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This author's e-mail address has changed to: alasdair.mclean@ntlworld.com
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Author's Notes:-

        Written by Alasdair T. McLean using characters created by 
Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen productions. No copyright infringement 
or  offence is intended.  The characters of Will McCormack, Jeanette 
Montaigne, Steve Wolfe ...etcetera, etcetera ah hell, they're all mine 
anyway.  Mike's Place appears courtesy of Sarah Johnson <ralgw@wco.com> 
and is used with her permission.
        A tip of the hat is also due the creators of the first Batman 
movie, and Jack Nicholson for his performance as the Joker.  Another big 
tip of the hat is due to Mercedes Lackey who introduced me to the
concept of a Guardian.
        If you enjoy this tell me..
        For that matter, if you don't enjoy it tell me as well ... 
But, please, tell me what it was you didn't like, eh?
        This is set just after Vacation II.

Warnings:-

        None.  This is a straight X-File with no MSR, very little UST, 
and nothing remotely NC-17. . Help me, I'm being deluged in 
acronyms here! <grin>

Summary:- 

        When the Special Investigator based at the British Embassy 
in Washington DC is murdered by a serial killer Will McCormack is 
dispatched to investigate.  Assistant Director Skinner assigns Agents 
Mulder and Scully to assist him, but there is one small problem: the 
investigating agent is Tom Colton.

X - Files
Colton's Ladder - Part I
by
Alasdair T. McLean
<mcleana@btinternet.com>

Scully: Is this what it takes to climb the ladder?
Colton: All the way to the top.
Scully: Then I can't wait until you fall off and land on your ass. 

11:20pm.
Outside the apartment of Alyson McFedries.
Washington, D.C..

        Alyson looked at her watch in disgust, partly because she 
could barely read the watch under the street-lamps' glow, but mostly 
because she was annoyed that she had to stay late at the embassy to 
finish up a report for Admiral Miles.  The head of Section 10 had 
requested a detailed report on the recent activities of the individual
that 
Special Agent Mulder knew as Cancer Man.  Ignoring the pleasant 
warmth that always accompanied thinking of the American agent 
whom she'd met only a few times, Alyson, the Special Investigator in 
charge of U.S. Affairs mentally went over her report once more, 
deciding for the tenth time that night that it had been as complete as
it 
was going to get - that she had missed nothing out.
        Ascending the steps to her apartment she felt the hairs on the 
back of her neck rise, and a whispering presence on the edge of her 
psi-senses.  Long experience having taught her that, in her line of 
work, paranoia was often anything but, she reacted the instant she felt 
the first twinges of danger.  Dropping into a crouch even as she spun 
herself around, her eyes scanning the almost deserted street for any 
signs of a threat.
        Apart from a lone jogger who she recognized from her own 
runs through the neighborhood the street was empty.
        She remained where she was, her eyes scanning continuously 
until she was alone in the street.
        She was alone when she turned to unlock her door.  So why 
did she feel that the danger had not passed.
        Even when she was inside her apartment she still felt uneasy.  
Almost as if Death herself were near, she thought to herself.
        "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale 
moonlight?"
        When she heard the rasping voice behind her she spun, 
reacting instinctively by drawing her weapon and bringing it to bear on
....
 nothing.
        The room was empty.
        "You've met my ex-husband then?" her voice was level with 
a calm she did not feel as she tried to draw him out, in the vain hope 
that he would make a mistake.  She stifled the rising fear she felt when 
she realized that her psi-senses detected no-one else in the room.
        "How amusing."
        And then, from the shadows behind her, a man slowly, 
silently stalked forwards.  He reached out towards her with one hand.
        When he touched her she started to scream as if her very soul 
was being ripped from her body.

9:34am.

        "Another one, Colton, that makes six so far this month," 
Sam Albecker looked down at the outline of the woman's body on the 
carpet, "Skinner's not going to be a happy puppy."
        Tom Colton rubbed his forehead wearily, *This is worse than 
the Tooms case,* he thought to himself, *that was embarrassing.*  It had 
been bad enough that Scully had brought her loony-toon partner along 
when he had requested her assistance on that one, but when they had 
actually solved the case by identifying Eugene Tooms as the murderer 
- after Colton had let the man go ..
        They had made a fool of him.  The two outcasts of the 
Bureau:  Spooky Mulder and the Ice-Queen.
        And now he had another case that was 'out there'.  Six 
victims, all killed in their own homes, all with no signs of forced
entry, 
and all with no visible cause of death.  The only thing that each victim 
had in common, apart from the fact that the coroner could find no 
reason for them to have died, was a strange discolouration in what 
looked like the shape of a hand on some part of their upper body, 
usually the neck or shoulders.  Almost as if someone had held them 
and then somehow .. What?
        Colton shook his head, If I start thinking like that I won't be 
any better than those two.
        If I can solve this, he thought to himself, I could make 
Supervisory Special Agent.  Another step up the ladder.  With that 
thought he turned to his partner and with even more care and attention 
began the hunt for any clues that would lead to the killer being caught.
        
2:14pm
Assistant Director Skinner's office. 

        "Special Investigator McCormack," Walter Skinner rose to 
his feet and shook hands with the young-looking man who had just 
walked into his office, "How are things in Scotland?"  He motioned 
for the Scot to sit down in the chair available.  Skinner regarded the 
man across from him.  Will McCormack was slender, and of average 
height.  His unremarkable appearance seemed to put people at ease, 
and enable him to simply blend in with the background.  In fact, if 
Skinner had not read the file on him that had been supplied by the 
British embassy he would have taken Will as being a college student - 
he looked as if he couldn't be older than twenty-two years old at the 
most.
        It was probably that ability to blend into the background that 
made him such a good investigator, he mused as he watched the Scot.
        "Quiet, for once actually," Will said, noticing that Skinner 
had a window open, but despite that the office still stank of Morely's 
cigarettes.
        "So, I got the message telling me to expect you.  What can I 
do for you?" Skinner leaned forward, curious as to why Will was 
Stateside.
        "Last night one of Section 10's operatives was killed.  Alyson 
McFedries.  She was in charge of our operations in the U.S."  Will 
began, "It appears that she was murdered by a serial killer, and as such 
her case falls under Federal jurisdiction."
        Skinner nodded, understanding at once why Will was there, 
"And you've been ordered to investigate her death?"
        "That's right, sir," Will nodded, "It's procedure, and I don't 
want to step on the Bureau's toes here.."
        "That won't be a problem," Skinner reassured Will.  He had 
met Alyson McFedries once when he was at a function at the British 
Embassy.  He remembered a beautiful, charming, poised woman with 
ebony skin and a brilliant mind.  "What do you need?"
        "Who's handling the investigation?"
        Skinner paused for a moment as he called the information up 
on the computer, "Agent Tom Colton."  At Will's questioning look he 
added, "He's a good agent.  His A.S.A.C. says he's on the violent 
crimes fast-track."  At Will's grimace Skinner laughed, reaching for the 
'phone on his desk as he did so.  He had expected that reaction from 
the Scottish investigator.  "Muriel, could you get Agents Mulder and 
Scully up here as soon as possible, please? ....  Oh, and could you 
locate Agent Colton for me as well? Thank you."  Putting the 'phone 
down Skinner added, "I'm going to keep Colton on the case, but I'll 
be assigning Mulder and Scully to you.  Call it 'detached duty'."  He 
shook his head, "besides with Section 10 involved something tells me 
that this case is going to be more of an X-File than anything else."
        Will nodded, "You're probably right, sir."
        Skinner grunted, and then said thoughtfully, "Did you know 
S.I. McFedries?"
        "Yes,  I did." Will's voice was slightly distant, "A couple of 
years ago, before I was placed on full-active duty, I lived in Toronto.  
A couple of times I was either called down to Washington to assist 
her, or to cover for her when she was busy if any other problems 
cropped up." He shook his head, "Al was a good friend."  Will looked 
levelly at Skinner, "She was very good at her job too.  Whoever did 
this is ..." his voice trailed off as he realised that there were
certain 
things that he shouldn't tell the AD.
        "We will catch him," Skinner said, meaning every word.
        The buzzer on his desk chose that moment to buzz urgently, 
and Muriel's voice came over the speaker, "Agents Mulder and Scully 
for you, sir."
        "Send them in."
        Just before the door opened Will said, "They're hee-re."  
Earning a short bark of laughter from the A.D.
        Will stood, Skinner remaining seated when he said, "Agents, 
I believe I have something of interest for you both..."

        Dana Scully pulled away the light green sheet that covered 
the now-cold body of Alyson McFedries and tried to forget that this 
was someone she had known in life.  She tried to forget those times 
when the British Special Investigator had helped them out on cases, 
both officially and unofficially.  She tried to forget that Alyson had 
granted them access to the Section's files, at Will's request, despite
the 
risks of discovery.  
        Conducting an autopsy was easy for Dana, as long as she 
didn't know the victim.  As it was when she looked down at the dead 
body stretched out on the slab before her, and lit only by the harsh 
fluorescent lighting of the pathology lab, she got the feeling that
there 
was something missing from the body - something that should have 
been present, and yet wasn't.
        Life?
        Taking a deep breath, she activated the tape recorder and 
started, "The subject, Alyson McFedries, is ...."

        When she finished she was shaking.  There was nothing 
wrong with McFedries.  Physically she was in perfect health.  There 
were signs that, while she had been alive, she had sustained several 
serious injuries: broken bones, cracked ribs, several scars, one set of 
which it was impossible to even make a guess at what had caused 
them, and a gunshot wound.  Such injuries were commonplace in the 
line of work they were in.  But even the most recent injury, a knife 
wound  over two months old in her left arm, left Scully completely 
unable to explain why she had died.
        And the feeling that there was something missing, that there 
was something *wrong*  was growing stronger by the second.
        "Damn, what am I not seeing?" Scully mentally shook herself 
and went in search of Will and Mulder.

Two hours earlier.

        Will brought the rental car, a dark-coloured Ford Taurus, to a 
halt just before the police line.  He noticed Mulder grimace when he 
spotted a familiar form entering the building that Alyson had lived in.
        Tom Colton.
        "You know him?"
        Mulder nodded, "One of our earlier cases.  He asked for our 
help on an investigation he was running.  Before it was over, his 
ambition nearly got Scully killed."
        "Ah," Will unhooked his seatbelt and opened the car door, "I 
thought that might be what Skinner meant when he said Colton was 
on the V.C.S. fast-track."  He paused, waiting for Mulder to join him, 
and then the two investigators walked towards the building, flashing 
their ID's to get past the police line.  Will's drew a few curious looks 
from the police officer who let them through, but since he was in the 
company of a Federal Agent they let him pass without comment.
        The first thing they saw when they entered the living room 
was the white outline that marked the spot where McFedries had been 
found.
        Colton was next.  He did not look very happy to see them.
        "What are you doing here, Mulder?" he snapped, "This is my 
case."
        "You know you really should consider decaf, Colton," 
Mulder said, just loud enough for the other agent to hear.
        "And, who's this kid?" he turned to McCormack, "This is a 
crime scene, not some college class.  I don't know how you got past 
the police line but...."  Colton grabbed Will's arm, intending to remove 
him from the crime scene.  "Wha?"  The surprise registering on his 
face when Will showed no signs of moving.
        "He's with me." Mulder said.
        "Agent Colton," Will's voice was quiet, civil, when he 
addressed Colton after a moment spent staring in disbelief at the hand 
that gripped his arm, "My name is William McCormack.  I work for 
the British Ministry of Defence, and I'm here to investigate the death 
of one of my colleagues, and a friend of mine.  I have the full support 
of the Embassy, as well as the Assistant Director of the F.B.I.." He 
slowly reached into his pocket and removed his ID, as well as his 
cellular 'phone, "If you want to verify any of this, please, be my 
guest."
        Tom Colton looked at Mulder who nodded wordlessly - as he 
tried not to burst out laughing at the look on the other man's face.  
Colton's hand dropped to his side and he looked as if he had been 
forced to swallow something very unpleasant.
        "I .. I'm sorry, ...sir," he went instantly into recovery 
mode, seeing if he could somehow limit the damage, "It's just this is 
an unusual case, and you don't look old enough.." His voice 
trailed off as he realised that he was just digging himself deeper and 
deeper into the hole.
        "Don't worry, agent, I get that a lot," Will replaced his phone 
and ID wallet in his jacket pocket, "So, what do you have so far?" 
        Colton shook his head, "Not much, I'm afraid."
        At that moment the telephone rang, the machine answering 
after a few seconds, "You've reached Alyson McFedries, but I can't 
come to the phone right now.  If you leave a message after the beep 
I'll get back to you... <clk> <*beep*>"  And then a young man's 
voice, high-pitched with fear, "I ah, look a friend of mine gave me this 
number .. I *need* help.  I'm in trouble.  Please, Guardian, you have 
to..."
        Before anyone had realized what had happened Will had 
bolted to the other side of the room and snatched up the 'phone, 
"Hello, my name's Will.  I'm a friend of Alyson's.  Can I help? ...  
Don't worry about that.  It won't be a problem.  ...  Where are you? 
....  Yeah, I know it.  ...  Quarter after seven."  Slowly he replaced 
the 'phone in it's cradle, and turned to face the agents.  Mulder 
looking at him curiously and Colton, who was obviously fuming.
        "This isn't a game!" he shouted, "What the hell was that 
about?"
        "Need-to-know, Colton," Will lied through his teeth after 
taking a deep breath, "and you don't."  He nodded to Mulder and then 
headed out the door muttering under his breath, "Damn, this is *not* 
good."
        "What, Colton?" Mulder grinned, "Don't worry, he has that 
affect on people."
        Shaking his head, Will answered, "No, although he is getting 
on my nerves just wee bit.  No, it's more that another problem just 
dropped itself right into my lap."  As they stood outside the apartment 
for a moment he said, "Mike's Place for dinner later.  I'm buying."
        "Sure," for once Mulder curbed his curiosity.  He knew that 
Will knew far more than he was letting on, but also that his friend was 
probably going to wait until he could tell both him and Scully together.
        Still, Mulder hated waiting.
        "Once more unto the breech?" Will suggested, indicating that 
they should return to the room and take another, longer look at the 
scene.  Not that he expected that they would find anything helpful.
        Mulder shrugged, before volunteering, "I'll deal with 
Colton."
        Looking at his friend with surprise McCormack said, 
"Masochist."
        "Nope," Mulder grinned evilly, "I just want to see how long 
it takes me to get on his nerves this time."

        To be Continued ...



-- 

'In a distant forest a wolf howled, got embarrassed when no-one joined
in, and  stopped.' :- 'The Light Fantastic' by Terry Pratchett

Alasdair T. McLean

X - Files
Colton's Ladder - Part II
by
Alasdair T. McLean
<mcleana@btinternet.com>

Scully: Is this what it takes to climb the ladder?
Colton: All the way to the top.
Scully: Then I can't wait until you fall off and land on your ass. 

6:22pm.

        When Steve Wolfe walked out of the offices occupied by 
Corporate Air Transport Services he was grinning from ear to ear.  He 
had been fired.  Again.
        That was not why he was smiling though.
        For once he had not been fired because of a woman.  Oh no, 
this time it was because of a little bet he had indulged in with his 
employer.  A man who up until two hours earlier had been the very 
proud owner of a vintage P-51-D Mustang that had been lovingly 
restored from scrap.  A Mustang that now officially belonged to 
Wolfe.
        The bet had been simple.  A one-on-one duel in one of the 
air-combat simulators that had sprung up around DC to prove who 
was the better pilot.  The stakes were high: Steve's '59 jet black Ford 
Mustang convertible against his employer's P-51-D.
        It had been no contest.
        So while Steve now owned the P-51, there was now the 
problem of hangar fees, insurance and so on, coupled with the fact 
that he had just been fired - again.
        He wasn't worried.
        As he approached his car he noticed a woman leaning against 
the driver's side door, watching his approach.  She appeared to be 
around 5'10", with long dark hair.  She was dressed entirely in black, 
her form hidden by the dark wrap that she wore.  When he was near 
enough to see who it was he smiled warily.  The woman's brown eyes 
sparkled with amusement as she took his hand, "It's been a while, 
Steve."
        He nodded.
        "Unemployed again?"
        "How's your father?" he asked quietly, warily.
        The young woman said nothing, but the way she stiffened 
and the hatred that burned in her eyes answered Wolfe's question 
better than any words could have. 
        "I'm sorry, Lorna," Steve reached out and gently touched her 
shoulder and smiled, this time much more sincerely, "but I had to 
check."
        "I understand," her anger faded, slowly, and she indicated his 
car.  "Can we talk?"  She paused and her lips quirked up in a stunning 
smile, "I have a proposition for you."
        Walking her around the car, he unlocked the passenger side 
door, and held it open for her, "Why Ms. Harker what kind of man do 
you think I am?"
        "Oh, I have a few ideas." She smirked, watching as he walked 
around behind the car and slid into the driver's seat beside her.
        Pulling expertly out of the parking lot and into the busy 
Washington evening traffic, he glanced at her out of the corner of his 
eyes.  "You said you had a proposition for me?"
        She nodded slowly and watched as the darkened streets 
flashed by as he raced through the night. "Did you know that my 
mother pulled the Wright Foundation out of InterChem two years 
ago?" She asked, answering his question with one of her own.
        "No, I didn't," he looked at her again, remembering the 
circumstances of their last meeting, "Good for her."  Lorna Harker was 
the daughter of the former chairman of the InterChem Corporation, a 
man who had been tied to the 'Head-Hunter' murders several years 
earlier in Toronto, and who had managed to escape capture.  It was 
rumoured that he was the man behind the shadowy organisation 
known as the Storm Project.  In fact, it was thanks to him that Lorna 
was what she was.  And thanks to one of the Project's allies, a vampire 
lord well over two millennia old.
        "So what are you doing now?" he asked.
        "I have my own business," she said, "it's fairly successful."
        "Tell me more," Steve resigned himself to the fact that he 
would have to draw her out.
        "After Dark Investigations," she said, "A detective agency." 
A pause, "I'd like you to come work for me."
        "Why me?  I'm a pilot, not a detective." He paused, well 
aware that he could be venturing onto sensitive ground, "That's more 
Will's line of work, remember." He watched her carefully for any 
reaction when he mentioned his friend's name.  The only change in 
her expression was a very slight smile.
        "True, on both counts.  Besides, Will is needed where he is at 
the moment." she smiled, "And you seemed to manage before.  In 
both Glasgow and Toronto.  Besides, I need someone I can trust. .. I 
- I'm going after my father for what he's done.  For what they did to 
me."
        They drove on in silence for a while as Steve thought about 
what she had said, what she had asked him. 
"Look, you don't have to give me your answer straight away.  
I'll buy you dinner.  I know a nice place in Bethesda where we can 
catch up on old times and old friends."
        He nodded, "Sounds like a plan."  
        His decision was already made.

6:53pm.
Mike's Place Diner. Bethesda, Maryland.

        "Well?"
        "This is great soup, you know," Will said, sipping the soup 
that the waitress had brought seconds earlier, "Mike's really out-done 
himself this time."
        Dana Scully sighed, and then had to fight the urge not to 
laugh at the look of annoyance on her partner's face. "Are you going 
to tell us about that 'phone call?"  Mulder had mentioned it to her 
when he had called to tell her that they were having dinner at Mike's 
to discuss the case.
        McCormack paused for a moment, before he placed his 
spoon on the table by the side of his plate, "Dana, do you remember 
what I told you of the Oathsworn?"
        "Yes," she nodded slowly, "vampires who protect humans 
from other vampires and anything else that would harm them.  Are 
you saying that Alyson was a vampire?  All the tests we've run have 
come back normal.  If it weren't for that fact that she's dead she 
would be in perfect health.  I was working under the assumption that 
maybe the killer used some sort of poison that was absorbed through 
the skin where the hand-print was, but all the tests I ran have come 
back negative."
        "No," he shook his head, "Alyson was as human as you." 
Another pause, this time longer, "She was a mage, a powerful one.  
And the most powerful are called upon to act as Guardians.  Alyson 
was exactly that - a Guardian."
        Dana looked as if she was about to say something, 
remembered that she was sitting across from a vampire and decided to 
accept what he was saying as fact - until a more reasonable theory 
came along at least.  Somehow it was easier to argue against the 
paranormal when her partner suggested it.  But when Will said 
something like that it was so easy to believe .... almost impossible 
not to.
        "The boy on the 'phone asked for 'Guardian'," Mulder 
remembered.
        "Exactly, he's in trouble. Occult trouble and he needs help."  
Will looked into his soup, "If it's bad enough that he needs a Guardian 
to bail him out then .."
        He let the sentence dangle in the air, "You're going to help 
him?" Dana realised, "That's why we're here.  To meet him?"
Will nodded, "He wanted to meet here at quarter past seven.  
He asked for a Guardian's help.  I have no choice."
         "What about the investigation into Alyson's death?" Dana 
asked.
        "You two can handle that end of things if it turns out to be 
necessary.  I'll have to split myself both ways on this."
        "You aren't a Guardian, Will." Mulder said, simply stating 
the fact but not mentioning the fact that even the weakest Guardian 
was orders of magnitude more powerful than a vampire not even past 
his first decade of undeath.
        "I'm Oathsworn," he whispered, "It amounts to the same 
thing."
        Scully reached out and touched his arm, "We're here if you 
need us."  She looked at Mulder who nodded in agreement without 
hesitation.
        "Thanks, I...," Will, who was facing the door looked up 
when he heard the door open.  When he saw the familiar features of 
Steve Wolfe, he grinned widely and gestured for the pilot to join them.  
        And then he saw her.
        Lorna Harker.
        The daughter of the former chairman of InterChem.  Once 
Will's lover, and turned into a vampire created by one of the Storm 
Project's little experiments with the blood of a vampire over two 
thousand years old.  Only his love for Jeanette, and the fact that 
somehow some of his blood was a part of her as well had prevented 
her from killing him when Heimat had ordered her to.
        And in the end it had been her who had destroyed Heimat 
when it looked like all was lost.
        Will's mouth moved, but for a split second no sound 
emerged.  Ignoring Mulder and Scully's puzzled expressions, he stood 
and walked towards the other vampire, nodding at Steve as he 
gracefully slid past and joined the two Federal Agents.  
He stopped when he was a foot away from her.
        "Lorna," he said quietly.
        "Will," she smiled easily.

        "Fox!" Steve grinned as he sat down in the booth, favouring 
Scully with a truly stunning smile.
        "Wolfe," Mulder glared at the Romany pilot, the smile on his 
face taking the sting from the glare.  He looked past Steve and 
indicated Will and Lorna who were still standing at the edge of one of 
the booths talking quietly, "Who's she?"
        Wolfe's eyes sparkled, "Will's ex."
        "What happened?" Dana asked, curious.
        "Oh, you know, the usual," Steve answered as he glanced at 
the menu, "He took a picture that got her father arrested for, among 
other things, murder and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; 
she died in a car accident after confronting him about it, only to 
reappear a few months later and try to sever his head from his 
shoulders with a wooden sword, realise the error of her ways and stop 
the bad guy, with a little help from her ex and yours truly," he looked 
up, taking in the stunned faces of the two agents, "Did I leave anything 
out?" he asked himself.
        "You are kidding." Dana looked as if she wasn't sure how to 
take what she had just been told.
        "...Maybe," he teased as a waitress came over to take his 
order, "I'll just take a burger with fries, thanks." He smiled at her, 
watching her walk off for a moment, his mind wandering before he 
snapped his attention back to the present, "So, what's up?"
        Mulder looked at his partner, they were both trying to catch 
up with what they had just heard.  Where to begin? He thought to 
himself.


X - Files
Colton's Ladder - Part III
by
Alasdair T. McLean
<mcleana@btinternet.com>

Scully: Is this what it takes to climb the ladder?
Colton: All the way to the top.
Scully: Then I can't wait until you fall off and land on your ass. 

7:04pm.
Outside Mike's Place. Bethesda, Maryland.

        Rafe stood outside the diner, his expression a mask of fear.  
And after what he had witnessed he was as good as dead.  His only 
hope had been that the Guardian one of his friends had told him about 
would be willing to protect him.  That she wouldn't leave him to be 
hunted down and killed ... Worse than killed in fact, if what he had 
seen was anything to go by.  He glanced frantically around the street 
before he went in.
        He knew that his hunter was getting closer and that it was 
only a matter of time.
        When the man had answered when he had called McFedries' 
number Rafe had been terrified that he would be unable to get help. 
And now as he walked into the diner he knew that there could be no 
mistaking that he was in the right place.  His gifts enabled him to See 
into the past and the future, and to look into the souls of people to
see 
them as they truly were.
        Instantly he knew that there were people there who would do 
all they could to help him.  
        One, a tall dark intense man who carried an amazing burden 
of grief with him, and yet that burden would only strengthen his 
resolve to persevere.
        His partner, the short, fiery-haired woman sitting next to him, 
her power was hidden deep within, hidden - even from herself, but 
despite that her strength and steady courage was more than equal to 
whatever she would face.
        And the third, was not human at all.  The young vampire 
talking with the other of his race standing by the booth a little down 
from him.  
        Rafe's gifts told him all that in a fraction of a second.  He 
couldn't help himself, the tension and fear flowed from him and he 
collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

        Ten minutes later they were in a back room of the restaurant 
that Mike kept for private functions and Rafe was holding a mug of 
steaming black coffee to his lips.  "Thank you," he said, looking 
gratefully at the three people before him.
        "You said you needed help?" Will prompted gently.
        "I . I see things," he began, "Sometimes about people.  
Sometimes about the past, possible futures .."
        "And you saw something that frightened you enough to send 
you looking for a Guardian?" Mulder asked, noting the fear that had 
begun to creep into the young boy's eyes once more.
        "Something ... There's something out there ..," he said, 
his voice cracking with fear, "and it devours  souls."
        Silence.
        "That's impossible," Dana said after what seemed like an 
eternity.  "A person's soul ..." She found herself without words.  
She believed in the immortality of the soul, *Surely nothing could 
destroy a soul, never mind *eat* one.  After all, a person's soul 
isn't physical...*  "A soul can't be destroyed."  She paused,
whispering,
"Can it?"
        Mulder nodded his head slowly, "Well, there are a lot of legends 
about soul-eaters of one kind or another.  It's generally thought that 
those legends arose from the same psychological fears as vampires."  
A second later he realised what he had said, "Uh..."
        Dana and Mulder slowly turned to look at Will, who just sat 
there thoughtfully for a moment before he said anything.  "We exist. 
They exist.  That's definitely the same root cause." He shrugged, 
"Could you tell us anything else about this soul-eater?  What did you 
see, Rafe?  Do you know what it is?"
          Inside he was thinking, *If it's a god, even one of the minor 
ones, then we're seriously over our heads here.*
          Rafe shook his head, "Not much.  It's not physical.  It needs 
a body to let it stay here.  I .. I got the vague impression of a name 
.... Slayer."  He looked up at them, his eyes wide with fear, "It knows 
I've Seen it.  I saw it kill."  His eyes blanked as he remembered what 
he had seen and he began whispering, "The neck...  it reaches out 
.... touches her.   ....  There's a mark!" 
        The three investigators looked at each other.
        "Could you describe the mark you saw?" Dana asked softly, 
a part of her wondering how she would support this information in her 
report.  *An anonymous witness (an anonymous *psychic* witness), 
Skinner's going to love this.*
        "A hand-print."
        At that piece of information Dana's blue eyes narrowed with 
suspicion, "Where, exactly?"
        "On her neck," Rafe whispered, judging from the look in his 
eyes his mind was still far away, in that room with Alyson and the 
killer.
        "Can you describe the killer?" Mulder asked, leaning forward 
eagerly, his eyes locked on the young boy as his mind recorded 
everything that was said.
        "About six feet tall, with long dark hair," Rafe turned to Will, 
"Like your friend, the gypsy.  But not him, the killer's soul is much 
darker with hatred.  That's why he was able to be coerced so easily by 
it."
        "Is there anything else you can tell us about him?" Mulder 
asked, out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Dana shake her head, 
her auburn curls bobbing slightly at the movement.
        "No, I ..," the fear returned to Rafe's eyes, "Can you 
protect me?"
        Mulder looked at Scully who shook her head slightly, despite 
the fact that the boy's fear was very real there was nothing that the 
FBI could do in these circumstances, unless... "We could put him into 
protective custody," she suggested after a moment, "A case could be 
made that he was either the killer, or at the very least involved."
        "Wha?" Rafe was on his feet, and very close to bolting from 
the room, only the firm grip that Will had on his shoulder was 
stopping him from running.
        "C'mon, Scully!" Mulder almost shouted, "you don't really 
believe that!"
        Almost despite herself, Scully found herself nodding her 
agreement, "No, I don't.  But we do have enough information to 
recommend protective custody..."
        "No," Will shook his head, "It wouldn't do any good if this 
creature is as powerful as it seems ..."  His voice trailed off, 
"However ..." Walking swiftly to the door that led to the front of the 
restaurant he opened it enough to poke his head through, "Lorna?   
Steve?  Could I ask a favour?" 

        "Mulder," Scully took a deep breath of Washington's slightly 
stale night air as they left the diner, "if Skinner finds out about this 
he's going to have a fit.  Who knows I might actually win the office 
pool after all."  When she saw the look of puzzlement on Will's face 
she added, "One of the secretaries is running a book on the agent most 
likely to give the AD a coronary.  No surprises who I picked." She 
grinned widely, "Actually I was surprised at the odds I was being 
quoted.  Especially since Mulder was tied for the top spot."
        "So, who was the other agent?" Will asked, he had a feeling 
he knew the answer, and when he saw the smug look on Mulder's 
face, and the sheepish expression on Scully's he knew that he was 
right.
        "Scully, who else?" Mulder confirmed without hesitating
        "Mulder," she sighed, and changed the subject, "we're 
breaking the rules yet again.  We have a reasonable suspect and ..."
        "Do you think he did it?" Mulder asked.
        "...No, but ..."
        "Next you'll be saying that we have to tell Colton," Mulder's 
facial expression almost made Scully laugh, he was coming very close 
to actually pouting.
        "Well, ..." Scully began, only to be interrupted by Will.
        "Due to the diplomatic element we have a fair degree of 
latitude here," he said, "besides, if Rafe was to be put into protective 
custody, he'd probably be killed even more quickly.  And Colton ..," 
he shook his head, "If we told Colton that we suspect the killer may be 
one of the Rom .. Well, you can guess what would happen."
Both agents looked at each other and shook their heads 
slowly.  "You're right," Dana admitted slowly, "I don't like it, but 
you're right."  
        Mulder and Will both nodded, the latter looking slightly 
worried.
        "You're worried about Steve, aren't you?" Dana asked 
carefully.
        "Yeah," Will said, his voice low, "I *know* he can handle  
himself, and that he's the only one of us who stands any chance of 
getting any information from the local Rom, but still .," he shook his 
head to try to shake the morose mood he felt himself falling into. 
        "Maybe one of us could go with him," Mulder suggested.
        Will laughed, but quickly stifled his laughter when he saw the 
annoyed look on Mulder's face, "I'm sorry, Mulder.  But one look at 
either you or Dana and they'd clam up faster than you'd think 
possible." He chuckled once again, "And if I was to go with him?" 
Here his laughter died, "They'd probably kill him and I both."
        "Why?" Dana's voice was shocked.
        "The Rom he's going to talk to are Tsurara - the Knife Tribe - 
they, ah, don't like vampires very much."  His eyes were deadly 
serious as he went on, "I'd end up staked, or worse."  
        Dana shuddered, and Mulder's eyes widened - suddenly a 
few of the more obscure X-Files began to make sense.
        Will yawned suddenly, and then blinked in surprise at how 
tired he felt.  "The flight over must be catching up to me," he said, 
absently reaching up to rub at his eyes."  He looked at Mulder, "Your 
sofa still available?"

        To be continued ...
__________________________________________________________________________   

Written by Alasdair T. McLean using characters created by 
Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen productions. No copyright infringement 
or  offence is intended.  The characters of Will McCormack, Steve 
Wolfe, Lorna Harker ...etcetera, etcetera ah hell, they're all mine 
anyway. Jackie St. George is mentioned courtesy of Sheryl Martin 
<sheryl_martin@tvo.org> and is used with her permission. 
Elements of Romany lore are from White Wolf's 'The World 
of Darkness: Gypsies' sourcebook.  Any speech in the Romany 
language is shown as follows, ">Trust no one.<"
        A big tip of the hat is due to Mercedes Lackey who first 
introduced me to the concept of a Guardian.
        If you enjoy this tell me..
        For that matter, if you don't enjoy it tell me as well ... 
But, please, tell me what it was you didn't like, eh?
        This is set just after Vacation II.

X - Files
Colton's Ladder - Part IV
by
Alasdair T. McLean
<mcleana@btinternet.com>

Scully: Is this what it takes to climb the ladder?
Colton: All the way to the top.
Scully: Then I can't wait until you fall off and land on your ass.

10:28pm.
 
        ">All I want is the answer to one simple question.<"  Steve 
Wolfe, to all outward appearances was perfectly relaxed, despite the 
fact that he was surrounded by at least twenty Tsurara gypsies.  None 
of whom looked terribly pleased to see him.  
        ">Why should we answer your questions, gaje?<" one of the 
younger ones snarled angrily, ">You may speak our language, but 
you are not one of us.<"  Drawing a wicked looking knife from a 
hidden sheath on his back, the gypsy continued, ">Leave now.  While 
you still can.<"
        Steve shook his head, ">I am no giorgio.  My grandmother 
was a pure blooded Rom.<"  As his eyes slowly searched for a 
possible way out he thought to himself, I won't bring my gran's name 
into this unless I have to, ">I am one of the Lupine family.<"  They 
aren't going to make this easy for me.
        There was a disturbance in front of him, and a hypnotically 
graceful girl stepped forward, her dark eyes barely touched by the 
inviting smile that graced her lips.  ">I will answer,<" she said in a 
voice like velvet, ">On one condition.<"
        Wolfe grinned, the Challenge was obvious and not entirely 
unexpected, ">And that condition would be, my lady.<"
        ">That you steal a kiss from me,<" this time her smile did 
touch her eyes, ">If you can.<"
         ">A pleasure.<" he laughed, and then he leapt for her.
        Only to see her dodge gracefully past him to the other side of 
the enclosing circle of gypsies.
        Steve blinked in surprise, ">And your name?<"
        "Katarina."
        ">You didn't tell me that you were a Dancer, Katarina.<"
        Her only response was to give him a come hither look with 
her eyes and edge a little bit closer to him.
        Steve shook his head and then laughed aloud.  Well, he 
thought to himself as he leapt for Katarina once more, it could have 
been a lot worse. The Challenge could have been with knives if . His 
eyes caught on a brightly coloured scarf that one of the spectators was 
wearing about her neck.  
        Ah-hah!
        Running across the circle, he whipped the scarf from the 
woman's neck, and dropping a swift kiss on *her* lips before turning 
his attention back to Katarina - who looked more than a little annoyed 
at his actions, ">That's not the way the game is played.<"  As if to 
punctuate her statement she drew a dagger from a sheath on her ankle.
        "Oops. >Sorry,<" he grinned, but his eyes never left her now 
- always watching for some sign that she was going to throw the knife 
at him. 
        And something told him that if she did throw it then she 
would not miss her intended target.
        ">If you give up, we might let you leave unharmed,<" One of 
the watchers shouted, ">But you would be admitting you are 
marhime.<"
        Impure?  Wolfe shook his head, determined not to lose the 
Challenge, ">And surrender my chance to kiss this beautiful lady?<" 
he bowed slightly in Katarina's direction, his eyes not once leaving 
hers, ">No.<"
        And then he leapt for her again.
        This time as she gracefully moved to escape him her right 
hand whipped up, releasing the dagger aiming directly at his chest.  At 
the very moment before the blade left her hand he lashed out with the 
scarf, tangling it in her legs and throwing her aim off.
        As she fell, Katarina heard her knife clatter to the ground a 
few feet away.  Close, but just out of her reach.  Muttering an oath 
under her breath she rolled to one side to avoid Steve - only to find 
herself caught in his arms and feel his lips on hers as he kissed her 
lightly.
        She did not struggle, rather she pulled back slightly and 
looked at him. ">You have won,<" she said softly, ">I will tell you 
what you want to know.<"
        ">You don't sound very upset at losing,<" he teased.
Her only reply was to lean forward and kiss him passionately.
        ">Nope.  You don't seem upset at all.<"
 
6:23am.
Mulder's Apartment.

        When Mulder awoke the next morning he already found Will 
awake and sitting comfortably on the sofa apparently watching CNN 
and sipping some coffee that - judging by the smell - was freshly 
brewed.  "Morning, Will."  Mulder said, and was surprised when his 
friend showed no signs of having heard him.  "Will?  You okay?"
        "Yes. .. No. Not really," when he turned to face Mulder 
there was a sadness that either hadn't been there the day before, or 
had been very well hidden indeed.  "It's Jeanette. We .." Will's head 
dropped, "We split up four days ago."
        "What?"  Mulder couldn't believe what he had just heard.  
Will and Jeanette?  "Do you want to talk about it?" his concern 
obvious in his voice, "Will, what happened?"
        "Life caught up with us." Will shook his head sadly, "It 
wasn't anybody's fault.  More everything coming to a head at once.  
All the little problems.  Our commitment to our jobs.  The physical 
dangers of both our careers.  .. The ..  differences between us."  His 
voice caught in his throat, "I'm a vampire!  I'm *immortal* for God's 
sake!  She'll grow old and die and I'll still be stuck in my mid 
twenties!  We wanted to grow old *together*! We wanted to .." 
Will's fist closed convulsively around his coffee mug, shattering the 
ceramic and sending scaldingly hot coffee everywhere. "But we can't.  
*I* can't."  He looked up at Mulder, looking very young and very lost.
        "I ..," Mulder was stunned.  He had no idea what to say to 
his friend.  All he could do was pat his friend on the shoulder and 
mumble, "I'm sorry, Will.  I .."
        The 'phone chose that moment to ring stridently.  Mulder 
snatched it up swiftly, "Mulder. .. Scully, right. ..  I see. Good 
idea, Scully . We'll meet you there." He put the 'phone back down 
on the table and turned to see Will watching him with a curious look 
on his face - and no sign of the emotions that had to still be gripping 
him.  "That was Scully," he said needlessly, "she's had an idea and 
wants us both to meet her at the morgue where they've got Alyson 
McFedries' body."
        Will nodded, "I'll meet you there," he said, turning and 
heading for the door.
        "Will.. Are you okay?" he asked, worried by the way Will 
had ruthlessly surpressed the pain he had to be feeling.
        "Not really," McCormack said quietly, and for just a moment 
the sadness and pain crept into his eyes again, "but we've got  a job to 
do."  He shrugged, "That has to take priority."
        "Yeah," Mulder agreed, cursing the fact that their chosen 
profession invariably seemed to exact such a toll on peoples lives.  
How much had they lost because of their work?  Melissa?  His father?  
Countless friendships and career opportunities?  When would the cost 
become to great to continue?
        For a second time that morning the 'phone rang, causing 
Mulder to curse under his breath, "Mulder.  Colton?" He didn't bother 
to hide the surprise and disdain in his voice when he recognised the 
other agent, "What do you want, Colton?  It's barely six thirty! ... 
You have something for us?  ...  I don't think. ....  Dammit.  Yes, 
we'll be there shortly."
        "Problem?"
        "Colton thinks he has a few promising leads," Mulder paused 
and thought for a moment, "The problem is that he wants to brief us 
on them before following one of them up."
        "Translation: he wants us at the Hoover building?" Will 
shrugged, "I better head over there then."
        Mulder looked as if he was about to vomit when he spoke, 
"Actually, it'll have to be me."  At Will's questioning look he 
explained, "Scully wants to see if your ... abilities can pick up 
anything on the body that might explain how she died."
        Will thought for a moment before speaking, "It's certainly 
possible.  Probable even."  He looked sympathetically at Mulder, 
"Good luck with Colton."        
        "I'll meet you both in my office," he paused by the door to 
the bathroom, "I wonder how long it'll take him to call me a lunatic 
this time?  I had it down to twenty minutes yesterday."
        
10:46am.
FBI Headquarters.

        "It was worth a try, Dana," Will walked alongside Dana 
Scully as they headed down to the basement office she shared with 
Mulder, "for what it's worth I agree with you.  There is something - I 
don't know - *wrong* about the corpse.  I just don't know what 
exactly."
        Dana's voice sounded frustrated when she responded, 
"Unfortunately we can't put that down in a report."
        Will automatically held open the door to her office as he 
replied, "Well, *you* can't.  The Section tends to accept it's 
operatives instincts and feelings."  He shrugged, "Mind you, when 
you've got empaths, psychics, vampires and the like working for you 
you really don't have much choice in the matter."
        "You know eventually I might get used to all that," she 
smiled in amusement at herself, and her reaction to his easy 
acceptance of the paranormal.  And also partly at her acceptance of 
him as a vampire.
        The office was empty.
        "I thought Mulder said he was going to meet us here?" Scully 
asked, an uncomfortable feeling of foreboding settling in the pit of her 
stomach.
        "He did," Will looked around the office for a moment as he 
thought, "Maybe he's still talking to Colton?"
        They both looked at each other for a few seconds before 
Scully said, "Well, I'm not really in the mood to deal with Colton." 
She pulled out her cel-phone and activated the first number on the 
auto-dial, frowning after a few seconds. "Unable to connect," she 
whispered.
        "This is not good," Will murmured, noticing the changes as 
they flitted over Scully's features: worry, thought, realisation.
        "Let's go talk to Tom Colton," she said, mentally chiding 
herself for ever having considered her former classmate a friend.

        They stopped outside Colton's office as Dana steeled herself 
and prepared to knock.  Just as her hand was about to touch the 
wooden door Will stopped her as he frowned in concentration.
        After a moment Will began to whisper what Scully took to be 
what he was hearing from inside the room thanks to his vampire-
enhanced hearing, ".. Sent Ol'Spooky on a wild goose chase that'll 
put him so far off the scent that he'll never be able to get anywhere 
with this.  Skinner had no right to put him and Scully on this one. 
It's 
my ticket up the ladder.  Mine.  And neither Mulder, Scully or this damn 
British Spe.."
        At that point Will and Dana both decided that they had heard 
enough.
        Dana threw the door open, not even bothering to knock, 
"Where's Mulder?  Where did you send him?" she snapped, growing 
angrier by the second, "We can't reach him by cellular!"  She realised 
that he was about to deny everything when she repeated what Will had 
overheard, "'I sent Ol'Spooky on a wild goose chase that'll put him so 
far off the scent that he'll never be able to get anywhere with this.  
Skinner had no right to put him and Scully on this one'."
        "I never said.," he began to bluster but was stopped by the 
cold anger in Scully's eyes.
        "I have very good hearing, Agent Colton," Will said quietly.  
"You can be assured that this will be reported to your superiors."
        "You don't have any proof."
        "You are right there, you know," Will shrugged and then 
reached out with one hand and grabbed Colton by the throat, easily, 
and with no signs of strain, lifting him off the floor and pinning him 
against the door to his office.  "I'll ask you once again, Colton. 
Where 
did you send Agent Mulder?"
        "You can't do this!" Colton blustered, his eyes wide with 
shock, and just a little fear, "I'm a Federal Agent."
        "And *I* have diplomatic immunity," Will's voice was quiet, 
little more than a harsh whisper as he continued, "That means I can do 
anything up to and including ripping your throat out and the worst 
they can do to me is send me back to Scotland with slapped wrists and 
lots of reports to fill in."  He paused and leaned closer, "Now where 
did you send Mulder?"
        "I ..," Colton began, but was interrupted by the sound of 
Will's cellular 'phone.
        With his free hand the vampire reached into his jacket pocket 
and withdrew the 'phone, flipping it open before speaking, 
"McCormack.  Go. .. Steve? ... Right, thanks.  No, don't do 
anything.  In fact, I have another favour to beg .. Mulder ... Uh-
huh, that's right.  Again.  .. Yeah, thanks. That's another I owe 
you, prala."  Shutting down his 'phone, he slowly lowered Colton to 
the floor, "Dana, Steve turned up a lead.  A probable address for the 
killer.  There's just one problem..."
        "If we don't get down there soon we might lose him," Scully 
guessed, torn between wanting to find Mulder and needing to catch 
the killer.  She turned to face Colton, her tone icy, "Find Mulder, 
Colton, and you'd better pray that he's in one piece."
        Colton, who was rubbing his throat, started to say something, 
but stopped when he saw the angry way McCormack was looking at 
him.  Remembering the young man's deceptive strength he swiftly 
changed his mind and said, "Right."
        Apparently satisfied, Will and Scully walked swiftly out of 
his office, heading in the direction of the elevators that would take 
them to the parking lot underneath the building.
        Dana looked up at Will out of the corner of her eyes as they 
walked towards the elevators.  She had never seen him lose his temper 
like that.  Despite the fact that she trusted him more than she would 
have believed possible there was something scary about the effortless 
way he had lifted Colton off the floor with only one hand ... and then 
threatened to tear his throat out.  
        While they waited on the elevator he noticed her looking at 
him and raised an eyebrow in a silent question.
        "You've been taking assertiveness lessons from Jackie, 
haven't you?" she asked, unable to resist the temptation.
        Will grinned widely, "What tipped you off?"

        The address Wolfe had uncovered was one of the old 
warehouses that ran along a two mile stretch of the Potomac in an area 
that was imaginatively called the warehouse district.  The place 
appeared to be falling apart, and certainly hadn't been used to store 
anything for years.
        Will and Scully walked around the building slowly.  "I don't 
like this," he muttered to himself as he stood by the door waiting for 
the lock-gun that Dana was using on the door to do its job.  Reaching 
out with his, admittedly limited, PSI-senses he could find nothing.
        With a muffled click the door unlocked, and Dana pushed it 
open abruptly, one hand replacing the lock-gun into her pocket as the 
other reached for her weapon even as the door swung open revealing 
the darkness inside.
        Will went first, all his senses alert for the slightest sign
that 
they might not be alone in the dilapidated building.  Not bothered at
all 
by the darkness, the vampire stalked forwards into the shadows, his 
weapon drawn and ready - although a part of his mind was wondering 
just how effective it was going to be against the Slayer.
        Nothing, he shook his head in disbelief, "Dana, there aren't 
any scent traces here less than a week old."
        "How could you..?" She started to ask, and then 
remembered, "Oh right." She shook her head, not noticing the shape 
that seemed to form itself behind her out of the very darkness that 
surrounded them. 
        To her credit, Dana Scully didn't scream when she felt the 
strong arms wrap around her, or when she felt the icy touch on her 
neck.  Indeed the only sign that something was wrong was when she 
said, her voice more than a little shaky, "Will."
        McCormack spun around, his mind processing the scene that 
stood before him even as his hands brought his weapon to bear on the 
Slayer, his sights perfectly positioned over the man's head - the only 
exposed part of the creature.
        "I don't think so, vampire.  You see, even if you manage to 
kill my host, I'll remain here long enough to kill your friend .."

To be continued...

__________________________________________________________________________   

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                  Charctavius of the New Triumverate
                  

Written by Alasdair T. McLean using characters created by 
Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen productions. No copyright infringement 
or  offence is intended.  The characters of Will McCormack, Steve 
Wolfe, Lorna Harker ...etcetera, etcetera ah hell, they're all mine 
anyway.
        If you enjoy this tell me..
        For that matter, if you don't enjoy it tell me as well ... 
But, please, tell me what it was you didn't like, eh?  
        Thanks are due to Michelle Hiley 
<fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk> who suggested the idea of Scully 
providing nourishment for Will during just such an emergency.
        This is set just after Vacation II.

X - Files
Colton's Ladder - Part V
by
Alasdair T. McLean
<mcleana@btinternet.com>

Scully: Is this what it takes to climb the ladder?
Colton: All the way to the top.
Scully: Then I can't wait until you fall off and land on your ass. 

        "... Even if you manage to kill my host, I'll remain here long 
enough to kill your friend, you know that," the Slayer's voice was 
quiet and even as he spoke, holding Scully tightly against him just in 
case.
        His right hand was on Dana's neck, gently caressing her skin.  
She remained perfectly still.  In the Diner she had scoffed about what 
Rafe had told them, but here and now, with that icy touch on her neck 
she knew it was nothing less than the truth.
        "Let her go," Will stood perfectly still, his posture textbook 
perfect as he sighted on the host-body that the Slayer occupied, 
"Now." His voice was steady, as his mind raced to find a solution, 
anything that he could do to prevent his friend from dying . worse 
than dying.
        "No."
        Will's eyes locked with Scully's.  They had run out of 
options, and they both knew it.
        :I'm sorry, Dana.:
        Her eyes widened at the contact, and her eyes were sad, but 
determined when she replied, :Do it, Will. I understand. .. Tell 
Mulder I..:
        :I know.  I will.:
        His finger began to increase the pressure on the trigger.
        Dammit, he shook his head abruptly, straightened up and 
lowered his gun, "I . I can't." 
        "I didn't think you could," the 'man's' voice was a purr, 
"Get rid of the gun."
        McCormack hesitated for a split second and then threw the 
pistol deep into the shadows of the warehouse.
        "And now.." his voice trailed off, and Will saw his power 
begin to gather as the being inside the gypsy prepared to feed.
        "NO!"  Will and Scully cried out at the same time, Dana 
bucking madly in his grip and managing to free herself, even as Will 
rushed towards them.  When he reached her the Slayer was only 
seconds behind so he grabbed her and threw her as far away as he 
could.
        And then the Slayer was upon him.
        Will struggled violently, but within seconds the skin-to-skin 
contact that the creature needed to feed was made.

        "AAAIIIEEEEEEERGH!!"
        Will's voice, screaming in unbearable agony cut straight 
through Scully's heart as she pushed herself to her feet unsteadily.  
Her head was spinning as she twisted around and ran towards them.  
        His screams had trailed off into whimpers as he fought 
desperately.  Even as she watched in horrified silence the life was 
drained from him, and Will's struggles grew more feeble.  Somehow 
she knew that he had only survived this long because he was a 
vampire.
        "NO!"
        She reacted instinctively, her hand moving without conscious 
effort to the holster at her waist, the thing had been so confident that
it 
hadn't even bothered to disarm her.  She shot twice, hoping that it 
would be enough.
        The Slayer screamed, a horrible sound that cut into her mind 
like a razor-edged knife.
        And then he fell.
        Will collapsed on top of the body, barely moving.  Going to 
him she gasped when she saw him closely.  His skin was white and 
clammy to the touch, and his breathing was far too shallow.  Putting 
her hand to his neck automatically she felt tears spring into her eyes 
when she realised that there was no pulse.
        "not gone yet," his voice was weak, frighteningly so.
        "Will you be okay?" she whispered, cursing the fact that she 
had no idea how to care for a critically injured vampire.
        His eyes, burning with pain lost their focus on her, as he 
responded, his voice cracking with pain and effort, "don't know, ... it 
hurts, Dana. ... God, it hurts."
        "I'll get you to a hospital!" she said.
        "no, 'm dead remember."
        She shook her head, cursing her inability to help her friend.  
She knew that he was fading fast and that if she didn't do something 
soon he would . die, "Is there anything I can do?"
        "yah." His eyes burned a little brighter.
        "What?" she whispered.
        "..can't ask..."
        As she looked at him, at the fires burning in his ice-blue eyes, 
she realised what it was that he was forbidden to ask for, "Oh."
        She took him in her arms, frightened by the fact that he was 
almost entirely limp and unresisting as she held him, his head falling 
naturally against her neck, his breath cold against the pale skin there
as 
she steeled herself for the pain of his bite.
        "Agh!" suddenly there was an explosion of icy pain which 
swiftly faded and changed into a wonderful feeling of warmth, of heat, 
of an impossibly sensual pleasure, of... "Oh my God!" Her hands 
flew up to tangle in his dark hair and pull him closer to her.
        And then it was over, and as her senses slowly returned to 
her Dana realised that she was still in his arms, she pulled away just 
enough to look up at him.
        He looked a little better now, his colour was closer to normal, 
and his eyes had lost that glazed look. "Dana, I ..," he blushed 
vividly, and then whispered softly, "thank you."
        "You're welcome," she whispered back, for some reason just 
as embarrassed as he was, she shook her head to try to clear it, woozy 
from the effects of the earlier confrontation, and from providing Will 
with what he needed.  She swayed a little, and Will brought his arms 
up again to steady her.
        Scully looked up at him, dazed and more than a little out of 
sorts and couldn't help thinking the expression of exhausted concern 
on his face made him look very much like Mulder.  
Their heads fell forward at the same moment.  They sat there 
in each others arms, tired and exhausted, their foreheads touching 
until Dana spoke.
"You saved my life, Will," she whispered, "and my soul. .. 
You could have died, worse than died."
"You're my friend," he said quietly and simply.
        After a brief mental stock-take to determine how woozy she 
was Dana stood up abruptly, surprised when the world around her 
began to tilt and waver.  He must've taken more than I thought, she 
realised as she felt herself falling.
        
        Will caught her and, laying her gently down on the ground, 
he forced himself to his feet, staggering to the body of the boy who 
had unwittingly let the Slayer possess him. 
        Dead.
He shook his head slowly.  The host might have been 
destroyed, but the Slayer itself still existed, unless .. Carefully 
reaching out with his othersenses.  Weak as they were at the best of 
times they were enough to show that the Slayer had been forced from 
its host *before* the body died.  Ripped from the host by a wave of 
... Power.
        Did *Dana* actually destroy the evil thing?
        He looked back at her, wondering if what he thought he had 
seen had been real.  It looked like she had banished it.  Forced it from 
the boy's body using nothing as subtle as an exorcism or a spell of 
Banishment, but by using sheer magical strength.
        "I wonder... ?" he wondered aloud as he made his way to 
Scully, gathering her up in his arms before turning and heading 
towards his car.
        Despite the blood Dana had given him coursing through his 
veins he had been hurt worse than he thought and managed to make it 
halfway there before he collapsed onto the floor.
        Half an hour later Mulder arrived with Steve Wolfe and found 
them like that, unconscious on the ground.

Two Days Later.
The office of Assistant Director Skinner.

        To Colton's shock, and intense discomfort, Will McCormack 
was standing, along with Agents Mulder and Scully just to the side of 
Skinner's desk as he read the complaint that had been submitted to the 
Assistant Director one day previously.
        Tom Colton just stood there, his face a mask of disbelief as 
Skinner went through the list.
        "Refusal to cooperate with fellow agents and law 
enforcement professionals, deliberately misleading another agent, 
hampering their investigations and by that action endangering their 
lives." Skinner's voice was quiet as he read through the list in a 
monotone.
        Colton tried to say something once, but the anger in the 
A.D.'s voice as he went on stopped him.
        When he was finished Skinner said, his voice tight with rage, 
"You are supposed to be a Federal Agent, Colton, sometimes that 
means you have to work as part of a team.  And *sometimes* that 
means you have to work with, and take orders from people who you 
don't like.  Now, can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't 
pass this report to O.P.C.?"
        Colton blinked in surprise, "I... but, if Agent Scully 
reported this then why are we here, sir?" He did not look at his former 
classmate once.   
        "She didn't submit this complaint, and neither did Agent 
Mulder," Skinner thought he heard Mulder mutter something under 
his breath about being too worried about his friends to give a shit 
about Colton. He glared once at Mulder before he went on, "It arrived 
on my desk this morning."
        Will moved to the side slightly so he could see the letterhead 
on the paper that Skinner had read from.  On it was a small image of 
the Washington Monument backlit by a full moon.  The lettering 
underneath the drawing read: 'After Dark Investigations'.
        Steve?  Or Lorna? He wondered.
        Skinner turned slightly to face Will, Dana and Mulder. "Is 
this true?", he asked.
        "Yessir." They all answered after a split-seconds pause.
        "Agents Mulder and Scully, I'll be wanting full reports on 
this fiasco, and S.I. McCormack, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like
a 
statement from you as well."
        Will nodded, "I'll be in Washington for a few weeks until 
Alyson's replacement arrives anyway, it won't be a problem."
        "Thank you.  You're dismissed then, Agents.  S.I. 
McCormack," he motioned for the three of them to leave the room 
and turned back towards Colton.  His voice was cold when he began, 
"And *Mister* Colton you can consider yourself suspended, without 
pay until this is sorted out.  ...."    

The End.

        Grateful thanks go to Sarah Johnson <ralgw@wco.com> for editing
 this. Any mistakes that remain are solely mine.  Thanks should also go
to Michelle Hiley <fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk> for letting me bounce
ideasoff her.  And to Char Hall <drakkar@bconnex.net> for teaming up with 
Michelle to get me out of jail (Long story, but it involves the 'three 
strikes and you're out' rule and my rather poor punctuation).
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