From: Donnilee <donnilee@snet.net>
Date: 25 Feb 2003 19:31:53 -0800
Subject: [all-xf] "A Vampire's Tale: Trail of Blood" by Donnilee
Source: atxc
 
PART 7 (R)
KENDALL FAIR'S MANSION
FALLS CHURCH, VA
TWO NIGHTS LATER
 
Alex came into the living and regarded me staring out the bay window
of the living room. The night was clear and the stars were out.
 
"What is it?" he asked, sensing something wasn't right.
 
"We have visitors," I said calmly.
 
He snapped his head toward the window and back to me. "Who? Is she
here?" he asked, trepidation in his voice.
 
"No, not yet."
 
He visibly relaxed and then turned to the window. He closed his eyes
and I knew he was scanning the area. He blinked suddenly as he opened
his eyes and turned to me again. "What are they doing here?"
 
"I don't know yet, exactly."
 
"You haven't listened to them?"
 
"Not yet."
 
"Why not?"
 
"I was waiting to see if they were going to ask to come inside."
 
"They are just sitting the car across the street from the gate.
Smells like a stake out to me."
 
"They might have wanted to talk first."
 
"Why don't you go out to greet them?"
 
"And freak them out that I knew they were out there?"
 
"They have to have seen all the cameras around the fence on the
perimeter. Anyone who lives in a place like this has elaborate
security. They won't think anything of it."
 
I nodded, but didn't otherwise move. After a minute, I asked, "Were
you careful when you came here last night?"
 
"Yes. I always am. Now that I can move fast, I generally do it all
the time to practice."
 
"So they wouldn't have seen you enter here?"
 
"No, I don't go through the gate anyway."
 
"I know, you jump the damn fence."
 
He chuckled. "Good exercise."
 
"Showing off for an audience of one?" I teased.
 
"Who? You?"
 
"Yourself," I said dramatically.
 
He shook his head in amusement. "Just enjoying being able to leap 12
feet in the air, clear the fence and land without hurting myself.
It's all new to me and I'm enjoying being able to move that way. It's
the only way I can find out what I can do."
 
We were silent a few moments and then he asked, "Do you think they
were following me?"
 
"They might have after you visited them."
 
"I don't think so. I think I would have sensed them."
 
"Not necessarily, if you weren't on your guard."
 
"With Zebrosia out there, I'm on my guard constantly if I'm away from
you."
 
I looked at him and motioned him to me on the couch. The lights were
out in the living room and no one could see into the one way windows I
had in the entire house anyway. Back lighting would cast shadows, but
I rarely turned on the lights unless I had guests. Saved on the
electric bill and I didn't need it. Not that I needed to save money,
but it never hurt. As wealthy as I was, I didn't like to spend
needlessly. This was the most ostentatious display of wealth I had
allowed myself in modern times. I owned properties all over the
world, but as the years went by, the dwellings got smaller and less
conspicuous. The simple reason was that there were more people now.
That sounds ridiculous but it's true.
 
Centuries ago, people were clustered in cities and farming towns.
There were vast tracts of uninhabited land. I'd built castles and
homes in these wildernesses back in those days, or appropriated
abandoned ones. Modern times had forced me to learn to live as a
modern man. It was harder and harder to hide in some ways and yet,
easier because the suspicions of the old days were dwindling. People
weren't generally that superstitious anymore. Back then, if you were
strange, you were as likely to be branded a witch or heretic as not
and ostracized by the masses. Ignorance had bred fear.
 
Alex went to the window and stood behind the enormous tapestries that
were pulled back even though no one could see in. He was being
cautious and that was good. It wouldn't look good if they found Alex
here. I had no worries about him hiding from them if they came in.
The house was huge and he could disappear in the blink of an eye.
 
He peered down the long driveway that led to the entrance gate. We
watched in silence for a while and then he straightened up a bit.
"Mulder's getting out of the car," he stated simply.
 
I could see him from here. His features weren't crystal clear but
sitting here on the couch facing the window, I could see to the gate.
I saw his lanky form approach the gate and look up at the camera and
then down to the call box. I stood and went to the front door in the
foyer off the living room and pressed the intercom button.
 
"Want to come in, Agent Mulder?"
 
He jumped, startled at my voice coming out of the speaker. "Oh! Hi!
Uh, yeah, we were wondering if we could come in and ask you a few
questions. Sorry to bother you at home."
 
"Why all the cloak and dagger? You've been out there for a half an
hour."
 
He glanced guiltily at the car and I watched Agent Scully exit the car
from the vertical window next to the door. "What's going on Mulder?"
her voice sounded through the speaker in the house as I held the
receiving button down.
 
"Uh, he's invited us in."
 
"Let's go in then."
 
"Answer the question, first, Agent Mulder."
 
He said, "We didn't think anyone was home. All the lights were out.
We were ... uh, waiting to see if you would arrive home from being
out."
 
I looked at Alex and he shrugged. "He's probably lying."
 
I hit the button for the gate and it ponderously swung open. They
trotted back to the car and pulled a U-turn, pulling through the gate
and drove up the drive as I shut it behind them. I turned to Alex.
 
"Make yourself scarce. Don't let them see you here. Not yet."
 
He nodded and went by me, giving me a peck on the cheek and then
ascending the stairs. I knew he would be able to hear us from
wherever he hid upstairs. I flipped on the lights in the foyer and
the living room. I turned and faced the fire place, starting the fire
to the prepared logs in the hearth. The logs burst into flames,
dissolving the wadded up paper that sat beneath them.
 
They exited the car and approached the porch, climbing the three steps
and crossing to the door. As he raised his hand to push the doorbell,
I opened the door to greet them.
 
He stepped back and smiled at me. "Good evening, Sir."
 
"Good evening. Come in."
 
They crossed the threshold and I closed the door behind them, waving
them into the living room. They were wide eyed as they browsed the
paintings and antiques. They sat on the sofa and I took up my usual
spot in the wingback chair facing them.
 
"Beautiful home, Sir," Agent Scully began.
 
"Thank you. I take it you thought it should be lit up like the fourth
of July if I was home?" I asked, levity apparent in my voice.
 
Scully blushed slightly and said, "Uh, not exactly, but we didn't see
any lights other than the few spot lights on your fence."
 
I nodded toward the fire with my head. "I was enjoying the
fireplace."
 
"That is nice," she said.
 
Mulder was silent through all this and striking a deceptively
negligent pose. He kept glancing at the fire as though it shouldn't
be there. I probed him gently and smiled as I realized he was
thinking about Alex's statement that fire and sun destroyed vampires.
To his thinking, if I was a vampire, I would probably be afraid of, or
at least avoid fire.
 
I shouldn't have been surprised that they made the connection between
Alex and I. But I was surprised they'd figured it out so fast. I was
even more surprised after a gentle probe to find out it was Scully and
not Mulder that had put the pieces together.
 
"Can I get you something to drink?" I asked.
 
"No, we're fine," they said together and I smiled widely, amused that
they had spoken together. They flashed each other a silly grin and
then turned their focus back to me.
 
"So what did you want to ask me?"
 
Mulder cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we're just curious about
some things."
 
"Such as."
 
"Do you live alone?"
 
"Most of time."
 
"Most of the time?" Scully asked, as if this were an odd answer.
 
"I have friends come and stay from time to time."
 
"Family?" Mulder asked.
 
I frowned, faking sadness. "No. I have no family, Agent Mulder. I
was an only child and my parents passed away ... a long, long time
ago."
 
"I'm sorry, Sir," he said.
 
"That's quite all right."
 
"Being a Deputy Director must pay well," he said, clearly thinking
there was no way I could have all this on my salary and wondering if
rather than being a vampire, I was into something illegal.
 
I laughed good naturedly and said, "Not this well. I come from a long
line of old, family money, from my great, great grandfather on down.
At the end of the line, I was the only surviving heir and so inherited
a fortune, one from each parent. They were both from wealthy
families."
 
Scully pursed her lips. "May I ask where you come from, Sir?"
 
"My father was Italian and my mother was Egyptian," I lied. Both of
my parents were Egyptian and so long dead, they weren't even mummies
anymore. "I grew up in Italy, but we later emigrated to the United
Kingdom."
 
"You don't have an accent," she stated.
 
"No, I've worked hard at not having one."
 
"But there is a dialect," Mulder said.
 
I tilted my head toward him. "I'm afraid that when you travel the
world, you tend to pick up phrases that stick with you."
 
"Archaic ones?" he asked.
 
I raised my eyebrows, remembering Alex telling me the same thing. I
would have to watch that. I came upon an answer almost immediately.
"I guess you could think that. You see, I know several languages ...
Arabic, Italian, Spanish, French and English. I know a bit of German
as well. Some things ... many things in fact, don't always translate
directly from one language to another and so ... you come up with
these substitute ways to express yourself."
 
"Are you fluent?" Mulder asked.
 
"Yes, in all but German."
 
"Wow, that's quite an accomplishment. Must have taken you years."
 
I regarded him sternly now and he squirmed a little in his seat,
readjusting his pant leg to cover. I was making him nervous. "My
whole life, Agent Mulder. Traveling helps."
 
"I'm sure."
 
"Was there a point to this inquiry, or is this just a friendly visit?"
I asked, feigning irritation.
 
Scully cleared her throat. "Sir, we don't want to upset you."
 
I looked at her without responding. She licked her lips. "I guess
you were just a mystery to us."
 
"And?"
 
"Forgive us, but we've ... had some bad experiences with superiors in
the Bureau. I don't know if you're aware of ... certain elements of a
shadow government."
 
"Shadow government?"
 
Mulder sat up straighter and leaned forward some. "I want to tell you
a story."
 
I waved my hand in the air, "By all means, I can't wait," I said
facetiously. If I took their inquiries without a bit of question or
irritation, that wouldn't look normal either.
 
"Bear with me, Sir. First, another question."
 
"Oh goody," I sighed.
 
Scully's eyes darted around the room, taking in the expensive
furnishings.
 
Mulder pinned me with his gaze. His next question was a test. "Do
you believe in extra terrestrials, Sir?"
 
Scully glared at him, clearly upset that he would ask me that
question. It embarrassed her sometimes, his total lack of guile when
it came to all things paranormal. The question, on the surface, did
sound a bit trite, but he was serious. And I knew the question was
anything but trite to him.
 
I let the silence float for a moment and then said quietly, "Yes, I
do."
 
He looked surprised but pleased. Scully frowned.
 
"Sir, over the years, we've come into information that led us to
believe and later know that there was a group of shadow government
figures called the Consortium."
 
"Made up of who?" I asked.
 
"Some were scientists, some were FBI, CIA, MI5 from England, spies
from Russia. It was a global concern."
 
I blew air out of my pursed lips. "Really?"
 
He licked his lips and I wondered how they would taste. "Yes, and
they had contact with an alien race that has plans to colonize the
planet."
 
Now my eyebrows shot up as I knew that if I didn't feign some sort of
disbelief, I wouldn't be credible. "That's quite a supposition, Agent
Mulder."
 
Scully cut in. "Mulder, why are we telling him this? No one has ever
believed us before. There's no reason to believe D.D. Fair will
either. You're just making us look ... like ..."
 
"Crack pots?" he filled in, looking only slightly wounded at her
reprimand.
 
I decided to cut in. "No, it's all right, Agent Scully. I'd like to
hear what you have to say."
 
Mulder swallowed again and cleared his throat. "Well, these men found
out that the aliens planned to infect the human population with a
virus. This way they could eliminate the human race and take over the
planet."
 
I nodded gravely, as though considering what he said but highly
skeptical. "Go on."
 
"So they hired scientists and experts from around the world and tried
to develop an antigen to the virus."
 
"Did they succeed?" I asked the obvious question.
 
"To a degree."
 
"We don't know that, Mulder."
 
"That antiviral saved your life, Scully! How can you say that?"
 
She frowned again. She knew all this to be true, but found the
blatant telling of it to a virtual stranger disconcerting. In the
open, she could hear how ludicrous it sounded and it
embarrassed her, even though she knew it shouldn't.
 
"When you were taken to the Antarctic?" I asked.
 
She startled and looked at me. "How do you know about that?"
 
"It was one of the first stories I was told about you two when I came
here and was told I would be in charge of the X-Files over Assistant
Director Skinner. Quite a tale."
 
"Who told you the story?"
 
"Jenna Cassidy, a couple of secretaries gossiping like they do. I
heard your monikers. It intrigued me."
 
"What monikers?"
 
Boldly, I said, "Mr. and Mrs. Spooky."  They both cringed. "I didn't
give
it any credence."
 
"Why not?" she asked. "Everyone else does."
 
"I'm a world traveler, Agent Scully. If I've learned nothing else it's
that you can't judge a book by its cover. And unlike most, I do
believe in the paranormal." I gave her a significant look and she was
the first to avert her gaze.  "I've learned to judge people on their
own
merits and make my own judgments. I listen to what others have to say
but I draw my conclusions. I don't let other people draw them for me."
This last
was said with a bit of pretended insult.
 
"I didn't mean to say that you listen to gossip, Sir! I'm just saying
that most people believe what they hear if they hear it enough."
 
I waited a beat or two as if considering and then stated, "Well, I'm
not most people."
 
Mulder jumped back in. "No, you're not. I sensed that right away
about you. And make no mistake, Sir. We've really appreciated your
support, more than we can say."
 
"I appreciate your solve rate," I stated as any superior would. "As
far as believing in aliens, it's not something I advertise. I think
it's incredibly arrogant of us to think we are they only intelligent
life in the universe, don't you?"
 
He smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "We're used to being ...
ridiculed," he said by way of defense against their reactions. "We're
different and we know it. It's hard to describe what it's like. I
mean, we try to maintain our dignity and in a way, our solve rate does
that for us in spite of everything else, but still ... it's hard to
take, being different, going against the grain. And whenever we got
close to any members of this Consortium, we found big trouble.
Accidents would start to happen to those around us. Evidence would be
destroyed or mysteriously disappear. They didn't want us to find out
what they knew."
 
"About aliens," I stated.
 
Scully hung her head, no longer willing to participate in this inquiry
or storytelling, but not willing to abandon her pride either. She was
sitting there resolving to bite her tongue and just back Mulder up if
there was trouble.
 
"Yes, that and other things. They controlled some of the brass in the
Bureau, senators and congressman."
 
"Lots of power players, eh?"
 
"You have no idea. And when we tried to expose them ... we were
nearly killed many times. We've lost a lot to trying to fight them
and expose their lies and their conspiracies. Most people don't
believe there is a conspiracy."
 
"Isn't working for a vaccine, if there is indeed a virus, a good
thing? A noble cause?"
 
"It would be, except they didn't plan to give it to the world. They
planned to save themselves."
 
"Ah, now I'm getting it."
 
"Look, I've been different all my life. And since finding the X-
Files, I've been everything from teased, to ridiculed to downright
shunned. I'm used to it. I accept it as part and parcel of doing
this job and I accept the consequences. I chose it, but I hate when
it reflects on Scully. Unfortunately, guilt by association is hard to
get past."
 
She looked up now, touched by his concern. "Mulder, I stay because I
believe in what we do. I don't blame you for other people's
ignorance."
 
"It doesn't make it any easier to be so ... different minded than
others."
 
With a touch of irony, I said, "Oh, I know NOTHING about being
different."
 
"Sir?" Scully inquired, her one word encouraging me to elaborate.
 
I smiled sadly at her. "I'm wealthy, Agent, Scully. And I'm a big
man. I know this. I'm a damn giant. It doesn't escape most people's
notice and it rarely goes without comment . I get stared at wherever
I go. I feel like a damn zoo exhibit sometimes. Agent Mulder scored
points with me immediately on a personal level because he failed to
comment on it when we first met."
 
"Oh," she said softly and looked at her lap again.
 
Mulder's eyes darted back and forth between me and Scully. He was
relaxed now. He knew I didn't buy his whole story. Actually, I did,
but I wasn't letting on. That would be too obvious. He was
encouraged that I wasn't dismissing them outright.
 
"I didn't mean to insult you, Sir," she said quietly, feeling a touch
of sympathy for me.
 
"You didn't. I'm merely pointing out that I know what it's like to be
different. And I have no choices where my differences are concerned.
They just are."
 
She looked at me and gave me a sympathetic smile. She was warming to
me and wondering how in the hell she could have ever thought I was a
vampire. I grinned internally at that thought. The face I showed her
was still and reserved. She still knew all the pieces didn't add up.
I might have to reveal myself to them before this whole affair was
over. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that tonight.
 
Mulder said, "Well, you have a taste of what's it's like to be stared
at and whispered about behind your back. But that's not the point of
the story. I don't even know how we got off on this tangent."
 
"I don't either," I replied.
 
"Sir, my point is that we came into some information that there is a
new Consortium."
 
"So there are now two groups?" I asked innocently.
 
"No, our ... informant said that all the members of the Consortium are
dead, and that a new one has formed."
 
"They all died?" I asked.
 
"Died or were killed in freak accidents. Some were old. One man was
killed in a car explosion because they found out he was trying to help
me. He was an Englishman, and gave me the vial of antidote that saved
Scully. Others disappeared without a trace. Some were found
murdered."
 
"Sounds like a lovely group," I said sarcastically.
 

PART 8 (PG-13)
KENDALL FAIR'S MANSION
FALLS CHURCH, VA
 
"We're worried about this new group. Our informant says they are not
like the last one, that they want to save us from colonization rather
than work with the aliens to save their own butts. We don't know what
to believe."
 
"Are you asking for my help in investigating this group?"
 
"Not yet. We don't even know who they are." He looked at me with a
penetrating gaze, as did Scully. "Maybe you can put out some
feelers?"
 
I concentrated on making my face motionless and without expression.
They were looking for a spark of recognition in my eyes. I gave them
nothing but a blank stare. "Are you going to try and find out?" I
asked finally when neither of them spoke.
 
"We'll always be trying to find out. We don't know what we're dealing
with unless we do."
 
"I see." I paused. "Why did you come here tonight? This couldn't
have waited until we were in the office?"  They both avoided my gaze.
"What is this really about?"
 
"I guess we're just suspicious of anybody new," Mulder said finally.
We hated the old Consortium, make no mistake and no one's going to
mourn its passing. The thing is ... the devil you know."
 
"Ah, so you don't like knowing there is another group and not knowing
who they are or what their agenda may be."
 
"Exactly. I guess I wanted to ask you to let me know if you ever
heard anything of this nature. By the way, Spender was in that
Consortium."
 
"He was CIA."
 
Mulder and Scully both stared at me. "You're kidding."
 
"No, I'm not. He was a bastard, though."
 
"How so? You knew him obviously."
 
"Unfortunately. He was a strange character. I only met him a  few
times and he seemed to hint that the CIA had the power to tell the
Bureau what to do and that we should cooperate. That was what he
came to ask me about when I met with him."
 
"That was the day we met."
 
"Yes, he was there before you. He didn't come right out and say it,
but he made a veiled threat that I was to cooperate with his 'company'
... or else."
 
"What did you tell him?" Mulder asked.
 
"I told him I took orders from one man only, Director Mullen. And if
he had an issue with that, he could talk to Mullen."
 
"Ooo, I bet that went over well," Mulder said sarcastically.
 
"He wasn't pleased. He may have had his protections and allies. But
I have mine too. I know who I can trust most of the time. I'm a
fairly good judge of character. And his stunk to high heaven. His
character, that is."
 
"Were you surprised when he showed up dead?"
 
"I wasn't expecting it if that's what you mean, but yes, I was
surprised. He seemed so cock sure of himself. I figured he must know
something I didn't. Or more likely, know someONE I didn't."
 
Mulder then said, "Sir, there's one more thing."
 
"What's that?"
 
"We can't find any trace of your existence anywhere outside of your
current residences."
 
"Many of my investments are made through accountants and brokers."
 
"I understand that, Sir. But ... we can't find evidence of your
residence in England."
 
"I was there, I assure you."
 
"I believe you," Mulder said. "I also think you're not completely
truthful about who you are either."
 
I stood abruptly. "What are you implying, Agent Mulder?"
 
He didn't pull back from my stare. He looked right back at me. "One
last question."
 
"Make it quick, because I'm about to terminate this interview. My
personal life is none of your business, Agent Mulder. What would make
you think that it is?"
 
He swallowed harshly. He was still holding my stare. "You're right,
it's none of my business, your personal life, that is. But your
professional life is and should be public record. Only we can't find
a record of you."
 
"That doesn't mean there isn't one."
 
"I suppose but ..."
 
"What's the last question, Agent Mulder and make it snappy!"
 
There was a beat of silence and Scully stood, ready for fight or
flight.
 
Mulder stared at me for a few moments and then asked, "Are you a
member of this new Consortium, Sir?"
 
I let the silence hang in the air. *Should I tell them, Pet?*
 
*I wouldn't, unless you're prepared to give lots of details about your
plans and how and why,* he answered quickly. I knew he'd been
listening to the entire exchange.
 
Scully asked, "Well?"
 
"I'm trying to decide whether to be flattered that you think I'm so
powerful or insulted that you think I'd be involved in a government
conspiracy to hide aliens and harm you," I stalled.
 
Mulder seemed deflated at my calm answer. Scully went on alert. As
paranoid as he was, Mulder would let his guard down at the oddest
times. He was truly lucky to have Scully to watch his back.
 
"I had to ask, Sir," he replied placidly.
 
Scully looked at him incredulously. "He hasn't answered the question,
Mulder! That was a very nicely executed evasive answer, but it wasn't
an answer."
 
Mulder looked up now, glancing at her and her defensive stance and
then back to me, sitting casually in the chair. He had taken my
answer as a negative, but seeing Scully's stance, he was instantly
leery again. He didn't know if he agreed with her, but he trusted her
instincts and he was reacting to them. It was an interesting exchange
of communication between them without a word spoken. Body language
was telling him all he needed to know. I was glad to see that
screwing her hadn't softened that non-verbal communication between
them.
 
He stood up and backed up slightly to stand at her side. "She's
right. It wasn't an answer and I have to have one. I have to know if
you're friend or foe. I could dig further into your background.
But I'd rather face you like a man and ask for what I need to know."
 
He was implying that if I didn't answer him, I was a coward.
 
Alex spoke to me silently. *You want to tell them, don't you?* He
didn't sound disappointed. Just a bit weary.
 
I sighed. *I'm afraid I do. They could be invaluable to us, Alex.*
 
*Should I come down to help?*
 
*I think so. Give me another minute.*
 
"I want to say something to you first. Then I'm going to tell you
everything you want to know."
 
*Alex, there's coffee in the kitchen made by the maid earlier. Go get
them cups of coffee. Hers with milk, his with milk and two sugars.*
 
I waited for him to balk at this menial task, but he didn't. A moment
later I glanced at the staircase as he flew by at warp speed,
invisible
to them and entered the kitchen. He'd never made a sound. I was very
proud of my protg and partner.  I'd never seen anyone learn to
master skills as quickly as he had.
 
"We're waiting," Scully coaxed impatiently.
 
"You two have got to be the most impressive pair of agents I have ever
seen," I said quietly.
 
No evidence that my comment affected them showed except a slight
widening of Mulder's eyes and slight squinting of Scully's eyes. He
was more prone to flattery. She became skeptical of ulterior motives.
It was odd.
 
"You are so different, and yet you work together like well balanced
scales. My compliment flattered Agent Mulder and made you
suspicious," I said to Scully.  "My previous answer made Agent Mulder
feel guilty for asking and made you think I was a consummate
politician."
I continued.
 
"What's your point?" she asked.
 
*Come in now, Alex.*
 
From behind them, he entered the room, not making a sound, a mug of
coffee in each hand.
 
"His point is that you are a paradox."
 
They both spun around to face Alex. Scully spun so fast, her hand
shot out to the arm of the sofa to steady herself. Mulder blurted
out, "I told you to make some freakin' noise, Krycek! Jesus, are you
trying to give us both a heart attack?
 
Alex and I both laughed and neither of them were amused. He silently
held up the coffee cups. "Sit down and be comfortable. We're in for
a long talk."
 
They took the cups and sat. Mulder sniffed it but then raised it to
his lips. Scully's arm shot out to grasp his forearm. She was
peering suspiciously into her cup. My God, I thought, does this woman
ever let her guard down? In one way, I admired her caution. On the
other hand, it was a tense way to live.
 
"There's nothing in the coffee, Scully," Alex responded. "Just milk
in yours, milk and two sugars in Mulder's. Just the way you like
them."
 
"How do you know how I like my coffee?" she asked.
 
He smiled. "I know a lot of things about you, Scully. About Mulder
too. I dare say where you're concerned, I know more about you than
you do."
 
She bristled and I admonished Alex. *Don't piss her off, Alex. We
want their cooperation. And she will be the difficult one to
convince. Don't insult her unnecessarily.*
 
*I'm sick of her suspicion. She's always hated me.*
 
*Maybe because you taunt her constantly.*
 
*I do not!*
 
*Enough! Not now.*
 
He receded from my mind, obeying the command, even though I wasn't
supposed to be giving him orders anymore. I knew there would always
be an element of that in our relationship. He was my partner and I
would keep no secrets from him. But if it came down to the wire, he
would obey me in my anger. That was good to know.
 
Mulder looked at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
 
Alex didn't answer, looking to me and raising his eyebrows, asking how
to answer this one.
 
Scully said, "Krycek's presence immediately makes me even more
suspicious of you. He was in the old Consortium. He's openly
admitted to being in the new one. So that pretty much answers my
questions right there." She turned to Mulder. "We're wasting our
time here, Mulder. We haven't lost any enemies. We've just gained
some new ones. Let's get out of here before this gets ugly."
 
She saluted me with her coffee cup, nearly slammed it down on the
coffee table and stood with military precision, turned on her heel and
took two steps. *Stop her, Pet, GENTLY!*
 
Alex was in front of her in an instant, his hands on her shoulders.
He nearly winced as he gathered his composure to speak civilly to her.
 
He spoke softly with effort, "Dana ... please don't leave. Neither of
us wants to hurt you."
 
"But you will if you have to, is that it?" she countered.
 
His lip curled up. His hands slid down gently over her shoulders and
lightly grasped her biceps. "No. I wouldn't hurt you ... for any
reason," he said, his teeth clenching at his admission.
 
She observed him with an odd look, recognizing something in him for
the first time.
 
There was something going on here between the two of them. And
unspoken tension that had probably never been acknowledged. Then it
hit me like a ton of bricks. Oh my Lord, he wants her. He has always
wanted her. And he has always been jealous of Mulder's connection to
her. She, on the other hand, had no designs on Alex. But deep down,
there was an attraction to the danger he represented. She thought he
was handsome and good looking, but it was purely a physical thing with
her. She could ignore that. Physical attributes were not what was
important to Dana Scully.
 
Unfortunately, Mulder saw it too. He stood. "Get your hands off her,
Krycek. I don't care who or WHAT you are. Touch her again and we'll
never have another civil conversation."
 
He dropped his arms instantly, looking hurt. He turned his back on
them and walked to the window, staring out into the driveway. I
turned to look at him. They couldn't see his face from here, hidden
in the shadows of the tapestries that hung at the sides of the bay
window. But I could. He was blinking rapidly, breathing slow and
deep to regain his composure. He was stung and it seemed that it hurt
him more every time one of them rebuffed him. I realized he had long
held a desire to be in their inner circle. I could feel the
disappointment and resignation in him, that he would never have their
trust.
 
He also knew that he had given them no reason to trust him. That he
didn't really deserve their trust. But he wanted it. His mind was
spinning back over all his dealings with them and realizing that he
had always been mysterious and much too ambiguous to gain the trust of
either one of them. They respected honesty and forthrightness, even
if it wasn't what they wanted to hear. They didn't like ambiguity and
they didn't like hints or cryptic messages or half explanations. He
was standing there wondering why this simple truth had never dawned on
him before. There was silence in the living room as we all stared at
his back. I could see his eyes in three quarter view.
 
I spoke to him, *Alex, come back and sit in the chair. I'll let you
tell them. You be my voice tonight.*
 
He spun at looked at me, surprised by this request, but pleased. He
was worried at the same time. He did not have a tight rein on his
composure. He approached slowly and I said, *Maybe composure isn't
all it's cracked up to be.*
 
He sat in the overstuffed chair next to my wingback and across the
from the sofa. I had a vague sense of a stand off. Mulder, always
the perceptive one when it came to body language asked, "You both do
that, why is that?"
 
"Excuse me?" I asked.
 
"You tilt your head to the side, as though you're ... thinking ... or
listening for something."
 
I raised my eyebrows at Alex. Better watch that, I didn't realize I
made any outward sign that I was speaking telepathically.
 
*Gareth?*
 
*Your call. You can tell them if you want.*
 
*You want them to know ...*
 
*Just tell them I'm telepathic.*
 
Alex smiled and straightened his head. "Here's your first shocker,
Agents."
 
"Do tell," Mulder said sarcastically.
 
"Your esteemed superior, Kendall Fair is telepathic ... oh yeah, and
so am I," he added flippantly.
 
Scully's jaw dropped. Mulder just blinked rapidly in surprise. "You
can talk to one another ... "
 
"Inside our heads, yes, without speaking a word, yes," Alex replied.
 
"Pleeassee! This just keeps getting more fantastic, Krycek!" Scully
exclaimed.
 
"I didn't ask you to believe it, Scully," he said. "In fact, I
suspect you won't believe half of what I tell you. You'll believe all
the bad parts, of course. Because that's what you do when it comes to
me. You'd hate to have to admit that you'd been wrong about me."
 
"I'm not wrong about you, Krycek. You're a manipulator of the highest
degree. You're a double talker and you help whoever can get you what
you want at the moment."
 
He hung his head. "That's not true." He lifted his head to look at
her. Quietly, but with intensity, he said, "I've risked my LIFE to
save you both ... more than once. Quite a few times, as a matter of
fact. I've put my own ruin on the bargaining table to make sure you
two could go on with your work. I've ALWAYS believed in you and what
you do."
 
Mulder said, "Could have fooled us."
 
He turned to Mulder. "I know I haven't been totally honest with you.
I don't blame you for your suspicions. But doesn't anyone in your
world deserve a second chance? If I was ever less than honest, it was
because I didn't want to die. I would have been no good to you dead."
 
"You killed my FATHER, YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" Mulder suddenly screamed.
 
Alex physically rocked back in his chair. "I'm sorry, Mulder."
 
"You're sorry! You're fucking sorry, all right."
 
Alex's mouth crumpled into an expression of distress. He said, "I was
ordered to do it, Mulder."
 
"Ordered ..."
 
Alex held up a hand to stall him. "I tried to refuse. I told them he
could help us, tried to make them find a use for him so they would
keep him alive long enough for me to warn him. That's how they
worked. If someone was useful, they would keep them around. When
they no longer provided a service or use for them, they were
eliminated to protect the secrecy of the program if they gave any hint
of talking. They refused to see it my way. They said kill him or be
killed. His life or yours! And if they'd killed me, they would have
sent someone else to do it anyway. What the fuck was I supposed to
do?!" he shouted at the end.
 
Mulder had no answer and neither did Scully.
 
Alex said, "Was I supposed to give my life for your father's, Mulder?
Sacrifice myself for the noble cause of letting him live a few more
years? Because that's all he would have had. A few more years. And
then they would have found another reason to kill him anyway. He'd
grown weary and he wanted to tell you everything. They couldn't allow
it. You were too close already."
 
Mulder said, "So he was killed for growing a conscience."
 
Alex nodded. "Basically, yes. If he'd sworn to keep the program a
secret, they would have left him alone. But he was vocal about being
fed up and feeling guilty about what he'd done and what he'd done to
his family. He wanted to make amends. He wanted to tell you. If
he'd kept his mouth shut and just told you, it would have happened
differently. But he wasn't smart enough not to mouth off beforehand.
They knew what he was going to do and he died for it."
 
"By your hand," Mulder reiterated.
 
"Yes. By my hand. And I'm truly sorry, Mulder. I wish it could have
been different. I really do."
 
"You were a fucking puppet, Alex," Mulder said.
 
He closed his eyes and opened them again. "You're right, I was."
 
"And I'm supposed to believe you're not now?"
 
"I'm asking you to believe that, yes. I've changed, Mulder. I've
always believed in you, but I've changed my mind about the ends
justifying the means. I'm older now, I'm not as impulsive and I'm not
as quick to panic as I was back then. Everything is different,
Mulder. The old Consortium is gone."
 
"All dead?" Scully asked, even though she knew the answer.
 
"Yes, all dead."
 
"And the new Consortium?" Mulder asked. "Who's in that?"
 
*Tell them of the other members, love.*
 
"Do you remember the Windemere?"
 
"Yes," they said in unison. Mulder continued, "He's the one that gave
me the vaccine for Scully and her location."
 
"He died for that," Alex stated bluntly.
 
"I know. His car blew up right after I got out. I'm lucky the
explosion didn't kill me too."
 
"Well, his grandson, Philip Windemere, is a British politician and an
accountant and will handle all of our finances."
 
"Windemere?" Scully asked.
 
"That was the well manicured man's real name, Oswald Windemere."
 
She nodded. "We all had handles back then, or nick names. Increased
the chances of our true identities NOT coming out."
 
"Who else?" Mulder asked, as Scully had produced a small pad from the
inside pocket of her suit jacket and was writing the name down.
 
"Clyde Vogel," he said simply.
 
"The senator from Maryland?" Scully exclaimed.
 
"Yes, he's well connected on the Hill.  Even has access to the
President."
 
"That's scary," she mumbled.
 
"In the scientific corner, we have Dr. Brian Sullivan."
 
"I've heard of him," Scully said.
 
"He's a brilliant research scientist, and was here under diplomatic
immunity after being tossed out of France. We have given him enough
to hold his loyalty, changed his identity and sent him back to France
to work in a facility we have set up there."
 
"What is he working on?"
 
Alex smiled without humor, "A better version of the weak vaccine that
saved your life, Agent Scully. If he finds it, we will try to mass
produce it."
 
"With whose money?" she asked the obvious question.
 
"Mine," I said.
 
She turned to look at me, her expression surprised. "It would take
billions of dollars to produce enough vaccine to immunize the majority
of the world's population."
 
"I know," I said simply.
 
She and Mulder stared and he asked, "Just how wealthy are you?"
 
"I can safely say I'm probably the richest man in the world, Agent
Mulder."
 
"How can that be that we've never heard of you before, then?"
 
I regarded them with amusement. "Because unlike most rich folks, I
don't care to advertise my wealth. Every nut with a cause comes out
of the woodwork asking for a hand out. My wealth is spread all over
the world and I take great pains to conceal my identity, so the paper
trails are very hard to trace back to me directly."
 
"You have companies and tax shelters, in other words," she concluded.
 
"Among other things, yes."
 
"So you've retained your wealth by NOT being altruistic?" Scully
asked, clearly trying to find fault with me somehow.
 
"On the contrary, I give thousands of dollars every year to various
organizations that work on cancer and disease research. But I do it
anonymously through various corporations, rather than in my name. And
I am a silent partner in most of my corporations."
 
She was finally impressed, and the fact that my money was going into
scientific research to cure disease pleased her. She just couldn't
make up her mind whether I was a good man or not.
 
Mulder broke in again. "Then there's you, Alex. You admitted to
being the muscle of the group."
 
"The muscle but also the ... arbiter between the other members. I'll
settle any disputes on procedure or contacting others to obtain
information. Basically, I'm a liaison between them and the head of
the
group. But let me get this straight right now. We are not like the
old Consortium. We have no nefarious purpose. Our main goal is to
develop a vaccine and begin inoculating people quietly through
doctors around the world."
 
"How do you plan to do that?" Scully asked.
 
"We're going to pretend to discover a virus of some kind that we can
advertise as virulent and use this to convince the medical community
that we must inoculate everyone like we do for measles and various
other nearly extinct diseases. It will become part of the childhood
inoculation process. That is our hope anyway. Our secondary purpose
is to stop anyone, including aliens, that try to get in the way of
achieving that goal."
 
"So you're willing to kill," Scully added.
 
He looked at her. "Only as a last resort. We would try other things
first."
 
"Like what?"
 
"Bribery, trying to turn them to our cause."
 
"But you won't tell the public of this threat?" she asked.
 
"We can't, Scully. Surely you can imagine the mass panic this would
cause? Come on. Some wouldn't believe us and could cause a stink
and create all kinds of delays for us. The ones that did believe would
panic and alert the aliens to what we are trying to do behind their
backs. We can't risk that kind of exposure. If this is to succeed,
we have to do it under wraps and as quietly and quickly as possible."
 
She didn't respond but I could tell his words had sunk in. She did
realize that telling the general public would be a bad idea. It stuck
in her craw, though, that there would be more lies and subterfuge.
 
"It's the only way," I added. "Believe me, I've looked at this from
every angle and I can't figure out another way to do this without
exposing everyone involved to danger and delays. Secrecy is our best
weapon, for now anyway."
 
She perked up at that statement and looked right at me. "Alex said
the exact same thing about being a ..."
 
"Vampire," Alex supplied. "Come on, you can say it, I know you can,"
he mocked, imitating Mr. Rogers.
 
*Lose the tone, Alex. This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's
insulting ... and beneath you.*
 
She frowned. Her bottom jaw stuck out in irritation and she pulled it
back, clenching her teeth. I continued to stare at her which unnerved
her a bit.
 
Finally, Mulder got back to it and asked the one unanswered question.
"They're using your money, so you're the bankroll." He turned to
Alex. "So who is this leader you are a liaison for?"
 
There was silence again and Alex hesitated. Finally I said, "One
guess, Agents."
 

PART 9 (R)
KENDALL FAIR'S MANSION
FALLS CHURCH, VA
 
They looked at me, showing no outward reaction. Scully did swallow
heavily. I could smell a faint whiff of fear from her. Mulder didn't
seem as shaken. He said, "I knew it. Sitting here, you obviously
knew everything Alex did. I knew you had to be involved, but I didn't
really suspect that you were the ..."
 
"Head of it?" I asked.
 
"Yeah," he said lamely.
 
"My money, my calls," I said simply. When they said nothing, I said,
"I really am trying to do something noble here, Agents. I hope you
can come to believe that after you've had time to think about it. I'm
trusting both of you with this information. Do you understand what
that means?"
 
Scully looked up. "That if we spill the beans, we're dead meat?" she
asked plainly.
 
Mulder winced.
 
I looked at her, schooling my expression to a blank mask. "I have a
soft spot for you two, or you wouldn't here right now. You don't know
it, but I've watched you for years, followed your work. I admire both
of you, and I'm an even bigger fan of the way you work together. I
would like for you to help us when and if you can. That's all I ask.
And of course, I ask that you keep it to yourselves. I'm banking on
the fact that you will appreciate our honesty in this situation and
respect it."
 
Mulder blew air out of pursed lips. "Whew, this is a lot to take in,
even though I suspected it all. Having it confirmed makes it very
..."
 
"Real?" Alex supplied.
 
He didn't respond. Scully asked, "You've put us in a bad position."
 
"How so?" I asked.
 
"If we talk, we die. If you ask us to do something that's against our
beliefs and we don't do it, we die. We have no idea what you will ask
of us."
 
"I will take great pains to see that you are never asked to do
anything you wouldn't probably do on your own anyway. I don't wish to
make you liars or hypocrites."
 
"You're asking us to cooperate with the very conspiracy that we were
trying all these years to expose."
 
"No, Scully," Mulder interjected. "This concern isn't out to get us.
I don't believe that they are. If they were, we'd be dead already.
If they were the same, we would still be looking for answers about
their agenda, instead of being handed them on a silver platter."
 
I nodded in agreement. "We would love to have you actively work with
us, but we know that's too much to ask, and I won't ask more of you
than you are willing to give as long as you keep our confidence. You
are free to refuse any request without consequences as long as you
don't expose us."
 
Scully sighed. "I guess we don't have much choice in the matter.
That's what bothers me the most."
 
Alex said, "You always have choices, Scully. Sometimes they are hard
ones, with lots of consequences. But we always have choices. I've
made some really bad ones in the past. But I'd like to believe my
work here will make up for some of them."
 
"Did you kill my sister?" she asked quietly.
 
I looked to Alex, actually not knowing the answer to this question.
He said firmly, "No."
 
He didn't elaborate and I knew that he had been involved somehow. As
if echoing my thoughts, she said, "You were involved though, weren't
you?"
 
"I knew about it," he said. "I didn't pull the trigger. I think they
were after you and got her by mistake. I know it was a mistake."
 
I could read him easily now as he sat there using all his willpower
not to show his roiling emotions. He had been there. I saw the
picture of a man pulling the trigger and him rushing forward to turn
the woman over and his eyes going wide as he relived the discovery
that his partner had killed the wrong woman.
 
He hadn't wanted to kill Dana either, any more than he had wanted to
kill Mulder's father. He didn't think he could do it and had said so.
That's why the other man had been sent with him. Ever since, he had
regretted that night. Had it been him alone, he wouldn't have made
the same mistake.
 
He would have made sure it was her, and then ... he wasn't sure, but
he'd had a vague plan to warn her to run, to get out of town for a
while and report back that he couldn't find her. He'd wanted to
ditch his partner from the moment they'd sent him along, knowing he
might not be able to do this hit as easily as he had done others. He'd
been enamored of her even then. But alas, he hadn't been alone and
his incompetent partner had nearly created a disaster. I read this
all easily from his mind as he relived it.
 
"A mistake?" Scully said.
 
"I'm sorry for that too, Scully. But I didn't pull the trigger."
 
She nodded, accepting that this was all the detail he was willing to
give and not sure she wanted the details anyway. What did it matter
now? Melissa was never coming back.
 
"Wait a minute!" Mulder said suddenly.
 
We all turned to him, awaiting the next question from his agile brain.
He looked at Alex and then at me and back to Alex. "You say you're a
vampire. You say you have a master or a maker, or whatever you call
it. Who is he? Is he involved here to? Wouldn't he resent D.D. Fair
having all your attention."
 
"He doesn't own me," Alex said.
 
"Come on, Alex. He must be a large part of your life."
 
"He is," he said calmly. "My relationship with him and my activities
in the new Consortium are separate, compartmentalized duties, so to
speak.
 
*This could get messy,* Alex projected to me.
 
*You're doing fine. Use my real name.*
 
"Where is he now?" Mulder asked.
 
"I don't know. Probably out looking for Zebrosia."
 
"What did you say his name was?" Scully asked, looking pointedly at
me.
 
I simply returned her gaze without flinching. Alex answered,
"Gareth."
 
Mulder asked me, "You believe in his vampirism?"
 
"Yes, I've seen it with my own eyes." I looked at Scully. "And I
believe what my eyes tell me."
 
She scowled at me, glaring, but not responding.
 
"It doesn't bother you?" Mulder asked.
 
"No, not as long as he's on my side," I joked.
 
Mulder flashed a quick smile at my humor but lost it just as quickly.
 
"What's his last name?" Scully asked Alex.
 
"Who?"
 
"This Gareth."
 
"I don't know."
 
"You don't know?" she asked, clearly not believing him.
 
"No, he's never told me. He uses several aliases in the mortal
world." *Was that all right to say?* he asked.
 
*Too late now,* I said.
 
As I feared she seized on it. "Like what?"
 
I reminded Alex. *Viking.*
 
"He uses the name Viking quite a bit."
 
Mulder's eidetic memory served him once more. "That's the name of the
owner of the property in Connecticut, Scully. The name of the guy
that let us rent that house."
 
"I remember," she said.
 
"It fits," Mulder said. "We never met him personally. It was all
done through his real estate agent."
 
Scully nodded, this puzzle piece falling into place for her. She
wasn't totally convinced but she believed Alex in this for some reason
she couldn't fathom. She just sensed he was telling the truth, about
this nugget of information anyway. Then she remembered that the best
con artists mix the lies with the truth to confuse the matter. Just
enough truth to make them seem credible.
 
Good lord, this woman was tough. I wondered if she would ever let go
of her suspicions where Alex was concerned. I was afraid they would
always be there to some degree. I felt sad for Alex. It would take a
major event to get her to change her mind about Alex.
 
Little did I know, that event was about to happen in a very short
time.
 
"Something isn't right about all this," Scully said quietly.
 
Mulder looked at her. "There's a lot to consider, Scully. I think we
need to ponder everything we've learned before we make any decisions
about our next move ... or what we're willing to give."
 
"You'll give everything, Mulder," she said without a trace of doubt.
"You always do."
 
"Only if I believe in it, Scully."
 
"And you do. I know you do. Already ... I can read it in your face,
Mulder. You believe everything that's been said here tonight."
 
"You don't?"
 
"I don't know what to think yet. I need some time to assimilate this.
You're right about that."
 
"We better get going."
 
They stood and Alex walked them to the door. I stayed seated.
"What's bothering you, Scully?" Mulder asked. "Other than the
obvious."
 
She shook her head. "Later. Let me think on it for a while. It will
come to me."
 
I knew what it was. She was still connecting me with Gareth. Even
though Alex had provided her with my other names, she had been sure I
was Alex's master. And she was right. The funny thing was that it
had been pure gut instinct that had led her to that suspicion. Yet
instinct was the thing she simply couldn't believe in one hundred
percent. And so there was this constant conflict in her between her
instincts and her intellect. The logic told her that we were two
separate people. There were explanations for my strange habits and
behaviors as D.D. Fair. Instinct told her something she'd heard
hadn't been the full truth. It would nag at her.
 
Mulder, in contrast, had no such conflict on most issues. His
intellect was superb, his genius I.Q. working flawlessly with his
eidetic memory. And he used these gifts to further his heart, his
passion. He knew he was intelligent, but he didn't discount or
distrust his gut instincts. He held them in as much regard as he
appreciated his intellect. For him there was no such internal
conflict. It was why he was able to make the leaps of intuition that
he did, the ones that amazed those around him.
 
The only conflict Mulder came up against concerned Scully. Her
inability to merge her mind and her heart, or her gut instincts, was a
source of frustration for him. He loved her deeply and well, but this
one flaw of hers was something that frightened him. He was afraid
someday that her unwillingness to open her heart would get her hurt,
or worse ... killed, simply because she refused to believe what her
own eyes were telling her, let alone what her gut told her.
 
I didn't know what it would take to change that for her, or if it ever
would change for her.
 
"I'll be in touch," Alex said.
 
Mulder nodded in acknowledgement.
 
Alex reached for the door to open it for them when all hell broke
loose.
 
My mind was otherwise occupied with questions about my agents'
characters and so I was not paying as much attention as I should have.
The crashing of the bay window that sprayed glass in every direction
as she came crashing through it had me out of my chair and facing her
wrath before her feet landed on the carpet.
 
Mulder and Scully, along with Alex, had turned, startled by the crash.
I braced for her attack, but it didn't come. She folded her arms
under her breasts and adopted a deceptively relaxed pose. I knew
better than to trust that. I felt her try to probe my mind and I
threw up a wall of iron around my psyche. She actually flinched when
her awareness hit that wall and bounced back to her.
 
She smiled, a smile so evil and wicked, it sent chills down my spine.
Despite the centuries, she was as beautiful as ever, more so, if that
were even possible. Her skin was milky white and flawless. Her long,
lustrous, brunette hair fell down her back in waves, highlighted by
bits of safety glass that clung to her waves.
 
"What the fuck?" Mulder whispered. I glanced briefly at them, seeing
both Mulder and Scully had their weapons in their hands. Those Sigs
were nice weapons, but useless against her.
 
*Flank her,* I said to Alex and then quickly threw up my shields
again. He moved so fast he disappeared. Mulder and Scully gasped as
he came to a halt in front of the broken bay window, materializing
before their eyes as he stilled.
 
Zebrosia didn't even turn around. She was arrogant and clearly
didn't think he was a threat. I said to Mulder and Scully. "Agents,
get out of here."
 
"What did she throw through that window to break it?" Scully asked.
 
Alex answered. "Her body. Now get the fuck out of here."
 
Comprehension dawned on them as they realized who this woman was. I'm
surprised the medieval outfit didn't tip them off. She was wearing a
blood red gown that hung to below her knees. The bodice was tight,
laced up and showcasing her breasts and her slender waist. She looked
like something out of King Arthur's court.
 
She pivoted on her heel to look at Alex, staying between us. We now
formed a triangle; she in front of the fireplace, which she glanced
at briefly to judge the flames, me in front of the sofa and Alex in
front of the bay widow.
 
"So we meet again," I said, finally.  "I've been waiting. You always
did
like to make a dramatic entrance."
 
She laughed and turned to Alex. I saw him tense, in full defense
mode. I'd told him to be defensive unless I told him the time was
right to be aggressive. Her eyes swept over him from head to toe.
 
"Oh, he is a pretty one, isn't he?" She licked her lips. "I sensed
you appreciation of his beauty. You're really in love with this one,
aren't you?"
 
"Can we talk about this?"
 
She laughed again, a grating sound that bounced off the walls. I saw
Mulder and Scully wince at the volume of the sound as they stood
poised in the archway, aiming their weapons. She was totally
unconcerned, which told me just how powerful she was.
 
"You knew the rules, you broke them," she said simply. "You were a
good boy for a long while."
 
"Exactly, for a long time. Too long. I wanted to ask permission, but
you made yourself scarce. You hid yourself from me on purpose. How
can I ask you for something if you won't show yourself or make
yourself available for the asking?"
 
She smiled another amused, evil smile, not showing any teeth. "That's
called a clue, Gareth mine."
 
Mulder and Scully both drew in harsh intakes of breath. All the
puzzle pieces were on the table now, weren't they? Agent Scully's
last question had been answered. She was still confused, as I'd shown
no sign of my condition as Alex had. I almost laughed. She thought
of it as a 'condition'.
 
"This has gone on too long, Zebrosia. Aren't you tired of it? Was I
supposed to be alone forever? If you'd come to me to resolve this, I
may have stayed with you. We could have been happy again."
 
"You killed Amet," she said.
 
"You killed Vanessa," I countered. "Eye for an eye."
 
"I loved him."
 
"You were selfish. You wanted us both. Why couldn't I have anyone?
You know I wouldn't have been careless. You knew me better than
that!"
 
"I was never more alone than after you killed Amet. I couldn't stand
the sight of you!" she hissed. "I loved him. You killed that for me.
I've never been able to love since. You doomed me to eternity without
love!"
 
"I've been alone for 300 fucking years, Zebrosia! That's a long time
to hold a grudge! I didn't doom you to an eternity without love. You
CHOSE not give it or receive it anymore. Big difference."
 
Mulder and Scully couldn't fathom this conversation. They were
stunned into immobility. They didn't dare move and draw attention to
themselves. Glances between them communicated that they had resolved
to watch and wait this one out, interfering only to defend themselves.
 
"HOW DID YOU DARE TO KILL AMET? I AM YOUR QUEEN!"
 
Calmly, I said, "You WERE my queen, my everything ... right up until
you rejected me and then killed my fledgling. Then you were just a
vindictive and selfish." I shouted at her. "Who denied who, Zebrosia?
You're
a damn hypocrite."
 
"I ALONE control the numbers," she threw at me.
 
"This isn't about numbers and you know it!" I countered.
 
"No, it's not. You took the love of my life away from me out of
simple jealousy and spite, you petty little bastard! And now I'm going
to take away the love of your life. You killed Amet. I'll NEVER
FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT!" she spat.
 
"Only after you denied me my fledgling. You loved him best. No, I
didn't like it. Yes, I was jealous. But I accepted it. I never
thought to harm him. I thought to make a companion of my own."
 
"And leave me," she added with venom.
 
"Yes! Was that so horrible? You didn't want me. I was just a
substitute when Amet couldn't keep up with your desires. I was worth
more. I AM worth more than that. Why should I have played second
fiddle to anyone?  Would you have? Clearly, NO! You wouldn't even
let me have that little comfort of a fledgling to call my own. I was
supposed to wait around at your beck and call like a damn
prostitute! I couldn't do it!"
 
"I taught you everything you know and you defied me!"
 
"Only because you rejected me!" I said through clenched teeth. "I
loved you as much as you loved Amet. Didn't you know that? You
taught me, you nurtured me and I became attached. And then I fell in
love with you. Then when you were through with me, you discarded me
like old trash. You broke my heart too. And what? I wasn't
supposed to be bitter? I wasn't supposed to be hurt? I wasn't
supposed to want something better for myself?" My voice was thundering
as I let my rage burn through me at the remembered anguish of her
rejection. She'd bluntly told me Amet was her favorite and she'd call
me when she needed me. Basically saying, 'go out and play now and come
when I call.'"
 
"We end this tonight," she declared.
 
"I thought you would be unreasonable."
 
"What would be reasonable?"
 
"You let me have Alex and I promise never to make another as long as
he lives."
 
She laughed again, a bitter sound. "No, if I let him live, then ..."
 
"You'd ruin your reputation for never showing mercy," I said.
 
She hissed, her fangs extending. I saw Mulder and Scully flinch where
they stood. I resolved not to take my eyes off her. She could strike
at any moment.
 
"You insolent bastard!" she cried. "My mercy was not killing YOU that
day!"
 
"Mercy would have spared my fledgling AND your lover. But
you couldn't stand it that I might make it on my own, could you?
You're a damn control freak, blown up with your own power. And how
much comfort has that been the last 300 years? I don't need you. I
NEVER needed you. I've done very well on my own, as you can see."
 
"You'd be dead if I hadn't taken you under my wing. Oh yes, you've
done well, living among these pathetic mortals! Betraying who you
are."
 
"No, Zebrosia. You never understood. It's not an US against THEM
situation. It's survival and trying not to go mad from loneliness and
isolation. I held out as long as I could. You look like a joke from
the middle ages with your archaic costume. Where the hell have you
been hiding?"
 
"You lie. You didn't wait all this time. You made one a century ago.
Did you think I didn't know?"
 
"She killed herself in the sun."
 
"I know, she died before I could get there, the pathetic little
creature."
 
"I chose badly."
 
"Yes, you did," she said haughtily.
 
"I chose wisely this time. I don't make the same mistake twice."
 
"Are you telling me this is a mistake?"
 
"Yes, I am."
 
"You know nothing!"
 
"No, Zebrosia. You're hugging despair because of your isolation.
Before your rampage up the US coast, when was the last time you went
out? When was the last time you fed? Or have you just held court in
some remote location plotting your revenge against me and every other
blood drinker that you perceive has done you wrong?  You don't want
me, but you don't want anyone else to have me either. That's the
height of arrogance! The height of selfishness! You CHOOSE to be
miserable and isolate yourself from humans. I choose another way."
 
She was silent for a moment and then hissed, "And you will die for
it."
 
She struck with the speed of lightning and the fury of a viper. She
rose into the air and sped towards me. I ducked and she flew over my
head. The cathedral 20 foot ceilings left plenty of room for her
aerial display. She rose to the ceiling and dove towards Alex. He
moved but not quick enough. She landed on his chest and knocked him
to his back on the floor.
 
Her strength was enormous as she held him pinned to the carpet. He
struggled and hissed, his fangs emerging. She threw her head back and
laughed as she prepared to kill him the way I had killed Amet.
 
That one moment of gloating was all he needed. Alex heaved with
all his strength and rolled, taking her with him. Her eyes flashed
with fury and surprise at his strength. I was there in an instant,
pulling her arms away from his throat where they had gone the moment
he landed on his back.
 
Alex now straddled her hips. Between us, we pulled her hands away
from his throat. She was so strong. In this position, she didn't
have the leverage, though, and it was enough of an advantage for us to
overcome her, for the moment anyway.
 
"You'll die!" she hissed, with the fervor of one that has lost her
mind. I tried to pin her arms by her head. She thrashed mightily.
 
Alex ripped her bodice open with one grab and her full, D cup breasts
stood up perfect as silicone fakes, the nipples erect and dark pink
with blood.
 
He opened his mouth and she screamed. The noise was blood curdling
and the next thing I knew, Alex was flying through the air backwards
as she threw him into the air and wrenched from my grasp, gaining her
feet once more.
 
Alex executed a perfect back flip in mid air and kicked off the wall,
landing on his feet in the middle of the room. I had a brief thought
to wonder what Mulder and Scully thought of all this but I didn't dare
take my eyes off her. She was clearly impressed with Alex's skill,
but not intimidated by it. "He is strong, Gareth."
 
"Yes, and I am stronger. You can't beat both of us."
 
"The hell I can't." She spun toward me and ignited my clothing. I
went up like a torch.
 
I screamed as I felt my skin begin to burn. I heard the sound of
running feet as I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it at her as
she rushed me. Her arms raised to grab at me, my pants still flaming
when the slab of glass from the coffee table landed on her back,
smashing the back of her head and driving her to her knees on the
floor. I skipped backwards, screaming again as the flames burned my
legs. I patted frantically at them when I was suddenly hit from
behind by a gigantic hail of water. I turned my head to find Scully
wielding a spaghetti kettle of water. Mulder emerged with a mop
bucket full of water and Scully ran to get more for her kettle.
 
I couldn't spare them any more attention. Zebrosia had been stunned
as Alex wielded the coffee table with his mind. She recovered quickly
and spun back to Alex as she gained her feet, lifting about two feet
off the floor. She flew at him and he picked the table up again,
batting at her with the steel metal frame. She lurched sideways and
cart wheeled over the rear of the sofa.
 
She released a battle cry that would have curdled my blood had I been
mortal and flew back at Alex, easily clearing the sofa. I dove at her
from the side, intercepting her flight. I bear hugged her around the
middle and lifted into the air myself. She struggled for a hold on my
neck and snapped her head forward.
 
I felt her fang pierce my skin and I jerked my head away, throwing her
away from me with all my strength.  She flew through the air, crashing
into the wall and sinking quickly to the floor, but never losing her
feet. Oddly, she hadn't paid any attention to Mulder and Scully.
That was about to change.
 
She glared at Alex and his clothes went up in flame. He instinctively
ran toward the archway and Mulder was waiting, dousing him with a
bucketful of water from the mop bucket.
 
Alex muttered, "Thanks," and spun to meet her again.
 
She charged me instead and Alex moved into the room again, trying to
grab her arms. At the last second she veered from me and leaped into
the air, sailing towards Mulder. She was now pissed off that they
were interfering with her revenge. They had not been important enough
to warrant her attention before now. I heard the crack of the gun as
an echo as Scully fired from the hallway.
 
Zebrosia screeched an ear splitting wail and sank to the floor but
landed on her feet. Her bodice was hanging around her waist. She was
naked from the waist up. Blood poured down her sides where the bullet
had entered and exited. It had slowed her down but I could already see
the wounds healing and closing over.
 
She was truly amazing. So strong. Too bad she's crazy, was my next
thought. She ran towards Scully, easily batting Mulder out of the way
and sending him onto his ass in the foyer. He leaped to his feet
again, but she was on Scully by then. She surprised me when she
didn't try to bite her.
 
Instead she easily lifted the small agent into the air and flung her
into the living room with such force that she flew backwards through
the air, her arms and legs forced out parallel with the floor by the
force of the throw. She was headed for the stone chimney flu above
the fire place.
 
I knew in that instant that she would probably die from the incredible
impact with the stone. I started for her anyway.
 
Mulder cried out a heart rending scream, "NNNNNNOOOOOO!"
 
Alex was in the air in a heart beat, leaping higher than he had ever
leaped. I could see him but I knew Mulder couldn't. He had moved too
fast. I saw it as if it happened in slow motion.
 
He'd taken two steps, and leaped into the air like a basketball player
going for a lay up. His arm extended. He reached her height just in
time, wrapping his arms around her waist and twisting to put his back
to the wall. They both crashed into the stone chimney, vibrating the
walls with the force of the impact.
 
Alex's body had cushioned her, taking the full brunt of the impact.
He was stunned and cried out as he became visible to Mulder with his
sudden stop.
 
I moved quickly, already in motion as they plummeted to the floor. I
arrived in time to wrap my arms around them and steady them before
they crumpled to the floor.
 

PART 10 (PG-13)
KENDALL FAIR'S MANSION
FALLS CHURCH, VA.
 
Scully was wide eyed and stunned, turning to look over her shoulder at
Alex. His head was split open in the back and blood was running
through his hair and coating his neck. His expression was near
lifeless, his eyes blank and his jaw slack. I knew he would survive,
but he'd been hurt badly by the impact.
 
She turned in his arms, snapping out of her stupor and raising her
hands to his head to check the cut. He stood placidly.
 
I felt my rage rise up in me at seeing him hurt and I roared, turning
from them to face her as Mulder shouted, "Ahhhh, nooo! Please!"
 
I raced toward them as she descended. Her fangs were sunk into his
neck and his body jerked. I grabbed her hair and yanked with all my
strength, hearing some rip from her scalp.
 
I heard Alex say to Scully, "I'll heal. Go to him."
 
Her arm swung back to swat at me and I grabbed her arm at the wrist,
jamming my knee into her elbow and bending it backwards, snapping the
bone. That did it.
 
She screamed, jerking her fangs from his throat. He grabbed his
throat and rolled away from her, his back now to the front door in the
foyer as he sat propped, staring at his bloody hands. Blood ran down
his neck from the wounds. Scully dodged by me, having left Alex when
she saw Mulder was in need.
 
My rage added strength to my already considerable power. Her
arm was already healing but for now, it hung useless at her side as
she
staggered to her feet.
 
We both rose into the air, hovering at about two feet, knowing we
moved more agilely in the air. I opened my mind and threw all my
hatred at her for the hurt she had caused me. I slammed into her
mind, none too gently.
 
She screeched and flew into the living room again, trying to throw up
her defenses. But I was already inside. She'd not been expecting it
and had dropped her defenses. Careless of her, and a sign of her
arrogance.
 
I followed her and we collided again, thrashing in the air, trying to
get at each other throats as we tumbled across the room. I was
surprised to find we were nearly matched. Of course, her arm wasn't
healed yet. Alex staggered away from the fire place, his hands on the
back of the couch, supporting himself as he watched our own private
little air show.
 
My bare chest heaved with the effort of these sustained, quick,
darting movements. Scully was holding a dishcloth to Mulder's neck
to stop the bleeding. She must have gotten it from the kitchen.
 
I spun rapidly in the air, my leg coming up like a tree trunk and
hitting her in the jaw. I heard bone snap and she screamed again,
hissing and diving after me as I flew backwards and towards the
ceiling
to put some space between us, and give myself room to maneuver.
 
I felt the sting of blackened flesh where I had burned. We
didn't sweat, but I felt the sensation of being extremely hot on the
inside which told me I was reaching the limits of my endurance.
 
I darted to the side as she flew at me and she had to bring herself up
short or crash into the wall. It was enough time for me to zip across
to the opposite side of the room, hoping to gather what strength I had
left.
 
She glared at me, hissed and launched herself at me again in a move
any flying squirrel would be proud of. I held my arms wide, bracing
for the impact, knowing she would plow us into the wall above the
broken bay window.
 
To my surprise, Alex somehow found the strength and leaped into the
air again as she passed overhead. He couldn't fly yet, but I'd never
seen anyone jump as high as he could. His timing was impeccable and
I'd swear he'd been waiting for just the right moment to intervene. He
did the same move he'd pulled with Scully, wrapping his arms around
her waist and leaning back. His pull slowed her down enough that she
didn't crash into me, but it didn't stop her flight and I merely
grunted when she plowed into my chest.
 
Alex's weight dragged her down and we descended almost comically
slowly to the floor. Our feet touched down. She struggled and Alex
fisted her hair in his grasp, yanking her head back. We both had her
squished between us.
 
*Nice move, Alex. It's time to kill her,* I told him.
 
*Me?* he asked astonished.
 
*Both of us. Go to the right on three.*
 
She hissed and squirmed and I felt her try to ignite us but
concentrated and felt my body turn ice cold. She gasped, and I could
tell she didn't know this was possible.
 
Her momentary hesitation was her downfall and I counted, *One, Two ...
THREE!*
 
Alex and I descended at the same time. Me sinking my fangs into her
jugular from the right, and he taking her left side from the rear.
She screamed like a wounded bat, high pitched wailing screams as he
jerked and struggled to escape from our grasp, but she couldn't
overwhelm us both. Had I been alone, there would have been no doubt
of the outcome.  And I know she could have killed Alex if she'd let go
of
her arrogance for two seconds. But I was strong and Alex now was
nearly as strong as I was and the two of us ... she was no match for
the
two of us now that we had her immobilized.
 
I pulled heavily and felt the ebb and flow as Alex pulled from the
other side. Her blood was incredibly sweet and thick, not gelatin,
but only one step from that.
 
I swallowed, drinking like a pig. I felt her incredibly strong blood
flow into my veins and it began to seep into my skin and muscle. I
imagined I could almost feel myself hardening. She was like holding
marble.
 
Alex moaned as the ecstasy hit him from glutting on such strong blood.
It was the strongest we would ever have, I was sure. There was not
another like her in the world. As strong as she was, her arrogance
and rage had brought her down. A good lesson to be learned.
 
All her knowledge of the others flowed into my mind in a series of
pictures. Now I would have to figure out where those pictures were
from. She was woefully ignorant of modern times. She must have been
away from civilization for a long time. I almost felt sorry for her.
 
We all three sank to our knees, her legs trailing between Alex's big
thighs as they straddled her ass. As always happened when I fed, I
was hard and throbbing between my legs. I knew Alex was too when I
heard him grunt and thrust into her ass, driving her hard stomach
against my cock.
 
I grunted in response and we continued to feed. Soon, there was
nothing left but a drop here and there. She was a hard, dry
husk. I released my fangs from her throat and he followed my lead.
 
He looked at me over her shoulder. His eyes were bright and feverish,
his lips ruby red. He licked the last from his teeth, his fangs still
extended as mine were.
 
"We're not done."
 
"We're not?" he inquired softly as he glanced at her motionless body.
 
I smiled. *Which breast would you like?*
 
He groaned, knowing what I was suggesting. She was amazingly still
alive, the ancient blood in her skin clinging her body to life. She
was helpless now though and stared vacantly at me.
 
I laid her gently onto her back on the floor. We knelt beside her and
lowered to her bare breasts. They looked like the mounds of Venus. I
nodded.
 
Alex didn't hesitate and neither did I. We sank our fangs into her
breasts and pulled hard, heaving our chests with the effort to pull
the blood from her muscle and skin. The first squirt that hit my
tongue made me dizzy. It was so thick and fragrant that my head spun
in ecstasy. Alex groaned again, unable to keep his pleasure hidden.
 
Her body jerked. It was hard work, but we finally extracted every
drop of blood from her now lifeless body. Just before she succumbed,
her body jerked once more and her feeble mind touched mine. She said,
*You are now the King.*
 
I shuddered, realizing what she was telling me. She knew all of us
and she was saying I was the oldest living and strongest blood drinker
in the world. I felt another wave of dizziness and my body jerked as
I felt warmth flow into me like a wave. It was what was left of her
spirit, and I greedily inhaled the scent of her new blood in my veins.
 
Finally we raised our heads. We turned to see Mulder cradling Scully
in his lap, her face buried in his neck to hide her eyes. They sat
propped against the base of the staircase. He glanced at us but then
averted his own eyes. They hadn't been able to watch.
 
I stood and lifted Zebrosia's now lifeless body into my arms. She was
light as a feather. I felt renewed and so incredibly strong. I
stepped easily out of the broken window and sank easily the couple of
feet to the ground. I laid her down several feet from the house and
ignited her body, watching it flash burn into immediate intense heat
that incinerated her to ashes in but a few moments.
 
*Hand me that coffee cup, Alex.*
 
He went to the couch and retrieved the now spilled coffee cup that had
met its demise in the tussle. One edge was chipped. It was cracked
and the handle broken off.
 
I knelt down and carefully scooped up her ashes into the cup. I
returned into the living room, hopping easily up and through the
window. I surveyed the living room. What a mess.
 
I said to Alex, "Let me mix this with water. We drink and we're
done."
 
"Water?" he said, as if the idea repulsed him.
 
"Yes, just enough to make it liquid and easy to swallow."
 
He looked skeptical but nodded.
 
"Take care of them." I indicated Mulder and Scully as I went into the
kitchen. I turned on the tap and let it run until it was warm, then I
let the water flow over the cup or so of ashes I'd collected.
 
I'd remembered drinking my master's ashes and the strength that had
given me. I didn't know if it would make a difference here but I
wasn't willing to leave anything undone.
 
I sighed with relief that it was finally over.
 
I returned to the living room to find Mulder and Scully on the couch,
she still in his lap. They were both looking at us fearfully.
 
Mulder's neck was still seeping blood. *Put saliva on his neck,
Alex.*
 
Alex stepped forward and Mulder flinched. They were going into shock.
 
Alex spoke softly as if to a child. "I won't hurt you. I promise.
I'm just going to stop the bleeding, all right?"
 
Mulder didn't answer but he didn't protest either. Rather than bring
his mouth near Mulder's neck, which he knew would frighten him after
this experience, he spit onto his hand. Crude but effective.
 
He lifted his fingers slowly, letting Mulder track his movements with
his eyes. He shrugged and cringed slightly as Alex's fingers smeared
his thick saliva on his neck wounds.
 
Then he shivered again as the weeping holes closed up. Alex glanced
down and saw that Scully's forearm was cut. He lifted it gently as
she sat there like a rag doll. His forefinger came down and wiped up
the streak of blood that had dried on her arm. He wiped it on his
tongue and shivered, then moaned softly at the taste of her innocent
blood.
 
His eyes widened and he said, *She's pregnant, Gareth.* Then he spit
on his fingers again, gently wiping it over her soft skin on the
underside of her forearm. She flinched but let him do it. She stared
in awe as the angry red line disappeared and her skin reconnected as
if by magic. There was now no trace of her cut.
 
He stared at her and then at Mulder again. "Well, I guess you got
more than you bargained for tonight," he said in the understatement of
the century.
 
I laughed mirthlessly. "Jesus, Alex. This isn't how I planned this,
that's for sure."
 
"I know," he answered as he stood. By silent agreement we weren't
going to hide our thoughts from them by speaking telepathically unless
it was something that would send them further into shock. I didn't
really see how that was possible. Good thing they both had strong
hearts or they may have perished by now from heart attacks.
 
I drank my half of the cup and held it out to him. He eyed it and
said, "No, you drink it all."
 
I grasped his wrist and raised it up. I pressed the cup into his
hand. "No, equals, remember?"
 
His eyes moistened and he swallowed. Then he took the cup and raised
it to his luscious lips, throwing his head back as he swallowed it all
in one gulp. He shook his head at the nasty taste and then set the
mug on the mantel.
 
I walked over and closed the thick tapestries in front of the window
to block some of the night wind that was now turning cold. It didn't
affect me or Alex, but I could see Mulder and Scully shivering. I
then picked up another log from the stack next to the hearth and
tossed it on the fire. I ignited it and threw another on, igniting
that too and causing the fire place to throw off a wave of heat toward
the couch.
 
Scully sighed. "It will be warm again in a minute," I said.
 
There was no point in turning on the heat, which would escape through
the broken window. I would have to have that fixed tomorrow. I
turned to my two favorite agents and said, "You've been through a big
shock. I have extra rooms. Why don't you stay here tonight?"
 
Scully shook her head but Mulder looked at her and said, "Do either of
us really want to drive right now?"
 
She looked like she was about to cry but said, "I can't stay here."
 
He nodded his understanding. I squatted down in front of them. They
both stared at me, not daring to take their eyes off me. "I was going
to tell you. I knew Agent Scully had her suspicions, but I wanted to
gain more of your trust first. This isn't how I wanted you to find
out."
 
"You don't say," Mulder muttered sarcastically.
 
I licked my lips and looked up at them again. "Look, you've seen the
best and worst we can be tonight. I make no excuses to you. I did
what I had to do. This is a confrontation that's been in the making
for a long time."
 
"Obviously," Scully muttered.
 
"I had no choice. I wasn't going to die just so I wouldn't be
revealed to you. But now you have me in a delicate situation."
 
"How's that?" Mulder asked.
 
"You could easily expose me."
 
He barked out a chuff of laughter that held no humor. "Who the hell
would believe us?"
 
"Even rumors that I am anything other than above board could force me
out of the Bureau. And if people poke too hard, I would simply
disappear again, like I have so many times in my life time.
 
"I'd rather stay here and do what good I can do."
 
"And kill people along the way?" Scully asked, no malice or
righteousness in her voice now.
 
"I don't kill good people, Agent Scully, only evil ones. And I don't
have to kill to survive. That's a myth."
 
She stared at me. "How do you survive then?"
 
"I can take what I call the 'little drink.' I hypnotize the person,
take a few mouthfuls and heal them up. I release them and they have
no memory of it ever taking place. It doesn't harm them. They
regenerate what I take over night."
 
"Doesn't it turn them into ... into ..."
 
She was clearly worried about Mulder having been bitten. Every bad,
cheesy vampire movie was now flashing through her head.
 
I shook my head, "No, being bitten doesn't turn you. Alex can attest
to that. It's another myth. It's a fairly long and arduous process.
It takes nearly two weeks."
 
She sighed in relief. Mulder didn't respond yet, but I could see his
body relax further into the cushion of the sofa.
 
"Look, you're exhausted. I can only remain up for a few more
hours. I must be locked in my room by day break. Stay here. I
promise we won't hurt you. It may sound stupid, but you're safer here
than you could be anywhere else."
 
Mulder looked at Scully, clearing wanting to take me up on the offer
despite his misgivings and mixed emotions. Scully was weary and
finally nodded, not sure she could stay awake for the trip home to
Georgetown. She thought briefly of a few hotels on the way home
and wondered whether she could make it there or not.
 
Then she looked at Mulder, saw the weariness in his face. She slumped
and nodded her acquiescence. She slid off his lap and they tried to
stand. Both staggered and grabbed the sofa for balance.
 
Alex stepped over and easily scooped Scully into his arms.
 
Mulder finally animated and said, "Let her go!"
 
Alex looked at him saddened and said, "I won't hurt her. I'll just
carry her upstairs. You're both about to collapse from shock."
 
Mulder shook his head but didn't have the strength to resist as Alex
walked away. I followed his lead and bent down, easily lifting Mulder
into my arms. He gave a token squirm of discomfort but I said, "I'll
bring you to her. You must rest. Then you must take care of her.
She's with child."
 
He tensed and struggled slightly but then relaxed, realizing he was
too confused to fight with me. I followed Alex up the stairs and into
the best of the guest rooms. It had a queen sized bed with fluffy
bedding, antique dressers and a bathroom off the sleeping room. Alex
pulled down the covers and set Scully gently on the bed. He took her
shoes off and she didn't protest. She looked like a little doll
sitting there. I sat Mulder next to her and did the same.
 
*Do we undress them?* he asked.
 
*I don't think that's a good idea right now. We're lucky they let us
touch them.*
 
He nodded and said, "Good night. We'll talk tomorrow evening."
 
In a spurt of affection he leaned forward and kissed Scully's
forehead. Mulder lifted his arm to swat him away, but he was gone too
fast and his arm just fell to his side. Alex then surprised me when
he leaned into Mulder and did the same, placing his lips on his
forehead and giving him a soft kiss.
 
"Sleep well," he said.
 
We turned and left the room, closing the door gently and made our way
to the master suite, closing ourselves behind the iron door of our
windowless room.
 
I thought of what we had done tonight and I felt sad. I sat on the
bed and removed the rest of my clothes. I glanced down at my chest
and was shocked to realize that it was completely healed already. A
smudge of ash was the only indication that I'd been burnt. Good lord,
that was fast.
 
I stood and turned, finding Alex naked now. I said, "I need a shower
first, I'm covered in ash and ... debris."
 
He smiled and said, "Can I join you? I still have blood in my hair."
 
"Of course. Is it still weeping?"
 
"No, it's healed closed."
 
We entered the large bath off the master bedroom and I filled the
Jacuzzi tub with water, dumping in some bath salts. We lowered
ourselves into the rose scented water and sighed, taking the sponges
on the deck of the Jacuzzi and sponging off all the grime.
 
I slid off the bench seat I was perched on and went under, wetting my
hair which was already beginning to grow back and now down to my
shoulder blades. I emerged and wiped the water from my face. Alex
did the same and came back up. The room was turning steamy from the
hot water.
 
I felt warm anyway from the incredible blood in my veins. We sat
opposite one another and rested. I said, "She spoke to me, Alex."
 
He lifted his head from its relaxed pose and stared at me, waiting.
Then he said, "What did she say?"
 
"Just before she died, she said, 'You are now the King.'"
 
His eyes widened but he waited for an explanation. When none came, he
asked, "What does that mean to you?"
 
"She knew every blood drinker in existence, Alex."
 
"And she was bequeathing her throne to you?" he asked facetiously.
 
I shook my head. "Not by appointment, Alex. She was telling me
something very important."
 
"What's that?"
 
I turned to hold his gaze. "I'm the oldest living blood drinker in
the world ... and the strongest."
 
He sucked in his breath, not quite gasping. "That would mean ..."
 
"You are probably a close second, despite your young age. Because of
the fact that you have drank from me and from the well, so to speak."
 
"My God," he muttered. "What does this mean?"
 
"It means that I have a responsibility."
 
"Which is?"
 
"I need to seek out the other blood drinkers. I need to know where
they are, who they are, and how strong they are."
 
"You're going to impose rules on them?"
 
"I don't know. Zebrosia's numbers rule wasn't a bad one, Alex. She
just misused it when it suited her purpose. We can't have the planet
overrun with blood drinkers. We could kill off the human population
that we need to survive if that were to happen."
 
"Not if they all took little drinks," he reasoned.
 
"But they wouldn't, Alex. That's the point. And I can't be there to
instruct every one of them. There is no way to really control what
they do except to ask that they conform to the rules."
 
"But you know how bad it was to be subjected to solitude."
 
"I wouldn't do that to anyone. What I'm thinking is that we need to
find them. Any that are alone, perhaps we can hook them up with
others that are alone."
 
"That's a good idea. How are you going to find them?"
 
"I'm not sure yet, but I think I can already sense them. Can you?"
 
He closed his eyes for a few moments and said, "I think so. I'm not
sure. Is it like a slight tug on your consciousness?"
 
"Yes. It's a matter of zeroing in on those points to locate them. We
are much stronger now, or will be after her blood has a day to steep
into us. She showed me where some of them were."
 
"I feel stronger already. I almost orgasmed when I first sucked it
out of her breast," he admitted.
 
"Me too."
 
We smiled at each other. He said, "God, I'm getting horny just
thinking about it."
 
"That will have to wait, I'm afraid."
 
He frowned, looking utterly disappointed.
 
I laughed. "We're exhausted, Alex, and we may have some
repercussions."
 
"Like what?" he asked, looking worried all of a sudden.
 
"Don't fret. But we may have some pain taking on this blood. It is
thick and slow to steep into our cells. I just don't know. I don't
want to worry you. I just want to warn you so you are prepared and
don't panic if pain does come."
 
He nodded, looking much more somber now. "I'll be ready. It was
worth it before."
 
I smiled gently at him, holding up my arms. He came into them and I
hugged him tight. "It may not happen, Alex. I've never had blood
this strong either. I just wanted to mention that it's a possibility.
Now let's dry off and snuggle up. We may sleep longer than usual this
day."
 

PART 11 (NC-17)
KENDALL FAIR'S MANSION
FALLS CHURCH, VA.
 
I lay spooned behind her in the big queen size bed. We were so close
we could have been in a twin size bed and had room to spare.
 
My shock was wearing off. As open minded to extreme possibilities as
I claimed to be, I'd been thrown for a loop by what I'd seen tonight.
I'd been shocked, incredulous, amazed ... and yes, so frightened I
thought I was going to shit my pants.
 
When those fangs had sunk into my neck, I'd said the first really
fervent, heart felt prayer of my life. I'd shouted in my mind, 'God,
if you're not there, I AM FUCKED!'
 
I'm sure Scully wouldn't have approved of my choice of vocabulary, but
I didn't really have time to come up with an eloquent speech at the
time. I was still reeling from seeing Scully fly through the air like
a rag doll and seeing Alex materialize behind her and save her life by
taking the impact upon himself as they crashed into the chimney.
 
There was no doubt in my mind that she would be dead had she hit that
wall on her own without Alex's body to cushion the blow. I had mixed
feelings about that. On the one hand, the thought of his hands
anywhere on her precious body made my rage boil to the surface and all
my protective instincts come to the fore.
 
On the other hand, if he hadn't intervened, she would be dead.
Therefore, I owed him for her life and there was really no way I could
ever repay him for that. It seemed whatever Alex's agenda was, it did
not include harm to Scully. And he'd been hurt by saving her. I knew
that also. The force with which they hit that stone was tremendous.
That had to leave a mark. His seeming desire to protect Scully gave
me some measure of relief. I really didn't care if I died, except for
the fact that I know it would cause Scully to grieve and I didn't want
to cause her any more pain than I already had in our years together.
But now, Gareth said she was pregnant. There was even more at stake.
I hadn't even had the presence of mind to ask how he knew. But I
believed him without a doubt.
 
Seeing D.D. Fair ... excuse me, Gareth fly through the air and commit
acrobatic feats of daring was another thing it would take me a while
to comprehend. He'd definitely saved my life by breaking that
vampire's arm and turning her attention to himself. Another few
seconds and she would have weakened me. Fortunately, she'd only
gotten maybe one mouthful of blood when she was ripped from my body.
I'd felt the mighty throb of my heart as she had pulled my blood from
my body. I'd felt my heart crash against my ribcage twice and then
she was gone.
 
The instant erection and near orgasmic pleasure I'd received from her
attempt to kill me was confusing me a bit. I mean after all, she WAS
trying to kill me, and here I was sporting wood like a teenager. I
don't think anyone noticed, not even Scully when she came to my aid.
I felt a modicum of relief realizing that she had left Alex's injuries
to tend to mine.
 
If I was having a hard time taking all this in, I couldn't even
imagine what was going on in Scully's mind at the moment.
 
I nuzzled her hair and kissed the back of her neck softly. She sighed
and snuggled closer to me, her luscious bottom landing in the cradle
of my pelvis. The room was silent and dark when she spoke into the
stillness. "What now, Mulder?" she whispered.
 
"I don't know, Scully. I can't figure this out tonight."
 
"Me neither. I don't know what happened down there."
 
I sighed, tamping down my frustration, trying to respect her feelings
and not be angry at her ever present denial. "They killed her."
 
"There's no evidence of that."
 
"Nope. Not even ashes. I don't know if you noticed, but they drank
those too."
 
She cringed and muttered, "Yuck."
 
"Yeah well, I have a feeling we'll be told what happens now."
 
She wiggled loose from my grip and turned onto her back, peering at
me.
 
I raised up on my elbow so I could see her face better. I touched her
cheek with my free hand, cupping it gently. Waves of affection and
love swept through me and I realized just how close I'd come to losing
her. "I was so scared, Scully."
 
I felt my face crumple into an expression of agony, trying to suppress
the sob that wanted to emerge.
 
Her hands came up to cup my face and her thumbs traced my eyebrows and
then my nose, swept over my cheeks and finally rubbed my lips. I
kissed her fingers and she pulled me down to her. I kissed her
tenderly, softly.
 
She released me, our lips slow to pull away from one another. She
said, "I almost lost you. God, Mulder, when I ever saw that ...
creature on top of you ..."
 
Her voice trailed away and she swallowed. "I was still dizzy from the
fall and I ... couldn't get to you right away and ... Alex was hurt
too and ..."
 
I put my fingers over her lips. "Shhh, I know. It's all right. The
important thing is we both survived."
 
"I know. It's made me realize just how precious you are to me,
Mulder."
 
"I love you, Scully. I can't even really tell you how much. I've
never been an Alex fan, you know that. But he saved your life down
there." My breath hitched in my throat. "I'm grateful for that. At
the same time ... I don't know how I feel about him now."
 
"I know what you mean. I would have been dead, Mulder ... had I hit
that wall. I know my head would have cracked open like a pumpkin."
 
I cringed. "Jesus, don't say that." The imagery alone was enough to
make me nauseous.
 
"Well, I'm grateful too. And just as grateful to D.D. Fair. He saved
you from that vile creature."
 
I noticed she kept calling her a creature, rather than a vampire.
Yet, she called Alex and Fair by their names. "Yes, I suppose we owe
them both."
 
"I didn't want to stay here, but I was too tired to leave."
 
"I know. I'm waking up now though. We could go if you want. I can
drive. You can sleep in the car."
 
"No, they saved our lives, Mulder. I doubt they will harm us now.
Now that I've had a few minutes to think about it, I'm not frightened
anymore ... not about being here, anyway. I am frightened of what is
to come."
 
"I think we'll have to play it by ear, Scully. I have something else
to tell you. We owe Alex more than just your life."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"Gareth said you are pregnant."
 
"What?!" she cried.
 
"Well, actually the quaint phrase he used was 'with child'."
 
She breathed deeply a couple of times. "I'll make an appointment for
testing tomorrow ... to be sure." She was still slow to believe.
She would need confirmation.
 
I lowered my face and kissed her again. This kiss was laced with more
passion  than the comfort kiss from before. Her tongue twined
with mine and I moaned softly, deepening the kiss.
 
She pulled back a little and I let my body fall on top of hers,
pinning her leg and side to the bed. My hands came up to capture her
wrists and place them next to her head on the pillow. Her hair was
mussed, her lips swollen and she looked so fuckable right now I could
hardly breathe.
 
She said, "We shouldn't do this now," she said when I pressed my
erection into her hip.
 
"I don't care. I need you."
 
"Mulder, we're in D.D. Fair's house!"
 
"We're in Gareth's house, and after all that's happened tonight, I
don't think I'm going to stand on ceremony and worry about my
manners." My comment came out sharper than I intended.
 
She frowned. "Mulder, we need to be on guard."
 
"I think the threat has passed, Scully. The immediate one anyway.
The threat was Zebrosia and she's dead."
 
She looked at me for a long moment and then I felt her go limp
underneath me. I took this as permission to proceed and lowered my
lips to hers again. I wasn't sure but I could swear I heard her
mutter, "Fuck it."
 
XXXXXXXXXX
THIS PORTION NC-17
 
Her demeanor changed all at once and she kissed me hungrily, clacking
teeth with mine and raking her nails down my back. One hand shot
between us and wrapped around my erection covered in silk boxers.
After they'd left, we'd somehow managed to strip down to our
underwear.
 
I reached behind her and released her breasts from her lacy white bra.
It fell away and we had a comical moment of twisting before it was
finally removed. By mutual agreement we shed my boxers and her
panties, kicking them to the foot of the bed. I made to roll over
her, when her legs locked behind my thighs and she rolled us quickly.
I ended up underneath her, my rampant erection pressed between us.
 
She spread her body over my torso, straddling my hips and we kissed
again, bruising lips and pressing deeply into each others faces.
Finally she sat up, lifted onto her knees, grasped my cock in one
hand, holding it straight up and plunged her incredibly tight body
down on top of my shaft.
 
I cried out, "Oh God! You make me feel so ... alive!"
 
She was panting as she stopped, wiggling to adjust to my sudden
intrusion. She moaned.
 
I raised my knees, putting my feet flat on the bed, which tipped her
pelvis forward and rubbed her clit on my pubic bone.
 
She groaned and began to rock back and forth holding me deep inside
her hot, wet tunnel. I threw my head back and began to thrust into
her, short, quick jabs. She gasped and her hands dug into my
shoulders where she supported her weight.
 
My voice was hoarse with arousal when I cried out and growled, "Awww,
yeah. Ride me, Scully."
 
Her eyes widened but did as requested. I felt her knees pull up a bit
and she leaned forward as she began lifting and lowering herself on my
aching cock. Her rhythm increased quickly and soon she was lifting
and impaling herself at a rapid speed. The sound of our panting,
grunting,
and the wet slap of our bodies filled the room.
 
She cried out, "Ahhhhhhh, Awwwwww, Ahhhhhh, Awwwwww," with every
thrust that embedded me inside her.
 
Without warning she leaned down and rolled again. I flipped over in
between her legs, never leaving her sheath. She hollered, "Mulder,
FUCK ME!"
 
Didn't have to ask me twice. I began pumping into her with everything
I had, slamming myself balls deep. Her legs raised up along my sides,
her knees nearly in my armpits and I sank deeper, groaning and crying
out with pleasure as I felt the pressure rise in my nuts.
 
Just when I thought I couldn't hold out any longer, she cried out, "Oh
YES, Just like that! I'm coommiinnggg!"
 
I pounded into her as she spasmed around my cock, her body quaking and
quivering beneath me, making me feel like a God. I was the one making
Dana Scully feel this pleasure. I was the one she wanted. She was
MINE!
 
I bellowed like a wounded boar and jerked mightily as my balls
clenched and shot my cum up my shaft. I jammed into her, holding
myself inside, swiveling my hips and pressing deep as my balls emptied
in wave after wave of orgasmic bliss.
 
I collapsed onto her and felt her shiver with aftershocks. I went to
lift off her as I caught my breath and she whispered, "No, stay on
top of me. Love to feel you surround me."
 
XXXXXXXXXX END NC-17 PORTION
 
"I'll crush you," I protested weakly, feeling exhaustion finally come
over me like a giant wave.
 
"No," she whispered, barely audible now as she drifted to sleep.
"Safe here ... with you."
 
My heart grew large and warmth spread through my chest. I made her
feel safe. I don't how the hell that could be, but I was a selfish
bastard and I would take it.
 
I rested my head on her shoulder, my lips kissing her collarbone. She
sighed and her breathing fell into a deep regular pattern. I
whispered, "I love you, Scully."
 
There was no response. She was already asleep. I felt my eyelids
droop, no longer able to fight the inevitable. I glanced at the
window and noticed the sun was coming up. That was the last thing I
remembered until hours later.
 
xxxxxxxxx
 
I knew he had no plans to take me tonight. But as we lay there and
listened to our two guests, it became inevitable. The sounds of their
lovemaking made my cock rise.
 
I felt Gareth gently probe my mind and I opened the gate, letting him
sink deep inside. We lay facing each other and I closed my eyes,
listening with my new ears to the sounds from down the hall. I could
picture them together.
 
Mulder's lanky, muscular, brown frame over top of her petite, toned,
white skin. I let my imagination take flight and pictured them, his
ass rising up and down in a frenzy between her beautiful thighs, her
feet in the air, bouncing with the impact.
 
XXXXXXXXXX
THIS PORTION NC-17
 
I felt Gareth's huge cock grow stiff against my abdomen. I rubbed my
hard cock against his. He moaned gently in my ear and watched the
pictures I was imagining.
 
His hand reached between my legs and grasped my knee, raising my leg.
I spread myself willingly for him. I could hear her mewling sounds of
pleasure as Mulder plunged into her hot depths. "Awwww, Ahhhh, Awww,
Ahhh."
 
The sound echoed in my head as I pictured him again, his ass rising
and falling in a hard, quick rhythm. I imagined how hot she was
inside. I recalled the feelings she'd had when Mulder had first made
love to her. I moaned at the remembered feel of the hot throbbing
between her thighs, the tingling rush of wetness and later the aching
pulse of her sore muscles as he violated her body.
 
I pumped Gareth's cock in my hand, until I felt my fingers separate at
its rapid growth. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around my waist
and flipped me over, slamming my face into the pillow. He lifted my
ass into the air by cupping my hips. His blunt, wide cock head slid
down between my ass cheeks. Lifting his hips, he plunged the entire
length up my ass in one hard thrust, pinning my body with his hands on
my shoulder blades.
 
I cried out at the stabbing pain that shot through my bowels. "Oh,
Jesus, yes!" I mumbled as I felt the pain stiffen my own throbbing
hardness and make it swell. The cold head of my cock was pressing
into my navel and leaking jism like a leaky faucet.
 
He slapped my rump with incredible force. I screamed a low man scream
again and felt his cock throb and punch further into me as he jerked
his hips. He was not thrusting. He was just rocking, roughly,
jerking his cock in and out quick and hard, maybe an inch. Every few
strokes, I felt him grow, punching deeper, stretching my taut anal
ring until I felt it sting as though it would rip.
 
I reveled in the stinging erotic pain that caused me so much pleasure.
My pictures had been wrong, I realized, when I heard Mulder say,
"Awww, yeah. Ride me Scully!"
 
I rearranged my fantasy, seeing her above him, his hands on her milky
breasts, pinching her nipples till they were purple with blood and
watching her tight, tiny body, slither up and down his cock, which I
knew was considerable in size in its own right.
 
Gareth moaned behind me as he saw the picture I conjured in my mind.
He began to assault my ass, no longer able to prolong the pleasure of
thrusting. He slammed himself into my core, hitting home, that
magical spot inside me that made my balls cringe and feel like they
were going to bust.
 
I tightened my ass muscles, squeezing him with my new found strength
and control of all the muscles in my body. He bellowed and hissed,
hunching behind me and riding me hard. His hands slipped to my hips
as he continued his merciless pounding ... just the way I liked it.
 
I could feel him leaking inside me, actually feel my tissues absorbing
his fluids and swelling my nuts. Every thrust made my aching cock
swing between my legs, making me moan out my pleasure.
 
A particularly hard thrust sent me sprawling flat onto the mattress.
He followed me down, his cock thickening and stretching me beyond
anything I'd ever know. Now his thrusts drove my cock against the
sheets.
 
He reached up and under me, finding my pebbled nipples and squeezing
hard until I cried out from the knifing pain. It only made me harder,
longer, thicker. The stronger we became, the more we could take and
give. I'd never imagined such strength. I'd never imagined such
pain. I'd never imagined such euphoric pleasure.
 
My gums throbbed and I hissed around my extended fangs and cried out,
"Oh Yes! Fuck me hard! Jesus, hold off as long as you can. Fuck me
deep as you can. Oh shit, it's sooo good! The more it hurts, the
better it feels. Oh Christ! Yes, Gareth, yes, Gareth! Fuck my ass,
baby! Tear me up with that rod!"
 
He groaned loudly at my dirty talk. I knew he loved it in the
bedroom. He was so refined and polite in normal conversation. But
here, in the darkness and between the sheets, he wanted crude,
screaming, hard sex.
 
He stopped thrusting all of a sudden and I whimpered. "No, don't
stop!"
 
"Shhh, Pet. Let me calm down a bit. I never dreamed it could be this
good. This new blood, Alex, oh God, it's making me ... oh God, yes,
oh, God, I've never grown this wide, never been so hard. Oh God,
feels so good.  Your ass is so tight, your muscles so strong.
Squeeze it for me, Alex. Oh YEAH!" he shouted as I did just that,
clenching and releasing my ass muscles with all my might.
 
I twisted and glanced over my shoulder. Oh My God! He was fucking
HUGE! He slipped backwards so I could see. Inch after inch backed
out of my ass. I'd never seen him this long. I felt dizzy as I saw
how big around he was, his girth brushing his muscular thighs. Good
lord, he was big around. His cock head looked as big as the large end
of a baseball bat.
 
I couldn't look. I turned away and he impaled me again, driving deep
and hard. He hit me just right and I couldn't stop the orgasm that
hit me like a freight train with no warning. His baseball bat size
cock ripped into my body and lifted my ass off the bed with the force
of his thrust. I screamed with the knifing pain and began ejaculating
into the sheet.
 
He screamed behind me and I felt my body flooded with his sperm, warm
now from all the blood we'd taken tonight. It was like getting a warm
enema as he filled me to the brim and it began to leak out around his
shaft and trickle down my legs. I have no idea how long we orgasmed
but it was beyond anything I'd ever known.
 
He finally released me and I felt my ass closing up, the tissues
reconnecting, the organs readjusting inside my body that had been
displaced by his pole like rod shoving so deep it felt like he nearly
reached my heart.
 
XXXXXXXXXX END NC-17 PORTION
 
He rose and changed the sheets, a near nightly ritual and crawled
under the sheets again, Mulder and Scully forgotten in our own sexual
haze. We were asleep in minutes.
 

PART 12 (PG-13)
HOOVER BUILDING
THIRD FLOOR
D.D. SKINNER'S OFFICE
TWO DAYS LATER
 
"There's nothing else you can tell me about this?" Skinner asked,
looking at Mulder.
 
I answered instead. "Not really. The window in D.D. Fair's home was
shattered, but we couldn't find any evidence of a missile that broke
it. It's possible it bounced back outside and the perpetrator took
off with it. Whatever it was though, it must have been heavy. That
window was double paned, safety glass."
 
"Nothing was taken?" Skinner asked suspiciously.
 
"No, I don't think they expected D.D. Fair to be home and really
didn't expect us to be there, drawing weapons. They never got inside.
Unless they took something from outside, but D.D. Fair says he doesn't
see anything missing from the grounds."
 
"How did they get out?"
 
"We found a breach in his fence. Looks like they used some kind of
machinery to bend the bars enough to slip through. He had the window
and that section of fence repaired yesterday," I replied, hating that
I had to lie to him.
 
"Nothing on the security cameras?"
 
"Nothing. Although we know a good hacker could probably divert the
feed and show nothing."
 
"So you think this was more than one perpetrator?"
 
"Yes," Mulder answered. "But honestly, the chances of us figuring it
out are slim. You know how it is in cases like this," he added.
 
"Yes, Agent Mulder, I do. Unless they try again, there's little we
can do with so few leads."
 
"Story of our lives, huh?" he teased gently.
 
Skinner allowed the corners of his mouth to turn up now. I think he
almost felt sorry for us. "So ... why were you there again?"
 
"We needed to ask him some questions," I said.
 
"And it couldn't wait until the next day in the office."
 
"No, we thought we were being followed."
 
"By whom?"
 
"Alex Krycek," Mulder answered this time. "He waltzed in here three
days ago like he owned the place. I'd love to know whose ass he is
kissing."
 
Skinner smirked. "Me too, Agent Mulder. I'll be on the lookout for
him. What do you think he wants?"
 
Mulder pretended to ponder this. "I don't know. He claimed the old
Consortium was dead and gone. So maybe he wants to sell information
to his contacts ... who knows what Alex Krycek does and why? I've
never been able to figure him out. He screws us one day and helps us
the next. I've never known what to make of him, frankly."
 
I nudged Mulder gently with my foot. He was elaborating too much. If
he got too chatty, Skinner would become suspicious and think we were
covering something up.
 
He looked at me now and I didn't see any suspicion in his face. "All
right then, Agents, you're dismissed. I'll mark this one open and
cold. I'm waiting on a fax from the Richmond field office. I may
have a case for you later today or tomorrow."
 
"Concerning what, sir?"
 
He sighed. "There's apparently been another killing like the last
ones."
 
"The last ones?" I asked, my heart rate accelerating.
 
"Another body with no blood, Agent Scully. Turned up in Richmond.
To date, they've been able to keep it from the press. But that won't
last long. They want to solve this quick before it gets out and
everyone panics."
 
"Jesus," Mulder muttered.
 
"What's wrong, Agent Mulder?"
 
"Nothing."
 
"Do you think it's the same perpetrator from before?" he asked.
 
"Do you?" Mulder countered.
 
"I suspect so. There's only been about a four day gap since the last
one. And that perp hasn't been caught, so I'd have to say chances are
it's the same perp. We need to find this one."
 
"We'll do our best, Sir," I answered. "Let us know when you have the
information."
 
"You'll be the first to know."
 
We stood and nodded at him and headed for the door.
 
"Agents?" he stopped us.
 
We turned and I asked, "Yes, sir?"
 
"Off the record ... do you think D.D. Fair is on the up and up?"
 
"Sir?" Mulder asked, asking for more information.
 
"Do you think he's crooked?"
 
I took a steadying breath. "I don't think so, Sir. He was very
forthcoming when we asked our questions about his past. He was
irritated but he answered them. I got no impression that he was
hiding anything."
 
Skinner nodded, trusting our judgment and I felt like a schmuck all
over again. "Very well, I'll call you as soon as I receive that fax."
 
"Yes, sir."
 
We exited the office and walked in silence to the elevator. It came
to the floor and we stepped inside, glad to find it empty.
 
The doors closed and we descended toward the basement. "Well," Mulder
breathed out, "that was uncomfortable."
 
"Yeah, and I think it's going to get more uncomfortable before we're
through."
 
He sighed heavily again. "I think you're right. How the hell do we
get ourselves into this shit?" he asked.
 
It was a rhetorical question. I shrugged and the car stopped, the
door sliding open with a hydraulic hiss.
 
We proceeded down the hall and Mulder unlocked the office. We entered
and he turned to close the door, hitting the light switch at the same
time.
 
I gasped and Mulder spun around.
 
Alex Krycek sat negligently in Mulder's chair. We both stared, saying
nothing.
 
"Good afternoon, Agents," he greeted us.
 
"What are you doing here?" Mulder asked harshly.
 
He smiled. "We need to talk."
 
"About what?"
 
"Your new case."
 
"We haven't received it yet," I told him.
 
"We didn't do it," he said.
 
Mulder glared at him. "You expect us to keep believing that?
Zebrosia's dead now. You can't blame it on her anymore."
 
"I know."
 
"And get the hell out of my chair!" he shouted in his irritation.
 
Alex got slowly to his feet and moved out of the way. Mulder swung
around behind his desk and fell into his chair, the leather creaking
loudly.
 
"We think it's another rogue. He could have been traveling with
Zebrosia and was left behind. Or he could be someone seeking us out.
We don't know yet. But Gareth has a fix on him."
 
Alex and Gareth had explained the following evening the significance
of them killing Zebrosia and taking on her blood. They were now the
two most powerful vampires in the world, according to them anyway.
Personally, I didn't doubt it. Yes, I believed in them now. I'd seen
too much not to. I didn't like the hold they had over us, but there
was nothing to be done for now. We had to protect their secret and
the new Consortium. We were now a part of a conspiracy instead of
chasing one and trying to expose it.
 
We were both uncomfortable with this new status. We didn't want to
become what we hated; people who kept the truth from others for the
sake of the greater good. In this case though, for now anyway, we had
no choice.
 
"So what are you going to do?" Mulder asked.
 
"Give us two nights. We'll find him and take care of him."
 
"We need a perp, Krycek."
 
He turned to look at me. "Let me talk to Gareth. Maybe we can kill
him without draining him, or make him weak enough that you can catch
him and destroy him yourselves."
 
"Oh goodie," Mulder said sarcastically.
 
"I'll be in touch."
 
Alex headed for the door and I stopped him. "Hey!"
 
He stopped and turned with his hand on the door knob. I hadn't even
asked how he got into the office and I wasn't going to. There was no
point but I did ask. "How can you be here at this time of day?"
 
I knew D.D. Fair came and left while it was dark. But he stayed here
all day in his windowless office. How was Alex going to get out the
building without frying to a crisp?
 
He grinned. "I can make short trips outside now. I can move fast
enough to make it to Georgetown before I burn. That blood we took is
so strong. It's given me a lot of skills and a greater tolerance even
for the things that could kill me."
 
"What will happen if you aren't quick enough?"
 
"I might get a tan," he grinned cheekily.
 
I wasn't amused.
 
"Don't worry about me. We'll solve this one for you, Agents. Gotta
keep that solve rate up, you know."
 
"Oh, brother," I murmured.
 
He waved over his shoulder and glided out of the office, silent as a
cat.
 
Mulder and I looked at each other. We both shrugged at the same time,
wondering how long it would be before this all blew up in our faces.
 
THE END.