From: TheBear! <thebear@earthling.net>
Date: 7 Apr 2002 15:55:33 -0700
Subject: [all-xf] Fic: Incarnations of Immortality by: TheBear!
Source: atxc


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

Chapter 4a


 


Room 1013, International Plaza Hotel


 


2:26am Tuesday December 12th.

 

Mulder was sitting on the bed in his room, lost in thought.  He didn't
think he was going to be able to do it.  "How can I *not* tell her that
he's a vampire?" he thought.  Of course, he didn't imagine that she
would believe him anyway.  "This is about her safety!  He's a vampire!"
Of course, that wasn't fair- he didn't think Knight would ever be a
threat to Scully.  But she was going to have to know that if she was
going to understand the rest of it.  How could he explain about the guy
they chased, and how it was that they happened to get the sword, unless
he told her everything?  He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear
her unlock and open the door.

 

She walked into the room to see Mulder lost in thought.  She stopped,
almost in shock at the sight, "He is so beautiful," she thought.  "Can I
risk this?  Can I risk driving him away?"

 

She paused as her heart felt like it was trying to painfully climb up
her throat and escape out of her.  "Can I continue on with this farce of
an existence knowing that he doesn't feel like I do?  Can I."

 

At that moment Mulder turned fully toward her and she noticed the blood
slowly oozing down the side of his face from a ragged-looking cut at his
temple.  She was struck suddenly with a surprising anger.  Anger at
whoever did that to him, anger that she wasn't there to protect him. and
suddenly it became fury.  Fury at *him*.

 

He saw her standing there, looking pensive, and then her face changed.
She looked like she was getting really pissed off.  She was looking at
him, but not meeting his gaze.  She seemed to be staring at his forehead
for some reason.

 

"Hey Scully" he said.

 

Something snapped.  How could he sit there with that endearingly goofy
grin on his face?  How could he sit there as if he hadn't gone off and
risked his life, again- leaving her behind to pick up the pieces-
*again*?  "Dammit Mulder!  What if I had lost you!?" she screamed in her
head.

 

".Scully?" he said softly, hesitantly.  Her face seemed to be getting
red and he imagined that he could almost see steam coming out of her
ears.  "What's wrong?" he whispered.

 

"What's wrong?  What's wrong?" she said, her voice rising as she
repeated the words.  "You did it again!  You went off and risked your
life- Again!"  She was shouting now.  "You could have died, you
inconsiderate bastard!  What was I supposed to do then?"  She threw her
hands up and let them fall, spent.

 

He goggled at her.  "Where did that come from?" he wondered silently.
He was suddenly struck by her appearance.  That smart navy suit she
wore, her face flushed and upper chest heaving as she breathed fast and
deep.  He was confused and aroused at the same time.

 

As the blood left his head for parts further south, the centers of
higher reasoning in his brain began to shut down.  Unfortunately, it
seemed, the areas of the brain that generated untimely witty rejoinders
were less swift to cease operations.  He heard, as if from a great
distance, the words "Gee Scully, I didn't know you cared." fall out of
his open mouth.  Instantly he wished that he could retract them.

 

Mulder blinked one time and when his eyes reopened he saw that all of
the color had drained from Scully's face.  She looked like a ghost-
"white as a sheet" was the phrase that seemed to fill his consciousness
as time slowed to a crawl.  He blinked one more time and she was gone.

 

She slammed the door to her room and collapsed on the floor, as though
the weight of her feelings were too much for her to carry any further.
"OhGodOhGodOhGodOhMyGod" reverberated through her head like a jackhammer
chiseling away at her mind.  She was unable to think.  She felt like she
was going to die.  She felt like she was dead already.  The last
vestiges of the doctor in her made the clinical observation that she was
going into shock.

 

"He's right."  She whispered to herself.  "He doesn't know.  I never
told him."  "It's only a cut on the head!" she sternly told herself,
"you've seen much worse!"  She knew this to be true, but she couldn't
overcome the feeling that he could have died and she had never told him
she loved him.  It didn't matter that he didn't feel the same way.  It
didn't matter that she would have to watch him fall for some 5' 10"
brunette with long legs and big breasts and a vacuous smile.  It didn't
matter that she would never find anyone who could satisfy her longing
like she just knew that he could.  He deserved to know.  She needed him
to know.  If he had died and she had never told him it would end her.

 

The pounding she heard in her ears seemed to be causing her whole body
to vibrate.  After several moments she became aware that she was still
sitting on the floor leaning against the door to her hotel room.  She
then realized that Mulder was pounding on her door and yelling for her
to open the door.  She slowly got up off of the floor and turned to the
door.  Choking back a sob and taking a few deep breaths to steady
herself, she opened the door.

 

Mulder stood there, one hand raised beside his head as he drew it back
to pound forward against the door.  His mouth was open wide as he
stopped in the middle of his shouting.  His face looked angry and she
silently berated herself for her unforgivable behavior, "was it just
moments ago?" in his room.

 

He took her in.  The sight of her- suit rumpled, hair mussed, eyes red
and brimming with unshed tears.  He stood there, unmoving for a moment
as she turned and walked into the room.

 

"Scully, what wrong?  I don't understand." he trailed off as she sat on
the edge of the bed and gestured for him to sit in the chair facing her.
"Scully, please.  Tell me what's wrong."

 

"You're bleeding Mulder," he heard her say as she pointed at the side of
his head where he had been struck when that guy- "Guy?  Not a vampire.
Something else?" he thought- had thrown him into the HVAC unit.

 

"Wait right there, Mulder" she said as she stood up and walked over to
the bathroom, "I'll get a washcloth," she added.

 

Scully tried not to look at her disheveled image in the mirror as she
saturated the washcloth with hot water and wrung it out.  "Well, its not
like I could grow 8 inches and 2 cup sizes in the next thirty seconds
anyway."  She thought to herself.  She hung her jacket on the door and
went back out to "face the music."  She just hoped that today would not
mark the end of their partnership.

 

Mulder waited with a sense of growing dread in the pit of his stomach.
He looked at her as she exited the bathroom, washcloth in hand.  He
tried to meet her gaze as she stood before him and slowly, gently wiped
the blood away from the side of his head and face.  "Scully, I." he
stopped mid-thought as their eyes met and he caught the resignation in
her eyes.

 

He could read the intent on her countenance- she was going to tell him
something she knew he didn't want to hear.  He had seen the same look on
her face just before she told him his mother had committed suicide.
"I've finally done it," he thought to himself.  "She is going to tell me
she can't be my partner anymore.  She is going to tell me it's over.  Oh
God.  Don't let this be happening.  Please!"

 

She saw the crestfallen look on his face.  She had seen this before.
"He knows what I'm going to say."  Her eyes began to brim with tears,
"It's going to drive him away from me."  She had seen the same look on
his face just before she told him that his mother's death was indeed a
suicide- the look that said he knew he was about to hear something he
couldn't accept.  "Can I really be this selfish?" she screamed at
herself.  "How can I tell him that I love him knowing it is going to
drive him away?"  Seeing his face, she knew their relationship to be
over anyway.  The look on his face was enough to give tell her that.
"At least he will know the truth," she thought.  He deserved that.
Their lives were spent searching for the truth.  No matter how ugly or
painful the truth was, the lie would be worse.  It would be a betrayal
of his trust, and she couldn't let herself do that - no matter how much
she screamed at herself to back away now.

 

"Mulder I have to tell you something.  It's going to be uncomfortable
for both of us, but."

 

"Scully, I."

 

She interrupted him, "No, Mulder!  Just don't!  I need to do this.  I
have to do this."  She could feel his stare like a crushing weight,
begging her not to do this.  She sat down on the edge of the bed and
steadfastly refused to meet his gaze.

 

"She looks so small," he thought.  He longed to wrap his arms around her
and make all of her pain go away.  That desire, of course, was the
reason why this was happening.  How could he think she could ever love
him?  All the pain she had been through for the last seven years was his
fault.  Every wound, every scar, every loss was his doing.  Her sister
Melissa, her daughter Emily, her infertility, her cancer, her abduction,
Antarctica, that damned chip in her neck- all of it.  "I am poison to
her," he thought.  Everything he touched turned to dust.  She was better
off without him, even though it took her seven years to come to her
senses and realize it.  And that was his fault too, wasn't it?  "I
should have let her go," he realized.  His selfishness knew no
boundaries.

 

"But not this time, damn it!" he resolved.  He would take his medicine
and then he would leave her- never to darken her path again.  Maybe she
would be able to get on with her life.  The life she deserved.  The life
his obsession had denied her for so long.  It didn't matter that it
would kill him to let her go.  It didn't matter that he had just found
proof of vampires.  It didn't matter that there were wackos with swords
running around chopping each-other's heads off and causing lightening
storms.

 

Her words interrupted his self-flagellating reverie.  "Mulder, I know
that it's selfish of me; that it's not fair to you; but I cannot keep
pretending not to feel what I feel.  I just can't do this anymore," she
sighed tiredly.  "I just can't.  I have been trying, really trying.  For
the sake of our partnership, for the sake of the work- because I know
how important it is to you, to us."

 

"God, how long has she felt like this?" he wondered.  "She's known for a
while apparently, but she stuck it out even longer for the sake of 'the
work.'  More like my obsession," he thought bitterly.

 

"I know you don't feel for me what I feel for you," She said.

 

What?.

 

"I'm sorry that I couldn't just get past it and move on.  You don't
deserve to have some hopeless pale little redhead pining away after you
like a sappy teenager.

 

What?.

 

"I know that I am not the type of woman you find attractive, but I
really wish I were."

 

"What the." he said.  "What the hell is she saying?"  Mulder thought.

 

"I want you to know that I don't expect anything from you because of
this."

 

"Scully, wait.  What are you trying to say" Mulder choked out, his mind
reeling.

 

"Oh Mulder, please don't make me actually say it.  How can you be so
cruel?" she thought.  She whispered- almost too low to make out, "I love
you Mulder."

 

"Scully!  What did you say!?"  Mulder demanded.  This couldn't be
happening.  He couldn't have heard what he thought.  How could she.

 

She finally looked up at him, her eyes locking defiantly onto his, "I
said, I love you, Mulder."  Her resolve faltered and her eyes dropped
back to her lap.  "I'm sorry, Mulder.  I wish I didn't, but I do."  She
waited for the rejection she was sure she would hear.

 

For a moment he headed once more down the path of self pity- "How can
she love me after all I have." he began to think, but then a different
feeling stopped him.  Shame so great that the pain of it overwhelmed his
soul.  *She* was worried about being selfish, when he had been the one
focusing on himself to the exclusion of her.  He had determined that he
was unworthy and in doing so had denied her what she felt she needed.
Him.  He had ignored her needs and desires, instead focusing on his
feelings of self-loathing and pity.

 

Her eyes were still locked onto her lap.  He hadn't moved since she had
said it.  It was as though time had stopped.  She knew her heart seemed
to have stopped while she waited for his response.  "Mulder, please say
something," she whispered at last, looking up into his eyes.

 

As though the floodgates had been opened- hot, bitter tears began to
flow down his face.  He still felt unworthy- he thought she deserved so
much more than he could ever give- but he made an instant decision to
spend the rest of his life trying to make up for it.  He dropped to his
knees, and leaned forward until his forehead was touching her knees.
Great wracking sobs began to shake his body as he wept freely.  He was
suffused with sorrow for what he had done to her and at the same time
filled with joy at the gift she had just given him.  He needed to speak,
to tell her, but the emotion inside him poured out so fast and furious
that he could scarcely breathe, let alone speak.

 

Scully began to panic, "What have I done?" she whispered to herself.
She could feel his tears like droplets of fire striking her shins and
running down her ankles.

 

"Mulder," she began and then paused.

 

No response.

 

"Mulder," she said a little louder this time.  "Mulder, I'm sorry."

 

Her words, or more accurately the fear he felt from her in them, gripped
his heart, slowing the flow of emotion enough to return his ability to
speak.  At first all he could get out was a litany without pause,
"Scullysosorrysosorrysosorrypleaseforgivemesosorry" over and over until
he ran out of breath.  When he was finally able to gasp for air he
raised his head to meet her eyes once again.  "Sc-Scully," took all the
breath he had.  He gasped in another lung-full and continued, "I am *so*
sorry."

 

His pain almost tore her heart from her chest.  "It's not your fault,
Mulder.  You can't blame yourself for how I feel."

 

"Scully, stop," Mulder said.  If you think you are unattractive, 'not my
type'; if you think of yourself the way you described to me just now
then it is my fault."

 

"Please Mulder, you don't have to."

 

"Yes I do have to, Scully.  Not because I am trying to patronize you or
pity you.  No.  I have to because you are wrong.  Dead wrong," he said.
Gripping her hands in his he continued, "I could spend all day telling
you how beautiful you are.  God knows I have spent entire days thinking
about it.  Cataloguing every look, every aspect, and every nuance that
is Dana Scully.  Frankly I am amazed that you didn't catch me staring at
you more often," he said, shaking his head ruefully.  "I actually used
to worry that my career would end with a sexual harassment claim if you
ever caught me staring.  If you could have heard some of the things I
was trying not to think about, you would have at least slapped me, if
not just outright shot me."  Mulder caught his breath a bit before
continuing.  "I could spend the day telling you that, but I won't.
Because what was admittedly pure lust at first has become the least of
what I feel for you."

 

"Mulder, please.  You don't need to say anything just to make me feel
better."

 

"Don't I Scully?" he interrupted her.  "I hope what I am going to say
makes you feel better.  After all, my stubborn, pigheaded, obsessive
selfishness is obviously what has been making you feel bad."  Mulder
looked ready to cry again, "please let me tell you this, Scully.  You
told me how you feel, let me tell you how I feel," he whispered.
"Please Scully"

 

She could barely bring herself to nod her head.  Speech was utterly
beyond her.  She still felt as though she were in the midst of some kind
of dream fantasy and was waiting to wake up.  She was so convinced that
he was going to reject her that she still expected it to happen.  "He's
just trying to break it to me gently," she thought miserably.

 

Mulder settled back onto his heels, still kneeling before her.  He
looked down at his hands in his lap and, with a deep breath began
speaking.  "When you first joined the X-Files I was certain that you
were there to spy on me.  I had been waiting to see who they were going
to send to interfere.  I was waiting to see how they were going to do
it.  When you were assigned to me I figured that they wanted me to fall
for you.  So you could exert your 'evil influence' on me.  Frankly I
wasn't worried too much- I wouldn't let mere physical attraction
interfere with my quest.  Besides, how attractive could you be, I
thought?"  Mulder looked up from his hands, his eyes traveling steadily
up her body to her face- meeting her eyes again.  His voice dropped an
octave and he said, "I had no idea, Scully."

 

She saw raw emotion and arousal in his eyes.  She was confused.  "Why is
he telling me this?" she wondered.

 

His eyes suddenly dropped back to his hands and he somewhat hesitantly
said, "I lied to you, you know.  I told you that I made my parents call
me Mulder.  The truth is that I thought that if I made you use my last
name, I could keep things strictly professional.  I could avoid
developing any feelings for you.  You were the enemy, and I had to keep
my guard up."

 

"You succeeded, Mulder," she thought.  "You never let that guard down.
I wish I could have done the same."

 

"It just got worse, Scully.  You weren't just beautiful- you were smart
too.  You didn't take any BS from me, but you also didn't try to change
me.  Even when I could tell that you didn't believe my theories, you
respected the investigation.  You never belittled me for my 'wild ideas'
even though you obviously disagreed with them.  You adopted the quest
for the truth as your own."  His eyes returned to hers, "I began to
trust you, Scully.  You weren't the enemy any longer.  I realized that
you never were.  I know now, that I had already fallen for you at that
point, even though I didn't realize it at the time."

 

Wait, back up a minute, did he say.

 

Mulder continued, "I realized it after Duane Barry.  When you were gone
it was as though my life had ended.  If you hadn't come back- if you had
died instead of coming out of that coma."  The tears started again and
he took a deep, shuddering breath, "I'm sorry, Scully.  I would have.  I
couldn't have gone on."

 

Her breath caught at the implication.  "Could it be?" she thought.

 

He squeezed his eyes shut, "I never told you this before."

 

"Shhh.  It's ok, Mulder."

 

"No!  I need for you to know, Scully."  He reached up and cupped her
face in his hand, "I was given an opportunity that night- the night
before you woke up.  I was told that the men who had done that to you
were being sent to search my apartment.  I was told that their lives
were mine to take if I wanted them."  He drew another great, shuddering
breath, biting back a sob and dropping his hand he continued, "I said
yes, Scully.  I was there waiting for them.  I had my pistol and I was
going to kill them.  Then I was going to turn it on myself."

 

She gasped, "Mulder."

 

He ignored her and continued, "I welcomed it.  I yearned for it.
Finally there was a knock at the door, but it wasn't them.  It was your
sister.  She convinced me that you needed me; that you were going to
come back to me if I would be there for you.  So I went.  And you did.
And I was the happiest man alive.  I just wish now that I would have
told you then.  That I wasn't such a coward."

 

"Mulder, your not a."

 

"Aren't I, Scully?  When you got cancer did I ever tell you how
important you were to me?  When you went into remission did I let you
know that I felt like a sixteen-ton weight was lifted off of my chest?
Obviously not or you wouldn't have thought that I didn't find you
attractive.  You wouldn't have wasted a second comparing yourself to
those other women.  You wouldn't have believed for a moment that I could
ever find them more attractive than I find you.  You wouldn't have
hidden yourself from me so that I never thought in a million years that
you were attracted to me at all."

 

She looked into his eyes again and saw them darken in emotion.  His
smell, his strong, masculine Mulderscent, began to overwhelm her.  She
felt her nipples harden and hot moisture begin to pool in her center.

 

He caught the scent of her arousal and he felt himself begin to stiffen,
his erection beginning to show in the slacks he was wearing.  "I thought
you didn't want me, Scully.  I didn't believe that I could ever be
worthy of your desire- of your love.  I blame myself for everything that
happened to you while you worked on the X-files.  I am the cause of all
of your pain and I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for it.  I
knew I should let you go.  Give you a chance for a life.  A real life."

 

"Mulder, I have a life.  A real life," She said.  "I didn't stay on the
X-files out of duty or obligation.  I stayed because it is my quest too.
And because I love you."  Tears began to well in her eyes, "There is
nothing to forgive, Mulder."

 

"Scully, intellectually I know that your abduction, your sister's death,
your cancer and all the rest are not directly my fault.  I know that I
didn't do those things to you, but I cannot help feeling that way.  I
wanted you to stay because I was selfish.  Even if that is not the
reason you stayed, that is what I feel."  He sighed, "But, I don't want
to argue about that.  Despite the fact that I think you would have been
better off if you never met me, I am still being selfish.  I desperately
want you to stay."

 

She said, "Mulder, I want to stay.  I value our partnership, our
friendship."

 

Mulder interrupted her, "God Scully, and you think I'm dense."  He shook
his head sadly; "Let me spell it out for you.  I.  Love.  You.  With all
my heart.  With all my soul.  With all that I am."  He closed his eyes
and said, "I still don't think that I deserve you, but I want to spend
the rest of my existence trying to prove myself wrong.  Will you let me
try?" he asked her.

 

She was stunned.  She couldn't think.  Her mind revolved with, "He wants
me?  He loves me?" over and over.

 

"Please Scully," he whispered.  His voice became rough and low- dripping
with passion "I need you, Scully"

 

"Oh God, Yes!" she said, her own voice gravelly with need and desire.

 

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

Chapter 4b

 

Mulder reached up and cupped the side of her face with his hand, slowly
guiding her toward his lips for a kiss.  The kiss was light, delicate,
his warm soft lips playing over hers for a moment and then traveling all
over her face.  Bestowing his adoration to her cheeks, eyes, chin and
forehead as her breath began to come in pants and the smell of him began
to fill her with an exquisite longing.  Suddenly his mouth was back on
hers- and there was nothing gentle about this kiss.  His tongue demanded
entrance and it was granted.  As his tongue swirled about her mouth, her
tongue danced with his, entering his mouth.

 

God, he tasted salty and bittersweet- like sunflower seeds and dark
chocolate.  She was filled with an overwhelming desire to taste him
everywhere.  She broke the kiss and began to work furiously at the
buttons of his shirt and before she knew it she had his shirt off and
was leaning forward, tasting the warm skin of his chest.

 

Mulder moaned, his whole body vibrating, "No fair," he panted huskily,
"you're still dressed."

 

"Well," she mumbled against his chest, "fix it!"

 

He stood them up and began tearing at the buttons on her blouse, and
then, having gotten that off, he reached around to unhook her bra.

 

She noticed that he seemed to be having trouble with the hooks and
pushed him back, down onto the chair by the bed.

 

He was suddenly hesitant, "Too fast?" he asked.

 

"Too slow!" she growled back at him, swiftly unhooking and removing the
bra, and then before he could do more than gasp she unzipped and
shimmied out of her skirt.  She stood before him clad only in a small
pair of sodden panties and her sensible pumps, her eyes challenging him,
as if to say "Well, Do something!"

 

"How could she ever think she wasn't attractive?" he thought, then spoke
aloud, "You are perfect, Scully.  Absolutely perfect."  Then he stood up
and toed off his shoes and socks and dropped his slacks to the floor.

 

As he stepped out of the puddle of clothing on the floor, his boxer
shorts tented out from his body, Scully felt the impact of his words and
his actions.  She read the sincerity in his admiring gaze and felt a
fresh wave of arousal flow to the junction of her thighs.  He swooped
down upon her, crushing her lithe body against his hard muscled chest,
and kissing her with such soul-searing passion that she felt as though
her very spirit was being drawn out through her mouth and into him.  She
could feel his erection trapped against her belly as he devoured her.

 

He laid her down on the bed and broke the kiss, gasping for air, as she
did the same.  Mulder looked into her eyes and said, "You own me,
Scully.  Body and soul, I belong to you."

 

She bit back a sob at his assertion, but before she could answer, the
sensation of his mouth on her aching breast robbed her of the ability
speak.  She was unable to do more than groan aloud.  As he worked over
her nipples with his tongue, lips and teeth, all she could think of was,
"Thank God for Sunflower Seeds!  I am going to buy him the biggest bag
of seeds I can find."

 

Mulder left her breasts behind and began to travel south over her
abdomen- licking, sucking and biting his way to her navel.  As he dipped
his tongue in, he heard her breath catch and then, "M-Mul-Mulder, I've
never.  You don't have too."

 

His eyes met hers and he saw her discomfort.  "No one has ever done this
for you before?" he asked.

 

She shook her head, eyes wide and breathing raggedly.  The few others
she had been with had been relieved when she didn't feel comfortable
with them going down on her.  She had, for some reason, been shy of a
man seeing her that closely.  She worried that she would smell funny, or
taste bad.

 

"Oh Scully, please let me do this for you," he begged.  "I want to taste
you, I need to taste you.  Please, Scully, Please," he punctuated each
word with a kiss to her belly.

 

How could she deny him when he wanted it so badly?  When he wanted to do
it, not out of obligation, or desire for reciprocation, but because *he*
wanted it, needed it.  She nodded her head and his face actually
brightened.  He smiled at her as though she had done him a favor.  Oral
fixation indeed she thought happily.

 

He slowly slid her panties down and off of her.  As he pulled them over
her feet, he kissed his way back up her legs, loving the sensation of
her smooth, creamy skin against his lips.  He kissed her right at the
junction of her tightly closed thighs and she relaxed allowing him to
spread them gently apart.  He glanced up at her from his vantage point
between her legs and saw that she was somewhat embarrassed.  She was
blushing hotly and her eyes kept darting away from him, as if she was
torn between the desire to see his reaction to her, and fear of the
reaction she apparently expected to see.  He needed her to understand
what she meant to him and how he felt about her.  "I love you so much.
Oh Scully, you are so beautiful.  You're so wet for me.  Do you know how
happy this makes me?" he asked as he gently stroked her with his
fingers.  "To know that you are this wet, for me; because of me?  Thank
you, Scully."  And with that, he began to explore with his lips and
tongue.

 

Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks.  Tears of relief, joy, and
love.  Scully's mind began to revolve, "He really loves me.  He's not
just saying it; he doesn't feel sorry for me.  He doesn't pity me.  He
wants me!  He loves me!"

 

She began to feel a sensation coiling tightly inside her, like a spring
being wound tighter and tighter.  She howled as he suddenly took her
clitoris into his mouth, sucking on it while he inserted 2 fingers into
her and began to rub them against the roof of her vagina, looking for
that spot.  Then he found what he was looking for and she screamed his
name as the orgasm crashed down upon her.  Wave after wave of pleasure
rolled over her.  She closed her eyes and bright spots of light winked
at her behind her eyelids.  She began to feel disoriented and dizzy, and
still the orgasm rolled on and on and Mulder continued to stroke that
spot inside her and suckle at her clit like a newborn against his
mother's breast.

 

Mulder was watching her face as she came, and came and came and came.
Her scream had ended in a long, drawn out, shuddering howl as the
pleasure kept flowing over her.  The look on her face was agonizingly
beautiful.  He was amazed; this had never happened before.  He was
overjoyed that he was able to do this for her.  Suddenly he noticed that
she had stopped moving entirely.  He rose quickly from her and was near
panic until he saw the reassuring rise and fall of her chest- that
lovely chest.  He began to feel pretty proud of himself, a little cocky
even.

 

When she came to she saw him standing before her, his boxers tented by
his erection and a big, dopey grin on his face- pride and satisfaction
practically glowing from him.  "Well, he has darned well earned it this
time," she thought in awe.  "Mulder." her voice was raspy, "that was.
That was.  That has never."

 

The pride on his face softened into adoration for her.  He wiped his
mouth with his hand and came down upon her to kiss her reverently.  "Oh
Scully, thank you.  Thank you for giving me that.  Thank you for letting
me see you cum.  You were so beautiful, Scully."  Tears began to fall
down his cheeks and he leaned in for another kiss.

 

She loved him more at that moment than she would have ever thought
possible.  "Only Mulder," she thought.  Here he was; still in his
underwear; obviously painfully erect from the way he winced when it
pressed into her thigh; having just made her cum so hard and so long
that she had been rendered unconscious; and he was profusely thanking
her for the experience.  He was grateful and she had yet to even touch
him.

 

Well!  It was high time to fix that!

 

Mulder was slightly shocked when she suddenly rolled them over with her
ending up on top.  She broke away from the kiss and began to work her
way down his body with her lips and tongue.  She began to lightly stroke
him through his underwear as she tongued his nipples.  She felt him
twitch in her hand and he suddenly groaned loud and low in his throat.
She tried to continue down toward the elastic of his boxers when
suddenly his hands were in her hair, feeling the soft, silky strands,
and trying to move her back up to his face.

 

She broke off from her attentions to his nipples and looked at him.
"What's wrong Mulder?"

 

"If you complete that thought you may get an unpleasant surprise, I
don't think I can hold out long."  He said, somewhat chagrined.

 

"I want that, Mulder.  I need that right now- I need to make you cum."

 

"Tonight I want to be inside you when I cum, Scully," he whispered.

 

"Mulder, what makes you think this will be the only time you cum
tonight?" she said with a wicked grin on her lips.

 

Mulder actually began to pant. "OhMyGod, Scully!" he gasped, his chest
heaving.

 

Scully let out a delighted laugh and continued on her original course.
She removed his undershorts and paused a moment in appreciation.  He was
so hard that the head was purple and the veins on the sides were
throbbing in time with his heartbeat.  She licked her lips and smiled up
at him.  His eyes were wide and staring.  She said, "This looks serious,
Mulder.  It's a good thing you've got a doctor handy," and with that she
gave it one long lick, from the bottom of the base to the underside of
the tip.  She immediately gripped the base, squeezing with her thumb to
keep him from cumming.  "Not just yet, Mulder."

 

He thought he was going to die.  No scratch that, he thought he was
already dead and in heaven.  She would take him into her mouth sliding
slowly down him until her nose was buried in his pubic hair.  Then she
would make a few short bobs of her head before slowly withdrawing,
swirling her tongue around the underside of him as she withdrew.  She
would then grip him, cutting off his orgasm while she would lick and
suckle his balls.  After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a
couple of minutes she took him all the way in again and began bobbing up
and down furiously, rubbing her saliva slicked fingers along his
perineum, beneath his balls.

 

He hadn't stopped groaning since the first lick.  He tried to speak,
"Sc-Sc-Scu-ul-ly, I'm. gonna. unh. gonna." she locked gazes with him as
if to let him know that she knew.  She wasn't stopping, however.  She
started moving faster and groaning herself.  The combination of movement
and vibration was too much and he came.  "Oh, God!  Oh, Scully," he
shouted over and over as he emptied himself into her.

 

She felt him cum and she concentrated on not choking.  She wanted this,
wanted to do this for him, to show him a little of the happiness he had
given her.  She wanted to show him a little of the love she felt for
him.  In the end she drank him all down and slowly withdrew, cleaning
him with her tongue.  She looked up and saw the awe and joy in his eyes.
She felt a little proud herself for being able to bring him to this.
She made a slow, languorous ascent up his body, tasting and feeling as
she went.  When she got to the summit, she stopped to taste his mouth
once more.

 

After a moment she leaned away from him and gave to him the gift he had
given to her earlier.  Her voice rough and thick with emotion she said,
"I am yours Mulder.  Heart, mind and body, I belong to you."

 

"Scully, I..." he began and then trailed off.

 

"Please Mulder, tell me.  You can tell me anything." she said, "You do
know that don't you?"

 

"I believe you Scully.  And I love you.  Oh, God how I love you.  I know
it seems like it's a little late for this, but I need you to know
something.  Before we go any further."

 

"What Mulder?"  Scully asked, starting to feel a little self-conscious
again.

 

Mulder reached out and cupped her cheek with his right hand and said,
"You know how I am Scully.  How I obsess about things and how I can be
stubborn about things."

 

"Mulder, you are like a terrier with a bone."  Scully chuckled.

 

Mulder ducked his head somewhat sheepishly and said, "Yeah I am like
that a bit." He then raised his head and locked his gaze on her eyes,
".If you stay here with me now, if we do what I really, really *really*
want to do next." His eyes were like bottomless pools of arousal now and
Scully couldn't have torn her gaze away from his even if the room were
to suddenly erupt into flames.  ".I won't ever be able to go back.  Not
ever.  You and I will be forever and nothing on earth, or from anywhere
else will ever drag me away from you."

 

Tears were flowing freely now from her eyes as she said, "Mulder,
nothing, and I mean it Mulder!  Nothing could make me leave you right
now- or ever.  You own me.  Forever."  And with that she attacked his
mouth, seeking to sear on his very soul the love she felt for him.

 

The kiss lasted until they were both lightheaded from lack of oxygen and
broke apart at the same instant, gasping for breath.  Scully was
delighted to feel Mulder's recovered erection pressing into her thigh.
She pulled back enough to look down and see it, and then looked back up
at Mulder with a coquettish gaze and said, in her best little girl
voice, "Is that for me?"

 

Mulder rolled them both over and hovered above her for a moment.  He
looked at her in all seriousness and said, in a deep gravelly voice,
"Every last bit, Scully.  It's all yours, and only yours."  In one
steady thrust he sunk into her, in to the hilt, "Forever," he gasped.

 

He began making long slow strokes, pulling almost all of the way out and
then slowly sinking all the way back in so that his balls were nestled
in the cradle of her ass.  When he was all the way in, she felt like she
had never been so filled in her life, and when he withdrew, she felt
empty.  His slow pace was maddening and his whispered endearments in her
ear were only adding to the feeling.

 

"You're so wet Scully.  You're so warm Scully.  Is that for me?  Did I
make you that wet and warm?" he asked huskily.

 

"Oh God Yes Mulder, You made me wet, you made me hot and you're making
me insane!" she wanted to scream out, but all she could force out was an
inarticulate "Ohgomld!  Unnhhyah!"  She would have been embarrassed
except that he seemed to understand, and his eyes softened- the absolute
adoration he felt for her expressed clearly.  How could she have ever
thought he didn't want her?"  It was obvious by the look on his face-
she hadn't ever seen that intensity of focus.  It was as if there was
nothing and no one else in the universe but she and he, and all the rest
didn't exist.

 

Mulder was driving himself insane, every instinct in his body was
screaming to forget pace and slam into her like a jackhammer until the
two became one.  But he wanted this to last.  He never wanted it to end.
He wanted to make her scream his name at the top of her lungs until he
occupied every last drop of her consciousness and there was nothing left
in her but him, just like he already felt about her.

 

Suddenly he changed his angle, sliding up so that her face was level
with his neck and shoulders, and his shaft dragged across her clit with
each stroke.  Almost instantly she was rocked with a powerful orgasm.
It surprised her and she screamed at the suddenness of it.  Her body
started to convulse and the muscles that wrapped around him started to
contract violently.  It was the last straw for him and he lost any
semblance of control and started pounding into her for all he was worth.

 

The waves of her orgasm were not dissipating, but rather they were
crashing down on her faster and harder as Mulder picked up the pace, his
shaft grinding against her clit as his strokes became faster and
shorter.  She locked her legs around his hips and her arms around his
back and sank her teeth into his trapezius muscle, between his neck and
shoulder, biting down so hard in her frenzy that she drew blood.

 

The sudden clutch she put him in and the sharp pain of her bite sent him
over the edge.  He roared her name incoherently as he pumped his seed
into her.  His own orgasm seemed to last much longer than normal.  He
felt like he was draining his entire self into her.  He collapsed onto
her and when he made to roll off of her, her grip on him tightened even
more and she cried "No!"  She was still shuddering from the force of her
orgasm, and the thought of separation from him was more than she could
bear in that moment.

 

"Baby, I don't want to crush you, that's all."  Mulder whispered.  He
then expended his last bit of strength and grabbed her and rolled them
both over so she was on top of him and they were still joined.  He
pulled the sheet over them and promptly fell asleep with his arms
wrapped around the love of his life.

 

A sense of peace and contentment unlike any she had ever known
overwhelmed Scully.  Her last conscious thought was, "I wish I could
stay like this forever."

 

From: TheBear! <thebear@earthling.net>
Subject: [all-xf] Fic: Incarnations of Immortality by: TheBear!
Source: atxc


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

Chapter 4c

 


Nick's Loft


 


3:30am Tuesday

 

Natalie had fed Sidney and petted him for a while.  He was less than
pleased that his mistress had been gone for so long, but soon forgave
her under the gentle attentions of her hands and fingers.  She snickered
at the thought of making Nick purr like that with similar stroking.
"Soon!  Soon!" her mind exulted.  She got up and danced her way into the
bedroom to pack an overnight bag.  "I should call it an over-day bag,
really, I guess," she thought, smiling.  She really didn't think she
would miss the day that much- not if she got to spend the eternal night
with Nick.  She laughed with excitement as she skipped out the door and
to her car for the drive over to the Loft.

 

As she rode the elevator up to the loft, Natalie was truly feeling
giddy.  She felt like she hadn't seen Nick in days, rather than hours.

 

Nick heard Natalie coming up in the elevator just as he lit the last
candle.  He had a bottle of Faiveley Cellars 1995 Clos de Vougeot
Burgundy, as well as a bottle Raven reserve label and two glasses on the
coffee table and had made a pallet of blankets and cushions on the floor
in front of the fireplace.  He flew to the refrigerator and pulled out
another bottle of Raven label, his fifth since he got home, and drained
it quickly.

 

Natalie's eyes lit up as she saw the loft in candlelight, with a fire
going strong and the little nest of blankets before it.  "Maybe soon is
sooner than I thought!" she thought, joyously.  "Oh, Nick!  It looks
beautiful.  Absolutely lovely!" she said as her gaze swept back and
forth across the room.  Finally her eyes rested on the visage of her
beloved as he stalked across the room with leonine grace toward her.

 

"All things before mine eyes pale in comparison to thee, beloved.  Thou
art radiance above the moon and the stars to me.  A gleaming brilliance
in the darkness, penetrating the cold death of night.  You warm my
heart."  Nick said in low resonant tones as he crossed the room, taking
her in his arms, "You are my life."  Then he dipped his head, meeting
her lips with his and drinking from his fountain of life.

 

Natalie dropped her bag and wrapped her arms around him crushing herself
against him with all of the strength she possessed, as if she could
merge with him into one being.  She finally broke the kiss, gasping for
air.  "NOT FAIR!" she thought.  "I'm the only one here who actually
needs to breathe!"

 

Nick chuckled when her eyes flashed in annoyance, instantly realizing
what she was thinking.

 

"I don't have your gift for poetry, Nick, but I want you to know- my
heart is overfilled with joy and it is pouring out and through my entire
body.  And, *you* are the cause!"

 

Nick's own heart leapt in his chest at her declaration.  "I love you,
Natalie Lambert!" he whispered and once again captured her mouth.

 

This time when she broke the kiss she was panting.  "I thought. we had
to. wait."

 

"Do you want to wait anymore?" he asked.

 

"NO!" she shouted.

 

Nick laughed out loud and swept her off her feet, swinging her around
and then carrying her over to the pallet he had built up.  He gently
laid her back on the cushions and knelt beside her.  "I still think we
should put off bringing you across for a few days, but I think that we
can still do this.  I spoke with LaCroix, and he."

 

"You discussed this with LaCroix!?"  Natalie was suddenly indignant.

 

"My love, you must understand that there are really no secrets between a
vampire master and his or her progeny."  Nick said placatingly.  Then he
growled, "I didn't want to wait another moment to have you!"

 

"Oh."  She said, pondering the idea briefly.  "Good idea, Nick."

 

He gave a low chuckle that caused shivers to run down her spine, and
moisture to start collecting in the center of her arousal.  "Anyway, I
have satiated my hunger with as much blood as I could drink, and I
believe I can control myself sufficiently to take only a little from
you.  I have a big bottle of orange juice and some Gatorade in the
fridge for afterward."

 

"What, no cookies?" she asked, " You are supposed to get cookies when
you donate blood!"

 

"I have an entire dinner, catered by Bellini's, keeping warm in the
oven.  But that is for after!" and with that he once again bent down to
ravish her lips, then making a trail with his lips and tongue to her
ear, where he paused for a while, nipping and sucking.  His hands slid
over her blouse, down from her shoulders, alongside her breasts- cupping
them through the material, and down to the waist of her skirt.  He
un-tucked her blouse and began to unbutton it, his lips moving down to
her neck and kissing her gently over her pulse point.  Knowing that he
would be sinking his teeth into the river of blood he heard flowing just
beneath the skin caused his own arousal to soar.  The knowledge that
tonight would be the night was sufficient to keep the vampire in check.
It was well sated and willing to be patient.

 

Natalie was not so patient.  His lips were fire on her skin and she
yanked his shirt out of his trousers, and began running her hands inside
his shirt, over the bare skin of his chest.  She moaned with pleasure as
he kissed her neck, and shivered with delight as he opened her blouse
and retraced the path of his hands, this time over bare flesh.  As he
slid his hands over her bra-encased breasts toward the front closure,
she felt her nipples stiffen against the fabric, as though trying to
reach through it to touch the skin of her lover.

 

Nick opened her bra and leaned back long enough to take in the sight of
his beloved's bare flesh.  He tried to speak and realized that he had
stopped breathing entirely and had no air with which to form the words.

 

Natalie opened her eyes when his touch left her and found him leaning
away from her, staring in open awe at her.  She smiled and licked her
lips, causing Nick to growl softly.  He slid her blouse and bra down and
off of her, and took the opportunity to capture one of her nipples in
his mouth.  He rolled his tongue around the edges of it, and stroked the
top of it in long licks.  He nipped lightly at it and then ran his
tongue around it, soothing the bite.  He stroked the areola round and
round, memorizing each bump and wrinkle.  His hand lavished the same
sensations on her other nipple, but in a different order.  The intensity
of the sensation and its contrapuntal effect caused her arousal to
become acute, her Vulva overflowed and ran down the junction of her
thighs, saturating her panties.

 

Suddenly, the smell of Natalie's arousal overpowered Nick.  As he tried
to unzip it the zipper stuck, and he tore the zipper-pull off of the
skirt.  He held it up between them and looked at it, like a small boy
with a broken toy.

 

Natalie would have laughed at the look on his face if she hadn't been
even more desperate than he was to get that skirt the hell out of the
way.  "Just tear it, Nick!" she growled hungrily.

 

Nick lost what was left of his composure and tore the skirt in two with
a quick pull and a little Vampiric strength.  As the smell of her- even
stronger now- assaulted his senses he ripped her panties from her,
dropped to his knees and buried his head between her thighs.

 

Natalie was briefly thankful that she had decided not to wear pantyhose
tonight.  Then all rational thought left her mind as Nick began to trace
her swollen folds with his tongue before latching on to her clit with
his lips and tongue.  He grasped the hood of her clitoris firmly between
his lips, squeezing the clitoris itself out and between his teeth, which
exerted the barest pressure on it while his tongue swept back and forth
across it in slow steady strokes.  She felt the pressure build up and up
until she thought she was going to burst.  Suddenly Nick stopped the
side-to-side motion and began furiously flicking his tongue up and down
over it.  Natalie felt her consciousness shatter.

 

Nick heard Natalie begin a low, keening wail that got louder and louder.
He changed the motion of his tongue over her clitoris and she suddenly
arched her back and grabbed his head, grinding it into her crotch.  She
screamed his name loudly enough that he was glad this area of the city
was virtually abandoned at night, otherwise he might be getting a visit
from the police investigating a report of a woman being murdered.

 

"Oh!  this is *so* much better," Natalie thought to herself once her
consciousness coalesced.  "So much better than doing it myself!" she
muttered as she dropped to her knees in front of him.

 

Nick was pretty sure she didn't mean to say that out loud, "Glad to be
of service, my Lady!"  He said, chuckling.

 

Natalie blushed hotly in embarrassment and averted her eyes from his.

 

"Please don't be embarrassed, Nat.  You were magnificent!  I felt like a
violinist being given the chance to play a Stradivarius," he said with
awe in his voice.  "It was just so wonderful, so extraordinary that I
could make you feel that.  I don't think I could ever get tired of
seeing you cum."

 

She returned her eyes to his and saw the sincerity in his voice, the
arousal in his eyes.  Any sense of shame or embarrassment left her
entirely.  She wanted him to know everything- her longing, her desire,
her absolute need for him.  The need for him to know her completely was
like a physical weight pressing down on her.

 

"Oh, Nick.  You don't know how many mornings I have spent touching
myself, stroking and caressing myself, imagining it was you.  Wishing it
was your hands on me."  She punctuated her words with her hands,
stroking her breasts, teasing her already hard nipples into achingly
intense sensitivity.  Her eyes closed and her hands drifted south along
her torso, stroking, teasing and touching- until her fingers were
tracing the outlines of her vulva, imitating the movements that Nick's
tongue and lips were so recently engaged in.  "Oh Nick, I want you.  I
*need* you."  She dipped the fingers on each hand into the moisture that
was flowing steadily again.  One finger she slid up to the hard nub of
her clitoris, where she began stroking agonizingly slow circles around
the clitoral hood.  The other finger she brought up to her lips, pausing
to reach out with her tongue to taste the wetness there before inserting
the finger into her mouth and sucking it clean.

 

She opened her eyes and saw him, his mouth glistening with her juices
and hanging open as he panted heavily.  His fangs were fully descended
and his eyes, glowing red, were locked on the finger in her mouth.  She
could sense that he was holding back out of fear of her reaction to the
vampire.  She didn't want him to hold back.  She laid back, spreading
herself open with the one hand, while pulling her other hand from her
mouth and sweeping her hair away from her neck as she arched her head
back.  "Nick, I need you!" her breath coming in short pants as she began
climbing up toward the peak of her arousal.  "I need to feel you inside
me.  *Now* Nick!"

 

She saw Nick blur in motion, and heard the sound of his clothing
shredding as he tore it away from himself in Vampiric speed.  In between
two blinks of her eyes Nick went from kneeling, fully clothed, between
her knees to covering her body with his own naked form.  He thrust
himself deep into her with one powerful movement and she knew that this
was going to be over in moments.  That was perfectly all right with her,
she knew that they had the rest of eternity to savor long, slow
lovemaking.  This was about raw need, and she needed it as badly as he
did.  She knew exactly what she was doing when she goaded him into this,
and she secretly didn't care if she remained mortal after this or not.
She wanted to be with him, and would joyfully give up any thought of
seeing another sunrise to have this for the rest of her existence.

 

Nick pumped madly within his love.  His need overwhelmed him and after
only seconds he plunged his fangs into the sweet essence of life flowing
through the smooth column of flesh before him.  The smell of Natalie's
blood had always reminded him of the heavily spiced, mulled wine that he
had drunk in the winters before he crossed over.  It was one of the
physical pleasures he had missed most after LaCroix had changed him.  He
was sure that it had never been this wonderful, though.  Her blood,
sweetened by her orgasm, and enriched with the passionate love she felt
for him, engulfed his senses.  He felt her desire for him, her absolute
need to have him in her, and she in him just like this.  Any guilt he
felt for loosing control so quickly was washed away as he felt her
pleasure at having driven him to this state.  "You little vixen!" he
thought, and felt her laughter and joy.

 

She felt the sting of his fangs entering her neck and the cool wash of
his orgasm inside her and the combination pushed her up and over the
peak of her own pleasure.  She once again screamed his name as she felt
the whirlwind of sensation and imagery bombard her consciousness.  She
laughed with delight when she felt him realize that this had been
exactly what she wanted- that she had pushed him to lose control in just
this manner.

 

After several mouthfuls of her blood had slid down his throat, Nick
found himself able to stop.  He felt her willingness to continue- to go
all the way, but the knowledge that it would happen soon enough,
combined with his pleasure at the thought of drawing out the process,
taking pleasure with her in this way for a while longer, was enticing as
well.  He withdrew his fangs and licked the wounds until the bleeding
stopped.

 

She gave a small cry as she felt his fangs withdraw, and the images and
sensations died away slowly.  She gasped in surprise as Nick used his
super-human abilities to rise up off the ground, bringing her with him,
and rotate in the air so that she was on top of him, while they remained
joined as one.  He then came to rest amidst the blankets and cushions
with his arms wrapped around her.  She had never felt so content in her
life.  She was physically and emotionally satiated.

 

As Nick lay there with his heart's desire draped over him like a human
blanket, he had a feeling of peace wash over him such as he had never
felt in his existence- even before, when he was mortal.  "It was never
like this with Janette," he thought.  He had loved Janette, and still
did, but not like this.  This was something he had never even imagined.

 

Natalie noticed that Nick was lost in thought and said, "Penny for your
thoughts, Nick?"

 

Nick shook himself from his reverie and smiled.  He said, "I was
thinking of Janette."  Instantly he berated himself as he felt her
stiffen, "I could have found a better way to say that!"  He tightened
his arms around her before she could pull away and quickly continued,
"Nat, I was married to her for 97 years, and in all that time, never
once did I feel as happy and content as I do right now."

 

Natalie felt her heart soften and silently chastised herself for
thinking for even a moment that Nick would hurt her like that.  "I
should know better.  I should trust him more than that," she thought.
She had seen herself in his heart while he drank from her, and she knew
that there was, and would never again be, anyone but her there.  Instead
of apologizing with words, she swept up and locked her mouth on his,
drinking him into her.  She felt him stiffening inside her and marveled
at the vampire's recuperative powers.  She felt herself growing
increasingly slick at the thought.  "This is going to be wonderful," she
said to herself, imagining what it was going to be like being with a
multi-orgasmic man, who could keep up with her own insatiable needs.

 

Natalie brought her lips to his ear and whispered to him "Some mornings,
Nick, I would cum six or even seven times while thinking about you.
Even then, I would only stop because my hands were tired."

 

Nick instantly became painfully hard inside her.  He growled back
"Satisfaction guaranteed or your next one's free."  He reached his hands
behind her knees and pulled them forward until she was kneeling astride
him, her dripping mound hovering several inches above, and slightly
forward of his groin with just the tip of his penis still inside her.
He then told her, "put your hands beside my shoulders." she complied-
her luscious breasts hanging above his chin, then he growled at her,
"Now.  Do Not Move!  Understand me?"

 

Her eyes widened at the command in his tone and she was compelled to
obey.  Wordlessly she nodded her head but that wasn't good enough for
him.

 

"Say it!" he commanded.

 

"Yes, I understand." she said breathlessly.

 

"Good, don't forget it," he said as he began moving inside her.  He made
long, slow strokes into her, taking as much as three or four seconds to
steadily press into her until he was buried entirely within, then
holding for a moment and just as slowly sliding out until only the tip
of the head of his penis was still inside.  He would then pause and
begin again.  After a few such strokes he changed patterns, stoking only
a little of the way in, then back out then a little more in and all the
way back out- increasing the depth of each stoke until he was fully
inside.  He then reversed course coming out in increments until he was
almost all the way out again.

 

She felt like she was going to go insane- the desire to thrust back
against him almost overwhelming her until she thought she couldn't hold
out any longer.  Just as she started to give in he grabbed her hips in
his iron grip and held her steady.  Not breaking the intricate rhythm of
his thrusts, he growled at her again, "I said don't move!  You can
scream or shout or cry all you want, but if you move I will stop!  Do
you understand?"

 

Natalie couldn't make her voice work.  All she could get out was
"Yunghhh" and she just nodded her head vigorously, keeping the rest of
her body still.

 

Nick was relentless, beginning the long thrusts again as he dropped his
voice even lower and rougher and said, "Do you want me to stop Natalie?"

 

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and shook her head violently,
her hair whipping back and forth.

 

Nick picked that moment to reach his head up and, without touching her
breast or areola, drag his tongue slowly across just the tip of her
nipple.

 

Natalie felt the first orgasm like a firecracker exploding
simultaneously in her left nipple and her vagina.  How she managed to
keep her body still she would never know.  she threw her head back as
she gasped, and she felt the walls of her vagina begin to convulse
around Nick, who was keeping his maddening pace, changing between the
long slow strokes and the incremental penetrations every minute or so.

 

It wasn't until after the second orgasm- when he had treated her right
nipple to the same languorous lick as the left- that she noticed each of
the rhythms was getting slightly quicker.

 

After the third and fourth orgasms- he had scraped the tip of one fang
along the top of each nipple, drawing a single drop of blood and then
licking it off- she wondered to herself, "When did he start doing that
rotating thing with his hips?"

 

She had lost count of the firecracker-like orgasms as his pace had
increased to the point where the long strokes were pounding into her so
hard that only his grip on her hips kept her from being bucked entirely
off of him, and the incremental strokes felt like an air-hammer
pistoning inside her.  She was thrashing her head around and moaning so
loudly that she sounded like a pack of wolves howling at the moon.  Nick
had teased her nipples and areolas in ways that she could never have
conceived of and her juices were flowing so heavily that Nick was wet
from half-way down his thighs, up almost to his navel.  The cheeks of
her ass were dripping and the wetness on the insides of her thighs was
running down and saturating the blankets below.  She hadn't imagined
that the human body was even capable of this level of pleasure.

 

As she reached the point where she thought she would collapse, Nick
suddenly slid her up his body slightly, changing the angle of
penetration so that the head of his penis stroked against the roof of
her vagina, just a couple of inches inside of the opening.  Her last
articulate thought was that she hadn't even known that she possessed a
G-spot, then her mind shattered into a million shards.  She didn't even
feel the sting as Nick slid his fangs into her breast.  Several seconds
into the longest, most intense orgasm she could have ever imagined she
was suddenly thrown into the maelstrom that was the blood-link with
Nick.  It was finally too much- her consciousness fled and she collapsed
against him.

 

Nick felt Natalie's loss of consciousness through the blood link and
withdrew himself from her completely.  He licked the wound on her breast
until it sealed over, and then held her boneless form against him for a
moment.  He was so suffused with pure joy and happiness that he felt as
giddy as a schoolgirl.  He also felt an inordinately profound sense of
pride and accomplishment that he had been able to pleasure his Lady into
this boneless puddle of spent flesh.  He thought he had more than made
up for the quickness of his release the first time.  He wondered if
Natalie would be sharing this event with her assistant, Grace.  He felt
a ridiculous sense of masculine pride at the thought of her bragging
about his prowess to her girlfriend.

 

He stopped that train of thought and gently rolled her off of him onto
the blankets next to him.  He immediately became aware of the mess they
had made.  He ruefully chuckled when he saw the state of her clothes,
the skirt ripped in two and the panties in shreds.  He noticed that his
own clothes seemed to have been reduced to tatters in his haste to
become naked.

 

Natalie seemed to have gone into a light sleep.  Nick carefully wiped
her off with one of the blankets and then wrapped her in a clean one and
laid her on the couch.  He then used his extraordinary speed to quickly
clean up the mess.  He flew up to the bathroom and took a one-minute
shower to get the worst of the mess off, and then ran a bath for
Natalie, pouring in a generous portion of lavender-scented oil.  He lit
a few candles and turned out the lights, then went down to collect his
beloved.  He decided the food in the oven needed to come out and smiled
at the image of him feeding her while in the tub.  "Well, why not?" he
thought.  He checked and saw that she was still sleeping lightly then
continued his preparations.  A large glass of the juice, followed by a
plate festooned with samples of the various items from Bellini's along
with the glass and the bottle of wine from the coffee table.  The tub
was filled and everything was set, now to collect his beloved.  He
unwrapped the blanket and lifted her into his arms like a baby

 

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

Chapter 4d

 

Natalie began to wake up in the arms of her beloved as he was carrying
her up the stairs.  She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck
and snuggled her head into his chest.  "Mmmm.  What happened, Nick?" she
asked.  She could feel of every square millimeter of skin where she was
touching him.  It felt like she was hyper-aware of each nerve ending in
her body.

 

"You passed out Natalie," Nick said with a broad smile.

 

She became aware of the soreness in her neck where he bit her the first
time, the soreness in her left breast where he bit her the second time.
She then became aware of the soreness between her legs- not a surface
pain like the bites, but the slow burn from the workout she had received
on muscles that hadn't been used like that since before medical school,
she thought languorously.  "Even then, it had never been like this was!"
she thought.  "I think I lost count around 10, not including that last
one," she thought.  That last one, which had overshadowed all of the
previous ones in both intensity and duration, was a marvel.  She didn't
even know that she had a G-spot, had never really looked for it, but
Nick sure seemed to know about it.

 

As Natalie was musing, they reached the bathroom.  He set her on her
feet and offered his hand to help her into the tub.

 

Natalie felt a bit unsteady and weak in the knees when Nick set her
down.  "Whoa!  Nick, where did you learn to do that?  That was not only
the best, most incredibly intense sex of my life, it was better than
anything I've even heard of or imagined was possible!"  She saw his ego
swell a little bit at her words, but she didn't care!  He deserved it
for that performance!

 

"I read about it in the Ananga-Ranga, an ancient Indian text on sacred
sex.  Then I just added a little speed," Nick said as he helped her into
the perfumed water.  He then handed her the orange juice and said,
"Here, you should drink this, it will help restore some of what I took
from you."

 

She drank the juice greedily, only now realizing how thirsty vampire sex
could make a body.  She chuckled out loud at the humor at that thought.

 

Nick took the glass and said, "Now, just relax Natalie.  Lay there and
let me pamper you a little."  He took the plate and began feeding her
bites of Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi, Pan Roasted Pheasant Breast, Veal
Scaloppini Marsala, and Seared Sea Scallops- alternating each bite with
a sip of the burgundy.

 

"Oh God, Nick.  You'd better be careful, a girl could definitely get
used to this."

 

Nick chuckled lightly, then dropped his smile and leaned in to softly
kiss Natalie on the mouth.  When he pulled back a single blood tear
trailed down his left cheek.  "Natalie, I just wanted to show you a tiny
little bit of the overwhelming joy and happiness you have given me by
loving me and letting me love you."

 

She felt her heart break at the thought of how alone Nick must have felt
for so long.  Wanting to change who he thought he was, feeling alienated
from the humanity he so desperately wanted to rejoin, and from The
Community that he never really felt a part of.  At the same time she
felt her heart swell up with love and joy, that she made him feel so
good, so happy.

 

She felt an overwhelming need to convey to him just how happy he made
her.  "Nick, I am so happy right now.  The sex was amazing and the bath
is so sweet of you.  I adore the food and the wine is perfect.  But, in
the end, it's nothing compared to the absolute, pure joy that's in my
heart because I know you love me."  Quiet tears of happiness began to
overflow Natalie's eyes and pour down her face.  "That's the best part,
Nick.  *You* are the best part."

 

Nick reached out to cup the face of the woman he loved.  He slowly drew
her face toward his as he leaned forward.  They captured each other's
lips in a passionate, loving kiss.  A kiss not designed to incite sexual
desire, but rather to communicate the love and adoration they each felt
for the other.  He rested his forehead on hers and breathed out, "I love
you, Natalie Lambert."

 

As much as anything else he had done to or for her that night, that kiss
and that simple declaration of love filled her heart to overflowing.

 

"I hope you're not too full for desert, Nat," Nick said with a boyish
grin stealing over his face.

 

"Hmmm, what did you have in mind, Sir Knight?" she said with a
coquettish look on her face.

 

"Port and Chocolate Truffles"

 

"Oh really?"  Natalie said, her voice belying her interest, but the look
on her face giving her away.

 

Nick smiled and elaborated, "1985 Fonseca Port wine, and Gianduia
Truffles from Vosges"

 

Natalie smiled and said, "Gianduia Truffles?" in a little girl's voice.

 

Nick's smile broadened and he elaborated further, "Milk chocolate and
crunchy praline, dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with more
praline pieces."

 

Natalie gave up all pretense and excitedly said "Ooooh, you *do* love
me!"

 

"Very much," he agreed.  "Now, let's get you dried off and downstairs to
where the chocolate is."

 

"Yes, by all means, let's," she said standing up and stepping out of the
tub, and into the large bath sheet Nick was holding up for her.

 

He wrapped her up and hugged her tightly for a moment, "I will let you
dry yourself off and get dressed.  Your bag is." he let her go and was
suddenly gone and back in a heartbeat, ".right here." he said, handing
her the 'over-day' bag she had packed.  "I'm going to put on something
and meet you downstairs."  With that he leaned in for a quick kiss and
was gone in a flash.

 

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

 

Nick flew into his bedroom and threw on a pair of black silk pajama
bottoms and a black silk robe.  He was nervous.  Very nervous.  Things
had not gone as planned tonight, and that was ok- better than OK as it
turned out- however; it left him wanting to do what he had planned on
holding-off until later in the week- maybe even next week.  Now, he
didn't think he could contain himself that long.  Part of the reason for
waiting was that if felt like it was too soon into this very new
relationship.  "But, it really isn't new," he told himself.  Really,
their relationship was deep-rooted.  They were already mentally,
spiritually, emotionally, and socially intimate, and had been for years.
Not so long ago, only a few decades, the physical intimacy they had
shared tonight would have been reserved for after marriage, not before.
That was certainly the way he had been raised in the late twelfth/early
thirteenth century.  Still, he was nervous.  She loved him, but did she
want to marry him?  She knew vampirism was forever, and she wanted that,
so what could she have against marrying him?

 

He was driving himself crazy for no reason, he thought.  She would say
yes, or she would say no, but either way, he was confident that she
would not leave him.  He just wanted to marry her and make it official.
"Marking my territory, I guess. but, it marks me as her territory as
well," he thought to himself- and that is what he wanted.

 

He set up the table for her, a glass of the port for each of them, his
fortified with blood of course, and a plate with 4 truffles and the ring
in the center under a small silver dome.  Nick felt light-headed and the
anticipation was coursing through his veins like fire.  "I feel like a
character in one of those trashy romance novels," he thought.  "Maybe,
but it's a really, really good trashy romance novel!"  He moved to the
window to look out at the stars while awaiting his beloved.  Sunrise was
coming soon.  "Was it really only two hours ago that she came in?"  It
felt like forever.  Soon enough they would have to discuss the events of
the day, and decide on a course of action.  He would speak to her about
Mulder and whether or not Scully would be brought in- and he rather
thought that Mulder would not leave her out of it.  He wondered if those
two would ever realize how they felt about each other.  He hoped so; he
himself knew exactly how they felt, and he wouldn't wish that kind of
suffering upon anyone.

 

He was still lost in thought when he heard Natalie.  He turned around
and saw his beloved descending the stairs, wearing a blood-red silk
nightgown that hugged her lusciously curved body in all the right
places.  He almost felt a little jealous of that gown, wrapping her
sensuously like that.  It had spaghetti-straps, a cleavage- enhancing
bodice and a long flowing length that was slightly tapered at the waist
ended at mid-calf.  Nick thought she looked absolutely ravishing, so he
told her so.

 

Natalie just smiled and asked, "You like the gown?"

 

"Oh, yeah. the gown is nice too."  Nick said, with a wide smile

 

This time she did blush.

 

Nick walked over and pulled out her chair and helped her get seated
before sitting across the corner from her, where he could look at her,
and was close enough to reach out and touch her.

 

She looked at the plate and the arrangement of the truffles.  She raised
one eyebrow at the silver dome in the center and asked, "What's under
that, Nick?"

 

"That, is the piece de resistance, Natalie.  It's for last."

 

"Oooh, a surprise!"  Natalie was almost giddy with excitement at this
entire night.  What goody did he have for her under there?  She would
have to restrain herself from wolfing down the truffles in order to more
quickly uncover her present.

 

Nick watched the near-rapture on Natalie's face as she bit into the
first truffle.  He sipped at his blood-wine while he silently watched
her savor the four truffles.  He heard the automatic shutters begin to
close over the window as sunrise approached.  He watched Natalie's
tongue dart out to lick up an errant bit of chocolate from her full
lips.  He reached over to her and stroked her cheek as she smiled at
him, his nervousness returning slightly as he waited for her to lift the
dome.

 

Natalie leaned into the gentle caress of Nick's hand, then catching his
hand in hers, she brought it around and laid a gentle kiss in his palm,
never loosing eye contact until he closed his eyes at the feel of her
kiss.  "May I look now?" as she reached out to touch the dome in the
center of her plate.

 

"Yes, my love, my heart, you may look" Nick said, the anticipation
threatening to choke him.

 

Natalie lifted the dome off of the plate and saw a red velvet jeweler's
box underneath.  Her breath caught slightly and she looked at Nick as
she lifted the box and just held it for a moment.  "No, it couldn't be
that.  Could it?" she thought to herself.

 

Nick heard her heart racing and saw the look of shock on her face and he
could hardly stand it.  "Open it, Natalie," he said quietly.

 

Unable to form a coherent thought, let alone actually speak, she slowly
opened the box and inside she found, nestled in the blood-red satin
interior was a ring.  It was a flawless one-and-a-half carat
brilliant-cut diamond, surrounded by small heart-shaped rubies.  It was
exquisite.  She was trembling.

 

Nick took the box from her and removed the ring.  He took her left hand
in his and slid the ring onto the third finger.  He met her gaze, which
had been fixed on his eyes since he took the box from her.  Natalie, I
think that I began to fall in love with you the night we met, when you
refused to believe that I was dead, 'Just different' you said."  Nick
smiled at the memory, "The truth, Natalie, is that I was dead inside,
and even if I had managed to find mortality at that point, it would have
been empty and meaningless.  In the six years you and I have known each
other; we have gone through many trials and tribulations together.
Looking back I have only one regret about those times; I regret that I
waited six years to tell you that I love you.  Natalie, you are my
heart, my soul, and my life.  Without you my existence would be
meaningless and unbearable."  Nick stood out of his chair and dropped to
one knee before her, "Natalie Lambert, will you marry me?"

 

There wasn't room enough in Natalie's heart to contain the love and joy
she felt.  Her face lit up in a smile so bright that a lesser vampire
would have been reduced to ashes at the sight of it.  "Nicolas De
Brabant Knight, I love you with all my heart and soul, with all that I
am.  I would be honored and delighted to be your wife!" whereupon she
pulled him up and jumped into his arms, squeezing as tight as she could
and peppering his face with little kisses and laughing out loud with
delight.  She finally let go of him and sat down, a little light-headed.

 

"Careful Nat, you should always remember to take it easy after donating
blood."  Nick said with a smirk.

 

"Oh Nick," she said, "It was worth it though!"

 

"Really?"  Nick said, fishing for complements.

 

"Yes!  I mean come on, Dinner from Bellini's and Truffles from Vosges?"
she said smirking herself, "That's worth a pint of blood or two."  She
laughed out loud at the crestfallen look Nick gave her.  "Honestly Nick,
for an 800 year old vampire, you're such a little boy," she said with a
delighted smile on her face.  "I don't know if I will be able to walk
tomorrow but it was definitely worth it!"

 

Suddenly concerned, Nick asked, "Was it too much, Natalie?  I know it's
probably been a while, and maybe I shouldn't have taken your challenge
so seriously, and."

 

"Nick!  It was perfect, it was amazing- I would happily give up ever
walking normally again for that kind of ecstasy."  She said, breaking
into his self-recrimination.  She then dropped her gaze and her voice,
looking down at her hands in her lap, "It's just that it's been about a
decade since I've had anything other than my fingers down there." she
continued.

 

"Oh Nat, I'm so sorry.  But, how is that possible?  You are one of the
loveliest creatures to grace the face of the earth for the last
millennium!  And believe me, I've been around  for most of it."

 

Natalie blushed fiercely at Nick's complement- the more so because she
could hear the sincerity in his voice.  "I am glad that you think so,
Nick.  Let's just say that others do not share your unique viewpoint."

 

Nick instinctively knew that words were not what Natalie needed at this
point, so he bent down and swept her up into his arms.  He kissed her
hungrily and flew them up to the bedroom.  'Their bedroom' as he now
thought of it.  He didn't think she should 'donate' again so soon, so he
resolved that this coupling would be for her alone.  And it would be as
slow and loving as the last two were fierce and passionate.

 

He laid her on the bed and began at her feet, gently massaging and
softly kissing each foot.  He slowly worked his way up her legs,
massaging and kissing, until he had her gown pushed up to her mid-thigh.
"I love your legs, Natalie.  Your calves are lovely and your thighs
delight me."  He leaned down and softly kissed her mouth, before raising
her up to a seated position and sliding her gown up and over her head.
He couldn't help pausing to look at her, lying before him naked and
beautiful.

 

"Natalie felt herself blushing under Nick's intent gaze and said, "what
about you?" indicating the pajama bottoms he was still wearing.

 

"Hush now, my love.  This one is for you.  Let me convince you how much
I adore you."  With that he began at her neck, kissing, licking and
stroking.  He gently kissed the bite-mark on her neck, secretly pleased
that it marked her as his and his alone.  He covered her shoulders and
arms with soft kisses and caresses.  He carefully laved each breast with
his tongue, paying particular attention to the bite-mark on the left,
while ignoring for the moment the taught flesh at the peak of each.  He
rubbed his smoothly shaved cheeks over her abdomen, pausing to dip his
tongue into her navel.

 

Natalie felt Goosebumps form over her entire body when he did that.  He
was deliberately ignoring the primary erogenous zones, nevertheless, she
felt intense heat building up inside her.  She felt herself growing
slick with anticipation, but she willed herself to be patient and take
whatever he would give.

 

Nick could smell the increase in Natalie's arousal and had to exert iron
control to keep the vampire at bay.  He finally made his way down to the
junction of her thighs and nudged them apart with his chin.  He again
paused for a moment to appreciate the beauty before him.  The tangle of
dark curls covering the outer lips, and surrounding the smooth, pink
inner folds.  The apex of those folds with its swollen member peaking
out.  He smiled with joy at the sight before him and leaned in to place
an open-mouthed kiss upon her lips.  He traced the inner folds with his
tongue and suckled them for several minutes before moving upward.

 

Natalie felt the slow buildup of pleasure inside her as Nick kissed and
suckled, below.  He was entirely ignoring her clitoris, and it was all
she could do to keep from grabbing his head by the ears and dragging his
mouth to where she wanted it.  She kept her hands occupied by stroking
and squeezing the nipples that he had ignored earlier, and tried to
stifle the moans that kept rising out of her throat.

 

When he heard Natalie lose control of her moans and she started to buck
her hips into his face, he moved up to her clitoris, slowly tracing the
hood, and then sucking the hardened nub into his mouth and squeezing it
with his lips.

 

This time her orgasm was not like fireworks or falling off a cliff.  It
was slow and languid, the waves of pleasure flowing out from her center
to the tips of her extremities and then back.  It filled her with
happiness to have such a careful and attentive, not to mention talented,
lover.  She felt sleep overtake her and said, "I love you, Nick" as she
drifted off.  The last thought on her mind was that she would definitely
find a way to repay him for this.

 

Nick heard her sleepy whisper and smiled.  "I am the happiest man
alive," he thought.  "I am also very hungry" he realized.  He quietly
made his way downstairs and to the refrigerator.  It was cold and lacked
the richness of his beloved, but it was adequate, "Still, it's *much*
better than Cow!" he thought as he emptied an entire bottle.  The
lassitude that daylight brought overcame him and he fled upstairs to
join his beloved in a day's sleep.

 

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

Chapter 5a


 


Room 1013, International Plaza Hotel

 

11:26am Tuesday

 

Scully slowly began to wake up.  She was laying on her side with Mulder
spooned against her, his right arm wrapped around her ribcage and his
hand on her breast, thumb lightly tracing the contours of her areola and
nipple.  His breath was warm on the top of her head and his erection was
nestled in the cleft of her ass.  All in all it was a particularly
wonderful way to wake up.

 

As soon as he felt her stirring he said "Good morning, beautiful." and
moved his hand down her torso and between her legs.

 

Scully was slightly chagrined to realize that she was already wet.  She
had woken up wet.  She felt wanton, needing him again already, wondering
if she could ever get enough of him.  "Yep, I'm definitely addicted."

 

"Oh baby, you are so hot and ready.  I need you so badly" Mulder
whispered huskily in her ear, reaching his head down to nip at her
earlobe.  "You are like a drug, Scully, I am hopelessly addicted to you.
I can't get enough of you" he practically moaned in her ear.

 

"Oh God," she said to herself as his words mirrored her thoughts, "Thank
You *so* much!!!"  Out loud she said, "Time for your fix, then Mulder.
I want you inside me, Now!" her tone demanding instant obedience.

 

Mulder lifted her right leg slightly and she moved her hand down to
guide him.  He slipped inside her like he was made to fit there, and
began steadily thrusting into her.  After several minutes he began
nibbling on her ear again and whispering to her, "I finally figured it
out, Scully."

 

"Oh.  What's.  That.  Mulder?" she panted out between thrusts.

 

"The reason I exist.  Why I was born."  Mulder crooned to her.

 

"W-w-why-y-y" she stuttered out as he increased his pace.

 

"This, Scully.  To be inside you.  To make love to you.  To be in love
with you."

 

She wanted to say that she loved him too, but he chose that moment to
begin grinding his fingers in tight circles over her clit.  Her orgasm
washed over her in slow lapping waves,  "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohhh, Yes!  Yes,
Mulder, Yes!" she shouted.

 

Mulder paused inside her and lightened the pressure of his fingers
against her, gently stroking as she rode it out.  He was close himself
when he suddenly felt Scully tightening around him in a wave, starting
at the base of his penis and moving up to the tip.  "Oh God!  What did
you just do, Scully?"  She brought his hand up to her mouth and sucked
his wet fingers into her mouth.  Then she did it again and Mulder felt a
warm tingling beginning to build in his groin.

 

She smiled around his fingers as she heard him start to moan.  She
gripped him again inside her, and again- like she was milking him.
"Which, I suppose I am, in a way," she thought.  She heard him hoarsely
whisper that he was going to cum, and she gave out her own low throaty
moan, encouraging him to do just that.

 

It was too much for him to bear.  What she was doing to him inside her
was making him nuts, and then when he told her he was going to cum, she
made that moan like he was doing *her* a favor.  He exploded inside her,
the feeling of his orgasm traveled like an electric shock from his balls
to his brain and he saw stars as he closed his eyes.  It felt like he
pumped himself into her for hours, though it was probably only a few
seconds.  "That's it, its over," he rasped.  "Hi, my name is Fox Mulder,
and I'm a Scullyholic."

 

Scully laughed in delight.

 

"Yep, I've got it bad," he said.  "Crack addicts are going to see me,
and say, 'Damn, junky- you better get your ass to rehab!  You're outta
control!"

 

Scully was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face.
"Enough, Mulder!  I think we need a shower, as in right now," she said
with a wide smile on her face.  "We're sticky."

 

Mulder grabbed on tight and rolled her over the top of him and into a
seated position on the edge of the bed.  Then he stood up, looked her in
the eye and said, "Never let it be said that Fox Mulder isn't his lady's
obedient love slave."

 

Before she could respond to that he suddenly pulled her to her feet
while bending down towards her.  The next thing she saw was the world
invert itself and she found herself slung over Mulder's shoulder, being
carried through to the adjoining door to her room and into the bathroom.

 

He gently set her down and said "Go ahead and start it, I will join you
momentarily," leaving her to take care of her morning needs while he
went back next door to do the same.

 

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

 

While watching him wash his hair she had noticed the wound on his temple
and asked him about it.  He had said it was a long story and after the
shower he would order some room service and tell her all about it.

 

As they sat at her table, drinking coffee, having just finished
breakfast, Mulder was uncomfortably silent.  Scully looked at her
partner, now her lover, and wondered what had him looking so pensive.
"Well, Mulder?"

 

He told her about him and Knight seeing the swordsman from the other
night and deciding to follow him, "We were just going to see where he
went, and then call for backup, Scully" he said when her eyes narrowed
at him.  He then went on to tell her about being spotted, the alley and
the fire escape.  He got to the point where the guy was standing over
him with the sword, and the cryptic words he said just before Nick
popped up across the roof and shot him.

 

Scully was confused at this point "But If Detective Knight was clear
across the roof and behind you, why didn't this guy see him and duck
behind the air conditioner?  Why just stand there and get shot?" she
asked.  "And where is the body?"

 

"Well, I have a theory on the first part, but you're not going to like
it."  Mulder sheepishly said.

 

"Oh Mulder, not the vampire thing again?" she sighed.

 

He just nodded.  "It gets better  m b, Scully" he said.

 

"What, the perp. was a vampire too?  And let me guess, he turned to dust
and blew away, right?" she said, exasperated.

 

"Uh, good guess, but. no."  He then went on to tell her about the guy
coming to, impaling Nick and taking a dive when Mulder shot him.

 

"So he was wearing a vest, Mulder."  Knight should have been more
careful.  Besides the wound couldn't have been that bad, I saw him last
night and he looked fine."  Scully was still in denial about the vampire
thing.  "Anyway, what happened to the body?"

 

Mulder responded to the first part again, "Scully, I had to pull the
sword out of his chest."

 

Scully just sat there with her mouth open.  She knew Mulder would not
lie to her, even when they disagreed on things, she usually just felt
that his belief in the supernatural and aliens skewed his interpretation
of things.  "As in what, Mulder?  The tip was caught under the skin."

 

"As in he was sitting upright with his back against the parapet, the
sword sticking straight out from his body."  He shook his head slightly,
remembering his excitement at living (as it were) proof of the
supernatural, combined with the fear that his 'proof' might take that
opportunity to 'get supernaturally medieval on his ass'.  "I had to use
both hands, Scully.  I ended up having to put one foot on his shoulder
to keep him from coming forward before I could get it out."

 

"Mulder, I." there had to be an explanation, and she would find it.
Maybe Knight was wearing a vest and it was stuck in that.  Whatever it
was she would leave it for now.  "What about the body Mulder?"

 

"You mean what happened to the guy Knight shot three times, and I
emptied an entire clip into, knocking him off of the top of a 4 story
building, where he landed on the concrete in the alley below?  That
body?"

 

"Yes Mulder, what happened to it?" she asked, getting impatient.

 

"After I pulled the sword out of Nick and gave him his flask of blood to
drink, I looked over the edge of the building and watched our perp get
up and run away."

 

She was stunned.  "Not possible, Mulder."

 

"Tell me about it, Scully," he said.

 

"But how."

 

"I have a theory about that too.  Do you want to hear it?

 

"He's a vampire too?"

 

"Nick says no.  Besides, if he was, why climb the fire escape?  Nick
didn't.  And why the sword?  They aren't very deadly to vampires, unless
you cut off their heads, but a good sharp wooden stake would be better
in a fight, more debilitating."  Mulder smiled, "at least the sword
didn't seem to bother Nick much once I pulled it out.  He didn't look
like he was in a lot of pain, and once he downed the blood the wound
healed almost instantly."

 

Scully looked like she was about to choke

 

Mulder pressed on, "I don't know what he is, but based on last night and
Saturday night, I would say that whatever he is, there are more of them
out there, and appears that the only way of killing them permanently is
by decapitation.  Nick said that the guy was dead after he shot him.  He
said that he could hear the heartbeat stop.  It was like the guy woke up
from death; one moment he is dead, the next he gasped for air and came
back to life.  That surprised Nick long enough that the guy was able to
stab him before he could react.  There was also a pause of several
seconds between when he hit the ground, and when we saw him run off."

 

Scully was having a hard time digesting all of this.

 

"Look, Scully.  Nick said it was up to me whether or not to tell you
about him.  He said it would be dangerous if you knew, that there are
those in his 'community' whose job it is to keep knowledge about
vampires out of mortal hands.  We would be targeted for death if they
found out that we knew.  I didn't want to tell you Scully."

 

"Mulder," she began.

 

He lowered his eyes to his lap and interrupted, "I know you don't want
me to 'protect' you from danger, Scully. I can't help wanting to
anyway."  He looked once more into her eyes and continued, "But, I knew
you were going to find out eventually and if you knew that I kept it
from you, you'd kick my ass." he said with a smile.

 

"Mulder, please don't take this the wrong way- I believe that you
believe these things."

 

"But you need proof, right Scully?"  Mulder interrupted.  "It's OK
Scully.  I am a believer, but if someone brought this to me, I would
want to see proof too."

 

"I don't know what to think, Mulder.  I trust you, and if you say you
saw it happen, then I believe that you did.  I just don't know that
there aren't other explanations that might be applied."  Scully said,
almost apologetically.

 

Mulder wondered for a moment at her apologetic tone.  She didn't usually
say it like that when she thought his theories were crazy.  Then it came
to him that she must believe that he would be mad at her for not
conforming to his beliefs now that they had advanced their
'relationship.'  He shook his head ruefully.  He was a lucky man to have
a woman that would be so solicitous, without taking the easy way out by
giving in to the desire to humor her lover.

 

He wanted to reassure her, "It's ok, Scully.  I love you!  I love the
Dana Scully who clings to scientific explanation as firmly as I believe
that some things are beyond science.  I love the Dana Scully who makes
me come up with evidence to back up my beliefs.  The woman that
challenges me to look beyond what I want to see, and find out what the
truth is.  I love the person who is willing to respect the journey, even
if she doesn't always agree on the destination."  He reached across the
table and grasped her small hand in his large one, lacing their fingers
together.  "I don't want you to change who you are, any more that I am
going to change who I am or what I believe.  I want *my* Dana Scully,
not some pale reflection of me."

 

Scully didn't think it was possible for her to love Mulder any more than
she already did, but once again his belief in 'extreme possibilities'
won out.  "Sometimes I think you are crazy, Mulder.  Other times I know
it for a fact," she said with a teeth-baring grin.  "However, you are
also, without a doubt, the man I love more than life itself."

 

Mulder squeezed her hand and placed a sensual kiss on her palm.  "Nick
said he would call this afternoon and we could discuss it at his place.
You can see if he will let you examine him enough to prove it to
yourself.  If he is running an elaborate hoax on me, you will have a
great opportunity to prove how gullible I am."  He smiled and changed
the subject, for now, "Why don't you tell me how your second seminar
was?"

 

She recognized the tactic for what it was, but went along anyway and
told him about what was going on with her while he was out gallivanting
with vampires and unkillable headhunters.

 

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

 


Nick's Loft


 


1 p.m. Tuesday.

 

Nick didn't have nearly the trouble telling Natalie about the events on
the apartment roof that Mulder did with Scully.  They were lounging at
the dining table in their robes.  She just listened; gasping
appropriately when he told her the perp. had come back to life and
stabbed him with a sword, and shaking her head in wonder when he
described the fall, and subsequent recovery and escape.

 

She was concerned when he told her about Mulder knowing about vampires,
and possibly involving his partner.  "Won't they be in terrible danger,
Nick?"

 

"Possibly, but Mulder already knew a little bit about vampires, as he
had had encountered them before, and I was unable to remove the memory
from him."

 

Natalie thought she heard him mutter "damn resistors," but chose to
ignore it.  "Aren't you concerned that he will report you to the FBI?"
she asked.

 

I don't think he will report me personally, and his previous reports
about vampires have been ignored."  Nick thought for a moment, "I think
he's kind of like the reporters who write for those tabloid magazines,
they report about vampire attacks all of the time.  I know that some of
those reports are accurate, because I was aware of the events before the
report was published.  However, the Enforcers don't get involved because
no one credible pays attention to tabloids.  If every time the National
inquirer reported about a vampire attack the reporter turned up dead or
missing, well, credible news agencies might actually start sniffing
around."

 

"So they take no action in those cases?"  Natalie asked.

 

"The vampire that was careless enough to get caught usually gets
'disappeared," but that's about it," Nick replied.

 

"Meaning that we would be in danger, right Nick?"  Natalie was concerned
with Nick's seemingly careless attitude about this situation.  "You
won't tell your own partner, but you'll bring these FBI Agents in on
it?"

 

Nick realized that he had sounded pretty cavalier about the whole
situation, but that wasn't the case at all.  He was madly trying to
think of ways to keep the lid on this situation.  "Nat, I'm glad to see
that you appreciate the gravity of this situation.  It is serious, and I
am concerned."  Nick took his beloved's hand in his own and said "Mulder
already knows.  I didn't tell him, and my denials were meaningless once
I had to ask him to pull the sword out.  I tried to whammy him, and
failed.  He is a resistor.  My only other options are to kill him, or
try to convince him to keep his mouth shut; I presume that you would
agree that killing him is not acceptable?"

 

"Of course you can't kill him, Nick."

 

He interrupted, "The Code demands it Natalie!  We already face death for
allowing him to live with the knowledge he has."  His face softened at
the resignation on her face.  "As for his partner, I advised him not to
tell her.  I was completely candid about the danger, but I know that he
will.  I can't really blame him for doing so, either.  It would be
difficult to keep something like that from someone you are so close to,
and work with so closely.  It would be like keeping you in the dark if I
had found out that Tracy was a spy for a foreign government, or
something.  It would be a violation of trust."

 

"You are right, of course, Nick.  I am just concerned about endangering
them and ourselves.  Besides, I kind of like Dana.  I empathize with
her."  Natalie sighed.

 

Nick smiled and said, "You mean because she and Mulder remind you of us
for the past six years?"

 

Natalie laughed and said, "Do you think that everyone who saw us
realized how hopelessly in love we were with each other?  In retrospect
I feel so blind for missing all of the little clues you were leaving for
me."

 

"No more than I feel, Nat.  I'm supposed to be a crack detective, and I
couldn't see the evidence that was right before my eyes."  He ruefully
shook his head.  "Speaking of our two clueless FBI agents, we're
probably going to need their help to solve this case.  We can't really
use our normal contacts on this one, and they have a pretty good
reputation for solving 'paranormal' cases.  We will just have to impress
on them both the importance of discretion in this matter."

 

They sat in silence for a moment.

 

"You know, Natalie, you brought up my keeping this secret from Tracy.  I
think we may need to consider bringing her in on this."

 

"Why now Nick?  I mean, I think she deserves to know, but why change
your mind now?"

 

"There are several reasons, Nat.  First, she is already in danger just
because she knows about vampires at all, and she is too nosey to keep
from looking where she doesn't belong, and asking questions she
shouldn't ask.  Second, I worry about her getting hurt if she tries to
'cover my back' when it isn't necessary.  Third, I am getting the
impression that she and Vachon are getting very close.  She may not be
among the ranks of the living for long," Nick mused.  "I think Vachon
would be pushing for it himself if it wasn't for me threatening him."
Nick chuckled.

 

"You threatened him, Nick?  Why?"  Natalie asked.

 

"When Tracy discovered Vachon after the plane crash, and he couldn't
make her forget, I was concerned that he might hurt her.  You have to
remember, Natalie; Vachon was not like me at all.  He thrived on being a
vampire, and casual killing was nothing to him.  I let him know that
Tracy was his responsibility and that if he hurt her, or allowed her to
be hurt, he would have to answer to me."

 

Natalie laughed, picturing Vachon's face when Nick told him that.

 

"Yes, he wasn't pleased, to say the least."  Nick laughed.  "Anyway, I'm
going to give Mulder a call and I'd like you to pick them up if that is
ok, Nat?"

 

"You mean I get to drive the Nick-mobile all by myself?  Are you sure
the sexual tension hasn't addled your brain?"

 

"Hmm, you're diagnoses sounds serious, doctor, what would you prescribe
for this terrible, terrible condition?" he asked, kidding around.

 

Natalie blushed lightly, but kept a straight face when she replied,
"There is no cure, Nick.  However, with rigorous exercise, and intense
therapy sessions, there is no reason you couldn't lead a normal, healthy
life."

 

Nick chuckled and picked up the phone to call the plaza.  He told Mulder
that Natalie would have the desk call them when she got there to pick
them up.  As he hung up the phone and turned around to make a comment to
Natalie, he froze, his mouth hanging open at the sight before him.
Natalie had dropped her robe to the ground and stood before him, naked.
She kneeled before him and pulled open his robe, grasping his penis,
already half-erect just at the sight of her nude form.

 

"Wha-What are you doing, Nat?"

 

"It's important that you not miss your therapy sessions Nick," she said,
and then lifted his penis and gave it a long lick from the base to the
underside of the head.

 

Nick groaned and said, "Yes, doctor."

 

Natalie began a relentless assault on Nick's member.  "Never let it be
said that I am not goal-oriented," she thought.  She varied between
taking him deep into her throat in long strokes, sucking as hard as she
could as she slid onto and off of him; and short bobs of the head,
vigorously rubbing her tongue side-to-side on the sensitive underside of
the head, while stroking the shaft with her hand.  Her other hand
stroked his balls, focusing on the underside and perineum.  When she
felt him getting close, she let go of his balls and thrust her wrist up
to his face for him to sink his teeth into, while she took his penis
deep into her throat and began humming with delight at the incredible
gasps and moans she was eliciting.

 

Nick took his beloved's proffered wrist and tried to pull away before
biting, but she was locked to his groin, and not letting go.  "I am the
luckiest man in the history of the earth," was his thought as he bit
down and felt the warm blood fill his mouth.

 

Natalie concentrated on the joy she felt and repeated,
"IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou," in her mind as he bit down.  She wanted him
to know the depth of her feelings, and the pleasure she felt from doing
this for him.

 

Nick was assaulted with Natalie's love and was surprised at just how
much pleasure she felt, performing this act on him.  "If this is your
idea of therapy, I may need daily sessions," he thought to her through
the bloodlink.

 

Natalie withdrew from him with a popping sound as he withdrew his fangs
from her wrist.  She chuckled and said "Daily?  I'm afraid your
condition may require more frequent treatment than that."

 

"Once you come across, Natalie, we will be able to share blood a lot
more often- and for a much longer time," Nick said with naked desire in
his eyes.

 

"Soon, beloved!" she replied with a thrill running through her.  "I'll
call tonight and arrange for vacation as soon as possible.  Will you
have any trouble getting time off?"

 

"I never use it, so I don't think it should be a problem.  Besides, I
have an idea."  Nick answered.

 

"Really?  What?"  Natalie asked

 

"What would you say to a very short engagement, followed by a long
honeymoon?"  Nick asked.

 

"Wow.  Exquisite looks and devastating intellect- in one package; I'm
such a lucky girl!"  Natalie said with a smirk on her face.

 

"Why don't you get dressed and pick up our intrepid Feds?  Maybe later
I'll show just what a lucky girl you really are."  Nick said, smirking
right back.

 

"What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

 

"I need to call LaCroix.  We will probably need to see him before the
night is out, and he might even be helpful on this case."  Nick said.

 

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

Chapter 5b


 

Room 1013, International Plaza Hotel

 

2:26 p.m. Tuesday

 

"Natalie?  Why is Natalie picking us up, Mulder?"  Scully asked after he
had explained the phone call to her.

 

Mulder tilted his head toward the window and raised his eyebrows with a
slight grin on his face.

 

Scully looked out the window for a moment trying to figure out what was
out there that would prevent...  "Oh" she said, frowning slightly at him
and turning toward the window to collect her thoughts.

 

Mulder watched her for several minutes before he walked up behind her.
He paused for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her, just below
her breasts, pulling her tightly up against his body, chuckling lightly
at his own hesitation.

 

"What's funny, Mulder?"  Scully asked somewhat snappishly, thinking he
was laughing at her skepticism.

 

"I stood there for a moment, wanting you, wishing I could put my arms
around you," Mulder said, still laughing at himself.  "I am so used to
pining after you like a love-sick teenager, that I forgot for a moment
that it's OK now." he said.

 

She smiled at that.  "What a sweet adorable man I have," she thought.
She leaned her head back against his chest, molding herself to him.
"It's more than ok, Mulder," she purred at him.  "However..." she began,
feeling Mulder start to swell against her lower back, "You'd better put
that thing away.  We have to go see your 'vampire cop,' remember?" she
teased.

 

She turned around in his arms and draped her arms around his neck, and
saw him try to stifle a grimace when her arm hit the wound she had made
on his neck last night.  She was instantly solicitous, "Oh, Mulder.  I'm
so sorry about that..." she said, blushing at the memory of it, of how out
of control she had been."

 

Mulder tightened his grip when Scully began to pull away.  "Don't be,
Scully.  I love it," he said sincerely.  When he registered the
skeptical look on her face he continued, "I think it's damn sexy, and
yes it is sore.  However, every time I feel it I remember what led up to
it, what I was doing, how you were responding."  He chuckled at his next
thought, and decided to say it out loud, "It's like a merit badge or
something- I finally got my 'Scully Orgasm' medal.  I hope it never
heals."

 

Scully laughed indulgently.  "Mulder- you are such a dope!" she said
snuggling her head into his chest and hearing his soft, "yeah, but I'm
your dope."

 

"Uh, Mulder?"

 

"Yeah, Scully?"

 

"Have you given any, ah, thought to what we do when we get back to DC?"

 

"You mean how do we handle our new status at work?  Or in public?"

 

"Yeah, either... both.  I guess?"  Scully sighed heavily, "What is our new
status, exactly?  I mean- I don't want Skinner to separate us, but I
don't want to hide either, but I'm worried that *they* might use it
against us, but..."

 

"Scully, I think they already know.  Everyone thinks we have been
sleeping together for years, even Skinner thinks we are together."

 

"What?!" she yelped.  "Skinner thinks we have been sleeping together?"

 

Mulder laughed, "I don't know if he specifically thinks that, but I'm
pretty sure that he thinks we are 'together'."

 

"What makes you say that?"

 

"Remember the last budget meeting, after we walked out I had to go back
in because I forgot my pen?"  Mulder asked.

 

"What about it?"  Scully asked back.

 

"I overheard the tail end of a discussion between Hoynes and Skinner.
Hoynes had said something about you, and Skinner was telling him to keep
it to himself.  Just before they walked out the door Hoynes asked him
why and Skinner said that if I had overheard it I would have torn out
his tongue and... lets just say 'reinserted it, rectally'."

 

Scully absorbed that for a moment and then asked, "What did Hoynes say,
Mulder?"

 

"Nothing," Mulder said.  "That's when they saw me and they both just
shut up.  I explained that I had forgotten my pen and when I got back
out of Skinner's office, Hoynes was gone."

 

"No Mulder, what did he say to Skinner in the first place?"

 

"Oh."  Mulder smiled, "He said your ass looked good enough to lick."

 

Scully blushed slightly and said, "What a jerk!"

 

"Mulder smiled even wider and said, "Actually Scully, I agree with him,
though I certainly would never share it with Skinner."

 

Scully blushed even harder.

 

Mulder added, "But you're right, he is a Jerk."  Mulder slid his hands
up her back to her shoulders, and down her arms until he was holding
both of her hands in his, "I don't want to hide either.  There isn't
really any policy that forbids us from seeing each other.  They can only
separate us if it becomes an issue, if our performance suffers of if
they caught us 'in flagrante delicto'.  What do *you* want to do,
Scully?"

 

"We just won't say anything about it.  At work we should behave like we
always do.  What we do on our own time is none of their business."  She
gave Mulder's hands a squeeze and looked up at his eyes.  "Ok?"

 

"So long as you agree that while we are on the road, time in our hotel
rooms constitutes 'our own time', I think I could abide by that," Mulder
said with a grin.

 

"And lunch!  Lunch time is definitely our own time," Scully growled
suddenly, as though someone was going to contradict her.

 

Mulder laughed out loud, wrapped his arms around her waist and picked
her up, spinning them both around.  He set her down and said, "Agreed,
Agent Scully."  Then he kissed her soundly and held her tight to him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest.

 

They stood like that- swaying slightly, as if dancing to music that only
they could hear, until the phone rang.

 

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

 


Nick's Loft


 


2:46 p.m. Tuesday.

 

Nick phoned the Raven right after Natalie left to get Mulder and Scully.
He was a little nervous because his newly found happiness was so
different from his life for the last several centuries.  There was still
a small part of him that believed that it was all going to end, suddenly
and badly.  He put that thought out of his head and focused on his
reconciliation with his father, and his overwhelming love for his
betrothed.

 

"Nicolas."  LaCroix said.  "What is it that could not wait for
nightfall, my son?"

 

Nick still wasn't used to hearing LaCroix call him 'son' either.  "I
wanted... that is, I didn't want...  I want to come by tonight, but I can't
until late."

 

"Certainly, Nicolas, but you do not need my permission for that.  You
may visit as late as you wish."  LaCroix said, wondering what had come
over his son now.

 

"I would like to bring Natalie with me, father," Nick said.

 

"Ah, I see.  Things went well then, I presume?"  He would have thought
he would feel it if Nicolas had brought her across, "Is she mortal
still, Nicolas?"

 

"For now, Yes.  Things went very well, father." Nicolas said.

 

"By all means, Nicolas.  Bring the good doctor along.  I would like an
opportunity to speak to her."  LaCroix wondered if his son was still
hesitant about trying to bring her across.  "Do you need my help with
her transformation, Nicolas?"

 

"Thank you father, but I am not worried about that.  I need your advice
on an unrelated matter, however."  Nick said.  "I had an unusual
encounter Saturday night."  Nick went on to explain the events on the
way back from the airport.  "The presence of the Agents kept me from
using any extraordinary measures to apprehend the individual," he said
at the end.

 

"Most unusual, Nicolas.  I cannot say that I have ever seen such an
event before."

 

Nick knew that LaCroix would eventually find out about the rest, so he
told him up front.  "There is more."  He told LaCroix about last night,
and the two agents coming over as they spoke.

 

"You realize the danger you place them in by revealing yourself,
Nicolas?  Not to mention the danger you face yourself if the enforcers
ever found out."  LaCroix shook his head at his impetuous progeny.

 

"He already knew about The Community, LaCroix.  He has met our kind
twice before."  Nick sighed, "Also, he is a resistor.  I hardly think
that killing him would be in the best interest of The Community.  The
death of an FBI agent would lead to quite an investigation."

 

"What will you do then Nicolas?"

 

"I will just have to persuade them to remain silent.  Either one would
be resistant to such a suggestion; however, there is another factor that
will help our case significantly."  Nick said.

 

"And what is that?" LaCroix asked.

 

"They are deeply in love with each other, though each is trying to hide
it from the other."  Nick replied.  "They will do anything to protect
the other from harm.  I think I can impress on them exactly how much
danger their knowledge places them in.  They will keep silent out of
fear for the other's safety, where they would not for their own."

 

LaCroix laughed.

 

Nick knew why he was laughing and grinned ruefully.  "Yes, they remind
me of Nat and myself.  It is obvious to everyone but them."

 

LaCroix said, "I often wonder how the human race even manages to
continue, in the face of their own folly."

 

Nicolas returned to the matter at hand, "Would you make some discrete
inquiry regarding this man who attacked me last night?  Mulder
postulated that beheading them would render them permanently dead, but
that is based on a single, as yet unexplained, incident.  I am concerned
at what kind of creature I am facing, and how many of them there might
be."

 

"If I have not heard of their kind in 2000 years of existence, I doubt
that any inquiry I could make would be helpful; however, I shall look
into the matter."

 

"Thank you Father.  I will be by with Natalie sometime after the Raven
closes."

 

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

 


The Caddie


 


Natalie seemed somewhat withdrawn, Mulder thought, as they drove back to
Nick's place.  Not unhappy, she was smiling most of the time, but it was
as if her focus was inward.  He looked at Scully in the seat next to
him, "This car is big enough for at least 3 in the front," he thought
while watching her.  She was quiet also, stealing glances at Natalie,
but not commenting.

 

Mulder thought the tension needed to be broken, so he said, "So, the
sunlight part is true, huh?  What other myths are true?  Which ones
aren't?"

 

Natalie was having pleasant thoughts about her upcoming wedding and
especially the honeymoon when Mulder's question snapped her out of her
daydream as though she had been slapped.  She floundered for a bit, not
really feeling that it was her place to discuss this with them.  She
said, "I see you chose to disregard Nick's warning, agent Mulder."  She
glanced at him and then Scully for a moment before continuing, "He
wasn't joking you know.  This is extremely dangerous for you both- if
anyone found out..." she sighed, "you should save your questions for
Nick."

 

Scully finally spoke, "You really believe that Detective Knight is..."

 

"If it is OK with Nick, I would be happy to discuss the symptomology
with you Dana, but why don't we just wait until we get to the loft.  I
would feel a lot more comfortable talking about it there- if you don't
mind."

 

Scully shrugged her shoulders and said, "Ok".

 

Mulder just shrugged and thought, with some amusement, of the look he
was sure he was going to see on her face when the question of the
existence of vampires was proven to her satisfaction.

 

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

 

They arrived at the loft approximately 15 minutes later.  The rest of
the trip had been quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

 

Natalie punched in the code and escorted them into the elevator.  As
they rode up Mulder asked, "You live in a warehouse?"

 

Natalie said, "Uh, I don't exactly live... that is, I have an apartment...
Um, Nick's been here for about 6 years." she finished, blushing.

 

"Oh, sorry.  I thought you guys were..." Mulder gestured to her ring.
"Um, how long have you known him?"

 

"About 6 years, and we are, uh, together- he's my fianc."

 

"Oh, how long have you been engaged?"  Mulder asked, curious about what
had to be a very unusual relationship.  "If you don't mind my asking,
that is," he added when she hesitated.

 

"Uh, for about," Natalie's eyes dropped down her watch, "eleven hours I
guess."

 

Suddenly Scully burst out laughing.  She remembered Natalie's parting
shot at the bar last night.  "So that's what you meant."

 

Natalie just stared at her.

 

Scully replied to Natalie's look of confusion, "Last night... at the
lounge?  Remember what you said to me?"

 

Comprehension slowly dawned on Natalie just as the elevator reached the
3rd floor.  As she opened the door she asked, "And did you take my
advice?"

 

Just for a moment all thoughts of vampires and unkillable sword-fighters
left their minds and they were two women newly, and madly, in love.
Scully's smile lit up the elevator and Natalie said, "I see that you
did.  Oh, Dana, I am so happy for you!"

 

Mulder was bewildered by this sudden turn of events.  He swore he could
hear Rod Serling whispering in his mind, "Submitted for your approval..."
He looked out of the elevator and noticed Nick approaching.  He shrugged
at the questioning look in Nick's eyes at the antics of the ladies who
were now laughing at the expression on Mulder's face.

 

Nick said, "Mulder, Agent Scully, welcome."  He gestured at the couch by
the fireplace and said, "Please have a seat.  Would you like something
to drink?  I have orange juice, Gatorade... uh, water," he trailed off.
"I have a very nice port that we didn't finish this morning if you would
prefer a glass of wine."

 

"Ah, whatever you're having is fine," Scully said.

 

Mulder just laughed, as did Natalie.  Scully blushed as she realized
why.

 

Nick jumped in quickly, "A glass of wine then?"  He turned away towards
the kitchen at her nod, Natalie joining him.

 

Mulder and Scully went over to the couch, looking over the enormous room
that was the loft as they went.  The sat down closely together and
Scully, who was feeling somewhat chagrined, whispered in Mulder's ear,
"No coffins Mulder."

 

Nick, of course, heard Scully's comment and laughed out loud.  He
repeated it for Natalie's benefit and she laughed as well.  This was
certainly going to be an interesting afternoon; much better than a
boring conference.

 

Nick and Nat sat down in the chairs facing the couch, after placing two
glasses of port on the coffee table for Mulder and Scully.  "Agent
Scully, we don't sleep in coffins," Nick began.

 

Scully blushed furiously.

 

"Nor do we require dirt from our graves," Nick mused.  We don't turn
into bats or vapors.  A bite, or three, will not make you a vampire.
Crosses, garlic, and holy water do work, to a degree, depending on the
individual.  Sunlight and stakes will kill us, as will decapitation.
Our senses are heightened, strength and speed increased, and, yes we can
fly.  Any other questions?"  Nick said with a smile.

 

Mulder of course was brimming over with questions but deferred to
Scully.  She was the one who needed proof positive.

 

"Detective Knight, I have to admit that I have seen things,
extraordinary things, in my life that many people would find difficult
to believe.  I hope you won't take this as an insult, but I don't
believe in vampires."  Scully said.

 

Nick laughed out loud at that.  "Agent Scully, I apologize for laughing,
but you have to understand that this entire conversation is entirely the
opposite of the normal course of events.  I would normally be trying to
convince you that there are no such things as vampires, and that I
certainly am not one myself."  Nick shook his head as his laughter
subsided.  "What do you need to convince yourself?  Short of a full
autopsy that is."

 

Scully was starting to hear the voice of Rod Serling herself.  "This is
ridiculous," she thought.  Out loud she said, "I don't know detective, I
feel silly even having this conversation."

 

"The whole package then," Nick said.  He downed his glass of blood in a
swallow and set it down on the table.  He willed his eyes to change,
then bared his teeth and let his fangs drop.  He saw Scully's eyes
widen, heard her heart start to race.  He slowly stood up out of his
chair and then rose slowly into the air.

 

Scully felt her heart pounding in her chest as she saw Detective
Knight's eyes change and his fangs descend.  She felt like a sparrow
caught in a serpent's gaze and had to restrain herself from drawing her
sidearm and shooting.  She tasted the bitterness in her mouth from the
adrenaline as the fight or flight response kicked in.  When he rose up
into the air she began to look for the wires, like she was watching a
circus magician and trying to figure out the trick.  She began to calm
down with that thought.  "It's like a parlor trick," she told herself-
even though it was obvious that this was no trick.  She looked over at
Mulder and he had a smile of childlike joy on his face- as though he was
a kid who caught Santa in the act as he came down the chimney.

 

It was at that point that Nick let go- unleashing the power and sheer
presence that a vampire of his age had at his command.

 

Natalie was trying to keep her eyes off of her lover floating about the
room.  She wanted to keep watch on Dana to make sure she didn't freak
out.  She succeeded until she felt the power washing over her.  She had
never felt that from Nick before.  Of course, she had never actually
seen him doing 'the whole package' as he called it.  It was awesome.  It
was breathtaking.  It felt like each cell in her body was being
individually filled with the awareness of Nicolas de Brabant, Master
Vampire.  She actually got one word out, "Wow!"

 

Mulder and Scully were rooted in place.  A nuclear explosion could not
have moved them while under the onslaught of that presence.

 

Nick smiled and reined it in, releasing them from the spell.

 

Natalie saw Scully's fright begin to subside and started talking, "I
have thought of it as a virus- it acts like a virus, even though it
isn't really that.  The vampire factor, as it were, acts like an RNA
messenger and makes a small change to the genetic coding.  The factor
itself is only visible under an electron-tunneling microscope.  The
effected blood cells are visibly unique under a normal microscope, and
their effect can be seen when brought into contact with unaffected blood
cells- they attack and consume them."

 

"How long have you been researching it, Natalie?" Scully asked.

 

"Since I met Nick.  He was a patient of mine- first time I ever gained
one on the table," she said lightly.

 

Scully snickered a little.  In response to Mulder's inquisitive look she
said, "Coroner humor."

 

Nick returned to his seat and changed back to 'normal', as Mulder asked,
"Why?  Why the research, Natalie?"

 

Natalie glanced at Nick, clearly wanting him to field that question.

 

Nick thought for a moment on how best to put it.  "I have regrets
Mulder.  There was a time when I reveled in the role of predator, and I
have a lot to make up for.  For a time, I was convinced that I would
only be able to atone if I were able to regain my mortality.  I sought a
cure for my condition."

 

Natalie said, "I thought it was a purely physical condition, and that I
could come up with a way to reverse it."  Natalie shook her head at her
own state of denial, "It has physical manifestations, but obviously,
there is a metaphysical aspect as well that, as a scientist, I had
refused to consider."

 

"What do you mean?"  Scully asked.

 

"Nick was convinced that he was infected with evil- that vampirism was
inherently equivalent to damnation.  I know that that isn't true, but
there are aspects that defy scientific explanation- crosses, holy water,
flying, that 'thing' he just did, etc..."

 

"You don't think vampires are evil, then?"  Mulder asked.

 

Natalie shook her head, "Nick is not evil, Agent Mulder.  He did
terrible things in the distant past, but that person is not the same
person who is here with us today.  I have met many vampires and some are
evil- truly horrifying."  She thought of Vachon, Screed, and Urs and
said, "I have met several that are very nice people, living relatively
normal lives."  Then she thought of LaCroix and said, "Some, I'm not
sure about.  Vampires run the gamut just as mortals do."

 

"Detective Knight, I don't mean to sound prejudiced, but..." Scully began,
not sure exactly how to put it delicately.  "You drink human blood,
don't you?"

 

Nick actually laughed out loud at that.  "First, please call me Nick.  I
don't think I can listen to 'Detective Knight' all night.  Second, yes I
drink human blood.  I have recently returned to it, in fact.  I
subsisted on cow for the last 90 years or so, and let me tell you, it
wasn't pleasant."  Scully and Mulder's eyes widened at that.  Nick
continued; "Think of it like this, you could live on bread and water,
right?  However, it would not be a very healthy diet, and you certainly
wouldn't be at your best, right?"

 

Scully remained silent- her mind whirling.

 

"Agent Scully..." Nick began again.

 

Scully's response was automatic, "Dana's fine..." she whispered.

 

Nick paused and started again "Dana, Mulder, what I drink is donated.
We are able to get blood that has been donated and has expired.  It is
no longer useful for transfusions, and would otherwise be destroyed."
He looked them both in the eye for a moment before continuing.  "I have
not killed for food in a century.  Even before that I only hunted
criminals and killers- not that that is any excuse."  He dropped his
gaze and continued, "I won't lie to you- most in The Community do not
share my reverence for human life.  However, even those of us who are so
inclined rarely hunt these days.  It is far too dangerous in this day
and age, and not just because of the human authorities.  Careless
vampires that cause attention to be turned toward The Community face
action by the enforcers.  Bottled blood is the norm these days."

 

"Enforcers.  They are what you were warning me about last night."
Mulder began, seeking more information.

 

Nick said, "The community has a code, Mulder.  Part of it requires that
we live in secret, not allowing mortal society to know of our existence.
Those mortals who do discover our secret must be dealt with in one of
three ways.  The knowledge is removed from them, they join The Community
permanently, or they die.  There are exceptions, but they are rare."

 

Scully turned to Natalie, "You have survived, Natalie.  You said you
have known about Nick for six years."

 

Natalie dropped her eyes and blushed heavily- clearly embarrassed.

 

Nick explained, "Yes, Natalie is an exception.  At first we just kept
secret the fact that she knew.  By the time the enforcers became aware
of her knowledge, she had already proven valuable to The Community."

 

Mulder thought he knew what that entailed, and was somewhat concerned,
"You covered up things..."

 

"I left justice in those specific cases to the proper 'community'
authorities.  Nothing would have been served by exposing The Community
except to cause more deaths."  Natalie defended her actions, "It was not
in anyone's best interest to initiate a witch-hunt."

 

"Those cases were rare in any case.  Her value was more for her service
as a doctor, believe it or not."  Nick added.

 

Scully was intrigued, "What medical services do vampires need?  Mulder
told me about the sword, and he said you healed automatically."

 

Natalie chuckled at that.  "I could probably make a practice out of just
Nick- 'Natalie Lambert, Foreign Object Removal Specialist; bullets and
shrapnel are my specialty.'"

 

Nick laughed at that and Natalie confided, "Nick seems to get shot or
blown up inordinately often."

 

Nick sobered, "Even with all that, it wouldn't have been long before the
enforcers compelled a decision.  In another five or ten years I will
have to move on; and Natalie would have faced the three options.  As she
is a resistor, it would have been narrowed down to two options."

 

Mulder and Scully spoke simultaneously, "A resistor?" said Scully;
"Would have?" said Mulder.

 

Nick and Natalie both smiled.  "Not everyone is susceptible to a
vampire's mental persuasion," Nick said, answering Scully's question.

 

Natalie answered Mulder's question, "I have made my choice already,
Agent Mulder"

 

"Just Mulder, please."

 

Natalie had a question of her own, "Why does everyone use your last
name?  Dana even calls you that," Natalie was clearly bewildered, "and
why do you call her Scully?"

 

Scully laughed out loud at that and said, "It's complicated.  Besides,
Mulder doesn't like his first name."

 

Nick laughed at that, "I guess it would be hard growing up with the name
Fox."

 

Mulder changed the subject, "Nick, if you don't mind my asking, how long
ago were you, ah I don't know, turned, I guess...  When did you 'join The
Community' as you put it?"

 

Nick laughed lightly at that, "Brought across.  That's how we refer to
it.  I was brought across in 1228.  I was on my way back to my family
holdings in what is now Belgium, from the crusades in Palestine."

 

"That makes you, what 772 years old?"  Mulder mused.

 

"I have been a vampire for 772 years, I have been 'around' for over
800."

 

"Nick is one of the eldest vampires in the Toronto community.  That's
another reason I survived, I think.  Others may not have thought much of
his trying for a cure, but none wanted to challenge him over it,"
Natalie added.

 

Scully was nearly in shock at the thought of this man sitting before her
having been around during the time of the crusades when Natalie's
comment sank in, "One of?  There are people older than you?" she choked
out.

 

Nick looked at her for a moment, "I am old, certainly, by community
standards, but hardly ancient.  There are in this world many vampires
that are older than I am, Dana.  In Toronto, however there were only
two, now there is only one."

 

Mulder asked, "I take it then that the older the vampire, the more
powerful they are?"

 

"In many ways that is true.  However, age alone is not always the
defining factor.  Bloodline and training can make a significant
difference as well."  Nick answered.

 

Nick suddenly looked back and forth between the two agents and leaned
back into his chair.  He wasn't sure why he was in such a sharing mood.
Natalie knew most of this, but it had taken her 6 years to find out.
She had never really asked about some of it, and he had been reticent to
discuss it.  "If there are no more pressing questions about me, let us
discuss this man Mulder and I encountered last night."

 

They settled down into discussion and speculation as to what manner of
men, or creatures, it was that they had stumbled onto.