"Vampire's Kiss"(1/2)

Date: 6 Jul 1995

"Vampire's Kiss"(1/2)
An X-files Story
by Jennifer Lyon
Jenni10647@aol.com
JennyAnn@ix.netcom.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property of FOX network, Ten
Thirteen Productions and Chris Carter. The remainder of this
story is mine.
Author's Note: This story is a sequel to my previous story
"Promises to Keep," in which I introduce the character of Jason.
Contact me if you need a copy of that story. Also note that this
story will contain references to adult sexual activity, and assumes
that a love/sexual relationship between Mulder and Scully exists.
But this story is definitely PG-13 with some sugestive nature -
use YOUR imagination!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----

Part One

His eyes burned. Covering them with reddened hands,
he twisted and turned in the white sheets of the bed. But there
was no escape from the light, it flooded the room in waves of
silent heat, piercing every inch of his skin, burrowing through the
sheets and the hospital gown. He yearned for the blessed peace of
darkness, the familiar shelter of the night. For his freedom and,
above all else, for the blood.
The red hunger crashed through him again and again. It
was as much a part of him now as his skin and hair and bones.
Never satisfied, it would ebb and tide within him, receding, then
washing over him in waves of need so intense he couldn't even
hear his own screams. Sometimes they would feed him, just
enough to keep him from dropping into the relative release of
total unconsciousness, then draw the precious fluid back out of
him drop by drop with their endless needles.
He tried to fight, once managing to draw a few precious
swallows from one of his human jailer's arms, but it had not been
enough. They had flooded his cell with the angry light, increasing
the intensity until his skin had blackened and his strength had
seeped from him like water through a sieve.
A choking bitter laugh escaped through his dry lips, they
didn't even bother to tie him down anymore. Instead they left him
to the punishing, pulsating light, keeping him weak and
controlled, but always alive. Always in torment. Centuries of
clinging to life, and now he ached for the death that was denied.
A small part of his mind was still awake enough to
wonder what they were doing. Humans had hunted and killed his
kind before, but these were deliberately keeping him alive.
Feeding him blood, then draining it from him. Poking him and
prodding him, wounding him, then watching silently as his
nourishment-starved body began to heal itself. What did they
want?!
The door opened and another of the white-clad men
entered, a syringe in his hand, walking towards him with
purposeful steps, shoes clattering on the tiled floor. He pulled
himself up to a sitting position and bared his fangs in an empty
gesture of defiance. As the needle pierced the raw skin of his
arm, he leaned back and howled, the eerie sound echoing against
the colorless walls, then fading back into empty silence.
"Let me die..."
- - - - -

Jason jolted upright in his bed. The room was still and
silent, the darkness complete. Not one ray of light penetrated his
sanctum, not one sound broke into his rest. Nothing but the echo
of a scream in his mind. He ran delicate fingers through strands of
his blond hair, mind struggling to focus. Normally, he woke
abruptly from the day's slumber, asleep one instant, fully awake
the next. But this time, he felt drugged. Weak and trembling, his
mind was fogged.
Jason stretched, then stumbled to his feet. Walking
through the familiar darkness he found the bathroom and turned
on the faucet, vigorously splashing cold water across his face, an
old habit that hadn't faded over the long centuries since his death.
It helped, though, and the coolness of the fluid drying on his skin
brought with it the realization that the feeling of torpor wasn't his
own. The sensation was already slipping away along with the
voice that had cried into his mind. All it left were were feelings of
familiarity and fear.
Someone he knew - and the knowledge came in a
sudden flash of certainty that it was another of his kind -
someone was in trouble. All he could grasp was the weakness
and the pain, and... Light. Jason winced as the other's panic
stirred his own. He had been burned before, so badly that the
memory made his stomach twist and cramp.
"Who...?" he sent out the mental call, demanding,
reaching, searching for the feel of that touch in his mind. But it
was gone.
- - - - -

Music pounded at his senses, the heavy beat sending
reverberation through the very floor itself. Male and female
voices wound through it, up and down the scale, twisting around
each other in a musical caress. Below them, the murmur of
conversation filled the air, along with the smell of sweating flesh
and alcohol. Jason slipped quietly through the crowd, unerringly
finding the one he was seeking.
"Charlotta," he spoke into her ear, pressing himself
between the bar stools, so that he was looking down at her. Her
long, black hair was coiled up onto the top of her head, a few
strands artfully loose along her neck and cheeks. She was
covered in black silk, the dress hiding just enough of her figure to
be tantalizing and revealing at once.
She smiled, almost purring as she gracefully turned to
meet his eyes. "Jassson," she hissed, her blue eyes almost violet
with the blood fever. "Come to join me in the hunt?"
Damn, he cursed to himself silently. He needed answers,
but she would not be sensible until she had fed. He had never
understood why she let the need rise in her like this. She
surrendered herself to it with abandon, glorying in the need
almost as deeply as she did in the satisfaction. It was one of the
reasons why they never would be more than friends and
occasional companions. She had no more understanding for his
desire to control his need than he did her delight in it.
"Chara," he sighed, then gave in gracefully. "Yes, but
we have to talk later."
She grinned, the smile one of a predator, the fangs just
barely visible behind her red lips. She was not far enough gone to
fail to sense both the seriousness and the unspoken fear behind
his carefully-controlled demeanor. But whatever it was could
wait. Jason was always too intense, too focused, and she loved
nothing more than a chance to push at his limits.
Stretching out a black silk-clad arm, she tapped his
cheek. "Come, I had hesitated to take them both myself, but
together it will be perfect." Wrapping a hand around his arm, she
led him through the crowd.
"Chara," he started to protest, but then clamped his
mouth shut. He always ended up whining her name, and he knew
from experience it was a waste of time. But he did not share the
taste some vampires had for their own sex, he might feed from a
man when there was need, but he refused to play the games
Chara would insist upon. Let her have both of her prey, whatever
she might have said, she could handle two men, or five, easily on
her own.
She laughed against his ear, clearly reading his
expression. "Not this time, my dear." She pointed at a pair of
girls giggling in a corner table. One was thin and blond, the other
rounder and darker, both wearing the standard costume of
college students, jeans and sweaters, feet encased in white socks
and sneakers.
"They're too young," he murmured against the other
vampire's neck.
"Nonsense," she replied. "They know what they are
looking for." And as though in confirmation, both girls turned to
bestow welcoming smiles on a pair of men who reeked of sex and
violence even from a distance. Jason knew the type - human
predators who would use and damage the girls without thought.
A growl deep in his throat, he pushed Chara towards the
corner, settling between the young women and the men stalking
them. The girls might loose a couple pints of blood tonight, but
they would NOT be hurt. He would see to that.
- - - - -

The girls were sleeping on the bed together, the blond
one's head resting against her friend's naked chest. The puncture
marks on their necks were already fading, by the time they awoke
the next day, there would be nothing more than a couple small
pinprick scars. Their memories would be cloudy, but pleasant,
like waking up after an alcoholic binge. And they would attribute
the tiredness to that same cause. Jason was satisfied, and from
Chara's sleepy smile, he knew she was as well.
Pulling Chara across the room, he spoke softly, but
clearly. The girls would not awaken, but there was no reason to
avoid simple caution. "We need to talk. Something is wrong."
The blood-hunger sated, Chara stretched gracefully,
enjoying one last rush of warmth through her veins, then nodded.
"I know. At least three of our people have gone missing." She
frowned, her still-extended fang catching at her full lower lip.
"What?" Jason exclaimed. "Who?"
"You'd know if you socialized more," Chara chided,
with a slight twinkle in her eyes. Vampires were by nature
solitary, but Jason was even more of a loner than most of his
kind. The others sought each other regularly, for the
companionship it was not safe to find among the humans.
Sometimes just to talk, sometimes to share the hunt.
"Who!" he insisted again, not willing to take the bait. He
was not about to argue his life-style with her. He was fine alone.
A small voice in the depths of his mind added a question mark,
but he locked it away with the ease of long-practice.
"Gerain, Mark, and Louisa that I know of. There are
rumors of more." She shook her head. "They are not dead, I can
still feel Gerain sometimes." Her voice finally dropped into the
first show of emotion. "He's hurt, Jason. Badly, but I cannot
reach him, he is too faint."
Jason's mouth tightened. "I heard him tonight. Just as I
was waking up. A scream, and a sense of incredible weakness.
And light. Too much light." The memory made him shiver.
"I'm scared," Chara admitted. "Gerain was one of the
oldest of us. He was much stronger. Some of the others have
already fled the city, but this is my home." Her face darkened. "I
won't run. Not again. But without knowing what we are
fighting..." She spread her hands wide. "I don't know what to
do."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why should I?" She was angry now, her eyes sparkling.
"You've always disdained our company."
"Not always," he reminded her. "Gerain was my friend. I
may not like hunting and feeding parties, but I respected him, and
I've always cared about you." His eyes caressed her face tenderly.
"I'm sorry, Jason. I should have contacted you. But
what could you do? Louisa and Mark were looking for Gerain
when they disappeared." Now she was letting the fear show
openly, trusting him with it.
"What about the others, if we all work together..." Jason
broke off, and returned Chara's rueful smile. Vampires might
socialize to some extent, respect some basic rules of co-
existence, but more than two or three together always
degenerated into a feeding frenzy or a territorial dispute. Which
was one of the reasons Jason preferred his own company.
"No one can decide what to do," Chara said. "Some
have fled, others are trying to find what they can, others try to
ignore the whole thing. Most went into hiding, especially after
Mark and Louisa vanished. It's not as though we can go to the
police."
"No," Jason agreed. Then a sudden thought struck him
and his mouth widened into a smile. "Not the police..."
- - - - -

FBI Special Agent Dana Scully rubbed wearily at her
bloodshot eyes, trying to focus on the road in front of her. Just
around the corner and down the block, and she'd be home.
Beside her, Fox Mulder stirred in his sleep, twisting in the
cramped front seat of the car, and she gave him a quick glance
before pulling the car up to the curb.
They had just finished a long and demanding case,
finally turning the suspect over to the local police that very
afternoon. Scully was beginning to understand why Mulder hated
the serial killer cases he was so good at solving. She felt
emotionally wrung out, drained, and filthy. The images of the
victims kept flashing in front of her eyes, the splattered blood and
broken bones. The gaping, empty cavities where organs had once
supported life.
And it was easier on her, since she dealt with the
physical evidence. Mulder had to get into the mind of the killer,
to reach into his world and understand him. And that connection
with this kind of evil, it took a terrible toll on Mulder. She'd
watched him with anxious eyes as he struggled with the case,
focusing with an intensity that was nearly obsessive, wringing a
profile out of himself that was terrifying in its exactness. He'd
been right, far too right. And Scully had seen the flashes of mixed
fear and amazement on the faces of the police and other agents
involved.
And now, they were left with the aftermath of too many
nights without sleep, too many horrors witnessed, and the taste
of evil in their mouths. But there was satisfaction, she thought
grimly, turning off the engine, in the knowledge that one less
killer would be stalking the streets tonight.
"Mulder..." She tried to wake him gently, but he woke
with a start, jerking in his seat.
"Wwwhhaaat? Scully?" He focused his shadowed eyes
on her face, mouth tightening at the deep-grooved lines etched
into her face.
"We're at my place," she told him. "Come on, lets get
inside."
"I...uhn..." he nodded, accepting the implicit invitation.
Normally they tried not to spend too many nights together in
Washington. If their superiors found out that their relationship
was not totally platonic, they could be separated. Neither wanted
to take that risk. But tonight, she was right. He was in no shape
to drive the rest of the way home. He wasn't even sure he could
walk to her door.
Easing himself out of the car, he stood up unsteadily. It
was a still and quiet evening, the stars shining in a clear sky.
Reaching into the back seat, he removed his bag, then shut the
car door with a bang. Then hefting it over his shoulder, he
followed Scully into her apartment.
They both dropped their bags onto the bedroom floor,
too tired to care where they fell. Scully let Mulder take the
bathroom, too exhausted to bother. Instead she stripped in the
still-dark bedroom, dropping her suit on the floor beside their
bags. Pulling a nightshirt out from under the pillows, she yanked
it over her head even as she walked towards the kitchen.
Passing the bathroom door, she heard the toilet flush
and water run in the sink. Somehow the sounds were comforting,
it was reassuring to know her partner was here. All she wanted in
the world right now was to curl up in bed in his arms. To sleep
with her head pillowed against his shoulder, his strong arms
wound around her.
Bare feet silent on the tile, she went to the refrigerator
and drew out a half-full bottle of wine. Popping the cork, she
took a couple of deep gulps straight from the bottle. The sweet
alcohol was smooth going down her throat, and spread a wave of
warmth through her belly. With a sigh, she took another swallow.
Mulder stepped up behind her, dressed only in his
boxers. He had attempted to leave his suit in decent condition,
draping it over the back of the bed frame, but it would probably
need serious dry-cleaning after having been worn for two days
and nights straight.
He didn't bother to say a word, announcing his presence
by pressing a soft kiss into her hair. She leaned back against him,
sighing under her breath, as his arms closed around her. He took
the bottle out of her hand and set it on the counter. She let it go
willingly, and turned to press her face into his chest.
Putting the exhaustion aside for a few minutes longer,
he slipped a hand under her knees and swung her up into his
arms. She snuggled close to him, wrapping her arms around his
neck and burrowing a hand deep into the dark silk of his hair. He
nuzzled the top of her head as he carried her into the bedroom,
laying her gently onto the bed.
She reached up to help him pull the covers down,
wriggling as he brought them down underneath her, then back up
over her legs. Smiling sleepily up at the shadow of his figure, she
reached out to pull him closer. He hardly needed the
encouragement and he slipped into the bed to join her, releasing a
soft sigh of relief as his head hit the pillow.
Scully rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes,
and fell instantly to sleep. Mulder caressed her shoulders gently
for a moment, then closed his own eyes. His last thought, as he
joined her in slumber, was that neither of them was going to have
trouble sleeping this night.
- - - - -

=====================================================================
======

From: jennyann@ix.netcom.com (Jennifer Lyon)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW:"Vampire's Kiss" 2/10
Date: 6 Jul 1995 23:16:06 GMT

-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vampire's Kiss"
An X-files Story
by Jennifer Lyon
Jenni10647@aol.com
JennyAnn@ix.netcom.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property of FOX network, Ten
Thirteen Productions and Chris Carter. The remainder of this
story is mine.
Author's Note: This story is a sequel to my previous story
"Promises to Keep," in which I introduce the character of Jason.
Contact me if you need a copy of that story. Also note that this
story will contain references to adult sexual activity, and assumes
that a love/sexual relationship between Mulder and Scully exists.
But this story is definitely PG-13 with some sugestive nature -
use YOUR imagination!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Part Two

Standing in the shadows by the bedroom door, Jason's
cat-like eyes rested on the sleeping couple. The woman's flame-
haired head was nestled against the man's shoulder, his head
settled on the pillows, dark hair in disarray above sleep-refined
features.
Moving as silently as a ghost, Jason glided forward until
he was standing right beside them, eyes half-shuttered as he
gazed down at them. He reached out a hand to brush the silken
bangs off of the slumbering man's temples, then arrested it in mid-
air. The vampire's small, long-fingered hand hovered in the air for
a moment, shaking with emotion, then stilled by a sudden act of
will.
He drew his hand back, ignoring the sting in his eyes
from tears that could no longer fall, and fought back the flood of
emotion. He had kept his distance after his first meeting with
these two humans, the reaction to the man who wore his lost
love's face too strong to be ignored, too painful and confusing to
be borne. So he had settled for watching from a safe distance,
keeping his promise without endangering his heart. But now he
had to break that wall, take the risk, for this time he needed their
help.
"Mulder, Dana..." he whispered, his voice an echo of the
night. Again, louder, "Mulder, Dana..."
Scully shifted in her sleep, turning her head, as though in
response to his call, then settling down again.
"Mulder, Dana..."
This time Mulder reacted, tightening his grasp on the
woman in his arms, even as his eyelids began to flutter and his
breath quicken.
"Mulder, Dana..."
Mulder's eyes flew open and focused on the dark
shadow leaning over the bed.
"Scully!!" he cried out in warning, leaping to a half-
upright position.
"Whhaa...?" she murmured, fighting to remain asleep,
even as he pushed her to the side, instinctively trying to place
himself between her and the unknown.
"Wait," Jason started to speak again as Mulder reached
for the lamp beside the bed and switched it on, sending a bright
flare of light across the room.
Jason shuddered and drew an arm across his eyes,
backing away from the sudden glare. Mulder blinked, his body
tensed. Then a sigh of relief crossed his lips as he recognized
their intruder.
"Jason?" The name was spoken with a mixture of
disbelief, surprise and dawning joy.
"Yes," Jason replied, dropping the shielding arm as his
light-sensitive eyes readjusted. "I apologize for disturbing your
sleep, but I need to talk to you." The man and the vampire
studied each other for a moment, then Mulder nodded.
"It's been a while."
"Yes, it has." Jason smiled. "I've been around."
Mulder smiled in return. "I know." It was Jason's turn
for a look of surprise, but the expression faded into one of self-
amused acceptance.
Awakened by the light and sound of voices, Scully
rubbed her eyes, then looked up at the visitor. "Hello Jason," she
said sleepily, a small part of her wondering why she was reacting
so calmly to being wakened in the middle of the night, in her own
bedroom, by a real-life vampire. Perhaps she was becoming
inured to weirdness, more likely it was the instinctive trust she
felt in Jason.
"Hello Lady," he replied softly, making the title ring true
in his oddly-archaic English. His piercing eyes took her in, the
cloud of copper-hair, the wide blue eyes, the full, slightly open
mouth, the skin showing in the vee of her thin cotton nightshirt,
then he pulled back visibly, turning his eyes onto Mulder's face.
Scully had felt those eyes on her, and a slight blush
reddened her cheeks, even as she drew the covers up higher and
settled back against the pillows beside Mulder. Mixed with the
embarrassment was another feeling, one she wasn't sure she
wanted to recognize.
Mulder sat up fully, leaving space for Jason to sit down
on the bed facing them. He had caught both the way Jason
looked at Scully and her response to that look, causing his own
emotions to break into a turmoil. A confusion that was not aided
by the way Jason was staring at him.
Jason accepted the implicit invitation and sat down on
the edge of the bed. A flash of light caught his attention, and he
automatically reached out to finger the shiny object resting in the
hollow of Mulder's throat. A small gold locket on a thick gold
chain, it brought back a flood of memories, the scent of lilacs in
the dark, the taste of cherries on lips redder than the fruit, green-
tinged hazel eyes that could read his soul...
Jason's hand began to shake, even as his fingers clasped
onto the locket. Mulder's hand flew up to close upon Jason's,
holding them both against his chest. Jason could feel Mulder's
heartbeat below the warmth of his skin, Mulder could feel the
cool porcelain of the vampire's skin next to his own.
Jason stilled to a death-like silence as their eyes met and
held. He could have been looking into Maria's eyes, the
resemblance was as total in that instant as it had ever been, and
the feelings it evoked were intense. The moment lasted no more
than a second, then it was gone, Mulder releasing Jason's hand,
Jason pulling his hand away and pressing it against his own chest
as though he had burned.
Mulder's pulse was racing in his veins, he felt like he
could hear it pound in his temples. He took a ragged breath,
carefully avoiding Scully's watching eyes, then framed the simple
words precisely.
"What's happened?"
Jason's face settled into a calm mask, pale skin stretched
tight over well-carved bones. "I need your help." He paused, not
sure how to continue. Even asking was difficult, trying to explain
was nearly impossible. Was this a mistake? Chara had thought so,
even given the very little he had told her.
Scully and Mulder were both silent, letting Jason take
his time. Both had some inkling of how difficult this was for the
vampire, and both were willing to let him do it his own way.
"I am not the only of my kind in this city. You knew
about the mad one, but there are others more like me. Who live
quietly among the humans. We don't need to kill to feed
ourselves, so most don't." He smiled. "There are plenty of
humans willing to trade a few ounces of blood for momentary
pleasure. Some even become addicted to it, seek it out as a new
kind of drug." Both Mulder and Scully felt a separate rush of
understanding, each had had one experience with the vampire's
bite, and the memory brought each a rush of tingling heat.
Jason saw the reaction, his smile deepening, then
resolving as he forced himself to continue. "We are not much of a
community, most vampires are by nature solitary. But sometimes
we need the company of others like ourselves. Others who
understand the toll of the passing years, passing centuries."
Scully saw the worry darkening Jason's pale features and
she reached out instinctively to reassure him. He closed his hand
on hers briefly, accepting the gesture, then released her. "Last
night I sensed that another vampire, a friend, was in trouble. I'm
less sociable than most, and hadn't talked to any of the others in
almost two months. But after the sending from Gerain..." He
shivered, his eyes filling with remembered pain. "I sought out
another friend. She told me that Gerain, and two of the others
have disappeared. A few of the remaining vampires have received
similar sensations, calls for help that end as abruptly as they
begin."
"What did you feel," Mulder asked, his insistent
curiosity engaged.
Jason looked almost startled at the sound of his voice,
then focused on it. "I heard the voice crying for help, very faint. I
almost didn't recognize it. It came with an intense feeling of
weakness, and then a burst of light." He shuddered openly.
"Burning, burning light. Not...not enough to kill, just enough to
hurt. Endless, endless torment." He pressed his hands to his eyes
as though to shield them.
Mulder grasped Jason's shoulder's steadying him. "Easy,
easy. You can separate yourself from it." His voice was hypnotic,
silken and persuasive. "You can see it without feeling it. Imagine
that you are watching it on a TV screen, with the controls under
your command. It is separate from you, you can see it, but cannot
be hurt by it. It is under your control." He repeated himself,
slowly - evenly.
Jason slowly let his hands slip down, and he looked up
into Mulder's face. He nodded slightly, his mouth opening and
closing as though he had taken a breath, even though that was
something he had not needed to do in centuries.
"Good," Mulder urged. "Now try to rewind the tape to
the beginning. Then let it go forward slowly."
Jason tried to speak, but Mulder shook his head. "No,
first just watch it through once."
Jason nodded, his eyes turning inward, still braced
against Mulder's hands. They sat like that silently for a moment,
then Jason pulled himself upright.
"Ready," he said slowly, drawing the syllables out.
"Good," Mulder responded. "Now try to tell us
everything you remember as you see or experience it."
"I'm asleep, its almost time to awaken." Jason's voice
came from deep inside, his eyes still unfocused. "A voice calls out
to me faintly, and I wake. It calls again, crying for help. 'Stop the
pain. No more, let me sleep!' I reach for it, but it fades. I feel
weak, so tired. I can barely move. But I'm fully awake now, and I
make myself get up. My feet are so unsteady, I can barely walk. I
get to the bathroom, run the water, bury my hands in it, then
splash it on my face. Better, I'm feeling stronger. The weakness
wasn't my own - it came from the other. I know now, it is
another vampire. One who is hurting, afraid. 'Where?' I call out,
but there is no response. I grasp onto the edge of the sink. 'Who,
where?' I call out aloud. Suddenly I hear the scream again, it
crashed into my mind. Light, light, burning light. I can't escape
from it. My skin is sore, my eyes blind, I can't stop them..."
Jason faltered there, shivering, but Mulder urged him
on. "Stop who, Jason?"
"Stop them, the men in white. Stabbing, stabbing with
needles..." Jason broke off and leapt to his feet.
Scully moved to follow him, but Mulder held her back.
They both watched Jason as he began to pace the room, trying to
bring himself back under control. After several circuits of the
bed, he stopped and turned to them.
"He's in some kind of cell, but one that is all white.
There is too much light, and men who stick him with needles.
He's too tired to fight, too starved." Jason's eyes had turned
bright red, and his fangs had extended enough to brush at his
lower lip. "Hungry, so hungry..."
He pulled back again, reaching out to grip the edge of
the bedpost. The desire for blood became intense, the other's
hunger rising within him. He could sense their heartbeats, smell
their flesh. NO!
"I've got to go..." He turned to flee the room.
"No!" Mulder shouted, even as he and Scully both got
up out of the bed. They met him by the door. Jason tried to push
past them, but Mulder seized his arms.
"You came to us for help, let us help!"
"You don't understand," Jason squeezed out the words
over the now-fully extended fangs.
"We understand," Scully replied, grabbing his arm to
make him look down at her. "If you need to feed, we'll take care
of it, but right now you can't go out there alone. Its too
dangerous. If what you sense is right," She almost couldn't
believe the words coming out of her own mouth, but they FELT
right. "If what you sense is right, then there are people out there
preying on vampires. What if they take you next?"
"Scully's right," Mulder agreed. "It's too dangerous. At
least let us go with you."
Jason struggled with the rising tide of hunger stimulated
by his memory of the Gerain's need. He shouldn't need more
blood, he had fed within the last few hours. But once awakened,
the blood-hunger had a life of its own, and it was abetted by his
own desires. Scully's nearness was tantalizing, he could smell her,
sense the blood rushing beneath her clear, soft skin. And
Mulder... Those emotions were ones he still didn't want to face.
Never, never had he felt such desire for a man, and even though
he realized that much of what he felt was actually for the man's
ancestor, the beautiful Maria, it was difficult to separate the
memories from the living breathing reality. Mulder was SO like
her, from the demanding intelligence to the compassionate soul,
the physical beauty and inner strength, the piercing changeable
eyes, and above all, the intense curiosity. The need to *know.*
How alike they were, and with all the things that had made him
love her, extant in this man, how could he fail to love him too.
Jason shook his head slightly, trying to focus through
the red haze and the driving hunger.
Mulder sensed some of the uncertainty and pressed his
advantage. "I..." One look at Scully's determined features, and he
forced the plural out, "WE...can feed you. Or we can go with you
while you feed. But you are NOT going out there alone."
- - - - -

Mulder and Scully each took Jason's hand and together
led him back towards the rumpled bed. He went with them
shaking, a mix of need and fear short-circuiting his ability to
react. They half-pushed him onto the bed, then both paused,
eyeing each other with uncertainty. Jason was in no condition to
make the decision, they had to make it for him - but neither knew
what to do. Feeding a vampire was not a daily occurrence, not
even for the FBI's experts on the paranormal. Should they find
someone else, feed him themselves, and if so, which one would?
Mulder cleared his throat, then found himself grinning.
"I wonder if there's an all-night pizza delivery place nearby?"
"Mulder, this isn't the time to order pizza, we need to
help Jason." Scully scolded, watching with worried eyes as Jason
lay on the bed, his red eyes staring at the ceiling, his body
trembling.
"I was thinking less of ordering a pizza, than of ordering
a pizza-deliverer," he responded, as his grin widened. "We'll take
a pint of blood with that pizza."
"Mulder!!!" Scully threw him an annoyed glance, then
sighed loudly. It actually wasn't such a hopeless idea. She didn't
think Jason had enough control to go hunting in bars for a willing
meal, so that left them with the responsibility. 'Don't fool
yourself, Dana Scully. You *want* this.,' a very annoying inner
voice chimed. 'Shut up!' she told it, even as she made the
decision.
"I'll feed him," she said, wishing her voice was steadier
than it was.
"Unh...No, Scully...I'll do it," Mulder's voice wasn't any
calmer than hers, just deeper
She met his eyes, about to start arguing, but the pained
look on his face stopped her. As their eyes melded, they slid into
one of their rare, extraordinary moments of total understanding.
It suddenly occurred to her that however hard this was for her, it
must be worse for Mulder. To feel such fascination, fear, and
desire for Jason - Mulder had a hard time accepting his love for
her, to have such deep emotions for the vampire - the very male
vampire - must be a thousand times more difficult for him. And
that didn't even touch the sense of betrayal of their own
relationship. Mulder was deeply loyal, as was she, and they loved
each other without bounds. Neither wanted to risk losing the
other.
Scully reached out to touch Mulder's hand. "It will be
easier on us if we share this. He'll need less from each of us."
Mulder swallowed and nodded, closing his hand upon
hers. "I love you, Dana," he growled hoarsely.
"I love you too," she whispered back, rising up on her
tip-toes to brush his mouth with a kiss. Then, still holding his
hand, she clambered up onto the bed. Mulder followed her
silently.
- - - - -

Jason struggled valiantly with the hunger, his vision
blurring, then focusing, feeling the waves of blood-thirst rise and
fall within him. The sound of voices nearby barely impinged on
his consciousness, his awareness too busy struggling with itself.
He wouldn't take the one he still felt pledged to protect, however
strong the desire, and he wouldn't take the woman. Not this way,
not again. How very much he wanted to be with her while he was
in control, when he could give her pleasure and romance, treat
her like the Lady she was rather than a quick source of
nourishment.
There was sudden movement, and his senses were
flooded with the smell of human flesh and the tantalizing sense of
the blood that flowed below it. He could feel the heat, almost
taste the sweat on their skin. He put his hands up to ward them
away, opened his mouth to warn them to leave, but the need
washed over him again, and he was lost to it.
With an inhuman cry, Jason reached for the nearest
source of blood, pulling it down over him, then pushing it to the
side. Controlled by pure instinct he reached for the head, cradling
it in his small, but powerful hands, lunging for the hollow of the
neck. The hunger pounding through his temples, he only barely
noticed the cry of surprise near his ear, the soft feel of hair under
his hands, the strong length of the body beneath him as he
unerringly found the jugular vein and plunged his fully-extended
fangs through the velvety layer of skin. Blood - it rushed into his
mouth, hot and salty and thick, and he drew it in, letting it flood
down his throat.
- - - - -

Mulder had not quite known what to expect, but the
sudden assault came as a surprise. He barely had time to gasp for
breath before he found himself laying across the bed, Jason's
weight pressing down on him. Hands closed around his head,
pinioning it and turning it aside in the same motion, and then
there was a sharp, stinging pain in his throat. And then
pleasure...wave upon waves of ecstasy flowing outward from the
pressure on his neck.
Uttering a ragged moan, he arched up against the source
of that heat, seeking more of it. The hands holding his head
relaxed, one moving to his shoulder to brace him, the other
beginning to caress the opposite side of his face. Mulder drew in
a ragged breath, and settled into the vampire's embrace.
- - - - -

Scully watched anxiously for a while, wishing she had
some notion of how quickly Jason was drawing blood, and how
much. She reached out to intervene, then drew her hand back.
She gritted her jaw and forced herself to wait. Just a little longer,
just a little longer. Maybe Jason would know when to stop,
maybe he only needed so much. But how was she supposed to
know?
Scully watched as Mulder shifted and groaned beneath
Jason, his eyes shuttered, his mouth half-open. Against Jason's
pallor, his skin looked darker than it was, but it was still too
white. Too many months working inside a basement office,
working at night, living almost like... like a vampire.
"Enough," Scully never realized she spoke the word
aloud as she threw herself forward to seize Jason and yank him
backwards. Not expecting it, he went with her, his fangs slipping
out of Mulder's throat. Then he growled and fought, turning to
face her.
Scully felt her stomach flip as his face came within an
inch of hers, eyes glowing bright red, fangs distended and
dripping, an angry scowl contorting his handsome features.
Reaching for the depths of her determination, she took hold of
his shoulders and pulled him down on top of her, falling
backwards onto the bed. As she fell, she angled her head to the
side in open invitation, stifling a scream as he responded in nearly
mindless hunger, biting deeply into her.
An instant of pain - then pleasure. Hot, insistent,
demanding.
- - - - -

"No!" Mulder cried out in dismay. It was gone, the
source of the delight that had filled his senses, and he curled up
into a ball of misery. His hand flew to the sensitive spot on his
throat and held it, wishing for more, wanting resumption of that
incredible ecstasy. Ignoring the wetness that came away on his
hand, he forced himself upright, his mind still caught on the
need...
His eyes found Scully and Jason beside him, and the
sight brought some flicker of awareness back. One part of him
wanted to tear the vampire away from her, while another part
wanted to take her away from the vampire. He wanted them
both, and his slowly awakening consciousness staggered under
the weight of that emotional recognition. Managing to climb to
his knees, Mulder rocked himself, his arms wrapped tightly
across his chest.
Beneath Jason, Scully twisted and moaned, the sound
finally stirring Mulder to act. Not bothering to care which he was
trying to claim, perhaps both, he grabbed Jason and yanked him
backwards. Scully cried out at the cessation of the euphoric
sensations, reaching up blindly to drag Jason back to her. Mulder
held on tightly to him also, placing Jason in the middle of a tug-
of-war.
The vampire hissed angrily, throwing off both sets of
hands easily, and moving away. Turning to face them, he started
to attack, then hesitated. Mulder's face was haunted, but mostly
aware, while Scully still had the look of a sleep-walker, her eyes
heavy-lidded, her breath coming in short gasps. Both sat still,
watching him anxiously, waiting for him to make the next move.
Blood trickled across both their chests, and the sight and
smell of it made Jason's fangs ache and saliva pool in his mouth.
But he was sated enough to be able to control the hunger, and he
shut it down firmly. This had to stop before he took too much.
Holding to his resolve, he leaned towards Mulder.
"Hold still," he commanded, as his mouth found the still-
bleeding holes on Mulder's neck. Mulder leaned into Jason, his
head falling slightly to the side to allow better access. Jason felt
the desire to draw more blood, but forced himself to seal the
wounds off, settling for licking the already spilled blood from
Mulder's skin. Then Jason pushed Mulder back against the
pillows, making sure that his head came down gently. He pressed
into his chest, telling him without words to stay put.
Scully had watched this through slowly widening blue
eyes, and she willingly accepted Jason's attention, pulling her own
hair out of the way as the vampire sought the leaking puncture
marks on her throat. Every so gently, he closed them, tasted the
trickle of blood on her skin, then lowered her down against her
partner.
Mulder's arms encircled her, and she nestled into the
heat of his body with a sigh of contentment. Jason watched them
for a moment, the red of his eyes beginning to fade. A slow smile
inched its way across his lips as he watched them doze, the fangs
retracting. His movements were sure and deathly quiet as he got
off the bed and settled the blankets back around them. His
instinctive sense for the approaching dawn told him he still had a
few hours of the safety of the night. He decided that he owed
them at least an hour of that time. Turning off the bedside lamp,
he curled up along the end of the bed sideways and settled down
to wait.
- - - - -

=====================================================================
======

From: jennyann@ix.netcom.com (Jennifer Lyon)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW:"Vampire's Kiss" 3/10
Date: 6 Jul 1995 23:17:41 GMT

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
"Vampire's Kiss"
An X-files Story
by Jennifer Lyon
Jenni10647@aol.com
JennyAnn@ix.netcom.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property of FOX network, Ten
Thirteen Productions and Chris Carter. The remainder of this
story is mine.
Author's Note: This story is a sequel to my previous story
"Promises to Keep," in which I introduce the character of Jason.
Contact me if you need a copy of that story. Also note that this
story will contain references to adult sexual activity, and assumes
that a love/sexual relationship between Mulder and Scully exists.
But this story is definitely PG-13 with some sugestive nature -
use YOUR imagination!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Part Three

Mulder stirred in his sleep. Just a flutter of ghosts across
the edge of his awareness, but they pushed him towards
consciousness. Shadows, memories, glimpsed and then gone, the
images were fragmented and faint. He twisted, and felt something
warm against him. Drawing it closer, he breathed in a warm and
familiar scent, coconut shampoo and human sweat, combined
with that indefinable, but unique flavor that was Dana. He
tightened his arms and curled up around her, a soft sigh escaping
his lips as he tried to regain his sleep, but the sound and
movement had echoes.
There was a shift in weight, following by the abruptly
insistent sensation of being watched. Mulder mentally brushed it
away, but it returned. He closed his eyes and simulated sleep for
a moment, then gave up and lay back. His slowly opening eyes
soon focused on the figure sitting over him.
His sleep-clouded mind was slower than his eyesight,
and one part of his awareness took the time to ask another why
he wasn't worried by waking up to find a stranger staring at him.
The answer came back sluggishly, but it was definite - because
this wasn't a stranger.
"Jason," he murmured, adjusting his position to ease the
arm taking all of Scully's weight. He pulled out from under her,
and sat up, rubbing the cramps out of the elbow. The memories
of what had happened earlier flooded him, and he found himself
grateful for the darkness. Mulder didn't blush easily, but he could
feel his cheeks burning.
Jason watched him silently, easily recognizing that
Mulder was feeling some embarrassment. But Jason couldn't find
the words to reassure him, so he settled for saying nothing. He
waited until he sensed that Mulder was fully awake, then said
simply. "I wish I could let you sleep. But dawn is approaching
soon," he eyed the large, thin-curtained windows with annoyance.
As full as this night had been, it now seemed far too short.
"Dawn?" Mulder understood quickly, and he sat up,
rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then stretching his hands over his
head. No time to deal with emotions now, something Mulder had
to admit he was grateful for. Leaning over, he shook Scully
gently. "Scully..."
"Mulder..." she said, trying to push him away. But he
insisted, and soon she was sitting up beside him, yawning.
"We need to get Jason somewhere safe for the day,"
Mulder told her.
"I will go home," Jason said. "No one knows where it is,
except..." He frowned. "Except Chara and Gerain."
Mulder seized on the familiar name. "He's the one who
is missing, the one who is being held captive?"
"Yes," Jason struggled with a mixture of emotions. "But
he wouldn't tell them." His mouth thinned. "At least not
willingly."
Mulder shook his head. "Better not take the chance." He
played out the floor plan of Scully's apartment in his head, but
didn't like the result. Far too many windows, unless they stuck
Jason in a closet it would be hard to protect him from the sun.
"My apartment is probably best. Just the one window, and we
can block it easily."
Scully agreed. "I think that's best."
Jason looked doubtful, but he couldn't think of another
solution. Still... "We don't know for sure that I'm in any danger.
Mark and Louisa were taken after they began actively looking for
Gerain. It could be that they only wanted him, and they just got
in the way."
"Still, we shouldn't take the chance," Mulder insisted.
"While you sleep, Scully and I can do some digging. We'll need
to know where your friend lived and his full name - and those of
Mark and Louisa too, if possible. We can at least file missing
persons reports on them."
Jason nodded. "That's what I wanted to ask you to do. I
think they must have been taken during the day. It is difficult to
overpower a vampire at night. It can be done, but not easily.
During the day, they would have been much more vulnerable. I'm
sure that they were taken by humans, if you can trace them by
day, we'll have an advantage at night."
Scully interrupted here. "We'll need more information
about Gerain and the others. And we may need to talk to anyone
who was close to them around the time they disappeared."
"I'll do that!" Jason's voice rose nearly to a shout. At the
sound of it, he visibly pulled back. When he spoke again, his
voice was almost in a whisper. "It's not safe for you. I'll handle
the nights, you handle the days." They could sense the plea in his
voice, if not see it in his face.
Mulder considered their options, weighing caution and
fear against curiosity and duty. "Jason," he said carefully. "If we
are going to do this, we need access to everything. Scully and I
are trained investigators, experienced at picking up nuances in a
witness' statement that you might miss. We may not be of much
help, if you restrict our access to necessary information." Mulder
grasped Jason's shoulder before Jason could begin to argue. "I
know - I *know* - that it could be dangerous for us. I'm sure the
others won't like the idea of us knowing who and what they are.
But our job *is* risky - it comes with the territory. I doubt your
vampires are any bit more dangerous than the 'human' serial killer
we just caught." Mulder's voice was rich with irony. "In fact I'd
bet they are a lot more 'human' than he ever was."
"Mulder's right, Jason," Scully concurred. "You need
our help, so let us help. We did well once working together. I
think we will again."
"You don't understand," Jason tried again, looking from
one determined face to another. "I may not be able to protect
you. Chara...maybe. If I claim BloodRight to you both, she'll
probably respect that. So will some of the others. But there are
always the few who don't respect anything except their own
hunger, their own will. And I can't watch over you every minute
of every night." He left unsaid his wish that he could, his desire to
try regardless, and the fact that he'd given it a very good attempt
quite recently. And he didn't doubt that Mulder easily read it all.
Scully, maybe not, but Mulder was too perceptive. Just like
Maria.
Scully started to argue back, but Mulder interrupted her.
"Look, we're wasting time. I suggest we go by Jason's to pick up
overnight," he grinned and corrected himself, "overDAY stuff
and then get to my place as quickly as possible. Let us see what
we can find out during the day, then we can plan from there
tomorrow night."
Jason and Scully had to accept the wisdom of that
suggestion, though both were tight-lipped and grim as they got
out of the bed. Mulder and Scully dressed quickly, both of their
minds racing. Jason waited in characteristic silence by the
doorway until they were ready, then he led them out of the
apartment and into the early morning dark.
As she locked her door, Scully threw one last yearning
glance towards her bedroom window. So much for a good night's
sleep.
- - - - -

In the soft light from the lamp, Jason's skin was like
clear, white wax, shiny in its pallor. He lay breathless and silent,
unmoving. Mulder sat on the edge of the couch beside the
sleeping vampire and studied him closely. Thick blond hair fell in
soft waves around a youthful face, marked by high cheekbones
and pointed jaw. The mouth was red and full, the eyelashes thick
and seemingly dark against the fair, unlined skin. He was
beautiful in a cold, but haunting way - eternal youth, eternal
death. The spark that gave Jason life was hidden in the shuttered
eyes.
Mulder hesitantly reached out and stroked Jason's
cheek, feeling the coolness of the skin beneath his fingertips.
There had been heat the night before, but that was gone. No
sooner had the dawn arrived, than Jason had fallen into this
lifeless coma. Only the knowledge of what he was gave hope, to
all intents and appearances he was dead. It seemed amazing that
he could awaken from this state - but Mulder held onto that belief
with all his strength.
Scully was still at the office, trying to trace the missing
vampires. They had lived on the edge of society, leaving only
minimal records of their presence. Like shadows, they were
visible mostly by their reflections, the human lives they had
touched, however briefly. And those were minimal. The day had
been filled mostly with frustration, more questions than answers.
It was the night that held the resolution, Mulder knew. But the
night could be deadly.
Scully and Mulder had not talked much about what had
happened. About feeding Jason. They had let it be by mutual,
unspoken consent. Too many raw emotions that neither wanted
to face. There was a job to do, they would do it and face the
consequences later. Mulder sighed to himself as he sat in the dim
lamplight; someday they were going to run out of 'laters.' What
then?
Lost in thought, Mulder hadn't realized he was still
caressing Jason's face with his hand until that hand was seized in
a powerful grip. "Uhhn," Mulder's eyes flew downwards to find
Jason's gray eyes open and intent upon him.
"You're awake," Mulder said lamely, again grateful that
the dimness of the light hid the blush rising below his skin.
"Yes," Jason replied simply, still holding Mulder's
fingers trapped between his own hand and his cheek. Jason took
his turn to study Mulder, noting the shadows under the gleaming
hazel eyes and along the jaw. Mulder's straight dark hair was
tousled, bangs falling in several directions across his temples, a
few strands nearly standing on end. Releasing Mulder's hand,
Jason reached up to finger one of those strands then push it into
place ever so gently.
Mulder nearly shook with the contact, then drew away.
Covering the reaction with a cough, he stood up. "Scully is at the
office. We should join her as soon as you are ready."
Jason nodded, sliding to his feet with agility. Several
inches shorter than the six-foot-tall agent, the vampire was forced
to look upwards to meet Mulder's eyes. "I'll be ready soon."
- - - - -

Jason had indeed been quick in washing and changing
clothes, and they were soon on their way to FBI headquarters.
Along the way, Mulder filled Jason in on the events of the day.
Searches of the missing vampires' homes had revealed little, and
their human neighbors had little to offer. The general consensus
was that Gerain was a true gentleman, if a little weird. Louisa's
neighbors simply settled for 'strange.' Mark's didn't even know his
name.
Basically they had disappeared without a trace, and
there was almost no one to care. Mulder had seen something of
himself in their life-style. If it wasn't for Scully - he'd have been
the same. So it angered him that they could simply be taken
without question. But not without retribution; Mulder was not
going to let it go. Neither was Scully, nor Jason.
The vampire was grim throughout the drive to the
Hoover Building, and he eyed the sprawling monstrosity with
distaste as Mulder pulled the car into the underground garage.
They exited the car in silence, falling into step together with
graceful ease, Mulder's longer stride letting him pull slightly
ahead. Jason was willing to let him lead, following the taller,
darker human with alert eyes and a watchful air.
Even at night, the FBI building's main floor was brightly
lit and active. The two men, vampire and human, waded through
the commotion, people instinctively pulling out of their way.
Mulder pushed through to the desk, brusquely requesting a guest
pass for Jason, who donned it without a word. One pair of agents
moved to intercept Mulder, sneering smiles on their faces.
"What's new Spooky?" one challenged. "Seen any more
little green men lately?"
Mulder eyed the pair with ill-concealed annoyance. They
were not Washington regulars. He'd run across them on an X-
Files case a couple years ago, and he'd quite hoped to never see
them again.
Not perceptive enough to read the cold irritation on
Mulder's face, they both chuckled at him. Jason didn't quite
understand what was happening, but he could feel Mulder's
emotions flare, anger and frustration barely masking the knife-
edge of pain, and he reacted with instinctive protectiveness. He
stepped up to Mulder's side and glared at the two interlopers.
Neither would ever be able to say exactly what happened, even if
they had been willing to try to explain. Both suddenly felt their
insides crawl with fear, causing them to abruptly turn on their
heels and flee the room.
Mulder watched them leave with some astonishment.
Then he turned to look down at Jason with a mix of amusement
and suspicion. "What did you do?" he whispered.
Jason merely smiled, barely revealing the tips of his
fangs.
- - - - -

Scully lifted weary eyes from the computer screen at the
sound of the door opening. Taking off her glasses, she stood up
to meet Mulder and Jason in the middle of the room.
"Hey Scully," Mulder said, shrugging off his suitcoat
and dropping it over his chair. Easing himself into it, he asked,
"Found anything new?"
"No," Scully said, even as she exchanged a smile of
welcome with Jason. He bowed his head to her, his eyes
managing to caress her from a distance. She felt an electric shock
race across her nerves, but managed to still her reaction. Turning
her attention back to Mulder, she spoke calmly. "Nothing
definite."
She then explained for Jason's benefit. "I have been
trying to get a line on who might have taken Gerain and the
others. From your description it has to be someone with access to
what sounds like a hospital or clinic." She perched herself on the
edge of the desk between the two men, Mulder sprawled in his
chair, Jason leaning against a file cabinet, both sets of eyes intent
on her face.
"Again, we're only guessing from what you sensed the
other night, and from your exposure to the sun a few months
ago. Exposure to direct sunlight is deadly for you, stimulates
some kind of chemical reaction that burns into your skin like acid.
Also, during the day, even when you are protected from the sun
itself, you fall into a death-like coma. Its possible they may have
found a way to control that reaction, using light." She shook her
head, none of this quite made sense. Every time she went over
the vampiric condition in her head, she got more confused. There
had to be a physical cause, she just couldn't put her finger on it.
She would love to get a blood sample from Jason, but knew
without asking that he'd balk at that kind of intrusion. He was too
proud to accept being a subject of experimentation, and she didn't
want to hurt him in any way. Still, if only...
Noting that she seemed to have gotten lost in thought,
Mulder took over. "Jason, do you think its possible that being
subjected to certain wavelengths of light, within the spectrum of
sunlight might have that kind of effect on you?" Without letting
Jason answer, Mulder plunged ahead, his excitement growing as
he let his imagination roam free. "It could be that some
wavelengths of light cause the burning, and others are responsible
for the hibernation. If someone figured out how to tune
fluorescent lamps in such a way to weaken a vampire without
killing him..."
"It's possible," Jason interjected. "But, how would they
find out? They'd need to do some experimenting." He paused as
the same thought struck them all. Jason forced himself to say it.
"They have been experimenting."
"I'd guess so," Scully agreed, looking at Jason with
concern. "Maybe they stumbled on the first vampire by accident?
I don't know." She rubbed her eyes wearily. "But when they
realized what they had, they decided to find some more test
subjects. After all, if they can figure out what causes vampirism,
they could have their hands on a potential fountain of youth.
Eternal life."
"Eternal death," Jason countered with some bitterness.
Both agents stared at him with wide eyes. He smiled wryly. "I
made my peace with this a long, long time ago," he explained. "It
wasn't my choice, but I've learned to live with it. And it has its
good side. I've lived to see things I never would have dreamed
possible when I was alive." He paced across the room. "Still,
there is a price to be paid. Never to see the dawn, to feel the
warmth of the sun on your face." His voice fell almost to a
whisper. "And the hunger - the endless, driving hunger."
"Jason?" Scully made the name into a question, and he
read it instantly. "No, no, Lady. I'm fine." Both Scully and
Mulder felt a mixture of relief and disappointment, both thrust
the reaction aside fiercely.
"Anyway," Scully got back to her feet and walked
around the desk behind Mulder to look at the computer screen. "I
made a list of all companies and government facilities in the
Washington D.C. area that could support this kind of
experimentation. They would need self-contained rooms to keep
the vampires in, and a biological research laboratory - all
assuming they are trying to figure out what vampirism is. But this
could be a false trail."
"I think it's a safe bet, Scully." Mulder insisted. "You did
say, Jason, that Gerain was subjected to injections."
"Yes," Jason replied. "And they took blood from him
with needles." He frowned, joining them at the computer. "I
know that passing the blood is necessary to convert someone.
Traditionally, the vampire takes blood, then passes it back to the
human. Then the human must go through a mortal death, after
which he becomes a vampire himself. It doesn't take in all cases,
some are rejected and simply die."
"That would fit with the cause being some kind of
blood-borne biological agent," Scully mused. "Perhaps a virus of
some kind, that causes alterations on the host's body chemistry.
By ensuring the continued existence of its host - eternal life - it
keeps itself alive."
"Quite an adaptation," Mulder said.
"Yes," Scully answered, warming to her subject. "I'd
guess a retrovirus, and one that feeds on red blood cells
somehow." She nibbled at her lower lip, eyes focused in
concentration. "But I don't see how a retrovirus could live in
RBC's. Mature red blood cells don't have DNA or even nuclei in
humans. Perhaps the virus-infected cells, white blood cells
perhaps, like macrophages, take up and digest the red blood cells.
A need for hemoglobin perhaps, or for the oxygen or iron that
hemoglobin carries."
"That's all fine and well, Scully," Mulder interrupted,
"But it doesn't bring us any closer to knowing who our vampire-
nappers are."
Jason had been staring at the list of names on the
monitor intently, his mouth tightening with increasing frustration.
"It could be any of them, or none." He gestured widely,
surprising Mulder and Scully with the outburst. "This isn't getting
us anywhere!"
"I know," Mulder said soothingly. "But it gives us a
place to start. What we need now is more information. A way of
narrowing down the possibilities. I think we need to talk to the
missing vampire's friends. Anyone they might have told
something to. Someone who might have seen or heard something
that could give us a clue to the kidnapper's identity."
"I'll do that," Jason insisted, heading for the door.
Scully grabbed his arm as he attempted to pass by her.
"It's not safe for you alone. We're coming with you."
"No!" Jason glared at her. "It's less safe for you. I can
take care of myself at night."
"No one's invulnerable," Mulder argued, getting to his
feet, unashamed of using his height in an argument. "If they know
enough to capture and hold at least three vampires, maybe more,
they may know enough to be able to overpower you even at
night. You'll stand a better chance if we're with you."
Jason shook his head. "Maybe so, but I'm more
concerned about you. If they can overpower me, then you two
don't stand a chance. Besides, there are the other vampires to
think about also. Even if we could handle the kidnappers, and I
hope we can, I can't guarantee your safety with the others. Some
will accept my protection of you, but others may not. And some
do still kill for blood, especially when they feel threatened. Your
knowledge of them might be just enough excuse."
"We'll just have to take that chance," Mulder insisted.
He refused to let Jason go off alone, and he couldn't hide the
intensity of his curiosity. There was a whole subculture out there
he knew nothing about. A society of vampires here in
Washington. It was fascinating!
Scully knew her partner well enough to recognize the
sparkle in his eyes. When he got a hold of something like this, he
could be worse than a dog with a new bone. He would sink his
teeth in and never let go. And she had to admit she felt some of
the same excitement, even though she took Jason's warning very
seriously. Having had time to think about it, she was a little
frightened of the other vampires. Jason she trusted absolutely, but
she had seen him come close to losing control. If he could do so,
despite the depth of his caring for both her and Mulder, then
what might the others be capable of? That fear warred with her
worry over Jason's safety. There was no easy answer, but she
hadn't become a federal agent by being meek. Her friend was in
danger, it was time to act.
Shoving the fear down, she reached out to touch Jason's
arm. "I know it will be dangerous. We both do. But we can't
stand by and watch you get hurt or worse without helping. We
care about you, and I know that if the situation was reversed, you
wouldn't let either of us go alone. Our best chance of surviving
this, and helping your friends, is to work together."
Jason wanted desperately to insist that they let him do
this alone, but Scully's words had struck home. He still didn't like
it, but she had a point. He stared at her, his face drawn tight with
emotion.
"Jason," she ran her fingers across his cheek. "We don't
want to lose you. As long as we stay together, we'll be as safe as
anyone can be. There are no guarantees in life. And we've both
risked our lives for strangers as part of our job. How can we not
do so for you?"
Jason finally nodded, not able to speak. Scully smiled at
his wordless acceptance, then turned to meet Mulder's diamond
eyes. He met her gaze squarely, sending waves of understanding
and support through the invisible contact between them. Still
holding onto Jason, Scully reached out her other hand to Mulder.
He grasped it tightly, stepping closer. Scully held onto them both
for a long, charged moment, then let go of them simultaneously.
"Let's go," she said, walking over to put on her coat.
Jason helped her into it while Mulder donned his. They filed out
of the office, Mulder locking the door behind them.
- - - - -

Jason led the way into the crowded nightclub, Mulder
and Scully close behind. Chara was sitting in her favorite corner
of the bar, this time sleek and satisfied, her olive skin glowing
with the heat of the recently-taken blood. Her smile was
tantalizing as she saw Jason, slowly arching herself upwards on
the seat to greet him.
"Hello Chara," he said, disentangling himself from her
embrace. "Is there a place we can talk in private?"
"Sure love," she said, her features narrowing. "I have a
booth in the back. You found something?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted, taking her arm. "Come on."
He turned to angle his head at Mulder and Scully, not needing to
see Chara's face to know she was following his eyes. He suddenly
*SAW* them through her eyes, and found nothing lost in the
vision. Or in the heat of her sudden desire. Mulder was tall and
graceful in the rumpled remnants of his dark suit, Scully small
and proud in her blue dress. Her hair glowed like flame, his eyes
were sparkling and alert. And Jason could remember the way
they both smelled and the way they both felt, causing the hunger
to rise again within him.
His eyes contained a fierce warning as he looked back
down at Chara, but she responded with a bubbly laugh.
"Interesting..." she whispered, her eyes glittering, her red lips
drawn back from glistening white teeth.
He gave her another stern look, and steered her through
the crowd.
- - - - -

=====================================================================
======

From: jennyann@ix.netcom.com (Jennifer Lyon)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW:"Vampire's Kiss" 4/10
Date: 6 Jul 1995 23:19:15 GMT

In a few minutes all four were seated in a sheltered
booth, a dark curtain shielding them from the chaos of the club.
Even the pounding of the music seemed distant, while the only
light came from a pair of lanterns on the wall above their heads.
Jason steeled himself for the conversation ahead, stalling
the inevitable with introductions. "Charlotta, this is Dana and
Mulder." He deliberately left out Mulder's first name, the man's
distaste for it was apparent. Personally, Jason liked it very much,
it was simple and strong.
Mulder nodded, Scully smiled. Charlotta drew her eyes
over each of them slowly, inch by inch, not bothering to hide her
appraisal. "Very nice, Jason, VERY nice. I do hope this means
you are going to share." The tip of one fang brushed her lower lip
as she licked her lips suggestively.
Jason sighed, appreciative of both Mulder's ability to
contain all emotions behind that calmly handsome facade, and
Scully's inborn poise. Only someone who knew Mulder well
would see the mix of amusement and interest in those green-
tinged eyes, or the amusement in the tilt of Dana's fiery head.
"No, Charlotta. This is serious," he said, glaring at her.
She grinned unabashedly and replied. "I am always serious about
feeding."
"NO!" Jason stated, his voice clipped and cold. "I claim
BloodRight, Charlotta. Formally and fully. They are mine." Even
Jason was astonished by the amount of possessiveness in his
voice, but he let Chara have the full force of his determination.
Baring his fangs he repeated. "They are mine by BloodRight, I
will not tolerate any interference with them."
Chara studied him for a moment, then looked over at
Mulder and Scully who were still watching silently. She mimed a
look of intense disappointment, then leaned over to brush Jason's
cheek with a kiss. "As you wish, Jase." She smiled with growing
amusement. "I must admit your taste has improved
immeasurably. Didn't think you *liked* men."
"I don't!" Jason blurted out. Then he felt a rush of
embarrassment and uncertainty. He had never liked men, never.
But Mulder was different... All three shot him looks of surprise,
and he suddenly realized he had spoken the thought aloud.
"Ahh..." He quickly decided to handle the situation by
ignoring it, and changed the subject. "We're here to talk about
Gerain, Charlotta. Mulder and Scully are helping me investigate.
We need to know about his last days, and anything Mark or
Louisa might have told you before they disappeared."
Chara threw him a quick glance, as she took that
information in. If he trusted them that fully, then there was more
going on between these two mortals and the other vampire than
she had even realized. For the first time she took his assertion of
BloodRight seriously. Just who were these two?
Scully spoke for the first time, her voice soft and
throaty. "We interviewed their neighbors, but no one had seen or
heard anything unusual. Their homes look untouched, and there
are no unidentified bodies in Washington morgues that match
their descriptions. We also came up empty-handed at the
hospitals and clinics." She smiled. "I somehow doubt that one of
you would pass unnoticed in a hospital."
"Who are you?" Charlotta interrupted, her blue eyes
bright with suspicion.
This time it was Mulder who responded, leaning
towards her. "Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, at your service, Ma'am," he
drawled.
"Federal... Dammit Jason, what have you done!"
Charlotta hissed, drawing back in her seat.
"It's OK, Chara," Jason tried to soothe, but she was not
willing to be soothed. Baring her fangs at them, she glared at
them. "I should kill them now. How could you involve the FBI?
How could you tell them about us? Do you know what the
government might do to us?"
"It seems to me that the government may already doing
things to you - or at least to your missing friends." Dana pointed
out with apparent calm, though all of her companions could
easily read the tension in her body. "You need our help to find
and free them. We can operate during the day, and we have
resources you don't."
Charlotta simply hissed again, her fangs now fully
protruding. Jason felt her preparing to attack, and his fear forced
his hand. In a blink of an eye, his hand shot across the table to
Mulder's chest. Closing his hand around the gold locket that
rested against Mulder's skin just below the opening of his
partially unbuttoned white shirt, his tie having been abandoned in
the car.
"This is why, Chara." he pulled it forward, forcing
Mulder to lean forward onto the table, the chain tugging at the
back of his neck.
She almost ignored it, until the glint of light off the gold
caught her eyes and she focused on the familiar object. Her eyes
widened in shock. "Maria's locket. You gave *him* Maria's
locket. I don't..." For the first time she really truly looked at
Mulder, and her lips parted in what would have been a gasp of
astonishment if she had been bothering to pretend to breathe.
"My God, is he...?"
"I think so," Jason replied. Then he asserted with more
confidence, "I know so."
"Well, well... no wonder you wanted him." Chara's
anger lessened slightly. "How did you find him?"
"By accident," Jason smiled at the memory. "They were
investigating a series of deaths, caused by a maddened old-one
who had invaded my territory. He attacked me, and they saved
me from death by sunlight. Somehow, Mulder figured out what I
was."
"Well, she always was perceptive." Chara responded,
eyeing Mulder with more respect.
"She?" Mulder closed his hand over Jason's around the
locket. His curiosity was spilling over, he felt like a thousand
questions were about to burst through him. "Who is the woman
in the locket? Is she this Maria? What does she have to do with
me?"
Chara broke out laughing. "He's got her curiosity too."
Jason gave her a rueful look, and released the locket.
Leaning back in his seat, the blond vampire closed his eyes and
tried to find the right words.
Scully saw the encroaching pain on his face, and she put
her hand on Mulder's hand, trying to restrain him. But her partner
needed answers, and wasn't about to let it go.
"Jason," Mulder insisted.
"She, Maria, was a woman who lived a long, long time
ago. Nearly one hundred fifty years ago. I knew her, Charlotta
did as well."
Charlotta nodded. "Lady Maria Victoria Elizabeth
Covington-Keans. She was married to the heir of an elderly
Duke. We met her at one of London's interminable society balls."
"She was unique," Jason took over, his face taking on a
serene quality at the memory. "As graceful as an angel, more
beautiful that Helen of Troy, and a mind that could rival the
scholars of the age. She could be demure as befitted her station,
but underneath was so much life. I've never met anyone more
alive."
"What happened?" Scully couldn't help being fascinated.
She and Mulder had both studied the face in the locket, and had
imagined what the woman might have been like. She wanted to
know more.
"I spent some time with her in the gardens that night.
We talked and talked, about everything. I didn't see her for a
while, then we met again at another ball. It was like fate. We felt
- destined for each other. In time we became lovers. Her husband
had no interest in her except as a broodmare to produce an heir."
Jason's face tightened. "She hadn't known that being with a man
could provide pleasure rather than pain. I taught her how to love.
Sex is possible for us, more so when we are young, though it is
usually abandoned in favor of the blood. And in time the physical
ability wanes as well. At least we cannot father children, which
meant our liaison was safe, though I doubt her husband would
have cared too much where the heir came from as long as she
produced a healthy boy."
His audience was silent, Chara lost in her own
memories, Mulder and Scully intent on Jason's every word. "One
night," his voice almost broke. "One night I found her in bed,
unwell. She told me that her husband had forced her to have sex
repeatedly. She was bleeding, hurt. I got Chara immediately, to
provide what medical care she could. And in time it became
evident she was pregnant." The sorrow in Jason's voice pounded
at all of their senses. "It was never a healthy pregnancy, Maria
faded inch by inch. As her belly swelled, she grew weaker. She
was sick constantly, and took to her bed. Chara and I spent night
after night tending her, only to watch her slip away. And then she
went into labor." He shuddered.
"We could only watch from the shadows of the garden,
and listen. Listen to her scream. It went on and on and on, I felt
like I was dying with her. Then finally, just as dawn was about to
force us to take cover, her cries were replaced with that of the
child. It was louder than she had been, lusty and vibrant, full of
the life it had stolen from Maria.
"I went to her the next night, alone. She was dying and
we both knew it. I begged her to let me help her, to convert her. I
promised her we'd be together forever, but she refused. Instead,
she kept asking me to care for her child. She wanted me to
promise to protect him, but I couldn't stand the sight of the child
that had killed her. But she wouldn't give up, and she was dying.
I loved her so much, how could I refuse her anything? So I
promised, and she died. Just smiled and closed her eyes and was
gone." Tears pooled in the corners of Scully's eyes and Mulder's
face was carved in stone.
"I..." Jason shook his head, his eyes bright with unshed
tears. "I have never hated anyone as much as I hated that child in
that instant. It must have sensed its mother's death, maybe, for it
started crying. I went over and looked at it, even reached out to
touch it. I wanted to wring its neck, to crush its skull." his hands
clenched into tight fists on the table. "But I kept hearing HER
voice pleading with me to protect her baby, I couldn't kill it. But I
couldn't stay with it either. So I fled. I ran and ran and ran. Spent
years traveling throughout the world. I finally ended up in
America."
Silence descended upon the four sitting in the booth, the
sounds of the chaotic nightclub seeming to recede into the
distance. After a long uncomfortable moment, Mulder broke the
calm. "But why me? Why give me her locket?"
"When I first saw you," Jason answered wryly, "It was
like looking into the past. You are the image of her; you could be
her twin."
"Not her twin, but her descendant," Scully said
thoughtfully. She turned her shimmering blue eyes on Jason,
"Maria's child. That's what you called Mulder when you first
woke up in his apartment. You called him 'Maria's child.'"
Jason nodded.
"How can you be sure?" Mulder asked staring down at
the face inside the locket critically. "Sure we both have dark hair
and hazel eyes, but so do a lot of people. We're not that much
alike."
"Yes, you are." Charlotta responded. "I didn't know her
as well as Jason did, but I spent enough time with her to see the
resemblance. It's uncanny. You are a male version of Maria, and
not just in coloring. You have her features, the same bone
structure, the same mouth, the same build. She was tall and thin
like you. And you even move like her. But it is the blood that
tells." She looked at Jason.
"There's no doubt, Mulder, you are a descendant of
hers. I could taste her in your blood. I was sure that night in the
street."
"You saved my life before you tasted my blood,"
Mulder replied. "Why?"
"Because you reminded me of her, because you needed
the help. You were chasing a vampire gone mad - there was no
way you could have survived without my help. And I needed to
know if you were who I thought you were."
"And you're certain that I am?"
"Yes."
"So you protected and helped Mulder and me because
of your promise to Maria." Scully said.
"Yes." Again Jason settled for the simple answer.
"This is all very fascinating," Charlotta interrupted
before Mulder could speak again. "I cared about Maria, too,
Jason. But they are still federal agents. Protecting this one is
well-enough, but it is still dangerous to involve them with us. For
both them and for us."
"I know," Jason answered. "And I wouldn't have if there
was any other choice. But we *need* help, Chara. We've lost
three that we know of, including our eldest. And there is some
indication that there may have been others, too."
"What!?" Chara leaned forward, eyes flashing.
"Do you think that they could hold three of us without
some knowledge of us?" Jason asked her. "Scully thinks that they
are experimenting on them, and my contact with Gerain supports
that. They were able to weaken him somehow, using light. " He
shivered.
"Yessss," Chara replied. "I have felt it too. But that only
makes it more dangerous to involve them." She gestured sharply
at Mulder and Scully. "Spreading the knowledge of our existence
can be fatal Jason. If you wish to form your own blood-circle,
fine. But you have no right to expose the rest of us!"
"We are here to help," Mulder interrupted, fixing her
with a piercing stare. "You cannot fight this alone. These people
operate in the daylight, and they obviously have resources. Scully
and I are trained and experienced to handle this. You are not."
"We can take care of our own," Chara retorted angrily.
"Don't think that locket protects you. *I* made no promise to
your ancestor. It is only out of respect for Jason that I have not
yet torn your throat out. Her eyes glittered dangerously. "I may
yet."
"No!" Jason insisted. "They are claimed by BloodRight,
you know the rules."
"BloodRight must be sworn in front of another vampire.
Who was your witness? I have seen no evidence that you have
even tasted their blood." Chara argued.
Exchanging glances, Mulder and Scully both reached
out to pull their collars back, exposing the small, twin marks on
their throats. Chara eyed them both, then smiled mockingly.
"Without a witness to the swearing it still does not
hold." She replied, though her eyes traveled over both throats
with unconcealed hunger.
"Then you act as witness," Mulder said, meeting her
eyes without fear.
"Mulder..." Jason started to speak, then closed his eyes
for a moment. "You do not have to do this. I told you both to let
me handle this."
"Jason," Scully responded, leaving her hand in the
hollow of her neck. "You need our help, and I think Chara knows
that too." Scully withstood the lovely vampire's glare with calm
composure. "We are no threat to you, Charlotta. You have
committed no crime, and our duty is to protect all the citizens of
this country, regardless of their...peculiarities. Jason assures us
you do not kill to feed, and we are willing to accept his word.
The question now isn't us or you, it is the three who are missing.
Every moment we spend arguing here is a moment wasted
towards rescuing them. Your enemies are out there, not here."
Mulder and Jason both nodded, Chara frowned. There
was logic in the woman's words, she had to admit. But Chara was
still furious with Jason for involving strangers, human strangers,
so deeply into their lives. "What you say makes sense, Dana."
Chara's sibilant pronunciation of Dana's name charged it with
erotic meaning. "But even if I let you pass, the others may not.
Without proper ritual, the BloodRight claim will not hold up.
You know that Jason."
Jason nodded, then looked from Dana's face to
Mulder's. "I do not like to ask you to do this, but it might save
your lives."
"What do we have to do?" Mulder asked.
"I have to take blood from you in front of Chara as
witness."
"That's not difficult," Scully replied. "How do you want
to do this?"
"Your wrists will be fine." Jason felt a mixture of
emotions, the most powerful being renewed disappointment. Why
could he never get a chance to do this with them properly?
Mulder and Scully eyed each other again, then each
extended an arm across the table. Three pairs of eyes intent on
him, Jason picked up Scully's hand first. Pressing a respectful kiss
into her palm, he bit as gently as he could into the veins on her
exposed wrist. She gasped and fell back into her seat, her eyelids
drooping. Mulder moved to support her, but it was over in an
instant. Jason closed the wound over with an expert flick of his
tongue, and released her.
"You okay, Scully?" Mulder whispered into her ear.
"Yes, I'm fine," she stuttered. Blinking, she drew her
hand back and held it against her chest. Then she pulled herself to
an upright position, trying to regain her equilibrium. Chara's
amused gaze was not helpful.
"Mulder?" Jason's voice drew Mulder's attention back
from his partner, and he took a deep breath as he extended his
arm back across the table. This time Jason was even quicker,
leaving Mulder to experience a flash of pain and a jolt of
pleasure, and then a sudden emptiness. He, too, was quick to
snatch the hand back, his breath coming in short gasps. He could
feel Scully's eyes on him, and he turned to flash a grin at her in
reassurance.
"Satisfied?" Jason said to Chara, his voice thin and flat.
She shrugged, her eyes lit with enjoyment. "Not really, but it will
do. BloodRight sworn and witnessed by the ancient rule. So
done, so shall be."
"Good," Jason said coldly. He could attempt to cover
his emotions, but it was like putting a thin blanket over a roaring
fire. It seemed to do no more than smolder. Surely they could
read all him easily, sense the desire that ran through him in hot
streams of pulsing need.
However, both Mulder and Scully were too caught up in
their own thoughts to notice the roughness in his voice. And
Mulder was well-trained to conceal his own feelings. He turned
back to the reason they had come here in the first place.
"Chara, we need you to tell us all you know about
Gerain right before he disappeared. Did he seem worried or
upset? Did he notice whether he was being watched? Did
anything unusual happen?"
Chara leaned back in her chair and considered the
questions. She had mixed feelings about all this, but she WAS
worried about her missing friends. And that concern found it easy
to take the fore-front in her mind once her attention was focused
on it.
"No, I didn't notice anything wrong. But I didn't see him
every night. Once a week, sometimes less often. I last saw him
about three days before he disappeared. He was the same as
ever." She grinned. "Hungry, but always the gentleman." She
frowned, pursing her full lips together. "I didn't even know he
was gone for over a week. I went to see him actually, but he was
not home. I checked around and no one had seen him. And then I
found that his prot‚g‚ was missing too."
"Prot‚g‚!" Jason interrupted. "Who?"
"Some young girl." Chara explained with another
amused smile touching the edges of her mouth. "Gerain always
did like them young. And this one was a beauty." Her voice grew
more serious. "Though I think he was really serious this time. He
even talked of converting her."
"Converting her?" Scully drew in a deep breath. "How
did she feel about it?"
Chara shrugged. "Don't know. Only met her twice,
briefly. But she seemed to be quite capable of deciding for
herself. Older than her years, that one. But then, I've never
understood this new practice of treating teenage girls as children.
I was married and bearing my first child by the time I was sixteen.
And a woman was considered a disgrace if she was not married
by eighteen or nineteen. But that was a long time ago."
Mulder found it hard to restrain the questions that rose
unbidden to his mind. Just thinking about how much Chara and
Jason must have seen over their long lives, the amount of history
they contained - it tantalized and fascinated him. But now was
not the time for it. Instead he asked quietly, "Do you remember
her name?"
"I'm not sure, Cynthia, maybe, or Sandy...No, it was
Cynthia." Chara replied.
"And her last name?"
Chara shrugged. No.
"Why didn't you tell me," Jason asked with annoyance.
"It didn't seem important. She probably just went back
to her life after he was gone." She looked from one face to
another. "You don't think she had anything to do with this?"
It was Mulder's turn to shrug. "Don't know, but it would
be good to find out what happened to her. Do you know anyone
who might know more about her?"
Chara looked thoughtful for a moment. "Andreas,
maybe, or Florence." Jason grimaced. Chara smiled. "You may
want to approach them without your companions. I doubt
Florence would have my self-control."
"We'll see," Jason said tersely. "Is there anything else
you remember, Chara?"
"No not really."
"What about Mark and Louisa?" Scully asked. "Did they
tell you anything?"
"Not much." Chara sighed. Despite her misgivings, she
honestly did want to help. But if she had known something, she
would have acted on it already. "Louisa said something about a
lead. That they thought they had an idea why he was taken. But
she was mysterious about it, she always was melodramatic."
Jason grimaced. That was an understatement. Without
the hindsight of knowing that she had been taken as well, Jason
might have thought she was making it up. A picture of the
voluptuous vampire formed in his mind. As different from Chara
as night and day, it had always amazed him that the two managed
to get along as well as they did. As well as any two female
vampire hunting neighboring territories ever would.
Chara thought for a while, then shook her head. "I'm
sorry I can't tell you more. But there was nothing. No warning
that I could see." Her mouth grew tight. "But you are not the
only one who has *heard* him, Jason. Find him soon, he's hurting
bad. Gerain may have been... Gerain. But he helped me more
than once." Her resolve strengthened, and the fierceness of her
anger turned her face into an ivory mask, the skin stretched
taught around sapphire eyes. "Find them and destroy them, Jason.
Or tell me, and I will do it if you don't have the stomach for it."
"We'll take care of it," Scully was the one who replied,
her stomach doing somersaults as she truly realized for the first
time just how dangerous the lovely, delicate vampire might be.
"You do that," Chara answered, sliding out of her seat.
Pausing as she pushed the curtain aside to leave, she gave one
final warning. "Be careful Jason."
Then she was gone.
- - - - -

The laboratory was strangely silent in the night, even
with the constant hum of the freezers and the buzz of the
centrifuge. Those sounds were background to the man sitting
hunched over the lab bench, never penetrating his awareness. His
mind was focused solely on the blood samples spinning in the
centrifuge. When the machine came to a stop, he opened the lid
and withdrew them. transferring the supernatant to a waiting set
of empty tubes. Lifting the pipetteman, he stabbed at a yellow tip,
then pipetted in the oligo-dT magnetic particles, adding them to
each of the cleared samples, one-by-one. He then flicked the
tubes with his forefinger to fully suspend the minuscule brown
particles.
Setting the small digital timer, he removed the gloves
and stood up to stretch out the sore muscles of his back. He was
getting close, he could feel it. The excitement and the worry
drove him harder than he had ever been driven in his work
before. He knew he was close to isolating the agent responsible
for this disease called vampirism, and when he had that, then he
was on the road to a cure.
Walking over to the sink, he automatically watched his
hands in smooth, routine motions, his mind miles away. Or more
exactly, down the hall with his daughter. She had been so
beautiful, so full of life, until that creature had entered her life.
No, he told himself, not creature - just a sick human being. The
only way he could cope with this was by applying the science to
which he had devoted his life, and someday that science would
find a way to save his daughter from the disease that ate at her
mind and body.
The last few months had been more painful than
anything he could have dreamed of. To watch her fade into a
blood-thirsty creature, sleeping like the dead during the day,
screaming for blood in the night. But he had found a way to keep
her from hurting herself or others, using fine-tuned lights to keep
her confined to the hospital bed until he found a cure. Next he
had taken the man who had infected her, and then two other
diseased souls as well. The price they paid for spreading their
infection would be to help him save his daughter from their
sickness.
He didn't much like the people he had had to turn to for
assistance, but he had been desperate. His university lab had been
devoted to other work, and his grants were thin. To spend so
much time on personal research - there was no way he could have
afforded it without help. And to pay others to work as well
would have been impossible. The research assistants they had
found for him were not men he would have chosen on his own,
but they were necessary extra hands. Certainly he knew they
wanted the understanding of this disease for purposes different
from his own, but it didn't matter to him anymore. All that
mattered was the driving need to find the causal agent and then a
cure. What the men in black suits did with it after his daughter
was restored to herself was not his concern.
<BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP> The timer sounded
insistently, reminding him of work to be done. Pulling the gloves
back on, he picked up the tubes and sat them into the magnetic
stand. Soon the particles were pulled to the side of the small
plastic tubes, and he could begin to wash them. Not much longer
and he'd have more of the mRNA template to work with for the
cDNA library construction. His primers and probes were
prepared, already he had a line on the invading viral sequences.
Soon, he'd have more, though it would never be soon enough.
Picking up the P1000, he lost himself in the work.
- - - - -

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