Infatuation With a Vampire
Fran Glass
Part 7/11
Nick's Cabin
Oct. 10, 1996
10:22 a.m.
Scully was having a bad dream. In it, she was riding on the
elevator at work when the cables broke and the car began
plummeting downward. She screamed in terror, fearing a crash
landing, when suddenly the elevator slowed its descent and began
rising smoothly upwards again. When it got to the top floor, she
waited impatiently for the doors to open, but nothing happened.
She pushed the button on the panel continuously, then picked up
the emergency phone to call for help. Before she could say
anything, a man's voice came over the receiver. "You're safe now,"
he told her, then the line went dead. Scully hung the phone up,
feeling somewhat calmed by the voice. She was prepared to simply
wait for the doors to open. She just hoped that it would be soon,
because it was getting stiflingly hot in the little room. She saw
that she was wearing a heavy jacket but couldn't seem to locate
the zipper to take it off. She felt as though she would roast
alive if she didn't get it off soon.
The overheating of her body finally caused Scully to awaken.
It took a few seconds to orient herself to her present situation.
She sat up in the bed and pushed off the overcoat that covered her
as she took in her surroundings. Besides being warm, the room was
also fairly dark. The only light came from the tiny rays of sun
peeking through the thin seams of the boards nailed over the
window. Scully climbed off the bed, then peeled off her own
jacket, finding that she was damp with sweat beneath her flannel
shirt. A shower and a change of clothes would be nice but first
things first. She found the light switch on the wall and flipped
it on. The overhead light brightened the room, then flickered and
dimmed slightly, letting her know that the cabin's generator was
probably in need of attention.
Scully discovered her personal belongings on the dresser,
including her gun. She collected the items and checked the gun,
pleased to find it still loaded. She grabbed her jacket, and with
the gun in hand, cautiously opened the bedroom door and looked
out. There were still two candles burning with perhaps only an
inch of wax left on each. Still, they provided enough illumination
for her to easily spot her host stretched out on the couch,
asleep. Scully watched him from a distance for a moment, then
allowed herself to relax and put her gun away. He had done nothing
to harm her -- other than kidnap her, that is -- and he had
probably only done that out of a desperate desire for
companionship and to have someone to talk to. That didn't excuse
his actions but it made them understandable.
Scully decided not to disturb his sleep. She tiptoed about
gracefully and went into the bathroom, flipping on the switch and
getting the same dim lighting as in the bedroom. The bathroom
window had also been boarded up, though the cracks were wider and
allowed a bit more daylight to pour through. She closed and locked
the door behind her, then toed aside the pile of clothing on the
floor near the toilet. After relieving herself, she inspected the
meager contents of the cabinet and drawers. Besides a lack of
toilet paper in the place, she noted there were no first aid items
at all to be found, not even a bottle of aspirin. Not much as far
as toiletries were concerned either. There was soap and shampoo
but little else available for personal hygiene needs. Scully took
advantage of the soap, cold water and a clean looking washcloth to
wash her face and neck and under her arms. She ran her fingers
through her tousled hair, wishing she had brought along a barrette
or rubber band for a ponytail.
After sprucing herself up as best she could, she went back
into the living room. Nick was still asleep, so Scully decided to
quietly check out her surroundings. In one corner of the room, she
found a small table with a selection of oil paints and brushes,
next to an easel with a canvass turned backwards. She picked up
the canvass by the edges and turned it around. There was a
photograph attached to the top, left corner of the canvass. It was
a picture of Nick and Natalie Lambert apparently snapped during a
birthday celebration. Scully studied the snapshot first, then
compared it to the image in the painting. Though unfinished, and
done in an Impressionistic style, Nick had captured Natalie's
likeness quite well.
Scully returned the canvass to its stand, then moved into the
kitchen area. She checked the refrigerator for breakfast
possibilities, but all that she found were unlabeled wine bottles,
two full and one half empty. She didn't bother checking the
contents. It wasn't all that surprising to find that Nick had a
drinking problem to go along with his depression. Scully checked
the cupboards next, hoping to at least find some instant coffee or
some canned fruit, but apparently, Nick had not done any grocery
shopping in a while. Perhaps he was the type who lived off the
land, or maybe the drinking had made him not care about eating.
There weren't even any cooking utensils or dishes; only a few cups
and glasses.
Leaving the kitchen, Scully moved to the front door and
opened it, careful to avoid allowing excessive daylight to enter.
Stepping onto the porch, she raised her chin to the warming sun.
The temperature was already about fifty-five degrees and would
probably make it into the upper sixties as predicted by the
weatherman yesterday. Scully stepped off the porch and away from
the cabin. There didn't appear to be any established vehicle
pathways, or foot trails to follow. There was some cleared land of
about a hundred feet squared, but after that, nothing but trees.
Scully picked the least dense area and worked her way through the
foliage. She made a special effort to leave herself a trail back
to the cabin by breaking small limbs on the trees and bushes she
passed. After a few moments of traveling, the trees and foliage
grew sparse and the terrain beyond became a rocky precipice.
Scully was careful in approaching the edge of the cliff. A
cautious glance below revealed a sheer drop of a few hundred feet
and a rocky landing. On the other side of the deep chasm were more
trees; miles and miles of trees shaping the mountain peaks, and no
sign of human inhabitants. Obviously, this wasn't the route to
town, so Scully turned around and retraced her steps back to the
cabin. Once she entered the clearing, she continued to look around
for the trail Nick had used to bring her there. He had to have a
vehicle parked somewhere nearby, but after a brief search, Scully
finally gave up and returned to the cabin.
Upon entering, she glanced at the couch and found Nick the
same as when she had left. As she got herself a glass of water
from the kitchen, she considered the fact that her host was
nocturnal and was likely to sleep the day away. She sipped her
water and moved closer to the couch to look at him. It reminded
her somewhat of watching Mulder when he slept. Her partner had a
way of looking almost childlike in his sleep. Of course, most of
the times Scully had watched him sleep were in the hospital while
he was recovering from an on the job injury or some unexplained
phenomenon. As she watched Nick Knight, she couldn't help but
marvel over how handsome and youthful he appeared. His skin was
indecently pale and absolutely flawless with no obvious scars or
blemishes. Scully was tempted to caress his face simply to see if
it was as soft as it looked, but she was afraid she'd be caught in
the act. She could just as easily be caught staring. He could open
his eyes at any time and catch her standing there gawking.
Although she finally managed to tear her eyes away from his
face, they still didn't leave his form. She gazed up and down his
blue jean clad figure, very much impressed by his well-toned
physique. His jeans fit a bit loosely which made her think he had
lost weight recently. No wonder, with no food in the place and
only wine to live on. Out of nowhere, a mental picture entered her
mind of that firm, trim body pressed hotly against hers, his arms
encircling her and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. She
quickly shook the image out of her head, having no idea what could
have possibly spawned the notion in the first place. Yes, he was
an attractive man, but she'd met handsome men before. She even
worked side by side with one, and not once had she envisioned such
graphic desires. Well, with Mulder, she really couldn't afford to
let her mind travel in that direction. With Nick, however, she
couldn't help but wonder how things might have been if she had met
him under more normal circumstances.
Scully sighed at the futility of such thinking and was about
to turn away from him when she noticed how his body was
positioned. He lay flat on his back with his arms folded and hands
lying crisscrossed atop his chest. It was the way she'd seen many
a dead body positioned for burial. It was also the position she'd
seen a few suicide victims assume once they had ingested a lethal
dose of something to end their life. Scully became instantly
concerned when that thought crossed her mind. She began to study
Nick in a more professional manner. She stared intently at his
chest, waiting for it to rise and fall with the pattern of his
breathing, but it didn't.
Scully stepped closer, picked up his wrist and held it
lightly between her fingers. She was dismayed at the iciness of
his skin and lack of a pulse. Her hand then went to his throat,
searching again for a pulse but coming up blank. Dropping to her
knees in front of him, she moved his hands aside and pressed her
ear against his chest, listening carefully for even the faintest
of heartbeats. Her own heart sank when she couldn't detect either
a beating heart or a sign of breathing.
"No!" she whimpered woefully, lifting her head and gazing
sadly down at him. "What happened? What did you do?" She glanced
around for any sign of a drug overdose. There were no empty pill
bottles, stray tablets or suicide note to be found. She checked
his pockets, then ran her hands beneath him and between the seat
cushions of the sofa, but still came up empty. She looked at his
face again and saw how serene his features appeared. It looked as
though he had died peacefully in his sleep. Scully contemplated
trying CPR on him, but figured that he was more than likely this
way even before she had awaken and way too much time had now
passed since then. Even if she was able to get a pulse, his brain
would have undoubtedly suffered irreversible and severe damage
from lack of oxygen.
Scully placed the hands of the deceased back into their
original position then slowly rose and went into the bedroom to
get something to cover him with. Grabbing Nick's overcoat, she
went back into the living room and threw the coat over the body,
although she hesitated in covering his face. She'd seen dead many
times and in many ways. It was usually bloody, often grotesque,
and never very pretty, until now. In fact, he was beautiful, a
descriptive term Scully had never really associated with men, much
less a dead one. She sat down on the edge of the couch near his
waist and reached her hand out to caress his cheek with the back
of her fingers. He was ice cold to the touch but his flesh was
surprisingly soft.
"I know you were in a good deal of emotional pain," she spoke
to him in a near whisper. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to
help you, but... well, I hope you've found peace now." She heaved
a deep sigh before finally withdrawing her hand and pulling the
top of the coat slowly over his face. She sat a moment longer,
silently offering a prayer over the remains, then found herself
wiping away the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes. She'd only
known him a few hours, but in that brief amount of time, she'd
made a connection with him and therefore found his passing a
bitter blow.
After a few more minutes of mourning, Scully finally rose to
her feet and began to ponder her own fate. She regretted that she
never got any information from Nick as to their present location
or in which direction civilization lay. She vaguely recalled him
warning her that it could be potentially dangerous for her to
travel alone during the day because of the treacherous terrain,
and from what little she'd seen thus far, she had no reason to
doubt him. Whether or not he truly intended to escort her back to
town, she had no way of knowing; but she honestly didn't believe
that he had planned on dying and leaving her stranded.
Scully did a thorough search of the cabin, seeking a map and
any useful camping equipment. She came up empty on both accounts
with not so much as a compass or canteen. It didn't make sense
that someone living in the woods would do so without the basics
for wilderness survival. Then again, Nick Knight's brain had not
been functioning on all cylinders. He had been thinking kill a
cow, kidnap the first woman he sees and bring her up to the cabin
so she could keep him company. She doubted that he had ever meant
her any harm. He had been lonely, confused and simply in desperate
need of human contact. Not that any of that mattered now.
Scully grabbed the wine bottles from the refrigerator and
placed them on the counter. She could use them to store water for
her trek down the mountain. One bottle was half empty and already
open, so she chose it to start with. She poured the contents down
the sink and frowned when she realized what was being disposed.
Cow's blood, she thought, disgustedly. Unfortunately, there was no
detergent and no pots she could use to boil water and sterilize
the bottles.
"Great!" she hissed. "Just great." She sighed despairingly
and said, "Okay, Mulder, anytime you want to come and rescue me,
I'm ready."
As she stood at the sink trying to come up with a way she
could ensure herself some safe drinking water for her trip, a
distant sound from outside demanded her attention. She knew
instantly what it was and what it meant. Excitedly, she ran out
onto the porch and looked skyward. She realized that she didn't
even have to bother to signal because the helicopter was headed
straight in her direction. As it neared, she stepped off the porch
and waved her arms in recognition of being rescued.
There didn't seem to be enough room for the helicopter to
land safely, but the pilot was either highly experienced and
confident or just insane enough to give it a try. Scully had to
duck back inside the cabin as the chopper blades kicked up debris
and threatened to clip the tops of nearby trees. After a couple of
moments, the engine cut off and the whirling sound of rotating
blades began to die down. Scully ventured back outside just as
someone was getting off the copter. She had expected to see her
partner headed towards her, but instead it turned out to be
Sheriff Wilkes, carrying a backpack.
"Sheriff Wilkes, I'm glad to see you," Scully greeted him
with relief.
"Well you're a sight for sore eyes yourself, Agent Scully.
Are you all right? You're not injured anywhere, are you?"
"No. I'm fine. Is Mulder with you?"
"No, ma'am, but he sure did want to come. He got him a little
concussion, -- nothing too serious, mind you -- but he's not
exactly up to flying at the moment."
"How did you know where to find me?"
"You got your partner to thank for that. I'm still not sure
how he did it. He made some phone calls and pulled a rabbit out
of the hat. We would have been here sooner but we had problems
getting hold of a pilot."
"I'm glad you showed up when you did. I was just about ready
to attempt to find my own way down the mountain."
"The guy that kidnapped you, where's he now?"
Scully glanced ruefully towards the open door of the cabin.
"He's inside. He died in his sleep."
"I'll be damned," the sheriff grunted. "Your partner pegged
that one too."
"What?"
"Agent Mulder said that I'd likely find the kidnapper looking
a little lifeless. He had me to bring along a couple body bags."
"A couple?"
"Yeah. He wants me to double-bag the guy before transporting
him. He wants the body protected against sunlight. He also wants
me to throw in some fresh garlic and duct tape this to the body."
The sheriff reached into the backpack and pulled out an eight-
inch, wooden cross. "You got any idea why your partner would
insist on something like this?"
Scully nodded once and blew out a sigh. "I'm afraid so."
"You mind sharing with me?"
"Frankly, Sheriff, I don't think you really want to know."
Sheriff Wilkes chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Now you
know, that's spooky. That's exactly what your partner told me.
Sounds like you two have been together a little too long."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
--------
Black Eagle Sheriff's Office
1:15 p.m.
Mulder had been waiting anxiously for news about Scully's
rescue, and when word came over the radio that she had been found
alive and well, he nearly cried with joy. After speaking to her
briefly, he finally allowed himself to relax and take Deputy
Carter's advice about lying down and getting some rest. He napped
in one of the cells for nearly an hour until the deputy came to
wake him as promised with news of Scully's return. Deputy Carter
drove him the quarter of a mile out to the helicopter landing
field, arriving just as the blades of the copter were slowly
coming to a halt. The sheriff stepped off first, then turned to
help the female passenger off.
Though he was tempted to run, Mulder walked casually towards
them. Scully met him half way, a heartwarming smile stretching
across her face as she drew near. She fell easily into his opened
embrace and gave as good a hug as she received. Mulder pulled away
much too soon and looked her up and down.
"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked while
simultaneously checking her neck for bite marks.
"Mulder, I'm fine. How did you know where to find me?"
"I had Frohike run a background check on an alias Knight gave
me just before he departed with you. Turns out he owns a few acres
of land up there. Did he try anything with you?"
"No. He was... he was a perfect gentleman." She looked back
sadly at the helicopter as the body bag was being unloaded and
transferred to a waiting ambulance. "When I woke up, I found him
lying on the couch, dead. I'm thinking that maybe he suffered a
brain aneurysm."
Mulder shook his head. "He's not dead."
"Mulder, I know dead when I see it. He has no heartbeat or
pulse, there's no breathing, and he's ice cold."
"Okay, maybe he *is* dead but not how you think. Excuse me a
sec." Mulder went over to talk to the sheriff for a moment and was
given his backpack. He took a peek inside the bag, then exchanged
a few more words with the sheriff before shaking his hand in
gratitude and walking away. "They'll be keeping Knight on ice at
the hospital morgue in Great Falls," he said upon returning to his
partner. "I told the sheriff not to worry about the autopsy. That
you and I will handle things from here on out."
"Mulder, I'd rather not be the one to perform the autopsy on
him."
"You won't have to. I just wanted to make sure no one else
would."
"You don't want an autopsy done?"
"Well, if he's indeed what I think he is, an autopsy would
only piss him off."
"You're not still going on about the vampire thing, are you?"
"Scully, I saw him. I saw him make the change. The glowing
eyes, the fangs. I saw him fly."
"You saw him fly?" Scully questioned skeptically.
"You don't remember, do you? I could tell he had you under
some kind of trance. When I tried to get him to let you go, he
picked me up by my neck and flung me like a rag doll into the
fencing. Then he just held onto you and flew straight up."
"The sheriff told me that you got conked on the head," Scully
stated, feeling as though that explained things.
"I'm not imagining things, Scully. That's not a dead body
they've got there, it's a sleeping vampire. Look, you don't have
to believe me. You'll see for yourself when he wakes up."
"Mulder, as much as he's been handled, if he was going to
wake up, he would have done so by now, don't you think?"
"You taped the cross to his chest before you attempted to
move him, right?"
"Making sure it didn't make contact with his skin, as per
your instructions, yes."
"Well, that was a precaution. From some of the vampire lore
I've read, religious symbols can act as a restraint to keep a
vampire completely immobile. So even if he does wake up, he'd be
paralyzed until the cross is removed. I talked to Captain Reese
again and he said that they always had a tough time trying to get
a call through to Knight during the day. I'm guessing that means
he's a pretty heavy sleeper and probably won't be waking until
right around dusk."
"Mulder..." Scully started to argue the insanity of his
theory but knew it was a useless gesture. "Whatever. Right now,
I'm hungry and I need to shower. So can we just...."
"Sure. This way." He gently took her arm and guided her
towards a waiting patrol car and a deputy who was more than happy
to drop them off at their motel.
"So, you don't remember him transporting you to the cabin?"
Mulder asked as he relaxed in the back seat of the patrol car next
to his partner.
Scully shook her head slightly. "No, I don't. I remember
going out to the corral, looking for you, and the next thing I
know, I'm waking up in bed with...."
"With what?"
"I uh... I'm not really sure. Some of it seems almost like a
dream. I think he was holding me."
"Holding you?"
"I woke up and he was lying on the bed with me in his arms."
"Damn pervert is what he was," came the voice of disgust from
the man in the driver's seat. "No telling what he might've done to
you if he hadn't croaked first," Deputy Carter continued. "I know
it's none of my business, ma'am but are you sure you wouldn't want
to be examined by a doctor? Considering you were unconscious and
all for a spell. You know what I mean?"
"Thank you for your concern, Deputy, but, I really don't
think that's necessary."
"The deputy might have a point, Scully. If you can't remember
what all went on, it might be a good idea to get yourself checked
out. You could have been drugged or exposed to something. After
all, the guy did have a blood fetish, and it might not have all
been from cows."
Scully considered the words carefully, knowing that if their
positions had been reversed, she would have insisted that Mulder
seek medical attention. As the patrol car pulled up in front of
the motel, Scully found herself agreeing with her partner. "You're
right, Mulder. I think maybe I should get a quick physical, just
in case. But I'd like to eat and get cleaned up first."
The agents climbed out of the patrol car and waved their
thanks to the deputy. "He didn't sexually molest me, Mulder,"
Scully blurted out as she walked alongside him towards their
rooms. "I'd know if he had."
Mulder simply nodded. Of course, she knew her body better
than he. "So when you woke up, he was holding you?" he asked.
"Not me exactly. I believe that he thought he was holding
Natalie Lambert one last time. I think they did have a suicide
pact going. Only it was her idea and she goaded him into going
along with it. He blamed himself for her death and he felt guilty
because he survived. He was deeply in love with her. "
Mulder fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door
to Scully's room. "How does the killing of cows fit in?" he asked
as he allowed her to enter first.
Scully stepped into the room and headed straight for the
bathroom. She reached into the shower and turned on the water so
that it would have sufficient time to heat. She then turned her
attention to Mulder who stood leaning against the dresser.
"Nick didn't remember killing the cows. He was suffering from
blackouts. He said he became someone else."
"Someone named Nicholas de Brabant?"
"Yes. I think that's the name he used."
"That's the vampire, Scully. The one that took you."
"Nick said that this other personality killed the cows to
draw attention to himself. He wanted some family member to find
him."
Mulder pulled a photocopy picture from his pocket and showed
it to her. "Lucien LaCroix. Don't know what relationship he is to
Knight but they were roomies in Winnipeg after leaving Toronto."
Scully studied the picture and frowned, "I wouldn't want to
bump into him on a dark night."
"Neither would I. Something tells me, he doesn't settle for
cow's blood."
"Oh, so he's a vampire too, is that it?"
"Doesn't he look like one?"
"I'm going to go take my shower now. I know I must smell and
look hideous."
"You smell pretty much like I do and you look like...." He
was going to say that she looked like hell, but quickly
reevaluated her appearance. Considering that a few hours ago, he
wasn't sure he'd ever see her again, at least not alive, she was
truly a beautiful sight to behold.
"I look like what?" she asked when he had failed to complete
the statement.
"A million dollars in change."
"In change?"
"Yeah. A zillion bright, shiny coins. You have to admit,
that'd be an awesome sight."
"You know what you look like?"
"What?"
"Like someone with a mild concussion who's been up all night
worrying himself half to death."
"Do I look hungry too?"
She patted his stubble-covered cheek. "Go get rid of that and
I'll meet you in half an hour in the cafe."
--------
Benefis Healthcare Hospital
Great Falls, Montana
4:22 p.m.
Over a late lunch, Mulder and Scully traded information
each had gathered on the mysterious Nick Knight. After their meal,
they stopped by the sheriff's office to file paperwork, and later,
went to the hospital so Scully could get her check up. As he
waited for his partner, Mulder catnapped right outside the morgue,
wanting to keep an eye on Knight. After taking a cursory exam and
giving up some blood samples to be tested later, Scully went in
search of her partner. She found him in the hallway directly
across from the morgue, asleep in a chair with his arms folded
loosely over the backpack he was holding and his head resting
against the wall behind him. Scully walked up to him and with
devilishly intent, ran her fingernails along Mulder's exposed
neck. He jumped awake in a moment of panic, nearly falling off the
chair.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Scully soothed him. "It's just me."
"That wasn't funny," Mulder huffed as he stood and collected
his cool.
"Actually, it was," Scully grinned. "Why don't you go back to
the motel and get some sleep?"
"No, I'm wide awake now," he said as he slipped his backpack
over one shoulder. "How'd your exam go?"
"Fine. Nothing unusual to report. The results from the blood
tests will be back later. Urine tests show no drugs in my system,
so whatever he used to put me to sleep has apparently already
worked its way out. And in case you were wondering, no bite marks
were found."
Mulder nodded his head, obviously relieved to hear the news.
"Good."
Scully glanced towards the closed doors of the morgue, and
asked, "So now what?"
Mulder checked his watch before answering. "Still got a while
before sunset, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to check and see if
he's awake."
Scully started to make a comment but knowing it would go
unheeded, decided to save her breath. She lead the way into the
morgue, introduced herself to the attendant on duty and was given
complete access to the remains of Mr. Nicholas Knight. Mulder
slipped off his backpack then stood with his hand inside one of
the pockets, prepared to pull out something in defense should the
need arise. Scully tried to ignore his overly cautious behavior as
she pulled open the drawer containing Knight.
The body was still cocooned within the two body bags. Scully
unzipped the first bag to reveal the second bag and the strong
odor of garlic.
"I'll hold on to that," said Mulder as he grabbed the wreath
of garlic he'd had Sheriff Wilkes tuck into the bag.
"You know, Mulder, I've seen enough vampire movies to know
that when a vampire kidnaps a woman, it's usually so she can
become his next meal or his mate. Neither of those things happened
to me. The man was lonely and he wanted someone to talk to. That
was all we did. That was all he wanted."
"That was all Nick Knight wanted. Nicholas de Brabant, on the
other hand, wanted something different, only Knight somehow kept
him from resurfacing and carrying out his plans."
"Right," Scully sighed. She then unzipped the second bag and
gazed in wonder at the dead man who still looked as though he was
about to awaken at any moment.
"I don't mean to sound like some kind of morbid pervert,"
said Mulder, "but that is undoubtedly the best looking dead guy
I've ever seen." He reached out and timidly lifted up a finger on
the corpse's hand, then let go of it to see what would happen. It
flopped easily back to its original position. "Still no sign of
rigor mortis."
"Rigor mortis usually takes five to six hours to set in, but
he's been refrigerated for a while, so it could take a bit
longer." Inwardly, Scully thought that the man before was indeed
looking a bit too good to be dead. Compelled by the need to
satisfy her own doubts, she scrounged around for a stethoscope,
then prepared to remove the wooden cross which had been duct taped
with a single strip to the front of his shirt.
"Don't take it all the way off," Mulder warned her.
She gave her partner a dirty look but humored his wishes once
again. She unbuttoned Nick's shirt and peeled back just enough to
place the stethoscope over his heart. She listened intently for
several seconds, then checked his eyes for any reaction to light.
"Nothing," she announced, sounding rather disappointed.
"Absolutely no sign of life, Mulder."
"Not as we know it, at any rate," said Mulder. "I wonder."
"What?"
"What do you say, we get an EEG done on him."
"You want to do an electroencephalogram on a dead man?"
"No, on a vampire. Look, there have been plenty of
documented cases of people mispronounced dead because outwardly
they're showing all the visual signs of death, while internally,
their brains are still functioning. I think if you'd just take a
look, you'll find that Knight's brain isn't quite as relaxed as
the rest of him. Scully, this may be the only chance you'll have
to examine him and see what makes him tick. He might not be so
cooperative once the sun goes down."
Of course, Scully didn't believe in vampires or that Nick
Knight was one, but for some reason, she didn't want to believe
that he was dead and gone, and nothing could be done about it.
There was something other than her partner's enthusiasm that made
her cave in and agree to bringing in an encephalograph machine and
applying electrodes to Nick's temples. When she turned on the
machine, she was rather disappointed that the graph showed nothing
happening.
"I don't know what I was thinking, listening to you, Mulder,"
said Scully as she stared at the straight line on the graph.
"Maybe I should hook this thing up to you to see if *you've* got
any actual brain activity going on."
"Ha ha," Mulder faked a laugh and stepped closer. "Maybe he
needs some kind of outside stimulus. "Mr. Knight?" Mulder called
out to him but got no response.
Scully picked up Nick's left hand, noticing the iciness of it
along with a pliant softness that should not be still present
after all this time. Remembering how he had held his arm in pain
as they had talked earlier, Scully wondered about the wound he had
hid from her. She unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and peeled back
the sleeve to reveal a swollen and bruised area beneath his
forearm.
"What is it?" Mulder asked when he saw her examining the arm.
"He had complained about picking up a splinter. It looks
infected," she noted as she prodded the afflicted area with her
finger,
"Scully, look!"
She looked up, then to the EEG machine where her partner
directed her attention. There was a sudden spike in the graph.
"Oh my god... he's alive!"
--------
end part 7
--------
Infatuation With a Vampire
Part 8/11
Mitch, the attendant on duty, had returned just in time to
hear Scully's exclamation that the stiff in drawer number ten was
alive. He rushed over and gazed down at the electroencephalograph
results.
"That's weird," he said. "It's only one spike though."
"It was a reaction to pain," Scully explained. She decided to
test her theory once more by pressing her finger into the infected
area of Nick's arm again. The electroencephalograph spiked and
continued to draw similar spikes as long as she applied pressure
to the arm. Scully reached a hand into her shoulder bag and pulled
out a pair of tweezers. "Mitch, can you get me some antiseptic and
a bandage, please?"
"Sure." Mitch quickly retrieved the items she requested.
"What are you going to do?" asked Mulder.
"This," said Scully as she deftly probed the small wound on
Nick's arm and removed the tiny but troublesome splinter embedded
in his flesh.
Mulder noticed the constant movement on the graph as the
splinter was removed and his partner proceeded to clean and
bandage the area. Once the doctoring had been completed, the
pattern on the graph faded to a simple line.
"Wow! I ain't never seen nothing like that before," said
Mitch in total awe. "I guess he's got to be alive if he was able
to feel that. I suppose we better get him up to the ER then."
When Mulder blurted out the word, "No!" both Mitch and Scully
glared at him, waiting for an explanation as to why they shouldn't
be racing the patient to the emergency room. Mulder grabbed Scully
by the arm and pulled her away so he could talk to her privately.
"Scully, you can't take him to the emergency room. Haven't
you been listening to me? The man is a vampire. You take him into
the ER with a lot of bleeding patients and blood-soaked doctors
all over the place, he's liable to wake up and go into an
uncontrollable feeding frenzy. Now, he's going to be waking up in
a couple hours anyway. Can't we just wait?"
"Mulder... okay let's just say for the sake of argument that
he *is* a vampire. You said so yourself that this might be my only
chance to see what makes him tick. I'd like the opportunity to
examine him as thoroughly as possible. Do you have a problem with
that?"
Seeing the unwavering determination in her eyes, Mulder
wisely chose not to oppose her. "No, I don't have a problem with
that."
Scully gave a simple nod, then walked back over to Mitch. "I
need you
to bring in a gurney. We're going to take him upstairs and have
him admitted for tests and observation."
When the attendant set off for the gurney as requested,
Mulder approached his partner. He watched in silence as she
disconnected the wires of the EEG machine and prepared to put it
away. "Will you do me one favor and keep that cross in place while
you're doing your tests?" he asked.
Scully studied her partner closely for a moment, then said,
"You really believe you saw him fly?"
Mulder nodded. "How else do you think he got you up to his
cabin? The sheriff told me that they didn't spot any roads leading
up there and no sign of a trail leading away from the place. He
*had* to have flown you in."
"Maybe what you saw was us being hoisted up by a helicopter
hovering high above. Maybe the same way I was taken off that
mountain was the same way I got there."
"You're really reaching for it there, Scully," Mulder
chuckled mockingly.
"Well, I'm reaching for what makes sense, Mulder. And what
makes sense is that this man was in a car accident and probably
suffered some form of trauma to the brain, which has gone without
treatment for too long and has manifested itself into this very
unique comatose state we're witnessing now. He mentioned that he
had been having some severe headaches and he agreed with me about
coming in for x-rays and a CT scan."
"He actually agreed to that?"
Scully thought about that for a second, then shrugged.
"Well... he never disagreed."
Mitch returned with a gurney, and as he parked it next to the
not quite dead body, he questioned Scully. "Does this guy have
insurance? They're kind of funny around here about bringing back
the dead and not getting paid for it."
"He doesn't need insurance," said Mulder. "He's filthy rich."
"He is?" asked Scully with surprise.
"Nick Fletcher alias Nick Knight, alias Nicholas de Brabant,
multimillionaire. He owns the mountain you were on."
"Filthy rich?" Mitch echoed. "That's good enough for me.
Let's do it!"
Mitch helped to transfer Nick from the morgue slab to the
gurney, leaving behind the body bags. Luckily, it was a slow night
in the emergency room and a young resident took a personal
interest in the case. Dr. Winetraub, naturally, had never seen
anything like it before and agreed with Dr. Scully in getting x-
rays taken right away. In only a few minutes, they each stood
completely dumbfounded in front of the developed x-rays of Nick's
brain.
"If this guy isn't really dead, he ought to be," Dr.
Winetraub marveled over the sight.
"It's amazing," Scully concurred. "It's hard to believe he's
been fully functioning all this time."
"Is that what I think it is?" asked Mulder as he stepped up
behind the two medical experts and studied the x-rays attached to
the lighted view box.
"If you're thinking bullets," Scully replied, "I'd say yes.
I'm guessing that these three entered the brain at the same time
and about the same angle, though I've yet to find a point of
entry. The other smaller dots you see are fragments of a fourth
bullet."
"There was a report that Knight had been shot in the head
last year while on duty. The shooter used cop killer ammo. Knight
was at first pronounced dead, but when he miraculously pulled
through, they changed the story to say that he only received a
flesh wound."
"I've seen the kind of damage those type of bullets can
inflict," said Dr. Winetraub. "If this guy was hit with one, his
brain would have been Swiss cheese. Still, what I'm seeing now
doesn't make sense. It looks as though each tiny fragment has been
encased in its own little protective sac."
"And the fluid in the sacs are causing the fragments to
disintegrate," Mulder offered his opinion. "Notice the edges are
completely smooth as though they're being worn away. The same
thing is happening with the other three bullets. Only instead of
three, small individual sacs, he's produced one large, kidney-
shaped sac to accommodate all three bullets."
"And because of the shape and size, it's causing abnormal
pressure to build up in other parts of the brain," Scully added.
"That could easily account for his irrational behavior of late,
not to mention his current condition."
Dr. Winetraub voiced his thoughts. "I'll tell you, Dr.
Scully, normally I'd say that Mr. Knight is a candidate for
immediate brain surgery, only I honestly don't think it'd do much
good."
"Why wouldn't you think surgery would help?"
"Well, he's not breathing. And you say he's been that way all
day. I don't have to tell you that severe brain damage can occur
within a few minutes from lack of oxygen."
"Yes, of course, I am quite aware of that, but as impossible
as it seems, his brain appears to be the only part of him that's
actually functioning. I've established the fact that he's capable
of experiencing and differentiating between pain and relief.
Perhaps if we could get a specialist in to look at him?"
"Does he have any next of kin?"
"Yes, but we haven't been able to make contact yet. We know
that he *does* happen to be a very wealthy man, not that it should
influence the quality of care he receives."
"Then why did you bring it up?"
"Just in case it does." Scully gave the young doctor a
knowing glare which worked wonders.
"Tell you what. Let's go ahead and get him set up in a room,
and I'll make some phone calls and see if I can't get someone a
bit more knowledgeable in this field to take a look."
"Thank you, Dr. Winetraub."
As Dr. Winetraub turned away to speak with a nurse, Mulder
gently took Scully by the arm and escorted her out of radiology
into the hallway next to where Nick's gurney was parked.
"Dr. Scully, I have a quick question for you," Mulder spoke
keeping his voice low. "Are you out of your mind?"
"What?"
"Scully, why won't you believe your own eyes? A man is lying
right in front of you with all the classic symptoms of death, only
he's not dead. He's been walking around with four bullets in his
brain and no sign of an entry wound. You want to know why? Look at
his arm, the one where you pulled the splinter out. Go ahead.
Look."
Feeling him nudge her with his intense stare, Scully slowly
reached for Nick's arm and gently lifted one edge of the bandage.
After taking a cursory glance, she pulled the bandage off
completely and gasped at her findings. Gone was all sign of
swelling and discoloration that had been there before. The
previously deformed flesh and skin was now as flawless as the rest
of him.
"He's self-healing," Mulder told her. "Ask yourself why a
minuscule splinter like that would have caused such a nasty wound
in the first place. Because it was wooden, Scully. A tiny, wooden
stake driven through the flesh of a vampire."
Scully became flustered by the realization that her partner
just might be right. "Mulder, I.... I don't.... I don't care
*what* he is. Maybe you're right. Maybe his body *is* healing
itself." As she continued to speak to her partner, Scully's
attention focused on Nick, her hand absently began to stroke his
blonde curls. "Perhaps in time, months or years, those bullets in
his brain will totally dissolve and they'll be no signs that they
were ever there. Maybe in just a few hours or days, that tumor
will shrink and the pressure will decrease, and the headaches and
confusion he's experiencing now will be history. But right now,
he's suffering. Vampire or not, I can't just stand by and do
nothing."
Mulder placed himself in Scully's view by leaning over the
gurney and turning his head in her direction. His sudden closeness
forced her to look him in the eye. It was only then did she become
aware of her intimate contact with Nick and she jerked her hand
away from him. She was saved from dealing with her partner's
intense gaze when an orderly came along and took hold of one end
of the gurney.
"Excuse me folks, but I have to take Mr. Knight to his room
now."
The agents stepped aside so the orderly could do his job.
They silently followed behind the young man as he wheeled the
gurney down the corridor. The ride on the elevator up to the third
floor, was also in silence. The orderly met up with a nurse who
barred the visitors from entering until she'd had a chance to get
the patient settled.
"Nurse, it's very important that you leave that cross that's
taped to his shirt, right where it is," Mulder warned. "And don't
open the window blinds. He's allergic to sunlight." The nurse gave
him a peculiar look, then simply nodded her understanding before
closing the door. Mulder turned to his partner who was leaning
with folded arms against the opposite wall. "Are you okay?" he
asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Downstairs, you seemed a bit... I don't know how to put it
exactly. You seemed really concerned about him."
"Aren't *you* concerned?" Scully replied rather defensively.
"Isn't that why we came to Montana in the first place; to find him
and offer our help?"
"Did something happen up at his cabin that you're not telling
me, Scully?"
"I told you, Mulder, all we did was talk. Nothing else
happened."
"How do you know? You don't even remember how you got there.
He made you forget."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Scully spoke in a mocking tone.
"Vampires can mesmerize their victims. I forgot about that one."
Mulder chuckled lightly. "You still don't believe. I bet he
could sprout fangs and drink blood right in front of you and you
still wouldn't believe he's a vampire."
An image of Nick as Mulder had just described flashed in her
mind, causing her to shudder. She quickly shook the thought from
her mind and looked up at her partner towering above her. "I
believe what you said about him waking up soon. I'm not sure why I
believe, but I do. And I also believe that he will need surgery to
remove those bullets so that he can return to living his life
normally, whatever normal happens to be for him. And finally, I
believe that whatever or whoever Nick Knight really is, basically
he's a good, decent and very caring individual."
"Must have been a hell of a conversation you two had."
Scully reflected on the different topics discussed for a
moment, then stated softly, "It was." She checked her watch for
the time and surprised Mulder when she informed him that they
still had more than half an hour till sunset. "We've got time for
a cup of coffee," she added. "What do you say?"
"You go on. I'll stay and keep an eye on our friend."
"All right. I'll stop off and check with Dr. Winetraub to see
what he's found out regarding a specialist. Be back in a few."
As his partner went in search of coffee, Mulder waited
patiently outside Nick's room. After a few minutes more, the door
opened as the nurse held it for the orderly to wheel out the empty
gurney. In passing, the nurse gave him the okay to visit. Mulder
entered Nick's room and closed the door behind him. He was pleased
to see that the nurse had followed his instructions and kept the
window blinds closed, but as he approached the bed, he saw that
his other warning had gone unheeded. Nick was no longer dressed in
his own clothes. He wore only a hospital gown, covered to the
waist by a sheet.
Mulder stepped cautiously up to the right side of the bed and
pulled his backpack from his shoulder. He unzipped one of the
pockets of the bag, reached inside and pulled out two pairs of
handcuffs. Resting the bag lightly on the bed, Mulder took one
pair of the handcuffs and as stealthily as possible, clicked it
onto Nick's right wrist. At the instant he attached the other end
of the cuffs to the bed railing, he heard a low growl. Before he
could react, a blur of motion caught him by the throat and pulled
him downwards to face the golden eyes and fangs he had encountered
once before.
"Mulder, isn't it?" the same menacing voice hissed in his
face.
The iron grip around his throat allowed Mulder just enough
leeway to gasp for air and sputter a few words. "I'm flattered...
you remembered."
"Oh, I never forget the face of a potential meal."
Mulder used one hand to try in vain to break the iron hold on
his neck. His other hand was fumbling for one of the zippers on
his backpack. "If you're hungry," he gasped, "I... brought the...
bottles from your cabin."
"What makes you think I want that bovine swill? I prefer the
good stuff. Your heart *does* pump the good stuff, doesn't it,
Mulder? I hope you don't taste like your unappetizing partner, but
I guess there's only one way to find out."
Mulder's eyes went wide at the insinuation that the vampire
had tasted the blood of his counterpart. However, there was no
time to dwell on that. He was positive he was about to become
dinner. He actually felt the sharp tip of one fang as the vampire
sought to rip his collar out of the way. Mulder's hand was
frantically reaching inside the backpack seeking and then finding
what he hoped would save his life. He grabbed the wreath of garlic
and quickly shoved it in his attacker's face. The effects,
thankfully, were immediate. When the choking hand fell away from
his throat, Mulder quickly rushed to the window and opened the
blinds. Hoping to find the protective rays of an evening sunset,
he was disappointed to find only a darkening, cloudy sky.
When he looked back, he was not only relieved but also
surprised to find that the vampire had been completely
incapacitated. Mulder loosed his collar and tie as he stood with
his back against the window, laboring to catch his breath. He
watched as Nick lay writhing on the bed, the garlic wreath acting
as an immovable weight on his chest and an ugly rash forming on
his skin wherever the garlic had made contact He attempted only
once to grab it with his free hand, but the stinging sensation he
incurred, forced him to let go instantly. He twisted his head left
and right, in a useless bid to avoid the pungent fumes that burned
his eyes and caused swelling in his throat.
Cautiously, Mulder moved towards him, carefully measuring
just how safe it was to do so. The eyes were still golden but no
longer menacing in appearance. Instead, they reflected a piteous
expression of helplessness and anguish. Mulder knew surrender when
he saw it. Nick watched him, unable to speak, he pleaded silently
for assistance. Mulder braced himself with a deep breath, then
returned to the bed. Nervously, he picked up the other handcuff
and used it on Nick's left wrist, meeting with no resistance
whatsoever. After securing the handcuff to the bed rail, Mulder
timidly reached for the garlic wreath. A low growl caused him to
draw back, but studying Nick's eyes again, he figured that the
growl had only been from discomfort and probably not meant as a
threat. Mulder picked up the wreath, peeled off a few cloves from
one of the bulbs and tucked them under the edge of the pillow on
each side of Nick's head. The rest of the garlic was returned to
the backpack.
Once the biggest portion of the crippling irritant had been
removed, Nick felt his body slowly beginning to return normal.
After a moment, he was able to gasp out a hoarse, "Thank you."
"You were right," said Mulder. "Fresh *is* better."
"What?"
"Nothing. Um.... Are your eyes going to stay that way?"
Nick turned away shamefully. "Hungry," he whispered.
"Sorry, but all I have to offer is bovine swill. Interested?"
The death look Mulder got from Nick was a touch unsettling.
It probably wasn't a good idea to tease a hungry vampire. Mulder
reached into another section of the backpack and brought out one
of the full wine bottles taken from the cabin. He saw the color in
Nick's eyes intensify at the sight of it.
"Oh, I'll have to find a corkscrew somewhere," said Mulder
after realizing what kind of top the bottle wore.
"My mouth," said Nick as he weakly forced himself up on his
elbows. When Mulder held the bottle up to him, he pulled the cork
out with his teeth with a show of impatience and spit it out off
to the side. Placing his lips to the bottle's rim, he drank
greedily with eyes closed as Mulder tilted the bottle upwards for
him.
Mulder found it both exhilarating and a bit gross, feeding
blood to a vampire as though he was giving a baby its formula. The
bottle was more than half empty by the time Nick had consumed
enough to assuage his hunger. He relaxed back onto the pillow,
frowning slightly at the smell of garlic that wafted up from each
side. He opened his eyes, displaying a calm blue, and focused on
the man standing over him. For the first time since he had awaken,
he finally became aware of his environment.
After Mulder recapped the bottle and placed it back into his
bag, he noticed the look of confusion on Nick's face. "You're in a
hospital in Great Falls," he answered the unspoken question.
"How?"
"The miracles of the computer age. When we first met, you
introduced yourself as Nicholas de Brabant. I had the name checked
out and discovered you owned a little mountain property out there.
The local sheriff went out in a search helicopter, and I suggested
that he tape a cross to your chest before stuffing you inside two
body bags and transporting you back."
A moment of panic crossed Nick's face as he had a disturbing
thought. "Agent Scully! Where is she? Is she all right?"
"She's fine," Mulder assured him. "She just went for coffee.
Speaking of Scully, I have to know something. Did you do anything
to her? I can tell you've clouded her thoughts somehow so she
doesn't remember everything, but I have to know."
Nick saw the deep concern in Mulder's eyes and decided to
answer him truthfully. "I didn't hurt her," Nick spoke softly. "I
held her in my arms and we kissed. Maybe more than once but I
don't quite remember."
A twinge of jealously coursed through his veins, but Mulder
pushed the emotion aside as he sought to have his next question
answered. "Did you hypnotize her into kissing you?"
"It's possible. That's not normally my style, but then I
haven't been behaving much like myself lately."
"Did you bite her tongue or something? Is that how you know
that her blood doesn't taste so good?"
Nick had no recollection of admitting that fact, but as he
eyed Mulder, and noted the fresh bruises on his neck, he realized
there was something else he didn't remember doing.
"She had a nosebleed," he finally answered. "It was nothing I
did to her, I swear. We were talking and it just happened."
"And you couldn't pass up a free sample," Mulder surmised.
"Normally, I can. I worked as a homicide cop for years and I
was always being tempted, but I had a good handle on my control.
Now...." He didn't bother to finish the thought. "Her blood tasted
odd," Nick admitted. "It left a sour aftertaste. I figured maybe
she was taking some kind of medication. Is she? Is she ill?"
"Not that I know of. She was abducted two years ago by
persons unknown. I believe that she may have undergone some secret
government experiments involving alien DNA."
"Alien as in...?"
"Little green men from Mars or wherever the nearest home
planet base may be. I work for a department of the FBI known as
The X-Files. Scully and I investigate unsolved, unexplained cases
involving the paranormal. We came across evidence that our
government has had contact with alien beings but they're hell-bent
on keeping that information strictly confidential. For the most
part, no one wants me digging around in The X-Files because
they're afraid I may uncover the truth and expose them. But, on
the other hand, there seems to be a few rare individuals who
secretly want me to find out things. They slip me crumbs that
eventually lead to something bigger. Someone slipped me your file
in hopes that I'd find you first."
"I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying that your
government knows about me and that--"
"Uncle Sam wants you. My guess is for experimentation."
"Is that why I was brought here? You're going to turn me over
to them?"
"No, that's not my plan. To tell you the truth, I never
really had a plan other than finding you."
"And now that you have?"
"I guess it all depends on whether or not you can get a
handle on your control again. I imagine that those sudden mood
swings of yours aren't normal. When did they begin?"
"I'm not sure exactly. Two months... maybe more. I can't
control him. He's growing stronger every night. I thought that by
staying up in the mountains, away from people, I could keep him
from hurting anyone. I know it's hopeless now. I can't fight him
anymore. There's only one solution left."
"An operation."
Mulder turned at the sound of his partner's voice. He stepped
back from the bed as Scully entered the room, then watched with an
inkling of envy as her eyes went straight to Nick. The vampire and
his former hostage exchanged affectionate smiles before exchanging
words.
"Agent Scully, I'm glad to see you made it back safely."
"I'm glad to see you made it back too. When I first woke up
and found you on the couch, I thought surely you were dead."
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize you'd wake before I
would. And I can't believe that I could have possibly slept
through all of this."
"I'm actually glad you did. Has Mulder told you about the x-
rays we had taken of your brain?"
"No," Mulder answered her. "I only got as far as the
helicopter ride."
"You took x-rays?" Nick asked incredulously.
"Yes," Scully replied as she stepped closer to the bedside.
When she noticed the handcuffs, she shot a questioning look at her
partner. He answered her silently by quickly running his fingers
across his neck, drawing her attention to the blossoming bruises
there.
Nick picked up on the gesture as well. "I'm sorry about
that," he apologized to Mulder. "That's only one of the reasons
why it's not a good idea for me to be here."
"We want to help you," said Scully. "I think it's quite
possible that your unpredictable behavior as well as those
headaches you get could be caused by the tumor we found."
"I have a tumor? That's impossible."
"There seems to be a lot of things about you that fall under
the impossible heading. Do you realize that you're walking around
with a skull full of lead?"
Nick gave a minor nod. "Accident," he murmured.
"Yeah, well, apparently you healed up on the outside, but on
the inside, things went a little weird. A tumor the size of my
fist has formed around the three bullets lodged in your brain. I
won't pretend to understand how or why it's happened, but I do
feel that it's definitely contributing to your problems and that
it should be removed as soon as possible."
Nick considered her words carefully, then glanced from her to
Mulder, then back again. "Are you suggesting that I have brain
surgery? Here in this hospital?"
"Well, unless you can think of someplace better," Scully
replied in a lighthearted tone.
"Agent Scully, you do realize that I'm... that I'm--"
"A little different?"
"That's an understatement," Mulder mumbled at his partner's
unwillingness to face the truth about Nick.
Scully heard but chose to ignore her colleague. "Nick, I
understand that your physical makeup is somewhat unusual, but I
still believe that surgery would be in your best interest."
"But not yours," said Nick. "Or Agent Mulder's, or anyone
else involved. It wouldn't be just me and my dangerously,
unpredictable behavior you'd have to worry about."
"What are you saying?" asked Mulder with growing concern.
Before he could answer, a sudden wave of pain exploded in
Nick's brain. His body arched and his hands grabbed onto the
rails, bending them significantly. Mulder pulled Scully several
feet away from the bed, and they each watched helplessly and
waited. Though it seemed to last an eternity, the episode was over
in a matter of seconds, leaving Nick, shaky, slightly disoriented
and golden-eyed.
Scully started to go to him but Mulder held her back, wanting
to wait and see which personality was now present. Nick's eyes
searched the room in confusion before finally landing on Scully.
He displayed the same look of anguish that he had worn back at the
cabin when he had mistaken her for Natalie and pleaded with her
not to make him go through with her plan.
"Nat," he called to her weakly, "I can't... I can't do this
anymore. I just can't go on this way."
Scully pulled away from Mulder's grasp and went to Nick's
side. When she got closer, she noticed tiny beads of blood sweat
on his forehead. She pulled a handkerchief from her blazer pocket
and blotted the crimson moisture away as she spoke in a tender
voice.
"It's okay, Nick. You're going to be okay."
"It hurts," he whimpered.
"I know. We're going to take care of you. We're going to make
it so it doesn't hurt anymore."
"I think he needs the rest of this," said Mulder as he
uncorked and handed her the half empty wine bottle.
Scully accepted the bottle with only a moments hesitation.,
then lifted Nick's head and supported it as he drank down the
contents of the bottle. She didn't question his need for the
blood, nor did she question the strange color of his eyes or
sweat. For now, her brain deemed none of that was important.
The bottle was drained briskly, then Scully lowered Nick's
head gently onto the pillow. Standing now on the opposite side of
the bed, Mulder took the empty bottle and stuffed it back into the
bag. A few seconds later, he noted a marked difference in Nick's
demeanor. Clear, blue eyes focused on Scully with complete
recognition, shadowed by embarrassment.
"Agent Scully."
"It's getting worse, Nick. You really need that operation."
Nick shook his head slightly. "I can't. I appreciate your
trying to help, but I can't go into surgery. Just my being here
is putting both your lives in jeopardy. I can't afford to have
anyone else find out about me."
"You were trying to warn us about something earlier," said
Mulder. "You said something like it wouldn't be just you we'd have
to worry about. Who else would we have to worry about?"
"I can't say. You already know too much as it is."
"Would it have anything to do with Lucien LaCroix?"
Nick looked at Mulder in amazement. "How...."
"I'm FBI, remember? Mr. LaCroix is a vampire too, isn't he?
And he's looking for you. What happens if he finds you?"
"Not if. *When*."
The door opened just then and Dr. Winetraub entered carrying
Nick's chart. "Ah, Dr. Scully, there you are. I talked to my
colleague, but he doesn't--" The doctor stopped dead in his tracks
when he noticed that Nick was wide awake. "He's... he's alive! I
mean, he's awake! I can't believe it!" He moved closer to the bed,
his mouth open in amazement. "Mr. Knight, I'm Dr. Winetraub. Let
me shake your hand." He reached for Nick's right hand and saw that
it was handcuffed to the bent railing. He looked to Mulder in
wonderment.
"He's under arrest for kidnapping."
The doctor started to draw his hand away but Nick grabbed it
and held tight. "Dr. Winetraub, listen to me," Nick spoke in a
demanding tone. Once the doctor looked into his eyes, he was
spellbound. "Listen very carefully," Nick continued. "You never
saw me like this. I'm deader than a doornail. Whatever tests were
run on me before were wrong. Computer error, a glitch in the
machinery, human misinterpretation. There's no way possible I
could be alive. Nothing more can be done for me. You'll turn over
my chart to Agent Scully and you'll destroy all other paperwork
and computer
records concerning me. Understand?"
Dr. Winetraub nodded. "Dead, destroy the records," he
murmured.
Nick let go of the man's hand, then laid back against the
pillow, closed his eyes and played dead. Mulder quickly pulled the
sheet up on both sides to hide the handcuffs. A second later, Dr.
Winetraub snapped out of his dazed state and looked down at the
chart in his hand. After a moment of uncertainty, he handed the
chart over to Scully.
"Why don't you take this, Dr. Scully. I'm afraid there's
nothing more we can do here for Mr. Knight. The findings earlier
were undoubtedly caused by human or mechanical error. This man is
obviously deader than a doornail."
"Is that the technical term for it?" Mulder asked while
trying to keep a grin off his face.
"Forgive me," Dr. Winetraub apologized. "It's been a long
day. You'll have to excuse me now. I've got some paperwork to take
care of."
After the doctor left the room, Mulder broke out into a big
grin and said. "You have *got* to teach me that!"
Nick opened his eyes and looked up at the agent solemnly.
"It's easy to do," he said. "You just have to die first."
The simple comment was enough to wipe the smile from Mulder's
face. There was so much he wanted to know about this creature,
but at the same time, that haunted look in Nick's eyes told him he
was better off not knowing.
"What about the operation, Nick?" asked Scully. "You really
do need it."
Nick thought for a moment, then asked, "Could you be the one
to perform the surgery?"
"Me? No. I'm not that kind of a doctor. I do all my surgery
on the dead."
"That's what I am," said Nick with an ironic smile.
"No, you're not dead," Scully disagreed with him, sounding
eerily like Natalie with those words.
Nick blinked his eyes to keep them from producing tears, then
he looked to Mulder and asked, "What else do you have in that
black bag of yours? You know you can't just let me walk out of
here, don't you? Even with the surgery, there's no guarantee that
my sanity will return. I can't control my actions anymore. Today,
it's just cows. Tomorrow...."
Mulder understood what was being asked of him. He had come
prepared with a couple of long, sharp wooden stakes in case the
need arose to defend himself against a raging killer. However, he
never thought he'd be asked to assist in a planned suicide.
"Why don't we just get you out of here first," Mulder
suggested, "then we'll discuss the--"
"Someone's coming," Nick warned, then instantly went into his
dead man routine.
Mulder quickly drew the sheet over Nick's head, then stood
back just as the door opened and two men wearing orderly uniforms
stepped into the room. Both men stood about six feet tall, one
black and one white, appearing to be around the age of thirty and
well built.
"Excuse us, sir," said the bald, black man, "but we have to
remove the body now. They need to get this room ready for another
patient."
"Well, we were just getting ready to head down to the
basement," said Scully. "We can take the body to the morgue
ourselves."
"Hospital policy, ma'am," said the long-haired blond. "We
have to do it. But you're free to tag along if you like."
The agents stepped out of the way and allowed the orderlies
access to the bed. They each took one side, unlocked the wheels,
then began moving the bed out of the room. Scully held the door
open for them, then followed them out to the elevator. Mulder was
right behind them until he thought of something.
"Hold the elevator for me," he said. "I'll be right back." He
ran to Nick's room and looked inside the closet where he found a
plastic bag on the shelf that contained Nick's clothes and shoes.
He realized then that the nurse had followed his instructions
after all and had left the cross taped to the shirt. When he
returned to the elevator, he found only his partner present and no
sign of Nick and the orderlies. "Scully, where'd they go?"
"They went ahead," Scully replied casually. "There wasn't
enough room for all of us."
Mulder watched the numbers light up over the elevator door.
"Where the hell are they taking him?"
"What do you mean?"
"The morgue is in the basement," Mulder pointed out. "So why
is the elevator going up?"
--------
end part 8
--------
Infatuation With a Vampire
Part 9/11
Benefis Healthcare Hospital
Great Falls, Montana
7:45 p.m.
Scully spoke to the head nurse to establish first whether or
not anyone had been instructed to remove Nick from the room. When
the answer was, "No," she and Mulder began a frantic search which
eventually lead them to the roof where the empty bed had been left
shoved against the door to keep it closed. It took several
powerful kicks against the metal door before Mulder was able to
dislodge the bed and clear their path. He and Scully pulled out
their guns and carefully swept across the roof in what turned out
to be a fruitless pursuit.
"They're gone," Scully stated the obvious. "But where?" As
she looked over the side of the building, seeking a possible route
of escape, her partner had pulled his night vision binoculars from
his backpack and was searching the skies for answers. "You think
they took him by helicopter?"
"Well, it would make sense if it were government boys. They'd
need a fast get away." After viewing the skies in all directions,
Mulder gave up, then handed over the binoculars to Scully. "Here,
check the streets. I want to take a closer look over there."
As Scully scoured the streets below and the buildings nearby,
Mulder concentrated on examining the turned over bed by the door.
All the linen had been left behind which meant Nick was clothed in
only the hospital gown. Mulder lifted the pillow from the ground
and discovered the small cloves of garlic underneath. He also
found remnants of broken handcuffs where each pair had been
snapped off at the chain and the remainder was still attached to
the bed rails.
Mulder rejoined his partner at the west side of the building.
"Spot anything yet?" he asked her.
"There's an emergency fire escape over here. They could have
gotten down that way. But I don't see anything obvious. There's
plenty of pedestrians and traffic. Maybe someone down there saw
something. We can ask around. Did you find anything?"
"Only more questions. It looks as though Knight broke free of
the handcuffs. I'm wondering if his captors were really prepared.
Maybe he took them by surprise."
"And did what?"
"Apparently, you haven't been on the receiving end when his
inner child takes over. Trust me, he knows how to play rough. He's
also got that hypnosis thing going. Maybe he hypnotized them into
just walking away. We could have missed them going down in the
elevator while we were coming up."
"So maybe Nick just went back to his cabin, you think?"
"Maybe. Let's go see if we can't locate some witnesses."
----
Abandoned Barn
Black Eagle, Montana
8:08 p.m.
Nick remained completely passive while his wrists were being
bound with a heavy chain. The other end of the chain was wrapped
several times around one of the support rafters above. His arms
were suspended over his head, but his bare feet were solidly
planted on the straw covered floor. His strength had returned in
full and he could have easily freed himself if he so desired. Back
on the roof he had considered putting up a fight and escaping, but
in the end decided against it. He could no longer control his
actions. He was a menace to the mortal population and a security
risk to his own kind. He sensed what fate had in store for him now
and he would confront it without reservations.
He had gone with his captors quietly, not bothering to
question their motives or destination. Basically, he already knew
what they had in store for him. It did surprise him however that
the Community had sent such young and inexperienced Enforcers
after him. Their combined ages could not have been more than three
centuries. It occurred to him that it was perhaps their naivete
that garnered them the assignment. They probably had little
knowledge of how dangerous it was to pursue a child of LaCroix's.
The master vampire would not let the simple fact that they were
Enforcers stop him from seeking revenge should they harm one of
his own. Nick almost felt sorry for them, but they had made their
own decision to become Enforcers. It's not a job that's forced
upon anyone. They wanted it because it gave them a certain
dominance over other vampires. It made them feel important and
that they were completely invulnerable. They should have done
their homework.
The Enforcers had expected their quarry to put up a struggle,
but when he didn't, they foolishly mistook his passiveness for
fear which in turn fed their egos. They made smug comments about
him not being as tough as they'd heard, but said little else until
they had him trussed up in the dilapidated barn miles from
humanity. Leaving him hanging like a side of beef with his
backside exposed, the two took their sweet time changing out of
their hospital garb into their own Ravenesque style clothing.
After dressing, they finally spoke to Nick.
"You know who we are?" asked the blonde.
Nick looked from the heavily tattooed torso of the blonde
clad in leather pants and vest, to the hairless, black man wearing
a fishnet T-shirt with nipple rings, and dryly responded, "My
worse nightmare?"
"That all depends," said the black man. "I'm Matt. That's my
buddy Chad. And you're the once great Nicholas de Brabant. Brave
knight of the Crusades. Cold-blooded killer of thousands upon
thousands. A master with the ladies. Look at you now," Matt huffed
with an air of superiority. "A cow sucking, pushover who let
mortals get the best of you. Is that what happens when you get
old?"
Nick had not bothered to make eye contact all the while Matt
had been speaking. What the youngster said was all true and there
was no need to acknowledge any of it one way or the other. Being
reminded that he was indeed older, however, gave Nick a sense of
self respect he had thought completely lost. He didn't mind paying
for his sins to the Community, but he'd be damn if he'd let these
punk ass kids treat him like a feeble-minded, old man. Had no one
taught them that advanced age in vampires translated into elevated
power?
"No. *This* is what happens when you get old." Nick raised
his eyes to Matt in a subtly menacing glimmer of gold and
projected his eight hundred years of acquired power upon the
youthful vampire's psyche.
Matt shuddered at the overwhelming and dominating presence he
felt emanating from Nick. He knew in an instant that he was no
match for the elder vampire should he decide to break free. He
took a few steps backwards, then glanced over to his buddy and saw
that he too had picked up on the new vibes Nick was putting out.
Matt's previously condescending demeanor changed immediately to
one of respect.
"No offense, man," Matt mumbled sheepishly as way of an
apology. After a moment, he felt the air around him lighten as
Nick withdrew, becoming submissive once again. "I guess we can do
this without the chains," said Matt as he started forward with
intentions of releasing his captive.
"Leave them!" Chad spoke up. After the brief show of power he
had just witnessed, he feared what would happen should Nick gain
his freedom. They had been warned to take such precautions by the
ones who had sent them on this mission, though at the time it
didn't seem necessary. Nick's reputation in the vampire community
had become laughable among many. He was considered a weakling and
a fool for drinking cow's blood and abstaining from killing. That
calm, flash of fury he had just displayed successfully
contradicted those earlier impressions.
When the prisoner didn't bother to protest the wearing of his
chains, Matt decided to leave them and get on with the
interrogation. "There have been some interesting rumors floating
around about you," he began with a touch of nervousness to his
voice, "and we've been requested to check them out. To determine
what's true and what isn't. Are you willing to answer some
questions?"
Nick nodded humbly, keeping his eyes cast downward. "What is
it you want to know?"
"Did you kill Natalie Lambert?" asked Matt.
"Yes," Nick answered candidly.
"Were you the one who dug her body up a couple of weeks
back?"
"Yes."
"Why'd you do it?"
"I needed to see her again. To make sure."
"To make sure of what? That she was really dead?"
"Yes. I had forgotten that I'd killed her. And once I
remembered, I needed confirmation."
"And after you unearthed the body, what did you do?"
"I stayed with her for a little while... held her in my arms,
kissed her."
"You don't think that's just a wee bit perverse, humping a
corpse?" asked Chad with a disgusted frown. After the death stare
he received from Nick, he wished immediately that he had never
opened his mouth. Luckily, the elder vampire was forgiving.
Nick cast his eyes to the floor and softly replied, "What was
perverse was turning her into a corpse in the first place."
"Did anyone see you or did you see anyone else while in
Toronto?" Matt continued the questioning.
"Only the ghosts."
Matt and Chad exchanged a dubious look. It was already
obvious to them that Nick wasn't playing with a full deck. There
were still more questions to be answered, so Matt continued.
"Are you responsible for the string of mutilated cows in this
area?"
"Yes."
"Care to explain?"
Nick gave a slight shrug and said, "I felt like killing
something. I just didn't want it to be human."
"Why not go for wild game then?" asked Chad. "Chase down some
elk or wrestle a grizzly bear. Where's the sport in sipping from a
sleeping cow?"
"I was feeling lazy. They were easy targets. Next question."
"Tell us about the FBI agents," said Matt. "Is it true you
kidnapped the woman?"
"A sudden impulse," Nick murmured. "The local ranchers called
them out here to investigate the dead cows. I saw the woman. I was
attracted to her. I took her back to my cabin but nothing much
happened. We just talked. When I fell asleep, she thought I was
dead. A search helicopter found us and transported me out in a
body bag."
"Do they know you're a vampire? Did you tell them?"
Nick thought about his answer carefully. Apparently, the
Enforcers had not overheard any of the conversations he'd had with
the agents. As far as they knew, he had played dead during his
entire time under mortal scrutiny.
"I played possum," Nick lied, "and just waited for a chance
to get out of there."
"Why were you smelling like garlic?" asked Chad suspiciously.
When he didn't receive an instant response, he drew his own
conclusions. "They know. That's how they kept you contained, isn't
it? They know what you are."
"They know," Nick admitted regretfully. "But I didn't have to
tell them. They're FBI agents. They know how to put clues
together. Agent Mulder is a believer. He suspected what I was even
before we met and came prepared. They wanted to find me so they
could help me."
"How were they going to help?"
"It doesn't matter. They can't. No one can." Tiring of the
third degree, Nick decided to put an end to the inquiry. "Look,
can we just cut to the chase now?" he spoke in a more forceful
tone. "I freely admit to breaking several major rules of The Code
and endangering the vampire community with my reckless conduct. I
also admit to being mentally unsound. And, yes, I understand the
ramifications of what I've just confessed to you. I know what the
consequences are. The incident back at the hospital is pretty much
contained. You'll need to double-check to make sure that Dr.
Winetraub carried out my orders to destroy all hospital records of
me. Your only other concern will be the FBI agents. I strongly
advise that you not harm them in any way. Others know that they
came in search of me. If anything happens to them, the FBI will
issue a full-scale investigation, and you know what that could
lead to. It would be best to have them believe that I am, of
course, not a vampire, that I am truly dead and that my body has
been claimed by relatives. I'm assuming you both know how to
hypnotize?"
Nick's commanding voice had held the pair of younger vampires
virtually mesmerized. When he finally finished speaking, it took a
moment for the Enforcers to gather their wits and respond.
"Yeah," Matt nodded. "Yeah, we can do that. No problem."
"Good. Then I guess that's it. You just need to finish up
here."
Matt looked to Chad and gave a simple nod of his head. The
blonde walked off a few paces out of Nick's view and came back
carrying a foot-
long wooden stake in one hand and a razor sharp scythe in the
other. He gave the stake to Matt, then stood close by with the
scythe in hand.
"Nicholas de Brabant, our investigation shows you to be in
gross violation of The Code on several accounts. We also find you
to be mentally unstable and therefore a serious threat to the
secrecy of the vampire community. Do you have anything you wish to
say in your defense?"
Nick shook his head slightly and quietly spoke the word,
"No."
"Are you prepared to accept your sentence at this time?"
"Yes."
"Nicholas de Brabant, as representative for the vampire
community, it is my duty to sentence you to true death. You are to
be staked through the heart, your head severed from your body,
your remains set afire, and your ashes scattered to the four
corners of the earth. Do you have any final words to say or a
message you want passed along to anyone?"
Nick didn't want to spend much time thinking about the ones
he would be leaving behind. There was Janette, the everlasting
love of his life, and of course, there was LaCroix, the
unrelenting thorn in his side.
"Tell Janette... tell her that I shall love her forever."
"Anything else?"
Nick briefly considered what message he should leave for his
master. However, their love-hate relationship left him at a loss
for words. "No, nothing else," he murmured. "I'm ready."
"So be it."
Matt grabbed the front of Nick's hospital gown and ripped it
open to expose his chest. Nick closed his eyes, threw his head
back and puffed his chest out to create a better target. Matt
raised the stake with both hands, preparing to put it to use. Just
as he was about to plunge the sharp point into the pale, unguarded
flesh, he was startled by a fierce animalistic roar.
"No-o-o-o-o!"
A blur of flying feet slammed into Matt, catapulting him
through the air, and sending him crashing through the rickety barn
doors at the other end. His attention focused on his pal, Chad was
slow to react to the danger he himself now faced. Nicholas freed
himself quickly by giving a tremendous yank on the chain and
dislodging the beam it had been attached to. He swung the heavy
chain to easily deflect the scythe which Chad swung at him,
actually knocking it from his grasp. Catching the younger vampire
off balance, Nicholas was able to wrap the chain around his neck
and hold him captive. He forced him to his knees as he knelt down
to reach the fallen scythe, then grabbed it and placed the blade
beneath the blonde's chin.
"Eight hundred years ago, I made a pact with the devil to
live forever," Nicholas growled in Chad's ear, "and that's just
what I'm going to do. It'll take more than some century old, candy
ass like you to destroy me!"
"Let him go, Nicholas!" a familiar voice commanded him.
"LaCroix!" Nicholas smiled at his master, standing
majestically in the doorway with Matt cringing behind him. "I
sensed you were near. Knight was going to let them kill me. But
when I felt your presence, it gave me the strength to break out.
You won't believe what's been going on, LaCroix."
"Let go of him, then you can tell me."
Not really wanting to let go without a taste of revenge,
Nicholas reluctantly obeyed his master and allowed the other
vampire to go free. On his way to join his friend, Chad paused in
front of LaCroix.
"We were only doing our job," he explained. "He confessed to
breaking The Code. He agreed to the sentencing."
"Is that true, Nicholas? Did you confess?"
"No! It wasn't me. It was Knight. He's a mess, LaCroix. He
wants to die. I need to take over completely, and I think I know
how. But I need your help."
LaCroix stepped closer to his barely clad offspring. "If you
need my help, Nicholas, you shall have it."
"I need to kill a mortal!" Nicholas spoke excitedly. "I've
come close a couple of times, but I always get interrupted. You
could help me. If I could just make a kill, I think that will
drive Knight back into his little rabbit hole for good. He can't
handle killing mortals. So, the more fresh human blood I take, the
weaker he'll become. And once I'm in full control, then I'll
behave as a vampire should. No more cow's blood, no more trying to
live among the humans. I'll be as you want me to be, LaCroix. I
swear it!"
"Listen to him," said Chad. "He's completely insane. The Code
says--"
"I don't need *you* to inform me of what The Code *says*,"
LaCroix snarled over his shoulder.
Chad immediately backed off. The power he felt emanating from
LaCroix was ten times the potency of his offspring. It finally
became clear to both the young vampires why they had been chosen
for this particular mission. Everyone else must have known LaCroix
personally and obviously knew better than to come between him and
his favorite child.
"We may have been a little hasty in our first assessment,"
offered Matt to smooth things over. "Maybe we haven't gotten all
the facts yet."
"Your patience in this matter is greatly appreciated," said
LaCroix before turning his attention back to his protege. "Of
course, I'll do whatever I can to assist you, Nicholas."
"I knew I could count on you," Nicholas sighed with relief.
"You need only trust me," said LaCroix as he removed his
jacket. He stepped closer to his Nicholas and draped the jacket
around his shoulders to cover his nearly nude form. The torn
hospital gown was just barely hanging on. "You do trust me, don't
you, Nicholas?" asked LaCroix as his hands rested casually upon
Nicholas' shoulders.
"Of course, I trust you, LaCroix," came the innocent reply.
"Good, because I only have your best interests in mind."
Nicholas flinched slightly at the tiny sting he felt on his
neck. He caught sight of the hypodermic needle he'd just been
stabbed with as LaCroix withdrew the hand which had been secretly
holding it. He started to question the action, but as the barn
began to spin around him, he realized that he had just been
drugged. Strong arms kept him from falling, then scooped him up
and began carrying him out of the barn.
"Why?" Nicholas managed to croak out just before losing
consciousness.
"Trust me, Nicholas. Father knows best."
--------
Mulder's Motel Room
Black Eagle
9:50 p.m.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep tonight," Scully
sighed as she plopped down on a cushioned chair in the corner of
the room. Her partner lay sideways across the bed, his hands
folded atop his chest and his eyes closed in thought. "You don't
look like you're going to have any trouble though."
"I'm just thinking," said Mulder.
"About how we can track a flying vampire in the middle of the
night?"
Mulder opened his eyes and tilted his head to glare at his
partner. "Did I hear you refer to him as a vampire, Agent Scully?
Are you finally beginning to believe?"
"I was only asking if that's what *you* were thinking, I
didn't say it was what *I* was thinking."
"Actually, what I was thinking, besides that, is that I may
have been wrong when I said that Knight had whammied those two men
into leaving him alone."
"What makes you say that?"
"You know how when you first showed up in Knight's hospital
room, he nor I ever noticed you were there until you spoke. And
when Dr. Winetraub came in, we were all taken by surprise."
"So?"
Mulder sat up and leaned forward. "So how is it Knight knew
beforehand that someone was coming when the orderlies showed up?"
"He heard them coming?"
"I think he sensed them coming."
"Sensed them?"
"I think he can sense when his own kind is near."
"His own kind? Are you saying that the orderlies were
vampires?"
"Knight alluded to someone coming after him. I assumed that
he meant Lucien LaCroix. Maybe Mr. LaCroix sent them. Maybe they
were rescuing Knight from public discovery."
"So you're saying that's the end of it then? He's being taken
care of by his own kind?"
"Yeah. But taken care of how, I don't know. Could be they
were only interested in making sure he wouldn't be drawing anymore
unwanted attention to himself and possibly to them."
"You don't suppose they'd do anything to harm him, do you?"
"I don't know, Scully. It's all just conjecture. Talking to
witnesses, we know there was no helicopter on the roof and no one
saw those two men leaving the hospital by conventional means. All
we can do now is wait till dawn and take a helicopter back out to
his cabin. If we don't find a sign of him there, I don't know
where else to look."
"Does that mean we're just going to give up?" Scully asked,
looking somewhat forlorn at the prospect.
The appearance of headlights from a vehicle pulling up
outside caused Mulder to delay answering his partner. He went to
the window and peeked out through the curtains to see who had just
arrived.
"The pizza's here," he announced, then turned from the window
and began checking his wallet for money. "Mmm, I seem to be a
little short of cash. All I have is six dollars. What about you?"
Scully checked her handbag as a knock sounded at the door.
"Pizza delivery!" a young, male's voice called out from the other
side.
"Yeah, just a second," Mulder answered as Scully gave him a
ten dollar bill. Noticing the downcast look still on her face,
Mulder gave her hand a tender squeeze and said, "Who said anything
about giving up?"
That got a tiny smile from her. Mulder went to the door and
flung it open. Instead of the slightly built teenager he'd seen
getting out of a pickup truck, Mulder faced someone else standing
in the doorway holding a pizza box. The kid in the truck was
already tearing out of the parking lot.
"I believe this is yours," the tall, impressive figure stated
amiably. "I took the liberty of paying the bill and adding what I
hope was an adequate tip."
Mulder stood dumbfounded, a multitude of thoughts racing
through his mind, including the fact that he would never make it
to the wreath of garlic in his backpack in time should the person
standing before him turn out to be what his sixth sense told him
he was. The agent took a deep breath and managed to reel in his
fears.
"That was very kind of you," said Mulder as he accepted the
pizza box. "Tell me how much and I can reimburse you for your
trouble."
"Oh, no trouble at all, Agent Mulder. My pleasure."
"How do you know my name?"
"Your reputation precedes you. I wonder if I might not come
inside? I have something very important to discuss with you."
Mulder took a quick, worried glance at his partner before
stepping back to allow the visitor to enter. After closing the
door and setting the pizza aside, Mulder introduced Scully. "This
is my partner--"
"Agent Dana Scully. Yes, I know. It's a pleasure to meet you,
my dear. I am Lucien LaCroix."
"Mr. LaCroix," Scully nodded a greeting, keeping her
distance, and her finger on the trigger of the gun she wore
holstered in the small of her back.
"What did you want to discuss, Mr. LaCroix?" asked Mulder,
casually making his way towards his backpack on the floor near the
bed.
"It seems that we have a mutual friend in common," said
LaCroix.
"And who would that be?"
"Nicholas Fletcher. Or perhaps you know him as Nicholas
Knight."
"What's he to you?" asked Scully.
"We're family. He's my... adopted son."
"You don't look all that much older than Nick," Scully noted.
"I take that as a compliment," LaCroix smiled. "But I assure
you, I am *much* older than I appear."
"Are you a vampire?" the words blurted from Mulder's lips.
LaCroix grinned amusedly. "I see that my reputation has
preceded me as well. Good. That means we won't waste time with
pretense. Yes, Agent Mulder, I am a vampire. Under normal
circumstances, after divulging such information, I'd be obligated
to kill you both. However, I happen to be in need of your help
with a very delicate matter."
"If you're looking for Knight," said Mulder, "We don't know
where he is."
"That's not what I need. I already know where Nicholas is."
"Where?" asked Scully anxiously. "Is he all right?"
"At present, yes. He's being watched by the two young men who
retrieved him from your custody."
"Oh, so you sent them?"
"No. I'm afraid they have their own agendas."
"Are they vampires as well?" Mulder asked.
"Yes," LaCroix replied candidly. "The gentlemen -- and I use
that term loosely -- who took Nicholas are what's known in my
little circle as Enforcers. They police my kind. If one of us
should become too high profile, the Enforcers do what's necessary
to bring about anonymity. Certain things are tolerated to a
degree, certain things aren't. Mental illness among my kind is not
tolerated. It leads to unpredictable and irresponsible behavior
which may draw unwanted attention from the public at large."
"Are you saying that the Enforcers abducted Knight with
intentions of killing him?" asked Mulder.
"Neutralize is the word they prefer. I have convinced them to
give Nicholas one more chance to redeem himself. Not an easy task
in itself. Nicholas has not always made the best choices even when
he *was* in his right mind. Many of his improprieties have luckily
gone unnoticed or have been thankfully overlooked. After all,
everyone's entitled to a few minor errors in judgment."
"What can we do to help him?" asked Scully, finally
relinquishing the grip on her gun.
"I take it, you've had time to examine Nicholas medically?"
Scully picked up Nick's medical chart from the dresser and
pulled out one of the x-rays and presented it to LaCroix. As he
held the x-ray up to the light to study it, Scully asked him if he
knew how the bullets had gotten there.
"I put them there," LaCroix replied with nonchalance. "Well,
at least these three," he corrected himself.
"May I ask why?"
"Call it... tough love." He gave her back the x-ray and
asked, "What is your medical opinion concerning this?"
"If you're asking if I think the tumor and the bullets should
be removed, I'd have to say, yes, most definitely. I'm sure they
are the cause of the headaches he's been having. But whether or
not they're responsible for his mental status, I can't say for
sure. As I understand it, he's suffered a number of personal
losses which could easily result in depression and mental
confusion. Still, removal of the tumor would be the first step to
restoring his health, both physical and mental."
"Mmm, my thoughts as well," said LaCroix. "Unfortunately,
circumstances prohibit traditional hospital surgery."
"That's what Nick said. Do you have another idea?"
"I understand that you are a medical doctor."
Scully raised her brows in disbelief once she got the gist of
his implication. "You can't be serious! I am *not* a brain
surgeon. I can not perform brain surgery on a walking, talking
individual."
"How unfortunate," said LaCroix, appearing genuinely
distressed by the news. "Because you see, you happen to be
Nicholas' only hope for survival. If there is the slightest chance
that his sanity will return with the removal of the tumor, we must
take it. And it must be done tonight. I am not being giving much
time to *fix* things."
Scully shook her head with uncertainty. "I don't.... Even if
I were to agree to operate on him, I don't have a place to perform
it or the necessary instruments, anesthetics, monitoring
equipment--"
"I have made previous arrangements," said LaCroix. "I made
inquiries and have already collected the medical items needed for
such an operation. I feel that you are qualified to perform the
surgery and I ask that you consider doing so. I am a man of great
wealth and will, of course, reimburse you handsomely for your time
and trouble."
"If I do it," said Scully, "I'll do it for Nick, not for
money."
"Very noble, Agent Scully," LaCroix smiled lightly. "Although
I hate to rush you into making a decision of this magnitude, time
*is* of the essence. What is your answer?"
--------
end part 9
--------
Infatuation With a Vampire
Part 10/11
It didn't take Scully long to make up her mind. Nick would be
sentenced to death for sure if she didn't perform the surgery. If
she operated on him and screwed it up, she could cause
irreversible brain damage leaving him an immortal vegetable. Not
really much of a choice, but as LaCroix had indicated, it was the
only chance Nick had for survival. This time, Scully was the one
ready to dash off with a perfect stranger to some undisclosed
destination. She and Mulder quickly changed out of their business
suits into more comfortable jeans and sweaters. They climbed into
the back of their rented car as LaCroix took to the driver's seat.
Thinking that garlic breath just might come in handy, Mulder
topped the pizza off with fresh garlic and brought it along so
that they could eat it on the way. Despite her nervousness and
apprehension over the impending medical procedure, Scully managed
to consume one slice while her partner engulfed three.
Following a twenty minute drive out of town, LaCroix turned
off the main road onto the open plain for several miles further.
Mulder was beginning to become a bit concerned, being driven out
into the middle of nowhere by the vampire. Even though he still
carried his gun and had brought along his bag of vampire
deterrents, the agents would be no match for LaCroix and the other
bloodsuckers they were going to meet should they decide on a
midnight snack.
Eventually, the car came to a stop alongside a motor home
with a large canopy stretching out five feet from its side over
the door. Dim light could be seen through the heavily tinted
windows. LaCroix got out of the car and quickly went to open the
door for his female passenger.
"Nice set of wheels," said Mulder as he climbed out on the
opposite side.
"Sleeps up to seven comfortably, I'm told," replied LaCroix.
As they entered the motor home, Mulder and Scully were
astonished by how much the majority of the recreational vehicle
resembled a high-tech operating room. Some of the beds had been
removed to make way for medical equipment. Against the wall, was a
tall cabinet housing a large monitor on the top shelf. A keyboard,
desktop computer and a second smaller monitor were stationed
below. Cables could be seen leading from it to a laser surgery
setup to the right. Atop a metal table on wheels, lay various
surgical instruments, including a cranial saw, drill and lighted
probe.
In the middle of the room, a dentist chair had been raised to
its highest level and stretched out to a horizontal position.
Dressed in black silk pajamas, Nick lay unconscious and secured to
the chair by padded chains around his ankles, waist, wrists and
chest. His right hand had been prepped for an IV, ready to receive
additional drugs or blood intravenously when the time came.
"I hope I acquired everything you'll need," said LaCroix. "I
did some surfing on the net and came across a few examples of
brain surgeries. So many different ways for medical science to get
inside ones' head these days, it was rather daunting trying to
choose the most appropriate method. I saved several pages of text
from a few sites I felt might be the most useful, should you feel
the need to bone up a bit first."
Scully felt her heart pound a bit faster at the sight of Nick
and the items she was expected to use on him. She looked to
LaCroix and nodded. "That might not be a bad idea," she said, then
followed his lead to an adjustable stool in front of the computer.
"What did you give him to make him sleep?" she asked while waiting
for the computer to boot up.
"This." LaCroix pulled a bottle out of his pocket and handed
it to her.
Scully's brows went up as she silently read the label. "This
is an animal tranquilizer."
"Yes. Designed for larger animals, bears and such." Scully
gave the bottle back to him and he placed it on the table with the
surgical tools. "Unfortunately," he added, "I didn't have much
time to test the proper dosage. Hopefully, I gave him enough to
keep him sedated for the remainder of the night."
"Yeah, hopefully," Scully grimaced.
While Scully was familiarizing herself with the notes saved
from files of experienced brain surgeons, Mulder wandered towards
the rear of the camper where Chad and Matt were sitting on a bed
side by side watching TV. They gave him a disinterested glance as
he nodded a greeting to them, then turned their attention back to
the show they were watching with the sound barely audible. Mulder
wondered what kind of shows would interest your average vampire,
so he moved close enough to get a view of the screen and saw
scantily clad women sunning themselves on the beach. Baywatch, he
thought. He couldn't tell which they admired most about the show;
the beautiful women or the occasional shots of the sun over the
horizon. Since it didn't appear that they were interested in
socializing, Mulder backed off and returned to the operating room.
It took fifteen minutes of studying the computer files for
Scully to feel ready to begin the operation. She took a few
moments more to acquaint herself with the instruments LaCroix had
provided. The lighted probe and large monitor would let her see a
magnified view of the insides of Nick's brain. The laser wand
would allow her to easily dissolve the tumor, and the cranial
brace would keep the patient immobile should the unthinkable
happens and he awakens during the procedure. The
electroencephalograph, as before, would alert her to any pain her
patient might be experiencing, a threat which was more than
probable.
Scully had reason to worry about the anesthetic they planned
to use. Since Nick wasn't breathing, a general gas anesthetic
couldn't be given. They'd have to go with an intravenous type, but
because of Nick's physiology, there was no way of knowing how much
to give him for complete effectiveness. She decided to administer
twice the amount for a normal individual of his size, then tested
it by hooking him up to the encephalograph and pinching him with
clamps in several locations. Not getting the results she was
looking for, she injected another dose and gave it a few minutes
to work. This time when she pinched with the clamps, the line on
the graph remained straight and steady.
"Okay, I guess we're ready to start."
"Although there should be no need to worry about infection or
germs," said LaCroix as he held open a box containing protective
surgical wear, "things *may* get a bit messy."
"Thank you." Scully pulled out a surgical gown, cap and
gloves then shoved them into her partner's hands. "You want to
play doctor, Mulder?" she asked while pulling out a second set of
surgical garb for herself.
"One of my all time secret fantasies," said Mulder. "I know
what *my* idea of playing doctor is," he added while slipping into
his new outfit. "What's yours?"
"Well for starters, you'll be mopping the buckets of sweat
from my forehead."
"So far, it sounds good. Only in my version, I'm usually the
one bound, and the other people hanging around are all women."
"Speaking of bondage.... Are these chains really necessary?"
Scully asked LaCroix.
"Merely a precaution. Better safe than sorry. So you've
decided on a course?"
Scully answered him as she donned the surgical wear including
goggles and a mask. "Well, I thought at first that I might have to
shave his head and do some major carving from the top, but I think
we can get by using one of the less invasive techniques I just
read about. I'm going to snake the probe up through the nasal
cavity and see if I can get a good look at the tumor. The x-rays
don't really show me enough. Once I get a fix on the exact
location, I'll make an incision just above the nose, and drill an
opening through the skull.
"Lovely," Mulder grimaced at the vivid picture she had just
drawn.
After fitting Nick with the stabilizer to keep his head from
moving during the procedure, Scully was ready to begin. She
carefully inched the spaghetti-thin probe through the patient's
right nostril, and watched the monitor as it passed through the
nasal cavity. Watching the images on the screen, Mulder couldn't
make out heads or tails of where the lighted probe was headed, but
still found it fascinating to watch, as did the Enforcers who had
left Baywatch behind to witness the proceedings. They each stood
near the foot of the chair, out of the way, their eyes glued to
the picture on the monitor.
Following a few moments of delicate probing, Scully finally
came to what she'd been seeking. Resembling a deep red, rubber
ball, the tumor was just barely visible, but at least now she had
a better feel for its location than the x-rays had given her.
Prepared to make an incision between Nick's eyes, Scully placed
the scalpel to his brow, but her hand began to tremble so badly
that she couldn't continue. She looked up at LaCroix who was
positioned directly across from her.
"There's no cause to be nervous, my dear," he told her in a
soothing voice. "You *can* do this."
"I can do this," Scully told herself softly, then proceeded
to make the incision with a steady hand. She found Nick's skin to
be thicker than normal and had to apply a bit more pressure to
break the surface. His blood flowed freely and Scully was about to
have Mulder sponge it up when the fluid was unexpectedly sucked
back into the opening on its own. Scully was startled by the
occurrence but managed to brace herself and continue, realizing
that she needed to speed up her actions before the incision
attempted to close itself. She used a small spreader to keep it
open, then asked Mulder to pass her the drill, already fitted with
a circular cutter.
Nick's skull proved to be thicker than normal as well, which
was probably the main reason the bullets -- even the cop killer --
had not passed straight through. An inch wide hole was carefully
bored through, creating a removable plug of bone and a straight
path to the tumor. The probe was used to lead the way once again.
Holding the probe steady in one hand, Scully was able to follow
its path with the forceps. Everyone's eyes were on the monitor
screen as the probe displayed the forceps making contact with the
tumor.
"So that big red thing is what needs to come out?" asked Chad
in amazement.
"That's it," Scully answered as she prodded the tumor with
the forceps to judge its mass. It wasn't a solid ball of
connective tissue as would be expected, but rather a thick-
skinned, blood-filled sac. At least that should make it easier to
remove, Scully thought. She withdrew the forceps and moved the
scalpel in to break through the sac. The membrane was much tougher
than it looked and it took an extra amount of force to penetrate
it. A geyser of blood shot into the air abruptly as the sac burst
open.
"Damn it!" Scully exclaimed as she jerked away, her face
covered by the red spray.
"Are you all right?" LaCroix asked with concern.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting that."
"Good thing you wore these," said Mulder as he removed her
goggles and proceeded to wipe the blood from her cheeks and the
sweat from her forehead.
"Any more surprises I should be aware of," Scully asked
LaCroix who had busied himself with cleaning the blood-splattered
patient.
"I'm afraid this is all new to me as well."
After Mulder finished cleaning and replacing her goggles,
Scully continued the operation by suctioning out the remaining
blood left in the sac. Using the forceps again, the first bullet
was captured and eased out with no trouble. Scully blew out a sigh
of relief, and feeling more confident in her skills, went after
the second bullet. As she dug it out, she heard LaCroix utter a
disturbing remark.
"He's in pain," the elder vampire announced, looking as
though he was experiencing some form of discomfort himself.
Scully glanced up at him, then took a look at the
encephalogram readings which had gone from a simple line to a
helter-skelter of dips and peaks.
"Scully, I think he's waking up!" Mulder exclaimed when he
noticed Nick's eyelids fluttering.
He no sooner got that statement out when Nick suddenly let
out a blood-
curdling howl of pain and began struggling against his restraints.
"Mr. LaCroix, the anesthetic! Quickly!"
As LaCroix grabbed the hypodermic needle he had prepared
earlier, Scully did her best to try to calm Nick down. She placed
her hands on each side of his face and used her voice with gentle
words of assurance to try to soothe him.
"It's okay, Nick. It's okay. We're going to give you
something for the pain right now. Just hold on a minute, okay?"
Her words meant nothing to him. His brain was ablaze with an
intense agony he'd never known before. With eyes golden and fangs
bared, Nick attempted to jerk his head back and forth trying to
escape from the device that held his skull trapped in one
position, and the immense pain that consumed him beyond any
rational thought. Just as LaCroix administered the anesthetic,
Nick bit down on the latex covered hand that had accidentally
found its way to his open mouth. Scully screamed out as one sharp
fang pierced deeply into the fleshy area below her thumb. LaCroix
was quick to rescue her as he forced Nick's mouth open and pulled
her hand away. Scully took a step back and snapped the glove off
her injured hand.
"Are you okay?" asked Mulder.
"I'll live," Scully hissed at the pain, then picked up a ball
of cotton and pressed it to the wound. "How's Nick?" she asked. A
quick glance at the graph revealed the chaotic movements of the
needle were slowly starting to level out.
"The pain is easing," said LaCroix. "Perhaps I should give
him more of the tranquilizer as well."
"Yes, I think that's a good idea."
As LaCroix concentrated on Nick, Mulder noticed that both
Chad's and Matt's attention was focused on Scully, her injured
hand and the deep, crimson that oozed from it when she removed the
bloodied cotton ball. When he saw their eyes change color, Mulder
grabbed the cross he had stored in his back pocket hidden beneath
his sweater, and held it up to the Enforcers as he pulled Scully
protectively behind him. The two vampires each snarled menacingly
while cringing away from the religious symbol.
"Get out!" LaCroix yelled at the two trouble makers. "Both of
you, now!" He backed up his command with a fierce growl and a
flash of gold. That, and Mulder waving the cross in their faces
was enough to send them flying out the door in a blur. Once the
door had slammed shut, Mulder turned to LaCroix, still holding the
cross up protectively.
The master vampire averted his eyes away from the cross. "I'd
appreciate it if you'd put that away," he said in a non-
threatening tone.
Mulder lowered the cross slowly and slipped it into his back
pocket again, then turned his attention to Scully. "How bad is
it?" he asked in trying to get a good look at her injury.
"It hurts like the devil," Scully replied. She pulled the
cotton away to reveal a still bleeding puncture wound. "I'm not
sure how I'm going to finish the operation now."
"May I have a look?" LaCroix asked. "I may be able to help."
"Help how?" asked Mulder suspiciously.
LaCroix gently took hold of Scully's hand. "I won't hurt
you," he assured her, then slowly brought her hand to his lips.
Mulder had to force himself not to interfere as the vampire
ran his tongue across his partner's hand. He noticed a slight
hesitation before the vampire committed himself fully to the task.
There was the slightest of frowns on his face though he didn't
bother to comment on the taste of her blood be it good or bad. He
simply continued to lick her wound until it healed.
"Better?" he asked afterwards.
Scully stared at her hand in amazement. The pain was gone and
just the tiniest scar was visible. "That's remarkable!."
"So you'll be able to continue?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"That's a neat little trick you have there," Mulder commented
on LaCroix's ability to heal with his saliva.
"Yes. I rarely get the opportunity to use it. This has been
quite an evening."
"But it ain't over yet," Scully reminded him. "Keep a close
eye on that graph for me, Mulder. I don't want any more surprises
like that last one."
"Yes, ma'am."
Scully went back to work, moving as quickly and as safely as
possible. The third bullet came out readily, but the sac itself
proved somewhat troublesome. It was fairly thick, almost like the
peel of an orange, making it impossible to bring it through the
opening in one piece. Scully had to trim it down into sections
then use the laser to burn it away from where it had anchored
itself in the very back. About an hour later, Scully removed the
last of the foreign matter. She irrigated and suctioned out the
cavity, noticing how the surrounding tissues were already
beginning to reclaim their space. She plugged the hole in the
skull with the section she had cut out earlier, then sutured the
incision close.
"That's it," she sighed wearily as she began to remove her
operating attire.
"Well, done," LaCroix complimented her effort. "Thank you,
Agent Scully. I know it's been a difficult night for you. I do
appreciate all you've done for him. I can take over from here on.
The two of you may leave whenever you're ready."
"You're kicking us out?" Scully questioned, feeling used and
tossed to the side. "Just like that?"
"There's little more you can do now. Nicholas will most
likely sleep for several hours and when he awakens --"
"I want to be here," said Scully adamantly.
LaCroix was slightly taken aback by her tenacity. His eyes
shifted to Mulder who merely shrugged and said, "I leave when she
leaves."
"Very well," LaCroix yielded to their decision and gestured
towards the rear of the camper. "Do make yourselves at home. The
beds are there, and you'll find refreshments in the kitchen. Help
yourself."
While Scully took advantage of the bathroom facilities,
Mulder began to dismantle the operating area. He switched off the
electrical equipment used and folded up the wires and cables.
LaCroix concentrated on making Nick comfortable by removing the
monitoring electrodes from his temples and the stabilizer from his
head.
"You really went through quite a lot for him. Getting all
this equipment, arranging all this," said Mulder in an easygoing
chitchat.
"If only he would appreciate it. But that is the folly of
parenthood; to hope that your children would appreciate all that
you do for them."
"Is he your only child?"
"I have others."
"But he's your favorite, isn't he?" When Mulder saw that an
answer to that question wasn't forthcoming, he changed the
subject. "What happens now? Those Enforcers will come back tonight
and check him out?"
"Yes. If there's no sign of Nicholas de Brabant or any other
irrational behavior noted in the next forty-eight hours, the
sentence imposed upon him earlier will be suspended and he'll face
a ten-year probation."
"And if there's no change?'
"I'd rather not consider the alternative at this moment, if
you don't mind."
"Sorry." Mulder retreated and headed for the kitchen area
just as Scully emerged from the bathroom, looking slightly more
refreshed than when she entered. "Hi. How do you feel?"
"Like I haven't had a full night's sleep in three days."
"There's a bed. Why don't you lie down for awhile? I'll stay
up and wake you if anything happens."
Unable to fight her exhaustion, Scully kicked off her shoes
and stretched out on the nearest bed. Mulder grabbed the blanket
from a second bed and tossed it over. She was asleep before he
even finished tucking it around her. He gently patted her hair and
whispered, "Sweet dreams."
After making a pit stop in the bathroom, Mulder decided to
check out the contents of the mini-fridge. He was surprised to
find it packed with canned sodas and a party platter of sliced
meat, cheese and fruit. He popped off the protective, plastic
covering on the platter and stole a piece of cheese. After tasting
a small bite, he grabbed a cola and another slice of cheese before
covering the tray and closing the fridge door. As he finished off
the cheese and followed it with a swig from the soda can, Mulder
became curious about what was in the cabinets. Poking about, he
found that the shelves had been stocked with bags and boxes of
chips, crackers, instant coffee and something that really caught
his attention. He picked up the bag of sunflower seeds, noticing
that it, like all the other products were the brands he normally
bought. Certain things were beginning to fall into place. He took
the bag of seeds and walked back over to LaCroix.
"Ah, I see you found the snacks. I hope everything is to your
liking."
"It was you," said Mulder accusingly. "You're the one who
slipped me Knight's file. You were in my apartment that night,
weren't you?"
LaCroix smiled lightly. "Simply because you live on the
fourth floor, doesn't mean you should neglect window security."
"Why me? How did you even know about me?"
"As I said before, your reputation preceded you. A couple of
years ago, you had dealings with three young vampires.
Apparently, the leader of that merry band, killed his master
shortly after being brought across, leaving himself unschooled in
our ways and with no proper guidance. He went on to create friends
for himself, though not without making a few mistakes before he
finally got it right. Then, the three of them together made some
unwise decisions in their pursuit for nourishment and
enlightenment. The Enforcers -- overworked and understaffed --
were eventually dispatched to find them and set them straight. It
appears that you got to them first."
"They were wanted for murder," said Mulder, feeling as though
he had to defend himself. "And they were trying to pull an
innocent woman into their gang. I was trying to stop them. I
didn't mean for them to perish like that."
"No great loss, I'm sure," said LaCroix with an air of
indifference. "Your involvement in their destruction was duly
noted and you were thoroughly investigated. They wanted to make
sure that you were not a hunter."
"A hunter?"
"Vampire hunter. Someone who makes it his life's work to hunt
down and destroy vampires. In your case, it was decided that you
were merely doing your duty as a representative of mortal law
enforcement."
"And you figured you'd use me to find Knight for you?"
"No. I already knew where Nicholas was. You see, we have this
sort of psychic connection that extends for quite a good
distance."
"Then if you knew where he was, why did you need me?"
LaCroix didn't bother to answer the question. He knew that
the agent was bright enough to figure it out for himself if given
enough time. It only took a moment longer before he saw the dawn
of realization in the young man's eyes. Mulder glanced over his
shoulder at his sleeping partner, then looked back at LaCroix.
"You needed me to get to her. You knew that Knight needed to
have those bullets removed and you figured that Scully could do
it. You had this planned all along. Did you plan on him kidnapping
her too?"
"I know that Nicholas has a weakness for beautiful women. I
had no way of predicting his every move -- nor yours for that
matter -- but I did realize that if given the opportunity, there
was that possibility he might want to possess her. That was a risk
I was prepared to take."
"It was a risk *you* were prepared to take?" Mulder shook his
head in disbelief. "But why Scully? You could have chosen any
doctor in the world, at least one with more experience, an actual
brain surgeon. What was so special about her?" In the time LaCroix
contemplated giving a response, Mulder suddenly had another
revelation. "Her blood," he realized. "Knight told me that Scully
had a nosebleed up at the cabin and that he tasted her blood.
Apparently, it was pretty unappetizing. When you healed Scully's
wound earlier, I noticed how you hesitated before you licked the
blood off her hand. At first I thought you hesitated to give her a
chance to pull away if she wanted. But that wasn't the reason, was
it? You already knew what her blood tasted like. And you knew that
if at some point she *was* attacked by Knight, the bad taste of
her blood would prevent him from draining her."
"You are quite the perceptive one," said LaCroix, impressed
by Mulder's accurate assumptions. "Yes. I was aware of Agent
Scully's uniqueness."
"How?"
"Perhaps we should take this conversation outside," LaCroix
suggested. "I wouldn't want to disturb the young lady's sleep."
Mulder agreed with a nod. He set the bag of sunflower seeds
aside, then followed the vampire out into the darkness. They only
strolled as far as the other side of the car. LaCroix was the
first to speak.
"Agent Scully's blood is indeed unique, however she is not
the only one of her kind. There are, and have been quite a few
others, dating back at least a quarter of a century that I'm aware
of. When the first such as she was detected, it was thought to be
merely a one in a billion oddity. Later, when one of our
distributor's blood supply became contaminated by a very
distasteful donor, a thorough investigation lead to a rather
disturbing discovery involving your government performing rather
dubious experimentation on the unsuspecting public. We thought at
first that they knew of our existence and was trying to devise a
vaccine against us. Further observation, however, revealed
something considerably more sinister afoot."
"Have you seen them?" Mulder asked, feeling a twinge of
excitement. "The aliens?"
"Yes. I have seen them, and I've seen what they are capable
of doing."
"Have you tried to stop them?"
"Myself and a few others have banded together to see what we
could accomplish. Unfortunately, your government has immense
manpower and resources, and are not encumbered by daylight
travel."
"Do you know what was done to Scully or where they took her?"
"Exactly what was done, no. Alien blood was obviously
introduced into her system. Beyond that, I have no knowledge. She
was moved about the country by train in a special box car. I'm
afraid that's all I know of the matter."
Mulder was slightly disappointed by the lack of information
even though it was more than he had known before. "There's a man,"
he continued the questioning, "tall, dark hair, around sixty,
smokes constantly. Do you know him?"
"I know *of* him. He seems to be a key player in all this. We
keep a distant eye on him."
"I've seen Knight use hypnosis on a doctor and I know he's
used it on Scully. Would it be possible for you to use that on the
Smoking Man if you got close enough to him?"
"I'm afraid that not everyone is suggestible. Some are even
trained to resist all forms of coercion techniques. But one
comforting thought remains. He is, after all, only mortal. He
won't live forever."
"Will you?" asked Mulder curiously.
"Death has so far eluded me for nearly two-thousand years,"
LaCroix proudly confessed.
Mulder blew out a whistle to show that he was quite
impressed. "You... uh... you look pretty good for your age," he
remarked lamely.
"So I've been told."
"What about Knight? How old is he?"
"I came across Nicholas about eight centuries ago. He was a
knight during the Crusades."
Mulder leaned against the rear fender of the car with folded
arms and shook his head in astonishment. "I can't begin to imagine
some of the things you must have witnessed in your lifetime. The
things you're liable to see in the future."
"Would you be interested in seeing the future, Agent Mulder?"
"Seeing the future? How?"
"By not dying. Would you care to live forever?"
Mulder was temporarily stunned by the question. It was one he
had not expected, and now that it had been asked, he was troubled
by the answer he considered making.
"I see I've surprised you," LaCroix grinned.
"Yeah... yeah, you have," was all Mulder could think to say.
"Immortality, of course, isn't for everyone. And I don't
offer it to many."
"Why offer it to me?"
"Because I admire your intelligence, your determination, your
capacity for loyalty... and I find you, so far, to be pleasant
company. Eternity *can* get rather boring without compatible
companionship." LaCroix moved in closer to Mulder and spoke
enticingly in his ear. "Just think of it; your senses enhanced
tenfold, complete immunity from disease, the ability to fly, *and*
you'll never look another day older. You can outlive all your
enemies and even use your new gifts to help squash their evil
plans."
It was tempting, Mulder thought. Very tempting. He could
definitely use such attributes against his enemies. There seemed
to be so many pluses, but he knew in his heart that there had to
be some down sides to the offer.
Suddenly aware of their closeness, Mulder moved away from the
car and the vampire. "Those are the good points," he said after
regaining his personal space. "You want to tell me some of the
bad?"
"For me, there are none," said LaCroix. "However, if your
long term goals include fathering children the old-fashioned way,
then you may run into a snag. You'll also find it problematic
making traditional love to a mortal woman. No doubt it would be
good for you, but I'm afraid that your mate would not be up for
seconds. From what I've seen you stuff into your little, black
bag, I believe you're aware of all the other drawbacks."
"Would I... would I have to kill for blood?"
"Blood is readily available in take-out form. However, in the
early stages, the desire to kill can become overwhelming for some.
But you *have* killed before, haven't you, Agent Mulder?"
"In self-defense or to save lives of innocent people."
"And did you feel guilt over those you have killed?"
Mulder considered for a moment the deaths of Eugene Tooms and
the sheriff of Dudley, Arkansas both of whom had attempted to make
his partner their next meal. He shook his head grimly and
answered, "No, not really."
"And you have enemies you wish death upon, perhaps to even
kill with your bare hands if it were feasible?"
The images of Krycek and the Smoking Man came instantly to
mind. Mulder nodded slightly and responded, "Yeah, I can think of
at least a couple."
LaCroix smiled devilishly. "I'm beginning to like you more
and more, Agent Mulder. So the idea does appeal to you then?"
"I don't know. It's... it's something I'd really have to
think about. A lot."
"Of course, I understand perfectly. Take whatever time you
need. A day, a year... ten years even. That is, *if* you should
live that long. In your dangerous line of work, we both know that
anything can --" LaCroix suddenly looked towards the camper as
though he heard a noise. "I should go back in now. Nicholas needs
me."
Mulder watched as the vampire hurried back inside, then
turned his eyes heaven bound. He wondered if becoming a vampire
might not be his actual fate. Everything happens for a reason.
That's what he had been told as a child after his sister was
abducted. If she hadn't been taken, he never would have joined the
FBI in hopes of finding her. He never would have discovered the
existence of alien life-forms on earth or that the American
government he had pledged his honor to was secretly exploiting
innocent lives to achieve some mysterious goal. Perhaps he was
destined to help save the world. And perhaps he was destined to do
it as a vampire. It was definitely something to think about.
--------
end part 10
--------
Infatuation With a Vampire
Part 11/11
When Mulder finally went back inside, he saw LaCroix hovering
over Nick, gently cleaning away bloodsweat from his forehead. A
near empty bag of blood hung from the IV stand, and the bottle
containing the tranquilizer was now empty, a final dose having
just been administered. Mulder moved to the rear of the camper to
check on his partner and found her still peacefully slumbering. If
Nick had called out in pain, it seemed as though she would have
heard, but it could be that her mind and body were just too
exhausted to respond. Mulder walked back towards the front and
stood watching silently as LaCroix tenderly stroked the dark,
blonde curls of his offspring.
"Was he awake?' Mulder asked "Did you hear him call out when
we were outside?"
"No, he did not awaken. But I sensed his distress. I sense a
bit of distress in you as well. Did our little discussion leave
you filled with questions?"
"A few. I don't suppose there's a vampire beginner's book
available?"
"No, I'm afraid not. Perhaps when this is all over, you and I
can get together at a later date and go into the matter with
greater detail."
Mulder nodded absently. "Yeah. Maybe we could."
"But there remains something else on your mind, Agent Mulder.
What is it?"
"I was just wondering if what's been done to Scully's blood,
might not have been done to mine as well. There have been a couple
of times I was held by the military or whomever and things were
done to me that I can't remember."
Without a word, LaCroix picked up a scalpel, then reached out
for the agent's hand. Timidly, Mulder placed his palm in the
vampire's, then hissed lightly as he felt the scalpel pierce the
tip of his index finger. LaCroix put the scalpel away, then
squeezed the cut finger to encourage a greater flow of blood.
Mulder held his breath as the vampire licked the blood tentatively
at first, then engulfed the whole tip of his finger. Afraid that
he would find the same unpleasant taste that the woman carried,
LaCroix was delighted to find that this mortal's blood had not
been tainted. On the contrary, it was intoxicatingly sweet, making
it exceedingly difficult to stop at just a taste. He lifted his
gaze to the young man's face and saw a pair of eyes filled with
fascination. It would be so easy to take him, to immediately
create a new addition to his little family, but now wasn't the
right time. He had Nicholas to think about.
LaCroix licked Mulder's wound to heal it, then let go of his
hand. "Your blood is perfectly normal," he told him simply.
"Thank you," said Mulder as he backed away, only then
realizing how foolish his actions were. He'd just allowed a
vampire to drink his blood. He'd seen the glint of gold in
LaCroix's eyes and knew that the vampire had been tempted to go
further. But what Mulder found truly scary was the fact that he
hadn't minded at all.
-----
9:15 a.m.
Scully woke up a little disoriented. She sat up in the
strange bed and looked about to get her bearings. She saw her
partner in the bed across from her sleeping on his back with a
wooden cross clutched loosely in his hand resting on his chest.
Scully swung her stocking feet to the carpeted floor and rose from
the bed to go check on her patient. She found that Nick was still
asleep and chained to the chair. His adopted father was nearby,
seated on the adjustable stool with his back and head resting
against the wall, arms folded across his chest and eyes closed.
Scully wasn't quite sure if he was asleep or not. She didn't want
to wake him if he was, so she kept her movements slow and silent
as she approached Nick.
Checking the sutures on his forehead, she was surprised to
find the incision she'd made just hours ago was practically
healed. The sutures were no longer needed, so she found a pair of
scissors and began to clip them away. With the first tiny snip of
the scissors. LaCroix's eyes snapped open and he looked on with
concern.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked. Though his voice was
soft, Scully was still startled by it.
"No. I was just removing the stitches. He's nearly healed. I
didn't mean to wake you."
"I was merely resting my eyes."
"I see you gave him the rest of the sedative."
"He became restless at one point. I thought it best."
"I'm sure it was. He definitely needs to rest." As Scully
finished removing the stitches, she casually began a conversation
on another topic that had been on her mind for a while. "Mr.
LaCroix, did you know Dr. Natalie Lambert?"
"Yes, I had the pleasure of making her acquaintance on a few
occasions. Why do you ask?"
"Back at the cabin, Nick told me that Dr. Lambert had come up
with something for his sun allergy. I'm thinking now that he meant
that she had found a way to make him a normal man again. Do you
know anything about that?"
"Dr. Lambert had the misguided notion, as does Nicholas, that
he can become mortal again. She created the most vial concoctions
and used him as a guinea pig, which I am positive severely
compromised his natural ability to heal. I believe that the tumor
you removed is a direct result of her meddling. He *is* what he
is. There is no cure for it."
Scully could tell by the barely controlled vehemence in
the vampire's voice that she had touched upon a sensitive area.
She wisely chose not to pursue it further.
"Is it necessary to keep the chains on?" she asked, referring
to Nick's restraints.
"Until he awakens and we see what kind of mood he's in, I
think it's safest. There's food in the kitchen, if you'd like
breakfast."
Scully nodded her acceptance of his hospitality. "Thank you."
------
11:45 a.m.
Mulder awoke from a troubled dream involving aliens and
vampires. As if he didn't have enough stars in his nightmares
already, he had to invite new characters. He opened his eyes to a
semi-darkened room. The area was closed off from the front of the
camper by a corrugated partition. The overhead lights were off,
and the heavily tinted windows significantly reduced the amount of
daylight entering. Mulder sat up in bed and looked across to where
he had last seen his partner. He discovered that she had been
replaced by a much taller and paler figure. LaCroix lay on the bed
with eyes closed and hands folded across his chest. His son had
been positioned close by. The dentist chair was still horizontal
but had been lowered to its minimum height of two feet, and the
arms had been removed to conserve space. The chains still remained
around Nick's ankles and waist, but his wrists were bound together
as his hands rested on his abdomen.
Mulder got up quietly and carefully slid open the partition,
making sure there was no danger of sunlight flooding the sleeping
area. He was a little concerned about not finding his partner on
the other side of the partition. He closed it, then glanced out
the window where he viewed his better half seated in one of two
folding chairs, beneath the awning, munching from a bag of chips
and reading a paperback novel. Smiling to himself, Mulder opened
the door and stepped outside.
"Nice day," Mulder greeted her. "Enjoying yourself?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Did you sleep you well?"
"Yeah, except for the weird dream I had about being chased by
blood-
sucking aliens." When Mulder attempted to help himself to Scully's
bag of chips, she batted his hand away.
"You don't eat the low-fat kind."
"You mean the no-taste kind."
"There's plenty of other stuff inside. And bring me another
diet cola while you're at it."
"Your wish is my command."
Mulder made a trip back inside and came out with an armful of
sodas, snacks and the party tray of meat and cheese. He could tell
that Scully had already been at the tray because it wasn't as full
as the last time he'd seen it. He gave Scully the drink she had
requested, then settled down in the other available chair with the
rest of the items he'd brought out.
"For a man who supposedly doesn't eat food, Mr. LaCroix sure
bought enough," Scully commented. "You think he did it just for
us?"
"Yeah, I think he did. I talked to him for awhile right after
you went to bed, and he admitted that he had set this whole thing
up from the very beginning. He was the one who slipped me the file
on Knight. He knew that an operation was necessary and he picked
you to do it."
"Why me?"
Mulder filled his mouth with food to keep from answering
right away. He didn't want to tell her that she was walking around
with slightly alien blood and that she was considered less than
appetizing by the vampire community. Luckily, he didn't have to
answer because his partner came up with her own.
"Mr. LaCroix said that your reputation preceded you. And if
he already knew about you, then he also knew your partner was a
doctor who did her slicing and dicing on the dead. Since they
consider themselves to be dead in a sense, Mr. LaCroix figured I'd
do just fine."
"And you did," Mulder agreed. "Under the circumstances, you
did a damn fine job, Scully."
Scully took a sip of her soda, then said, "You know, it's
still hard for me to believe any of this. My eyes see things that
couldn't possibly be real, and yet.... Of course, if I really
tried, I could probably come up with a scientific explanation for
all this."
"You could?" Mulder questioned doubtfully.
Scully thought about it a moment then shrugged. "I didn't say
it'd be a great explanation."
A comfortable silence followed as Scully returned to reading
her novel and Mulder assuaged his hunger with half the food on the
party tray, washed down by a can of root beer. Afterwards, he
moved his chair into the sun and slumped down in it, stretching
his long legs out fully and folding his hands atop his well-fed
belly. Feeling the warming rays on his skin, he thought back to
the rest of the conversation he'd had with LaCroix.
"Scully, if someone offered you the chance to live
forever, would you take it?"
"You mean like if my fairy-godmother comes and grants me a
magic wish?"
"Yeah. Something like that. And you'd never look any older,
you'd have special powers, and you'd be able to fly."
When he mentioned being able to fly, Scully realized where
the idea of immortality had come from. "Would I be on a permanent
liquid diet and somewhat sensitive to sunlight?" she asked.
"Somewhat."
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"
"Mr. LaCroix offered me immortality. He's nearly two-thousand
years old. Do you know how old Knight is? He's eight-hundred. Can
you imagine the lives they must have lead, the people they've
known?"
"Are you telling me that you want to become a vampire now,
Mulder? You can't be serious."
"I didn't say I wanted to become a vampire. I just asked your
opinion about living forever."
"Maybe you should ask Nick his opinion on that. I'm sure he
has a lot more incite into it. Actually, I think he's tired of his
immortality. When we were at the cabin, he told me how Natalie
Lambert had tried to help him. Apparently, he missed having the
sunlight on his skin, so Natalie came up with something that
allowed him to spend a day in the sun. Unfortunately, whatever
cure she came up with had some pretty bad side effects, so I guess
the search for a normal life was abandoned. And when Natalie was
killed, we know he took her death pretty hard. So think of it,
Mulder; if he's been around for eight hundred years, then Natalie
Lambert's death was definitely not the first one he's had to live
with. How many lost loves do you suppose he's mourned? How many
friends has he had to bury? How many times has he had to start his
life over because everyone else around him is aging and he still
looks exactly the same twenty years later? Mulder, from what I've
seen, Nick Knight is not a happy man. And he's not a happy vampire
either. Do you suppose he'll be that way for the next eight
hundred years?"
Mulder had no reply. He hadn't given that aspect of forever
much thought. And it bothered him that despite those very
important concerns, he still couldn't help but wonder what it
would be like to live beyond his normal life span. It's not
everyday a person is offered the opportunity to cheat death and
the power to defeat his enemies.
--------
2:40 p.m.
It was the first time since teaming with Mulder that Scully
had had the time to completely read a novel from start to finish
in one sitting. Her partner had taken the car back into town to
finish up loose ends with the police and check them out of the
motel in which they had never been able to spend the night. She
was surprised that he was willing to leave her alone with the
vampires, even though they were sleeping and seemingly harmless.
He figured that as long as she stayed outside in the sunlight,
she'd be perfectly safe. She would have been content to stay
outside if she hadn't consumed a cup of coffee, two sodas and half
a liter bottle of water in the past five hours. Nature was calling
and she didn't have the necessary equipment to easily answer it
outside.
Scully ventured inside and slowly slid the partition open,
then tiptoed silently past the slumbering vampires and into the
bathroom. She finished her business up quickly, but instead of
heading immediately back outside, she paused to check on Nick. She
knelt down and leaned over to get a look at his forehead. It was a
little hard to see in the dim light, so she ran a finger across
his brow to determine the extent of his healing thus far. His skin
was perfectly smooth with no sign of scarring.
"Amazing," Scully uttered under her breath, then gasped in
alarm when she felt something brush against her breast.
"Who are you?" Nick spoke in a raspy voice, his left hand
reaching out to make contact.
Recovering from her initial shock, Scully took his hand in
hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It's Dana Scully," she
responded softly. "Do you remember me, Nick?''
"Agent Scully?"
"Yes, it's Agent Scully. How do you feel?"
"I can't see you. There's something wrong with my eyes," he
uttered fearfully.
"Wait a minute." Scully stood momentarily and flipped on the
overhead light switch. A quick glance at LaCroix revealed that he
was not bothered by the light or the low voices. "How's that?" she
asked Nick. "Can you see me now?"
"I see a shadow of you. It's very blurry. What's happened to
me? I feel dizzy and my head hurts."
"Is the pain like it was before?"
"No. Just a dull ache. And I feel tired, weak. It's hard to
move."
"The reason you're finding it hard to move is because you're
wearing restraints. The headache, I'd say is from the surgery. I
think the rest of your symptoms may just be side effects from the
drugs you were given. The dosage used would have killed a normal
man several times over."
"Surgery? What surgery?
"I performed the surgery to remove your tumor."
"I don't understand. The last I remember...." his voice
trailed off as he struggled to recall the previous events of his
life which had included two beefy Enforcers and the promise of
true death. As he concentrated, the haziness of the drugs in his
system lifted just enough to enable him to distinguish an
undeniable presence. "LaCroix?"
"I'm right here, Nicholas." LaCroix sat up calmly in bed and
placed a hand on his son's arm.
Nick recoiled at his touch. "Is this how you plan to keep
me?" he hissed. "Blind, chained down and helpless? Did he kidnap
you, Agent Scully? Force you to do this to me?"
Scully looked to LaCroix and saw the hurt expression on his
face as he rose from the bed. "No, Nick. It's not like that,"
Scully began to explain. "Mr. LaCroix asked me in a very courteous
way if I would perform the operation and afterwards, I volunteered
to stay and help him look after you. As far as the chains are
concerned, he didn't want you to end up accidentally hurting me or
yourself. I imagine it's all right to remove them now though."
No sooner had he heard those words, Nick felt the restraints
being removed from his ankles. A moment later, he lost contact
with the feminine hand as Scully stepped aside to allow LaCroix to
discard the rest of the bindings. Once free, Nick immediately
tried to stand up, only to collapse to his knees from
disorientation and weakness. Wordlessly, LaCroix lifted him up and
aided him in sitting down, quickly adjusting the chair to a
slightly reclined, upright position.
Scully returned to his side again and held his hand. "You
need to take it easy, Nick," she advised in a soothing voice.
"He had no right to make such a decision for me," Nick
grumbled.
"I have *every* right," LaCroix declared angrily. "You gave
me the right when you accepted my offer eight hundred years ago.
How many times must I remind you that you are *my* creation,
Nicholas. You. Are. Mine!"
Nick didn't bother to respond. It was an old argument; one of
which he could never hope to win. Scully gazed with disapproval at
LaCroix, then her eyes shifted to her partner who stood at the
partitioned entrance, taking everything in. The picture of the
caring father he'd witnessed earlier was in stark contrast to what
he saw now.
Realizing the image he was displaying, the elder vampire
quickly reeled in his anger. "Performing the operation," LaCroix
continued in a milder tone, "was the only way to keep the
Enforcers from severing your head."
"I broke the code," Nick responded shamefully. "I was
prepared to accept the consequences."
All anger left LaCroix's voice as he spoke next. "Nicholas,
do you recall a certain conversation we had; the one in which you
told me that you were not going to sit back and let de Brabant
steal your life? You said that you were going to fight him every
step of the way, and that if I were truly your friend, then I'd
help you to win the battle against him. Do you remember that,
Nicholas?"
"Yes, I remember."
"Well, I am doing my part to help win the battle. Now I need
for you to do yours. You cannot let him win, Nicholas. You cannot
give up, not without a fight."
"I'm tired, LaCroix," Nick sighed wearily. "I don't know if I
have anymore fight left in me. And for what? What is there left
for me?"
"Hope for the future," Scully offered. "Nick, I really don't
know what all you've experienced so far. Maybe you've seen it all
and done it all, but you never know.... Perhaps the future may
bring something new and different and wonderful into your life.
Maybe fate has a lot more good in store for you than you could
ever imagine. Your hearts desire could be just a couple of days
away or a couple of years."
Nick lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss in the
center of her palm. "I seem to be lacking the energy to argue with
you at the moment. Thank you for all your help, Agent Scully."
"You know, I do have a first name," said Scully. "It's Dana."
He smiled as his eyes drooped drowsily. "I've enjoyed meeting
you, Dana." With those final words Nick drifted back off into
unconsciousness.
"You handled that nicely," said LaCroix.
"About his eyesight," Scully shrugged. "I'm not really sure.
My gut feeling is that it's only temporary, either due to the
drugs used or perhaps there's some swelling and pressure building
up behind his eyes. With his capacity for healing, it may simply
clear up soon on its own. But if it doesn't, then I suppose
there's a possibility that the optic nerve was somehow damaged
during the operation, in which case he'd have to undergo some
tests to determine what can be done to repair the damage."
"I'm sure that won't be necessary," LaCroix assured her. "I
must thank you again, my dear. For all that you've done. If
circumstances were different and Nicholas had lived, I'm sure you
and he would have become close friends."
Scully eyed the elder vampire in confusion. "What? What do
you mean if he had lived?"
"Nick Knight died yesterday morning at his cabin in the
mountains. Remember? You accompanied his body back in the
helicopter. You said your final farewell to him in the morgue at
the hospital. That was the last you saw of him. This nonsense
about him being a vampire is completely ridiculous, of course.
There's no such thing as vampires. Your partner simply has an
overactive imagination. You will not remember meeting me. You will
not remember the Enforcers or performing the operation. Do you
understand?"
Scully nodded her head in a dazed movement. "Yes."
"You will sleep now until your partner awakens you."
As Scully fell into a deep sleep, LaCroix scooped her up in
his arms, then turned to face Mulder who asked, "Are you going to
make me forget too?"
"That depends. Have you made your decision based on our
earlier discussion?"
"I'm still interested, but...."
"You need more time."
"Maybe if you look me up again in another ten years. If I'm
not happily married by then with a couple of rug rats crawling
around...."
"Would those happen to be red-headed, rug rats?" LaCroix
asked with a smile.
Blushing profusely, Mulder was unable to confirm or deny the
possibility. Without even realizing it, he was hypnotized into
forgetting about his encounter with vampires and was soon on the
road heading out of town with his partner asleep in the passenger
seat. Though he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was
forgetting something as he drove along, he didn't want to disturb
Scully's slumber. He wouldn't bother to wake her until they
reached the airport in Billings.
--------
Scully's Apartment Building
One Month Later
Someone on the block was having a party and Scully was unable
to park in her normal spot due to the excess of cars which lined
both sides of the street. She considered herself lucky to find a
space at the farthest end of the block, though she wasn't happy
about having to lug her overnight bag and an armful of groceries
all that distance. Just returning from a case, she knew there was
little food in her refrigerator, so she stopped off at the store
to pick up a few necessities. Since the neighborhood was known for
its lack of crime, Scully had no qualms about walking down the
street late at night. Besides, she was still carrying her gun.
As she moved closer to her building, Scully got the sensation
that she was being followed. She glanced behind herself several
times, but never saw anyone. When she reached the door of her
building, she set her overnight bag down so she could unlock the
door. Once the door was open, she reached down for her luggage
just as her grocery bag broke open and an item escaped from the
bottom. A hand appeared out of nowhere to rescue the falling
container of ice cream before it had a chance to hit the ground.
Scully jumped back in surprise.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."
Scully expelled a shocked gasp when she recognized the face
of the man standing at her side. "You! You're... you're dead! I
saw you. You were dead."
Nick smiled. And shrugged lightly. "I do tend to sleep like
the dead," he jokingly admitted. "Do I look dead to you now?"
"No, of course not."
"Here, let me help you with that." Nick carefully took the
grocery bag from her, then held up the ice cream container and
briefly studied the label. "You'd actually eat something called
Moose Tracks?" he asked with a playful frown.
"What are you doing here?" Scully asked, still in a state of
disbelief.
"I've been thinking about you a lot lately and I wanted to
see you again. Do you mind if I come inside for a little while?"
She had a ton of questions she wanted answered, so Scully
allowed Nick to accompany her through the lobby door and into her
apartment. She was ready to begin the interrogation as soon as
they cleared the door, but Nick was concerned about putting away
the grocery items that required refrigeration. He found his own
way into the kitchen while Scully remained in the living room. She
contemplated whether or not she should call Mulder but Nick
returned from his short chore before she had the chance to reach
for the phone.
"All done," said Nick with a pleasant smile. "Your carton of
Moose Tracks is safe."
"Thank you. Now are you ready to answer a few questions for
me?"
"Not quite."
Nick walked up to her and gently drew her into his arms.
Scully stiffened in fear as he embraced her and she glared in
wide-eyed wonder as he leaned forward to press his lips against
hers. His gentleness quickly won her over and once he felt her
relax, he kissed her with more passion. Frozen at first, Scully
instantly began to melt under his expert mouth. When her tongue
scraped lightly against his fangs, she drew back suddenly and
stared into a pair of golden eyes.
"Mulder was right. You *are* a vampire."
Nick stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers and
replied softly, "Is that a problem?"
It should have been but for some reason it didn't really seem
to matter. Scully shook her head slightly and smiled. "No, it's
not a problem at all." She reached her hand up to the back of his
head and pulled him down to engage his lips once again. As they
kissed feverishly, Scully felt herself being lifted by a pair of
powerful but gentle arms. There was the euphoric sensation of
floating through the air as he transported her into the bedroom.
They hovered above the bed spinning ever so slowly in a circle,
the room swirling with candlelight. She closed her eyes
pleasurably as cool lips began to trace down the side of her
throat. She arched her neck into his touch expectantly as his
fangs teased her skin. If he had intended to bite her, she had
absolutely no desire to stop him. In fact, she was looking forward
to it.
"You want me?" he asked as he began to lick her lips.
"Yes."
"I'm going to make it so good for you," he whispered
sensually in her ear.
She was more than ready for him to keep his word. They
floated down onto the bed and just as he was about to fulfill his
promise, the moment was shattered by the ringing of the telephone.
Reluctantly, Scully answered it with a groggy, "Hello?"
"Rise and shine, G-Woman," Mulder's voice boomed cheerfully
through the receiver. "We've got a new case, so jump in the
shower, get yourself packed and I'll be over to pick you up in an
hour."
"Mulder? What...."
"Shake the cobwebs out, Scully. You with me?"
"Yeah, I just... wow, I just had the wildest dream."
"Oh yeah? How was I? Never mind. Tell me about it on the
plane to Texas. See you later."
Scully hung up the phone but instead of getting up, continued
to lie in bed. The dream she'd just had was still quite vivid in
her mind. She closed her eyes to recapture the passionate moment
but was interrupted once again by the telephone. She didn't even
get a chance to say hello first before Mulder started speaking.
"You got me curious now. I can't wait till later. Tell me
about this wild dream."
"I was dreaming about Nick Knight."
"Oh, the dead guy? What happened?"
"Well, for one, he wasn't dead. He came to see me at my
apartment and he just started kissing me. I pushed him away when I
felt his fangs and then I saw he had golden eyes. He admitted to
being a vampire. And he asked me if I minded, which for some
reason, I didn't. Then we kissed some more as he lifted me up and
flew me into the bedroom."
"Then what happened?" asked Mulder, finding the dream
somewhat intriguing.
"My idiot partner called and woke me up."
"Oh, sorry. But it's funny you should mention Knight. I
had a dream last week about Mr. LaCroix, the guy who showed up to
claim Knight's body. It was really odd, considering that I only
met the man for a moment while you were getting your checkup. But
anyway, in the dream, we were out in the middle of nowhere in the
dead of night and he started to suck on my finger."
"He sucked on your finger?"
"Yeah. Then he told me that maybe would could get together
later sometime. Hey, that's not funny," Mulder protested against
his partner's outburst of laughter.
"If it's not, then I don't know what is," Scully giggled.
"Thank you, Mulder. That certainly helped to wake me up."
She hung up the phone again, then rose from her bed and
headed for the bathroom. When the phone rang yet again, she
grumbled under her breath as she snatched up the receiver.
"Look, Mulder, if you expect me to be ready when you come to
pick me up, you've got to stop playing with the phone."
There was no reply on the other end. Scully called out
Mulder's name twice, then was about to hang up when suddenly,
piano music began playing. It sounded classical in nature and
Scully reasoned by the rich tones that it was not a recording she
was hearing. She couldn't think of anyone she knew with classical
training. It was possible that the caller had dialed a wrong
number and she was not meant to be the recipient of this impromptu
serenade. She tried a couple of times to get the caller's
attention, but the music continued to play. Finally, she just
remained quiet and listened.
It was a beautiful piece, the kind of song that might be
played in fine restaurants to accompany a romantic, candlelit
dinner or end up in a music box. Scully sat down on the edge of
her bed and listened for another minute and a half until the piano
played its final, heartwarming notes. Though she expected to hear
a voice after the song finished, there was only silence on the
other end.
"That was lovely," said Scully, hoping to get a word out of
the caller. "You play beautifully."
The only response she received was in the playing of two
notes which sounded as though someone was using the music to say
thank you. After that, the line went dead. Scully instantly dialed
star-69 in hopes of reaching the person who had just hung up. All
she got was an operator recording telling her that her call could
not be completed as dialed. Perhaps it had just been a wrong
number and the shy caller had meant to serenade someone else. It
couldn't have possibly been meant for her, could it? At any rate,
it was a nice way to start her morning; a sexy dream starring a
handsome lover, a good laugh provided by her partner, and a mini
concert over the phone. She doubted seriously if the rest of her
day would be as nice. As she headed for her shower, she wondered
what sick horrors could possibly be waiting for her in Texas.
--------
Paris, France
Nick sat staring glumly at the piano keys. He was still
depressed over Natalie's death, but the pain wasn't as
overwhelming as before. He had spent the last month composing a
song in her honor. Since he was unable to play it for his beloved,
he decided to play it for the woman who had become somewhat of a
substitute. When Nick dialed the number and heard the voice on the
other end, he had wanted so much to talk to her but he knew in
doing so would only lead to trouble. To Agent Scully, he had died
back on that mountain in his cabin. It wouldn't be fair to her to
reveal himself now. She was going on with her life, as well she
should. The song had been a simple way of thanking her. Dana
Scully, like Natalie, had put aside her fear and risked her life
in order to help him. Because of her unselfishness, his life was
back on track. The severe headaches were a thing of the past and
the alternate personality of Nicholas de Brabant had thus far, not
returned.
Nick put his fingers to the keys and began playing an encore.
As he tickled the ivory, he recalled Natalie's ghost suggesting
that he get someone else to take over the work she had started in
regards to him finding a cure for vampirism. Briefly, he
considered that perhaps Agent Scully might be willing to continue
the research, but he shook that thought out of his mind. He'd
already promised himself that he would not get involved with
another mortal. Besides, he was restricted from socializing with
them at all for the next ten years as part of his probation which
included surprise visits by the Enforcers and constant supervision
by LaCroix.
Speaking of the devil, his master entered the parlor and
stepped up behind him. He didn't even flinch when LaCroix placed a
hand on his shoulder. There had been a time when he would have
instantly shrugged it off, unable to stomach his touch. But for
the past month, the elder vampire had shown him nothing but
understanding and kindness. It made him wonder if LaCroix had not
developed multiple personalities and his real one had been forced
into submission. Of course, it was probably due to the simple fact
that Nick was behaving as a normal vampire. His pursuit of a
mortal life had been temporally abandoned and his thirst for human
blood had for the time being, won out over cow's blood. It made
LaCroix happy, and if LaCroix was happy, then Nick's existence
would be peaceful.
"I do enjoy hearing you play, Nicholas. I'm glad you've
finally found the desire to compose again. That melody is quite
enchanting."
"I'm glad you think so," Nick replied softly. "I plan to play
nothing else for the next ten years."
"Still in a mood, I see." LaCroix walked around to the other
side of the grand piano so that he could face his offspring. "I've
planned a little surprise for you. It's something I'm sure will
lift your spirits somewhat."
"And what would that be?"
"Hello, Nichola."
Nick's hands froze on the piano keys when he heard that
voice. LaCroix's presence was so strong that he had completely
masked that of his daughter. She stood right behind him. Her right
hand settled on his shoulder, then slid halfway down his chest. He
grasped it gently and brought it to his lips.
"LaCroix told me about Natalie," she spoke delicately. "I
know what it feels like now to lose a mortal you've grown to love.
I'm sorry for your loss."
Nick turned to look at her. She was as beautiful as ever with
her long, raven hair pulled back into a French roll and tendrils
cascading along the sides. Her pale, alabaster complexion was
offset by sparkling, blue eyes and ruby lips. He gently guided her
around the bench so that she could sit down next to him, then
wrapped his arms about her possessively.
"I'm sorry, Janette," he spoke, choking back the tears. "I
know I didn't respect your wishes. You had the chance to leave
this world a mortal, but I took that away from you. I don't blame
you for hating me. But I just couldn't bare the thought of losing
you forever. Please forgive me. I'm sorry."
Janette eased away from him slightly so that she could look
into his tearful eyes. "What is it about you, Nichola that
prevents me from staying angry with you?"
That got a smile out of him. He wanted to ask if she was back
to stay but decided that would be too pushy. He was lucky she
wanted to see him at all. She granted him a simple kiss on the
lips, then patted his cheek lightly.
"Play for me, Nichola. I want to hear my favorite."
Out of all the songs she'd been exposed to during the
centuries, only one had become her all time favorite, mainly
because it was an upbeat love song that two could play at the same
time and she enjoyed trying to keep up. Without hesitation, Nick
began playing the first chords of "Heart and Soul." After a
moment, he gave Janette the cue to join in with her part. When she
hit the wrong keys, they both broke out into laughter, and Nick
started his part over again.
LaCroix smiled in contentment to see his children together
again and sharing a laugh. It was good to have his family back
under one roof. It had been far too long. The master vampire made
himself comfortable in a wingback chair and listened as the
laughter grew while the song suffered. His thoughts strayed to
include a certain American, government employee. Agent Mulder
would indeed make a fine addition to his little family. Janette
surely wouldn't mind a new brother, although Nicholas would
probably scoff at depriving another mortal the opportunity to grow
old and die. And then there was Agent Scully, who would probably
be the true deciding factor in Agent Mulder's final choice.
LaCroix decided that he would take his time with the matter. A
decade wasn't long to wait at all. He knew from experience that
acting too hastily could easily lead to the creation of a problem
child, and though he truly loved the one he already had, he
certainly didn't want another one.
--------
Th-th-th-that's all folks!
Hope you enjoyed it!
Virtual flowers or simple words
of praise graciously accepted.
Fran Glass aka Dynojet@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/dynojet/foreverx/
--------
p.s. If you don't know the song "Heart and Soul" it was featured
in the movie, "BIG." It's the duet Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia
stomped out on the floor piano.