Incarnations of Immortality
By The Bear!
Disclaimer: See Prologue
Natalie stood near the top of the stairs to the roof above LaCroix’s
quarters. She was waiting for Mulder
to come down. Her feelings were in
turmoil. Nick had brought Dana
across. He was Dana’s master.
There was a level of intimacy there that she was uncomfortable with.
She wasn’t jealous per se, but she was new to her intimate relationship
with Nick, and didn’t really want to share him.
On the other hand, she really liked Dana, and wasn’t entirely
displeased with the thought of closer ties to her, and to Mulder.
Mulder was the reason she was standing here.
First thirst had come and gone without incident, and Mulder had been
allowed to see Dana afterwards. That
had been several hours ago and when Dana went back to sleep, Mulder had gone off
with LaCroix to deal with ‘him’. She
was uncomfortable with what Mulder was doing right now.
She had heard the screams as the sun rose about 10 minutes ago.
She was somewhat concerned that Mulder- a cop essentially- was an active
participant in a murder. Sort of.
This was vampire justice, and she knew when she had discovered vampire
kills in the past, that this was the justice meted out to those offenders.
Not for the killing, but for being caught.
This was The Community she wanted to join.
Not for the first time she wondered what she was getting herself into.
In the end, however, she knew that one couldn’t judge all vampires by
the actions of a few. And the harsh
Code that governed them wasn’t really the final authority on what a
vampire’s life was like- God gave free will to mortals and vampires alike.
Her musings were interrupted when the door opened and Mulder came down the
stairs. “Feel better?” she
asked, somewhat more sharply than she had intended.
Mulder looked at her for a moment. He
saw the uncertainty in her eyes, the chagrin at her tone towards him.
“If a hunter killed Nick, and I put you in a room with the hunter
chained up, handed you a knife and shut the door, what would I find when I
opened the door again?”
“I’m sorry, Mulder. That
was unfair of me.” Natalie said,
head hanging.
“If it is any consolation, I don’t feel good.
But, I have to admit- I do feel better.”
Natalie changed the subject, “Nick asked me to talk to you a little
about this whole thing. I know you
believed in vampires before, but it’s a little different to find out that your
partner, the woman you love, is suddenly one.”
She stared at him while she continued, “Then there is the whole
master/fledgling relationship.”
“Explain that to me.” Mulder
said, suddenly wary.
Natalie led Mulder down the stairs and into the now-silent club.
She sat down in a chair at one of the tables and took a deep breath.
“First, Mulder, let me tell you that Nick is not like other vampires.
When Dana is adequately trained, he will release her to do as she sees
fit. He will not stand between the
two of you. However, you will not be
able to see her without him present for at least a week, maybe two, depending on
how quick a study she is,” Natalie took another deep breath and rushed ahead,
“and, frankly, on how much you interfere.”
“Why would I interfere?” Mulder said, darkly.
“What is going to happen that would make me want to?”
“This is difficult for me as well, Mulder.
Honestly, I don’t like the thought of sharing Nick with anybody.
Even Dana.”
“What do you mean ‘sharing’,” Mulder asked with a dangerous look
in his eyes.
“When Nick brought her across he formed a link with her.
In order to strengthen that link, which will be necessary for him to
train her quickly, they will have to exchange blood.
They call it a bloodkiss, and while not inherently sexual, it is very
intimate. Nick said he could feel her intense loyalty to you as well as her love
for you when he brought her across. If
Dana feels that you’re jealous, she may resist the exchange and that could
have serious, negative repercussions on her training, and therefore her ability
to integrate into The Community and human society as well.”
Mulder wasn’t too happy at the thought of Knight and Scully in a
‘bloodkiss’ whether it was overtly sexual or not.
Natalie saw the emotion play on his face and quickly continued.
There is good news, Mulder. Nick
says she seems remarkably well adjusted to the change, especially given the
complications of dual masters and her inherent skepticism.
Mulder smiled at that. “I
imagine what she would have said last week if I had told her that not only are
vampires real, but by this time next week, you will have joined their ranks.”
“Two weeks won’t last forever, Mulder.”
“No, it will just seem like forever.”
“It will be worth the wait, I guarantee you.”
“What do you mean by that, Natalie?”
Mulder asked.
Natalie blushed slightly, “Well… When I said the bloodkiss wasn’t
inherently sexual…”
Mulder growled, “Yes?”
“Well,
it isn’t. But when it is done
between two people who love each other, during…
Well…”
Natalie’s blush deepened to the point that Mulder could almost feel the
heat rolling off of her. “That
good, huh?” he asked, grinning madly.
“Whew, Definitely!” she responded.
“Is it dangerous? What do I
need to, you know, do- like, anything special?”
Mulder asked, clearly unsure of how to broach the subject.
“Just make sure she is very well fed beforehand so she doesn’t drain
you.” Natalie looked at her watch,
“Look, you should go back to the hotel and get some sleep.
She isn’t going to wake up before sundown, and would probably
appreciate some clean clothes when she does.
I’ll call you a Cab, ok?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back tonight before sundown.
We need to try and see that guy that was in the bar tonight anyway.”
“I’d almost forgotten all about the case.
We may want to bring Nick’s partner in on this.
Nick is going to be kind of tied up with Dana for a while.”
Natalie said.
“Does she know?” Mulder
asked.
“She knows about vampires, she is dating one in fact.
She doesn’t know about Nick specifically, however.”
Natalie smiled. “I don’t
envy Nick when he tells her. She is
going to be pissed!”
========== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ==========
Mulder had brought Scully’s luggage with him when he returned, about an
hour before sunset. He had just
finished lugging it up to the room Scully was staying in.
He went back down to the club, where Nick, Natalie, and LaCroix were
lounging as Miklos, Alma and a few others were setting up the place for opening
at 8 p.m.
Mulder joined the trio and asked what they had been discussing.
“We were considering how best to approach our ‘mystery guest’ from
last night.” Nick said. “I think
Natalie is right, we should bring
“It is high time she joined us in any case.
Certain people in high places were becoming aware of the Spaniard’s
indiscretion. Decision time is
nearly upon her.” LaCroix said.
“They would force her to come across?”
Natalie asked, somewhat shocked.
“She will be given the standard three choices, Natalie.”
LaCroix said. “When the
elders gather here for the solstice next year, all such mortal confidants in the
“Conlectio Cruoris is in
“Not so far as I am aware,” LaCroix answered.
“You should speak to him; perhaps have him bring his pet to us for a
formal introduction.” LaCroix
smiled at the thought.
“I think you might want to tell her that you’re a vampire, first,
Nick.” Natalie said.
“She is going to be pissed off as it is, and you don’t want her
reacting during a ‘formal introduction’ to the elder of
“Yes. Tonight, I think.”
Nick said.
Mulder had remained silent during all of this.
He was suddenly less concerned with solving the mystery of the
swordfighters than he was concerned about Scully.
He had only been able to speak to her briefly last night after her
change, but she had been somewhat withdrawn from him.
He refused to allow this change to separate them.
He would gladly become a vampire if that’s what it took.
They would have to leave the FBI, but they would survive.
He had quite a bit of money from his inheritance when his mother had
died, plus several houses he could sell. They
wouldn’t suffer for money.
More than anything, he wanted to be with Scully.
Everything else came second- including his quest for the truth about his
sister. She was his past, and he
wanted to know the truth, but Scully was his present and his future.
“Scully comes first. Now
and always,” he thought with resolve. “Now,
how to convince her of that?” he wondered.
He was startled out of his reverie when Nick laid his hand on Mulder’s
arm, “She is starting to wake up, Mulder.
Do you want to go see her?” Nick
asked.
“Can I?” Mulder asked.
He was worried, not for his safety but for her emotional state if she
attacked him in hunger.
Nick reassured him, “You can bring her breakfast, Mulder.
I will remain right outside the door in case there is any problem.”
Mulder was suddenly struck with how much these two were giving up to help
him and Scully. This should have
been Natalie that Nick was caring for and training.
Their own lives were put on hold so that they could take care of Scully.
“Nick, Natalie. I’m sorry
that I didn’t say thank you last night. I
know you guys are giving up a lot to help us out here, and I want you to know
how much I appreciate it. I can’t
thank you enough.” Mulder turned
to LaCroix, “And to you, Sir. Thank
you for generously sharing your home with Scully and myself.
And thank you for this morning.” He
bowed his head slightly toward the master vampire.
LaCroix liked this young man. His
woman as well. “They will make
fine additions to my extended family,” he thought.
He even toyed with the thought of bringing Mulder across himself.
He was thinking that it might serve to further bind his son to him if he
could give him a brother to be the mate of Nick’s new childé. “It
“Come on, Mulder,” Nick said, getting up and walking toward the stairs
with him following close behind.
Natalie has watched the exchange between Mulder and LaCroix with narrowed
eyes. She waited until the two men
had gone up the stairs before commenting. “You’re
considering bringing him across yourself, aren’t you?” she saw confirmation
in the slight look of surprise on his face.
“I hope you will let him choose for himself,” she said softly as she
got up and followed her fiancée and Mulder.
“Yes, she will make an excellent grandchild.”
LaCroix said to himself. “If
Dana has even half of her potential, my family is going to be a force to be
reckoned with,” he thought with satisfaction.
========== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ==========
Scully woke up alone. She
stretched out on the bed and thought for a moment, trying to figure out where
she was. Just as the thirst hit her,
all the memories came crashing down. “I’m
a vampire,” she whispered out loud. She
could hear whispering outside of her door as clearly as if they had been
shouting. Nick was telling someone
to speak softly, explaining about her heightened senses, and that he should be
careful of over-stimulation. She
could hear one heartbeat outside the door, and suddenly knew that it must be
Mulder. Ohhh, she was hungry.
But this time it wasn’t quite as consuming as when she had awakened
after the change last night. At that
point she would have already been up and through the door, her teeth at
Mulder’s throat.
There was a hesitant knock at the door, and she said, “Come in,
Mulder.”
He came in wearing a shy smile and carrying three bottles.
He handed her one and the smell of blood coming out of it was
overpowering. Any thought of
moderation or politeness was wiped away as she tipped up the bottle and downed
it in one long draught. The second
bottle quickly followed and she was part way through the third before she was
able to slow down long enough for speech. “Sorry
about that,” she said, embarrassed by her behavior.
“Nick says that it’s normal for a new fledgling to do that.
He said it would pass quickly and you will gain control over your
hunger.” Mulder said quietly.
“Oh. That’s something to
look forward to, I guess.” Scully
felt herself withdraw a little.
Mulder could see the walls between them being rebuilt after only so
recently being torn down. It felt
like a boulder was dropped on his chest, and his heart was being crushed.
He dropped to his knees before the woman he loved with every fiber of his
being. “Please, Scully! Don’t do
this. I’ll die if you leave me
again.” Mulder choked back a sob,
“I love you Scully. I need you.
Please don’t shut me out.”
Scully felt like glass. She
didn’t believe he could still love her like this.
She wasn’t the same person she had been when she woke up in his arms
yesterday. “How can you love me,
Mulder? I’m not even human
anymore,” she said, her voice brittle.
Nick came in at that moment. He
was angry with her for thinking that, mostly because it was the same
addle-brained sentiment he had foolishly lived under for centuries.
Miserable centuries. His
anger lashed out at her through their link and snapped her out of her despair.
“I lived like that for centuries, Dana, and I have finally given up on
my self-pity. I’ll be damned if I
will allow my childé to wallow in wretched misery!”
He fairly roared in anger. “I
want this fixed now! I won’t train
a depressed, moody vampire!”
Scully shrank back at the anger she felt in her mind from Nick.
From her master. She was
getting an instant education in the meaning of the word master.
To say that she was cowed was an understatement.
All of that power she had only glimpsed yesterday was back and was
whipping her down like an errant school child.
She dropped to her knees next to Mulder, facing Nick, “How, Sir?” she
whispered, eyes down.
Nick instantly cooled. He
would not act like his master had, and he would make sure his childé would not
act like he had been forced to. “Stand
up Dana,” he said.
She jumped to her feet, but kept her eyes down, looking at Mulder who was
shocked at her submissiveness.
“Look at me Dana,” Nick commanded.
Meeting her gaze he said, “I am your maker.
I will be your teacher. It is
important that you obey me while we are conducting your training.
However, you’re not my slave. You’re
a student and you have much to learn, but I would prefer your respect, not fear.
And call me Nick.”
Scully relaxed ever so slightly, “Ok, Nick.”
“Now then, lets get rid of this attitude you have developed- you’re
still human, Dana, just not mortal any longer.
You will only give up your humanity and become a monster if you choose to
do so. I don’t see you doing that,
any more than you would have if you had remained mortal.
The only inherent changes you have made are the sensitivity to sunlight,
garlic, and a change in diet. Think
of it like a severe allergy, not an infection of evil.
And, there are compensations for these deficiencies, I assure you.”
Scully didn’t look convinced, but neither was she retreating into her
shell of despondency.
Mulder stood up as Nick asked him, “Do you still love her?”
Mulder answered without hesitation. “More
than anything or anyone else, ever.”
Nick continued, “Do you trust her?”
“Absolutely” Mulder said.
Nick looked at Scully. “Do
you love him?”
She dropped her eyes and whispered, “Yes.”
Nick continued, “But you don’t believe that he can still love you as
you are, correct?”
She just nodded her head slowly.
Mulder groaned, “Oh, Scully.”
Nick stopped him short, “Words won’t do, Mulder.
Are you willing to do what it takes to prove it to her, and at the same
time prove to yourself that she still loves you?”
Again, Mulder didn’t hesitate, “Anything.
I already told you, Nick. I
will do *anything* to have her in my life.”
“Go get me 3 more bottles, Mulder. Now.”
Mulder hurried downstairs to get more blood.
Nick turned to Scully and said, “Drink the rest of that one,”
indicating the bottle she held in her hand.
She finished off the bottle and asked, “What will you make him do?”
“This is one of those times that I will require your obedience.
You will have to trust me to help you.”
Nick said.
Mulder returned with the bottles, out of breath as he had run both ways.
Nick commanded Scully, “Drink them all.
Now.” He then watched as
she downed each of them, one right after the other.
Nick then said to Mulder, “Give me your hand.”
Mulder blinked once and then stuck out his arm toward Nick.
Nick turned to Scully, “Now, bite his wrist, and drink from him and you
will each have the knowledge you need.” When
Scully hesitated he said, “If necessary, I will make sure you stop before you
take too much Dana.” He then said
with a strong tone of command, “Do it now.”
Scully moved over to Mulder’s wrist, gently taking his hand from Nick.
She could sense the flow of his blood beneath the thin skin on the inside
of his wrist. The colors around her
began to gain a green luminescence and she could hear the rapid beating of
Mulder’s heart. She could smell
his blood now; it perfumed the air before her.
She looked into Mulder’s eyes, seeking permission.
She saw love and trust in his eyes. “You
smell like cardamom, Mulder,” she whispered softly, returning her eyes to his
wrist. She felt an ache in her gums
as her fangs descended fully for the first time.
“Do it!” Nick commanded through their link.
Despite all of the blood she had ingested moments ago, she felt a fresh
hunger spring up in her then. She
quickly pulled his wrist to her mouth and bit down.
Her first thought was that it was like biting into a ripe peach, his
blood came quicker than she expected and a little bit came out around her lips
and dripped down her chin. Then the
taste of his blood filled her senses, deliciously warm, incredibly rich, and
heady with the perfume of cardamom. As
she swallowed the first mouthful the link was established.
What she felt next wiped out any doubts she could have ever had.
Mulder felt the sharp sting of Scully’s fangs in his wrist and was
almost immediately overcome with a surge of emotion.
Scully’s emotion. She loved
him desperately, needed him, adored him and cherished him.
She was terrified that he would leave her now, repulsed by what she had
become. His own fear and despair
that she would move on, leaving him behind now that she had become so much more,
seemed silly to him now. She could
never leave him as long as he wanted her. He
felt a sense of relief and joy that flooded through him like standing in a warm
shower after being out in the icy cold for too long- almost painful in its
overpowering pleasure. He also began
to feel just a bit light headed, whether from relief or blood-loss, he wasn’t
sure.
“Stupid, I am so stupid!” Scully
thought as the link was established. She
had really expected to find rejection in Mulder’s blood.
Well, she wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from this experience,
really, but she had convinced herself that she was unlovable as a vampire.
She had been so afraid that he didn’t want her anymore that she
momentarily thought it was her own fear flooding her mouth.
She quickly realized that it was Mulder’s fear she tasted.
He was worried that she didn’t need him any more, now that she was
‘so much more’ than she had been. “Oh
Mulder, I could never leave you,” she thought.
“There is no ‘me’ apart from you.”
Nick was about to intervene when Scully felt Mulder’s weakness.
She pulled away from his wrist so abruptly that more blood dripped down
her face, staining the blouse LaCroix had loaned her.
His daughter’s, he’d told her.
Through their link Nick gently instructed her on what to do, and Scully
carefully licked the wounds on Mulder’s wrist until they scabbed over.
Her heart was full of the love Mulder had for her.
She was filled with joy and tears were running down her face.
Mulder opened his eyes- he hadn’t even realized that he had closed them-
and looked at the face of the woman he loved.
Her mouth and chin were covered in his blood and tracks of blood ran down
her face from her eyes, which were still luminous green.
Her lips were parted and he could see a little of her fangs.
It was the sweetest, most beautiful, and downright sexy sight he had ever
laid eyes on. He swept her up into
his embrace and captured her mouth with his own.
Kissing her thoroughly. The
taste of his own blood did nothing to calm his ardor.
This time Nick did intervene. “Enough,
you two! Mulder, you’re not quite
ready to donate again. Scully, you
need more control before you’re ready for that.”
He looked sternly at them as they separated slightly.
“Don’t push this too far, too fast, or you will have a tragedy on
your hands.” He shook his head,
“Two weeks at most, I promise. Less
if you diligently apply yourself, Dana.”
Mulder looked down at Scully and smiled.
“We waited 7 years…”
“We can make it two weeks,” Scully finished, smiling up at him.
========== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ==========
They had decided that Scully wasn’t really ready for the Raven when it
was packed with mortals, so the four of them went back to Nick’s loft.
LaCroix was going to speak to Vachon about the
“So what are we going to do about the headhunter thing, Nick?”
Natalie asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“I thought you and Mulder and Tracy could go look up the guy from the
bar. You could take Vachon as
backup, and LaCroix has one of his bouncers watching him as well.
It should be safe enough.” Nick
said.
“You aren’t coming?” Natalie
asked.
“Dana needs to start her training. We
cannot put it off, even for this.” Nick
turned from his fiancée to his new childé and continued, “You have a lot of
potential, Dana. Really.
Most new fledglings are unable to even see a mortal this soon, let alone
be in their close proximity for an extended period of time.”
He fixed his gaze firmly on hers and continued sternly, “However, if we
put off your training, you will not survive.
Even now, you feel the pull to hunt, don’t you?”
Scully dropped her head in shame and nodded.
“Don’t be ashamed of it, Dana, be aware of it.
We will work together and you will learn to control it.
Even now, you feel it, but you obviously don’t feel compelled to act on
it. That’s what I mean by
potential. A normal fledgling would
be unable to keep from doing so.” Nick
said.
Scully looked hopeful.
“You still need training, though. If
you were dropped into the middle of a crowd right now, or if something happened
to make you feel threatened, or even if you just got a little too hungry, you
would be tearing into the nearest mortal you could get your hands on- even
Mulder.” Nick said seriously.
The other three all blanched at that.
“So,” he continued, “be patient.
Be diligent.”
Just then the sound of the lift engaging rang out.
Nick went from Master Vampire, to a scared little boy as he realized
“Bring a bottle for my daughter, if you would dear.”
Nick said just for the humorous effect.
Natalie and Mulder laughed and Scully stuck her tongue out at him.
“Gee thanks, Dad,” she said, causing Mulder and Natalie to laugh out
loud, and even Nick smiled.
“Sit down
“Yes, we met briefly Saturday night.”
She looked at the two agents; they looked a little worn out.
Agent Scully looked even paler than she had the other night.
“Please, call me Tracy,” she said as they both welcomed her by her
title.
“I’m Dana” Scully said.
“Actually, everyone just calls me Mulder,” Mulder said.
“Is this about that decapitated corpse, Nick?”
“Yes,
“What is it Nick?”
Nick couldn’t really think of a good way to broach the subject gently or
easily so he decided on the direct approach.
He looked her straight in the eye and said, “
Nick was stunned. He just sat
there, slack-jawed. Of all the
possible reactions he had imagined, this wasn’t even close to being one of
them. “Huh?
How…”
Natalie immediately began screaming in laughter, tears pouring down her
face. Mulder was laughing out loud
as well. Scully had her hands over
her mouth trying not to laugh at her master, given that she could feel his
annoyance through their link, and didn’t quite feel brave enough to exacerbate
it.
If
Nick could have blushed, his face would be on fire.
“How long…”
“That whole sun allergy thing was pretty fishy before I knew about
vampires. After I met Vachon… well
it was pretty obvious.” She
paused, “You two do know each other, don’t you?
I mean how could you not, right? How
many vampires are there in
“Enough Trace!” Nick broke
through the steady stream-of-consciousness pouring forth.
“I get the point.” Nick
chuckled at his own cluelessness and looked at the other three.
Mulder was wiping the tears from his eyes, Natalie had her head down
between her knees trying to catch her breath; she had laughed so hard.
His ‘daughter’ still had her hands clasped firmly over her mouth,
unshed bloodtears welling in her eyes. He
felt through their link and saw that it was only the fact that she was refusing
to breath at all that was keeping her from joining Natalie in her hysterics.
“So what is the deal then, Nick?”
Nick went on to explain what they had really seen in the alley, including
the facts that didn’t make the official report.
He told her about the fight on the rooftop, and the guy at the bar.
He left off the part about LaCroix and just said a vamp had killed him a
long time ago, and he was still alive and not a vampire.
“So you think this guy you saw in the Raven might be like the guy you
fought on the roof?”
“It is a possibility, yes.” Nick
replied.
“And you want us to go talk to him, right?”
“Well… you, Mulder and Nat, anyway.”
Nick replied.
Nick looked at Scully, “Up to you,” he said through the link.
Scully looked a bit sheepish, “Ahh, I’m not exactly allowed out in
public… not just yet anyway,” she said, glancing at Nick the entire time.
It only took
“Vachon told you about the code? Good.
That leads us to the next topic. Vachon
should be here anytime now. You and
he have something to discuss. Something
important.” Nick said.
========== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ==========
The subject of their discussion was just leaving the Raven.
Javier Vachon was more afraid right now than he had been since he was
brought across, almost 470 years ago. Not
long ago he would have cut and run, rather than let himself get involved with a
Code conflict and the Conlectio Cruoris of the Council of Elders.
“
When LaCroix told him that
========== X-FILES ========== FOREVER KNIGHT ========== HIGHLANDER ==========