TITLE: WAR OF THE LEGENDS AUTHOR: DONNILEE E-MAIL: DONNILEE@SNET.NET WEBSITE: http://donnilee.tripod.com RATING: NC-17 CATEGORY: MSR KEYWORDS: X-FILE SPOILERS: Duane Barry, Bad Blood, 3 T TIMELINE: Near end of Season 7. Requiem never happened. SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully investigate a series of bizarre killings and run into much more than they bargained for. THANKS: To by beta reader, FatCat, who spent hours on this thing! Thank you for your time and attention to detail, as always. DISCLAIMER: All characters used from the show, The X-Files are the property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox Broadcasting. No copyright infringement intended. No money made here. XXXXXXXXXX PART 1 (PG-13) WALSHEFORD HOME LOUISIANA BAYOU SEPTEMBER, 2000 MIDNIGHT Ridley Tayte sat in front of her state-of-the-art computer enhancing photos taken by her partner, Sawyer Stokton. He was dead now. She swallowed hard against the tears that threatened to clog the back of her throat. Jakes Vynter entered the room without knocking. He approached and stopped right in front of the desk, peering down at her. She looked up and stared at him from behind the desk. "How are you?" he asked softly. She sniffled. "I've been better," she replied dully. He nodded. "I'm sorry about Sawyer, Ridley. I really am." "You hated him," she said simply. "Hate is a strong word. We had differences of opinions. That doesn't mean I wanted him dead." Ridley looked at him again, gauging his sincerity. "Well, I guess the question is, what are you going to do about it?" He clenched his teeth and she watched the muscle jump in his jaw. He knew she was testing him. He'd wanted to be her Partner for a long time. Once upon a time, she wanted the same thing, until Sawyer came along. Now, his future with her depended on how he handled this and he knew it. Rather than give her a straight answer, he hedged his bets. "What do you want to do?" She smiled but there was no warmth in it. "Are you saying I have a choice?" He licked his lips, "If your requests are reasonable, I will not deny your wishes." Her eyes widened slightly, but then narrowed again. "What is the price?" "When he is avenged, you become my partner," he said roughly. "May I think about it?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable. Her pain was so fresh that she was not ready to pick a new Partner. Alliance with Jakes would give her great status, but she knew she wasn't ready to be with anyone just yet. She also knew she couldn't remain alone. They all had to have a Partner. It was more than tradition. It was mandatory. Her Partnerless status was temporary. She knew it would be better for her to choose than to stall and have the decision taken away from her. He blinked slowly. "Yes," he said finally after a short pause. "How long do I have to make my decision?" she asked. He leaned one hip on the front of the desk. "A few weeks at least," he said softly. Their gazes met and his features softened. "I still love you, Ridley. I always have, you know?" "I know, Jakes. I'm sorry." He shrugged. "Don't be sorry. You can't help where your heart takes you. Nobody knows that better than me." She nodded, feeling awkward, and stood up, pushing back her chair. "Give me some room, Jakes, and a little time." He nodded. After a pause, he said, "Promise me one thing." "What's that?" "You won't take the long sleep." She was startled but tried not to show it. Did he really think she found him so repulsive that she would decide to take the long sleep over being partnered with him? She swallowed. "I won't, Jakes. I promise." He visibly relaxed. She rounded the desk and walked up to him. He spread his legs, his respiration increasing as she stepped in between them. Her hands cupped his face. "Be at peace, Jakes. There is really only one decision for me to make. I just can't do it right away. Can you understand?" He whispered, "Yes." "Give me some time to grieve, Jakes. I loved him." "I know. I really am sorry, Ridley." She leaned in and pressed her lips softly to his forehead. She smiled sadly at him. He really did love her. "It will be you, Jakes. Just don't rush me and you will have what you want." His face transformed. His eyes widened and his lips trembled. It looked as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Really?" he asked. She nodded and gave him another close-lipped smile. "I care for you, Jakes." "I've waited this long. I can wait a little longer." She ruffled his hair and then turned and exited the study. He stood and went around to the other side of the desk looking at the monitor. She'd left two pictures up on a split screen. One was of a killer. The other was of Sawyer. It showed the grisly gash in his neck, and the four large puncture wounds with the flesh torn away in the middle. Half of his neck was literally gone. He cringed, wondering how she could even look at it, loving him as she did. He wondered if Sawyer had known how lucky he was to have a partner like Ridley. He closed the picture down and powered down her computer. He looked at the door she'd left open. "Soon, my love. Soon," he whispered into the empty room. XXXXXXXXXX UNDERGROUND SEWERS BATON ROUGE, LA THE NEXT DAY NOON Turlus Westow scowled at his protégé, Dalton Glover. "What the fuck were you thinking?" he growled. Dalton stuck his jaw out in defiance. "What was I supposed to do?" he snarled. "Get help and capture him, you idiot. It was minutes before dawn. How far do you think he would have gotten? You could have contained him and waited it out." Dalton swallowed noisily. "I panicked," he admitted finally. "You realize what this means, don't you?" Turlus asked gravely. "What?" "You're an idiot. They are going to retaliate. Because of your bungling, this could be the start of a war between them and us. We've held a respectful truce for centuries." "He was trying to steal Dr. Abirwik's research," he said defensively. "Yes, I know. But he hadn't gotten it yet, had he? You busted in there like a bull in a china shop and startled him. Therefore, he struck out and you struck back. Stealth would have served you better. That's what I've been trying to teach you for years now but you just don't seem to get it. I've had it with you, Dalton. This was the last straw! Now the entire Tribe is watching. I can't let you get away with this." The color drained from Dalton's face. "What do you mean? Are you going to send me in front of a Tribunal?" "No, I don't want you to have to go through that." Dalton visibly relaxed. Turlus reached down into the pocket of his coat and withdrew a pistol with a square barrel. "I'm sorry, Dalton. I had high hopes for you, but you've screwed up one too many times. I cannot allow you to succeed me. If I don't act now, my authority will suffer, and that I can't have." "Turlus!" he exclaimed as his jaw dropped and he stared at the gun. "Please! Give me another chance! You can't DO this!" Turlus sighed, realizing that Dalton had been a poor choice that he now had to correct. He'd given him the benefit of the doubt for the last time. The man was a turnip when it came to politics, brash and reactionary. "Yes, Dalton. I'm afraid I can." He aimed the augmented automatic pistol and fired six rounds in quick succession, peppering Dalton's chest. He watched, unmoved as the veins in his neck and face bulged and turned gray. He could see the spider web pattern appearing under his skin and knew that they had started to burst. Dalton collapsed and twitched, his eyes wide open in surprise. Turlus watched him silently, the gun dangling from his fingertips as it hung at his side. Responding to the gunshots, two armed men entered the alcove where he stood over Dalton's body. They lowered their weapons when they saw Turlus. He looked up at his soldiers. "Pity," he said in a passionless voice. After a pause, he replaced the gun in his coat pocket and said, "Clean that up." He turned on his heel and strode out into the main tunnel. XXXXXXXXXX FBI HEADQUARTERS HOOVER BUILDING WASHINGTON, D.C. BASEMENT OFFICE ONE MONTH LATER Scully looked up as Mulder entered with a coffee tray and bagels. "Did you get a chance to look at this earlier?" she asked. He placed her coffee and the bag of bagels down on her desk. "Not yet. Skinner dropped it off just before I left to get this stuff. You were in the bathroom. What's up?" "This is unbelievable, Mulder. There's dead bodies turning up all over Louisiana. They've found 25 so far." "Really? What'd they die of?" "Well, that's the mystery. Some of them appear to have been mauled by some kind of large animal. Others look like they've been burned, and still others show traces of silver nitrate in their blood, lethal doses." "Weird," he commented as he stepped over to her desk and read over her shoulder while chewing on his bagel. "Ewww," he added after looking at the picture she had on top. "Yeah, not pretty, huh?" The picture showed a man lying on his back. He was dressed all in black leather from his black boots to the heavy black car coat that defied the sweltering summer heat. His head was at a precarious angle, obviously broken, and his throat was decimated. "Looks like somebody took a huge bite out of him." Scully snorted. "What in that area has a mouth that big?" "I have no idea. I take it we're going to Louisiana." "Yup. Skinner had the 302 signed and sitting on top in the file." "When do we leave?" "Tonight. Kim has us booked on a 7:00 PM flight. There was a note here with the 302 form saying the locals have requested our help. I hope that that means we won't have any trouble. They want our help for a change." "Do you get to do the honors on the bodies?" "Yeah, I guess. It says here that they have so many bodies the medical examiner can't keep up. They're stacking up. They're finding more every day." "Any theories?" "Not a one, Mulder. I'll be curious to get the local policemen's take on the situation." "Sounds like its right up our alley." Scully looked up and smiled at his enthusiasm. She shook her head. "You're the only one that could get excited about the mystery of mass murder, Mulder. What do you think that says about you?" she teased. He blinked innocently at her. "Gee Scully, I don't know. The important question would be what do you think it means?" "I think it means you're about a half a bubble off-plumb," she replied glibly. He chuckled. "Bring it on, partner." XXXXXXXXXX PART 2 (PG-13) BATON ROUGE POLICE PRECINCT BATON ROUGE, LA Lieutenant Penreth looked at the two suits that had been sent down from Washington, D.C. to investigate the murders. It galled him to have to ask for help. He hated to look incompetent to anyone, but most of all to the men under his command. He sighed, knowing there was no way around it. These murders had everyone stumped. "So, you folks are the experts on un'plained phenom-o-non, according to your boss up 'er in Washington," he began, laying on his accent, hoping to intimidate them. They seemed unflustered, much to his chagrin. The man nodded but the woman spoke. "I'd like to meet with the medical examiner and take a look at the bodies." "Now, little lady, you might be not wantin' ta do dat. Perty grisly ifn' you know whad I mean," he responded. He had to consciously keep himself from rocking back in his chair from the glare that she sent his way. 'Uh oh,' he thought. 'This is one of them femi-nazis.' "Lieutenant Peneth," she began. "Pen-reth," he corrected her. "Penreth, right," she said testily. "I'm not only a trained FBI agent, but I happen to be a medical doctor and pathologist with years of experience in performing autopsies. Now, I don't expect you to be overly impressed by that, but I do expect you to show me the same respect you show my partner, Agent Mulder. Don't make the mistake of treating me like some wilting flower or you will regret it. Do I make my self clear?" she bit out. He frowned at her and nodded once, sharply. "Got it." "Good," she shot back. Mulder watched his partner decimate Penreth's attitude before he said, "Look, Lieutenant, why don't you give us directions to the medical examiner's office and my partner will be on her way. Then you and I can chat about the details so I can get some idea where to start with this investigation. The more cooperation we get from you, the easier this is going to be, and the sooner we're out of your hair. All right?" he asked in a reasonable tone. "Fine. You go left out of the driveway, go down two lights and turn right. Fourth driveway on the left is the County Morgue. You're looking for Doc," he said. Scully cut him off, "Dr. Chambir. I read it in the report at the same time I was looking at those grisly murder scene photos over a bagel and coffee. Thank you, Lieutenant," she said crisply standing up and motioning to Mulder. "Can I see you out here for a minute?" she asked a bit too sweetly. Mulder cleared his throat and stood up. "Excuse us for a minute, Lieutenant." "Take your time," Penreth replied. They stepped out into the bullpen and shut the door behind them. Scully whispered viciously, "What the hell was that?" Mulder sighed. "Scully, I was just placating him." "Why? Did you notice he lost the accent pretty quick?" "Yes, I did. He's a big fish in a little pond and we're the sharks moving into his territory. We intimidate him. Don't take it personally. We've run into this before. You know I have no doubts about your abilities. That isn't what is going on here." "Then what is?" she hissed. "Why are you suddenly willing to play nice with the locals?" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Scully, we need him right now. If there comes a time when we don't need him anymore, I'll tell him to go shit in his hat if he insults you again. Unfortunately, we need information from him. I don't want to start from square one on this case. What's wrong? You don't usually react to that nonsense." She sighed and shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "You're right. We've had to deal with his kind before. I'm sorry. He just managed to piss me off as soon as he opened his mouth." Mulder chuckled. "Nothing to apologize for, partner. He'll be eating crow when you come up with all the things the medical examiner missed." She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Mulder." He chucked her lightly on the shoulder with his fist. "I'll call you as soon as I know anything. You take the car," he said as he handed her the keys. "How are you going to get around?" "I'll have one of the deputies take me to rent another car, or I'll have them drop me off at the medical examiner's office. Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out." She smiled at him again, her face soft with affection. Sometimes he could be a really sweet man. "Thanks, Mulder." "No problem. Now get to work, Agent," he teased her. She saluted him smartly. "Aye, aye, Captain." He grinned as he watched her walk away, striding out, her head held high. She was an incredible woman. He wondered why every man didn't see it right away. He'd dealt with men like Lt. Penreth before. They were small-minded and insecure. Women like Scully scared the shit out them. They feared that she was smarter than they were and would make them look stupid. They were right. She was smarter than they were. Hell, she was smarter than almost everyone she met. However, they never seemed to realize that they were the only ones that could make themselves look stupid. He grinned as he turned and went back into the office to 'bond' with Lt. Penreth. He would play the macho man game and get as much information as possible out of the idiot before he met back up with Scully. XXXXXXXXXX WALSHEFORD HOME LOUISIANA BAYOU SEPTEMBER, 2000 THAT NIGHT - 10:00 PM They were all gathered in the antebellum ballroom of the mansion, congregating in groups around the edges of the room. Ridley and Jakes were the last to enter and they took in the scene, standing just inside the double doors. There hadn't been a gathering like this for centuries. Twenty lived in this house of twenty-eight rooms, an old plantation home thought to be abandoned by the outside world. There were easily two hundred of their kindred in the room. 'If this many answered the call, how many were out there that didn't?' she wondered. It was a good question. 'Did anyone really know how many of us there were?' They all bowed as Jakes and Ridley proceeded into the room and across the floor, heading for the raised dais on the far end of the room. They bowed at the waist, heads tilted to the left, acknowledging Jakes as their undisputed leader. His deep baritone projected out over the vast ballroom. "Thank you all for coming. Some of you are nearly as old as I am. Many of you are only a couple of centuries old and probably had to be told what the Call meant. Is there anyone here under a century old?" Only two hands were raised. They stepped away from the wall and bowed with their eyes on the floor. "Your names?" The male on the left said, "Bareslay, My Lord." He bowed again. His companion replied, "Lyndlay, My Lord." She bowed again as well. "Approach," he commanded. They strode up to him, betraying their nervousness as their eyes darted about, trying to avoid staring at Jakes. He was in full regalia, wearing black leather pants, black boots with silver spurs, a black turtleneck and leather vest with an enormous, leather car coat. His jet, black hair was slicked back into a ponytail and made a startling contrast to his stark white complexion. Dashes of white slashed across his temples, the only indication of his age. He wore the symbol that their leaders had worn for centuries around his neck. It was a five-pointed star made of pure sterling silver with an enormous diamond in the middle. It was 50 carats. Each point of the star held a small dart tipped with silver nitrate. If thrown correctly, it would kill anything almost instantly. Against their enemies, however, it was particularly deadly. He looked very impressive. Being six foot, six inches tall didn't hurt. The woman at his side was equally impressive. She was decked out in similar regalia, sans the necklace. She was five foot, ten inches tall. Her boots made her six feet tall. Her short, bobbed hair floated around her head like an ebony halo but she was anything but angelic. They made a handsome couple. The two stopped about two feet from Jakes. "Do either of you know how old I am?" he asked. They both shook their heads in the negative. "I am 800 years old, children." They both sucked in audible breaths, staring openly at him now. He turned and gestured to Ridley. "This is my partner, Ridley. She is 750 years old." They bowed to her, knowing that her recent partnering with Jakes made her second in command. Since she was the second oldest in the Clan, they had all expected it. He continued speaking to the two youths and the crowd in general. "I have called you all here to help fight a war against the Lycanthropes. They gather in the sewers under Baton Rouge. Many of them live in the population but go underground when the moon is full. We've recently discovered, however, that they have found a way to shape shift at will. They no longer need to wait for the full moon." Heads were nodding around the room. They had all heard the news from messengers sent to each of their clans. "We don't know how many there are, but we suspect they have been multiplying a lot faster than we have. It didn't concern us much as we have always maintained a truce with them and have stayed out of each other's way for years. Now, however, they have killed one of us in cold blood." He looked directly at the two children. "I see the question in your eyes, children. Speak." Bareslay asked, "Was he shot with one of those ultraviolet guns they have now?" Jakes shook his head gravely. "No, child. He was bitten." Gasps went up around the room. Everyone had heard the stories. They knew what a horrible death it was, had been told it was the most painful way to die. Not much could kill them, but the Lycanthropes could. Unlike humans, they didn't turn if bitten. The Lycanthropes body fluids were like cancer to their kind, eating their blood cells, fighting for dominance of their systems and finally, painfully, killing them. This kind of torturous death could not go un-avenged. Jakes regarded the two before him. "Are you siblings?" "Yes, My Lord," Lyndlay answered. "I cannot have weak ones in on this war," he announced. They both looked stricken. He continued as if he hadn't noticed. "I am giving you a choice." He had their full attention now. No one else would have noticed, but Ridley saw the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth and knew he was amused despite his stern countenance as he gazed at the two young ones. He had warned her beforehand that he might do this so she was prepared. He met and held the eyes of each of them and then said, "You can go home," he began. They both frowned. "Or, you can accept a small portion of Ridley's blood." He nearly laughed aloud when he saw their eyes almost pop out of their heads. "My Lord!" they both exclaimed in unison. Chuckles and whispers could be heard around the room. Their species was not a fertile race. That two had been born to the same family was a miracle in and of itself. Everyone knew of these twins. Jakes was only keeping up the appearance of having been unaware of their existence beforehand to keep them from becoming arrogant. Children were so precious that they were often coddled and that wasn't a good thing, especially in the current situation. "Her blood is extremely strong. Mixed with yours it will give you incredible strength, nearly equal to that of your parents. I cannot allow you to exceed the strength of your elders. Remember, strength does not make you invulnerable nor wise. Wisdom comes with time and age, children. As you grow older, you will prove yourselves. Until then, you must obey your elders. Is that clear?" They both bowed again. "What is your choice?" "We will drink," they said in unison. Jakes did smile now, unable to keep his amusement in check at their synchronicity. "So be it then. Listen carefully. You will each drink, one at a time. There are two things you need to know." They stared at him, waiting. "You must strike quickly and with all your strength. It will be difficult to penetrate her skin with your young teeth." They both nodded. "Second, you will take one full mouthful, ONLY," he emphasized. They both nodded in unison again. Ridley smiled at them. She spoke for the first time. "Who shall be first?" she asked calmly. They looked at one another and the boy nudged the girl. "You go first, sister." She smiled and spoke softly, "Thank you, brother." He nodded and she turned to face Ridley. "Mistress," she said as she bowed again. Ridley motioned for her to approach. The girl did and gazed up at Ridley, who was easily six inches taller. Jakes pulled a chair away from the wall and set it down near them. Ridley took a seat, smiling at him. "Come, child." The girl approached her slowly and reverently. Ridley spread her legs and the girl stepped in between them. It was a universal signal of acceptance between their kind. To do so was to give respect and acceptance. The girl raised her hands to Ridley's shoulders. Ridley bent her head over to the right, exposing the long expanse of the left side of her neck. Her vein was clearly visible through her preternaturally white skin. She spoke softly but clearly. "Whenever you're ready, child. You can't hurt me, but strike quickly or you will have trouble." The girl took a deep breath for two beats and then her head struck with the speed and strength of a rattler. Her fangs hit the skin of Ridley's neck. She felt the impact reverberate throughout her jaw and gasped in pain as her fangs sank into the flesh and reached the vein. Warm, sweet blood gushed into her mouth and she swayed on her feet. Ridley steadied her, putting her hands on the girl's hips. The girl moaned as she held as much as she could in her mouth. Finally, she had to swallow or choke. She swallowed and wrenched her head away from Ridley's neck, moaning again as she felt strength rush through her limbs. She was dizzy, but euphoric. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Jakes wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gently led her away. Her parents came forward and took a hold of her, watching her as the blood mixed, strengthening and reinforcing her powers. The process would take several minutes to complete. During that time, the girl would be disoriented and vulnerable. Her brother stepped forward and placed his hands on Ridley's shoulders. He was taller than his sister but Ridley still would have been too tall for him were she standing. She leaned her head to the left this time, baring the right side of her throat. "Strike when ready, child," she said. He too took a deep breath and then struck. To the human eye, the movement would have been so quick, you wouldn't have seen it happen. To those in the room, however, the movement was easily tracked. The boy groaned as he too felt the sweetness of her blood rush over his tongue, igniting his taste buds. Like his sister, he took as much as he could without swallowing. Finally, he had no choice. He swallowed and yanked himself away, staggering backwards. Jakes caught him and two others came forward to take the boy and watch over him. Jakes assumed they were his Fosters. Every child was given two Fosters, usually kin, who would watch over them and guide them should anything happen to their parents. Fosters took their responsibilities seriously and usually spent time with the children as they grew up and got to know them fairly well, so the child would trust them. Now that this task was completed, Ridley stood like the rest and put the chair back against the wall. There was no evidence of puncture wounds on her neck. She had healed instantly as their fangs had retracted. She brushed her neck and came away with a small drop of blood left behind. She licked it off her finger and then turned her attention back to the meeting. Jakes surveyed the crowd. They were all still attentive. "Now, we must discuss our strategy. I have some ideas on how and where to attack them, but I want input from anyone with suggestions. We have to find a way to dispose of the bodies of those we kill. Unfortunately, we've caught the attention of the police in Baton Rouge. That's my fault. I thought there were only a few of them. I had no idea of their numbers. I thought we would go in and take them out and be done with it in a few days. Obviously, that isn't the case. Ridley has discovered where they gather and has come up with a possible plan of attack," he concluded, turning the floor over to her. She stepped forward. "We've taken out quite a few of them, but there's at least that many more in this den right here in Baton Rouge. We've lost some of our own in the process. What began as a retribution for my former partner's death has turned into a full- scale war. This is a war they began with their secret experimentation and the violence of Sawyer's death. We cannot allow their plans to continue, their actions to go unpunished." She stared around the room to make sure that everyone there understood the importance of this war. When she was certain they all understood that this was not a vendetta, but a full scale fight for survival of their species, she continued. "We know this. Their leader is Turlus Westow. He wears the Lycanthrope symbol around his neck. If you find him, do everything you can to kill him. Without him, they will be thrown into chaos. So far, we haven't been able to get to him. Jakes, let's show them the blueprint of the sewers. You will all need to memorize this." XXXXXXXXXX PART 3 (PG) COMFORT SUITES BATON ROUGE, LA THE NEXT MORNING Mulder was sitting on the couch drinking coffee when Scully emerged from her bedroom and joined him. They were in a suite with two bedrooms, a bath, a living room, and an efficiency kitchen along one wall. It was a big step up from their usual accommodations. Since the Baton Rouge police were paying for it, and had wanted them close by, they ended up here. Neither of them was complaining. Photos and reports were spread out all over the coffee table. Mulder had collected them while Scully had done three autopsies yesterday. When she'd returned to the suite, she had fallen into bed and slept like the dead. They hadn't had a chance to discuss anything until this morning. She felt better now that she was rested and freshly showered. She sat down and picked up the coffee Mulder had fixed for her. She smiled at him. "Thanks for the coffee." "No problem. I know how cranky you are without it, and we have a lot to discuss," he teased. She grinned and shook her head in amusement, unable to think of a witty comeback. "So what did you learn yesterday?" He grinned. "You're going to love this." She lost her smile. "Oh dear," she said with a sense of finality. Somehow, she knew the theory was going to be a weird one. "Weeelll," Mulder began. "This area is known for both its Creole and Cajun culture, which are different by the way." "Really?" "Lessons on that later," he said quickly. She smiled, wishing she had the eidetic catalogue of information that was stored in his brain. "Continue." "Both these peoples are fairly superstitious. There are many legends, urban and otherwise, that are passed down from generation to generation." "I think I see where this is going," she said in a deadpan. He grinned again, always amused by her expressions when confronted with a wild theory. He knew this one was gonna rock her world. "The public is panicking. There are some reasonable cops on the force that think these murders are done by someone or some group trying to make it look like something else." Scully's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? And what are the 'unreasonable' people saying?" "Well, that's the thing. Those that are superstitious are convinced that it is werewolves killing these people." Scully snorted, nearly choking on the mouthful of coffee she'd just imbibed. "Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. With an amused expression, he continued, "Most of the cops think that someone is just trying to make it look that way. The problem is that they have found no murder weapons, no clues that would lead them to any one person or group in their database." "The silver bullet theory," she mumbled. "What was that?" "Those stories are circulating because of the silver nitrate found in the bodies. It's been leaked to the papers, somehow. It feeds their superstitions. Silver is supposed to kill werewolves, ergo," she trailed off. "Ergo, the werewolves are attacking and people are killing them with silver nitrate." "That doesn't explain the burned bodies though," Scully commented. "No, it doesn't." He grinned at her over his coffee cup and said, "The cops have a theory on that too." "I can't wait to hear it," she said sarcastically. He waggled his eyebrows at her, enjoying this entirely too much. "Actually, this is the sanest explanation yet. They think the burning is an attempt by the killer to hide the identity of the victims or an attempt to reduce them to ash and hence dispense with the pesky problem of burying the victims." "Murder on this kind of scale has to involve a group of people. No one person could do all this and not get caught. There have been too many deaths in too short a time. It has to be a group that's doing it. That would also explain the different modus operandi and signatures." "My thoughts exactly, Scully." "You mean we agree on something?" she asked flippantly. He chuckled. "That may be the last thing we agree on for a while," he responded. She moaned. "O.K., there's more. I can tell by the look on your face." She paused and took another drink of coffee. "Lay it on me." He picked up several photos and laid them out. One was of a body burnt beyond recognition. A second was of a man with his neck torn away. A third was a man who'd been drained of all his blood, and a fourth and last photo showed a man with bulging gray veins, obviously a victim of the silver nitrate. "Look at these and tell me what you see?" "On the surface, it would appear that they all have a different cause of death." "What else?" Scully frowned, peering closer at the photos. As she did, he began laying down the balance of the photos on top of one of the four piles; all the burnt ones in one pile, all the mauled ones in another pile, et cetera. Scully continued to peer at them but wasn't getting it. "O.K., what am I missing?" "None of these victims have two of those four characteristics," he said, giving her a hint. She raised an eyebrow and looked back at him. "So?" "So if you were burning a body that was already dead from some other wound, when the autopsy was done, there would be evidence of that killing wound, right?" "Right." "And was there?" Her eyes widened as she thought over the bodies she'd examined, the reports she'd read, and the autopsies she'd done herself the day before. "Not that I remember, but I could have missed something," she hedged. "You didn't miss anything." She swallowed. "Are you saying the burning is the cause of death? It wasn't just an attempt to cover the identity of the body?" "For the burnt ones, yes. I think they were burned alive." "Oh hell," she whispered. "I'm sure we both can agree we can rule out spontaneous human combustion as a cause," he said, pausing and waiting for her nod of agreement. "Then if you were going to burn someone alive, what would you do first?" he asked. "Is this a trick question?" she responded, not knowing where he was going with this. "No." "Just tell me what you think, Mulder." "Well, you would have to use something to set them on fire, gasoline, kerosene, wood, some kind of fuel or accelerant, right?" "That would be logical," she conceded. "And on the burnt victims, I assume the skin and ashes were tested for trace evidence?" "I believe so. I can pull the reports and check." "Don't bother. I've already read them. There were no accelerants found. No gas, no kerosene, no nothing. Not even an indication of a match, Scully." "What do think that means?" she asked cautiously. "A human body doesn't burn like that, to that degree without accelerant, right?" "Right." They were silent while he watched her process what he'd just said, wondering if she would pick up on it. Her jaw dropped suddenly, "Oh, no, Mulder. You said 'the human body' on purpose, didn't you?" He nodded solemnly. "Very good, Agent Scully." "You're not telling me that you think these burnt victims aren't human, are you? Please tell me that's not what you're saying." He pressed his lips together and then sighed, licking them. Her eyes were captured by the small movement. His lower lip was now glistening with saliva and she had the oddest urge to lick it. She jerked herself back to reality and looked up at his eyes again. He smiled slyly and she knew she'd been caught. He graciously let it go, according to their own unspoken agreement to never mention any sort of attraction between them. He finally said, "That's exactly what I'm saying." "So you think the fire was started with ... what? ... magic?" she asked facetiously. He frowned and said, "No, the sun." "WHAT?" she cried. "The sun, Scully. If you notice, these two groups of photos show people that either died by burning or died by having their necks ripped open. This other pile shows victims that were drained of their blood or killed with silver." She was shaking her head. "No, Mulder. This is some sort of cult, or religious fanatics trying to make the public panic." He was shaking his head in the negative. "No, Scully." He picked up the pile of burnt photos and the pile of mauled photos and put them together. Then he did the same with the drained victims' photos and the silver nitrate victims' photos. He stacked them neatly and replaced them on the table. His index finger stabbed the first pile. "Those victims were vampires." He moved and stabbed the second pile with equal fervor. "Those victims ... were werewolves." Scully sighed and hung her head hearing the conviction in his voice. "Mulder, there are no such things as vampires and werewolves," she said with equal conviction. He was silent a moment and then leaned over and pulled an old X- File out of his briefcase that was sitting next to the couch. He frowned and held it out to her. "This is a case I investigated when you were missing. I think you should read it." He paused and stood up. He looked at her and said, "Then we'll talk." He walked away, entering his bedroom and closing the door behind him. Scully looked down at the file in her hand, XF95-010. This case had been investigated in 1995, during the time when she was missing. He'd never mentioned the cases he'd investigated alone. She felt a sense of foreboding as she lifted the cover of the manila file. The top sheet was Mulder's synopsis of his final report that lay underneath, signed by A.D. Skinner. It was entitled, "Investigation of the Unholy Trinity - Vampires". "Oh shit," she whispered, flipping the page and starting to read. XXXXXXXXXX BATON ROUGE POLICE PRECINCT BATON ROUGE, LA EARLY THAT EVENING Deputy Etienne Ordeux knocked quickly and harshly on Lieutenant Penreth's door. "Come in," he heard the Lieutenant shout. He opened the door and stepped in hurriedly. The Lieutenant looked up from the report on his desk and said, "Try not to break the glass next time, would you?" "Sorry, Sir," he said quickly. "Well, what is it?" "Sir, we found more bodies." The Lieutenant went still, not having to ask which case Ordeux was talking about. It was at the top of everyone's priority list. It was like the rest of the cases in Baton Rouge went down a hole somewhere. No one was paying any attention to them. "How many, Etienne?" he asked stoically. The deputy blinked slowly, "Six, Sir. Jesus, six more bodies. It's bad, Lieutenant ... real bad." "I'll call those fancy suits to meet you there. What's the location?" "South side, under Meadow Park, at the corner of Siegen and Perkins South," he replied. "Dismissed," he said curtly. He watched the deputy exit his office and close the door behind him. He sighed and picked up the phone, hitting an unused line and dialed the number on the card that was lying in the corner of his blotter. It rang twice before the man answered. [Mulder.] "Agent Mulder, this is Lieutenant Penreth." [Yes, Lieutenant, what can I do for you?] "You can meet my deputy, Etienne Ordeux at the corner of Siegen and Perkins South." The agent asked, [More bodies?] "You betcha. Six this time." [We're on our way.] He hung up. The Lieutenant pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it as if it were slimy. "Didn't even say, good-bye. Fucking city slickers. No got-damn manners," he mumbled, hanging up the phone. XXXXXXXXXX PART 4 (PG-13) MEADOW PARK MANHOLE COVER CORNER OF SIEGEN & PERKINS SOUTH Mulder and Scully gingerly climbed down into the hole, holding tightly to the cold metal ladder that descended into the darkness. Mulder felt the chill immediately and wished he'd worn something warmer than his trench coat. He reached the bottom and looked around. He heard Scully squeak, and he whirled, his hands automatically reaching for her, and he caught her waist, just as her shoe would have slipped off the rung. "Shit," she said under her breath. He guided her down the last two steps. She was wearing flat shoes with her slacks, but they were still shoes, hardly the best footwear for tromping around in sewers and climbing ladders. She looked up at him over her shoulder and he realized his hands were still on her waist. He pulled away as though he'd been burned and felt heat rush up his neck. Damn, he had to pay more attention. This sort of thing was happening more and more lately. Every time he touched her, whether it was intentional or accidental, he didn't want to let go. She avoided his eyes and he sighed. This wasn't the place to mention it anyway. "Let's go," he said gruffly. She nodded and silently fell in behind him as they followed the beam of the flashlight held by Deputy Ordeux. Scully finally said, "So what do you know about Baton Rouge?" Mulder smiled, knowing it was a peace offering. She was trying to slice through the tension between them, and he was grateful. "Well, it's upriver from New Orleans. It has a population of a bit over 200,000 and is the second largest city in the state. It's an important port city on the Mississippi River and the state capital," he said, warming to the subject, reciting the research he'd done on the plane via his laptop. "Riverboat gambling was legalized, and now there are two competing casinos on the waterfront, Casino Rouge and the Argosy." "I think I saw billboard signs for them on the way to the hotel." "Yeah, we did. Maybe if we wrap this up quickly, we can go gambling and spend some more of the government's money," he quipped. She was about to chuckle but it was cut off as they abruptly came upon the bodies. Two other deputies were standing on the outskirts of the scene. Mulder looked at them. "We're Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully." One of the men spoke up. "I'm Rillington and this is my partner, Drake." They all shook hands. Rillington gestured to the bodies laid out on the concrete walkways along the side of the sewer aqueducts. One of the bodies was partially floating in the water, turning the brown water an awful shade of red. Scully pulled latex gloves out of her pocket and handed Mulder a pair. She snapped on her own pair and approached the first body, bending down close but not touching anything. The stench was nearly unbearable. She was concentrating so hard she nearly jumped when Deputy Drake tapped her on the shoulder. He was holding out a small travel jar of Vicks Vapor Rub. She smiled gratefully and dipped her latex covered pinky finger into it and spread it gingerly under her nose. The vapors assaulted her nostrils and she could no longer smell the stench of sewage and the stagnant water. Mulder's attention was caught by what looked like another body along the far wall on the opposite site and down about 15 feet from the others. He approached and gasped softly. He looked around and wondered if the others had seen this. This one was different. He glanced at each of them in turn and then counted the bodies nearer to Scully. There were six. This was a seventh body no one had seen. Its back was propped up against the metal pillar and the wall of the sewer that formed a small alcove. Its legs were sticking straight out, only the feet visible beyond the pillar. It was a young girl. He was about to bend down and look closer when her eyes opened suddenly. He nearly jumped out of his skin, but managed not to make any sounds. "Scully," he whispered. Despite being barely audible, his hiss carried across the enclosed place like a shout. Scully's head snapped around and looked at Mulder, standing down the aisle on the opposite side of the water, looking into a corner, behind a metal studded pillar. She hadn't missed the note of panic in his voice. "Excuse me, gentlemen. Stay here please and don't touch anything." "Don't intend to, Ma'am," Rillington answered. She hurried across the small bridge of concrete that led to the other side. She watched her feet, afraid she would trip and fall and wished again she had worn boots. She was going to buy some at the first opportunity. At least she wasn't in a skirt and heels, she thought. Mulder's body and broad shoulders blocked what he was looking at. She approached slowly, concerned as she watched him from the rear. He was still, too still. "Mulder?" she inquired softly. His head whipped around, his eyes wild. He spun in place, blocking her view. "Get them out of here, Scully. Tell them we'll call to have the bodies picked up once we're done looking them over." "Why, Mulder?' "Just do it." "What did you find?" she asked softly, careful to keep her voice from being overheard. She knew without looking that the deputies were watching them like hawks. "Trust me, Scully. Please, just trust me." She stared at him for another second, reading the excitement and fear in his eyes. She nodded jerkily and turned away, striding back over the little bridge. "Gentlemen, we'll take it from here. I'm going to want to examine each of these six bodies before they are moved. We'll call you when we need a coroner sent down to pick them up." "You're not going to move them now?" Ordeux asked suspiciously. "Not yet. I know it seems unusual," she said, addressing the suspicion in his voice. "But we weren't here for the other bodies you all have seen. This is our first good look at an actual crime scene. We want to go over it thoroughly with the least amount of chance it will be contaminated before we have a bunch of people tromping around down here. Do you understand what I mean?" she adlibbed. She didn't want to overdo it. 'Just get them out of here,' she thought. Something was very wrong with Mulder. They all nodded, buying her story. "Sure, Ma'am. We'll let the Lieutenant know to expect your call." "Thank you. Just let him know I don't know how long it will be. It could be several hours. I want to check this place with a fine-tooth comb. In the meantime, can you tape off that manhole cover so no one comes down here?" "Sure thing, Ma'am," Drake answered as the three of them practically ran to get out of there. Scully watched until they were gone, climbing up the ladder and out the manhole cover. She heard it scrape back into place. Silence fell in the sewer, the gentle lapping of the barely moving water against the concrete the only sounds. She whirled away and retraced her steps, going as fast as she could safely go. As she approached Mulder, she noticed he was kneeling down now, his arms on his thighs, his knuckles white. She moved across the bridge and could see something in front of him but wasn't sure what until she got closer. It was dim in this corner and she clicked on her flashlight, shining it over Mulder's head into the space. A strangled wheeze came out of her throat. Mulder glanced at her over his shoulder, his face white. She whispered, "Oh my God." XXXXXXXXXX WALSHEFORD HOME LOUISIANA BAYOU MEANWHILE Bareslay sat, head hanging down, as the Elders around him discussed the situation. How could this have happened? Her Foster, Fryssell was supposed to be watching over her. Now he was dead too. He feared the worst. Melryk, his father addressed Master Jakes and Mistress Ridley. "We have to go back and look for her." Jakes sighed. "I'm sorry, Melryk, we can't risk it right now. We have to wait until we're sure the humans are gone. We know the Lycanthropes always leave a mess. They'd already been there several hours before we realized they should have been back here by that time. There's no way humans haven't found them by now." "That's my daughter down there! Damn you, Jakes!" he hollered in frustration, knowing Jakes was right and there was nothing they could do. It was barely dark now and the others were just rising. He was amazed that his son was awake. Usually the young ones couldn't rise until full darkness. The upset over his missing twin must be giving him strength he wouldn't normally have. Either that, or the recent infusion of Ridley's blood was sustaining him. He bit his lip. This was not the time for his petty jealousies. He was disgusted with himself for being envious of his own son. He would give anything to drink from Ridley. Jakes had so easily offered her to his children. He shook himself, wiping his hand over his face. "If she'd dead, I don't know what I'll do," he said quietly, his voice filled with menace. "If those Lycanthrope bastards killed my daughter, I won't be responsible for my actions, Jakes. I'm warning you now." They all startled when Bareslay lifted his head, which had thus far been hanging down. He looked at each of them, ending up on his father's face. "She's not dead," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion. His voice held deep conviction and was eerily that of an adult, not of a youth of 16 winters. They all stared at him in shock. Ridley found her voice first. "How do you know she's not dead, Bareslay? Do you know something we don't?" she asked kindly. He looked at her. "Of course, Mistress. Lyndlay is my twin and we have always been bound together." He thumped his chest. "I feel her in here. I would know if she was dead," he said with conviction and finality. They each nodded, unwilling to disabuse him of the notion that his sister might be alive. The elders knew the chances of her survival were slim, but there was no need to press that on young Bareslay before he needed to hear it. There would be time enough for mourning when she was found. Jakes looked at Melryk. "My friend, I feel your pain. Two more hours. Wait for full-on dark, and we will leave with a group of ten to search for her. We will find her," he said. Then he hesitated, looking at Bareslay. "One way or the other," he finished. Melryk nodded. "I'll tell her mother," he said. He waved for his son to follow him. "Come on, son, let's rest till we have to leave." He knew there was no way the boy would be left behind on the search for his sister. It was better to include him and watch over him than have him try to sneak off on a venture of his own that would most likely get him killed too. XXXXXXXXXX Scully was still shaking an hour later as they drove slowly down the dirt road that wound through the swamp. It was creepy out here with the trees hanging over the road to form tunnels, strands of Spanish Moss floating in the meager breeze. There were no lights of any kind and the headlights ricocheted off the gravel road and trees as they bounced up the rutted road. The girl lay in the back seat of the car as they trundled along at a daring 15 miles an hour. Scully wondered if the shocks would take it even at that slow speed. She looked down and smoothed the small scrap of paper over her thigh. The girl had been unable to speak. Whether because of her injuries, or because of a language barrier, they didn't really know. Her eyes were a glassy blue and her blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders. Scully had examined her unearthly pale-skinned body and found that she was suffering from broken ribs and horrible gashes on her arms and torso, but somehow she still lived. Scully's meager first aid kit was used to bandage the worst of her wounds, but when she mentioned the hospital, the girl had screamed in protest. That was when she had first seen the impossible. Fangs. This young girl of 14 or so had fangs, sharp pointed canines. Not the fake fangs of Ronnie Strickland, but real, working fangs. She was too weak to attack them, but the fear that she would was there anyway. When she didn't respond to questions, it occurred to Mulder that perhaps she was unable to communicate for some reason. For instance, perhaps she was French and didn't know English. He'd taken his notebook and handed it to her in one hand, his other outstretched with a pen. Between the two of them, they could read and write several languages even though they might not be fluent in speaking them. His eidetic memory had stored unbelievable amounts of information over the years. The girl had hesitated but then took it from him. Despite the pain they could see in her face as she moved her lacerated arm, she'd wrote on the pad in clumsy printing. I'M LYNDLAY WALSHEFORD HOME BAYOU - CICADAS RD. They knew they couldn't take her to the hospital. Their past experiences with the unusual and the strange had proven that. The police, while mostly meaning well, would probably wind up killing her. The doctors and scientists would want to use her for experiments, that is, if the government didn't spirit her away for secret experiments to identify and utilize her powers as a weapon. If indeed, she did have any powers. There was simply no way to know. Mulder thought of calling the Louisiana Historical Society and asking them if they knew where the Walsheford Home was located. They had said it was condemned and no one went that far into the swamp anymore. It was an old plantation home on private property that had fallen into ruin and the owners did not allow people up there due to safety hazards. Mulder had told them he was a reporter and weaseled the information out of her. He mentioned Cicadas Road and she confirmed it was one of the roads that had been used as an entrance to the Bayou. We found it on a map and located the nearest state road. They were good to go. Scully had heard horror stories about the Cajuns that lived in the swamps. They were known to be hostile and very unwelcoming to outsiders. Now she questioned if they were the ones she and Mulder needed to fear. She wondered if they were on a suicide mission as they drove this youngster through the night. Vampires did not exist, Scully kept telling herself, yet, there was proof sitting in the backseat. She turned sideways so she could watch the girl. She didn't trust her, despite her injuries. The doctor in her was concerned over her injuries. That part of her was at war with her fear over the girl's potential to harm them. Without warning, a woman dropped from the sky and landed ten feet in front of the car. Scully shrieked and Mulder hit the brakes, the car bouncing on its shocks and skidding sideways as they came to an abrupt halt. In the gloom of the night, the woman looked like a giant. Her hands came down on the hood with a bang that reverberated through the frame of the car. Her eyes were the same blue of the girl's, that eerie blue with too much white around them. The edge of the headlight beams cast her in a ethereal glow. Her dark hair gleamed as though it were polished ebony. She was dressed all in black leather, including black, fingerless gloves. Her cleavage was nearly spilling out of the leather vest she wore under a car coat, the lacing pulling the vest together between her breasts, but leaving a goodly expanse of white skin on view. Leather pants completed the outfit. "Where have you seen that outfit before?" Mulder asked. Scully knew he was referring to the photos of several of the victims that were missing a sizeable chunk of their necks. She glanced at Mulder. He sat still, breathing hard and not moving, his hands clutching the steering wheel till his knuckles turned white. After a few seconds, he reached for the ignition, and the woman hissed and growled so loud, you could hear it even though the windows were rolled up and the air conditioning was on high. Mulder held his hands up in the air to show he wasn't reaching for anything deadly. Scully did the same, hoping the woman wouldn't see the guns strapped to our waists and assume we were a threat. She rounded the hood in one long stride and yanked the door open. Her arm reached in and she pulled Mulder bodily out of the car as though he weighed nothing and tossed him face down over the hood of the car. He landed with a bang and Scully heard him grunt in pain as the Amazon woman pinned his arms behind him. She held him easily and relieved him of his weapon, sticking it into one of the many pockets in her long leather coat. It was hot and she could see sweat pouring off Mulder's face, now that he was out of the car and the air conditioning no longer made the night bearable. The woman holding Mulder was swathed in leather, but looked cool as a cucumber. "Who are you?" she asked in English with a slight French accent. Mulder didn't answer right away and she lifted him with one hand on his shoulder, the other pinning his wrists and slammed him down onto the hood again. He grunted in pain again. "Mulder!" he breathed out. "My name is Mulder." She bent over him and put her lips to his ear. Her body molded against his back and Scully realized that she was easily as tall as Mulder was. She could hear her even over the hum of the engine, which was still running. The only other sound was the crickets and the sloughing of leaves and Spanish moss on the trees as they swayed in the wind. Her voice was nearly a hiss. "I could kill you with one blow. I'm only going to ask this once, fancy." She paused. "What the hell are you doing in the Bayou?" Since their assailant's attention was on Mulder, Scully took a chance. She couldn't see the woman's mouth well, but she suspected he was in mortal danger at this very moment. As quickly as she could, she snatched up the paper Lyndlay had written on and slapped it against the windshield with the printing showing out. The woman's head snapped around and Scully watched her eyes flash back and forth, as if reading the paper. She wondered exactly how well the woman could see it in the dark. "WHERE?!" she shouted, the sound assaulting their ears. Both she and Mulder flinched. Scully frantically pointed into the back seat. The woman abruptly released Mulder and strode to the rear of the car. She hissed, "Don't move or you're a dead man!" Mulder stayed lying over the hood of the car, but he moved his hands to lay them palm down on the hood. His eyes met Scully's through the windshield. She could read the fear and panic in them and knew that her eyes reflected the same emotions. The woman yanked the back door open, the metal creaking dangerously on the hinges. 'Christ Almighty, she'd nearly ripped the door off its hinges. How strong was this woman?' Scully wondered. She bent down and cradled the girls face between her palms. "Lyndlay, can you hear me, darling?" she asked, in a voice so soft and comforting, Scully was startled. Scully stared wide-eyed at the two of them as the girl nodded and spoke the first two words since we'd found her. It came out in a crackling whisper. "Nearly dry." XXXXXXXXXX PART 5 (PG-13) SOMEWHERE IN THE SWAMP OF LOUISIANA BAYOU The woman nodded. "We'll fix you right up. Hold on, sweetheart." She moved back and as soon as her head cleared the roof of the car, she put her fingers to her mouth and let rip with an ear- piercing whistle. Both Mulder and Scully covered their ears in an automatic, reflexive action. Two seconds of stillness passed and then bodies began dropping out of the air, landing with soft thuds on the gravel of the road, knees slightly bent, with all the grace of an Olympic athletes. The five men and four women moved towards the car. They were all dressed completely in black leather and bore the same ethereal whiteness to their skin that the woman and child did, though their other features varied. Dana Scully had panicked very few times in her life, but at the moment she realized that they dropped over 15 feet from the trees, she cringed. She was frozen with fear and beginning to hyperventilate. Mulder, seeing her distress, straightened up from the hood of the car and took one step towards her. He was grabbed by the collar and slammed back down on the hood by one of the men. The man had moved with more speed than any human being was capable of. Scully shrieked and cried out, "Please don't hurt him!" Her hands flew to her face, and she breathed into her hands, her equilibrium returning as her panic receded. The man looked at her calmly. He was enormous, over six feet, four inches tall and had black hair that hung down to his collar. Two streaks of white shot through his hair at his temples like lightening bolts. "Ridley?" he asked calmly. The woman had ducked back into the car. She emerged with the child held easily in her arms as the men and women surrounded the car. One tall, blonde woman cried out, "Oh, my Lyndlay!" She moved so fast, Scully hardly saw her move. She'd rushed to the woman with the child. The dark-haired woman gently handed the child over to the blonde woman. "Take her Malison. Get her to Bareslay quickly. She's nearly dry." The woman nodded, tears streaming down her face. She turned and ran past the car, heading up the road ahead of them. Scully gasped. The woman was out of sight within seconds. 'How fast could they move?' she wondered. The man holding Mulder with a hand in the middle of his back leaned over and sniffed him. He straightened up and said, "Human." They all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. One of the other men approached the passenger side and opened the door. He didn't grab Scully, however. She held her hands in the air again. "Step out of the car," he commanded. The man holding Mulder said, "Easy, Melryk. They break easily." Scully exited the car and he grabbed her upper arm firmly, marching her to the front and bending her over the hood, face down, opposite Mulder. He leaned in and sniffed. "She's also human." Mulder finally found his voice and said, "Look, we just wanted to help the girl." The man forcefully stood Mulder up. Mulder held his hands in the air as the man held him by the shirt collar from behind. Scully could see that he was easily half a head taller than Mulder. She recalculated her previous estimate. He was at least six foot, six inches tall. The woman approached Mulder as the others looked on silently. She stopped a hair's width away from Mulder, nose to nose. She was the same height! She stared at him and said, "Who are you?" Mulder swallowed, somehow realizing that evading the truth would do them no good here. These men and women could kill him in a heartbeat and he knew it. He determined that honesty was the best way to go. "We're FBI agents," he whispered. The woman's eyebrows rose toward her hairline. "What are two FBI agents doing out here in the Louisiana Bayou?" "We're investigating the killings in the last month," he said honestly. "The locals requested our help." "Why call the FBI?" she asked. Mulder swallowed again. "We work for a special unit within the FBI called the X-Files. We investigate unexplained phenomenon." She smirked, looking at the man holding Mulder. "Don't you love the way the government spends our tax money?" He laughed heartily. Some of the others chuckled. "Well ... Mul- der," she said carefully, pronouncing every syllable. "You've put us in a very odd position here." "Why's that?" he asked. "Well, you see, normally we kill any humans that invade our territory. This is our safe haven, this swamp where nobody comes anymore. The swamp is known to eat people." "But you eat them instead?" he shot back. Scully cringed hearing his sarcasm. She wanted to tell him to shut up or he was going to get them both killed. Therefore, she was surprised when the woman threw back her head and belly laughed. Her fangs glinted in the light of the headlights and both she and Mulder gasped. She smirked at their fear. "We have kept our existence from the outside world, insuring our safety, by killing those that have stumbled into our swamp. On the other hand, unlike most humans, you've saved one of us, a child, which is a precious and very, very rare thing with our species." She stepped back, tapping her lip with her finger as if in contemplation. "Why would a human save a vampire child?" she asked to the crowd at large. No one answered. She turned and looked at Scully and gestured up and back with her head. The man holding her lifted her off the hood and held her by the collar, similar to the way the other man was holding Mulder. Scully had no illusions that she could wrench out of his grasp. The woman addressed Scully. "Tell me, why did you do it?" Scully pursed her lips. She glanced at Mulder and he mouthed, 'The truth'. The woman looked amused at this exchange and focused back on the female Agent. Scully cleared her throat. "I'm a medical doctor. I took a Hippocratic Oath." The woman laughed again. "Oh please, spare me. I'm sure the Hippocratic Oath doesn't apply to vampires." Scully paled. "I don't know," she said honestly. "She was hurt. She's just a child! Mulder and I both felt that ... we just couldn't turn her over to the police or leave her there to die," she said tearfully. "I've lost a child ... I know ..." she trailed off. She looked down, ashamed of the tears that were now rolling down her face. They were partially from fear, partially from hysteria, and partially from the gut wrenching pain she still felt whenever she thought about the child she hadn't saved. The woman regarded her carefully, her head tipped to one side. "Compassion for our kind is not something we usually see in humans. We stay hidden. Our best defense is that people don't believe we exist." Mulder said, "Leaving bodies all over the place is a good way to announce your existence to the world." The man shook him so hard his head snapped back on his shoulders. The woman barked, "Jakes!" He held her gaze but stopped shaking Mulder. "You will respect my Partner, human. Or you will die right here," he said menacingly. "How about a deal?" Mulder asked suddenly. The man leaned around to the side and looked at Mulder's face as Mulder turned to look him in the eye. "Deal? You don't have anything to deal with, human." Mulder swallowed and pointed to Scully. "She's my partner. You respect my partner and I'll respect yours." The man's face showed amusement at Mulder's audacity. Then he smirked. "I can live with that, for now." Mulder held his gaze. He was trembling but he didn't look away. "Can she stand with me?" he asked. The man raised his eyebrows and then nodded. He gestured with his free hand to the man holding Scully. Scully was marched over to Mulder and stood in front of him. Both had their collars still held by the men, but they fell together and wrapped their arms around each other. The man holding Scully ripped her backwards and she yelped. "Ouch!" she shouted as her ankle began to twist. The man lifted her feet clear off the ground, preventing her ankle from twisting. He reached to her waistband and ripped her weapon from its holster. He held it up for them all to see. Scully was panting hard. "Take it! I forgot I had it, for God's sake!" The tall woman nodded and the man holding Scully put the gun in the pocket of his coat. He set her back on the ground and she fell into Mulder's arms. They stood there, holding each other, the sweat of their bodies mingling as their clothes became soaked with perspiration. Neither one cared. Neither one knew if they were going to live through the night. If they weren't, they wanted to be as close as possible until they were separated by force. Silence swept over the area. Finally, Jakes said, "Take them to the mansion. I don't want to make this decision right now." Ridley nodded. She understood. He wanted to talk in private about this without the others as witnesses. Melryk asked, "You're going to spare them?" Jakes said, "I don't know yet." "But," Melryk began. Ridley interrupted. "Silence, Melryk. They saved your daughter, bound her wounds. You saw her. She was near death, nearly bled dry. She'd be dead if they hadn't brought her here. We never would have found her in time. I have no idea how she escaped being bitten. We'll have to ask her later." Melryk nodded, looking chastised. He bowed to Jakes and said, "You're the boss." XXXXXXXXXX WALSHEFORD HOME LOUISIANA BAYOU Mulder and Scully sat huddled together on a bed. They had been escorted through the swamp to the mansion and locked up in this second-story bedroom. They both realized that their fates were being decided at that very moment. "What are we going to do, Mulder?" Scully asked. "I don't know. I was hoping we would get some answers about this investigation. The plan was to just leave her and run. I didn't expect to be attacked." Mulder laid down on his back and Scully curled up to his side, her head on his shoulder, her leg draped over his thigh. This was more intimate than they usually were with one another, but both were frightened and needed the contact. "Maybe they'll have mercy on us because we returned the girl." "Maybe," he said, but didn't sound convinced. Scully was still reeling from reading the Unholy Trinity file. Although Mulder hadn't said it outright, she'd read between the lines. His anguish over the death of the woman had said it all. He'd been intimate with her. She couldn't quite believe it. She kept telling herself that she'd been gone for two months then and he had thought she was dead. Still, it rankled. Even after reading the file, she hadn't been entirely convinced that he'd been dealing with vampires. As she lay there, she wanted to deny their existence even now. She couldn't, though. She'd seen too much now. It frightened her that these creatures were out there and the human population was completely ignorant of their very existence. If he was right about the existence of vampires, what was to say he wasn't right about the werewolves? She couldn't believe she was even entertaining the thought. She wondered idly why she continued to question Mulder every time he came up with one of his wild leaps of logic or fantastic suppositions. He always seemed to be right, or at least, she couldn't prove him wrong. That rankled sometimes too. However, she had realized something important tonight. When she thought Mulder was going to die, she'd begged them not to hurt him, giving no thought to her own safety. She knew she wouldn't have been able to watch him die and retain her sanity. It was a startling revelation. Her whole world had nearly crumbled when she thought he was going to be killed before her very eyes. How many times had they both been at death's door? How many times were they going to deny their feelings for each other? She was weary, and not just from the night they'd had. She was weary from stuffing her emotions deep inside and closing them into a corner of her mind. When death was at the door, seemed to be the only time she could open Pandora's Box and let the feelings out. Fear that she would never get the chance to tell Mulder how much she loved him washed over her. Suddenly, she couldn't hold back the sob that wracked her small frame and Mulder pulled her tighter against him, turning to wrap both arms around her. "Shhh, Scully. We'll beg if we have to. We'll promise not to say anything to anyone about them, swear oaths, whatever they want us to do if it will keep us alive." She looked up at him with watery eyes as he tipped his face down to hers. Their lips were suddenly close. His breath showered her trembling lips and she shivered. "God, Mulder. I thought they were going to kill you." He smoothed her hair under his hand. He smiled sadly. "I thought I was a goner there for a minute myself." "Mulder," she whispered. "What Scully?" "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," she admitted. Her face scrunched up into a mask of pain and fear. "Aww, Scully." "I mean it, Mulder. I don't think I could go on." "Don't say that!" he whispered fiercely. She took a deep breath. "Why do we never talk about it?" she asked, her throat clogged with tears. "Talk about what? Death?" She looked away. "No, about us, our relationship." "Oh," he said simply, unsure what she meant. "I don't know. I mean, if you want to talk about something, go ahead." She chuffed out a breath. Her hand slid up his torso from his navel to his breastbone and rested there as they stared at one another. He began to breathe heavier. "What do you want to know, Scully?" Her mouth opened and closed a couple times but nothing came out. "What is it?" he asked, his concern showing on his face. She licked her lips and said, "What if we are going to die tonight?" "We're not going to die, Scully!" he said ferociously. She looked at him and said, "But what if we are? What if this was our last night together? What if we knew for sure that this was it?" He stared at her, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "What are you asking?" he whispered. "What would you say to me? What would you do?" It was his turn to chuff and bury his nose in her hair. He inhaled deeply. "That's a trick question, Scully. If I answer you, it's admitting that I think this is it. If I don't answer you, I'm copping out of the conversation. I can't win, either way." She smiled against his shoulder. "I guess that was a tag question, huh?" He nodded, his lips brushing her ear. She felt a tremor go through her body and knew he felt it too. He was holding his breath. He released it in a whoosh, fanning her hair over her cheek, just as she was about to speak. Then he spoke quietly into her ear. "I'd tell you all the things I've wanted to say and never had the courage to say, because I'm a coward when it comes to you and I'm afraid of losing what we have. I'd do all the things I've always wanted to do, but never had the courage to do, because I'm afraid you would reject me and push me away. I CAN'T lose you, Scully. So why don't we talk about us? I choose the lesser of two evils, that's why. Holding back is the price I pay to keep you in my life." She felt herself trembling at his near admission. He hadn't really admitted anything except that he felt the same way she did about losing him. She knew that wasn't true though. There was always more unsaid between them than was said. What would he possibly be afraid of telling her? It could only be feelings, feelings he was afraid would drive her away, and abandonment was his biggest fear. "What if I told you that there was nothing you could do or say that would drive me away, Mulder? What if I told you that I need you as much as you need me?" He lifted his head to look into her eyes. "First, you don't know what I would say, so you can't know if it would send you away or not. Second, it isn't possible for you to need me as much as I need you." She opened her mouth to protest. He placed a finger over her lips. "I'm not stupid, Scully. I know how to smother a relationship. Been there, done that. I know how to ruin a relationship by serving my own selfish need and drive for the truth. Been there, done that." He paused. "I can't afford to make those mistakes with you, Scully." "Why?" she asked softly. He smiled at her. "You know why." "No, I don't." He raised his eyebrows, obviously not believing her. After looking at her for several moments, however, he realized that maybe she didn't know. He'd never told her, but he didn't think he had too. He'd always assumed she knew how he felt about her. He'd assumed that she knew and chose to ignore it, so he had as well. "I can't afford to make those mistakes with you, because you mean more to me than anyone in the whole world. No one has ever been as precious to me," he said through clenched teeth. She palmed his face and made him lock his gaze with hers. "Ditto," she whispered. He gasped, holding back a wave of emotion, his foot tapping nervously on the bed. "Scully ..." "I'll never leave, Mulder." "How can you say that? You can't know what will happen." Scully smiled at him. "I won't leave voluntarily. I know, Mulder. I can't be without you. Why is it so hard for you to believe that you are as important to me as I am to you?" "I don't deserve you." "Why not?" "Oh please, Scully. I'm a self-absorbed, obsessed, crazy man." She chuckled right in his face and then blurted out, "Yeah, but you're my crazy man." Their faces became serious in a matter of seconds. He questioned her words, as soon as he saw that she meant what she'd just said. "Am I, Scully? Am I YOUR man?" "There's no one else, Mulder. There hasn't been anyone else for a long time." "So I win by default?" he asked, afraid to believe what he thought he was hearing. "I've driven everyone else away so you're stuck with me?" "No! Mulder, listen to me. There's no one else because I don't want anyone else." He blew air out of pursed lips. "Anyone else ... but you want me?" he asked, looking truly puzzled. She nodded, a slow smile sliding across her lips. He palmed her face and rolled towards her, half covering her body as she flopped onto her back. "What does that mean, Scully? You want me, but how? In your life? As your partner? As your friend?" "All that, and more," she said quietly. "Define more," he said. She laughed internally. That was her Mulder, always needing constant assurance and complete understanding with her. He was so afraid of making a mistake. Frankly, so was she, but they'd both lived and acted on fear for too long. What had it gotten them? Instead of answering, she leaned up as she pulled his head towards her and laid her mouth over his. He shivered and then moaned, letting his head sink down, seeking to deepen the kiss. She licked his bottom lip and he felt his repressed passion for her flare white-hot in a single second. His mouth opened and her tongue slid inside. He gasped, feeling her hot tongue slide all over the inside of his mouth and then duel with his tongue. He pressed harder, trying to take control of the kiss. She didn't care who was in control. She just didn't want it to end. Her head was spinning. Fox Mulder was kissing her, really kissing her, with hunger and passion. She hadn't felt passion in so long that she'd forgotten how overwhelming it was. Not only that, as their kiss continued, she was sure the most intimate experience of her life didn't even come close to what she was feeling from the mere touch of his lips and tongue. Every nerve ending was on high alert. Every hair on her body was standing on end from the electricity shooting through her with every scrape of his raspy tongue over hers. His lips were soft, moist and hot and she feasted like a starving woman, suckling his bottom lip and then returning to roll her tongue around with his. When she became lightheaded from lack of oxygen, she broke the kiss. They panted in each other's faces and he said, "I like your definition of 'more', Agent Scully." She smiled. "Does it match yours?" she asked. "Oh yeah," he murmured, sinking down to kiss her again. The door was flung open and banged against the wall. They both jumped and rolled apart, sitting up and pulling at their clothes to straighten them out. Ridley looked at them with amusement and said, "Guess you haven't been fretting about your fate in here." XXXXXXXXXX PART 6 (R) WALSHEFORD HOME LOUISIANA BAYOU Mulder looked at her, sliding off the bed to stand up. "On the contrary, we were discussing what we should do if this was to be our last night on earth." She grinned and said, "And you decided sex was the answer." Scully blushed but met Ridley's eyes head on. "We didn't get that far," she retorted. Ridley laughed again and said, "I see that. Sorry to interrupt. Jakes wants to see you. Now. Trust me when I tell you, it's not good to keep him waiting." "Who is Jakes?" Mulder asked. "Besides your partner, I mean," he added. "I thought your definition of partner and ours were two different things, but after what I just saw, maybe not." "That doesn't answer my question," Mulder stated. She crossed her arms and let one hip dip forward, standing on one leg. "You're a bold one, aren't you?" "I figure if you're going to kill us, I might as well get as many answers as I can before I go. At least then if I die, maybe something will make sense to me tonight." Her face softened and she stared at Mulder as though they were alone in the room. Scully felt her blood begin to boil. What was this woman trying to pull? Everything about this woman screamed sex appeal, from her long, lanky body, to her revealing outfit that left a good four inches of skin showing from her neck to her navel. Scully was once again startled by the soft quality of her voice, after having heard her hiss and growl and whistle and shout when they were outside. She was still only looking at Mulder as she said, "You remind me of someone." "You still didn't answer my question," he stated again. She grinned. "Jakes is the leader of the Baton Rouge Family that consists of about twenty of us. More importantly though, he's the leader of the entire Louisiana Clan." Scully cleared her throat to get the woman to take her eyes off Mulder. He was smiling at her and she could swear he was being flirty with just a look. "How many of you is that?" Ridley's stare jerked away from Mulder as she focused on Scully, looking annoyed. "More than you want to know about," she said menacingly. Mulder moved to the end of the bed, and Scully followed suit, slipping her hand into his and lacing their fingers. She wanted to mark her territory and put herself in this woman's line of sight so she couldn't be ignored any longer. Ridley smirked at her, clearly amused. "Possessive, isn't she?" she taunted. Scully bristled and stood up straighter. She knew this woman could kick her ass, could in fact, easily kill her if she wanted to. By the same token, she decided that if she was going to die tonight, she wasn't going down without a fight. Mulder and she had just shared their first really intimate moment and she hoped they would have the chance for many more. If they did, this woman sure as hell wasn't going to come between them. Not that she doubted him already, but she had no idea what kind of power this woman had to attract men. She was his type, tall and brunette with large boobs and legs up to her neck. 'Besides, let's face it,' she thought. 'She wouldn't be the first vampire he'd messed around with.' Perhaps they possessed some sort of ability to hypnotize their prey. She cringed at that thought. Just then, Jakes appeared behind Ridley in the open doorway. He placed his hands on Ridley's hips in an alpha male stance, easily looking over the top of her head. They made an impressive couple, both tall, well built and handsome. Imposing was probably a better word. He said, "Does she need to be? Possessive that is?" he asked, directing his question to Ridley. 'Oh ho!' Scully thought. 'I'm not the only one with territorial issues, here.' That might turn out to be a good thing, she figured. Ridley laughed. "Of course not, I was just playing with them." "We don't have time for that," he reprimanded. "Come along, you two." Ridley's smile vanished and she stepped into the hallway. Mulder and Scully followed Jakes and Ridley fell into step behind them, bringing up the rear. They were escorted through a long hall, and back down the gigantic stone staircase into what appeared to be a library or a study. The massive shelves lined with countless books blended with the modern equipment around the room. A long conference table dominated the middle of the room and was flanked by desks holding computers and surveillance equipment along one wall. Contrary to the Historical Society's assessment, the place was far from the falling down ruins they had claimed. It had looked desolate from the outside as they had approached. Once inside, however, it was like stepping back in time, into an old antebellum mansion from another century. Thick draperies hung in every window and tapestries and paintings adorned the walls. Every room was filled with antique furniture that screamed of wealth and care. Seeing the cameras, they knew how they'd been spotted. Their welcoming committee must have seen them on one of the bank of TV screens. They showed the entire perimeter of the property, including several that lined the access road, apparently. Jakes gestured at two chairs on one side of the conference table. "Sit down." They did and Ridley sat next to him across the table from Mulder and Scully. He sighed and then began, "We had a meeting of the Elders." "How many Elders are there?" Mulder asked. Without knowing that Ridley had stalled on the question, he answered, "Twenty. Two in each family. There are twenty in each Family and ten families make up our Clan." "Jesus," Scully whispered. Jakes smiled. "You'll be glad to know that the Council of Elders has decided to let you live. Lyndlay gave testimony on your behalf. She told us you could have revealed her to the police but you didn't. She told us you sent them away so they wouldn't discover her and then proceeded to bind the worst of her bleeding wounds. She believes she would have bled to death if you hadn't done so. She was too weak to treat herself. She was surprised when you helped her and she took a chance giving you the name of this house. Actually, she feared she would be punished for revealing our whereabouts." They both sagged in their chairs. Scully put her arms on the table and propped herself. She looked at him. "You're letting us go? Just like that? No conditions?" He smiled again, this time displaying his impressive fangs. "I didn't say there weren't any conditions," he replied calmly. Mulder sat up straighter and focused on Jakes again after his initial flood of relief. There were conditions. He wondered if they would be able to meet their demands. Jakes saw he had their attention. "We are being lenient because you saved the child. We are not a fertile race and children are rare. We cherish them all. Lyndlay is even more special because she is a twin. That's unheard of. In fact, we know of no other twins ever born. If there were any, they weren't born in the last millennium." Scully couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth, even as she asked them. "Can't you make more of you by biting people?" Ridley rocked back in her chair and laughed heartily, holding her stomach. Scully was not amused and gave her a death stare. She was trembling inside. She hated this woman instantly. She didn't like being toyed with and this woman was obviously a master at head games. She wasn't here for anyone's amusement. At the same time, she was afraid. Getting out of here alive was more important than her dignity, but she'd be damned if she would be meek, or show weakness if front of this pompous Amazon. Jakes merely smiled. "No, that's an old wives tale, created by story telling and legends. We can turn a human, but it is rarely done anymore, and it's much more involved than you would imagine." "How so?" Mulder asked, genuinely interested. "Complete transfusions between maker and fledgling have to be accomplished. There are extremely strict rules for turning a human. Among them, the human must have no living relatives." "But it has been done before?" Mulder prompted. "Like I said, it's rarely done anymore. Until recently, our numbers were large enough and there has been no need for centuries." "Why not?" "We don't want our existence known and that practice could easily bring attention to us if humans were to start disappearing from the area." "How long do you live?" he asked, his natural curiosity for all things paranormal and strange edging out his fear now that the man was being forthcoming. "Most of us are older than you can imagine." He paused and then added, "Centuries old. We live, love and have sex, just like you do. Unless we are killed, we live indefinitely." "You said children were precious. Does that mean you can birth children like humans do?" "Periodically, partners will be blessed with a child, but it is rare." Anxious to get down to business, Scully interrupted and asked, "So what are the conditions?" "O.K. Back to business. The most obvious condition is that you cannot tell anyone that we exist. That includes the FBI, your mother and your friends. NO ONE. We must have your oath of secrecy. If you betray us, there will be nowhere you can hide from us. We hunt you down like vermin and kill you." He said all this with a perfectly straight face. He was absolutely serious and they both knew it. If the danger wasn't so real and present, they might have laughed at the absurdity of his speech. Instead, they both nodded. Mulder commented, "We figured that much at the very least." "I have your word, then?" "Yes," Mulder and Scully said together. "You may wonder why I've so freely answered your questions about us." "It crossed my mind," Scully replied. "We want your help with something." Scully muttered, "I knew this wasn't over." He smiled at her. "We are going to tell you something, knowledge no other living humans will have." "In exchange for what?" Scully asked. "As I said, we need your help. We are in the middle of a war." "Oh no," Scully said under her breath. Mulder raised his eyebrows at her and then turned back to face Jake. "With the werewolves, right?" Shock registered on both the vampires' faces. Jakes gave Mulder an appraising look. He wondered if perhaps he had underestimated these humans. "You know about the werewolves?" he asked carefully. "I'd figured it out, yes. None of the wound patterns matched up. And they fell into distinct categories, no one victim having more than one type of wound." He continued as he warmed to the subject. "Burning is a known lethal weapon against vampires. I figured whoever was burning them, was also biting them." "Is that so?" Ridley asked, amusement evident in her voice. Mulder nodded. "On the other hand, the other victims were dying from silver nitrate poisoning or exsanguinations. One is a classic way for vampires to kill. The other, according to lore anyway would be a way to kill werewolves." Jakes said, "How did you come up with werewolves?" Mulder shrugged. "There are no indigenous animals in this area that could leave a bite wound like we were seeing in these victims. It made sense," he concluded. "Astounding," he said, praise evident in his voice. Then he said, "You believed in werewolves, but you didn't believe in vampires?" he asked Scully. Scully said, "He's always believed legends are rooted in truth and has some past experience with vampires. You aren't the first ones he's encountered. I didn't believe in either when we started on this venture. However, he was right about you, so I have no reason to believe he isn't right about werewolves too." Ridley looked at Mulder again. "So you're the one that figured it out, eh?" Scully gave her a dirty look and she turned to address her. "And you're the skeptic of the team, right?" "Usually," Mulder replied. Scully was hurt for a moment, until she heard his next words, defending her. "Scully may be the more skeptical of the two of us, but she has an open mind. She's a brilliant pathologist and has solved many cases with her logic and science. It's a balance, her science, my belief in extreme possibilities. It has worked well so far." "Interesting," Jakes commented. "Well, I guess I don't need to worry about shocking you with the news that werewolves exist. We, however, call them Lycanthropes." "Lycanthropy," Mulder added. "Makes sense." Ridley asked, "She says you've encountered us before? Where?" "In California. A group that called themselves the Unholy Trinity. They worked in blood banks, hung out in Goth clubs." She nodded. "California Clan, hmmm." She turned to Jakes. "Why didn't we hear about this?" "I have no idea," he stated. Mulder interjected. "They didn't seem to be affiliated with any Clan, or Family, whatever you call it. I believe they were renegades although they seemed to belong to a larger subculture." "Ah, that would explain it," Ridley said. "What happened there? They obviously let you live." He swallowed. "All three of them that I encountered are dead." Jakes and Ridley both looked at him in surprise. Jakes asked, "Did you kill them?" "No," he said honestly. "One of them, a woman, killed the other two, and then lit herself on fire so I could get away." "Fascinating," Jakes said. "And why would she save you at the expense of herself and her companions." Mulder met his gaze. "Her boyfriend was going to kill me." "Boyfriend? Her Partner you mean?" Jakes asked. Mulder nodded. "And she chose you over her partner?" Ridley asked in obvious surprise, as though it were an impossible option. "She'd betrayed him. He had turned her. I think she had despaired, hated what she had turned into and what her life had become. I think ... she didn't want to live anymore. Betraying him was a way to make the situation come to a head. She knew he would come after her, and by turn, after me. Unfortunately, I got caught in the middle, not knowing what she was doing." Ridley's eyebrows went up. "Oh my God, she betrayed him with YOU, didn't she?" He nodded once, jerkily and then looked down at the table. "I had a bit of a death wish myself," he said, attempting levity, but it fell flat. Scully coughed, feeling tears clog her throat. "Can we talk about something else?" Jakes smiled sympathetically at her. "Of course. We were merely curious. Remarkable story though. For her to even consider it, you must be a remarkable man." "Why are you at war?" Scully asked, ending the trailing conversation. "That's where it gets a little complicated." He looked at Ridley. She was staring down at the table but looked up and cleared her throat. "It started out small. We had heard a rumor that the Lycanthropes were working on secret scientific research. One of us was on a spying mission to try and steal information from their database. We thought it was fertility research, finding a way to increase their numbers. They aren't a fertile race either. We were interested in the research for our own purposes. We were going to try and deal with them to obtain the research." Jakes took over at point, cutting in. "This man, however, went off by himself, without permission. I was working on a plan to try and negotiate with the head of the Lycanthropes to share the information," Jakes stated grimly. "There were those that didn't agree with my attempts to deal with them. They thought we should just steal it. However, I had forbidden them to go sneaking into the sewer complex after this information until we gave negotiations a chance." Ridley took over. "He slipped out when no one was watching. Damn fool went off by himself. He was discovered and they killed him, but not before he downloaded some files onto his PDA and sent the information to me." Scully looked startled. "You use PDAs?" she asked with surprise. Ridley smiled. "We use all the technology you do." Mulder quipped, "Only at night though." She chuckled and said, "Right, only at night. It turned out the research was not on fertility." "So that part of the mythos is correct? Sunlight can kill you?" Mulder asked, trying to sort myth and legend from reality for future reference. "Yes," Jakes replied. "Other than that, there are few things that can kill us." "And they would be?" Scully asked. He regarded her for a moment. "Why? Are you planning on taking one of us out?" he asked with amusement. "No, just curious. If we are going to help you, the more we know about you, the better we will be able to function as allies. We're operating on standard mythos and legends. We have no idea how much of that is true and how much is myth." Jakes considered the tiny woman before him. His estimation of her intelligence and bravery increased and he decided to answer her questions completely. The man was obviously of above average intelligence. It stood to reason, his partner would be equally wise. "All right," he said. "Sunlight can kill us. Fire can kill us. No standard weapon can kill us. Garlic doesn't repel us. We aren't any more repulsed by it than you are, unless someone has bad breath." Mulder shot out a bark of laughter. Jakes smiled at him. "We can hang out in churches and no one has to invite us inside for dinner. We are ten times stronger than humans and we can move so fast the human eye can't track us. We sleep during the day and we are up all night. The older we are, the stronger we are, in every aspect. The older we are, the earlier we can wake up at night. Any other questions about our capabilities?" he asked, with a slightly facetious tone. He clearly knew all the ridiculous myths about their race. "No," Scully answered. 'How was I supposed to know they were ridiculous?' she wondered, defending her ignorance in these matters. Like with Ridley, she felt as though the vampire was laughing at her and it irked her that he found her so amusing. She never reacted well to being patronized and this was no exception. "I'm sorry if it was a dumb question, but we have no way of knowing what the truth is," she countered, being careful that no sarcasm or irritation crept into her voice. "You're right, Agent. I'm not used to speaking with humans about our characteristics and abilities." They needed the help of these humans. It angered him that they needed help from anyone. Facts were facts, however, as Ridley had pointed out earlier. They could turn out to be an asset. If not, they could always kill them later. He seemed to consider his next words carefully before saying, "There is one other thing that can kill us." Mulder and Scully both focused on him, waiting. He paused dramatically and then said, "A bite from a Lycanthrope." Mulder interjected, "So that IS what those wounds are we are seeing on the victims. Legend has it that if bitten, you will turn into a werewolf." "That is somewhat true for a human," Ridley replied. "They can turn a human or kill them, depending on where they bite them. We are different, however. We are like you in some ways, but we are not in others. Our blood strain is like cancer to the Lycanthropes, as is theirs to us. If we are bitten and any of their blood or saliva enters directly into our blood stream, the two strains start fighting for dominance and kill each other off." Mulder said, "That doesn't sound pleasant." "No, it's not," Ridley said quietly. "It's the most horrible way for one of us to die. It happens quickly too. Think of time-lapse photography of a malignant melanoma, spreading throughout your body in minutes. You experience all the months of pain associated with that type of illness in a matter of minutes. It can last up to an hour at most, if you're unlucky." Scully regarded her, sensing there was something more than what was being said. She asked, "What aren't you telling us?" Jakes looked at Ridley, his expression clearly indicating that it was up to her whether to share whatever it was that they were hiding. She was clearly upset at the thought of one of them dying this way. Mulder gasped suddenly and said, "The first victim. He was bitten. He didn't turn into a werewolf, because he wasn't a human. He was a vampire. He died instead and his body was left behind." They nodded. "And he was from this Family, wasn't he? That's what started this war, isn't it? When you said he got himself killed, you didn't say how," Mulder added. Ridley bit out, "He was bitten. Instead of questioning him, or taking him hostage, they killed him in cold blood. Our two races have respected each other for centuries. We've kept to ourselves and they kept to themselves. Now this. The bastards killed Sawyer." Jakes said calmly, "None of it would have happened if he had followed orders, but ..." She cut him off. "Don't give me that! They murdered him! They could have taken him prisoner. They could have questioned him. They were working with you. They could have even brought him to you." He swallowed. "They thought I'd sent him, Ridley. Why would they think any different? Now Turlus thinks I've double-crossed him, after only one meeting. They'll never share the information now. You're not the only one that's been affected by this. The whole Clan has lost an opportunity to benefit from their research." She leaped up out of her chair and started pacing and yelling. "Don't you blame Sawyer for that! I won't have it. What makes you think the bastards would have dealt squarely with you anyway? I won't listen to you ripping him up. He's dead!" she screamed. Mulder and Scully both covered their ears again. Jakes said, "I'm not disrespecting the dead, Ridley. I'm stating the facts. Whether you want to admit them or not, they are true. He disobeyed my direct orders and he got killed. Turlus thinks I double-crossed him and won't talk to me anymore. End of story. THOSE are the facts, whether you like it or not," he hissed. His voice was low and at a tolerable volume, but all the more menacing for it. He continued as she glared at him, "You're angry because he went without you. You're angry because he got himself killed and I understand that. We had to retaliate and now it's gotten out of hand. You're angry because his actions thrust us into this war, whether he meant to or not. You're angry because you're with ME now and I'm not HIM. You're angry because I love you and you can't love me back. I GET it, Ridley, but you can stop taking it out on me. BECAUSE IT'S, NOT, MY, FAULT!" he ground out, shouting the last part. Her face crumpled and she fell back into the chair, her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook but no sound came out. Understanding dawned for both Mulder and Scully. There was much more to this story than they originally thought. There was dissention in the ranks of the vampires, as well. Mulder asked cautiously, "Who was Sawyer?" Jakes clenched his jaw, but then looked at Mulder. "He was Ridley's Partner," he bit out. "For the last two and half centuries to be exact. He was also the second oldest vampire in the clan and my second in command." "But you said you and Ridley were partners," he said quietly, sounding confused. Scully interrupted. "Mulder, they are partners, NOW." She felt an unwanted rush of sympathy for the haughty woman. She'd lost someone she loved deeply. That much was clear. Scully had experienced the same fear mere hours before. Mulder closed his eyes as it hit him what the situation was. "Ah," he muttered as he considered the age-old story of jealousy, rage and competition. Jakes tried to ignore Ridley's anguish but his eyes kept darting to her. "It's a Clan rule. Everyone must have a partner. It's tradition and it's a safety measure, but it's more than that. I won't go into all the reasons why we require it." Mulder asked, "What if someone refuses?" He was unable to curb his curiosity, even in the face of her anguish. He felt sorry for her. He recognized her emotions for what they were, grief over the loss of a loved one, mourning and despair over the death of her soul mate. He remembered his terror and anguish when Scully was almost dead of cancer and felt even more sorry for her. Even understanding all this, he couldn't suppress the desperate 'need to know' that had driven him for most of his life. Jakes glared at him. "The only alternative is to take the long sleep." "What's that?" Scully asked. "You go to sleep and don't get up. You don't feed. You don't socialize. You just hibernate until you are nothing but a dried up husk. Without nourishment you go into a sleep from which you don't wake and have no conscious awareness of yourself. Your Family wakes you after a specified amount of time has passed. Either 50 years or a century, whatever length of time you prefer." "Not much of a choice," Scully said. Jakes regarded her sadly. "For some of us, no. For others, it's a relief to check out for a while. Living this long can wear on you." Jakes watched as an odd expression came over Mulder's face. "Wait a minute!" Mulder exclaimed. "Some of the victims were killed by exsanguination. If you're bloodlines kill one another, how can that be?" Jakes raised an eyebrow, once again impressed with this human's ability to ferret out details. He was very clever. Jakes cleared his throat. "It's only deadly when they are transformed?" "Transformed? What do you mean?" Scully asked. Ridley licked her lips. "They are not toxic when they are in human form. Only when they are shape shifted into wolf form is their blood and saliva deadly. As humans, they merely taste nasty," she finished, making a face. "So they aren't a threat to you when they are in human form?" Mulder clarified. Jakes hesitated, but then said, "They are deadly in that they are extremely strong. They are at least equal to us in strength, although we are faster. They are also animals by nature, meaning that they operate largely on instinct rather than reason. Particularly when they are transformed, but even when they are human, they have incredible rage which serves them well. They've been known to kill us by overpowering us or trapping us somewhere until daylight comes. We have no defense against the sun. Don't make the mistake of thinking they are harmless in human form, because they're not. However, that's why this research is disturbing. They could only shape shift on a full moon. Now, we think they have the ability to change at other times as well, and they are much more deadly to us as wolves. Then, they need merely administer a bite deep enough to reach our blood stream." Scully looked at Ridley. She was sitting up again, looking upset but composed. "I'm sorry for your loss," Scully said gently. Ridley nodded at her. "I shouldn't have lost my temper, I'm sorry too." She put her hand on Jakes' arm. "I'm sorry, Jakes." He nodded. "Forget it for now," he said sternly. Mulder asked, "So are you going to tell us exactly what it is you want from us?" Jakes patted Ridley's hand where it lay on his arm. "We need someone who can investigate during the daytime." XXXXXXXXXX PART 7 (NC-17) WALSHEFORD HOME LOUISIANA BAYOU THE NEXT MORNING Their meeting with Jakes and Ridley had ended too late for them to go back to the city in their exhausted state. The vampires had offered and so they decided to stay the night at the mansion and get a few hours sleep. They'd slept in each other's arms all night, occasionally waking to kiss and touch one another as if not believing they were still alive and together. They were going to come out of another impossible situation alive. By tacit agreement they hadn't gone any further. They felt that this surely wasn't the place to consummate their relationship. That was too bizarre even for Mr. & Mrs. Spooky. They both felt that the culmination of their revelations tonight should be private and here at the mansion, they had no idea who could see or hear them. There could be cameras they couldn't see, bugs in the room. Who knew? Neither was comfortable enough with their surroundings. Besides which, the pressure was off for the moment. They weren't going to be killed. Not that night anyway. Separately, they wondered if the other would regret revealing their feelings in the cold, light of day. They weren't going to die. Should they have maintained the status quo? Neither one thought so, but neither one felt brave enough to ask the other. Old habits died hard. They woke up in early morning. It was still dark out when Ridley appeared, knocking on the door and giving them their car keys and weapons. She looked solemn as she handed them the two modified automatic pistols they had discussed the night before. She gave them a list of names and walked them to the door. She said, "It's almost dawn. I have to go." They nodded. "Thank you, Ridley," Mulder said. She smiled sadly. "Remember I told you that you reminded me of someone?" "Yeah," he replied. She looked at Scully then back to him. "You remind me of Sawyer. He looked like you, tall, lanky, chestnut hair, hazel eyes. He was wicked smart and curious. Again, just like you." She swallowed hard. "You may find this hard to believe, but we aren't cold blooded killers. We live on livestock that we keep ourselves. We rarely take blood from a human unless we need to kill them for our own safety. We were human once, most of us." Mulder said, "I'm sorry for your loss, Ridley." Her face was sad. "Thank you, me too. I loved him very much. Jakes was right. I'm angry at Sawyer for ditching me and I feel guilty for feeling angry." Her admission made her seem almost human. 'They obviously still felt things just as we do,' Scully thought as she again felt a kinship with her. How many times had Mulder ditched her and she had to worry if he was going to come back to her alive or in a body bag? She'd lost so much in her one lifetime. She couldn't imagine the losses that occurred over the centuries. "How old are you?" Scully asked. She grinned. "Would you believe I'm 750 years old?" "Whewwww," Mulder whistled. "You're looking good for 750." She laughed. Scully couldn't help it and laughed with them. She no longer felt threatened by her. "He loves you very much, you know?" she said. "Jakes?" Ridley clarified. "Yes, I know he loves me. It has just been such a short time since I lost Sawyer that I feel incapable of loving him back. I'm the second oldest in our Family, so I couldn't wait any longer to choose a Partner. We only get a month to grieve. No one was really surprised when I chose Jakes. He was really the only choice for me to make. Only the leader can choose to live alone. Jakes has not chosen a Partner in over two centuries. He was waiting for me. He wanted me for a Partner long before Sawyer was in the picture," she said and then shrugged. "He finally has his wish, but I'm not sure it's all he thought it would be." Mulder replied, "Give yourself some time. There was a time I thought I would never love anybody ever again. I'd been wounded too badly and was way too gun shy." "And now?" she asked. He smiled and looked at Scully, but replied to her, "Then when you least expect it, love runs you over like a freight train." Ridley smiled. "You're a lucky woman," she said to Scully. Scully smiled, a little stunned by his use of the 'L' word. Although they'd confessed romantic feelings for one another, neither one of them had actually said the words. "I know," she said finally. Ridley yawned. "I really have to go. I'm sorry." "No problem. We're off," Mulder said. He squeezed her shoulder and stepped outside. Scully followed and they watched her close the door, hearing a dead bolt slide into place. Mulder said, "Wonder why they bother with deadbolts?" "Even vampires have to sleep sometime, Mulder," Scully said, suddenly feeling giddy with relief. "Maybe they have a problem with door-to-door salesmen." Mulder grinned back at her and said, "Let get out of here. We have a lot of things to talk about." "I know. I'm reeling from all that information about Lycanthropes." "That wasn't what I was talking about," he said, as they reached the car and opened the doors to get in. She looked at him over the top of the car. "Yeah, we'll talk about that too. Let's get back to the hotel. I need a shower." XXXXXXXXXX COMFORT SUITES BATON ROUGE, LA After they showered and got into pajamas, they met in the living area of the suite. Mulder sat down sideways and spread his legs, gesturing to his lap. Scully smiled ruefully but settled down between his legs, her back to his chest. She sighed and relaxed as he put his arms around her and wrapped his hands across her stomach. "This is all so much to take in," she began. "I know. For all my 'belief' in extreme possibilities, the reality is so much more ... real," he said. She chuckled. "But you've seen them before." He was silent a long time. Then he said, "I'm sorry we never talked about that. I guess we should and put it behind us, because I have put it behind me, Scully. It was a long time ago, five years ago, in fact." "I know. Still, it surprised and hurt me," she whispered. "I had no right to be upset, but I was. I read between the lines. I knew what happened, even though you never said it outright." "I know and I'm sorry. It was a really dark time for me. I thought you were dead, Scully. I was beating myself up over the fact that I hadn't been able to save you, hadn't been able to find you. I'd wanted to be the conquering hero and charge to the rescue. When that didn't happen, I was left so empty inside." "What made you do it, Mulder?" "I've asked myself that question a thousand times. I think it was a combination of things really. One was my depression over losing you and the empty feeling I had. I wanted to feel something, for someone, anything that would let me know I was still alive. The second was that I had this fucked up idea that if I could save her, I would somehow atone for not saving you." "Oh, Mulder," she said. She rubbed her hands up and down his arms, unconsciously trying to soothe his pain. "I know, it doesn't make any sense, but I wasn't making a lot of sense then. Ask anyone." "Then she died trying to save you." "Not trying. She did save me. He would have killed me for sure. Frankly, I probably would have let him. I didn't have anything left to live for anyway." Scully turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his waist. "Oh Mulder, I'll bet you felt even more guilt because you survived and she didn't." He didn't respond. She hugged him tighter and he hugged back. "I'm sorry, Scully. When you did come back, I felt like I'd betrayed you, and I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I was so disgusted with myself." "You need to forgive yourself for being human, Mulder. My God, we've both been through so much, it's amazing either one of us is sane." "That's the biggest truth I've heard in a long time," he replied. She lifted her head. "We've survived so much and yet we keep denying ourselves what we both know we want, the one thing that would make it all worthwhile and balance out the pain and loss." He gazed at her and said softly, "What is it that we both want?" "You know," she said, just as softly. He smiled and nodded. "Maybe, but I want to hear you say it anyway. It will make it real for me. There's so much we 'don't' say, Scully. While it's great that we communicate so well silently, and seemingly know each other so well, sometimes we need to hear the words, you know? At least I do. Otherwise, it's just this 'assumption' or this 'idea' in my head that I can never trust completely. I don't know if I'm seeing what I want to see, or if I'm seeing what is real." She nodded. "I understand what you're saying. All right then." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm tired of being alone. I'm tired of having no romance in my life. I'm tired of wanting to touch you and have you by my side and not having you there. I mean, I know you're by my side at work, but I'm talking about my personal life." "Are you sure you want that with me?" he asked carefully. She sighed, slightly exasperated. "Who else would I want it with, Mulder? Honestly?" "I don't know. You could practically take your pick." "Oh please! Just so there are no more doubts. Yes, Mulder, I want YOU. I want to come home to you at night. I want to wake up and find you there in my bed. I want to share my life with you, not just at work, but the whole thing. I realized something really important last night." "What's that?" "The moment I thought you were going to die, I was terrified; I couldn't have watched her kill you. In that one moment of clarity I realized nothing and no one meant more to me in this world than you do. Oh God, Mulder, I thought you were going to die and knew if you did I wouldn't be long behind you." "I was afraid for both of us," he admitted. "That's not the worst part though." "It's not?" he asked, clearly wondering what could be worse. She straddled his lap, slipping her legs from in between his to the outside of his thighs and sitting up. Her hands came up to cup his face and she stared him in the eye. "The worst part was thinking that you were going to die never knowing how I felt about you. You were going to go to your grave never knowing that I was in love with you." He gasped. "And THAT, was intolerable to me, Mulder. I realized how utterly ridiculous we've both been, hiding from one another, afraid to acknowledge our love. Some people search their whole lives and never find what we have together." His hands rubbed up and down her back. "I love you too, Scully. So much," he added. "I was terrified I would lose you, that you didn't feel the same way. I let my fear paralyze me and keep me from telling you this before." "Silly man," she admonished. "Can we promise not to hide from one another any more?" "Yes," he whispered and leaned in to take her mouth under his. They kissed fiercely, pent up frustrations and passions pouring out of them and erupting in frantic passion. Their teeth clashed and they grunted as they readjusted and fell together again. Finally, Scully pulled back and looked at his flushed face. His eyes were dilated and she knew the same look of arousal graced her face as well. "Scully," he moaned. "Shall we take this party to the bedroom, G-man?" He grinned. It was a wide, toothy grin that made her stomach do a flip-flop. Happiness was a rare thing to see on Fox Mulder's face. "Neglecting your duties as an officer of the law in favor of a little nooky, are we, Agent Scully?" he teased. He couldn't resist the innuendo, even now. She laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I think the War of the Legends can wait for tomorrow, Mulder. Or at least till later today. We had the other bodies picked up before we took off with the girl and we haven't really slept for over 36 hours. Maybe this whole thing will be just a dream when we wake up." "They're real, Scully," he gently admonished. "I know," she said quietly. He smiled, and without another word, he stood up. Her legs wrapped around his lean hips and her arms went around his neck. She held on as he looked over her shoulder and walked them into his bedroom in the suite. He set her down gently on the bed and went to the wall, turning on the light and moving the dimmer switch so that the light was low, but they could see what they were doing. He stalked up to her on the bed. That was the only word for it, she thought. A thrill raced through her when she saw the desire written all over his face. "Last chance to run and hide, Scully," he said gruffly. She shook her head. "No chance." XXXXXXXXXX NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX Mulder looked at Scully and said, "Are you going to get naked? Or am I going to have to do it for you? I warn you though. If I do it, that pair of pajamas is not going to survive the ordeal." She might have laughed if he didn't look so damn serious. She began unbuttoning her top. He followed her lead, pulling his tee shirt off over his head. As she pulled her top off and tossed it into the corner, he pitched his tee shirt in the same direction. She stood up and slid her bottoms down, kicking off her slippers and he did the same. He mimicked her every move until they were standing there naked. They each took a moment to stare at one another. For the first time they didn't have to sneak a look, didn't have to pretend they weren't looking. His penis was half erect and it already looked impressive. Scully licked her lips. A slow smile spread across her face as she lifted her arms. He was embracing her in a flash and they were kissing again, moaning at the first feel of skin on skin. Any nervousness they'd felt was washed away by the first tide of sensation as hands caressed, lips suckled and bodies undulated under the sensual assault. Mulder slid his hand back around to the front and pinched her turgid nipple rapidly several times in a row causing a wave of arousal stronger than any she had ever known to wash through her. She moaned quietly under the assault. Mulder was panting above her. "Don't hold back, Scully. Let me hear you. It's so erotic, hearing what I do to you, hearing you react to me." He repeated the procedure on the other nipple and she nearly shouted, "Oh God, it feels good!" He ground out, "I can't slow down, Scully. I was going to go down on you." She nearly moaned again just from hearing him say those words and picturing his head between her legs. However, she was worked up also and didn't want to wait for that. She'd had enough foreplay and was dripping wet already. "We'll slow down later. Do it." He groaned, lifting her again and laying her down on the bed. He slid his hands out from under her ass to caress her body as he shifted into position. In one quick motion, she felt him enter her. She cried out, "Oh Christ!" His penis was HUGE. He held still, unable to believe how incredibly tight she was. Her inner muscles undulated against his shaft, trying to adjust to the sudden intrusion. 'Fuck,' he thought. 'She's tighter than my fist.' Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might explode. Her internal muscles were alternately pushing against the size of him and contracting to draw him in further. Her nipples were painfully stiff. She groaned in pleasure-pain when he leaned up on one arm and used his free hand to squeeze her swollen breast and then tweaked her nipples. She thrust her hips forward and he began to pulse his hips in and out of her. He was holding back with every ounce of control he had, trying to go as slow as possible, afraid he wouldn't last long enough to make her climax. He wanted to feel her come while he was inside her. He bit his lip and thrust his cock deep inside her sheath, feeling the sensitive head collide with her cervix and stretch it. He was groaning, blinded by lust, sure he'd never felt such passion for another lover. "Oh Scully, it's so good! God, you're so damn tight, Baby. Oh yeah. Christ Almighty, you're squeezing me so good!" he babbled. Her eyelids fluttered as her eyes rolled back in her head but she forced them back open. She loved the look of ecstasy and surprise that was rolling across his face as he pumped into her, pushing her toward her finale and she didn't want to miss one moment of their first time. She could feel her orgasm building, like an air bubble moving through thick liquid, gaining momentum with every thrust of his massive shaft. She looked down, following his gaze as he came up on his hands. She watched his thick cock disappear inside her and then pull back, shiny with her copious liquids, only to plunge inside again with another long, deep, hard stroke. The sight of their joining was almost her undoing. He slowed, but kept his strokes long, deep and hard, pausing as he retreated and then jamming himself back in. He took her to the edge several times, her back arching against him and then he would stop, gritting his teeth until she receded into the mattress and then starting up again. He wanted her to beg for her release. He marveled at his own control. He was sweating profusely but he felt great, energized and wild. He didn't think he'd ever fucked anyone as hard as he was fucking Scully, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't take her gently. He'd waited too long and she felt so good. She was as lithe and tight as a fucking virgin. It was so good, he felt like his head was going to explode. Curiously, his pausing between strokes was not only driving Scully crazy, but it was holding his orgasm at bay. He'd almost lost control several times, but the new rhythm was serving him well, letting the urgency abate for a few seconds only, before plunging back into her welcoming body. A couple of seconds, but it was enough to keep him in control. Scully was grunting softly with every stroke. "Uhg, uhg, uhg." She panted harshly, whimpering with the need for release. Her soft, strong hands were touching him everywhere she could reach. It felt like even her touch was begging him to make her come. She forced herself to take a deep breath and shouted, "Pplleeaaassseee, Muullddeerr. Oh God, I HAVE TO COME! Please let me come. I can't stand it anymore! Fuck me. Fuck me. FUCK ME HARDER!" His head spun. Even in his wildest dreams, she'd never begged him to fuck her like this. He felt euphoric and powerful and completely in control as he picked up the pace slightly. If he fucked her any harder, he was going to bruise her. Their pelvises were already crashing together. It felt like they were in danger of cracking if he hit her any harder. Instead, he steadied himself on one arm and slid the other down between them, reaching his finger over her mound and finding her swollen bundle of nerves sticking out like a saturated sponge. He pushed into her skin and down, pressing it against their joining as he rammed himself inside her again, his pubic bone colliding with hers causing a smacking sound. She shrieked, "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh, ffffuuuuuccccckkkk!" Her orgasm tore through her with such force that she felt her consciousness slipping away. Her back arched mightily off the mattress, her fingers biting into his biceps, her ass in the air and her heels digging into the bed. He kept rubbing her clitoris in hard jerking motions as he kept her tight sheath impaled by his cock. Her muscles milked him with a tightness he'd never felt before. 'It almost hurts!' he thought. She jerked and twitched, her mouth open on a silent scream as her muscles locked up and she continued to convulse. Finally, her climax released her and she fell to the bed, utterly exhausted and moaning softly. The pinching sensation of her vaginal walls had pulled him back from the edge of his own climax. He held still and waited, her eyes finally opening and staring at him drowsily. "Oh my God," she whispered. She flexed her hips and gasped. "Mulder, Jesus, you're still hard." A grin slowly stole across his face. She shook her head, "Oh no, Mulder. I can't take it. I can't ... I've never ...," she trailed off as he pulled back, paused and began to slam into again, in the same rhythm as before, only a tad faster than the last time. "Uuuuuuuuuugggggggggggghhhhhhhh," she moaned as the shocks of arousal streaked through her again. "Oh no, oh no, oh God, Mulder. I won't survive it. I won't make it if I come agaaiinn!" she moaned. He chuckled, never missing a beat. "Oh yes, you will, baby. I'm gonna make sure you forget every other man that's ever fucked this sweet, tight, little pussy. God help me, you feel so good, Scully. It's never felt this good before. It's perfect, you're perfect. Ahhhhhh, Fuck me! I can't stop, Scully. I can't STOP!" he hollered, continuing his relentless assault. There were advantages to being 40, he thought. He wasn't some 18-year old that shot his wad on the first few strokes. It took him slightly longer to get it up, but once up, he was good for the long haul, and this time was no exception. He also knew that once he came, he would be done for several hours at least. This was their first time, and he was more determined than he'd ever been in his life to make sure Scully never forgot this first experience with him. Her head flopped to the side. "Do you need water?" he asked suddenly, stopping while buried inside her. With effort, she rolled her head to look at his face and smiled up at him. "No, but I don't think I can help you anymore." He smiled in return. "You don't have to, Scully. Just kick back and enjoy, baby." She moaned as he began thrusting again. Her whole body began to quiver with pleasure with the friction of his immense hard on moving inside her. She had gone beyond reason, and every touch, each thrust caused showers of intense pleasure bordering on pain to cascade through her body. She wanted him to stop and at the same time, was afraid he would. Without warning, she shrieked and arched against him. He pulled back and plunged deeply into her, plowing deeply into her body, brushing against her cervix. She was moaning constantly now and Mulder was grunting with the effort of his relentless pace. Over and over she screamed and cried out, with intense climaxes every ten strokes or so. She trembled and shuddered beneath him as he towered over her like a giant fucking machine. 'How could he last this long?' she wondered as ecstasy once again washed through her body. 'Why doesn't he come?' She couldn't speak anymore. She felt as if her skin was on fire and her limbs were heavy and useless. Each orgasm was slower and more drawn out, but more intense than the last. He'd found the perfect spot, scraping her G-spot and crushing her clitoris at the same time. She'd never had orgasms like this before in her life. She'd never been multi-orgasmic, although she might have come twice in one night on one occasion. Mostly, her lovers had been selfish and unconcerned with her pleasure. This was different. This was so different it couldn't even be considered the same act. She lay limp and gasping. She couldn't believe he hadn't come yet. She'd suspected he would be great in bed. He was a passionate man, but this had exceeded all her expectations and even her fantasies. He stopped, smiled. She wondered if maybe he was done. Perhaps he had come and she'd missed it being so consumed with her own climax. Then he pulled out and her eyes widened in delight. He was still hard! She opened her mouth and he laid his finger over her mouth. "Be right back, relax." He went into the bathroom and returned with a glass of water. His arm slipped under her shoulders and he propped her up while she gulped the water. He chuckled, "Easy now." She took a breather and then drank the rest of the glass. "More?" he asked. She shook her head no. He left and returned with another full glass, setting it on the bedside table. He propped up above her again, lifting her legs over his hips. Her limbs ached deliciously and she felt languid and dreamy. She looked down to find him stroking himself back to full hardness and was surprised to feel arousal flush through her body at the sight of it. He must have lost some of his fullness while walking back and forth. 'Who the hell else would stop and make sure I don't dehydrate?' she wondered. She honestly didn't know how much more she could take. She must have come at least six or seven times already. "Incredible, Mulder. This is so incredible," she mumbled. He leaned down and kissed her gently, and then guided his cock, hard once again, back inside her. She grunted and he raised her legs a bit and then pushed deeply, stretching her cervix over the head of his cock. They both groaned. "No one's ever filled me like this, Mulder." He smiled at her and began stroking again. It was as if he were just starting out. He seem energized by his little break and she figured he must have drank some water while in the bathroom, himself. She was nearly crying with the intensity of the situation and the weariness in her bones. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "No one will ever love you like I do, Scully. No one." "No one's ever loved me like this, Mulder." He growled deep in his chest and gruffly said, "Do you know how fucking sexy it is to hear you scream when you come? Huh? Do you have any idea what that does to me?" "Oh God," she huffed out, whimpering now with every thrust as she felt herself building back up to her former level of arousal. She couldn't even thrust her hips anymore but he didn't seem to mind. His hand came up to grasp her nipple gently. She gasped again as he rolled it gently and then pinched hard as he rammed inside her. The combination sent her head spinning. "Oh! Whoa!" she cried out. He did it again. "Oh my ... aaaaaawwwwwww, no. Oh no, Mulder. Not again. Oh god, you're gonna make me come again. Oh no, I can't take it. I can't take it. I'm gonna die, it feels so good. Don't stop! It hurts but it feels so good." He chuckled, knowing she didn't want him to stop, knowing that she was just overwhelmed by the intensity of her arousal. Hell, he was overwhelmed. Her multiple orgasms had loosened her somewhat but she was still incredibly snug. Her muscles were quivering against his shaft and it felt like he had his dick in a vibrator. He slowed again from his faster pace, and began pausing again after pulling out. 'Same rhythm, Mulder. Same as before, Mulder', he chanted to himself. 'Make her come again. Make her come.' He balanced on one forearm, taking his weight. The other hand squeezed her plump breast and his fingers pinched her nipple in time with his hard, pummeling strokes that butted his throbbing cock head against her tight muscle and stretched it till it burned. He drew a whimper of pain from her and eased his grip on her nipple but kept twisting and pinching gently. Her vocalizations were now whimpers of pleasure and he knew she was close again. He didn't know where his stamina was coming from. He'd never lasted this long in his life. It had to be the woman he was with, Scully, his beautiful, sexy Scully. He began babbling as he felt himself going to the next level. He wasn't going to be able to keep this up. "I'm gonna fuck you stupid, till you don't even know your own name anymore. You love it when I play with your nipples don't you?" He groaned. "Oh your walls are shuddering on my cock, baby. Fuck, it feels so good. I've never fucked anyone like this in my life. It's cause it's you. Gotta be because its you!" He continued his demanding strokes into her clutching cunt, pushing her deeper into pleasure than she had ever gone before, until it was nearly unbearable. She hung there at the edge of unbearable ecstasy. Her cries echoed in his ears as she climaxed again, feeling the soreness of her muscles and the burning exquisite pleasure as he filled her to the limit over and over. He was like an animal, totally lost in the act, filling her with his thickness, until her mind told her she would rip open. Instead, her body would surrender to pleasure and she could once again feel ecstasy coiling in the pit of her belly, that ethereal sensation that told her she was going to be pushed over the edge again. Her orgasms were driving him crazy with need and against his will, he finally had to speed up. He looked down at her in amazement. She was wild and flushed with lust, hair spilling across the pillow, yet she still looked innocent and proper. He wanted to see her veneer of control crack, and know that he was the one that had hammered it down. These thoughts surprised and excited him at the same time. He began thrusting faster, not even realizing he was doing it. His thoughts raced as his hips began automatically pistoning into her and he began babbling again. He'd always used running or other physical activity to transcend from his conscious self and reach a plane of consciousness where he could experience pure thought and solve unsolvable puzzles. Now, he felt himself detaching from his conscious self. Instead of pure thought, he was experiencing pure emotion. It was euphoria. His motions were hypnotic. In the back of mind, the word 'Tantric' floated across his mind. He had never reached this plane of consciousness through anything but running. Now he was experiencing an even more intense form of being. He should have known sex with Scully would take him places he had never gone before. His thoughts turned inward, leaking from his lips. "Jesus, Scully. Gonna fuck your tiny, grasping cunt forever. You're mine now. Claiming you as mine. All that control, all that righteousness. It's mine now. Give it to me. Trust me with it all. Let go, let go, let go of it!" he muttered. Her eyes widened as his thoughts tumbled from his lips. It started to piss her off. He wanted to break her down, control her. As quickly as her anger rose, it dissipated. She realized how she must have appeared to him all these years, rigid and unapproachable. It dawned on her that as cerebral and civilized as Mulder was he was still a man with an ego, one that was extremely turned on by her loss of the control that had hidden her love from him for years. Even though he wanted to tear down her defenses and have her surrender her control, she felt safe with Mulder as she never had in any of her prior relationships. She freely gave up that last, little bit of control. It was the bit that allowed her to maintain rational thought. She became crazed, going mad with love and lust for this man, this passion-filled giant, this fucking machine ramming her with his giant phallus as he declared the depths of his need and love and desire for her. She let go of a blood-curdling scream as she orgasmed again. 'How many was that?' She realized she had lost count. That was the last coherent thought she had. Vaguely, she still registered the words he muttered under his breath. His eyes were glazed with a look of such ecstatic pleasure, it made her shiver. "God, so deep in you. I'm never leaving. Love you, Scully. So sorry, baby. Can't help it. Gonna fuck you till you can barely walk. Want you to feel the ghost of my cock in you for days. "Awwwwwww, uuuuuhhhhhhhh," was her only response. "Ready, baby? Read for another one?" She whimpered, "Mul ... nnooohhhooooo. Not yyeehhheettt." "Oh yeah, give it to me," he growled. His hand slipped from her nipple to her clitoris and he pinched it gently. She wailed, gripping his shaft again as her walls spasmed in yet another dazzling release. "Yes, yes, come on. Just watching my cock disappear inside you drives me crazy. Oh fuck, you're PULSING on my cock, Scully." A sudden thought occurred to him, and before he could censor himself, he blurted it out. "Scully, anybody ever fucked you in the ass?" She groaned like she was dying, his words touching on one of her most secret fantasies and inflaming her. "No!" she gasped. "You're so wet, Scully. Oh fuck. I can picture it, baby." She groaned again, fear and excitement warring within her. He sped up, the mental picture spurring him along. He felt his balls tighten and pull up against his shaft. Then he shouted, "Fuck, Baby, I'm coming!" She moaned as her walls fluttered against him again, too tired to respond as he shot his cum into her in several harsh strokes. He collapsed on top of her, panting. They stayed that way for a while, as she somehow found the energy to tenderly stroke him from his head down as far as she could reach. He eventually realized he was probably crushing her and when he finally caught his breath, he moved off of her. She hissed as he retreated. XXXXXXXXXX END OF NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX He opened his eyes and stared at her. She hadn't moved anything but her arms for many minutes. His smile slid away from his face and he said, "I didn't hurt you, did I?" "No," she whispered. "It was awfully intense though." "It was beyond intense. I think mind-bending is a better term. Jesus, Scully. It was unbelievable. It was like I transcended my body. The only thing that's ever even come close is a runner's high, but this was so much more than that. It was ... spiritual." She smiled and reached out to run the backs of her fingers down his face. He sighed. "I'm sorry I said all those things, Scully. I don't know what got into me. I'm not usually so crude." She let out a tired chuckle. "Don't worry about it. I understood. If I'd been able to speak, I would have been shouting obscenities myself." "Oh yeah?" he asked in a teasing voice. "Yeah, but you fucked me speechless," she quipped. He laughed then, giddy with happiness. He reached out and towed her limp body to his, curling her into his side with her head on his shoulder. "Wanna shower?" he asked. "Nah, too tired to stand up. It may be an issue tomorrow, too." He chuckled again and then groaned as he sat up. "I'm not 20 anymore either," he said, ruefully. "Where are you going?" she mumbled. "To the bathroom to pee. I shall return with warm washcloth in hand, m'lady," he joked. She smiled at him. "Okay, you big stud," she said quietly. His chuckle was the last thing she heard as he disappeared through the door. She was asleep before the bathroom door shut. When he returned two minutes later, with a warm, wet washcloth in hand, she was out like a light. He grinned and sat down next to her. He carefully washed her between her legs and up her backside. He went back to the bathroom and returned with a second cloth he used to wipe her face and neck of the dried sweat. She hummed and licked her lips in her sleep. Then she sighed and he thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He tossed the washcloth back into the bathroom sink and then crawled into bed with her, carefully jostling her until she was under the covers. He pulled her tightly against him and closed his eyes, feeling sleep tug at him, and his muscles begin to burn. Oh, he was going to pay tomorrow. XXXXXXXXXX BATON ROUGE POLICE PRECINCT BATON ROUGE, LA LATE AFTERNOON They checked in with Lt. Penreth, telling him nothing of their adventures in the Bayou. They told him they would have more to report after the autopsies were done on the latest victims. The coroner had gladly handed responsibility for the six autopsies over to Scully. She was heading over there to do them later. First, however, they were going to pay a visit to a few citizens of this great city and see what they could find. Scully refused to let Mulder go on his own while she did autopsies. They agreed that this was too weird and too much was unknown for them to take the chance of being separated. As they turned to leave, Penreth said, "You two have a rough night?" Mulder turned back to face him, seeing Scully blush. "Excuse me?" "You're both walking funny. Wondered if you got in a fight or something." "Or something," Mulder said, and turned to resume walking out, his hand on Scully's back. He was chuckling as they exited the building. They both burst out laughing as they made their way to the car. They slid inside and he started the engine. They sat there laughing for a few moments until they finally got their mirth under control. "Ready?" Mulder asked. "Let's go hunt us some werewolves," she quipped. "Bring it on, partner," he replied. THE END. TO BE CONTINUED IN "WAR OF THE LEGENDS 2".