could have him.  So, no,
I don’t feel betrayed.  As long as he is satisfied with the way he is,
so am I.” 

“Truly?  You would not prefer him as a human?”  LaCroix pressed.  “You
do not long for children?  To see the sun rise, to feel its warmth on
your face?” 

“To grow old, to break down and die?” she countered.  “Each state of
being has advantages and limitations, sir.  Either one would be
satisfactory so long as I could be with Nick.  Neither one is
acceptable without him.” 

“You care for him that much?”  LaCroix asked, somewhat surprised,
doubtful that this mortal could love Nicolas as much as Nicolas did
her. 

“He is my life.  My heart.”  She replied. 

“Easy to say, but you have no real concept of forever, child.  How do I
know that you won’t tire of my son after a few decades or a century and
leave him?” 

Natalie had an epiphany.  Right there and then she finally understood
Lucien LaCroix.  She had always thought him to be evil and full of
hatred toward Nick.  Suddenly she realized that it wasn’t hatred, but
rather desperation.  LaCroix loved Nick, needed him powerfully and when
he couldn’t have him he lashed out at whatever he perceived as
separating him from his beloved son.  “Ohhh,” she said, sympathizing
with LaCroix’s need to have Nick in his life.  She felt exactly the
same way.  Wordlessly she stood up and offered this master vampire her
wrist. 

LaCroix was taken aback by her offer.  “Why?” he asked. 

“You need to know, I need for you to know,” she said simply. 

LaCroix took her wrist and brought it to his mouth, looking into
Natalie’s eyes for any indecision.  He saw that she was afraid, but
resolute.  He bit down and tasted the hot, spiced wine that ran through
the veins of his son’s lover.  He felt her devotion and love.  He saw
her conviction.  He knew her understanding of not only his son, but of
his own need for Nicolas. 

She spoke to him through the link and with her voice simultaneously,
“So long as you don’t hurt him or me, I will make sure he never leaves
you again.” 

He immediately withdrew from her and broke the link.  “Why would you do
that?” he asked, confused. 

“Because he needs you too.  As much as you need him.  He just doesn’t
know it,” she replied. 

“For once in his life, my son has chosen wisely.”  LaCroix said.  “I
will gladly have you for a grand-daughter, Natalie.” 

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

Freddie dragged his catch out into the alley, thinking about how much
he was going to enjoy this when he felt her stamp on his instep.  It
surprised him more than it hurt him but he loosened his grip enough for
her to spin around in his grasp and ram her knee into his groin with a
great deal of force.  “What a little firebrand,” he thought just as she
snap-kicked him in the nose, breaking it and causing blood to flow
momentarily as it healed. 

Scully figured out that she was dealing with a vampire and hoped that
she could hurt him enough quickly enough to get back inside and… 

Interrupting her thought process was the back of his hand across her
face, sending her flying down the alley and into a stack of pallets
next to the dumpster.  She was almost unconscious when she felt the
bite on her neck.  She reached out beside her trying to find something
to hit him with. 

Freddie was enjoying the wonderful flavor of this delectable morsel,
reveling in the images of her life and the fear he tasted in her blood.
Her heart was slowing almost to a stop when he felt an incredible pain
in his neck.  He reared back was horrified as the slender shard of wood
she had stabbed into his neck, tore his throat out as he pulled away.
His blood, mingled with hers sprayed out of his near fatal wounds and
poured down on her face, and into her mouth.  Her last act before she
blacked out was to convulsively swallow. 

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

Natalie came out of the office walked over to where Nick and Mulder
where sitting in comfortable silence.  They both got sheepish looks on
their faces when she approached and she wondered what was going on.
“Where’s Dana?” she asked.  Mulder answered, “She had to go powder her
nose.” 

Natalie snorted at the thought and Nick said, “Yeah, she worked up a
sweat explaining to Mulder that he was an idiot and that I should pull
my head out of my…” 

“Nice visual, Nick.”  Natalie interrupted.  “I’ll go check on her.”
Natalie went back to the restroom, but couldn’t find Dana there.  She
walked out and across to the alley door just in case Dana had stepped
out for a breather.  She opened the door and looked out just as Freddie
was taking a bite on Dana’s neck.  She screamed, “NICK!” 

Mulder heard the echo of Natalie’s scream and when he looked over, Nick
was already there by Natalie’s side.  He felt the blood leave his face
and got up and ran through the crowd on the dance floor to the alley
door.  By the time he got there, and into the alley, Nick and Natalie
were crouched over the broken body of a petite redheaded woman.  There
was blood all over the woman’s face.  LaCroix was standing over the
body of a large man who looked like his throat had been ripped out.
“Where the hell did he come from?”  Mulder thought.  His brain was
rejecting the image of the woman on the ground.  He couldn’t even
notice her.  He just stared at the body of the man with the torn
throat- watching in horrified fascination as the flesh slowly re-knit
it self. 

It wasn’t until Natalie sobbed his name that his mind grasped the fact
that the bloodied and broken body lying in the alley was his Scully.
He went into shock.  He fell to his knees, his eyes locked onto the
face of his beloved Scully.  It felt as if his heart had stopped
beating. 

LaCroix quickly assessed the situation.  “Nicolas, she has ingested his
blood, you must take her quickly to my quarters.  Natalie, go tell
Miklos about this,” he kicked the slowly regenerating body of the
vampire that had assaulted Scully.  “Tell him to have it chained in the
caves, but not killed yet.  Then tell him to deliver a case of uncut
blood to my quarters at once.” 

Natalie reacted instantly to his command, racing into the club to get
Miklos. 

“Come Nicolas, I will bring Agent Mulder,” he said, picking up the
silent man and flying him up to the roof.  Nick scooped Dana up and
followed. 

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

“It must be you, Nicolas.  I doubt that she would come back for me, and
certainly not for that creature that did this to her.”  LaCroix
explained. 

Nick took one look at Natalie, who had raced up the stairs and was
panting heavily.  She just nodded her head.  She was unwilling to give
up on her friend so soon.  Besides it might be fun having a sister. 

Nick bit his wrist open and held it to Dana’s mouth waiting, praying
even that she would drink. 

LaCroix turned to the other agent, who was still in shock.  He captured
Mulder’s eyes with his own gaze and explained to him that Dana might
yet live, but that Mulder would have to call her back. 

Mulder was wrapped in a cocoon of agony.  Every breath hurt and all he
could think was “She’s gone.  She’s gone.” over and over.  When
LaCroix’s words of hope broke through, it was as though a switch had
been thrown, shocking him out of his stupor.  “What do I do?!  Tell me
how to bring her back!” 

“Go.  Hold her and call her back to you.  She stands at the doorway and
must choose either to go into the light, or come back across to you. 

Mulder stood up and unsteadily crossed the room to Scully’s side where
Nick was drizzling blood into her mouth.  He swallowed his fear and
agony and started to stroke her forehead.  He took her hand in his own
and began calling her, “Scully. Scully, please come back to me.  I love
you.  I *need* you.”  He repeated that over and over, tears pouring
down his face and dripping onto hers. 

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

She looked around her.  She was standing on an arid plain.  It was dry,
flat and featureless in all directions.  “Where am I?” she whispered to
herself.  “WHERE AM I?” she screamed out. 

“Where do you think you are?”  a voice said behind her. 

Scully whirled around to see a doorway standing in the open plain.  The
door was open and a bright light silhouetted a figure from behind.  She
just stared at it for a moment before walking up to the figure.  “Am I
dead?” she asked, suddenly remembering the attack. 

The figure laughed melodiously, “Not quite yet, little sister.” 

Then Scully could make out the face.  “Missy?” she asked in a whisper. 
She ran up and hugged her, “Oh Missy.  I’m so glad to see you.”
Suddenly she broke off the hug and stepped back.  “Oh Missy.  I’m so
sorry.” 

“For what, Dana?”  Melissa asked. 

“You died in my place.  It’s my fault.”  Scully cried. 

“Don’t you mean Fox’s fault?”  Melissa asked. 

“Oh, no Missy!  It isn’t Mulder’s fault, he couldn’t have known…” 

“And you could have?”  Melissa asked her sister with a frown. 

“I should have!”  Scully cried. 

“Dana, the only one to blame for my death is the man who killed me, and
the man who sent him to kill you.”  Melissa said firmly.  “If you take
any blame for it, you have to share it with Fox.  I don’t think either
of you’re to blame.” 

Scully realized how surreal this conversation was.  “Missy, where are
we?  You’re dead, but you said I wasn’t.  What did you mean?”  Scully
was confused. 

“You must choose, Dana.  You can come in to the light, with me.  Or,
you can go back.” 

“What do you mean, I can go back?”  Scully asked.  She thought of
Mulder, of how much she loved him and it was almost as if she could
hear him, calling her.  Telling her he loved and needed her. 

“You can go back to your beloved Mulder, Dana.  However, I must warn
you- you won’t be the same.”  Melissa said. 

“You mean I’ll be a…” Scully began. 

“Vampire, Dana.  Say it with me- Vam-pi-er,” Melissa teased.  “You will
give up the sun, you will have to drink blood to live, and you will
have to face the hunger.  The desire to kill for food is difficult to
overcome.”  The light in the doorway seemed to dim. 

Scully’s choice was already made, however.  “I can’t leave him, Missy. 
I love him.”  Her voice was full of longing, and she heard Mulder’s
call more strongly.  The light on the plain in general seemed to dim,
as though night were falling. 

“I know, little sister.  Take care of him.  He needs you.”  Melissa
said as the light, the doorway and the plain around Scully went dark
entirely. 

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

Mulder was sobbing out Scully’s name, and the blood Nick was giving her
was about to run out the sides of her mouth when she finally swallowed.
She instinctively latched on to Nick’s wrist and began to suck
furiously.  Nick was so happy that she had come back that he made no
move to pull away.  Finally it was LaCroix who had to come over and
yank him arm away from her. 

Nick stood up, dizzy from the blood loss as Scully dropped her head
back down to the floor and slept. 

LaCroix was angry with his son.  He grabbed a bottle of blood and
shoved it into his hands.  “Were you going to let her drain you?”  He
demanded. 

“Nick, are you alright?” Natalie asked; her concern clear in her voice.


“Yes.  I’m all right.  No.  I wasn’t planning on letting her drain me,
I was just happy and relieved that she came back, and wasn’t really
paying attention.”  Nick said, somewhat chagrined. 

LaCroix looked sternly at his son, and then said to Natalie, “My dear,
it would be in your best interests if you allowed me to supervise when
my ‘inattentive’ son brings you across.” 

Suddenly Mulder broke in, “Uh, Nick, is she going to be ok?” he said,
gesturing at Scully, lying on the floor, not breathing, no pulse.
Mulder was still a little shocky.  His joy at her response was tempered
by how she responded.  On the whole, however, he would take Scully any
way he could get her. 

Nick was abashed at his insensitivity.  “Sorry, Mulder.  Yes she is
going to be ok.”  He was suddenly struck with a thought, “You do
realize, Mulder that she is now a vampire, don’t you?” 

Mulder chuckled a little at that, “Yeah, Nick.  I think I had that
figured when she started sucking you dry.”  He sobered and looked at
her, covered in blood and laying dead- “Ok, Undead,” he thought- on the
floor.  In a small voice he said, “Scully *is* my life, Nick.  Mortal,
vampire, alien hybrid, whatever- I love her with all that I am.”  He
sighed and looked at Nick, “I could no more do with out her than I
could do with out my arms and legs.”  Mulder closed his eyes and
continued, “When I thought she was dead, I…” 

Nick and Natalie actually took a step back as they saw the change come
over his face.  He opened his eyes and the hatred they saw there made
Natalie gasp. 

Mulder quickly schooled his features and asked, as calmly as he could,
“Where is the thing that did this to her?”  He turned to LaCroix.  “Is
it alive?” 

LaCroix smiled at agent Mulder.  He couldn’t help but understand the
desire for vengeance that he saw in Mulder’s eyes.  “For now, Agent
Mulder.  Why, did you have something in mind?” 

“Are you planning on letting it live?”  Mulder couldn’t keep the
question from coming out in a low growl. 

“I was planning on staking him out on the roof and allowing the sun to
finish him.”  LaCroix said. 

“Can I help?”  Mulder asked.  He looked at Natalie and Nick, silently
begging them to understand. 

Nat looked a bit green around the gills, but said nothing.  Nick just
looked away and said, “You need to be out of here when she wakes up
anyway.” 

Mulder began to reply, but Nick overrode his protest, “Listen to me,
Mulder.  When a vampire first wakes up after the change… Well, we call
it first hunger and every vampire remembers it, because it is the most
powerful and overriding feeling we will ever have.  A man would drain
his own wife, a woman her own children.  When we first wake, we are
purely the beast.”  He reached up and gently laid his hand on Mulder’s
shoulder.  “It would be better if you missed that.  You can see her as
soon as she slakes that thirst.” 

Mulder was visibly concerned about that. 

Nick saw Mulder’s look of worry and said, “This is all donated blood,
Mulder.  I won’t let your woman turn into a monster, but you must let
me train her my way, and you must respect my requests in order for me
to be successful.  This is going to be a stressful, difficult time for
you both, and if you want ‘your Scully’ back, you will have to trust
me.” 

When he put it that way, Mulder had no choice.  “I will do anything to
have her back,” he said while looking sadly at his beloved.
“*Anything!*” 

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


Incarnations of Immortality
By The Bear!


Chapter 7 
The Raven 
8 a.m. Wednesday December 13th 

Natalie stood near the top of the stairs to the roof above LaCroix’s
quarters.  She was waiting for Mulder to come down.  Her feelings were
in turmoil.  Nick had brought Dana across.  He was Dana’s master.
There was a level of intimacy there that she was uncomfortable with.
She wasn’t jealous per se, but she was new to her intimate relationship
with Nick, and didn’t really want to share him.  On the other hand, she
really liked Dana, and wasn’t entirely displeased with the thought of
closer ties to her, and to Mulder. 

Mulder was the reason she was standing here.  First thirst had come and
gone without incident, and Mulder had been allowed to see Dana
afterwards.  That had been several hours ago and when Dana went back to
sleep, Mulder had gone off with LaCroix to deal with ‘him’.  She was
uncomfortable with what Mulder was doing right now.  She had heard the
screams as the sun rose about 10 minutes ago.  She was somewhat
concerned that Mulder- a cop essentially- was an active participant in
a murder.  Sort of.  This was vampire justice, and she knew when she
had discovered vampire kills in the past, that this was the justice
meted out to those offenders.  Not for the killing, but for being
caught. 

This was The Community she wanted to join.  Not for the first time she
wondered what she was getting herself into.  In the end, however, she
knew that one couldn’t judge all vampires by the actions of a few.  And
the harsh Code that governed them wasn’t really the final authority on
what a vampire’s life was like- God gave free will to mortals and
vampires alike. 

Her musings were interrupted when the door opened and Mulder came down
the stairs.  “Feel better?” she asked, somewhat more sharply than she
had intended. 

Mulder looked at her for a moment.  He saw the uncertainty in her eyes,
the chagrin at her tone towards him.  “If a hunter killed Nick, and I
put you in a room with the hunter chained up, handed you a knife and
shut the door, what would I find when I opened the door again?” 

“I’m sorry, Mulder.  That was unfair of me.”  Natalie said, head
hanging. 

“If it is any consolation, I don’t feel good.  But, I have to admit- I
do feel better.” 

Natalie changed the subject, “Nick asked me to talk to you a little
about this whole thing.  I know you believed in vampires before, but
it’s a little different to find out that your partner, the woman you
love, is suddenly one.”  She stared at him while she continued, “Then
there is the whole master/fledgling relationship.” 

“Explain that to me.”  Mulder said, suddenly wary. 

Natalie led Mulder down the stairs and into the now-silent club.  She
sat down in a chair at one of the tables and took a deep breath.
“First, Mulder, let me tell you that Nick is not like other vampires.
When Dana is adequately trained, he will release her to do as she sees
fit.  He will not stand between the two of you.  However, you will not
be able to see her without him present for at least a week, maybe two,
depending on how quick a study she is,” Natalie took another deep
breath and rushed ahead, “and, frankly, on how much you interfere.” 

“Why would I interfere?” Mulder said, darkly.  “What is going to happen
that would make me want to?” 

“This is difficult for me as well, Mulder.  Honestly, I don’t like the
thought of sharing Nick with anybody.  Even Dana.” 

“What do you mean ‘sharing’,” Mulder asked with a dangerous look in his
eyes. 

“When Nick brought her across he formed a link with her.  In order to
strengthen that link, which will be necessary for him to train her
quickly, they will have to exchange blood.  They call it a bloodkiss,
and while not inherently sexual, it is very intimate. Nick said he
could feel her intense loyalty to you as well as her love for you when
he brought her across.  If Dana feels that you’re jealous, she may
resist the exchange and that could have serious, negative repercussions
on her training, and therefore her ability to integrate into The
Community and human society as well.” 

Mulder wasn’t too happy at the thought of Knight and Scully in a
‘bloodkiss’ whether it was overtly sexual or not. 

Natalie saw the emotion play on his face and quickly continued.  There
is good news, Mulder.  Nick says she seems remarkably well adjusted to
the change, especially given the complications of dual masters and her
inherent skepticism. 

Mulder smiled at that.  “I imagine what she would have said last week
if I had told her that not only are vampires real, but by this time
next week, you will have joined their ranks.” 

“Two weeks won’t last forever, Mulder.” 

“No, it will just seem like forever.” 

“It will be worth the wait, I guarantee you.” 

“What do you mean by that, Natalie?”  Mulder asked. 

Natalie blushed slightly, “Well… When I said the bloodkiss wasn’t
inherently sexual…” 

Mulder growled, “Yes?” 

“Well, it isn’t.  But when it is done between two people who love each
other, during…  Well…” 

Natalie’s blush deepened to the point that Mulder could almost feel the
heat rolling off of her.  “That good, huh?” he asked, grinning madly. 

“Whew, Definitely!” she responded. 

“Is it dangerous?  What do I need to, you know, do- like, anything
special?”  Mulder asked, clearly unsure of how to broach the subject. 

“Just make sure she is very well fed beforehand so she doesn’t drain
you.”  Natalie looked at her watch, “Look, you should go back to the
hotel and get some sleep.  She isn’t going to wake up before sundown,
and would probably appreciate some clean clothes when she does.  I’ll
call you a Cab, ok?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be back tonight before sundown.  We need to try and see
that guy that was in the bar tonight anyway.” 

“I’d almost forgotten all about the case.  We may want to bring Nick’s
partner in on this.  Nick is going to be kind of tied up with Dana for
a while.”  Natalie said. 

“Does she know?”  Mulder asked. 

“She knows about vampires, she is dating one in fact.  She doesn’t know
about Nick specifically, however.”  Natalie smiled.  “I don’t envy Nick
when he tells her.  She is going to be pissed!” 

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

The Raven 
4:10 p.m. Wednesday 

Mulder had brought Scully’s luggage with him when he returned, about an
hour before sunset.  He had just finished lugging it up to the room
Scully was staying in.  He went back down to the club, where Nick,
Natalie, and LaCroix were lounging as Miklos, Alma and a few others
were setting up the place for opening at 8 p.m. 

Mulder joined the trio and asked what they had been discussing. 

“We were considering how best to approach our ‘mystery guest’ from last
night.” Nick said.  “I think Natalie is right, we should bring Tracy in
on this.”  Nick hung his head as he thought of the coming
confrontation. 

“It is high time she joined us in any case.  Certain people in high
places were becoming aware of the Spaniard’s indiscretion.  Decision
time is nearly upon her.”  LaCroix said. 

“They would force her to come across?”  Natalie asked, somewhat
shocked. 

“She will be given the standard three choices, Natalie.”  LaCroix said.
“When the elders gather here for the solstice next year, all such
mortal confidants in the Toronto area will be given the choice.”
LaCroix met her gaze and said, “It would be better for all concerned if
she made the choice before then.” 

“Conlectio Cruoris is in Toronto this time?”  Nick repeated, surprised.
“Does Vachon know?” 

“Not so far as I am aware,” LaCroix answered.  “You should speak to
him; perhaps have him bring his pet to us for a formal introduction.”
LaCroix smiled at the thought. 

“I think you might want to tell her that you’re a vampire, first,
Nick.”  Natalie said.  “She is going to be pissed off as it is, and you
don’t want her reacting during a ‘formal introduction’ to the elder of
Toronto ,” she continued, wryly. 

“Yes.  Tonight, I think.”  Nick said. 

Mulder had remained silent during all of this.  He was suddenly less
concerned with solving the mystery of the swordfighters than he was
concerned about Scully.  He had only been able to speak to her briefly
last night after her change, but she had been somewhat withdrawn from
him.  He refused to allow this change to separate them. 

He would gladly become a vampire if that’s what it took.  They would
have to leave the FBI, but they would survive.  He had quite a bit of
money from his inheritance when his mother had died, plus several
houses he could sell.  They wouldn’t suffer for money. 

More than anything, he wanted to be with Scully.  Everything else came
second- including his quest for the truth about his sister.  She was
his past, and he wanted to know the truth, but Scully was his present
and his future.  “Scully comes first.  Now and always,” he thought with
resolve.  “Now, how to convince her of that?” he wondered. 

He was startled out of his reverie when Nick laid his hand on Mulder’s
arm, “She is starting to wake up, Mulder.  Do you want to go see her?” 
Nick asked. 

“Can I?”  Mulder asked.  He was worried, not for his safety but for her
emotional state if she attacked him in hunger. 

Nick reassured him, “You can bring her breakfast, Mulder.  I will
remain right outside the door in case there is any problem.” 

Mulder was suddenly struck with how much these two were giving up to
help him and Scully.  This should have been Natalie that Nick was
caring for and training.  Their own lives were put on hold so that they
could take care of Scully.  “Nick, Natalie.  I’m sorry that I didn’t
say thank you last night.  I know you guys are giving up a lot to help
us out here, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.  I can’t
thank you enough.”  Mulder turned to LaCroix, “And to you, Sir.  Thank
you for generously sharing your home with Scully and myself.  And thank
you for this morning.”  He bowed his head slightly toward the master
vampire. 

LaCroix liked this young man.  His woman as well.  “They will make fine
additions to my extended family,” he thought.  He even toyed with the
thought of bringing Mulder across himself.  He was thinking that it
might serve to further bind his son to him if he could give him a
brother to be the mate of Nick’s new childé. “It bear s contemplation,”
he said to himself.  In response to Mulder’s thanks he merely inclined
his head slightly. 

“Come on, Mulder,” Nick said, getting up and walking toward the stairs
with him following close behind. 

Natalie has watched the exchange between Mulder and LaCroix with
narrowed eyes.  She waited until the two men had gone up the stairs
before commenting.  “You’re considering bringing him across yourself,
aren’t you?” she saw confirmation in the slight look of surprise on his
face.  “I hope you will let him choose for himself,” she said softly as
she got up and followed her fiancée and Mulder. 

“Yes, she will make an excellent grandchild.”  LaCroix said to himself.
“If Dana has even half of her potential, my family is going to be a
force to be reckoned with,” he thought with satisfaction. 

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

Scully woke up alone.  She stretched out on the bed and thought for a
moment, trying to figure out where she was.  Just as the thirst hit
her, all the memories came crashing down.  “I’m a vampire,” she
whispered out loud.  She could hear whispering outside of her door as
clearly as if they had been shouting.  Nick was telling someone to
speak softly, explaining about her heightened senses, and that he
should be careful of over-stimulation.  She could hear one heartbeat
outside the door, and suddenly knew that it must be Mulder.  Ohhh, she
was hungry.  But this time it wasn’t quite as consuming as when she had
awakened after the change last night.  At that point she would have
already been up and through the door, her teeth at Mulder’s throat. 

There was a hesitant knock at the door, and she said, “Come in,
Mulder.” 

He came in wearing a shy smile and carrying three bottles.  He handed
her one and the smell of blood coming out of it was overpowering.  Any
thought of moderation or politeness was wiped away as she tipped up the
bottle and downed it in one long draught.  The second bottle quickly
followed and she was part way through the third before she was able to
slow down long enough for speech.  “Sorry about that,” she said,
embarrassed by her behavior. 

“Nick says that it’s normal for a new fledgling to do that.  He said it
would pass quickly and you will gain control over your hunger.”  Mulder
said quietly. 

“Oh.  That’s something to look forward to, I guess.”  Scully felt
herself withdraw a little. 

Mulder could see the walls between them being rebuilt after only so
recently being torn down.  It felt like a boulder was dropped on his
chest, and his heart was being crushed.  He dropped to his knees before
the woman he loved with every fiber of his being. “Please, Scully!
Don’t do this.  I’ll die if you leave me again.”  Mulder choked back a
sob, “I love you Scully.  I need you.  Please don’t shut me out.” 

Scully felt like glass.  She didn’t believe he could still love her
like this.  She wasn’t the same person she had been when she woke up in
his arms yesterday.  “How can you love me, Mulder?  I’m not even human
anymore,” she said, her voice brittle. 

Nick came in at that moment.  He was angry with her for thinking that,
mostly because it was the same addle-brained sentiment he had foolishly
lived under for centuries.  Miserable centuries.  His anger lashed out
at her through their link and snapped her out of her despair.  “I lived
like that for centuries, Dana, and I have finally given up on my self-
pity.  I’ll be damned if I will allow my childé to wallow in wretched
misery!”  He fairly roared in anger.  “I want this fixed now!  I won’t
train a depressed, moody vampire!” 

Scully shrank back at the anger she felt in her mind from Nick.  From
her master.  She was getting an instant education in the meaning of the
word master.  To say that she was cowed was an understatement.  All of
that power she had only glimpsed yesterday was back and was whipping
her down like an errant school child.  She dropped to her knees next to
Mulder, facing Nick, “How, Sir?” she whispered, eyes down. 

Nick instantly cooled.  He would not act like his master had, and he
would make sure his childé would not act like he had been forced to.
“Stand up Dana,” he said. 

She jumped to her feet, but kept her eyes down, looking at Mulder who
was shocked at her submissiveness. 

“Look at me Dana,” Nick commanded.  Meeting her gaze he said, “I am
your maker.  I will be your teacher.  It is important that you obey me
while we are conducting your training.  However, you’re not my slave.
You’re a student and you have much to learn, but I would prefer your
respect, not fear.  And call me Nick.” 

Scully relaxed ever so slightly, “Ok, Nick.” 

“Now then, lets get rid of this attitude you have developed- you’re
still human, Dana, just not mortal any longer.  You will only give up
your humanity and become a monster if you choose to do so.  I don’t see
you doing that, any more than you would have if you had remained
mortal.  The only inherent changes you have made are the sensitivity to
sunlight, garlic, and a change in diet.  Think of it like a severe
allergy, not an infection of evil.  And, there are compensations for
these deficiencies, I assure you.” 

Scully didn’t look convinced, but neither was she retreating into her
shell of despondency. 

Mulder stood up as Nick asked him, “Do you still love her?” 

Mulder answered without hesitation.  “More than anything or anyone
else, ever.” 

Nick continued, “Do you trust her?” 

“Absolutely” Mulder said. 

Nick looked at Scully.  “Do you love him?” 

She dropped her eyes and whispered, “Yes.” 

Nick continued, “But you don’t believe that he can still love you as
you are, correct?” 

She just nodded her head slowly. 

Mulder groaned, “Oh, Scully.” 

Nick stopped him short, “Words won’t do, Mulder.  Are you willing to do
what it takes to prove it to her, and at the same time prove to
yourself that she still loves you?” 

Again, Mulder didn’t hesitate, “Anything.  I already told you, Nick.  I
will do *anything* to have her in my life.” 

“Go get me 3 more bottles, Mulder.  Now.” 

Mulder hurried downstairs to get more blood.  Nick turned to Scully and
said, “Drink the rest of that one,” indicating the bottle she held in
her hand. 

She finished off the bottle and asked, “What will you make him do?” 

“This is one of those times that I will require your obedience.  You
will have to trust me to help you.”  Nick said. 

Mulder returned with the bottles, out of breath as he had run both
ways. 

Nick commanded Scully, “Drink them all.  Now.”  He then watched as she
downed each of them, one right after the other.  Nick then said to
Mulder, “Give me your hand.” 

Mulder blinked once and then stuck out his arm toward Nick. 

Nick turned to Scully, “Now, bite his wrist, and drink from him and you
will each have the knowledge you need.”  When Scully hesitated he said,
“If necessary, I will make sure you stop before you take too much
Dana.”  He then said with a strong tone of command, “Do it now.” 

Scully moved over to Mulder’s wrist, gently taking his hand from Nick. 
She could sense the flow of his blood beneath the thin skin on the
inside of his wrist.  The colors around her began to gain a green
luminescence and she could hear the rapid beating of Mulder’s heart.
She could smell his blood now; it perfumed the air before her.  She
looked into Mulder’s eyes, seeking permission.  She saw love and trust
in his eyes.  “You smell like cardamom, Mulder,” she whispered softly,
returning her eyes to his wrist.  She felt an ache in her gums as her
fangs descended fully for the first time. 

“Do it!” Nick commanded through their link. 

Despite all of the blood she had ingested moments ago, she felt a fresh
hunger spring up in her then.  She quickly pulled his wrist to her
mouth and bit down.  Her first thought was that it was like biting into
a ripe peach, his blood came quicker than she expected and a little bit
came out around her lips and dripped down her chin.  Then the taste of
his blood filled her senses, deliciously warm, incredibly rich, and
heady with the perfume of cardamom.  As she swallowed the first
mouthful the link was established.  What she felt next wiped out any
doubts she could have ever had. 

Mulder felt the sharp sting of Scully’s fangs in his wrist and was
almost immediately overcome with a surge of emotion.  Scully’s emotion.
She loved him desperately, needed him, adored him and cherished him.
She was terrified that he would leave her now, repulsed by what she had
become.  His own fear and despair that she would move on, leaving him
behind now that she had become so much more, seemed silly to him now.
She could never leave him as long as he wanted her.  He felt a sense of
relief and joy that flooded through him like standing in a warm shower
after being out in the icy cold for too long- almost painful in its
overpowering pleasure.  He also began to feel just a bit light headed,
whether from relief or blood-loss, he wasn’t sure. 

“Stupid, I am so stupid!”  Scully thought as the link was established. 
She had really expected to find rejection in Mulder’s blood.  Well, she
wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from this experience, really, but
she had convinced herself that she was unlovable as a vampire.  She had
been so afraid that he didn’t want her anymore that she momentarily
thought it was her own fear flooding her mouth.  She quickly realized
that it was Mulder’s fear she tasted.  He was worried that she didn’t
need him any more, now that she was ‘so much more’ than she had been.
“Oh Mulder, I could never leave you,” she thought.  “There is no ‘me’
apart from you.” 

Nick was about to intervene when Scully felt Mulder’s weakness.  She
pulled away from his wrist so abruptly that more blood dripped down her
face, staining the blouse LaCroix had loaned her.  His daughter’s, he’d
told her. 

Through their link Nick gently instructed her on what to do, and Scully
carefully licked the wounds on Mulder’s wrist until they scabbed over. 
Her heart was full of the love Mulder had for her.  She was filled with
joy and tears were running down her face. 

Mulder opened his eyes- he hadn’t even realized that he had closed
them- and looked at the face of the woman he loved.  Her mouth and chin
were covered in his blood and tracks of blood ran down her face from
her eyes, which were still luminous green.  Her lips were parted and he
could see a little of her fangs.  It was the sweetest, most beautiful,
and downright sexy sight he had ever laid eyes on.  He swept her up
into his embrace and captured her mouth with his own.  Kissing her
thoroughly.  The taste of his own blood did nothing to calm his ardor. 

This time Nick did intervene.  “Enough, you two!  Mulder, you’re not
quite ready to donate again.  Scully, you need more control before
you’re ready for that.”  He looked sternly at them as they separated
slightly.  “Don’t push this too far, too fast, or you will have a
tragedy on your hands.”  He shook his head, “Two weeks at most, I
promise.  Less if you diligently apply yourself, Dana.” 

Mulder looked down at Scully and smiled.  “We waited 7 years…” 

“We can make it two weeks,” Scully finished, smiling up at him. 

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

Nick’s Loft 
8 p.m. Wednesday 

They had decided that Scully wasn’t really ready for the Raven when it
was packed with mortals, so the four of them went back to Nick’s loft. 
LaCroix was going to speak to Vachon about the Tracy situation when he
got in that night.  Nick had called Tracy and invited her over to
discuss the case; of course he was going to be covering a lot more than
that.  He wasn’t looking forward to her reaction.  He had asked LaCroix
if he would send Vachon over after speaking with him.  He and Tracy had
some decisions to make. 

“So what are we going to do about the headhunter thing, Nick?”  Natalie
asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

“I thought you and Mulder and Tracy could go look up the guy from the
bar.  You could take Vachon as backup, and LaCroix has one of his
bouncers watching him as well.  It should be safe enough.”  Nick said. 

“You aren’t coming?”  Natalie asked. 

“Dana needs to start her training.  We cannot put it off, even for
this.”  Nick turned from his fiancée to his new childé and continued,
“You have a lot of potential, Dana.  Really.  Most new fledglings are
unable to even see a mortal this soon, let alone be in their close
proximity for an extended period of time.”  He fixed his gaze firmly on
hers and continued sternly, “However, if we put off your training, you
will not survive.  Even now, you feel the pull to hunt, don’t you?” 

Scully dropped her head in shame and nodded. 

“Don’t be ashamed of it, Dana, be aware of it.  We will work together
and you will learn to control it.  Even now, you feel it, but you
obviously don’t feel compelled to act on it.  That’s what I mean by
potential.  A normal fledgling would be unable to keep from doing so.” 
Nick said. 

Scully looked hopeful. 

“You still need training, though.  If you were dropped into the middle
of a crowd right now, or if something happened to make you feel
threatened, or even if you just got a little too hungry, you would be
tearing into the nearest mortal you could get your hands on- even
Mulder.”  Nick said seriously. 

The other three all blanched at that. 

“So,” he continued, “be patient.  Be diligent.” 

Just then the sound of the lift engaging rang out.  Nick went from
Master Vampire, to a scared little boy as he realized Tracy was on her
way up.  Natalie chuckled at the look on his face and got up to get
everyone a drink. 

“Bring a bottle for my daughter, if you would dear.”  Nick said just
for the humorous effect. 

Natalie and Mulder laughed and Scully stuck her tongue out at him.
“Gee thanks, Dad,” she said, causing Mulder and Natalie to laugh out
loud, and even Nick smiled. 

Tracy came bouncing in as she always did (if you look up ‘perky’ in the
dictionary you will find the definition followed by ‘See Vetter,
Tracy), and said, “What’s up, Nick?  How come you guys aren’t at the
conference?” 

“Sit down Tracy ; I have a lot to tell you.”  Nick sighed heavily as
she sat at the table.  “You remember Agents Mulder and Scully from the
FBI?” 

“Yes, we met briefly Saturday night.”  She looked at the two agents;
they looked a little worn out.  Agent Scully looked even paler than she
had the other night.  “Please, call me Tracy,” she said as they both
welcomed her by her title. 

“I’m Dana” Scully said. 

“Actually, everyone just calls me Mulder,” Mulder said. 

“Is this about that decapitated corpse, Nick?”  Tracy asked.  “Because,
we’re still nowhere on that.  No ID, no leads.” 

“Yes, Tracy .  This is about that.  We have a couple of leads actually,
but before we can discus them there is something… well… something kind
of awkward that I need to tell you.”  Nick said. 

“What is it Nick?”  Tracy asked. 

Nick couldn’t really think of a good way to broach the subject gently
or easily so he decided on the direct approach.  He looked her straight
in the eye and said, “ Tracy , I am a vampire.” 

Tracy paused for a second, “What does that have to do with the
decapitation?” she asked. 

Nick was stunned.  He just sat there, slack-jawed.  Of all the possible
reactions he had imagined, this wasn’t even close to being one of them.
“Huh?  How…” 

Tracy looked at the four of them; they were all a bit stunned, but
especially Nick.  God, he could be clueless sometimes.  She looked at
Natalie and said, “Honestly Natalie, how do you put up with him?”  She
looked back at Nick, still gaping like a fish out of water, “Well, Duh!
Nick.  I’m a de-tec-tive, I de-tect.”  They didn’t give me the badge
because I’m perky!” 

Natalie immediately began screaming in laughter, tears pouring down her
face.  Mulder was laughing out loud as well.  Scully had her hands over
her mouth trying not to laugh at her master, given that she could feel
his annoyance through their link, and didn’t quite feel brave enough to
exacerbate it. 

If Nick could have blushed, his face would be on fire.  “How long…” 

“That whole sun allergy thing was pretty fishy before I knew about
vampires.  After I met Vachon… well it was pretty obvious.”  She
paused, “You two do know each other, don’t you?  I mean how could you
not, right?  How many vampires are there in Toronto anyway?  Vachon
would never talk to me about them.  And don’t think I’m not going to
pay him back for not telling me about you, even though I already
figured it out, I mean…” Tracy started chattering. 

“Enough Trace!”  Nick broke through the steady stream-of-consciousness
pouring forth.  “I get the point.”  Nick chuckled at his own
cluelessness and looked at the other three.  Mulder was wiping the
tears from his eyes, Natalie had her head down between her knees trying
to catch her breath; she had laughed so hard.  His ‘daughter’ still had
her hands clasped firmly over her mouth, unshed bloodtears welling in
her eyes.  He felt through their link and saw that it was only the fact
that she was refusing to breath at all that was keeping her from
joining Natalie in her hysterics. 

“So what is the deal then, Nick?”  Tracy asked.  “Is the killer a
vampire or what?” 

Nick went on to explain what they had really seen in the alley,
including the facts that didn’t make the official report.  He told her
about the fight on the rooftop, and the guy at the bar.  He left off
the part about LaCroix and just said a vamp had killed him a long time
ago, and he was still alive and not a vampire. 

“So you think this guy you saw in the Raven might be like the guy you
fought on the roof?”  Tracy asked. 

“It is a possibility, yes.”  Nick replied. 

“And you want us to go talk to him, right?” 

“Well… you, Mulder and Nat, anyway.”  Nick replied. 

Tracy raised an eyebrow at that, “You’re not coming?  You want us to go
see a potentially unkillable, sword-swinging homicidal maniac- but you
and Dana aren’t joining us?”  Tracy threw her hands up in the air, “Why
not?” 

Nick looked at Scully, “Up to you,” he said through the link. 

Scully looked a bit sheepish, “Ahh, I’m not exactly allowed out in
public… not just yet anyway,” she said, glancing at Nick the entire
time. 

It only took Tracy a moment to figure out what she meant by that, “You
brought an FBI Agent across?!  Nick! What were you thinking?”  She was
exasperated.  “I thought the point of the code was *not* to bring
attention to The Community!” 

“Vachon told you about the code?  Good.  That leads us to the next
topic.  Vachon should be here anytime now.  You and he have something
to discuss.  Something important.”  Nick said. 

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

Outside The Raven 
The subject of their discussion was just leaving the Raven.  Javier
Vachon was more afraid right now than he had been since he was brought
across, almost 470 years ago.  Not long ago he would have cut and run,
rather than let himself get involved with a Code conflict and the
Conlectio Cruoris of the Council of Elders.  “ Tracy is worth it.” he
told himself.  He knew he was hopelessly in love with her, but he
didn’t know how she felt.  Frankly he didn’t think she knew either.
One didn’t usually see a lot of perky, upbeat vampires running around,
but he was sure that Tracy wouldn’t lose that just because she came
across.  Now he had to convince her of it. 

When LaCroix told him that Tracy would have to choose, and soon, or
face death; he felt like he had been staked in the gut.  The fact that
his own life was on the line didn’t even enter into his thoughts.  If
she chose not to come across, she would die.  Would he even want to
live beyond that day?  It wasn’t a subject he had ever considered.  The
end of his own existence.  “Wow,” he thought.  He would just have to
convince her that the nightlife was better than no-life.  He took off
for the Loft at top speed. 

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

 

Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 8 
Terminal 3 

Lester B Pearson International Airport 

8:02 p.m.   Wednesday December 13th. 

Methos was waiting.  “Bloody plane is 2 bloody hours late.” he thought
sourly.  “5,000 years of progress and we still can’t schedule traffic
any better than we could with Bloody donkeys and carts.” 

An announcement came across the public address system, “Flight 1013
From Seattle Washington Now Arriving At Gate B10.” 

“About Bloody Time!!” Methos said while jumping up off of his stool at
the bar.  He threw down a $50 and took off for the gate. 

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

Gate B10 

Duncan MacLeod was pissed off.  He had been woken up at 6 a.m. and had
to pack and get to the airport for an 11 a.m. flight across the country
and into Canada .  With a sword.  Across international boarders with a
three-and-a-half bloody foot-long sword.  Not an easy task when one
plans ahead.  Short notice; customs; sword.  And no explanation why
other than ‘It’s important, Duncan .’  “That SOB *owes* me for this
one,” he thought. 

He felt the quickening as soon as he stepped off the plane.  “Hullo
Mac!” he heard from off to his left.  He turned to find a grinning
Methos standing there looking entirely too happy to see him. 

“Alright, Why the hell am I here, Methos?”  Mac said without preamble. 

“What…  No ‘Hello’; No ‘Long time, no see’;  Not even a ‘How’s it
going’ for your old pal?”  Methos teased. 

“How about a ‘what-the-hell’s-going-on?’”  Mac said sourly. 

Methos picked up the carryon bag that Mac had dropped and hooked his
free arm in Mac’s, pulling him close and whispering, “In the car.  I
have the feeling I’m being watched.” and then walked toward the
terminal, dragging Mac along. 

Mac quickly surveyed the 150 or so people in sight and kept pace with
Methos. 

As they entered the parking structure, Mac thought he had the tail
spotted.  He was very good, blending in with the crowd, never looking
directly at them, or evenly matching their pace of movement.  However,
he wasn’t with anyone, wasn’t carrying a bag, and Mac didn’t recognize
him from the flight, so why would he be in the group of people heading
toward baggage claim?  If he didn’t stop and pick up a bag at the
claim, Mac would be sure- since he himself only had carry-on bags and
wouldn’t be stopping. 

As they came around a bend Mac broke off and gestured for Methos to
keep going while he hid behind a concrete support and waited for their
tail to show. 

Carter knew it was a trap before he even entered.  However, there was
no way around, and if he doubled back, he might lose the target.
Either he was already made or they were just being cautious.  All he
could do was move through it and either balls it out or fight through
and wait on the other side for them to come out. 

He could hear the heartbeat of the mortal behind the pillar, and of his
target up ahead.  He never broke stride as he passed the first, but the
silly mortal whipped out a sword and held it to his neck.  “Nice blade”
he thought.  If he had to kill the guy, at least he would get a nice
souvenir out of it.  “What’s your problem, man?” he said out loud,
trying to balls it out. 

“Nice try, but you forgot your bags.” MacLeod rasped out. 

“Fight it out, I guess” Carter thought as he saw the target coming back
with another sword drawn. 

Methos came into sight of MacLeod holding a small young man at bay with
his sword against the kid’s neck.  He was going to say “Aren’t you a
little short to be a thug?” when the kid moved.  It was almost too fast
for the eye to see.  The kid leaned back at an impossible angle away
from Mac’s sword then batted it up with one hand while striking a back-
fist against Mac's chest, caving it in with a sickening crunch.  Before
he could even blink, he felt something strike his chest with a force
like being shot with a rifle.  He flew several meters down the ramp
they were on and landed on his back.  He was pretty sure he had at
least several broken ribs. 

As Carter flew away he chastised himself for not pulling his punches
more.  He was pretty sure the target survived, but the other one was
almost certainly dead.  If not, he would be soon, as Carter felt the
ribs give way when he struck, penetrating the lungs and heart.  Miklos
was not going to be pleased.  He wasn’t even going to think of how the
general would react. 

To say that he was surprised when he observed both of them walking into
the parking lot not two minutes later was an understatement.  Neither
moved as though they were injured at all.  He waited until they were in
the car and then pulled out his phone and placed a call before leaping
into the air after them. 

MacLeod waited until they were in the car before he said a word.
Methos turned toward him and started to speak, but Mac cut him off. 

“Short notice, customs, sword, no explanation,” he was ticking each
point off of the fingers of his right hand as if counting from 1 to 5,
but on 5 he made a fist and shook it at Methos.  “And dead from a
bloody crushed chest- not the most pleasant way to go, by the way.” 

Methos took a quick breath as if to say something when Mac jumped in
again, “And what the hell was that?  I’ve been hit by cars with less
damage!”  Mac complained. 

Methos just started the car and began driving off.  He waited for
MacLeod to stop ranting before even trying to get a word in.  Finally
Mac wound down and Methos said, “I don’t know what it was MacLeod.  I
was in a club looking for Froag last night when I saw this guy.” 

MacLeod jumped once more, “You mean the guy that just kicked out butts?
And why are you looking for Phineas Froag?” 

“Maybe if you would let me finish a sentence, I could explain?”  Methos
said, exasperated. 

“Well by all means, please do go on,” MacLeod said sarcastically. 

“Thank you,” Methos said just as sarcastically.  “I saw a guy in the
club that I recognized from a long time ago.  But, there was no
quickening.  I’m sure it was the same guy, and he recognized me as
well, even put my drinks on the house tab.”  Methos shot a quick glance
at Mac to gauge his reaction, before continuing.  “Any way, ever since
I left the club, I felt like I was being followed.  I never could find
the guy, no matter how many times I doubled back or walked in circles. 
That’s why I called you this morning.” 

“So the thing that attacked us wasn’t the guy from the club?  Are you
sure you were close enough to feel the quickening?”  Mac asked. 

“No and Yes, respectively.”  Methos replied. 

“How do you know the guy from the club?”  Mac asked. 

“He had me crucified in Gaul in 74 AD.”  Methos responded. 

“Why?” 

“He was a Roman General.  He wiped out a tribe I had been living with
for a decade or so.”  Methos said. 

“So why single you out for special treatment?” 

“I had been leading raids against his troops for a couple of weeks
before they got to our village.  I never did figure out how they found
us- we always escaped away from the direction of the village when we
retreated from our raids.  I left tails and we were never followed even
in the wrong direction, let alone all the way to the village.”  Methos
shook his head slowly.  “Any way, I was thinking of going back
tonight…” 

“And you wanted me as backup?”  Mac asked, incredulously. 

“Yeah, fat lot of good you did so far.”  Methos teased. 

“I didn’t see you get any good strikes in, and *you* had time- he
attacked me first!”  Mac complained. 

“So, you want to go with me?”  Methos asked. 

“Well, I haven’t been killed in at least…” Mac looked at his watch, “10
minutes or so.  Why not?” 

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

Nick’s Loft 
8:30 p.m. Wednesday 

Vachon landed on the roof of the loft and looked in the skylight.  He
saw Trace, Nick, Natalie, and a Vampire and a mortal that he didn’t
know.  He was about to jump off the roof and come in the conventional
way- since he didn’t know if Tracy knew about Nick being a vamp, and he
didn’t know about the other mortal at all- when Nick looked up and
gestured for him to enter.  “He must have told Tracy .  I’m sorry I
missed that!” he thought. 

Natalie, Tracy and Mulder all started slightly when they heard the
skylight open and saw Vachon jump down.  Mulder was like a kid in a
candy store, seeing all of the X-Files fodder around and for once being
able to share it with Scully.  “She can’t ‘scientific explanation’ it
all away this time!” he thought, somewhat uncharitably.  He loved her
more than life itself, “but damn!  I get tired of being the only one to
see it every time!”  he thought, remembering all of the supernatural
and/or alien phenomena he had witnessed while Scully was unconscious,
missing, or just plain looking the wrong way. 

“Hey Trace,” Vachon said. 

Tracy promptly stood up and hugged him.  Then she pulled back and
punched him in the arm as hard as she could. 

“Ouch!  What was that for?” he asked the madwomen who had just
assaulted him. 

“That’s for not telling me about Nick!”  Tracy said, looking fiercely
at him. 

Natalie and Nick laughed at the ‘little boy caught red-handed’ look.
Scully had finally calmed down enough to start breathing again when she
caught Nick’s ‘whipped’ comment through the link and started laughing. 
“Better not let Natalie hear you say that,” she thought to him. 

Again, if Nick could have blushed, he would have.  As it was, Natalie
seemed to pick up on the exchange and elbowed Nick in the ribs, just in
case. 

Tracy transitioned back to perky and introduced Mulder and Scully to
Vachon.  Upon hearing the titles, Vachon commented, “How does one of us
get into the FBI?  Don’t they make you take all kinds of physical tests
and such?” 

Mulder chuckled at Scully’s sheepish look and answered for her, “She
only recently, Ahh… joined your ranks.” 

By that time Vachon had detected Knight’s scent on her.  He spun around
toward him saying, “You brought across an FBI Agent?!  What were you
thinking?” 

Inexplicably, Tracy blushed at the comment and the rest laughed.
Vachon was slightly nonplussed at the reaction and Tracy forged ahead,
“Nick said we needed to talk, Vachon.  So… Talk.” 

Vachon told her what LaCroix had told him.  Tracy paled and looked at
Nick.  “The Nightcrawler?  Why would he be involved at all, and why is
he giving my Boyfriend instructions on my life?”  Tracy practically
shouted. 

Vachon thought “Well that answers one question.”  He noticed that she
was looking back and forth between Knight, Natalie and himself, trying
to figure out why they were all smiling at her. 

Tracy suddenly blushed when she realized she had slipped.  Before she
could protest, Vachon answered her question. 

“LaCroix is the oldest vampire in Toronto , Tracy .  He was doing
Knight a favor by telling me before the choice was forced on you.” 

Tracy was overwhelmed with the influx of new information and the
seriousness of the situation that she was in.  “Why would the oldest
vampire in Toronto do me any favors, Nick?” 

“Because you’re my partner, Tracy.  He knows that I care about you.”
Nick told her the rest, “He’s my Father Tracy.” 

“Your Father?” 

“Father, Maker, Master- how ever you choose to describe it.”  Nick
said. 

Tracy was clearly overwhelmed.  “Oh,” she said. 

Nick looked at Mulder and said, “Why don’t you four go see our
‘suspect?’  I’ve got the address of the place where he is apparently
staying from LaCroix.  Nat can drive while you explain the situation to
Vachon, and then Tracy and Vachon can talk on the way?” 

“Yeah.  I’d like to figure out what these guys are.”  Mulder said.
“Plus,” he thought to himself, “The sooner he trains Scully, the sooner
we can be together again.” 

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

The Raven 
9:35 p.m. 

“Irony,” was the one word Carter thought of to describe this situation.
He was watching the target for Miklos, for when the General was ready
to find him; however, it seemed that the target was ready to find the
General first.  Carter pulled out his phone. 

MacLeod and Methos stood in line at the Raven for about 20 minutes when
someone opened the door and the Bouncer stuck his head into the club
for a moment.  When he came back, he immediately opened the rope line
and let everyone in front of them in until they themselves got in.  Mac
noticed that they were the last ones allowed in before the bouncer
closed the line again. 

Methos and Mac shared a look.  “Quite a coincidence,” they both thought
as they went to find a table. 

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

LaCroix’s Office 
LaCroix was intrigued.  First Miklos informed him of the incident at
the airport, and now this man and his companion had come straight to
him.  He made sure they got in immediately, but winced when he noticed
that his incompetent bouncer had been so obvious about it. 

LaCroix reviewed the facts, such as he had, “They are both like the one
Nicolas and Agent Mulder encountered the other night.  They can be
killed but they don’t stay dead.  Unless you take their head, perhaps?”
he thought, remembering Nicolas’ description of the first encounter on
Saturday night.  “There are at least three of them in the city.  At
least one of them is as old as I am, perhaps older.” 

LaCroix watched them on the CCTV system for a bit, considering his next
course of action.  He was in no particular hurry.  They would not be
allowed to leave until he was ready for them to do so.  “If that time
should come,” he murmured.  He thought it might be amusing to allow
Nick to approach them in his capacity as a member of ‘ Toronto ’s
Finest’ and see what their reaction was.  Eventually he reached for the
phone. 

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

Nick’s Loft 
Nick had decided that quick instruction was needed for a variety of
reasons.  He knew Dana wanted strongly to be with Mulder again- soon.
He himself wanted to bring Natalie across and he didn’t want to wait
any longer than necessary. 

Fortunately there was a way to facilitate the training.  Unfortunately
it involved a level of intimacy that was rather uncomfortable to
consider.  He would have to be as intimate with Dana as he was with
Natalie.  Not physically, but in every other way.  He thought Natalie
would understand once she came across, but might have a more difficult
time from a purely mortal perspective.  That Dana might resist such
intimacy was also a consideration.  He would have to convince her. 

Scully watched Nick as he considered her.  She didn’t care for the new
relationship that she had with this man.  He was her master.  She had
the impression that he didn’t really think of her as a slave, but she
could feel the power he wielded over her and, by any other name, she
felt like a slave just the same.  She tried not to resent him; he had
saved her life, after all.  It wasn’t his choice that made her what she
was, it was hers.  She could have gone on, not crossed back over.  She
thought of Mulder, and realized that whatever she would have to do, it
would be worth it. 

Nick felt his new fledgling’s turmoil and resolve.  He decided that it
was foolish to wait, and that it was equally foolish to try and reason
and cajole her into what had to be done.  He would play the part of
master to the hilt, demanding what was necessary, and then releasing
her once it was complete.  They would always share a bond, but one not
nearly as strong as the link between him and his own master.  He would
train her and then let her go her own way as she chose. 

Scully was becoming uncomfortable as Nick continued to stare at her
intently.  He had closed off their link and she couldn’t feel what he
was thinking.  Suddenly he seemed to come to a decision. 

Nick focused on Dana and spoke, “This is going to be uncomfortably
intimate for both of us, but it is the quickest way to cover the basics
and significantly reduce the time we will need to accomplish your
training,” Nick sighed.  He then continued with a tone that bore no
argument, “I expect that you will obey me, Dana.  You will feel the
impulse to resist once the link is initiated.  That is normal.  I will
beat down your resistance and completely possess you.  It won’t last
long, but it will feel as though it does.  The more you’re able to
relax and allow it to happen, the easier and quicker it will be.” 

Before she could even comment, Nick struck.  He had her in his arms and
his teeth buried in her throat in less than an eye blink.  She felt
compelled to bite him as well, so she did.  Intimate didn’t begin to
describe it.  Her instinctive resistance to this… Violation seemed to
come the closest… was quashed immediately and she felt herself being
erased and replaced with him.  S/He was being taught by LaCroix.  S/He
experienced every agonizing moment- being repeatedly thrown off of a
cliff until S/He grasped the concept of flight.  Being abandoned in a
maze and forced to focus on the link with her/his master and find him
where he was hidden. 

Then the killing came through.  S/He was hunting.  Hunting humans,
reveling in the blood and death.  S/He was a killing machine, draining
and destroying wherever she went.  S/He gloried in the power of the
vampire.  Suddenly the guilt began.  S/He began to feel the crushing
remorse that came from realizing that S/He was a monster, and damned
for all eternity.  Finally S/He found forgiveness and the chance for
redemption. 

Scully slowly came to an awareness of herself as a separate entity.
She felt the bloodtears dried on her face, and the rawness and
hypersensitivity of her flesh.  She also felt gnawing hunger as though
she hadn’t eaten in days. 

As soon as he felt that she wouldn’t collapse, he flew to the fridge
and grabbed several bottles.  He tore the cork out of one and handed it
to her, while biting the cork out of another for himself.  After they
each finished several bottles he reached through their link and
compelled her to follow him.  He took off into the air and through the
skylight into the night. 

Scully didn’t even stop to think but took off after him into the sky.
She had been chasing him for several minutes before she realized what
she was doing.  “Wow!” she thought.  The night was nearly as bright as
it would be during daylight.  Everything was crystal clear, and the
colors were intense!  She was slightly lost in the intensity of the
experience when she heard “Find me” and realized that she no longer saw
Nick anywhere near her. 

She remembered finding LaCroix this way, “I mean, I remember Nick
finding LaCroix…” Either way, she knew what to do.  It seemed like only
moments later that she came upon Nick hiding in a mausoleum in a
graveyard on the outskirts of the city. 

“Cliché, I know,” he said.  Then he was gone again. 

This time she couldn’t hear him calling her.  This too, she remembered.
She extended her senses, envisioning a cloud around herself that
defined her awareness.  She pictured that cloud growing larger in all
directions.  She could hear the heartbeats of the small mammals in the
cemetery all around her.  She could feel the movement of the trees as
the breeze blew through the leaves.  She felt the still coldness of the
reptiles below the surface, hibernating through the winter months.
Finally as she expanded her awareness to the limits of her ability she
felt him.  He was about 65 meters away from her in a tree.  She laughed
as she focused her attention toward him.  He was hanging by his toes
from a branch in a tall oak.  “More Cliché, Master?” she thought toward
him as hard as she could.  She could hear him laughing with her ears,
though he managed to keep the link shut to her. 

He whispered to her from across the distance, “to the loft.” and then
disappeared again. 

She laughed again, reveling in the freedom of flight, now that she
wasn’t focused on following or finding.  “I can’t wait to bring Mulder
for a ride!” she thought.  She flew back to the loft, filled with
excitement and wonder, “Yesterday Vampires were a myth.  Something
Mulder believed in, but didn’t really exist,” she thought ruefully.
“Poor Mulder.  I owe him an apology.”  She smiled again as she thought
of how she would show her repentance, and seek his forgiveness. 

She hadn’t even noticed that the link was open again until she felt
Nick chuckle and say to her, “You’re not quite ready for that yet,
Dana.” 

She didn’t miss the ability to blush, she thought, chagrined. 

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about Dana,” Nick said to her as she
re-entered the loft.  “You just need to know a couple of things about
sex between mortals and vampires.” 

She couldn’t meet his gaze as he continued.  She felt exactly like she
had at age 10 when her mother gave her ‘the birds and the bees’ talk. 

“Except this is more like the bats and the bees, I guess,” Nick
answered her train of thought.  The important thing to remember is that
carelessness on your part could lead to his death, Dana.  That’s why it
is important to wait a bit until your control is even better.” 

“I thought you said I had good control now,” she complained. 

“You do, Dana. You remember how wonderful it felt when you drank from
him last night?”  he asked. 

Scully nodded. 

“It is even more intense when you drink from here,” he said, gesturing
toward his throat.  “It is closer to the heart and mind, and the
imagery, the link, will be deeper, as you discovered with our bloodkiss
not an hour ago.” 

Scully looked at her watch as though her head was being pulled on a
string down toward it.  “Has it only been an hour?” she asked,
incredulously. 

“The kiss only lasted a few minutes,” Nick smiled.  “I told you it
would seem longer.”  He continued, “The point is, you could easily get
lost, and Mulder cannot sustain a significant blood loss, like one of
us can.” 

“Can’t I do it without biting?” Scully asked. 

“Technically, yes.  However, you cannot personally… well… finish, I
guess, without biting.  Even if you just try to ‘be there for him’ you
will have an almost irresistible urge to bite.”  Nick shook his head
ruefully, “Dana, I am 800 years old.  Even I need to make sure I am
well full before Nat and I, well, you know.” 

“What if Mulder wants to, you know… come across,” Scully asked softly. 

“I would strongly recommend that if the two of you make that choice,
you wait a while- like a year or more- or you get someone else to do
it.”  He continued on over her protest, “Dana, you will have the basics
down pretty quickly, but you’re not ready for a childé of you own, you
won’t be for a while.  You could effect the physical change, any of us
could, but it requires a great deal of strength to control a fledgling.
That kind of strength takes some time to develop.” 

Scully looked crestfallen. 

“Dana, even in a year, you would need my help to adequately train a
fledgling, especially a strong-willed creature like your partner,” he
returned Scully’s smile at that comment.  “Frankly, I plan on having my
hands full with my wife.  If you really want to go that route, I would
help you find a suitable master to bring him across.  In any case it is
hardly a decision that needs to be made tonight.” 

At that moment the phone rang. 

“Nick Knight,” he answered. 

“Nicolas, our friend is back, and he has secured reinforcements.”
LaCroix said and then went on to describe the incident at the airport
and them showing up at the raven again. 

Nick told him he would send Tracy, Vachon, Mulder and Natalie.
LaCroix, of course, understood why Nick would not be attending.  He
inquired as to how the training was going. 

“We did it the hard way,” Nick said. 

“You always were impatient, Nicolas,” LaCroix said in an indulgent,
though slightly disapproving tone.  “Bring my granddaughter to me
tonight after closing,” he commanded and then hung up the phone. 

Scully, of course, heard the entire discussion.  “Is there a problem?”
she asked, somewhat worried.  LaCroix intimidated the hell out of her. 

“No.  This method is somewhat frowned upon because weaker individuals
can be entirely overwhelmed and crack under the pressure.  Such
creatures are usually destroyed.”  Nick answered the look on her face,
“I had no concerns of that sort whatsoever with you Dana.  You’re
anything but weak.” 

Scully shut her open mouth with an audible- even to non-vampires- snap.


Nick said, “I’m going to call Nat and tell her what’s up.” 

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

The Caddie 
Natalie closed her cell phone with a snap.  “He said that this guy and
another guy like him are at the Raven right now.” 

“What do you mean ‘like him’?” Mulder asked. 

“Nick said the one they had following him had to fight them when he was
detected.  He killed our target’s partner and seriously damaged our
target.  Then not two minutes later they walked away like nothing
happened.”  Natalie answered. 

“You’ve never heard of these people before, Vachon?” Tracy asked. 

“No.  But think about it, they don’t really stand out, you know?  The
General only recognized the guy we are looking for because he had seen
him before.  A long time ago.  Otherwise he would have never known.”
Vachon answered. 

“I couldn’t tell anything out of the ordinary when Nick and I fought
that guy on the roof, either.”  Mulder paused and then gave a dry
chuckle, “At least not until he got up after Nick shot him several
times.  That was a little unusual.”  He said wryly. 

“Yeah, I guess that would have been strange.  Kind of like finding a
guy walking around holding his right hand in his left hand,” Tracy
said. 

Natalie and Vachon laughed, Mulder looked confused. 

Vachon explained, “I was on a plane that crashed.  I lost my right hand
and was looking for it when Tracy found me.  I had just found it and
picked it up when she told me to put my hands up.” He started laughing
when he remembered the look on her face when he did as she asked. 

“*Not* Funny Vachon!”  Tracy complained, hitting him on the arm, again.


Mulder laughed as he imagined the scene. 

Tracy pouted for a moment, as everyone laughed at her expense.  She
decided to change the subject, kicking herself for having brought it up
in the first place.  “Should we go to the Raven?” 

Natalie was about to answer yes, when Mulder interrupted her.  “How far
are we from the apartment where this guy is staying?” 

Natalie said, “About 2 blocks.  Why?” 

“Well,” Mulder began, “If we know this guy is at the Raven, it seems
like this might be an excellent opportunity to check out his place, you
know- see if any useful information might turn up.” 

“We can’t do that, Mulder!  It would ruin any case we might…” Tracy
began. 

“It’s not like we can take this case to court, Trace.  Even if this guy
is involved in the death you’re investigating.  This can’t go to trial
any more than a vampire kill could,” Vachon interrupted- rather liking
Mulder’s suggestion. 

“I don’t like it,” Tracy said. 

“Look, it would be rather suspicious for all of us to go.  Why don’t I
go and you guys can talk about LaCroix’s ultimatum while I check it
out.”  Mulder said. 

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Natalie said. 

“If this guy is at the club, there’s no danger, right?”  Mulder began,
“What’s to worry about?  I’ll go in, see if there is anything worth
further investigation, and then go out.” 

Natalie looked at the others.  No one had a better idea to bring up, so
she just shrugged and looked for a parking spot. 

She was forced to park around the corner and halfway down the next
street.  Mulder Jumped out of the car and said, “Back in a few,” and
then drew his coat tightly about him and briskly walked off. 

Natalie watched him in the rear view until he rounded the corner.  She
turned in her seat and looked at the two in the back.  “So... What are
you going to do Tracy ?” 

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

Outside 3232 Tableau Ave. , Apartment C 
Jimson had been watching the door to the run-down looking brownstone
for almost 2 hours.   Pretty soon it would be Sonny’s turn and he could
get a nap.  “God, I’m tired” he thought.  “I wish this freak would show
up so we can get this over with!” 

He felt his eyelids beginning to droop.  As he forced them back open
for what must have been the hundredth time, he saw a man in a black
trench coat entering the door he had been staring at.  Frantically, he
looked at his watch, “How long was I…  Damn!  almost 10 minutes!”  he
whispered.  He looked over at Sonny, who was in the back of the van
sawing logs. 

“Sonny!  Sonny!  Wake up!”  Jimson shouted softly. 

“What?!” Sonny said blinking the sleep out of his eyes.  “Is it my turn
already?  Man!  I was having this incredible dream…” 

“Shut up, Sonny.  He’s here!” 

“What?  Who’s here?”  Sonny was still a little groggy. 

“The freak we’ve been waiting for, you idiot!  Let’s just grab him and
get him to Perone.  I want to see him chop this guy’s head off.” 

“How do you know it’s the guy?”  Sonny asked. 

Jimson looked at Sonny like a monkey trying to solve a math problem.
“Well, let’s see, He has short hair, a long black trench coat, and… Oh
yeah!  He’s the only guy who walked into the apartment we have been
watching for the last twelve hours!  I think that’s what clued me in!” 

“Ok, ok!  Sheesh!  You don’t have to bite my head off.”  Sonny whined. 

“How did you ever make it into the Watchers?”  Jimson asked,
incredulous. 

“Hey, Fu…” Sonny began. 

“Shut Up!”  Jimson interrupted, looking back over at the door.  “He’s
coming back out.” 

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

“Well… that was a waste of time,” Mulder thought.  The place was
entirely empty except for a mattress and blankets on the floor, and
next to it a single wooden chair.  “Talk about traveling light.” Mulder
mumbled as he pulled his coat tightly around him and walked out into
the night.  He pulled out his cell phone to call Natalie and let her
know he was on his way back.  “Just don’t want her to worry” he
thought. 

As the phone rang he heard the sound of a car starting down the street
behind him.  He started to turn around when she answered.  “Hey
Natalie, the place was empty.  Yeah, there was a mattress and a chair
and that’s it.  I’m heading back your…”  Mulder never finished the
sentence because the car he had heard starting drove right into him on
the sidewalk.  Blissfully, he was rendered unconscious.  Had he
remained conscious he would have felt the pain of his broken legs, torn
back muscles, and cracked skull. 

“What the hell did you do that for?”  Sonny yelled at Jimson.  “He’s no
good to us dead!” 

“You really are an idiot, Sonny.  He’s *immortal* remember?  This just
gives us time to get him secured.  Now, get him cuffed and put him in
the trunk!” 

Sonny scrambled to obey. 

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

The Caddie 
Natalie had been listening to Tracy and Vachon discussing the pros and
cons of him bringing her across when the phone rang.  She shook her
head at the two, as they were dancing around the subject of their
feelings for each other.  “Are we really all so clueless?”  she
thought, remembering the tension between herself and Nick, as well as
between Mulder and Dana.  She listened to Mulder tell her there was
nothing there and start to say he was coming back when suddenly she
heard the screech of tires through the phone.  “Mulder?  Mulder, are
you still there?”  She could still hear sounds through the phone, but
Mulder wasn’t answering. 

Vachon heard everything through the phone as well.  He said, “I’ll go
check it out,” and just like that he was gone. 

Tracy said, “I hate it when he does that!” 

Natalie smiled in response. 

Suddenly she heard Vachon’s voice through the phone. 

“Natalie- I think somebody hit your friend with a car- his blood is on
the ground and his phone was about 15 feet away from the blood, lying
in a flowerbed.  I saw a car spinning off around the corner- I’m going
to follow it.  You go to the Raven.  I’ll call when I find him.” 

Damn.  When it rains it pours.  Natalie started the car and pulled away
from the curb. 

“What happened?  Where are we going?”  Tracy asked. 

“Let me call Nick and you can both hear it at the same time.”  Natalie
replied, hitting the speed dial and pointing the car towards the Raven.


When Nick answered she explained what happened, and where they were
going, and that she would call back as soon as she heard from Vachon. 

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

Nick’s Loft 
“Stop right there, Dana.”  Nick said as soon as he hung up the phone.
“We will wait right here until we hear anything.  You’re not ready to
go out there right now, especially in your current state of control.” 

This was her master speaking with all of the power and authority he
could project.  Scully sat down abruptly on the couch.  She had heard
the entire thing and the words ‘hit Mulder with a car’ had her ready to
go out and destroy whoever had the temerity to harm her lover.  Once
Nick made her stop, she began to think rationally again.  “Where was I
going to go?”  She wondered.  I don’t even know where they are. 

“You and I are going to practice, and you’re going to focus on the task
at hand.  We cannot do anything until we know where they have taken
him.”  Nick said sternly.  “Now, Find Me!”  With that, he disappeared
out through the skylight again. 

Scully sighed, as she felt that he had closed the link again.  She flew
up and out, once again trying to expand her senses. 

Scully was hovering about 200 feet in the air, trying to focus her
newfound senses outward, trying to find her master.  “Funny how
‘master’, odious as it is, seems easier than ‘father’,” she thought.
Nick called his master ‘father’, and she heard LaCroix refer to her as
his granddaughter, but she still found the concept difficult to wrap
her mind around.  Ahab was her father- no one could ever replace him. 

Not to mention she was having difficulty focusing on anything right
now.  She was terribly worried about Mulder.  “Why is this happening to
us?  How many times can I lose him, when I just found him after 7 years
of denial?” 

Just then she noticed a shadow flit across the sky in the distance,
landing on a building about 1500 meters away.  “She couldn’t reach that
far with her vampire senses, but her eyes still worked just fine.  “Who
else could it be?” she thought as she took off toward him. 

“Talk about dumb luck” Vachon thought.  He was following the car when
it pulled in to a warehouse garage, not even a mile from Nick’s loft.
He settled on the roof across the alley from where the car pulled in.
He could sense about a dozen heartbeats, including one that seemed
thready, unhealthy.  “Probably Mulder,” he thought.  “I feel sorry for
those guys if Knight’s childé gets a hold of them.”  Actually he didn’t
feel sorry for them at all.  He pulled out Mulder’s cell phone to call
Natalie. 

As Scully got closer, she realized that it was Vachon, not Nick.  He
was talking on a cell phone, though she was just a little too far away
to hear what he was saying.  Her undead heart beat twice in succession,
“Mulder must be in there!” she thought, looking at the warehouse Vachon
was focused on.  Nick’s admonishment fled her mind as she thought of
Mulder injured and hurt in there. 

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

Sam and Sullie’s Auto Parts 
Perone was not impressed when Jimson and Sonny showed up claiming to
have captured the immortal and opened the trunk to reveal their prize. 

Mulder lay groaning in the trunk.  He was barely conscious, and wracked
with pain.  He was also still bleeding steadily from the wound on the
back of his head. 

Jimson and Sonny pulled him from the trunk and sat him on a chair in
front of Perone and the others.  “What makes you think that this is the
one I sent you to find?”  Perone asked disdainfully. 

Jimson realized something was wrong when their quarry was still out of
it.  Sonny forged ahead “We caught him coming out of the apartment you
sent us to.  We hit him with the car and brought him straight here!” he
said excitedly. 

“If this is an immortal, why is he still *bleeding?*” Perone asked in
clipped tones.  “Get rid of it him, you idiots!” 

Scully landed in front of a dirty window and peered in just in time to
see a group of men standing around Mulder, who was propped up in a
chair.  Her heart broke to see him, he looked beat to hell, and she
could smell and see his blood covering his face and clothes. 

Natalie was on the phone with Vachon when she heard him say “Uh oh!” 

“What is it, Vachon?”  she asked. 

“Knight’s daughter just landed in front of the warehouse.” Vachon
answered. 

“Where’s Nick?” Natalie asked. 

“I don’t know.” 

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

Nick was becoming concerned.  He had felt his daughter when she thought
she had him located, but she had flown the wrong direction.  He popped
up into the air and began looking for her. 

His cell phone rang and he stopped to answer it. 

“Nick where the hell are you!?”  Natalie practically screamed at him. 

“What’s wrong Nat?” 

Natalie began speaking rapidly, “Vachon followed them to a warehouse
about a mile down the road from you, and he just told me Dana is there
now!” 

“Damn!  She must have seen Vachon, and thought it was me.  I’m on my
way now.” he said and then closed the phone and took off toward the
loft and past it. 

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

Nat called Vachon right back.  She told him Nick was on the way, so he
popped up into the air to look and saw him in the distance.  Just then
he heard gunfire and then an inhuman scream that sent chills down his
spine.  It was loud enough that Natalie even heard it over the phone. 

“What was that?!” she demanded. 

“I think they just killed your friend,” he said, stunned. 

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

Nick felt a wave of despair/anguish/anger/hatred through his link with
his daughter at the same time he heard the gunshot and her scream. 

“Oh, no!” he cried. 

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

Scully stood frozen as she watched one of the men pull a pistol and
fire in one smooth motion.  It was as if time came to a near-
standstill.  She saw the bullet impact Mulder’s chest directly over his
heart.  She saw the weak spray of blood as his heart gave one last
contraction and stopped.  She waited for a second beat, and when it
didn’t come she felt her world end.  Suddenly her vision was red, and
her throat was raw and bleeding from the scream that tore out of her as
if of its own volition. 

Her body reacted without any direction from her mind, which was focused
on Mulder.  The words, “He’s dead, they killed him” reverberated in her
mind as her body flung itself through the glass in front of her and
began to rend and destroy. 

When Nick and Vachon arrived only moments later, it was already over.
The only intact bodies in the room were the corpse of Mulder, who was
hand and foot cuffed in a chair; and the body Dana was just finishing
draining.  The others were in various pieces, strewn all over the room.
Blood was sprayed all over the room and Dana was completely soaked.
There wasn’t a square inch of her that wasn’t saturated in human blood.


Nick hoped she could calm down quickly.  He really didn’t want to have
to destroy this childé too.  He was about to say something to her when
his attention was drawn back to Mulder. 

Scully returned to herself just as she finished draining Perone.  She
knew his name; she knew all of their names.  She had all of his
memories, she remembered Perone instructing the one called Jimson to
kill Mulder.  “Oh, Mulder!” she thought.  She was suddenly aware of
Nick and Vachon in the room.  She was horrified and embarrassed at what
she had done.  She was not sorry that these monsters were dead, but she
was ashamed that she had done it.  She felt her master’s sadness and
concern.  He wasn’t angry, just disappointed and… “Wondering if he had
to destroy her?”  Her tears began to flow.  “Am I a monster?”  She
didn’t really care if she lived or died at that moment.  Mulder was
gone, and her life was over anyway.  Just as the overwhelming sorrow
threatened to drag her back down into insanity, she heard a loud Gasp. 

Mulder’s last memory was one of pain.  He had been in intense pain
already when the bullet ripped through his heart.  His last thought had
been worry about Scully.  He hoped she would be able to overcome the
pain and live.  He didn’t think he could be that strong if the
positions were reversed, and he just hoped she was stronger than he
was.  Then blackness…  Until now.  He gasped and began breathing
raggedly. 

As he opened his eyes he saw Scully, Nick and Vachon all standing
there, gaping at him.  He noticed Scully was completely bathed in
blood.  “My blood?” he wondered.  Then he noticed the pile of body
parts around him.  He remembered the group of men standing around him
before they shot him. 

“Scully?  Are you ok?  Did they hurt you?”  Mulder asked.  He went to
stand up and reach for her when he discovered his hands were cuffed
behind his back.  He took a step towards her and discovered that his
feet were similarly cuffed. 

When he started to fall, Scully was snapped out of her stupor.  She was
instantly by his side to catch him. 

“Scully, I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry I let them do this.  Please tell me
you’re ok, Scully.  I was worried about you.” 

Scully didn’t even know that she had felt crushed until the weight
lifted off of her.  Mulder’s death had been like the weight of the
entire world focused into a point pressing against her heart.  Now that
it was gone she felt exultant.  She didn’t even realize she was
floating in the air until Mulder’s head softly struck the ceiling. 

Mulder still didn’t realize they were flying.  He was so focused on the
eyes of his love before him that the blood she was covered in
disappeared from his perception.  All he could do was kiss her
thoroughly.  He ran his tongue over her fangs and she moaned in
delight. 

Vachon was still gaping at the pair.  He was sure that they were about
to have sex floating 20 feet in the air above.  He began to laugh at
their antics.  It was either laugh or… “Hell, I don’t even know!” he
thought. 

Nick was glad to feel Dana’s sanity return with the return of Mulder.
That return bothered him though.  It was apparent that Mulder was like
the others in which they were interested. “And he didn’t know it?” he
wondered.  This needed to be resolved.  He cleared his throat, loudly;
reinforcing the gesture through his link with his daughter. 

Scully felt the tug and broke off her kiss with Mulder.  She looked
down and couldn’t restrain a giggle. 

Mulder felt a wave of disappointment when she broke the kiss.  When he
looked down, he gasped again and tried to grab on to Scully, but was,
of course, stopped again by the cuffs.  “Scully, why are we up here?”
he asked. 

She grinned at him and said, “I was just really, really happy to see
you, Mulder.” 

“Can we go down now?  I’d really like to get these cuffs off.” 

“Sure.” 

They slowly floated to the floor and Scully reached around for Mulder’s
cuffed hands, tearing the chain apart and bringing them around between
him and her.  She pulled apart the bracelets on each hand, and then
kneeled down and did the same for his ankles. 

“Wow…  Thanks,” was all Mulder said. 

Suddenly the situation came crashing back down on her.  Mulder could
see it in her eyes when they started darting around at the body parts
on the floor.  He remembered how he felt when he had witnessed the vamp
who attacked Scully burn in the morning sun.  Guilty.  Not because of
pity for the vampire, but because he enjoyed it.  He decided that now
would be a good time to share that with Scully. 

“Did Nick tell you what we did with Freddie?”  Mulder asked, derailing
Scully’s obviously self-recriminating train of thought. 

“Who?” she asked, suddenly confused. 

“The one who attacked you…” 

“Oh.  No, he didn’t.”  Scully looked at Nick. 

“LaCroix let me stake him to the roof.  I watched him writhe in agony
for hours.  Then the sun came up.  That’s when the screaming began.  It
was like playing a blowtorch over his entire body.  It started to smoke
and turn black, then flames leapt through his skin, as though he was
burning up from the inside.  After a while there was nothing left but
ash, and I watched that blow away in the breeze.”  Mulder’s tone had
been flat, emotionless; as he continued she could hear passion rising
up in him, “I enjoyed it, Scully.  I only wished I could hurt him more,
make it last longer.  He had attacked you, threatened to take you away
from me.  He failed, but still, he tried.” 

Scully felt compelled to respond, “Mulder, I…” 

“Afterwards,” Mulder interrupted her, “the only thing that I felt bad
about, was that I didn’t feel bad about it at all.”  Mulder locked his
gaze on hers, “I don’t feel the urge to do that sort of thing, except
when it comes to someone hurting you. I’m not a monster Scully, am I?” 
Mulder asked. 

Scully felt relieved.  He understood exactly how she felt.  “No Mulder.
You’re not a monster.  Neither am I.” 

Nick broke in at that point.  “You need to go take a shower.  Both of
you,” he said, gesturing at their blood-soaked bodies. 

“I know what they are, Nick.” Scully said. 

Nick blinked at the segue.  “What who are?” 

“The guy you fought on the rooftop.  Like the one LaCroix showed us at
the bar.  Like Mulder.” she answered. 

“It was in their blood, Nick.  They belong to a group called the
watchers.  They watch ‘Immortals,’ they record their history, their
lives, and their battles.”  She continued angrily, “some of them do
more than watch.  Some of them think immortals are an abomination.
They hunt them.” 

“How is it that Mulder didn’t know he was an immortal?”  Nick asked. 

“It doesn’t seem to kick in until their first death.  Before that, they
are just like mortals in every way.  I can tell you from experience
that Mulder has spent plenty of time in hospitals recovering from
beatings, stabbing, and shootings.”  Scully shook her head and looked
at Mulder, “I have spent so many nights worrying about you dying…  If I
had known, I would have killed you six years ago.” 

“Aw, honey, that’s the nicest thing you have ever said to me,” Mulder
laughed. 

“What about the lightening show?” Nick asked. 

“It’s called a quickening.  It’s their life force.  When one of them
takes another’s head, they receive the quickening that is released,
increasing their power.  The more heads, the more power they have.
They call it ‘The Game.’  In the end, there can be only one.  They
fight until there is only one left, and that one gets ‘The Prize’
whatever that is.  These mooks didn’t know anyway,” Scully said. 

“That’s why they cuffed me after they ran me down with the car?  They
thought I would heal quickly.”  He realized that these guys were after
the same man they were tailing, but didn’t know what he looked like. 

“Anything else we need to know?”  Nick asked.  “No?  Then you two go
take a shower.  You can keep yourself occupied until 2.  Then come to
the Raven.  We will keep the ‘immortals’ occupied. 

“Wait, Nick.”  Why do we need to keep them occupied at all?  We know
what’s going on already.  Don’t we?”  Scully asked. 

“We still don’t know why they are here, and if it is just for this
‘Game’…  Well, frankly, as a policeman in this city I don’t
particularly like cleaning up after them.  They can take it elsewhere.”
Nick said. 

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

 

Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 9 
Nick’s Loft 
10:20 p.m.   Wednesday December 13th 

Scully stood in the shower with Mulder, washing the blood off of both
of their bodies.  Mulder looked like the victim in a slasher film.
Scully looked like that scene in Carrie.  When she had seen herself in
the mirror she had almost fainted.  “Can Vampires faint?” she wondered.
“They have almost no blood pressure as it is, not to mention…”  She
broke her own train of thought.  ‘They.’  Vampires weren’t a ‘they’
anymore.  “We.”  She thought.  “Better get used to it.” 

“I love you, Scully.  No matter what.  Vampire, werewolf, zombie,
whatever.  It wouldn’t change the way I feel about you.”  Mulder said. 
“Well, maybe not as a zombie…” he joked 

Scully blinked at that for a moment.  “What was that, Mulder?”  she
asked. 

“You were getting that ‘I’m a freak’ look.”  Mulder was emotionally
exhausted by the events of the evening, and his heart was on his
sleeve.  “Please don’t ever think it matters to me Scully.  I love you
so much it hurts.  I really can’t even fathom existence without you.
Especially immortal existence.”  His voice dropped to a whisper as
every last insecurity he’d ever had ran gibbering through his mind
simultaneously, “please don’t leave me.  *please*” 

As hard a day as she’d had, she knew it had been no picnic for Mulder
either.  She was worried about losing him, and she had allowed that
feeling to make her mentally push him away.  “Enough, Dammit!” she
shouted.  “I’m a blood-sucking vampire, and you’re a head-hunting
immortal.  I refuse to allow little things like that to come between us
anymore!” 

Mulder, at first stunned at her outburst, began laughing hysterically. 
He wrapped his blood-sucking girlfriend in his arms and laid into her
lips with a searing kiss, not coming up for air until he began to feel
light headed. 

Scully smiled impishly and said, “I don’t need to breathe anymore
Mulder.” 

Mulder waggled his eyebrows and said, “That could come in very handy,”
while pressing his erection into her stomach. 

Scully lost her smile for a moment and said, “I’m not sure we should,
Mulder.  Nick said it could be difficult for me to stop once I
started.” 

Mulder’s smile grew large, “I’m OK with that,” he said. 

Scully rolled her eyes, “I meant drinking from you, Mulder.  Apparently
I have to bite to… you know.” 

“Actually, no.  I don’t know.  You have to bite me to… what?”  Mulder
said with a smirk. 

“Arggh!” she thought.  Mulder could be so exasperating.  “To Cum,
Mulder.  Ok?  I meant that I would have trouble stopping drinking from
you because I have to bite you to cum.” 

“I meant it too, Scully.  I’m OK with that.  Drain me.  Let me be in
you as long as possible, be one with you until the last drop.”  Mulder
said sincerely. 

“Mulder!”  Scully said, shocked. 

“I’ll just come right back, Scully.  Remember?  I’m immortal.” 

“Oh yeah,” Scully said, sheepishly.  “I forgot.  It’s going to take a
while to get used to that.”  Then she smiled and levitated up for
another kiss.  “Oh yeah!  This is going to require some serious
exploration,” she said. 

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

The Raven 
11:00 p.m. Wednesday 

MacLeod was bored.  “Methos, we’ve been sitting here for 2 hours…” 

“Hour and a half, tops.”  Methos replied 

“My point, Methos, is that in the space of that time, we have yet to
see your mystery ‘not mortal’ anywhere.”  MacLeod said with a smirk. 

“Well, perhaps you’ve forgotten, Hmm?  Airport, Crushed rib cage?
Aren’t you even curious?”  Methos shook his head.  “In my *entire* life
I have never actually met or seen one.  I always thought they were a
myth.  Hell, I still kind of think that they’re a myth.” 

“Don’t you think if there really were such thing you would have seen
them before.  I mean, you have been around the block a few… thousand…
times.”  MacLeod said. 

“Did you notice anything strange about that young man tonight?  Before
the obvious, I mean.”  Methos said. 

“Not really.”  MacLeod thought for a moment.  “He was awfully pale…  I
thought it was the sword at his throat.  I guess it wasn’t.” 

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

The Caddie 
Natalie and Tracy were still sitting in Nick’s caddie, waiting for word
on Mulder and Scully.  They had been discussing the ultimatum regarding
Tracy ’s future. 

“I think I am in love with Vachon.”  Tracy said, suddenly; as if the
words had been building up and she could no longer contain them.  She
seemed almost as surprised by it as Natalie was. 

“Did you just figure that out, Tracy ?  The rest of us already knew
that.”  Natalie said with a chuckle. 

Tracy was a little indignant at Natalie’s amusement.  “Oh, you mean
like you and Nick?” she said; waiting for Natalie’s ‘just friends’
protest. 

Natalie smiled at that, knowing what Tracy was probably expecting.
“Yes Tracy .  Exactly like Nick and I.”  she laughed again.  “Remember
when I told you it was complicated?”  Natalie asked, seeing Tracy ’s
jaw drop. 

Tracy still couldn’t speak, she just nodded her head. 

“Well, it recently got uncomplicated,” Natalie smiled widely and
glanced at the ring she was wearing. 

Tracy ’s eyes followed Natalie’s glance and she noticed for the first
time tonight the ring on Natalie’s finger.  “Oh My God!” she squealed. 
“When…  How…  Does this mean you’re coming across?” 

Natalie’s smile grew impossibly larger.  “Yes.  Soon!”  she breathed,
excited and aroused at the thought. 

Tracy noticed Natalie’s arousal and giggled a little, “I take it, then,
that the dry spell has ended?”  she asked. 

Natalie blushed furiously, “Oh yeah, Big time!” 

Tracy sighed, “Vachon and I haven’t…” 

Natalie sobered a bit, “It is dangerous Tracy .  Seriously.  We didn’t
until we had decided that I was definitely coming across.  Every time
could be the last.  You should be aware of that,” Natalie said
seriously. 

“It would appear that that is inevitable, anyway,” Tracy said. 

“How do you feel about that?”  Natalie asked. 

“I think I was leaning in that direction anyway.  I love him.  I’m
pretty sure he loves me.  I want to be with him, and this is the only
way to do it.”  There was no need to explain who ‘him’ was.  “I just
think it sucks that the choice has been made for me!  I was no threat
to The Community!”  Tracy said, offended at the thought. 

Natalie sympathized.  “How would I feel if I had known there was no
choice before I chose to do it?” she wondered.  She suspected that the
answer was ‘pretty pissed off’. 

The phone interrupted their introspection.  It was Nick.  He explained
to Natalie for several minutes about the events at the warehouse, and
told her that he and Vachon were on the way. 

“Ok Nick.  We are sitting in the caddie in the back alley.”  Natalie
said. 

“We’ll be there in a couple minutes.  I love you Natalie.”  Nick said. 

Natalie’s radiant smile lit up the interior of the car, “I love you
too, Nick,” she replied. 

“What happened!?”  Tracy asked. 

“Dana found Mulder.” 

“Oh God, is he alright?”  Tracy asked. 

“There were about a dozen men, they killed Mulder.”  Natalie said,
still digesting the fantastic story. 

Tracy let out a strangled cry, “Oh no, poor Dana.  What did she do?” 

“Oh no, Mulder’s ok.”  Natalie reassured Tracy . 

“What?  I thought you said…” 

Natalie explained about immortals. 

“Mulder’s Immortal?”  Tracy was beside herself, “Why didn’t he tell
us!?” 

“Apparently, he didn’t know.  I guess it doesn’t kick in until they die
the first time.”  Natalie said in wonder.  “Hell of a coincidence…” she
thought. 

“It takes a little bit though, right?”  Tracy said, remembering Mulder
and Nick’s encounter on the roof.  “I bet Dana was beside herself.” 

“Uh, yeah.  Nick said she kinda lost it for a minute…”  Natalie trailer
off. 

“Lost it how?”  Tracy asked. 

“Nick didn’t really go into it, but he said he was going to have to
clean up, so I don’t think we will be having to worry about the men who
took Mulder anymore.”  Natalie said. 

“Oh,” Tracy whispered, the implication sinking in. 

“Yeah,” Natalie replied, pondering the implications as well. 

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

The Raven 
LaCroix digested the news Nicolas gave him for a moment.  “Immortals.
How very interesting.” 

“Vachon and I are on the way, father,” Nick said.  “I had a check done
on the apartment.  The name of your ‘old’ adversary is Adam Pierson- at
least that is what he is using presently.” 

“I will call Aristotle and have him see what else he can discover.”
LaCroix said.  “Why don’t you and your partner approach conventionally,
while Natalie and the Spaniard wait in my office,” he suggested. 

“As you wish.  Would you like to speak with him at all?”  Nick asked. 

“We shall see.”  LaCroix responded, swiveling his chair back to the
monitors and watching his two guests.  “This may prove to be an
entertaining diversion,” he thought to himself. 

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

Nick and Vachon landed on either side of the caddie.  They smiled at
each other as they knocked on the windows, knowing the reaction they
were going to get.  They were not disappointed. 

Natalie and Tracy looked at each other after screaming, annoyed with
the antics of their men.  “I hate it when he does that,” they said
simultaneously. 

Nick opened the door on his side of the caddie and swept Natalie out
and into his embrace.  He kissed her thoroughly and then said, “Forgive
me?” 

Natalie laughed, “Maybe.  Maybe not.  I may need more encouragement.” 

Nick moved his lips close to Natalie’s ear and softly whispered, “I
think I can arrange that.”  He then sucked her earlobe into his mouth
and gently scraped it with one of his fangs, causing her to shiver with
delight. 

“Hey you two, get a room!”  Tracy said with mock severity as she rose
up out of the car. 

Vachon grasped her hand and laid a single kiss on her palm.  “Querida,
you and I must speak before this night is over.” 

Tracy shivered a little herself.  “How about now?” 

“You and I have a couple of immortals to speak to, partner” Nick
interrupted. 

“Oh.  Yeah.  Them.  Well, lets get to it then, *partner*,” Tracy said,
obviously distracted. 

“Nat, you and Vachon should go in and head for LaCroix’s office.  We
are going to approach them in our ‘official’ capacity.  Depending on
how far LaCroix wants to play this, we might even see if they could
identify our decapitation victim.”  Nick said. 

Natalie was worried about one issue that had nothing to do with
immortals, at least not that kind of immortal, “Uh, Nick- what about…”
she said, holding up her left hand and wiggling her ring finger.  “What
is LaCroix going to say?” 

Nick smiled.  “I don’t know exactly what he will say, but he knows me. 
He knows that if I were going to bring you across, I would want you to
be mine; forever.  I don’t know that he would approve of the
institution, but I think he approves of you, especially you coming
across.  He isn’t going to be surprised, and he isn’t going to be
angry.  So, don’t worry.” 

“Nick!  You have had 800 years to get over being intimidated by
LaCroix.  I get to tell a 2000 year old vampire that I am about to
become his granddaughter *and* daughter-in-law.  I’m stealing away his
favorite son, and he doesn’t really like me anyway!” 

Tracy sNickered and said, “So what’s wrong?  Sounds like a perfectly
normal trailer park wedding to me.” 

“Ok, Tracy.  You’re not helping here,” Natalie said, exasperated. 

“Natalie, don’t worry.  LaCroix doesn’t bi…” Nick began. 

Tracy and Vachon began laughing as Natalie waggled her finger in Nick’s
face, “Don’t you dare!” 

“Besides,” Nick added, “he didn’t even mention it last night, did he?” 

“Last night is slipped it off and into my pocked as we went into his
office,” she answered. 

“It will be ok.  I promise.”  Nick said, laughing himself. 

“It had better be…” Natalie warned. 

“Come on Natalie.  Let’s go in first,” Vachon said.  Turning to Tracy
he said, “Don’t be all night.” 

With that, Natalie and Vachon walked in through the alley exit. 

Nick and Tracy walked around to the front. 

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

Natalie and Vachon had to walk within 10 feet of Mac and Methos on
their way to the office.  They pretended to ignore them as they passed,
but noticed that conversation stopped as they passed. 

MacLeod and Methos’ eyes followed the pair as they went by, and stayed
on them all of the way to the office door.  They observed them stop,
knock and after a moment enter the office.  During the brief moment
when the door was open enough to see the occupant of the office Methos
recognized the Roman General. 

Waiting until the door closed, Methos said, “Did you see him MacLeod?” 

“Those two?” he asked 

“No, well yes, them as well, but I meant the man in the office.”
Methos clarified. 

“What about him?” 

“That was the bloody Roman I told you about.”  Methos said. 

“Ah.  Did you feel what I felt when those…” MacLeod began. 

“Yes.  One of them any way.”  Methos returned his gaze to his young
friend.  “You didn’t really have anything better to do anyway, did
you?” 

MacLeod looked sourly at his old friend and sighed heavily.  “What are
you going to do about the Roman?” 

“He looked right at me.  Smiling.”  Methos said, warily. 

“So he smiled at you.”  MacLeod chuckled.  “Maybe he’s reminiscing.” 

“Very funny.”  Methos replied. 

“Uh oh, what have you done now?”  MacLeod asked, noticing two official
looking individuals approaching them. 

Methos turned toward the front doors and saw a tall, slender blond
woman and a medium height medium build blond man approaching them.
Both wore matching styled trench coats- hers gray, his black.  “No
quickening.  They look like cops,” he commented. 

Nick suppressed a smile when he heard the shorter one’s comments.
“Gotta love that vampiricly enhanced auditory acuity,” he thought,
remembering seeing Natalie write that in her journal when she was
trying to develop a cure for him.  “What a long way we have come since
then,” he mused. 

“Adam Pierson?”  Tracy asked.  At the blank stare she received, she
withdrew her badge and credentials and stated “I’m Detective Vetter.
This is Detective Knight.  We are with Toronto Metro Homicide.  Are you
Adam Pierson?” 

Methos looked at MacLeod for half a beat and then back at the
Detectives.  “That’s me.  Is there a problem?” 

“Would you mind if we went someplace a bit quieter?  We would like to
ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind,”  Nick said. 

Methos and MacLeod looked at each other, as if seeking one another’s
advice.  MacLeod shrugged and Methos nodded.  “Certainly, detectives.
Lead the way.” 

To Methos surprise, the detective led them not out the door, but into a
back room which was unoccupied and slightly insulated from the music
blaring in the main club.  Detective Vetter trailed the group. 

Nick gestured to a table and indicated that the two immortals should
sit.  As they did, he began his questions.  “What can you tell me about
a swordfight that took place Saturday night behind an office building
next to the Victoria Café?” 

Methos very briefly showed surprise before schooling his features and
saying, “A sword-fight?  Surely not in this day and age?” 

Nick continued, “Yes, a sword-fight.  What can you tell me about it?” 

“Nothing, detective.  I didn’t even arrive in town until Sunday.”
Methos said. 

Nick decided that there was really no reason to adhere to rules of
evidence, as this interview would never be documented in a report.  “I
didn’t ask you when you arrived, Mr. Pierson, I asked you what you
could tell me about the sword-fight that happened on Saturday night.” 

“I told you, Detective.  Nothing.  I can tell you nothing about a
sword-fight on Saturday night.” 

Nick pulled out a picture of the victim and laid it out on the table.
He could hear Pierson’s heart speed up significantly.  He captured that
beat and spoke hypnotically, “What is his name?” 

Methos was caught in the Mesmer for just long enough to mutter “Scott
Santeramo.”  Then he caught himself- “He looks almost exactly like
someone I used to know,” Methos said.  “What the hell was that?!” he
thought furiously at himself. 

Nick got the feeling that Pierson and Santeramo were friends.  He
decided to play on that.  “I saw him.  I got there just in time to
watch him die.  I saw the man who cut off his head.”  When Nick heard
Pierson’s heart begin to pound he caught it again and tried to
mesmerize him once again, saying, “What was his name?  Who killed
Scott?” 

“Froag.  That son of…”  Methos once again caught himself spilling the
details that he must not share.  “What is happening to me?!” he
screamed at himself. 

Nick sensed Pierson tense, and changed tactics.  “Were you aware that
your apartment was broken into tonight, Mr. Pierson?” 

“What?”  Methos asked, disoriented. 

“The man who broke in was struck by a car, right on the sidewalk
outside your apartment as he exited.”  Nick paused for a moment and
then, “The men who ran him down then got out and put wrist and ankle
restraints on him and loaded him into the trunk.”  He cocked his head
at Pierson and asked, “Why would they do that, Mr. Pierson?” 

“I have no…” Methos began. 

“They were waiting for you Mr. Pierson.  You were their target.” 

“No, I…” he began. 

“They took him to a warehouse and gave him to a group of men.  He was
nearly dead already, and certainly would have bled to death, but they
left him in the restraints and took the time to shoot him.  Why would
they do that?” 

“How the hell should I know?  I was here all night!”  Methos nearly
shouted. 

Tracy was admiring the way Nick was playing this guy.  If this had been
a real interrogation, this would have been her time to jump in, “Well,
why not?” she thought. 

“Mr. Pierson, no one is accusing you of anything.  We are trying to
solve a murder, and it is apparent that you have information we need.” 
Tracy said. 

“Look I really can’t help you…” Methos began. 

“We are willing to overlook the concealed weapons charges against both
of you if you will cooperate with us.”  Nick said, interrupting him
again. 

“What?!”  Methos said, his train of thought once again derailed. 

“Your swords, Mr. Pierson.  The ones you have sewn into your coats.”
Nick said, smiling. 

Methos and MacLeod both swiftly glanced at both detectives’ wrists, and
then at each other. 

Nick caught the glance and remembered the tattoos that the watchers had
sported on their wrists.  “No, Mr. Pierson.  We aren’t here to *watch*
you.  Although I think there is a group of such individuals in a
warehouse over on Gateway lane. 

Both Methos and MacLeod visibly paled at Nick’s not-so-subtle emphasis
on the word ‘watch’.  Neither said anything. 

“Come now gentlemen.”  Tracy said.  “Not all of us can afford to sit
here *forever*” 

MacLeod spoke for the first time, “Who the hell are you people?” 

Nick laughed, “Isn’t that supposed to be our line?”  He shook his head,
“We are Toronto Homicide detectives, just as we said we were.” 

“If you know what you’re talking about, then you have to know that you
can’t take this case to court.  Let us handle it.  Your killer will not
cause any further problems.”  MacLeod said. 

“What is his name?”  Nick pressed.  “For that matter, what is yours?” 

“I am Duncan MacLeod.  The man we are looking for is called Phineas
Froag, believe it or not.  And trust me when I tell you that you cannot
handle him alone.” 

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

LaCroix laughed at that.  He, Vachon and Natalie had been observing and
listening to the interrogation. 

Natalie wondered aloud if all immortals were resistors. 

LaCroix asked, “Why do you say that?” 

Natalie was momentarily startled.  She hadn’t realized that she had
spoken out loud.  “Unh, well…  I mean Mulder was a resistor too, and
now this Pierson seems to be.  I just wondered if it was maybe normal
for them.” 

LaCroix thought for a moment.  “Resistors are usually those with very
strong minds- a very strong sense of self.  I imagine that even if not
all immortals are resistors, those who are very old would probably be.”


Vachon asked, “Do you think they get stronger with age?” 

“Certainly not on our level at least.  After all, this Pierson fellow
is as old as I am, or older, and Carter was able to take both of them
out quite easily.”  LaCroix shook his head.  “In any case, I was not
thinking of them becoming more powerful with age, but rather that only
those with very strong minds could survive as long as this one has.
Even among our kind, few are strong enough to last longer than a
century or two before dying or going mad.” 

LaCroix had been noticing that Natalie had kept Vachon between her and
himself since entering.  She also refused to meet his gaze, and kept
her hands in her lap, out of his sight.  Her heart rate increased
markedly whenever he spoke or looked at her and her breathing was
shallow and rapid.  Clearly she was very nervous.  Nervous about him.
“Natalie.  Child, look at me.” 

Natalie almost gasped.  Her heart was in her throat and she thought,
“Oh, God!  Here we go.”  She gulped and looked into the face of the
master vampire. 

LaCroix turned to Vachon, “Go out and join our friends.  Natalie and I
will be along presently.” 

Vachon merely nodded and left the office, happy to be out of this
discussion. 

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

Nick’s Loft 
12:30 a.m.   Thursday 

Scully and Mulder had stayed in the shower, making out, until the water
turned cold.  Mulder thought the art of making out didn’t receive the
respect that it should.  The anticipation of what was going to come
next had both of them panting, even if Scully didn’t need to breathe. 

They gently toweled one another off and Scully said, “Nick said that I
could use the guest bedroom.” 

“Nick’s a great guy.”  Mulder responded.  “Where is it?” 

“Right this way,” Scully said, grabbing Mulder’s hand and fairly
dragging him behind her. 

Mulder only held back at all because he really liked the view he got
following a naked, excited Scully.  He noticed that the wetness between
her thighs was red.  Concerned, he asked, “Scully?  Are you alright?” 

They were almost to the bedroom door when she heard his question.
Sensing the concern in his voice, she turned around, “I’m fine, Mulder,
why?” 

“I just noticed that you…” he trailed off, gesturing toward the blood
smeared between her thighs. 

Scully looked down and was suddenly embarrassed.  “Oh, uh…  I kinda
forgot to mention that…” 

“What, Scully?  Are you Ok?” 

“Yeah, really I’m just fine, Mulder.  Uh…  Well…  It seems that blood
is the only body fluid that vampires have,” she continued quietly. 

“Oh.”  Mulder said.  He could see that this embarrassed her.  He didn’t
mind at all, but had been concerned that she might be injured.  “I
don’t mind Scully, really!  I just thought you might be hurt.”  He
could see that she was still uncomfortable and decided that actions
would speak louder than words. 

Scully was momentarily surprised when Mulder swept her up in his arms
and carried her through the door.  He threw her onto the bed and
immediately kneeled between her legs.  Throwing one leg over each
shoulder he dove into her with his mouth and tongue.  Any concern she
might have had about Mulder being turned off by her new condition was
erased by the waves of pleasure that poured over her. 

Mulder was not at all put off by the taste of Scully.  Slightly
metallic, the blood quickly became his new favorite flavor.  The
sounds, the little moans and gasps she made, they were all the
encouragement he needed.  Soon she was crying his name out and when he
looked up he saw that she had changed.  Her eyes were blood red and her
fangs were fully extended.  She seemed on the edge of orgasm, but would
not tip over. 

“Mulder!  Oh, Mulder!  I need…  I need to…” Scully shouted. 

Mulder suddenly remembered that she would need to bite him to cum.  He
stuck his hand toward her, offering his wrist.  She grabbed his hand
and bit into his wrist, sucking strongly. 

The link between the two was re-established and the love and concern
they felt for one another rolled into her orgasm.  Mulder felt her tip
over the edge and felt himself follow her. 

After a few swallows she released him, momentarily spent.  He was spent
as well, and somewhat embarrassed to have cum so prematurely.
“Apparently the link works both ways,” he said. 

She chuckled at his discomfiture.  I’m sure you will be able to make a
comeback, Mulder. 

Mulder crawled up onto the bed next to her and took her in his arms.
“I love you so much, Scully,” he whispered into her ear, kissing the
lobe and the area of her neck below it. 

Mulder’s lips on her neck were like an instant injection of fire
throughout her body.  She was suddenly ready for round two in a big
way. 

Mulder noticed the instant arousal and thought to himself, “Ok, the
neck is apparently vampire erogenous zone number one.”  he was about to
be disappointed that he couldn’t respond as rapidly as he would have
liked to, when he noticed that he too was suddenly and overwhelming
ready for the second round. 

Scully felt Mulder’s raging erection pressing into her side and
laughed.  “Ahh, the unspoken benefits of immortality, revealed!” 

Mulder captured her mouth in a searing kiss and then said, “I think I
just figured out what we are going to do with the next century, or
ten.” 

Scully smiled at him and decided to test his newfound stamina and show
off her own apparently infinite ability to hold her breath. 

Thirty minutes and three orgasms later, during which Scully had kept
him in her mouth the entire time, Mulder decided that he now knew what
heaven must be like.  His recovery time was measured in seconds, not
minutes.  “This is definitely worth getting run over and shot!” he said
after screaming out Scully’s name for the third time. 

Scully had waited long enough.  She continued her oral assault until
she felt him harden in her throat once again, then she pulled away from
him and crawled up his body, dragging every inch of herself across his
erect member as she went.  She captured his mouth in a searing kiss and
then impaled her self on him.  She rode slowly at first and then built
up speed until she was pounding him down into the mattress like a
jackhammer.  His hands on her breasts were tentative at first until she
guided him with her own hands on his.  Soft and sweet would come soon
enough.  This session was to be strong, hard and fast.  Soon he was
torturing her nipples, squeezing and pulling, rolling them between his
finger and thumb.  He screamed out her name until his voice was raw,
trying to restrain himself until she reached the point of no return. 

Finally she had built up the pleasure in herself until she thought she
would go insane with need.  Mulder arched his head back, baring his
neck, instinctively knowing what she needed.  She could resist no
longer.  She plunged her fangs into his throat and drank the hot rush
of blood in huge gulps.  Through the link she felt his encouragement
and this time she didn’t stop.  She felt Mulder release inside of her
both physically and through the link.  Her own orgasm rolled through
them both.  She felt his love and adoration pouring out for her in his
blood.  She felt his need so strongly that it made her cry, even as she
drank. 

Mulder’s last thoughts as he died were filled with the incredible,
absolute love he felt from Scully.  Love for him alone.  “I am going to
really really *really* enjoy living forever,” he thought as his
consciousness faded away. 

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

The Raven 
1 a.m. Thursday 

Nat and LaCroix sat silently in his office for a bit.  “I thought we
had an understanding, Natalie,”  LaCroix said.  “Why are you so
unnerved by my presence?” 

Natalie couldn’t get her vocal cords to cooperate with her, so she just
lifted her hands out of her lap and presented her left hand to him,
palm down. 

LaCroix saw the ring and immediately understood its significance.
“Ahh, I see.”  he shook his head, “Nicolas is an impetuous child.  He
knows that marriage ceremonies are not generally practiced among our
kind.  Yet Nicolas is not one to conform to the mores of our society.” 
He caught Natalie’s gaze and continued, “Did you think that I would be
angry with you, child?” 

“No…  Yes…  I don’t know…”  She sighed heavily.  “I guess that I was
just worried that you might think I was trying to take him away from
you.” she said in a descending voice, ending in a whisper.  “I’m not,
you know.” 

LaCroix considered her for a moment.  “While the institution of
marriage is not commonly accepted in The Community, we do recognize
mates when we see them.  You must realize Natalie that monogamy has a
different meaning among us.  The bloodkiss is the height of intimacy
among our kind, but it is not seen in the same way as physical sex.
Bloodkiss is shared among males and females alike with no thought to
gender.  You and Nicolas may remain monogamous, sexually, but I will
still expect you to share him with me in the bloodkiss.  You will find
that, sharing the bloodkiss is quite common, especially between master
and childé.” 

“You’re telling me that I shouldn’t be jealous of Dana.”  Natalie
responded. 

LaCroix nodded his head.  “But not only Dana,” LaCroix said.  “Nicolas
has more than one childé, you know.” 

Natalie remained in denial for a moment, “He hasn’t seen Serena in
years, and they were hardly close then.” she said. 

LaCroix merely smiled and waited. 

The thought struck her suddenly.  She knew he had brought her back
across, but she still thought of Janette as his sister/ex-lover.  “I
guess I still think of her as your childé.” she said with a sigh. 

“As do I child.  However, we must both face the fact that she is not.
Nicolas is Janette’s master now.”  LaCroix said. 

“If she will ever forgive him,” Natalie added. 

“Oh she will… eventually.” 

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

Methos was confused and a little angry.  Something about this policeman
was getting to him.  He knew far too much and seemed able to make him
say things he didn’t want to say.  In 5000 years he didn’t remember
ever encountering someone quite like this.  He seemed to have presence
like an immortal, but there was no quickening at all, not even what he
would expect to feel from a pre-immortal. 

Speaking of which, he felt MacLeod nudge him and indicate the
approaching figure with his chin.  It was the longhaired man that had
gone into the office where the roman was.  This time he didn’t feel
anything at all. 

“Excuse us for a moment,” Nick said as he and Tracy stood up and walked
several feet away to speak with Vachon. 

Mac leaned in close to Methos and whispered, “I don’t feel it; do you?”


“No.  It must have been the woman.”  Methos whispered back. 

Vachon had just told him that LaCroix and Natalie were going to be
joining them when he heard the whispered exchange behind him.
Unthinkingly he whipped around and returned to the table in the blink
of an eye.  “What?!  What about her, what did you feel?”  He exerted
every ounce of power he had, enthralling Pierson beyond even his
ability to break lose. 

The speed and ferocity of the Detective’s approach stunned MacLeod.
“He’s just like the guy in the airport,” was the first thought to pop
into his head.  It wasn’t a quickening, but he could feel the tendrils
of power emanating from this creature like a heavy fog of electricity
sizzling his skin.  He was about to go for his sword when he discovered
that the longhaired man was holding him from behind.  “Damn, I didn’t
even see him move,” he thought.  He struggled briefly, but it was as if
he was held in place by iron bands.  He couldn’t move at all.  He heard
a whisper in his ear. 

“Relax.  We have no intention of hurting you.”  Vachon said. 

“Yeah?  Well you have a bloody funny way of showing it.”  MacLeod
responded. 

Suddenly another voice startled them all. 

“If we had wanted you harmed, Mr. MacLeod, you would be harmed
already.”  LaCroix looked at his son, “Nicolas, I think you might have
to relax your hold slightly.  I do not think that he is able speak at
the moment.” 

Everyone turned to look at the Man and Woman standing at the entrance
to the room they were in.  MacLeod felt once again the gentle wash of
energy that was the quickening of a pre-immortal; so much quieter and
more subtle than the real thing. 

Methos shook off the cobwebs of his mind, released when Nicolas turned
to look at the newcomers.  He was angry.  He had been absolutely at
this man’s mercy.  If Knight had drawn a sword Methos would have been
unable to do more than watch as the blade swung at his neck and took
his head.  “Not a pleasant feeling!” he thought.  Then he saw him.  He
still felt nothing, “Wait a minute, what’s…” he began thinking.  Then
he saw the woman from earlier and realized that the feeling he had was
from her. 

“Well…  You look different.  Cleaner.”  LaCroix jibed.  “Short hair
works for you, I think.” 

Methos resigned himself to the encounter.  He drew himself upright and
looked around somewhat theatrically.  “What, no cross?  I won’t know
how to act,” he quipped. 

LaCroix smiled at this man’s bravado.  “I suppose something could be
arranged if you wish.” 

“Quite alright, young man.  I think we can do without.” 

LaCroix raised a brow at being described as a young man. 

Nick became slightly impatient and repeated his question.  “What did
you mean about her?” he said gesturing at Natalie. 

Methos refused to meet Knight’s gaze. 

“I don’t need to see your eyes Pierson, it just makes it easier.”  Nick
said. 

MacLeod jumped in, “What do you know about us?” 

“We know what the watchers knew.”  Nick answered, as he gestured for
Vachon to let him go. 

“She is like us,” MacLeod said. 

“She will be, anyway.  Someday,” Methos said. 

Tracy asked, “How do you know?” 

Nick turned to Natalie, “Mulder didn’t know he was immortal,” He turned
back to Pierson and MacLeod, “How can you tell?” 

“We can feel each other,” Methos began, still not sure exactly what
they knew and didn’t know. 

“Yes, the quickening- the lightning I saw after the beheading, but… you
can feel that even before the first death?” 

“We can feel the potential quickening.  It isn’t as strong, and we need
to be closer, say 3 or 4 meters, compared to about 30 meters for the
real deal,” Methos said. 

Natalie was floored by the news.  She looked at Nick, “But what about…”


“I don’t know.  We will find out soon.”  Nick said, walking over to
wrap his arms around her. 

MacLeod looked at the collection of people around him and voiced the
question that was on his mind, and he assumed Methos’ as well, “Look, I
don’t mean to be rude, but are you all vampires?” 

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

Nick’s Loft 
1:30 a.m. Thursday 

Mulder and Scully had just finished cleaning up, again, and Mulder was
drinking heavily- Gatorade. 

Scully was feeling somewhat guilty, “I’m really sorry, Mulder” she
said. 

Mulder finished a half-gallon container of Fierce Lime and turned to
Scully, “I’m not.”  He walked over to her and wrapped her in a tight
embrace.  “I would be more than willing to wake up thirsty every day
for the rest of my life in return for what you gave me tonight.” 

Scully gave him a smile that lit up the room.  “You’re a hopeless
romantic, Mulder.”  Scully’s smile dimmed as she thought of something. 
It’s Thursday, Mulder.  We’re supposed to fly back to Washington
tomorrow.”  She had a brief moment of panic.  “What are we going to
do?” 

“I don’t think we should make any decisions immediately, Scully.  I’ll
call Skinner and arrange time off.  We can talk to Nick and see what he
thinks.  Maybe we will even talk to these immortals, if they turn out
ok.  We could at least see how things work for them.”  Mulder said as
he looked down at the woman in his arms. 

Scully looked up into Mulder’s eyes and saw concern.  Suddenly he
looked down at her and a look of wonder crossed his features.  “What?”
she asked. 

“I was just thinking about what you were saying, how we handle Skinner,
the FBI, going back; how do we integrate our new situations into our
old.”  His smile got wider, “Then I remembered how difficult it was,
going to work with you every day.  I was so in love with you, and so
afraid of loosing you.  Loosing you to the job, loosing you because I
would give myself away and you wouldn’t want me.  I was so desperate
for you, and so full of fear,” 

“Was… and now?” Scully asked. 

Mulder’s smile softened an his eyes were so dilated that they were
almost entirely black.  “And now; you’re standing in my arms, and
holding me.  And, I know that you love me more than I could have ever
thought possible.  I’m happy Scully.  Deliriously happy, and I am
looking forward to being with you, not for twenty or thirty years, like
I used to fantasize about, but rather twenty or thirty centuries, or
more!” 

Scully graced him with another of her thousand-watt smiles and his
heart just melted. 

“You fantasized about growing old with me?”  Scully pulled his head
down for a long, lingering kiss.  She broke the kiss and hugged herself
tight to his chest.  “That’s so sweet Mulder!” 

He laughed.  “Well, that wasn’t the only fantasy I had about you
Scully.”  He leered at her lecherously. 

“Well,” she chuckled, “Tell me the rest later, were going to be late to
the Raven as it is.” 

“Ah, we mustn’t disappoint your master.”  Mulder said dryly. 

Scully was immediately worried, “Mulder, please tell me you aren’t
jealous of Nick.”  Scully searched his face for signs of anger.  “I
need him to train me and get me used to this life, not to mention the
fact that I owe him my life.” 

Mulder felt bad about teasing her, “Scully, I was only kidding.  I
don’t understand this thing with you and Nick, but I know it is
important to you.  And, I know that you love me, not him.” 

Scully felt a little relief, but wasn’t fully reassured.  “Mulder,
you’re right.  You don’t understand, and I need you to understand.  Our
lives do depend on my standing in the vampire community, unfair as that
is.  The enforcers would have demanded that you either be brought
across, or die.  Since the former is impossible, we will need his and
LaCroix’s protection to keep the later from happening.” 

“How do you know that, Scully?”  Mulder asked. 

“Let me show you Mulder.”  Scully reached up and stroked his neck,
seeking permission. 

Mulder understood what she wanted.  He would never deny her this, “Show
me, Scully.” 

She lifted up into the air and kissed his neck tenderly.  Then she
willed the change, dropping her fangs.  She slowly sank her teeth into
his neck, savoring the rich taste, the cardamom perfume.  She knew she
was only a day old, but she didn’t see herself ever tiring of this.
She poured everything she had learned from Nick into the link.  She
knew it wasn’t as strong as the twin bloodlink she and her master
shared, but she was pretty sure he would get most of it.  She finished
with images of the Nick of now, to counteract the images of his violent
past; and finally ended with her undying love for Mulder and desperate
need for him to be in her life. 

She pulled away, reluctantly.  She watched in fascination as tiny
electrical currents played across the wound, closing it almost
instantly. 

Mulder thought he felt her reluctance, and then a flash of wonder. 

She felt surprise, and wondered why she was surprised until she
realized that it wasn’t her that was surprised.  “Mulder?” 

“I can still feel you, Scully.  Barely, but it’s there.”  He opened his
eyes, which, once again, he didn’t remember shutting and looked down
with love at the face of his soul mate.  He laughed with pure joy at
the sight. 

Scully realized that she hadn’t retracted her fangs or changed her eyes
back and was slightly embarrassed.  Then she felt a wave of reassurance
and delight from Mulder.  “Oh my,” she whispered.  she couldn’t sense
his actual thoughts, but the emotions seemed to be coming through
pretty clearly. 

“Are you OK with this, Scully?”  Mulder asked, suddenly concerned. 

She felt his concern and responded hesitantly, “Are you?” 

Mulder understood that her hesitation was for him, not her.  She was
worried that he would think it an invasion of his privacy because it
was caused by her power.  “Scully, I am one hundred percent delighted.”


She could feel the truth in his words, the delight in his heart and
once again thanked God for the glorious gift that He had seen fit to
give her.  “I love you Mulder.  More and more with each passing
moment.” 

“Yeah?  Feel up to a short flight?  Wouldn’t want your master to get
anxious.”  Mulder said. 

This time she could tell that he was teasing.  “Hold on tight!” she
said, and leapt up into the air. 

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

The Raven 
2 a.m. Thursday 

The last patron left the club, assisted by the bouncer as he could
barely stand upright.  He was put into a cab and sent on his way. 

The only ones left in the club were Miklos, Alma, and the party in the
back room. 

Everyone had ignored MacLeod’s question.  Nick had remembered what
Froag said to Mulder when he was about to chop his head off.  “That’s
what he meant.  He said it was small, but he would take it.  He could
feel Mulder’s pre-immortal quickening.”  Turning back to Pierson he
asked, “What would have happened if a pre-immortal were beheaded? 

“I don’t know, why do you ask?”  Methos asked. 

Nick paused a moment, unsure of how much to reveal to this virtual
stranger. 

“Look, I think we’ve been more than helpful here.  You come up to us,
claiming to be police detectives, drag us back into this room, assault
us mentally and physically, and then demand a bunch of answers from us
about a subject we don’t normally discuss with anyone, and then you
refuse to explain what the hell is going on!” 

LaCroix was vastly amused at this man’s outburst.  “Come, now.  It
could be worse.  So far no one has been hurt here.  And you did come
into my club, looking for me.  You even went to the trouble of flying
in backup from the other side of the continent.” he said, indicating
MacLeod. 

MacLeod was as annoyed as Methos, “Look, how do you know so much about
us?  Who the hell are you people?” 

“Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?  We know your movements because I had Mr.
Pierson followed since he appeared in my club the other night.  I know
where you came from because my agent saw you come off of a direct
flight from Seattle Washington , we know you’re immortal because that
same man crushed your rib cage earlier this evening, yet you sit here
sipping scotch as we speak.”  Turning to Pierson he said, “I had you
crucified over 1900 years ago.  The very fact that you’re here at all
is a testament to your immortality.  We know about immortals at all,
thanks to your Mr. Froag.  He attacked Nicolas and an associate of his
several nights ago and returned to life twice after being shot several
times and thrown off of a building.”  LaCroix said.  “As for who we
are, you’ve already guessed that.” 

“This associate is the Mulder that you mentioned?”  MacLeod asked
Knight, “What makes you think that he is pre-immortal?” 

“Was.”  Nick said. 

“Oh…  How did it happen?”  MacLeod asked. 

“Remember that group of watchers I mentioned?”  Nick continued when
Pierson and MacLeod nodded their heads, “They thought he was you.” he
said, gesturing toward Pierson. 

“Why would they think that?”  Methos asked, believing he knew the
answer already.  “Let me guess, they saw him go into my apartment.” 

Nick nodded his head.  “When he came out, two men ran him down with a
car, trussed him and threw him in the trunk.  They took him to a
warehouse where they discovered he was not immortal and shot him in the
heart.  Of course, he was nearly dead anyway from the car hitting him.”


“And you saw all of this?”  Methos asked.  “Why didn’t you stop them?” 

“No.  I didn’t see any of it.  Vachon got there after they took off,
and he followed the car.” 

Just then Nick felt his daughter approaching, in flight no less!  And
from the emotion he could feel, he determined that she must be carrying
Mulder.  “Brash, impetuous childé!”  he thought.  She is going to wear
herself out quickly, and be hungry when she gets here.  “Vachon, could
you ask Alma to bring us some beverages?  and bring several bottles of
uncut as well.” 

As Mulder and Scully landed outside the door to the club, MacLeod and
Methos both stood up, their hands going to their swords in their coats.


“Relax, gentlemen.  It is just Mulder.”  Nick reassured them. 

“How do you know that?”  MacLeod asked, not at all reassured. 

“He is with my daughter.”  Nick said. 

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

When she set him down, Mulder was struck by an intense sensation,
unlike anything he had ever felt before. 

Scully caught part of it through her link and immediately changed.
“What the hell ish that?” she lisped out through her fangs. 

“I don’t know!”  Mulder said.  Slowly the feeling became more bear
able, until it was like a hum in the back of his mind- he was aware of
it, but not distracted by it. 

Scully figured out that it must be the quickening that the watcher
memories had referred to.  “It’s the quickening, Mulder.  It tells you
when other immortals are near.” 

“Early warning radar, huh?”  he responded.  “Well that’s just about the
weirdest thing I’ve ever felt before. Must be Pierson and his partner.”
Mulder said. 

Scully felt her master reach out to her through the link.  “Nick and
the others are with them,” she informed Mulder.  “He’s mad at me for
flying you here.  I’m not tired, why would he think that?” she trailed
off, her eyes unfocused as she silently communicated with her master. 

When her focus returned, Mulder asked, “So, he’s mad at you?” 

“He thinks I overexerted myself by bringing you all the way here by
air.”  Scully said. 

“Did you?”  Mulder asked, concerned. 

“No!  I’m not tired at all.  In fact I’m not even extremely hungry.  He
seemed to think I would be.”  she said. 

“Well, lets go in and face the music.  Why do I feel like a teenager
that is bringing back his date to her father past curfew?”  Mulder
asked her. 

Scully laughed, but felt not dissimilar at all.  Bracing herself she
entered the Raven, Mulder in tow. 

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

“Your daughter?”  Methos asked.  Knight didn’t look old enough to have
a daughter of sufficient age to be running about by herself.  He
couldn’t picture vampires having children, “but what do I know?” he
thought 

“Yes.  Her name is Dana Scully.”  Nick said just as she and Mulder
walked into the room, Alma in tow, carrying a tray of glasses and
several bottles.  “Dana, Mulder, this is Adam Pierson and Duncan
MacLeod.” 

Hello’s were exchanged and Methos turned back to Knight wanting to
press him to continue the story. 

Nick watched as Dana took a glass of the uncut blood and sipped at it. 
He pressed into the link they had looking for fatigue, hunger, and
making sure she was in control around these mortals “Well, non-
vampires, anyway” he thought.  He found that she was just fine.  “Are
you sure you really flew yourself and Mulder all the way here?” he
asked through the link. 

Dana was surprised by the question.  “Yes, of course I’m sure!  Do you
think I am lying?” 

“You should be exhausted by such a trip.  You’re only a day old, Dana!”
he practically shouted at her through the link.  “Don’t be in such a
hurry to exercise your powers until you and I spend more time together
on them.” he rebuked. 

“Well, I feel fine.  But, I will do as you say.” she responded,
somewhat irked. 

Methos and MacLeod watched the silent exchange with curiosity.  Mulder
was catching all Scully’s emotions, as well as some of Nick’s.  The
others watched in varying degrees of amusement. 

Nick realized everyone was watching him.  “Well,” he said turning back
to Methos and MacLeod, “as I was saying, these watchers had Mulder
chained up in the trunk, Vachon had followed them to a warehouse not
far from where I live.  By chance Dana and I were outside and she saw
Vachon.  She went to the warehouse and got there in time to see them
shoot Mulder.” 

MacLeod and Methos noticed that Dana had her head down, observing her
hands while Mulder had one arm wrapped around her and his other
caressing her arm. 

“Anyway,” Nick continued, “When Mulder came back we knew he was like
the man we had fought on the rooftop.  Your Phineas Froag.” 

Mulder choked a bit at the name, “Phineas Froag?  What the hell kind of
name is that?” he asked. 

“South African.”  Methos mumbled. 

MacLeod still didn’t think things added up, “That doesn’t explain how
you knew about watchers, quickening, and the game.” 

LaCroix smiled widely and commented, “Actually, as I understand it, my
Granddaughter extracted that information,” he said, indicating Dana. 

MacLeod asked, “How exactly do you mean that?  Your granddaughter; can
vampires have children?” 

“Nicolas is my Childé.  Dana is Nicolas’ Childé, my granddaughter.”
LaCroix answered. 

“Well, that’s as clear as mud.”  MacLeod said. 

“Nick made me a vampire.”  Scully said.  “He’s my maker.” 

The two immortals absorbed that information for a moment. 

“How did you persuade the hunters to tell you about us?”  Methos asked
her.  “And what did you do with them?” 

Scully dropped her head into her hands.  She was embarrassed.  She was
annoyed with herself for being embarrassed.  “I viciously killed a
dozen men, and I’m embarrassed!” she thought. 

LaCroix was proud of his granddaughter’s instincts and abilities, “One
day old, and she has both power and control.  She may have been made by
chance, but she was a worthy addition to his family.  Far better than
that whelp Serena, whom Nicolas had made through a foolish
misunderstanding,” he thought.  If Natalie had even half of Dana’s
potential, his family would be one of the most potent in The Community.
“Yes, Dana,” he said aloud.  “Tell us what happened, I have only heard
third-hand accounts.” 

It may have been said with humor, but she heard the command behind the
banter.  She looked at Nick and saw resignation on his face.  “Go
ahead” she heard through her link. 

“I… I don’t really…  I didn’t really think at the time.”  She ran her
hands over her face, rubbing her eyes, and then up over her head,
through her hair.  She decided to approach it clinically, the same way
she would describe an autopsy, divorcing her feelings from the horror
of the situation.  “I had just landed outside the window.  I saw
Mulder, propped up in a chair.  He was severely injured, barely alive. 
Then one of them, Jimson, shot him in the chest.  The one who gave the
order, was named Perone…  Anyway, I saw them shoot Mulder and I lost
it.  I went through the window and…”  She paused and had to take a deep
breath.  She felt Mulder’s reassurance through their burgeoning link.
She also felt Nick’s compassion and understanding.  “I…  tore them up,
I guess.  Perone was the only one I drained.  That’s how I knew about
immortals, from his memories.” 

MacLeod looked at this little slip of a girl before him.  She was
dwarfed by her lover, in whose arms she was wrapped.  He had a hard
time picturing her killing a dozen men with her bare hands.  “You
killed them all?  Why didn’t they shoot you?” 

Nick was himself torn between paternal pride that his childé was so
powerful, and concern over her loss of control.  Of course the cause in
this case was completely understandable.  If Natalie had been attacked
so, he knew without a doubt that he would tear through a hundred men if
necessary.  He responded to MacLeod’s question, “They didn’t have time,
Mr. MacLeod.  I believe you have seen for yourself the speed at which
we can move when necessary.” 

LaCroix decided to change the subject, “You called me ‘young man’ Mr.
Pierson.  May I ask why that particular appellation?” 

“Unless the legends are wrong, your kind cannot go out in the daylight.
It was daylight when we last met, so I assumed that you were not yet a
vampire at that time.”  He waited for LaCroix’s confirming nod and
continued, “That would make you, what, not quite 2000 years old?” 

“Whereas you would be…”  LaCroix began. 

“Older.  Let’s just say I was around a long while before that.” 

Mulder asked, “Do we become stronger with age, like vampires?” 

“No.  The more quickenings we absorb, the stronger we become.  Age of
itself is meaningless.” Methos explained.  “One can develop more skill
and experience with age, but it is not automatic.  MacLeod could defeat
me in a fight because I have only infrequently engaged in combat.  In
fact, up until the last several years, I had not been in the game for
over 2 centuries.” 

“How old are you, Mr. MacLeod, if I might ask?”  Tracy said, curious. 

“I was born in 1591,” he said.  “AD.” he added.  Then he asked the
group, “How much stronger do vampires get as they age?” 

LaCroix said, “It depends on the individual, but large differences in
age usually indicate large differences in strength and ability.  So
Nicolas, who is 8 centuries old, is much stronger than Vachon, who is
not quite 5.  A new fledgling is virtually powerless- quite vulnerable
under most circumstances.” 

“Mulder, if I might ask, How is it you became involved in this group?
If you just tonight realized that you are immortal… how long have you
been together?”  he asked, indicating his arm around Dana. 

“Scully and I work together.  We’ve been partners for 7 years.”  Mulder
answered. 

“You’re cops too?  Toronto PD has a large vampire contingent, does it?”
Methos asked, wryly. 

Scully responded, “Actually, Mulder and I are agents of the FBI.” 

Mulder added, “We came here for a conference this week.” 

“But you’re Nick’s childé?  so you knew…”  MacLeod began. 

“It’s a long story, but the short version is that I have been a vampire
for,” she looked at her watch, “almost exactly 24 hours.” 

Mulder added, “We only met everybody here this past week.” 

“Fickle fate has brought us all together here today,” LaCroix said. 

MacLeod looked at Tracy , “How long have you…” 

“I’m still mortal, for now,” Tracy answered his unfinished question.
“Mortals aren’t allowed to know about Vampires.  Those who find out are
made to forget.  Those who cannot be made to forget either join or
die,” she said, this time answering his unspoken question. 

He turned to Natalie, “What about you?  You’re mortal.” 

She answered, “I was planning on coming across very soon.  We will have
to see what happens when we try,” she said reaching for Nick’s hand. 

“Apparently those who have already gone through their first death
cannot be brought across.”  Nick added. 

“How do you know that?” MacLeod asked. 

Scully couldn’t blush anymore, but that wasn’t true of Mulder.  Nick
took one look at him and shouted for Alma , “ Alma , could you bring
Agent Mulder a glass of Orange Juice?  Better make it a double.”  He
looked at Scully and whispered, “How much did you take?” 

If she could have blushed, she would have been scarlet now.  “Uh, all
of it…  I think.” 

Mulder stepped in to defend her, “I asked her to.  It was the most
incredible experience of my life.” he said with a smile. 

Natalie looked at the two of them, so obviously in love, and was filled
with joyous anticipation for her own transformation, “Either way, we
will have forever, Nick.” she said looking into his eyes for
acceptance. 

Nick looked back into Natalie’s eyes and answered her unspoken plea,
“Either way, I will love you forever Natalie.” 

“Not to intrude,” MacLeod began, “but you will need to find a mentor to
train you, Mulder.  You’re in the game now, whether you want to be or
not.  Unless you plan to spend the next thousand years on holy ground,
you will have to fight to survive.” 

“Holy ground?”  Mulder asked. 

MacLeod looked pointedly at Scully, waiting to see if she knew the
answer. 

“Uh… the memories are almost gone.”  She said, discovering it for the
first time herself.  Concentrating on the fading memories she had taken
from Perone, she said, “Immortals do not fight on consecrated ground.” 
She thought for a moment more and added, “I don’t know why not, but
they don’t.”  She looked at MacLeod and asked, “Why not?” 

Methos answered, “We don’t really know what will happen if that rule is
broken, legends say that the last time two immortals fought on holy
ground was in the oracle’s cave south of Herculaneum in 79AD.  No one
knows if it is true, but I have yet to find an immortal that will break
that rule, even those who break all of the others.” 

LaCroix broke in, “Are you saying that an immortal battle on
consecrated earth caused Vesuvius to erupt?!”  He demanded. 

“No, I’m saying it is a legend among us.  That’s all.”  Methos
answered. 

“There are rules to immortality?”  Mulder asked, still thinking about
Methos earlier statement. 

It was MacLeod who answered, “There are a few, and adherence to them is
demanded by honor, but there are as many dishonorable individuals among
immortals as there are among mortals.”  He paused for a moment before
offering, “I would be willing to get you started until a mentor can be
found, but I’m not certain that I am willing to take on a student right
now.”  He continued before anyone could question him, “We may need to
find someone for Natalie as well, depending.” 

Methos saw Mulder about to protest and added, “There are those who hunt
the young because they are easy kills.  Their quickening is not as
strong, but they can get more of them.  The good news is that those
people are not very skilled, because they don’t have to be.  You will
need training if you want to survive.” 

Tracy was slightly appalled by this attitude, “Is that what you all do?
Go around hunting each other?” 

“Not at all, Tracy .”  MacLeod answered.  “As Adam mentioned, he has
not been in the game for centuries, preferring to avoid conflict and
spend his time studying and doing research.  I only fight when
challenged, or in rare cases when I feel that an immortal is presenting
a threat to my friends or community.”  MacLeod chose not to elaborate
on that issue.  “Many of us have lives we enjoy, we exist within a
segment mortal society for a decade or so and then move on before it
becomes obvious that we are not aging.” 

Tracy was not reassured, “But you said you were looking for this Froag
person, and you didn’t sound like you were looking to sit and have a
pint with him,” she pressed. 

“Scott was my friend.  Froag hunted him down all the way from South
Africa , just because he wanted his quickening.  If someone killed your
friend, wouldn’t you want him or her to pay?”  When he saw she was
going to protest, he added, “Froag is immortal, the courts cannot
dispense justice to such as him.  Even if he was convicted, all he has
to do is commit suicide, and he is out.  I imagine it is the same in
the vampire community- justice among immortals is handled by
immortals.” 

Tracy , having participated- indirectly- in vampire justice, could’nt
say anything to that. 

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

By about 4 a.m. Methos and MacLeod could no longer hide their yawns.
LaCroix suggested that they should call it a day. 

Mulder looked at MacLeod and Pierson and said, “Scully and I have a
couple rooms at the Plaza that we won’t be using.  I’ll get our stuff
packed up if you two want them.  They are paid through Friday.” 

“I have a place,” Methos began. 

Mulder interrupted, “Yeah, I’ve seen it, remember?” 

MacLeod laughed, imagining Methos’ rather spare style.  “Let me guess,
a bed and a chair?”  at Methos’ annoyed look he continued, “I’ll take
the Plaza.” 

Nick said, “Natalie and I will take Dana back to the loft, you can meet
us there, Mulder.” 

Mulder wanted to protest, but felt Scully willing him not to, and
swallowed it back down.  “Ok.  I won’t be long,” he said to her,
sweeping her up into his arms and planting a deep kiss on her mouth,
leaving her anticipating his return. 

Vachon grabbed Tracy ’s hand and placed a sensual kiss on her palm.
“Come home with me?” he whispered to her. 

Tracy shivered with anticipation; the feel of his cool lips on her hot
palm were like the sensation of fire and ice.  “I- I have to go back to
the precinct and sign out.  I’ll meet you at the church.” 

Vachon leaned in close to her ear and said, “Why don’t you see if you
can arrange some time off.  I think you and I have some things to
discuss.  Depending on what you decide, you might want to think about
taking a vacation.” he growled in her ear. 

Tracy turned beet-red and felt a shock of electricity shoot straight
out from her center to her extremities.  Her fingers, toes and scalp
were tingling and she was suddenly sweating.  “I’ll be there as soon as
I can, Javier,” she whispered back, not trusting her voice.  Her
decision was already made, and it only remained to be seen if Vachon
felt the same for her.  If this behavior was any indication, she was
pretty confident that he did. 

LaCroix watched Vachon and Tracy ’s behavior and guessed that The
Community would have another addition as early as tonight. 

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

 

Incarnations of Immortality

By The Bear!

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 10 
4:15 a.m. Thursday December 14th 

Nick and Natalie were in the front of the caddie while Scully was in
the back.  If Nick was trying to reinforce the whole parent/child
feeling, he was accomplishing it handily.  She felt like a twelve-year-
old child.  She had to keep herself from reacting like one.  “Nick, why
were you upset that I flew to the Raven with Mulder?”  She asked. 

“Dana, a fledgling vampire shouldn’t be able to do what you did.  It
should have exhausted you, and I was concerned that you would lose
control and have to be restrained.”  He looked at her in the rearview
mirror for a moment.  She still looked small and fragile, but he knew
that was a mistake, she was very strong for her size and age.  “The
only thing I can guess that might explain it is Mulder.  You said you
drained him?” 

She was still embarrassed by this subject matter, but she answered.
“Yes.” 

“Had you consumed that much vampire blood you would have been similarly
strengthened.  His Immortal blood must have fortified you beyond what a
mortal’s would have,” Nick said. 

Scully smiled, “Well, if he has anything to say about it, I’ll be
enjoying a meal like that on a daily basis.” 

Natalie laughed, “I know how he feels.  Vampire stamina is a wonderful
thing.” She said cattily. 

Scully laughed at the embarrassment she felt from her master.  “Now you
know how I felt,” she thought to him.  Out loud she said, “I have found
that immortals have pretty amazing stamina as well.” 

“Oh?” Natalie asked, clearly wanting more detail. 

“Let’s just say that his ability to come back from the dead in seconds
carries over to all aspects of his life now.”  Scully said with a leer.


Natalie choked with surprise and laughter. 

Nick said, “Alright girls, you’re going to make me blush here!” 

Natalie and Scully laughed the rest of the way to the loft. 

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

Mulder paid the cabbie an extra $50 to get him there fast.  He quickly
packed up his and Scully’s things and went back down to the cab.  He
stopped in the lobby and gave the keys to Pierson and MacLeod. 

“ Duncan , I appreciate your offer- training, I mean.  If you don’t
want to take on a student though, I don’t want to impose…” Mulder
began. 

“I don’t want you to be alone while Froag is about.  I will get you
started, and then we’ll see.”  MacLeod smiled and added, “I’ve never
lived in Toronto before.” 

That comment stopped Mulder dead in his tracks.  “Uh… How long does it
usually take?” 

“What, training?”  MacLeod asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“Well the basics can be covered in eight months to a year.  True
proficiency can take several years,” MacLeod said. 

“Oh.  Ahh… I still have a job in DC…” 

“You have to leave that life behind.”  MacLeod said gently. 

“Why?  No one knows I died.”  Mulder said. 

Methos laughed, “No one living, you mean.” 

“That’s true.  I have actually never encountered someone who died in
such a way that no-one knew they had died.”  MacLeod thought for a
moment.  “You have some decisions to make, Mulder.  You will be very
vulnerable in such a high-profile profession.  And, it will be
virtually impossible for you to be adequately trained while working.” 

“Scully and I need to talk.  We don’t know how it’s going to work with
her condition either.  It will be difficult to work as a field agent
when she cannot go out in the daylight.”  Mulder said. 

“Why don’t you think about it for a couple of days.  We will meet you
at the Raven on Sunday, and you can let me know what you have decided. 
We can look into some options in the mean time.”  MacLeod added, “If
you see Froag, don’t think you can take him, get the hell away from him
and call us.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll save him for you two.” Mulder said with a smile.  He
didn’t think he had to worry with Scully around.  She would eat him for
lunch. “literally” he thought. 

As he turned away to leave Methos asked him one last question.  “By the
way Mulder, why did you have 2 rooms?” Methos asked. 

“We still needed 2 rooms when we got here.”  Mulder said enigmatically,
and left. 

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

Toronto Homicide, 96th Precinct 
The first thing she heard when she went in to the precinct was the
voice of Captain Reece shouting, “Vetter!  Where the hell have you
been?” 

“I had to hunt down a couple of sources, captain, but I think we may be
able to ID the decapitation victim.”  Tracy said as she breezed into
his office, closing the door behind her. 

“That’s not your case…” Reece started to say, raising his eyebrows at
the closed door. 

“I know captain, but I already wrapped up all of my paperwork, and with
Nick at the conference we don’t have any outstanding cases.”  Without
stopping for breath Tracy pressed on, “Actually, captain, I was hoping
to take some vacation, seeing as how things are kind of slow, and I
don’t have anything else going on.  Plus, I think Nick is going to be
asking for some time pretty soon as well so now would be perfect.” 

“Vetter.  Vetter!  Breathe, dammit!  I can’t get a word in edgewise
with you.”  Reece said, annoyed.  “What makes you think Nick will be
asking for time off?” 

Tracy smiled conspiratorially, “Well, you didn’t hear it from me, but I
noticed that Natalie is wearing some new jewelry,” she said while
holding up her left hand and waggling her ring finger. 

Reece leaned back in his chair, “No.  You’re kidding me,” he said. 

“Nope.  Serious as a heart attack, cap,” she said with a giant grin on
her face. 

“Finally pulled his head out, huh?”  Reece mumbled.  “I wonder who won
the pool?” 

“We shouldn’t say anything until he goes public, He’d kill me if he
knew I told you.”  Tracy said, only half joking. 

“All right, I’ll see you a week from Monday.  Now get out of here!”
Reece blustered. 

Tracy snapped to attention, “Yes Sir!” she said, and then took off
whistling, ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’ from ‘My Fair Lady’. 

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

Nick’s Loft 
The cabbie broke a few more traffic laws on his way to the loft.
Mulder felt like a giddy schoolboy.  He couldn’t wait to hold Scully in
his arms again.  His career might be over, the X-files might end up
officially closed down, and his girlfriend might never be able see the
sun again, but he couldn’t help thinking in that moment that life was
sweeter than he had ever imagined would be possible.  He decided right
then to dedicate the rest of his long, long life trying to make her as
happy as she made him. 

Scully could actually feel Mulder getting closer.  There was an almost
overwhelming sense of joy saturating their link.  Even Nick could feel
it. 

He was shocked.  “You have a link with Mulder?” he asked, interrupting
her in the middle of her description of flukeman to Natalie. 

Natalie had wondered why Dana was getting a broad, goofy smile on her
face as she was describing the genetic mutation that led to a
human/fluke worm cross that was killing sewer workers and implanting
them with parasitic larvae. 

Scully was startled by the abrupt question.  “Was I not supposed to do
that?” she said, bewildered. 

Natalie laughed, Dana looked exactly like a guilty teenager who was
caught by her father kissing a boy. 

Nick was irked by his own reaction.  “Sorry, Dana.  No, of course you
didn’t do anything wrong.  It’s just not supposed to be possible.  Even
if Mulder were another vampire, you shouldn’t be able to establish a
bloodlink with him, except when you are actually exchanging blood.
Especially in one day!” 

Well, it isn’t like ours, Nick.  It’s mostly just feelings, not
actually thoughts.”  Scully said. 

Nick continued, “Such links usually only exist within bloodlines, and
take time to develop after sharing the bloodkiss many times.  You
haven’t exchanged blood with Mulder…  Have you?”  Nick asked suddenly
curious. 

Scully definitely liked one aspect of vampirism.  Her childhood curse
of blushing at the drop of a hat was erased forever.  “Not really,” she
said.  “Not like you and I have, if that is what you mean.” 

“What do you mean not really?”  Nick asked, clueless.  “Either he has
consumed your blood, or he hasn’t.”  Nick said. 

Scully was mortified.  Imagine trying to explain to your father how
your boyfriend went down on you and ‘performed cunnilingus’ and you
might have the idea. 

Natalie actually thought she saw a very brief blush on Dana’s cheeks.
She too was baffled as to what could be so emb… “Oh, I get it.”  She
thought to herself. 

“Nick, remember when you told me that vampires only bodily fluid was
blood?”  Natalie asked. 

“Yes, so?” 

Natalie arched her eyebrows and waited for comprehension to sink in. 

It finally did.  “Oh… Sorry.  Uh, I wonder if a, uh, more conventional
exchange, might strengthen it.” 

“But Mulder isn’t a vampire,” Natalie said.  “What if he, I mean, uh…”
she trailed off.  There wasn’t really any polite way to ask whether
Mulder would enjoy the taste of blood, especially given that he had
already indulged, so to speak.  “Never mind.” 

Just then Mulder came in from the elevator, carrying an armload of
luggage.  He dropped the bags and swept Scully into his arms, kissing
her soundly.  “Hi.” He said. 

Scully found herself matching Mulder’s exuberance.  “Hi,” she said
breathlessly. 

Natalie was feeling a little ‘exuberant’ herself.  “You know, Nick, I
think Dana can broach the subject.  You and I have some very important
issues to discuss.  Upstairs.  NOW!” 

Nick turned to Mulder and Scully and said, “You kids have fun.  See you
in the afternoon.”  Then he grabbed Natalie, tossed her over her
shoulder and flew upstairs, with Natalie screaming in delight. 

Scully held her hand up, interrupting Mulder before he could say a
word.  “Mulder, in less than an hour the sun will rise.  I will be out
like a light until sunset.  We can talk or we can…” she trailed off
with a smile. 

Mulder smiled, leaned in for a soft tender kiss, and then followed
Nick’s example- running rather than flying. 

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

International Plaza Hotel 
6:30 a.m. Thursday. 

Methos and MacLeod decided that they would hit the mini-bar and
decompress a bit before crashing for the morning. 

“I wonder what I will find out about the world in another five
millennia.” Methos commented. 

MacLeod chuckled and said, “Well, they say it is the information age.” 

“No, I am quite serious.  I had always thought of myself as a rather
cosmopolitan fellow.  I’ve been everywhere, seen everything.”  He
sighed, “It’s one thing, MacLeod, to see new inventions and
innovations, those have come on and off for my whole life.  It is
another thing entirely to find out about an entire race of beings that
has been here for at least as long as I have and I never knew it.  Not
just a couple of individuals, but an entire race.  How many other myths
are true?  Will I be shocked if we meet a werewolf or, I don’t know, a
Mummy?” 

“Come on, Methos.  Do you really think werewolves and animated mummies
really exist?”  MacLeod scoffed. 

“Of course not!  But, that’s the point, isn’t it?  A week ago I would
have given you the same answer about vampires.  I would have laughed at
you for even asking the question.”  Methos answered, standing up and
saying “I’m going to go try to sleep.”  With that he headed for the
door connecting their rooms. 

“Well, you will just have to take comfort in the fact that they
apparently didn’t know about us, either.”  MacLeod tried to cheer up
his friend. 

Methos paused for a moment and looked back, sadly, at his young friend,
“The difference, MacLeod, is that they didn’t discover a race of
beings, any one of whom, could kill them without breaking a sweat…  We
did.” 

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

Nick’s Loft 
“You want to try what!?”  Mulder demanded. 

He and Scully had worked out their initial sexual tension in a fast and
furious bout that took advantage of the rapid healing properties of
both of them, generating enough force that, had either been mortal, a
visit to the emergency room might have been called for.  Scully had
been able to keep from entirely draining Mulder only because in the
ferocity of his movements he had torn himself away from her mouth after
only a few gulps.  Scully had watched the wound on his neck close
itself with a blue spark and brought up the subject she and Nick had
discussed. 

“I want to exchange blood with you Mulder.  Like vampires do.” She
answered. 

“But, but…”  Mulder began.  He stopped and thought for a moment.  The
concept wasn’t repulsive to him, he had already tasted her blood and
didn’t mind it at all.  He was confused as to the reason, however.
“Why, Scully?  Do you think it will bring me across?” 

Actually she hadn’t really considered that possibility, and Nick didn’t
mention it either.  “I don’t know Mulder.  I didn’t really think about
that.”  She took a moment to do so.  “I don’t think it could, if it
hasn’t already.  Nick thinks it could strengthen the bond between us.
Maybe we could actually communicate ideas as well as emotions.” 

Mulder slowly smiled, looking at her peculiarly until she said,
“What?!” 

“Trying to get into my head, Scully?  Figure out what’s going on in
there?”  he asked with a devilish grin. 

“I’m hardly that optimistic, Mulder.  If you can’t figure it out, how
could I ever hope to?”  She retorted smartly. 

Mulder mulled over the possibilities.  Not only would she have access
to his deepest feelings and emotions, but his fears as well.  “Of
course I would have the same access to her,” he thought.  He knew that
she loved him, he drowned himself in it every time she bit him.
Nevertheless, he had a couple of deep dark secrets that he was afraid
would hurt her.  The old Mulder would have allowed that to stop him.
The new Mulder was determined to overcome any obstacle to have Scully. 
A couple of skeletons in the closet weren’t going to stop him from
doing this. 

Scully watched her lover’s face with trepidation.  She was nervous
herself; the thought of anyone, even Mulder, seeing into her deepest
secret places was inherently frightening.  In the end, though, her
deepest secret was her feelings for Mulder.  It couldn’t hurt to have
him see that, could it?  Then she remembered Ed Jerse.  She hadn’t
actually had sex with him, but it was only because he had been unable
to perform.  She had wanted to; if only to prove to herself that she
didn’t need Mulder in her life.  What she had proven was that she could
do something stupid and self destructive in a futile effort to convince
herself that she didn’t need him, when it was so obvious that she did. 
It would have been like tearing her heart out to prove that she was
strong enough to live without a functioning cardiopulmonary system.
“Talk about short-sighted,” she thought. 

She saw on Mulder’s face that he had come to a decision.  She wanted to
rescind the offer before he could tell her no, but he beat her to the
punch. 

“I want to Scully.  I want to be one with you in every way possible.
Before we do, though, I need to tell you something.  I, I…” he started,
suddenly choking back a sob.  “I betrayed you once Scully.”  He looked
at her and quickly dropped his eyes.  “It was while you were… gone.” 

No need for him to explain that reference.  She knew he was talking
about the months she was missing after she had been abducted. 

“She was involved in a case…” He laughed mirthlessly, “It was the first
experience I had with vampires, actually.  Kristen;  she was a target
to be turned by a trio of vampires who were killing people very
publicly.”  He reached out to touch her, but pulled back suddenly and
dropped his shoulders in defeat.  “I’m sorry Scully.  I was lonely and
desperate, and I didn’t know if you were ever… I know that doesn’t come
anywhere close to making it ok, but I’m sorry.  Sorry it happened,
sorry I never told you…” 

Scully realized that Mulder was really torn up over this, and that
telling him it was alright wouldn’t help.  He needed her forgiveness,
even if she thought there was nothing to forgive.  “Shh, Mulder.  I
will forgive you, if you will forgive me.” 

“For what?” he said, startled out of his self-recrimination. 

“Ed Jerse,” Scully said, simply. 

He looked at her like she had grown a second head.  “How can I forgive
you for that?  I caused it!  I treated you like a piece of furniture
and drove you away from me, right into his arms.” He responded. 

Scully stared at him, jaw dropped.  She had told herself that very
thing after it had happened.  “I was wrong then, and he’s wrong now,”
she reflected.  “Mulder, I think you and I would have fewer
misunderstandings if we both just shut up and stopped taking the blame
for everything that has ever gone wrong between us.  Let’s do this and
eliminate the need for words, because neither of us seems to be very
good at them.” 

Mulder smiled at Scully’s highly accurate assessment of their
relationship.  “I agree,” he said simply. 

Scully dragged one sharp fingernail along her throat, slicing it open
and guiding Mulder’s head to her neck while she bit down on his
shoulder. 

Mulder choked a bit at the sensation of Scully’s cool, thick blood
filling his mouth, but convulsively swallowed as he felt the sting of
her fangs in his shoulder.  Suddenly his sense of self was ripped away
and replaced with the maelstrom of Scully’s thoughts and memories.  It
was like the previous times she had bitten him, except immeasurably
more intense.  “If this is how it feels, no wonder I can’t stop,” they
thought together in a weird sort of simultaneous thought. 

Finally, when Mulder’s heart stopped beating and the last spark of
consciousness faded out, the link was broken.  Scully felt like she had
died again, except this time there was no plain, no doorway and
certainly no Melissa.  She finally returned to full self-awareness and
opened her eyes, “When did I close them?” she wondered.  She looked
down at the face of her love and patiently waited for him to return.
She would have gone to get him some juice, but the sun was coming up
and a deep feeling of lethargy was stealing her away.  She lost
consciousness just as Mulder gasped awake. 

Mulder gasped awake.  He immediately focused on Scully, Visually and
through their link.  He noticed that she was asleep; he could feel
peace, contentment, but no thoughts, no ideas.  “Oh well, either it
didn’t work, or it takes more than once,” he thought.  Either way, he
planned to do it as often as possible- for in that moment, the two
truly were one. 

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

Vachon’s Church 
Tracy was breathless with anticipation.  She had definitely made her
decision.  She was hoping to make this her last night as a mortal.
When she was promoted to detective and assigned to the graveyard shift
it had taken a little while to get used to the change in sleeping
patterns.  She had stopped missing the daylight after a while, enjoying
the difference in pace and culture that the night offered. 

That was before she even knew about vampires. 

She knew that she would not miss the sun.  Even when she had days off
and could spend time in the sun, she didn’t anymore.  Those occasions
when she was forced to meet her father somewhere during the day were
more annoying than pleasurable.  Part of that, “Ok, most of it”, she
added silently, was due to annoyance with her father, but even when it
wasn’t to meet him somewhere, she found daylight to be bothersome.
Always fair-skinned, she had a tendency to burn unless she slathered on
the sunscreen.  While she had done so in her younger days just to spend
time on the beach in a bikini, lately she could rarely bother to
remember, and often burned.  “Now at least I’ll have a reason,” she
thought. 

Since meeting Vachon, she had grown to love the night, and she had
grown to love Vachon.  He could be maddeningly cavalier at times, but
she loved that he felt beholden to no one; he wasn’t involved in any
political games and he didn’t try to use her for any hidden agendas.
Vachon was, in many ways, the ultimate hedonist.  He didn’t do anything
unless he enjoyed it.  He spent time with her because he liked her, and
liked being with her.  He put up with her quirks and foibles and never
tried to change her.  He seemed to genuinely care for her.   At first
she had thought of him as a slacker, and definitely too scruffy-
although she had enjoyed watching him from the beginning, especially
when he was walking away from her.  Eventually she found that he was a
wonderfully caring soul, even if he was emotionally immature at times. 
She was definitely in love with him.  What she wasn’t sure of was if he
felt the same way about her.  She thought that he did, but her innate
insecurity reared its ugly head- after all, Vachon was seriously hot-
he could have almost any woman he wanted at will. 

As she entered the church, her heart was beating wildly and she was
somewhat embarrassed because she imagined that Vachon could probably
smell her excitement.  She was really looking forward to tonight. 

Vachon heard her practically running up the steps.  Soon the scent of
her blood washed across his senses- Apricots and lilies- like sweet
perfume on his pallet.  As she got closer he could feel his fangs begin
to ache as her other scent, warm and musky, became apparent.  Though he
always delighted in sneaking up on her and startling her, tonight he
decided that a more direct, and seductive, approach might be in order. 
As she stopped in his ‘living room’ amidst the dozens of lit candles,
he approached her through the doorway in front of her, pausing after
entering to rake his eyes up and down her slender, sexy form. 

Tracy saw the hunger in his eyes, as they slowly perused her- as though
he were a man who hadn’t eaten in days, and she was the buffet. 

He decided that the one thing he would miss about her mortality was the
delicious blush that covered her entire body when he looked at her like
that.  He did it again just so he could savor it once more before
proceeding. 

As she watched his eyes turn luminous she knew she had the answer to
her question, he definitely thought of her that way.  “You said we
needed to talk,” she whispered. 

“Do you really want to spend a lot of time talking right now?”  Vachon
asked. 

“No.  But, it might be good to go over a few things before we do this,”
she answered. 

Vachon smiled predatorily, “Tell me what you want, Tracy ” he slowly
strolled towards her, letting slip his personal presence, enveloping
her in his power, not to threaten, but to entice. 

Tracy ’s mouth went dry.  Other parts of her suffered the opposite
reaction.  She had to lick her lips before she could form the words, “I
want you, Javier.  I want to be with you.” She paused as he came within
millimeters of her before stopping.  Her voice dropped to a husky
growl, “I want to be like you.”  She slowly wrapped her arms around him
and drew his head down for a kiss, “Give me the night, Javier.”  Then
she put her mouth on his and began a slow burning kiss. 

Vachon felt himself stirring at Tracy ’s demand.  As he opened his
mouth to allow her questing tongue access to his fangs, he felt himself
become fully erect.  He pulled his head back enough to look into her
eyes, “Last chance Tracy , tell me now that you aren’t ready or you
will never see the sun again.” 

“Is that a threat?” she asked with a smile. 

“It’s a promise.  Once I start, I won’t be able to stop before it is
time to bring you across.”  Vachon said seriously. 

Tracy locked eyes with him and replied, just as seriously, “Bring me
across, Javier.  That is what I want.” 

Vachon smiled broadly and said, “Then that is what you will have!”
And, saying that, he swept her up into his arms and flew her into his
bedroom. 

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

Nick’s Loft 
The sun was up, but Nick wasn’t sleepy yet.  He was so excited by his
fiancée that he couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off of his face.  After
satiating their sexual desires- several times- they had decided to talk
about their wedding.  Each had a great deal of time off coming to them
and they couldn’t decide to get married before trying to bring Natalie
across, or waiting until after the transformation and initial training
had ended.  Of course, there was the added uncertainty of Natalie’s
immortality.  Whether she would actually cross over, or just become
immortal, or? 

In any case, Nick was still deliriously happy.  Natalie would be his
forever, in darkness, light, or in between.  Not to mention the little
fact that every time they had sex was just as, if not more exciting
than the last.  Nick was looking forward to some of the kinkier games
they could play as soon as the change (whichever it was) was made. 

“Nicolas Knight!!!”  Natalie yelled at him, startling him out of his
self-absorption.  “You haven’t heard a word I have said for the last
five minutes!”  She complained.  “Where were you this time?” 

“Sorry, Nat.  I was just thinking how wonderful things are right now.
I was so obsessed with you for so long, and so desperately lonely,
thinking that you and I could never be.  I was despondent, thinking
that I could never be forgiven, thinking that I was the epitome of evil
just because I was a vampire. 

Natalie looked at him with sad eyes, knowing intimately from the blood
link the sorrow, guilt and despair that Nick had felt.  Added to the
fact that she had shared his loneliness and torment in many ways. 

Nick continued, “And now, all that has changed!  I have you, I am happy
with my vampirism, I have reconciled with my father, I have a childé
who is showing herself to be an excellent addition to the family, and
She and I both have the loves of our lives forever, whether vampire or
not.”  Nick drew his naked and sexy woman into his lap, kissing her
soundly.  He drew his head back and said, “I love you so much, and I am
so looking forward to living forever with you.” 

“So am I, Nick.  What do you say we figure out what we are going to do
for the next few weeks first?” she said with a smirk. 

Nick smiled back at his lovely bride-to-be.  “You’re right, Nat.  I
don’t know if it is the immortal blood, but whatever the cause, Dana is
learning at a very rapid rate.  I think she will have enough of the
basics to be on her own within a couple of days.  She will need to
spend time with me off and on for years to master everything, but that
won’t require constant contact.” 

“What about my change, Nick,” Natalie asked.  “When do you think we
should try?”  She was concerned and eager at the same time.  She wanted
to know what was going to happen. 

Nick felt Natalie’s impatience and wondered what would result from
their attempt.  He had to admit that he wanted her to be a vampire.  He
felt guilty that his desire meant no more sunshine for his beloved, but
he knew that she also wanted it before they knew about her incipient
immortality.  “Nat, I want you any way I can get you.  I hope you won’t
be upset if I tell you that I would really like to see you in fangs.” 

“Oh, Nick, me too.  I really don’t think I want to spend eternity
chopping heads off.”  Natalie said. 

“What if that is what happens?”  Nick asked, suddenly picturing his
beloved in a sword fight, “Will you fight?” 

Natalie thought about it for a moment.  “I don’t like the thought of
killing, Nick.  I may not have live patients, but I am still a doctor.”
She stopped speaking for a moment and looked at her love, considering
him.  “I couldn’t let someone take me away from you.  I won’t look for
a fight, but I won’t lie down and die, either.”  She smiled, trying to
lighten the mood, “Maybe you can train me Nick, how long has it been
since you swung a sword?” 

“It’s like riding a bike, Nat.  You never forget.”  Nick said with a
broad smile.  “As to your question, I think we should do it this
weekend.  Saturday night, maybe.  We can plan a wedding for a couple of
weeks after that?  And maybe a honeymoon trip after that.  What do you
think?” 

Natalie slowly smiled until her teeth showed.  She pulled herself
closer to Nick and said, “Here’s to fangs!” grabbing the back of his
head and smashing her mouth against his. 

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

Vachon’s Church 
6:30 a.m. Thursday 

Vachon had removed all of Tracy ’s clothes and laid her on her back, on
his bed.  Shedding his own clothes, he had laid beside her on his side,
facing her.  He had stopped her as she tried to roll towards him,
saying, “Patience Querida, lie back and relax.  I will tell you what to
do.”  He then proceeded to stroke her body with his free hand, using
the backs of his nails, fingers curled under, alternated with his whole
palm.  His touch was very light, and entirely avoided the primary
erogenous points.  

He stroked her belly, circling her navel, up to her breasts, covering
every inch except the nipples.  He stroked her face, ears, and neck-
avoiding her lips.  He stroked her thighs and inner thighs up to her
stomach, while avoiding the place she really wanted him. 

Tracy was quivering.  Her nipples were rock hard, she was dripping wet
and her lips ached to have his kiss.  She had promised herself that she
wouldn’t beg, but had since thrown that decision to the wind.  She was
moaning and begging him to stop teasing her, to touch her where she
needed to be touched.  She had no idea how much time had elapsed, but
it seemed like forever.  She was going crazy with need. 

Vachon decided that she was finally ready, and moved his head to her
breast, gently scraping one fang across the tip of her nipple. 

The sudden sensation against the area where she had desperately wanted
to feel him sent her over the edge, causing the roiling feelings in her
to boil over into orgasm.  The feeling increased as Vachon treated her
other nipple to the same sensation.  She felt him enter her and
screamed her release as the orgasm got stronger, causing her whole
frame to shudder and shake.  His movement within her was like being
attached to an electrode- overwhelming sensation of pleasure assaulted
her senses, rendering her almost unconscious. 

Vachon slipped his fangs into her neck as she was delirious with
sensation.  As the heat of her blood filled his mouth, the link was
established and her earth-shattering orgasm initiated his own.  He was
swallowed up in the images and memories pouring forth from Tracy .  Her
hopes and dreams, her fears and concerns- they all washed over him like
a flood.  He felt her recently discovered love for him- her desire to
love him with all of her heart, tempered by her fear of rejection, her
uncertainty about her own desirability and worthiness to be loved. 

Tracy became lost in a sea of sight and sound, realizing at last that
she was seeing Vachon’s life as he remembered it.  She also felt how he
cherished and adored her.  She saw how, in his eyes, she was desirable,
how he lusted after her body while he had fallen in love with the
person inhabiting it.  She felt his reassurance that he would be there,
waiting for her to return from the crossroads.  Eventually everything
else faded out and she found herself standing on an open plain.  She
thought it was a memory of Vachon’s until she realized she couldn’t
feel him anymore. 

“Where am I,” she whispered, not expecting an answer. 

She got one anyway. 

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

Vachon felt the moment that her heart stopped and consciousness fled.
Acting quickly, he bit into his wrist and put it to her mouth.  “Come
back to me Tracy.” He whispered in her ear.  “Querida, I love you.  I
need you.  Come back to me.”  He felt her latch onto his wrist almost
immediately, sucking for all she was worth.  Finally, when he started
to feel light headed he pulled his wrist from her mouth. 

Before consciousness left her once again, he heard her say, “I love you
too, Vachon.” 

Vachon smiled down at the angelic face of his new Childé, “Welcome to
the night, Trace.” 

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

 

....continued in chapter 11