TITLE: "EMBRACING THE FUTURE" BY: X-Phan E-MAIL ADDRESS: xphan1013@yahoo.com RATING: NC-17 for wonderfully graphic sex and violence. CLASSIFICATION: SR, Story/Romance TIMEFRAME/SPOILER WARNING: Sequel to EMBRACING. This will make almost no sense if you don't read it first. It's at Gossamer so it's easy to find. As always, set before the last 2 seasons, during the "status quo" time before "the baby", Doggett, Mulder's abduction etc... but no serious spoilers. KEYWORDS: MSR SUMMARY: EMBRACING sequel. Alternate Universe. A friend in need, a debt repaid, and the continuous adventure of love. ARCHIVE INFO: Can be archived anywhere as long as my name, address and disclaimer stay intact. FEEDBACK: Please email me with any comments, reviews, constructive criticism, etc... DISCLAIMER: The X-Files and the characters of Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit will be gained. The same goes for the Kindred Universe from which some ideas were borrowed in addition to the name. ETERNAL THANKS: to Jessica my great beta screener and a true fan. BETA-GIRL NOTE: Ah, the long awaited sequel to my favorite story. I guess I'm gonna take this as a very early or very late birthday present. ___________________________________________________________ The X-Files: "Embracing the Future" by X-Phan *********************** "Love is the immortal flow of energy that nourishes, extends and preserves. Its eternal goal is life." -Smiley Blanton *********************** Mulder's hand reached out from the shadows of the dark hallway and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. She gasped as he bent down and roughly kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. After a surprised moment she returned his passion. When she finally pulled away Scully was breathing heavily. "Mulder, we're in my mother's hallway for goodness sake." "Come on, I just want a little. I've been so good all evening, sitting through dinner without touching you. I'm only human..." She snorted and cut him off, "more or less," she said, finishing his old joke before he could. He grinned and continued, knowing he was about to get his way. "Besides it's not like she doesn't already know about us." "She doesn't know everyth-" her protests were abruptly halted as his teeth sank into the soft skin of her neck until the taste of her salty blood filled his mouth. Mulder softly growled in satisfaction of finally getting what he had been waiting for all night. Scully just moaned and closed her eyes, letting herself be swept away by the sensation. When he finished, he licked her skin clean and kissed the spot he had been latched onto; the only evidence he had been there was her flushed face and slightly glazed eyes when she did eventually open them. Scully blinked a few times then growled, "my turn" as she pulled him down to her level. Forcefully pulling his head to one side she attacked him, biting deeply and sucking voraciously. Mulder loved to see her loose control to her passion and hunger. Her normally hidden wild side intrigued and excited him to no end so he took every opportunity to coax it out of her. Mulder gripped her tighter and let her enjoy herself. "Dana honey?" said Maggie Scully as she flipped the light switch, illuminating the previously concealed couple. "Oh sorry I was..." Out of reflex at being caught Scully jumped back and immediately realized her mistake. Maggie gasped at the sight her daughter's bloodstained lips and retracting incisors then at Mulder's bleeding neck. He instantly put his hand over it to cover the wound but it was too late judging by the look of shock on Maggie's face. "Mom!" There was silence for long moments as everyone tried to contemplate what had just happened. Finally Maggie spoke up and in a slightly scared voice asked, "Dana, what's going on?" Scully sighed. "Mom why don't we go sit on the couch and talk." She nodded her acquiescence but kept glancing back and forth between them as if waiting for them to offer a perfectly logical explanation. Mother and daughter walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Mulder took the opportunity to use the bathroom to clean himself up. When he returned he was as good as new. The women were still sitting on the couch. Mulder shot Scully an 'I'm sorry' look, but she just shook her head to tell him it wasn't his fault. Scully took a deep breath. "Mom, I didn't want you to worry about me any more than you already do so I didn't tell you about some things that have happened recently. I'll start from the beginning. Remember when I told you Mulder and I had admitted our feelings for each other because I came close to loosing Mulder during a case." Maggie nodded so Scully continued. "The only reason that Mulder is standing here right now is because a woman we met offered to save his life after he'd been shot while protecting her. He was shot in the back, mortally wounded and going to bleed to death. There was nothing I could do. This woman said she was something like a vampire and could save him by making him one too. It didn't matter that I didn't believe her, he was minutes away from dying in my arms so I would have agreed to anything. Well, long story short she saved him. I convinced him to turn me too so we could be together for as long as possible. Apparently, Kindred, that's what she called herself, live a lot longer than humans among other things. When Bill's kids are old and gray, Mulder and I will look much the same as we do today. Of course I can't forget the last detail: we also crave each other's blood, but it sounds worst than it is. We don't hurt each other or anything like that. There's nothing to be afraid of Mom, we're still the same people we were before. Don't forget we just enjoyed a nice dinner together. Nothing important has changed." Maggie sat through her daughter's speech with wide-eyed disbelief, eventually falling back on the Scully skepticism for support. "This is too much. How can you ask me to believe what you're telling me?" "It's true Mom." Scully sighed, "Look Mom, do you really want me to prove it to you?. Here look, we can heal incredibly fast. Do you see any mark on Mulder's neck? Watch this." Scully held her forearm palm up and proceeded to run her thumb nail down it lengthwise hard enough to draw blood. "Dana, what are you doing?" Scully showed her mother the cut then brought it to her mouth, licking away the blood. When she again held up her arm, the cut was gone. "See nothing there. I know this is all strange but there's nothing to worry about. We're fine." Maggie was still trying to comprehend what she was being told, but she was a little comforted by the fact they both seemed to be okay, if a little embarrassed at being caught. "As long as you both are healthy and happy, I'm not sure what else to say." "We're good Mom, thanks." Scully squeezed her mother's hand. "Love you Mom. We should get going, I call you." "Alright dear, it was nice having you over for dinner Fox." "Thank you Mrs. Scully, it was wonderful." Mulder and Scully got up to leave. They walked to the door and said their goodbyes. Once in the car Scully let out a deep breath. "I can't believe we were caught like teenagers." "Kinda gives new meaning to the term necking, huh?" "Oh well she was going to have to find out sooner or later, though I was hoping to perhaps break it to her in a less shocking manner." "How does one tell their mother they've become a vampire?" "Finding your daughter sucking on her lover's bleeding neck is probably the least subtle approach." "But probably the most effective. Now we could all go on Jerry Springer, 'Jerry my daughter drinks blood, I'm not sure where I went wrong. She's turned to evil and frequently engages in wanton acts of carnality'. We could demonstrate some for the studio audience. Bill could hit me with a chair, it would be fun. Plus our secret would be safe forever, no one who goes on that show ever leaves with any credibility." They chuckled. "Okay Mulder I feel better, lets go home and finish what we started. It's been hours since we've engaged in any carnal acts so I'm getting horny." "That's the little blood sucking vampire I know and love. What exactly did you have in mind?" "Why don't you show me what you would do with me in front of a studio audience?" "What about cameras Scully, there'd be lots of video cameras recording every angle." "There's an interesting idea." "Mmmm Scully, do you think your mother would mind if we had sex in the backseat of a car in her driveway in broad daylight?" "You better get me home before we find out." Ten minutes later they were cruising down the highway and Scully slid over toward Mulder on the bench seat of the car. "Hypothetical situation Mulder," she then whispered in his ear, "Do you think you could keep the car on the road if I was to... oh say perform fellatio on you now?" To Mulder's credit he only swerved a little bit. "Uh Scully, I... isn't that a little dangerous?" "I don't know, I've never tried it, but you didn't answer, do I need to repeat the question?" "No, I mean yes, I could keep the car on the road, not 'you have to repeat the question'." "Okay, good to know." She gave him an innocent grin, slid back over on her side of the car and went back to watching the road. "Scully?" "Yes?" "Don't tease." He warned. "What do you mean? I was curious; I said it was a hypothetical situation. I hope you didn't think I meant I was actually going to do something like that. What kind of woman would I be..." "Scully." "Yes dear?" She was obviously having a hard time keeping a straight face. "Don't make me grab a fistful of red hair and put that filthy little mouth of yours to good use." That got her. Scully started laughing uncontrollably to the point of sobbing. "Hahahahahahaha You... Hahahaha... You and what army? Hahahahaha." "Get a hold of yourself Scully." Between fits of laughter she managed to choke out, "So funny". "You know it would be nice to pretend for just five minutes I wore the pants in this relationship." She was by now calming down and able to take a deep breath. "We discussed this Mulder. I let you wear pants when we leave the apartment as long as you promise to behave." "Scul-leee." "Oh poor baby don't pout. You know I don't think I've laughed that hard in years so I suppose you deserve a reward." She said licking her lips. "I don't think I'm in the mood anymore." "I bet I could change that." She cooed. "Nothing's impossible." Scully slid back over and unzipped Mulder's fly. Inserting her hand she fished out what she determined to be a partially erect male penis, being a trained professional she knew what to do with such a discovery. "Oh Scully." "Eyes on the road, keep it under the speed limit." "Uh huh." She then proceeded to orally gratify her moaning partner until, "Ow Scully, teeth, teeth." "You know what that was for don't you?" She inquired sweetly. "Uh huh, I was only kidding about the hair grabbing thing. Don't stop please." They both moaned for a little while, hers a bit more muffled than his. "Oh Scully, I'm about to... ahhhhhh." HONK!!!!!! "Shit damnit." "Mulder!" "We're okay. We're okay. The wheel just slipped for a second there. No problem, everything's fine." "Lucky for you." "Wow Scully that was just... wow." "I did get the distinct impression you liked it. It was kind of fun and something naughty to add to the growing list of sins to confess. You know it's going to be your fault if I go to hell for all those carnal acts. I was such chaste and virtuous young woman until your pants came off and then boom I'm doing things that would make my pastor blush in the confessional." "I thought we'd proved that no one makes Dana Scully do anything she doesn't want to. Besides don't you guys get to recant on your deathbed and everything's forgiven." "Only in theory, can't be sure if it really works until it's too late." "Well I'm sure I could find a nice convent to drop you off at on the way home. A few decades in there might straighten you out and steer you from your evil ways." "I've got time for that later, first I want to have enough sex to last me a dozen lifetimes so I won't think I missed out on anything." "I don't have any pressing plans, I'm sure I could help you out with that sex thing." "Good because I'm still horny and I can't trust you to get me off without killing innocent motorists so why don't you get me home where we can lengthen that list a bit." Mulder grunted in the affirmative and gave the accelerator a healthy nudge. When they were a few minutes from home, Scully couldn't resist teasing him a little more. It was fun to live dangerously and the thought of one day pushing him too far sent an excited tingle down her spine. "Hurry Mulder," she cooed, "I can't wait." With that she slipped a hand into her pants and underwear and moaned so he would know exactly what she was doing. "Scully you're going to cause an accident." "It's my car, I'll masturbate in it if I want to." "Scully... stop it," he warned. Her hand kept moving and she kept moaning. Finally he grabbed her forearm and wrenched it free of her pants. She squawked in protest as Mulder held up glistening wet fingers for his inspection. Scully turned to look at him with half lidded eyes. He tried to pay some attention to the road but it wasn't easy. She sighed when he brought her fingers to his mouth to lick them clean. He wouldn't stop sucking on her delicate fingers until she whined in his ear. "Please let me touch myself, please, I'll let you have another taste." Mulder groaned and the car jumped as a tire hit the curb. "Shit," said Mulder as he straightened out the wheel. Scully ignored it and went back to pleasuring herself. Mulder gripped the steering wheel tighter and looked straight ahead, silently begging to just make it home. Right about then, hot sticky fingers started tracing his bottom lip seeking entrance. The power of her scent was overwhelming his other senses and his sanity, but he tried to resist. Again she whined in his ear, "But I thought you liked how I taste." Mulder growled and opened his mouth to the invading fingers so he could bite down hard enough to draw blood. There was a taste to drive all rational thought from a mostly human man's mind, that and the fact she just kept whimpering. Finally on her street, Mulder cut the wheel and slammed the breaks, perhaps the worst parking job in history but it would have to do. He removed her hand. "Get upstairs." It was an order. She was out of the car and across the street in a second. Mulder took a deep breath, adjusted his pants so he could leave the car and followed. Her apartment door was slightly ajar and the lights were still off, not that they needed lights to see in the dark. Closing it behind him, Mulder went right for the bedroom tearing off clothes as he went, and following the trail of hers. When he opened the door she wasn't on the bed but he could smell her. He was rushed from behind resulting in Mulder along with his small but strong attacker crashing together onto the bed. "What's gotten into you Scully?" "This," she said, grabbing his crotch, "but not nearly often enough." "Scully" he warned. "Although I have had this fantasy I can't seem to stop thinking about. It gets me all hot and bothered when I least expect." "Share with the class. I wouldn't want to think we've missed something." "Maybe it's a law enforcement thing but Mulder, I want you handcuffed to my bed." "And what exactly would you do to me if you got me tied down?" "I haven't decided yet, but don't worry I promise to enjoy myself." "What's the worst you can do? A long as you don't light me on fire it'll heal." "Be careful that sounds like a dare. So is that a yes?" "I'm at your mercy." She bent down and kissed him long and hard. "Yes you are." Mulder lay down on the bed and Scully retrieved their handcuffs. She secured one wrist to each bedpost and surveyed her work. "Now don't try to break them that would be missing the point. I don't want you damaging my bed and those cuffs aren't free." He rather did want to try to break them just to see if he could. "I'll be good." She went back to kissing him and biting his lips. Mulder kept trying to put his arms around her. It was hard to fight instinct. Backing away she bared her teeth, telling him what was next. That never failed to arouse him and this time was no exception. She slowly moved down his neck breathing heavily and grazing his skin, making him anticipate when she would strike. Down to his chest and then back up, she was still teasing. Scully decided on the place where she had first bitten him even before she hungered for his blood. Right where neck meets shoulder she sunk her teeth in, quick and deep. Being a doctor came in handy for many things. For instance she knew almost every major vein and artery in the human body and had found many of them on Mulder. A connoisseur learned that oxygenated blood coming from the lungs tasted slightly different from that which was spent and returning for more. She wondered how many people knew that from experience. This time it need not be a vein though, she wasn't hungry, just having fun. Next she moved over to his bicep and gave it the same treatment. She liked hearing the noises he made as she sucked, though they weren't quite as loud as hers. Last Scully moved up to where his right wrist was bound. Finding a spot just below the metal loop she slowly increased the pressure of her sharp teeth so he could feel the exact moment she broke the skin, only stopping when warm liquid filled her mouth. Scully then returned to his mouth for a kiss so he could taste the blood on her lips. "Mmmm Mulder," she purred, "what better way could there be to mark another person as your own. All those poor people don't know what they're missing." He moaned in agreement. It was time to get moving toward the point of the exercise. She climbed up until she was straddling his head. "Make me come." Mulder stuck out his tongue to meet her hot flesh. After few long licks he went straight for her clit and coaxed it out from behind its protective hood with some vigorous sucking. After about fifteen minutes Scully was moaning continuously and holding him down by his hair while she ground against his lips and chin. She was doing all the work, all Mulder had to do was enjoy the view. When she began to feel her climax coming she grabbed the headboard and really started to move. It was all Mulder could do to keep his mouth in the vicinity of her clit. She hardly noticed anyone was beneath her at all, lost as she was in the sensation as wave after wave of orgasm crashed down on her. When she finally opened her eyes and took a few deep breaths she remembered to sit up. "You okay down there? I kinda got carried away." "I did get the impression you enjoyed it and could I have suffocated, there are far worse ways to die than being smothered by an orgasming woman," Mulder replied, licking his lips. "That was great even if I had to do all the work, but isn't that always the way with women." "Only when the man is tied down and helpless." "His natural place." "Until you want something off a high shelf or there's a mouse under your bed." "That's what leashes are for." "You'd eventually get bored with total dominance." "Perhaps, let's try it for a few hundred years and find out." "I don't know all women but I know you. You need to be dominated once in a while, to let go of all your control and responsibility on occasion, lest it become a greater and greater burden." "You know what I need, do you? What do I need right now?" "My cock in you." Mulder smirked. She snorted. "Lucky guess." She slid her hips over his erection and lifted herself up to slid him all the way inside. She bent over to kiss him long and slow. "You know I like your face all wet and sticky and covered in my cum. It fits nicely with restrains. All that's left to do is carve 'Property of Dana Scully' onto your chest," which she started to do with her fingernail. She lost interest when Mulder began slamming his hips up to hers. She grabbed his shoulders and bounced up and down, meeting him on each thrust. The frantic coupling didn't last long and they came almost at the same time. When they calmed down Scully released his wrists so Mulder could pull her down to him. It was much better to finally be able to put his arms around her. "So you liked that huh?" He asked. "I had fun. Did you?" "Yeah I think I did. We'll have to do it again. Of course next time," he whispered in her ear, "It's MY turn." She shivered thinking about what he might do to her. "Power and control have always been part of our relationship because of who we are. Now we're comfortable and secure enough to enjoy games that shift all the power to one side or the other for a while. There's nothing wrong with that." "And here I was all ready to convince you." she smirked. "Asking me to try kinky sex stuff with you will never be a very hard sell." "Good to know. Just remember it was you who said it when I turn the guest bedroom into Mistress Dana's Dungeon of Pain and Pleasure." They chuckled and Mulder fell asleep wondering how serious she was. **** Spent shells rained down on the concrete floor as she moved forward. They either fell back or just fell. Dozens of holes appeared in the wall around her but none came near. They were many and she was one, but it did not matter; she was invincible. They felt it. More fell. They wanted to run but there was no running, still better to face her than live to return to their superiors in failure... so they all fell. Ignoring the massacre, she walked across the room and knelt beside him, dropping her weapons to the floor so she could release his restraints. "Scuh-" "Shhhh," she kissed his bloody lip then helped him to his feet. Picking up the still warm but now empty gun that had been in her left hand, she slid it under his belt. "You must have dropped this. I just thought I'd stop by and return it to you," she said as she holstered the other. She was magnificent, unearthly. He smiled at her and she whispered, "Let's go home." "I knew you'd come for me." "There was never any doubt." **** Mulder awoke from his dream remembering every detail. He never forgot the 'warrior princess-Scully' ones where she swooped in and rescued him from certain death. She would always be his own personal avenging angel. The other detail about those dreams was that they never failed to leave him with a raging erection. His dilemma was what to do about it. She was on her side with her back to him and was dead to the world. They had been pretty wild that night and she was right there. He stuck a finger in her, still wet. With lust overriding caution Mulder decided to risk possible castration. He was already spooning her so everything was lined up and ready to go. Mulder aimed and gently slid inside her warm wet sheath. He began a slow relaxed pace, holding her hip and thrusting in and out. A few minutes later he heard a yawn and a groan. A sleepy voice said, "Not that I'm necessarily complaining, but when exactly did our relationship progress to the point when we are free to molest each other in our sleep?" He didn't slow down as he responded. "There was an announcement. You must've slept through it." "Of course. Well I suppose if I'm being taken against my will I might as well just enjoy it." "Either way's good for me." Having gotten away with it was going to his head. She snorted. "Remember that conversation about testing the theory of whether or not your balls would grow back if they were ripped off?" "Okay, okay, Scully my dear, may I pretty please with sugar on top do naughty things to you in your sleep or in this case may I continue doing them now that you're awake." "That's better and since you were so polite you may continue, if you go faster." It is a good thing they didn't need much sleep because they didn't get much for the rest of the night. The phone woke them just after 10AM on Saturday morning. Scully answered it and was surprised to hear the voice on the other end of the line. "Hello?" "Hello Dana?" "Madelyn is that you? Wow it's been awhile. It's good to hear from you." "You to. Everything going okay with your partner?" "Yeah things are pretty great. I can't ask for better. What about you?" The other woman sighed. "That's why I called I'm afraid. Things aren't good. In fact I'm in trouble and I called because I don't have anyone else to turn to. I need your help." "Madelyn what is it? How can we help?" "Once I tell you, you may not say that and you have no obligation to me or our clan due to the circumstances in which you two were embraced." "Tell me Madelyn. No wait, let me wake up Mulder so he can listen too." She shook him awake and told him about the call so they put their heads together against the receiver. "Go ahead." "When I met you both I was in the process of gathering wayward members of the clan to assist in a coming battle. We've had a feud for hundreds of years with a rival clan that has been growing stronger for some time. A week ago they somehow tracked down our hideout in Washington State and made a surprise attack. They set the building on fire and gunned down anyone trying to escape. It was a massacre. I lost everyone I've come to think of as family my whole life. I'm only alive because I wasn't there. They knew they didn't get everyone so they left me a message. They took one person alive as bait. They know I'm honor bound to rescue her or die trying. There's no way I can go up against them alone. I can't call the police because even if I convinced them to go after her they couldn't hurt our kind and would only be slaughtered trying. After which the rest of these men would disappear and I would never see Sarah again. There's no one else I can ask. I knew since you both are in law enforcement you may be able to help me somehow." "I'm so sorry for your family. I promise we'll do whatever we can. We owe you but it's not about that. I consider you a friend and besides if there's an innocent person being held hostage we can't turn our backs. What do you want us to do?" "I don't really have a plan. I know I can lure some of them away and set a trap, but there are too many, at least a dozen of them and probably eighteen or more. What I do know is they will do almost anything to ensure I'm dead and therefore cannot rebuild the clan. I hoped to use that to my advantage, the fact that I know they will come after me if I try to save her." "Do you know where she's being held?" Mulder asked. "How secure is it?" "They have to have her at their compound because it's heavily defended, almost a fortress, with gates, cameras, probably snipers. There's no way to sneak up on them. That's my problem, I don't know how to even get close and if I did they'd kill her. I do what I have to but I'm not a soldier." "We need a good plan before a rescue attempt can be made." He replied. "I do have some weapons and equipment, just no troops to give them to." "But like you said a frontal assault won't work," said Scully. "Let us think about it and call back in a few hours. We'll have some ideas." "Thank you. I know you'll do your best. I'll be in touch, but remember we don't have much time." Madelyn gave them her cell phone number and they hung up the phone. "What do you think Scully, three against an army, any suggestions?" "I don't know. We need help." "Good idea, let's go see the Gunman." Mulder had some thoughts by the time they arrived at the Lone Gunmen's lair. He was going to need some help from them to forge some documents and quickly. He called Madelyn back to get more details on the address of the compound where they were holding the girl, what kinds of weapons she had and they had, and how she could lure away as many of them as possible to give himself and Scully the best chance of success. When all the parts came together in his head he explained the plan to Scully. "First, the things we know: We can't attack from the outside and we can't sneak up on them. They're expecting her to try something so the element of surprise is not on our side. The good news is Madelyn is sure the girl will remain alive until they confirm she is dead or captured; because they know if they kill the girl Madelyn can disappear and they will never find her. Madelyn said she can probably get half of them to come after her by proposing a trade for the girl which they won't take seriously but will accept simply for the chance to get to her. This is what we're going to do: since they expect something we'll give it to them. We're going to walk up to the front door and tell them we're missing persons detectives with a warrant to search the premises for a missing girl that an anonymous tip said was being held there. We'll need to make it look good with Seattle PD badges and everything, but it should get our foot in the door." "Why would they listen? Why not ignore us or try to kill us?" "These people don't keep a low profile by killing anyone who shows up at their door, especially cops who would be missed. They have their secret to protect. If we act like we just need them to give us a quick tour to satisfy procedure versus calling in reinforcements and body sniffing dogs, it should just get us past the gates and security so we can surprise them. The goal will be to make them think Madelyn set us up to be an unwitting diversion that they will want to get rid of quickly." "Okay I understand the logic in that, but do you know the odds of getting a search warrant on an anonymous tip?" "Yeah, but I'll bet they don't and that's all that matters." "And once we get to the front door we go in guns blazing and demand they give up the girl." "That's the gist of it." "It's risky but considering the odds against us it's probably our best chance. Let's do it." "All right, I'm going to go with Frohike to see his contact about getting some believable badges. Call the airlines to book us two tickets to Seattle for tonight and have Madelyn meet us at the airport when the flight arrives. Byers should be done with the search warrant by the time we get back then we can go home, pack, and still make the flight." "Okay, see you then." She kissed him goodbye as he left. After finding what he needed Mulder picked up Scully and the warrant and they returned to her apartment for a late lunch. "While I was out I picked up something else for you. I was thinking about how these Kindred fight and the advantage of experience they'll have against us especially in hand to hand. We've been trained to defend ourselves against assailants with knifes but not ones like them." "What do you mean?" "I wanted you to have another weapon in case you needed it." He took something out of a bag that looked like an arm brace. It was about twelve inches long. "What is it?" "Roll up your left sleeve." She did and Mulder strapped it underneath her left forearm. Once it was secured he turned her arm over and showed her the bottom. "This switch is a safety. Once it's off all you have to do is press this button with your other hand or against your hip and..." It went 'snick' as blade shot out that extended almost to the tips of her fingers. "Wow, nice trick. It looks sharp." "Very sharp and light. Go ahead wave it around. The blade is ceramic and the rest carbon fiber and Kevlar. It won't set off metal detectors as it's obviously meant to be kept hidden. Since it's attached directly to your arm you can put all that strength into a slash or thrust and no one will see it coming until it's too late." "Why not on my right arm?" "You shoot with your right hand. There should be a gun in it so the knife wouldn't be much help." "I see. Is it legal?" Mulder smirked. "I'm sure it is somewhere, but not in this state. Don't worry nobody pats down FBI agents and even so they'd probably miss it. As long as it's covered by your shirt you'll be fine." "Okay I'll wear it for our rescue mission. I just hope I won't need it." "Me too, but I'll take every advantage that may help us get out of there alive." Once they were done eating and packing Mulder and Scully left early to make sure they'd catch their flight. Mulder had been correct about her walking right through security with no problem. The flight was routine and they arrived on time. Madelyn was at the gate and greeted them. She showed them a hotel where they could stay after Mulder had rented them a blue Ford Crown Victoria that could pass for an unmarked police car. Over room service the three of them finalized the plan. "Scully has told me how you intend to get in and I think it will work." Madelyn said. "Tomorrow I'll call them and set up the meeting for five o'clock at night at an empty warehouse a little ways away. That will give us time for me to get you some weapons and show you how to use them before we have to get in position." "What do you intend to do with the men that go to make the trade?" asked Mulder. "We don't want them to come back just as Scully and I get to the girl." "Don't worry I've set a trap for them, but still we'll both have to act simultaneously so neither group can warn the other. When your phone rings once that will be the signal to go up to the gate." "Okay I think we're ready for tomorrow," said Mulder. "I'll let you two get some sleep and I'll be back tomorrow morning." They said goodnight and Madelyn left them alone. "What do want to do Scully, watch TV, turn in early?" "In case we die tomorrow I don't want to waste tonight not having sex." "I was hoping you'd be of like mind." Between kisses they removed each other's clothing. Mulder pushed her back onto the bed and reached for something he'd removed while sliding over her body. He clicked the cuffs into place around her wrists through the slots in the headboard. "Turnabout is fair play and all that, Scully." "Do you hear me objecting or begging to be let go? Would you like me to?" The last was delivered with a devilish grin worthy of the Dark Prince himself. "You're not a believable damsel in distress." "Then it should be all the more satisfying to have me tied down, helplessly waiting to be ravaged." "I agree, but this would be more fun if I didn't have to worry about the fact that after I let you go you could kill me in my sleep." "I could kill you when you're awake, but don't worry I won't hold anything you do to me against you as long as I have a smile on my face when you're done." "When have I left you with anything but a satisfied grin on your face." "You sure talk a lot. I'm trying to figure out why your teeth aren't in me yet." As soon as she finished that sentence they were. When her upper body was satisfactorily covered in bite marks Mulder tore her pants and underwear off and slid down her body to enjoy what he had uncovered. Pausing to run his hands over her smooth legs, he settled between them to nip at the soft skin of her inner thighs. Finding just the right spot on her creamy skin, he graced it a kiss and sunk his teeth into the hard muscle underneath. Scully groaned immediately and squeezed his head tightly between her legs. "Mmmm, suck harder." Mulder did as he was told. He used his free hand to slide two fingers inside her, pushing against that special spot that made her moan louder. After a few minutes he pried her legs apart and let go so he could quickly remove the rest of his clothing. "Don't stop." She pulled hard on the cuffs above her head. "Hurry." Naked and licking his wet lips, he knelt over her. "When I'm ready, I'm not done playing with you yet," he growled in her ear. She whined and strained her bonds again. Mulder ignored her and went back to tasting her body. He spent quite a while sucking on her breasts and tugging on her nipples before going lower to stick his tongue in one of his favorite places on her body, her navel. "You know Scully you would look good with one of those belly button rings that are all the rage now." "Mmmmm whatever you want Mulder just stop teasing and make love to me." "Be patient, almost there." She knew it would be a few more minutes when he went all the way down to suck on her toes. He had a lot of favorite places. Finally kneeling between her legs, Mulder rubbed the head of his cock against her wet entrance but didn't penetrate her until she threatened more bodily harm. One hard thrust and he was in her all the way. He set a relentless pace, hard and fast because he knew that's what she needed. Mulder held himself above her as she raised her hips to meet him, looking into her wild eyes. She hadn't stopped pulling on her restraints and her wrists were raw, then with one last tug Scully finally snapped the wooden spindle holding her arms above her head. They immediately went over Mulder's head and around his neck pulling him down to her waiting mouth. Long past the kissing stage, her teeth went right into his neck, but it wasn't a good enough reason for him to slow down let alone stop what he was doing. It was too much for Scully, all the pleasure and pain at once were driving her over the edge. She came with a muffled scream. Mulder wasn't more than three strokes behind and as he emptied himself inside her, prolonged her orgasm even more. She let go of his throat as Mulder collapsed on top of her. They were a sweaty bloody mess but a very satisfied mess. "I'm smiling," she whispered in his ear, "so I guess you're off the hook." He took the time to give her a long lingering kiss before untangling her arms from his neck so he could go find the key. "You broke the headboard Scully, cool." "We'll tell them it was like that when we got here and the stained sheets we'll take with us." "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself Scully, because all I could think when I was looking at you tied down and squirming with barely controlled lust in your eyes, was that I would have to see that more often." "It's exciting not having any control over what's going to happen to me, but only because it was with someone I completely trust not to hurt me... too much." "You're safe with me Scully, but sometimes when you look at me like you want to eat me alive, I loose a little control myself." "Good I'm glad." Mulder was about to unlock the handcuffs when he had a better idea. "Now where were we? Oh yes, we seem to need a shower." "Sounds good, uncuff me and I'll race you." "It might be more fun if I don't." He rolled off the bed and pulled her by her arms over his shoulder and carried her, ass in the air, toward the bathroom. "Hey" "Be a sport Scully, I was for you." "Okay, okay, you can play caveman if you like." He walked by a large mirror on the door and then backed up for another glance at the view. "I don't tell you nearly often enough what a great ass you have, so round and perfect." He gave it a squeeze. "I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm looking at," she gave his butt a pinch, "firm too, now weren't we headed somewhere? I'm getting dizzy." Mulder managed to step into the shower and turn it on without banging her head against anything. He got under the spray before it had completely warmed up and she yelped as the cold water hit certain sensitive areas before he turned it away. "That better have been an accident," she warned. Mulder kept his mouth shut and hoped she couldn't see his expression. Finally he set her down on her feet in front of him but only for a moment. He took hold of her wrists and lifted her arms up until she was standing on tiptoe and then pushed her back a bit, hooking the cuffs over the fortunately sturdy showerhead. Partially hanging on the wall, she could stand flat-footed but just barely. "Oh I see." She grinned in amusement. He smiled as well and stepped back to look at the lovely picture she made. "I think you're really getting into this Mulder." "Almost as much as you." She grinned and agreed. Mulder directed the spray closer to her and spent a few minutes washing away the sweat and blood so she was all set to get sweaty and bloody again. He captured her head in both hands and lifted her mouth to meet his in a hard, hungry kiss. He pressed her body against the wall in reminder she was his to play with however he saw fit. The kiss went on until he bit down on her bottom lip. Her breasts quickly received similar attention. At the same time he roughly inserted a couple of fingers into her, leaving his thumb to rub her clit. It wasn't long before Scully was grinding her hips against his hand and almost ready to come. He abruptly stopped and stepped back. "That's good enough, you're ready." "Yes, yes, please." Mulder picked her up by her waist and she wrapped her legs around his back. He lined up and let her weight bring her down on his already hard cock. He ground his hips into her again and again in shallow thrusts, only occasionally pushing in deep. He watched and waited for the telltale fluttering sensation indicating she was about to orgasm. "Please, harder I'm almost there." Twice more then he pulled out completely and stood still. "Nooooooo!" She bucked futilely into the air. "I'm not going to let you come this way." "Put it back in." "You know what I want Scully." "Yes," she hissed. "So take it. I think we're past being gentle." "So we are." Mulder re-aimed his cock, but lower this time and sank into her once more. Scully always moaned loudly at the first intrusion of her ass, her muscles struggling valiantly against an invader that could not be turned back. As he fully seated himself inside her, Mulder whispered in her ear, "When I saw you the mirror I knew what I was going to do, that I had to feel that ass squeezing me tight." "Do it. Tear me open." She was too tight to move very fast, at least at first. The force of his thrusts increased as her muscles relaxed and accepted his size. Scully's arms were getting numb but it didn't matter because he was supporting all her weight as he pounded her into the shower wall. He continued for ten minutes until she felt like her whole world reduced to a few raw nerves being assaulted by Mulder's cock. "Oh that's good. Take me. Take my ass. It belongs to you." "All mine." He growled and punctuated it with a particularly hard thrust. "I'm coming." Scully cried as she shuddered in his arms and around his erection. He never had to worry if she would when they did this and she never came as hard any other way. Mulder didn't slow down when she finished and went limp. It was less than a minute before he grunted and filled her with his semen. "That was just incredible Scully. You drive me wild." "Mmmmm," she purred into his neck. "And don't you ruin it by apologizing. You took me exactly like you wanted to, like an animal and it was fantastic." "It was." "There's nothing to ever worry about because we can be as rough as we want and never cause real harm. There are no limits for us Mulder. I want to see you driven insane with lust and hunger. I want to feel it. I want to be the cause and the solution." "Then keep talking like that." He growled. She bit into his neck, but he pulled her head back by her hair. Her arms were in his way so he lifted them off the showerhead. She also couldn't stand up on her own so down to the floor of the shower stall they went. Mulder covered her body and held her head to the side as tore into her neck, sucking harder and harder. He growled again from deep in his throat as he fed. He didn't stop. He just kept going until she thought he would kill her, that he would take it all. By then she was too weak to resist. She wanted to tell him she loved him before she died, before the last of her essence drained away, but she couldn't speak. He finally let go and looked at her. She hoped he could see it in her eyes. She saw the hunger she'd wanted. He then opened his wrist with his teeth like the first time and brought it to her mouth. He lifted her head to help her swallow and poured life back into her body. He washed them both under the cooling spray and carried her back to the bed. He removed the handcuffs she had all but forgotten about. When they were under the blankets, she finally spoke. "Part of me wanted you to finish, to have it all." "Me too. It's a good thing the bigger part can't live without you." "When I was dying I wanted to tell you-" "I know. I saw." Her last thought as she fell into an exhausted sleep in his arms was that he somehow owned more of her than before. Madelyn woke them up the next morning so after a quick breakfast they could follow her to a farmhouse outside the city. Once there, the three went inside. "This is our last safe house in the area. We kept some supplies here in case." Madelyn opened a large chest and removed a few shotguns. "These are perfectly normal. It's the ammunition that's specifically made to kill us. Take a pile of the shells and you can try shooting them against the wall outside. They're short-range weapons and will incinerate anything you hit almost immediately. As you know besides fire the only other way to kill us is draining all our blood so here is your other weapon." She gave them each a large sheathed knife. "This is a Gurkha knife, called a Khukri." It had a large blade that was curved forward away from the wrist of the wielder. "The thick blade is exceptionally heavy requiring great strength to handle and is razor sharp. It can be used for stabbing but most often is swung in an arc motion not unlike a hatchet. It's excellent for inflicting massive damage and mortal wounds with a single blow. The target is almost always the throat with decapitation not impossible, but one swing that can split a person from neck to groin will drain them of their blood just as fast. They will have these as well so you need to know how to defend against them." What followed next was pointers and as much training with the knives as Madelyn could offer. They decided to concentrate more on practicing with the shotguns since it gave them a better chance anyway. By 3PM they decided they were ready. Madelyn led them close enough to the compound that they could find it and she left to take her position. At a quarter past four Mulder watched two cars leave from where they were parked some distance away. Twenty minutes after that Mulder's phone rang. He started the car and drove toward the main entrance. Madelyn put down the phone and picked up the rifle. From where she sat atop a nearby building she watched the cars pull up a near the warehouse. Through the scope she could see one set of four men got out of their car and stood by while the other group went into the warehouse. All had on long jackets no doubt concealing shotguns. As soon as the last man was through the door to the building she took out a transmitter and pressed a button. The warehouse in front of her exploded with a deafening boom. Windows blew out and fire erupted from every opening. The startled men got up off the ground and jumped back into their car. They hadn't gotten far before bullets from her silenced rifle plinked against their trunk. When Madelyn finally found the gas tank the car was also quickly engulfed in flames. She waited for any of its occupants to try to escape but it wasn't necessary, the fire had done its work. She climbed down off the roof and tossed the gun in her trunk. As she raced back she hoped they hadn't had time to warn their boss. Mulder parked in front of the gates. They got out, walked to the intercom, and buzzed the house. Shortly a voice answered, "Can I help you?" They took out their badges and showed the camera. Mulder answered, "Detectives Walters and Petrie, missing persons. We have a warrant to search the premises for a possible kidnapping victim." He took out the warrant and held it up to the camera. "We've received a tip that a girl is allegedly being held here against her will and we need you to open the gate so we either verify or disprove our information." "There is no one being held here. This is private property." "I understand sir and I do not intend to violate your rights but we do have a warrant. Let me level with you. We're not from vice or narcotics, we have no interest in how you entertain yourself or what you grow in your back yard. We're not interested in making trouble for you, however we do have to follow procedure and have a look around for this missing girl. I will tell you that not cooperating doesn't help you to look innocent and if I have to wait here while I call for backup, some dogs, and a battering ram, I will have no control over what they do find. I imagine you'd like to avoid that even more than me, so why don't you let us in and show us around so I can go home and eat my dinner at a reasonable hour tonight." After a very long silence the voice answered even less pleasantly than before, "The gate will open and you may proceed to the main entrance." On the walk to the front door Scully whispered, "Nicely done, remind me to make you dinner some time." "Piece of cake." As the door opened, Mulder strode in with Scully right behind and to his left. At the same time they brought out the shotguns that were hanging from shoulder straps underneath their trench coats and leveled them at the apparent leader. Mulder had no sooner demanded, "Where's the girl?" before they were attacked from both sides by the guards. Turning, they each fired explosive shots knocking back the assailants as the chemicals in the shells ignited the bodies. The guards were consumed by flames in seconds and began to disintegrate into ash before Mulder and Scully's eyes. Another who had been hiding behind the door pounced on Scully from behind, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing, causing her to loose her grip on the shotgun. He adjusted his grip to hold her with one arm so he could retrieve a knife from behind his back. As he tried to bring it across her throat, she wrestled her left arm free and brought it up to block the slash, so all it cut was her sleeve as it was stopped by the kevlar covering her forearm. She then slammed her head back into his nose and heard a satisfying crunch. He roared and pulled her against him, sinking his teeth into the side of her neck. Scully grunted in pain at his renewed attempts to tear her throat out, but the instant he had let go, she used the opportunity to grab the hand that had the knife in it with her right hand and bring her left arm down to her hip to press the release on her wrist knife. The blade extended and she immediately thrust it behind her head into something soft. Her attacker let go as he shrieked. Still firmly gripping the dangerous arm holding the knife, Scully whirled around and brought her left wrist slicing across his neck. He fell back against the wall as he clutched at his throat trying futilely to contain the spray of blood. Scully quickly picked up her shotgun and left a burning hole in his chest. Meanwhile Mulder had shot two more who had been reaching behind the curtains for weapons of their own. Throughout the fight their leader stood motionless and growled in rage. "Scully! Are you alright?" "Yeah, I'm okay." Neither had taken their eyes off the last man standing. "NOW, where is she?" Mulder aimed his gun at the leader's head. "Who are you and why do you care?" "Friend of a friend, that's all you need to know." "It doesn't matter, you're both going to die." He hissed. "Maybe, but not today. You should be more concerned with your own survival at the moment. We're not here for you. Take us to the girl you kidnapped and you can avoid having to be vacuumed up off the rug." Mulder warned. He contemplated this for a moment. "All right if that's want you want, you can have her. Follow me." "Wait a second," Scully spoke up. "We're not going to be ambushed. Tell whoever is manning those cameras to come out here, unless of course YOU'RE the one who's expendable." He growled again, but shouted, "Get out here." Another unhappy figure emerged from a nearby door and stood behind his boss. "Now we can go," said Mulder. They followed the two men through a hallway to a door hidden behind some paneling then down a flight of stairs until they stood in front of another door this time make of heavy steel with a bar across it. "She's in there." "Okay backup against the wall." Mulder then spoke to Scully, "I'll cover them, see what's behind the door." She waited for them to move then lifted the metal bar off the door. She opened it carefully and entered the small room. The only thing inside was a young looking woman about her size chained by her wrists to a ring in the wall. She had tired eyes and wore torn clothes covered in dried blood as well as bite marks, but she was alive, if almost unconscious. "It's okay, I'm going to get you out of here Sarah." Scully turned to the door and yelled. "She's here but she's chained up. I'm going to shoot the lock off." Scully let the shotgun fallback under her trench coat and took out her Sig. "Don't move and I'll have you free in a second." She took aim and fired, cleanly breaking the padlock. When her arms were free the woman dropped to the ground. Scully holstered her gun and knelt down beside her. She didn't look up to walking on her own. Scully hoisted the girl over her shoulder in a fireman's carry and slowly stood back up. Steadying Sarah, Scully once more retrieved her shotgun and left the room. When she came out with the girl Mulder motioned for the two men to enter the room. "In you go. We'll see how you like the accommodations." He closed the door and replaced the bar. "Lets get out of here." Scully nodded. "You want me to take her." "That's okay, she's light." They went back the way they came and as they were exiting through the front door Mulder stopped her and ran back in for a minute. He came back later with a stack of videotapes. "We're on a rescue mission Mulder, don't tell me you're raiding their porn collection." "Nope, just some surveillance camera footage. We wouldn't want to leave behind evidence of federal agents illegally assaulting a private residence would we? Also while I was at it I unlocked the gate so we could leave." "Good catch, I knew I brought you along for something. Now let's go. I'm not sure what kind of medical attention she needs so I want to get her back to Madelyn." They put Sarah in the back seat of the car. "I was worried for a minute in there, Scully. You sure you're not hurt?" "Other than a case of bad-guy cooties, I'm fine. Your pig sticker came in pretty handy, thanks. I think I'll keep it." He gave her a quick kiss and they headed off to the rendezvous point. On the way Scully called Madelyn. "Hello it's me. We got her. Is everything all right on your end?" "Thank goodness. Yes, I'm fine I'm on my way to meet you now." "Good you'll need to take a look at Sarah. She's in tough shape, but she's alive." "As long as she's alive I can take care of her. Are you two all right? How about them?" "We're fine. They didn't want to give up easily. We must have shot about half a dozen. We locked up the head guy and one of his goons in the basement. I think they're all that's left." "Okay see you soon." They hung up and Madelyn watched Mulder and Scully's car pass from where she was parked a few blocks away. She had seen them leaving the compound and got out of sight. When they were safely past her, she drove off in the direction they had come. She got out of her car in front of the open gates and retrieved a couple of gas cans from her trunk. When she came jogging out of the house a few minutes later it was already burning. By the time the fire was reported she was long gone and the entire house was ablaze. Neither survivors nor bodies would be found the next day when rescue workers searched the rubble. Madelyn pulled up to Mulder's car coming from the opposite direction. He helped transfer Sarah to her car. "Is there anything I can do for her?" Scully asked Madelyn. "No, thank you, but I'll make sure she's well cared for and any injuries will heal quickly. I can't thank both of you enough. I wouldn't have her back without you." "That's what friends are for." Mulder replied. "I don't want to put you in any more danger so you should probably get going. You know where to reach me." Mulder returned their weapons to Madelyn and they said goodbye. On the way back to the motel he destroyed the videotapes and tossed them in a dumpster. "It's been a long night. Let's go get our bags and catch a redeye home." Scully told him. "Alright, I'll call and find out when the next flight to D.C. leaves. So I guess we're still a pretty good team. I'd say we kicked some ass tonight and rescued the innocent girl from the enemy's evil clutches." "I would have to agree with that." "It's a shame we have to keep a low profile, because the urge to become superheroes is hard to resist. I think you'd make a great Batgirl. You have the red hair and you'd look great in black tights." "I don't think Batman gets to sleep with Batgirl. Isn't she like a daughter to him?" "You're right. You go fight crime and I'll stay in and play house with Catwoman." "You're thinking about Michelle Pfeiffer in that skin-tight latex body suit aren't you?" "Of course not honey. Think they sell those? Maybe we could find you one." "We'll see." They retrieved their belongings and went to return the car to rental agency. When Scully turned toward Mulder he noticed she still had the bite mark on her neck. He reached over and touched it. "Hey Scully how come this isn't healed yet?" She looked at it in the rear view mirror. "I don't know. It doesn't hurt and there isn't much blood. I'll just pull the collar of my trench coat over my neck until we get home." "If you're sure you're okay." "I'm fine, really." They got their tickets and boarded the plane without incident. Both slept on the way home. Scully had some strange dreams and chalked them up to the leftover adrenaline from their rescue mission. The plane landed and they walked to Mulder's car. "Didn't have a good nap Scully? You seem a little restless." "I don't know. I'm a little drained I guess, but wired at the same time." "I know what you mean. I felt that way for years before I started sleeping next to you. You cured me." "The exhausting sex cured you. I just filled the prescription." The deadpan delivery combined with the 'Scully eyebrow' made it twice as funny, at least to Mulder. "You know we should take our act on the road. With me as the hilarious comedian and you the unflappable straight-man we'd be a sensation like George and Gracie, like Abbott and Costello." "If I was the straight-man, wouldn't that make you the lesbian woman?" "Yup that's the stuff. I'm telling you we could be famous. People everywhere would know the names Mulder and Scully." "Scully and Mulder... and no thanks I don't need to be famous. I'm already rich or will be when you have that unfortunate accident with the wood chipper next summer." "Throw the man in the wood chipper to inherit his money huh? It's not very original." "Give Frohike a break. It's his first murder plot. If you like we can scatter your ashes over the ocean on our way to Tahiti. It's the least we could do." Mulder grinned, the usual sign of capitulation in their frequent rounds of teasing banter. What was unusual was Scully didn't smile back. She just got in the car. She kept her eyes closed and head against the backrest for the ride home, impeding further attempt at conversation. When they stepped back into her apartment and discarded their bags, jackets, and guns, Mulder assumed it was time to call it a night so he was surprised when Scully picked up her keys. "I'm not tired just yet, I'm going out for a walk or something." "This late? It's not that long until morning." "Have you forgotten I'm a creature of the night now?" "How could I forget?" "Don't tell me you're worried I'll be mugged or raped. I'm sure I'll be the most dangerous thing out there." "Okay whatever, you want some company?" "Nope, see you later." She said as the door was closing behind her. The whole exchange seemed a little odd to Mulder, but he figured she was just working off the stress of the day. Old habits die hard though, he wasn't going to be able to fall asleep until she got back. He checked to see if anything was on TV and when that was a bust he decided to call Madelyn to tell her they got back and see how Sarah was doing. The phone rang a few times but she answered. "Hey it's me, we just got back. I thought I'd check up on how Sarah was doing." "Hello, glad you made it home safe. Sarah will be better after I finish replacing her blood. She's feeling the Hunger, because she was bitten by THEM." She said that with some residual anger. "I hope they're all destroyed. They were a disease, an infection to the rest of the Kindred, nothing but slaves to their craving and were it not for your help she would be doomed to become one of them before they killed her." "What was that? She almost became one of what because she was bitten?" "One of those amoral monsters who preys on the innocent and lives only to satisfy their thirst for blood. That's how they recruit more members, by either creating new Kindred or just as easily infecting those already embraced. Remember I told you different clans have different attributes? That's theirs." "What the hell? Why didn't you tell us that before? Scully was bitten by one of them before she killed him. I didn't think we could be hurt by flesh wounds and now you're telling me she's been poisoned." He was practically yelling at the phone. "I didn't know that had happened, I'm sorry. Where is she now?" "I don't know. She went out." "You have to find her and bring her back because even if you cure her she will have to live with whatever she did while at the mercy of her cravings." "What do I do once I find her?" "You have to drain her tainted blood and replace it with yours. Kindred are universal donors to each other. Whatever you do don't drink her blood, dispose of it and be careful not to give her all yours or you'll die." "Shit, I don't even know where to look for her. Are you saying she's just going to start feeding on the first random person she comes across? If that's the case it may already be too late." "It's possible unless she goes after what she already knows. Since she was turned has she ever tasted fresh human blood? If so that's the first place she will go." "Oh no, Frohike. I have to go." He didn't hear Madelyn say 'good luck' as he grabbed his keys, gun, and Scully's medical bag before racing out the door. At the Gunmen's lair she silently climbed onto Frohike's bed and straddled the sleeping man's body. She covered his mouth to keep him from crying out and rested her other forearm on his chest pressing down until he opened his eyes to see her smiling with fangs bared. "Mmmmmmmmmpppffff" "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" She let go so he could answer. "Shit Scully you scared the hell out of me. What are you doing and how did you even get in here?" "The back way of course, you know something is no longer a secret when you show everybody. As to why I'm here," she repeated something once said to her, "You have something I need." "Sure whatever, could you just, you know, let me up first?" "I'm afraid not. Remember when you said I could drop by for a midnight snack? Well I'm here to collect. I can still taste your blood on my lips like it was yesterday." "Your life was in danger and I was happy to do it, but I was pretty much joking about the snack thing and besides I'm not sure how Mulder would feel about this." Just then the phone rang. "Oh look the phone, it may be important. I better get it." She ignored his attempts to dislodge her. "I'm sorry you feel that way; however, I really must insist. You see I'm just so hungry I can hardly contain my impulse to tear your throat out and gorge myself on your fresh blood. As much as I'm enjoying the terrified look on your face I really can't wait any longer. Besides you should be honored I chose you for my first kill, of which there will be great many more." She once again covered his mouth to prevent any screaming, but before she could carry out her colorful threat they heard Byers talking in the hallway. "No Mulder the front door is locked, nobody is here but us... sure you can talk to him. I'll see if he's still awake." Byers whispered, "Frohike," flipped on the light, and froze. "Oh dear, Scully has him." He tried to retreat but only make a few steps before she had jumped up and caught him. She grabbed his arm and swung him around into a right hook that connected solidly with his jaw. She left him knocked out on the floor and the phone where it fell beside him. Returned to the room she said, "Sorry about the disturbance, dessert was trying to get away." Frohike was against the far wall holding a baseball bat in front of him, but still not quite managing to appear threatening. She clucked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment. "Melvin now what are you going to do with that? Strikeout? Don't make this difficult on yourself." "I'm warning you Scully, stay back. I might get a lucky shot in." "You're making too much out of this. I have nothing against you. It's just the natural order of things. Accept that you're no longer at the top of the food chain." "Yeah well maybe, but this gazelle still has a baseball bat and he means to go out swinging." "Okay I suppose that makes it most interesting anyway, but I don't have much time to play because I'm sure my walking talking guilt trip of a partner is speeding over here right now to try to show me the error of my ways." She walked toward him. "You know what? I'll give you a free shot, because I bet you couldn't bring yourself to hit me if you wanted to." He at least made a half-hearted swing but she caught it with one hand. "Oh well." She closed her hand around his throat. "Scully!" Mulder yelled from the hallway. "Too late," Scully sighed. He appeared in the doorway. "Scully stop, you're not yourself. You don't want to do this." "Yes I do, but I know nothing will stop your speech so let's hurry this along. I lose my patience when I'm hungry." "This isn't you talking. You were bitten by that guy who attacked you and it poisoned your blood, causing you to not be able to control your craving." "Yes thank you but I had figured that out. However you are mistaken about not being in control. I'm in complete control. I've just been awakened to my own limitless possibilities and the simple, unavoidable truth that we, as the superior beings, have every right to eat what we want. It's evolution at work Mulder." "They're people and our friends." "If cows started talking, they would still make the cheeseburgers that you enjoy so much. The fact that normal humans are marginally more intelligent than cattle does not negate the fact that they both are food. They're born to be prey for those of us who are hunters, survival of the fittest." "I can't let you do it." "I don't think you could kill me any more than he could hit me with the bat and I don't want to fight you Mulder, but don't get in my way. Join me," she turned back to Frohike and ran a fingernail down his chest, "and we can split them RIGHT DOWN the MIDDLE. One and a half Gunmen apiece." He drew his gun. "No Scully." She turned back around and he shot her in the right shoulder. It knocked her back a step and Frohike managed to get free. She growled and hit the release on her wrist knife. Mulder had forgotten she was still wearing it. She leapt at Mulder who got off one shot, hitting her in the stomach. She still had enough momentum to reach him though and buried the blade between his ribs when she did. They fell to the floor still struggling, Mulder trying to pull the knife out and Scully trying to get the gun away from him. After a moment of fighting they heard the words. "Please forgive me" and then the bat came crashing down across her shoulders. She went limp. Mulder was able to roll her off and groaned as he removed the knife both from himself and her arm before tossing it away. He looked at a wide-eyed Frohike who still had a death grip on the bat. "Thanks. I was worried there for a minute. She was right about me having a hard time killing her. I don't know if the reverse is true under the circumstances. It's a damn good thing that back entrance isn't much of a secret huh?" "I don't know what to say... you could've gotten here a little sooner. Shit man, she almost killed me. Why me?" "It was pure dumb luck I found out something was wrong at all and nothing but a guess she would come here first for you, because she had once tasted your blood. I'll take care of her. Why don't you go check on Byers and then get me her medical bag from my car." "Yeah alright." Mulder flipped her over and cuffed her hands behind her back with both of their sets of handcuffs. They were both once again covered in blood and two more sets of clothes destroyed. At least it was mostly her blood, which had to go anyway. The wound in his side was closing up so he didn't lose too much. Mulder picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. For lack of a better place to drain a person's blood he laid her in the bathtub. Frohike got Byers up and into a chair and got him an icepack for his jaw. He found Mulder in the bathroom and gave him the medical bag. "Byers will live. She laid him out with one punch, but at least his jaw isn't broken. So whatcha gonna do?" "The only way to cure her is to replace her infected blood with non-infected blood, mine. Close the door on your way out, you're not going to want to watch this and keep the other guys out too." The little man scurried away having seen enough blood for one night. "Okay Scully here we go." He dug through her bad and pulled out scissors, a scalpel, and luckily enough a transfusion kit. Scully was nothing if not prepared for any eventuality. Mulder cut up her shirt and checked that the bullet wounds weren't life threatening at least for one of them. Next he lifted her head up a little and found the spot on her neck he wanted to cut. Being a vampire helped with knowing the major blood vessels. He made an incision deep enough to penetrate her carotid artery but not so big that it wouldn't heal soon. He let her blood run down into the drain for a minute before picking up the transfusion supplies and sticking needles in each of their arms, making sure to match vein to artery, and opening the valves separating the tubes. "This is going to take hours and pretty soon I'm going to be in no shape to fight with you." He went back to her bag and found a sedative, which he hoped would keep her out until she was back in her right mind. After he gave her the injection he lay back against the tub and watched her. He turned back to the door and yelled out. "Hey Frohike, give me a couple of hours then bang on the door in case I fall asleep." Mulder awoke when the first rays of sunlight peaked through the window. He checked her pulse and her heart was beating. "That better be enough cause I feel just about dead." He closed the valves and tugged the needle out of his arm before collapsing onto the floor. The next time he regained consciousness someone was slapping him. "Mulder, hey buddy, are you okay?" He was having a hard time focusing on Frohike's face. "Feel like shit." "Yeah well you look like shit." "How's Scully?" "She seems okay. She's still unconscious though. Think you can sit up and drink some orange juice or something?" "Slowly, I'm dizzy." They got him propped up against the bathtub. Mulder checked Scully's pulse, which was strong and let her sleep. He was given a drink and after a few minutes began to regain his balance. "Hey why don't you go take a nap and we'll come get you when she wakes up." Mulder didn't protest too much and let himself be led away. After two more hours Mulder was shaken awake by Frohike for the second time that day. "Time to get up, Scully's coming around." He let Mulder stand up slowly and amble to the bathroom alone. Already her eyes were open and she was looking at her porcelain surroundings. He knelt down next to her. "Hey Scully, how do you feel?" "What happened?" "We knocked you out and I drained your infected blood and replaced it with some of mine. You should be you again." "Mulder what have I done?" She sounded like she was about to cry. "I was really going to kill them. I... the things I said..." "But you didn't. You were under the influence of some nasty stuff and couldn't help it. Madelyn said as much. All you did was bruise Byers' ego, because he got punched out by a girl. Frohike's fine and you know he won't hold it against you." "That doesn't change what happened. I was exactly what you were afraid of becoming when you were first embraced, a monster." "But I got here before anything permanent was done and brought you back. That's what we do for each other and always will. Madelyn had to administer the same treatment to Sarah. Getting bitten wasn't any more your fault than hers." "I tried to kill you too." "Nah it was more of a defensive stab. I had already shot you twice what else could you do. Give me a kiss and you're forgiven." He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips. "Now let me help you out of there." He pulled her up so she could sit on the edge of the tub. "Maybe we should do a test before I let you out of the handcuffs. I'll have Frohike come in here so you can bite him and then tell me how you feel." "NO!" "Oh well looks like you passed." He smiled and fished the key out of his pocket then released her. He put his arms around her and she returned the hug. "I'm glad you're all right Scully." "I'm glad I wasn't successful at killing anyone. Promise me Mulder if this ever happens again you will stop me no matter what you have to do." "It's easier said than done, but now we know so this won't happen again." "Promise me." "I promise I'll prevent it which is just what I did. Let's leave it at that." She let go after a couple of minutes of serious squeezing. "I need a shower. I'm caked with blood." "Good idea," he stuck his finger through the blood soaked hole in his shirt. "I'll go borrow us some clothes and I'll join you." He returned with one big t-shirt, one small one, and a small pair of sweatpants, which he laid on the toilet. After locking the door Mulder helped her out of her tattered blouse and bra, both of which went into the trash. Her pants and underwear followed, as did his shirt. "Look Mulder your pants escaped unscathed. That's better than last time." He nodded and finished getting undressed. They turned on the water and got under the cleansing spray. He washed her hair and face just like he did when they first shared a shower. When he was done soaping her body no trace remained of the events of the previous night. Mulder was still a little unsteady at times due to the blood loss but she held him up. When it was her turn Scully did the same for him, along the way kissing the spot where she wounded him. Once clean they stood under the water not wanting to leave just yet. "I guess I should get out there and apologize. I still can't believe what I almost did. They're our best friends and I-" "That's exactly right. They're our friends - you're already forgiven." They dried off and put on the borrowed clothes in addition to Mulder's undamaged pants. Mulder opened the door and followed her through. Langly still wasn't up yet; he had managed to sleep through the entire ordeal. Byers and Frohike were in the living room. The latter smiled when she walked in. "I have to say Agent Scully you came dangerously close to curing me of my fantasies of waking up to find you in my bed." "I'm so sorry." It was clear she meant it. "I know and don't worry about it. Mulder explained what happened. I tell you what if you forgive me for hitting you with my bat I'll forgive you for wanting to tear my throat out. That way we'll be even. Although if you really wanted to kiss and make up..." "Okay I get the picture, we're even." He stuck his hand out to shake on in and Scully pulled him into a hug that he readily returned. She then turned to Byers, "As for you," he waved her off before she could continue. "I understand enough of what happened not to hold you responsible so no apology necessary." "Fine, I'll just owe you one." "You could have her beat up anyone who tries to steal your lunch money." Frohike snickered at Byers. "Leave him alone Frohike, it was a lucky punch. Don't forget I owe him, but you and I are even. If he asks me to, I'll pop you one so you can see for yourself." "It's a tempting offer," replied Byers, "but I think I'll hold off for now and just remind him if he misbehaves." She shook hands with him on the agreement. "Okay, okay, I'll shut up." Frohike moaned. Mulder sidled up to Scully and put his arm around her. "Ready to go home. I think I could use a nap. We'll discuss what you owe me after I've had twelve hours of sleep." They picked up their stuff and said their goodbyes at the door. As they were leaving Mulder yelled back, "You guys might want to clean out your bathtub with bleach or something. There's still quite a bit of blood." Frohike shut the door and turned to Byers. "So wanna go lie down in the bathroom so when Langly comes in to take a piss he sees all the blood and thinks we're dead?" "Alright" The End ___________________________________________________________ The long awaited (by both of you) sequel to Embracing is finally finished. It was still a lot of fun to write and I think it does a good job of continuing to explore the unique universe I created for Mulder and Scully. If you enjoyed it, great, tell me why and if you didn't I want to know how I can improve my next one so send all comments to xphan1013@yahoo.com. Here's a bonus poem I found (ie. didn't write) that seemed appropriate to my versions of M & S. Moonlight & Shadows Moonlight & Shadows.....encircle the graves, as we lay entranced in the rapture of the blood and the blades. Our bodies entwined into only one....a man and woman...filled with so much love. Together forever in this world and the next, even after their bodies lay at rest. Hand and Hand they shall walk as their love leads the way, thru the doorway to heaven or perhaps the other way. Hell could be no torture, for their love is blind, nothing can touch them, their souls or their minds. Infinity is theirs, in this unending time...together forever, as the death bell chimes.