The Garden District Murders - The Collector's Edition by Heidi W. Rating: Most of the Chapters will be PG-13 some will be labeled R or NC-17; they are individually labeled. Classification: X-File, Angst, M/S strong UST (perhaps romance in the last chapter but I don't know yet, it's up to them) Spoilers: Mild references to 3, Darkness Falls, Redux II but nothing that spoils any plots (IMO). Several references to Anne Rice's various works of fiction as it relates to New Orleans. Knowledge of these works is not necessary......but having seen the movie "Interview with a Vampire" would aid in explaining a few Mulder comments. If further explanation is required, email me. Authors Notes: With the exception of the street addresses of many of the characters homes, most of the information regarding New Orleans is, to the best of my knowledge, true. I know the streets and houses used, but don't have a clue about the street address. I also have no idea if there is a 4th precinct or a Mercy Hospital, I made 'em up. If a native sees that I have made an error, please feel free to correct me. Some of this information was obtained (as Mulder says) on a Web ring called "Virtual New Orleans", especially the graveyard stuff. Much of the information I have gleaned from natives such as hotel concierges (including my brother), bartenders, cab drivers and various tour operators. Mulder's favorite places and much of what he shows to Scully are my favorite pastimes when in the city. I love New Orleans and visit regularly......but, like Mulder says, you will either love it or hate it. I highly recommend the Vampire, Witches and Voodoo Tour that is run out of Jean Lafittes Blacksmith Shop......very scary and informative. Disclaimer: Anyone that you recognize was created by Chris Carter and 1013 Productions except for references to the Vampire Lestat or the Mayfair family who were created by Anne Rice. Anything you don't recognize was created by me. I don't own anything, so don't bother to sue. And I ain't making any money of this little work of fiction, so why bother. Summary: Mulder and Scully attempt to solve a serial murder case in New Orleans. Whether they actually solve it or not is open to interpretation. Chapter 1 St. Charles Street Car at Canal Street New Orleans, Louisiana March 15, 1998 11:05 p.m. Chris sat in the nearly empty street car as it made its way up St. Charles Avenue towards Tulane University. He was tired from a long day at work and then the requisite happy hour at Good Friends bar. New Orleans would be the death of him if he didn't cut down on the partying with his friends every night after work. he thought. His last lover had been wonderful, but had moved to Washington, D.C. for a better job. He was lonely. She could tell by looking at him. He was also beautiful and young, so young. Probably 21 years old. She smiled. Chris looked up and noticed a woman staring at him. She smiled at him. He smiled back, very slightly. She was quite lovely, but older than he by several years. He laughed quietly to himself. She didn't realize that she was looking at the *wrong* guy. He was intrigued by this, by her. Clarice saw him smile, laugh and took it as a cue. She got up and walked carefully up to him and sat down. "Well, you haven't been in town long. Just visiting?" asked Chris. "How did you know that?" Chris just laughed. "You haven't learned the art of walking on a moving streetcar." "Would you come home with me?" asked Clarice. She figured there was no use beating around the bush and they were going to have to get off before the end of the line. "Uhhh......you mean to your hotel?" Chris said, stalling for time. "No, actually, I just moved here. I have a house in the Garden District." "Are you always this forward?" "I know what I like and I am not afraid to ask for it." "I am truly sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, miss......." "Clarice" "......Clarice. But I am just not into one night stands or casual sex. Especially not in this town." he thought to himself. Clarice leaned into him and whispered in his ear, "Are you sure?" She planted little kisses along his jawline. "Listen, Clarice, I am really not...." She placed her finger against his luscious lips and then replaced her finger with her own lips. Her lips moved over his and she opened her mouth, running her tongue along his lower lip. He pulled away and took a deep breath. He felt dizzy and, to his complete amazement, aroused. Clarice smiled at his discomfiture. She reached past him and over his head to pull the cord to request the next stop. The streetcar rumbled and clanged to a stop at Tulane across from Audubon Park. Clarice got up and moved to the front of the car, pausing near the door to glance back at Chris, smiling. Chris looked at her and felt an inexorable pull. It started in his groin and tingled through his nerve endings. He got up and moved quickly to the front of the car, out the door and into the darkness. Clarice was already across the street, heading into the park. He followed her, thinking that he would at least see her home, make sure she was safe. Clarice walked through the large open area at the front of the park. It was a typical spring evening in New Orleans. Warm and humid, the air was heavy but not unpleasant. She loved New Orleans, with its blooming Magnolia trees hung with Spanish moss. Everything was so old, almost decrepit and moldering. From the mansions in the Garden District to the crumbling above ground crypts in the numerous cemeteries. She smiled to herself again. . Clarice strolled under the huge Magnolia tree and walked around the thick trunk, stepping carefully over the roots. She noted that Chris was following her at a discreet distance and felt a sudden excitement in the pit of her stomach. Chris stepped under the tree and saw her leaning against the trunk, one strap of her sundress slipping off of her shoulder. She raised her hand and crooked her finger at him. He walked slowly toward her, almost as if he couldn't help himself. Maybe, he couldn't......... ****************** F.B.I. Headquarters Washington D.C. March 20, 1998 8:00 a.m. Special Agent Dana Scully strolled into the basement office she shared with her partner. For some reason she did not like what she saw when she entered the room, but she couldn't immediately put her finger on what the problem was. Her partner was sitting in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk next to a little pile of sunflower seed husks. He was fiddling absently with a pencil, twirling it with his long, elegant fingers. He looked up and smiled at her. His slide projector was out of the box, set up on its stand in the middle of the floor. The slide projector meant one of two things. Either Frohike had gotten a hold of some new type of pornography or *he* had a new case. Scully really liked her partner, but his timing was lousy. "Hey, Scully." The smile on his face got bigger. Scully's stomach sank. "Mulder, it's Friday." "My, you have been honing those observational skills, haven't you Scully." "Mulder, I have plans for this weekend." Mulder's smile faltered and his stomach did a little flip. "Scully, I have no earthly idea why you are telling me this." "Well, Mulder, the slide projector is out of its box. You have a shit-eating grin plastered to your face. You are twitching. And I am not the idiot you take me for." Mulders lower lip took on a distinctly pouty look. Scully knew, just knew that she was in trouble. "Scully, did you ever wonder where the expression 'shit eating grin' came from? I mean really, if you were eating shit, would you be grinning? I don't think I would be." "Mulder, cut the crap." Fox Mulder nearly fell over. He honestly could not tell if Scully knew what she said. He wanted to explode with laughter but if she hadn't said that on purpose and he blew his cool he would never convince her to go with him. He struggled for composure. She did that on purpose. He never took her for an idiot. Scully knew she had got him. She struggled desperately to hide her grin when she saw the look on his face. Whether or not she would get out of this case was a different story. She didn't want out of it all together, all she wanted was a little delay. Like until Monday. "So Scully. Big date this weekend?" Mulder did not want to hear the answer but he couldn't seem to help but ask. "Mulder. We were out of town last weekend and the first part of this week. I have not cleaned my apartment in weeks. I have not seen my mother in a month. I have lost touch with my friends and I have not had a date in a really long time. Is it too much to ask to have a weekend to try and reconnect with my life?" She was starting to get a little pissed. Why couldn't he just tell her what was going on. She was right, he knew. *They* did not have to get into this over the weekend. He *had* sort of taken over her life, or what was left of it. Sure, she made her own choices but Scully was a loyal, hard working woman. She would not leave him to work a case on his own. He suddenly felt very guilty about his obsession with work and its impact on her life. He made a decision. Scully watched him and could read him like a book. She saw the impact of not just her words, but her tone of voice. He looked hurt, resigned and guilty all in the span of about three seconds. Then she saw him decide to let her off the hook. "So Mulder, where are we going this time?" She smiled, slightly, softening her expression. If there was one thing worse than working constantly and losing track of her life, it was Mulder going off on his own. He had a habit of getting shot, stabbed and beaten up when she wasn't around. It wasn't like she was a good luck charm or anything. He was just more careful when she was around. Most of the time, anyway. The decision was made. She liked his ass just the way it was.......alive. Mulder debated. This was one of those no win situations. He could just tell her to meet him in New Orleans on Monday and leave her the file to read over the weekend or he could tell her about it now and assume she would be coming with him. Option number one would piss her off and make her feel left out, like he was ditching her. Option number two would piss her off and make her feel like he was taking her for granted. Option number two would more likely *not* result in him getting shot. Well, since he was screwed either way he may as well take the safer option. "Scully, have you ever been to New Orleans?" **************** 4th Precinct, New Orleans Police Department New Orleans, Louisiana Same Day, 3:03 p.m. Alex DuMont walked into the precinct house with a look that could kill. She marched over to Lieutenant McIntyre, crossed her arms over her chest, and stood there staring at him until he was forced to recognize her presence. "Kelly, get out there and continue surveillance until I say you can stop. Now, go!" He watched the retreating officer as if he were reluctant to acknowledge Alex's presence. He knew exactly what her problem was, the question was how to address it diplomatically. "Lieutenant, please stop ignoring me." Alex was getting more pissed by the minute and his attitude certainly wasn't helping. "What the hell is going on, Joe? This was my case, Monahan and I are doing just fine handling it ourselves. Dammit, why are you doing this to me?" Lieutenant Joe McIntyre looked at Alex with what he hoped was a placating expression. "Alex, this case is turning into a serial thing with a very bizarre MO. I just think that *we* are out of our depth on this one. So, I called a buddy at the F.B.I. and he recommended this guy. Says his nickname is 'Spooky' and that he specializes in this sort of thing. This is still your case, you are in charge. This guy is a consult, coming in to give you help." He looked at Alex and wondered if he should continue. "Alex, this is not about doing something to you. I am not questioning your abilities. *But* this thing is getting out of hand and we want to solve it as fast as possible so no one else dies." "There have been 3 murders so far, that is hardly out of hand. We can solve this if you give us half a chance." Joe raised his eyebrows and just looked at her. Alex replayed her statement over in her head and realized how crass she sounded. "Alex, these three murders fit a definite pattern with some sort of ritualistic overtones. They have occurred over a two week period.......that is too many in a short period of time. If this continues we will have a city wide panic on our hands. This is not something we can afford right now with tourist season getting into full swing." Joe went in for the kill. "This will not hurt your chances for promotion, Alex." He was rewarded with a visible flinch from Alex. "I was not worried about *that* Joe. I just felt like you were underestimating us." Alex's pride was wounded and she didn't want to be shown up by a Fibbie. She had decided that she had better just give in......like she had a choice in the matter. "So, what's this guys name anyway?" "Mulder. Special Agent Fox Mulder. When I spoke to him on the phone he said that he would probably bring his partner, Agent Scully." Alex sighed and decided that she just better make the best of it. Like she had a choice in the matter. Well, maybe this guy would be a stay-in-the-office type. She looked at Joe. "When do they get here?" *************************** CHAPTER 2 Somewhere Over the Southeastern U.S. March 20, 1998, 6:15 p.m. "O.K. Mulder. Why don't you tell me about this case.....now." "Scully, I showed you the slides......" "Mulder, those slides were of what I can only assume was New Orleans scenery with a couple of dead bodies thrown in. You have told me nothing about the murders. What are you hiding?" Mulder gave her the wounded look. "Less than two weeks ago the first victim, male, age 16 was found in an alley behind the church located on the corner of Sixth Street and St. Charles Avenue. Four days later, a 17 year old male was found in Carrollton behind a place called the Maple Leaf. The latest victim was found in Audubon Park, a 21 year old male." Mulder paused, considering how to continue. "The obvious similarities are that all of these are very young men, all found in the Uptown section of New Orleans. All three victims showed evidence of very recent sexual intercourse, which appears to be consensual." Mulder paused. "This appears to be an ordinary serial killer, Mulder. Why are we involved?" Scully just knew that he was holding onto the more pertinent details......those that make this case an X-File. "Well, Scully, this is where it gets interesting. Each of these men....or boys....were found naked and exsanquinated. There were no signs of a struggle. The only signs of violence were two puncture wounds in the the neck near the jugular vein." He watched Scully for her reaction. He was not suprised when her eyebrow rose and she gave him the characteristic 'look'. "Oh Mulder. Exsanguination? Puncture wounds on the neck? New Orleans? What, are we talking the Vampire Lestat here?" Scully couldn't believe her ears. "Scully! You read Anne Rice? No way. Not my enigmatic Dr. Scully." Mulder was thrilled with this little tidbit of information. "So Scully, you remember Lestat's favorite victims? Oh, wait. Lestat never had sex with any of his victims. Anne Rice's vampires were very erotic creatures but they never had actual sex, the taking of blood was akin to a sexual experience for them, though." "Yes. I read her "Vampire Chronicles" when I was in college. That does *not* mean I believe in vampires. It is fiction, Mulder. Good fiction, in my opinion, but still fiction." Mulder considered telling her about his previous vampire experiences. "Scully, I never expected you to believe in vampires, but there are some very strange murders occurring there and they requested our help. Just think of it, Scully. You have never been to New Orleans and I can show you around. We will make some sightseeing time. It'll be fun, Scully." "We *never* have time for sightseeing. I seem to recall a certain football game that we never got to attend." "But, I have wanted to see New Orleans ever since reading Anne Rice's books. So......" "I am gonna make sure that you see all my favorite New Orleans places. I just know you will love it as much as I do. We can investigate during the day, and sightsee during the evening." Mulder was too excited. Scully sighed heavily. They almost never got to do any kind of sight seeing. For that matter, they almost never were in areas that invited sightseeing. Mulder gets totally involved in a case and loses complete track of time. It will be midnight or later before he even realizes that the day is gone. New Orleans. Every time she heard those two words she thought romance, spanish moss, humidity, mansions and heat. Heat. Romance. Magnolias. This is going to be a dangerous case.......in more ways than one. "Do you know New Orleans well Mulder?" "I have been there a couple of times. Once on an old case, back when I was working with Reggie. Nothing with that paranormal odor to it though. Scully, you won't believe this town. You will either love it or hate it. It is a mystical town with great history. It is so old and crumbling in places but so beautiful. It is haunting and haunted. Everywhere you turn there is a ghost story to be told. Vampires and voodoo run the French Quarter. The cemeteries are tourist attractions. You can stay up all night dancing to jazz and the blues and then go for cafe au lait. We can wander through the Garden District and ride the streetcar. Did you know that the St. Charles Street car is the oldest operating streetcar line in the United States? The food is fantastic, creole, cajun ......Scully, if we are smart we will manage to take a couple of days once we solve this case." Mulder took a deep breath. He couldn't quite believe how all of that had poured out of his mouth. He was looking forward to spending some time with his partner in one of the most romantic yet spooky cities he had ever visited. Despite her skeptical view of this case, Scully found herself becoming completely charmed by his rambling description of New Orleans. He was obviously excited by New Orleans although she had a feeling that it had more to do with its mythical history than it did the food and the dancing. She really hoped that they could take some time. ************************ The Mystic Cafe Magazine Street New Orleans, Louisiana March 20, 1998. 8:15 p.m. Clay walked into the cafe and headed for an empty table by the windows. He sat down to wait for Cathy. Almost immediately he spotted the beautiful, thirtyish, blond on the other side of the room and his pulse picked up. He looked out the windows and wished Cathy would hurry up. He glanced back across the cafe at the blond again. At that instant she looked up and caught him staring. He was mortified to feel himself blush and looked quickly back out the window. Clarice had looked up from her coffee to see the young man staring at her. He was tall, blond and gorgeous. Just the way she liked them. Unfortunately, he was also about 26 years old. She decided to forget about him. Not only did she doubt her seductive powers on a man this old, but she came to the Mystic all the time....a virtual regular. She got up and moved slowly across the room. Clay looked up, startled, when she slid into the chair opposite him. She smiled and he felt a warmth in the pit of his stomach which moved rapidly down to his groin. "Hello.......I'm Clarice. You are?" "Engaged." "I see. How does your fiancee feel about you staring at other women?" "Look, lady......" "Clarice." "Clarice, I am expecting my fiancee any minute now. I am really sorry I was staring at you, I didn't mean anything by it. Really." Cathy was an understanding young woman but being found sitting with this knockout would push the most understanding of fiancees to their limits. Clay was starting to sweat. Clarice just laughed. "Relax, honey. I was not upset by your staring. I was actually hoping to get to know you better.....much better." Clarice was pleased to note that her characteristic bluntness was having the desired effect. Clay's mouth was slightly agape. As she crossed her legs, she ran one foot up the inside of his calf, lightly. "Perhaps we could meet later.......after you see your fiancee?" "I am sorry, no. I am flattered.....but, uh, I love Cathymyfiancee and I......wouldn't do something.......like *that*.......to her." Why did that seem so hard to say with Clarice staring at him so intently? The tip of Clarice's foot was resting gently on the inside of his left knee. She moved it back and forth slightly. Clay's pants instantly got tighter. Suddenly, she uncrossed her legs and stood up. "O.K. It was nice to meet you......" "Clay" "It was *very* nice to meet you Clay." All the air in Clay's lungs seemed to whoosh out in one breath. "It was nice to meet you, too." he gasped as she walked away. At that moment, he saw Cathy walk in the door and look around for him. He tried desperately to collect himself and hoped to hell that his erection was not plainly visible. Clarice was not entirely happy. She watched as Clay's eyes widened and looked at the door. She had noted Clay's difficulty breathing when she got up and she had seen the telltale bulge. She watched as Clay's face got redder as his fiancee approached the table. She realized that she had an effect on him but was not at all surprised by her inability to seduce him away from his girlfriend. He was just too old. She could not sway or control older men, especially those with girlfriends. Not to mention that she always seemed to pick the good hearted and faithful type. She was still too immature herself. A mere fledgling. She sighed, disappointed. She had to be sure that the men she chose would do everything exactly her way, otherwise it would just be sex. Hell, if that was all she wanted there certainly wouldn't be a problem. She thought back to Chris. This desire for an older man was entirely his fault. He had followed her easily enough, but when it came time for him to surrender his will to her, he had been so very strong and resistant, not wanting anything to do with her. It made her doubt her abilities. Then, when he finally succumbed, the sensations had been overwhelming. She craved it again, the challenge, the feelings of power and total control over an unwilling man. A man considerably larger and physically stronger than her. She could feel him in her mind, fighting her. She could feel him inside her, thrusting, against his will. She could remember how it felt when they came, together. They lay on the ground together, afterwards, and he still fought her. Not physically, no, she had control over him. But she could hear him screaming in her head, trying to get away from her. He turned his head and she lowered her lips to his throat........... "More coffee, Clarice?" Clarice jumped about a foot out of her chair, startled back into the present. "God, Larry! You scared the hell out of me!" Larry just chuckled, pouring her another cup. "Cher, you looked like you wuz a million miles away just now. What wuz you day dreamin' about, anyhow? New boyfriend?" "Not exactly, Larry." She gave him a small smile. He grinned back and walked away. "I understand, dawlin'. I understand." "No, Larry, I don't think you do." ********** Ramada Inn St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana. Same Day, same time. As Mulder pulled the rental car up to the entrance of the hotel, a bell boy and the concierge ran out to meet them. "Mulder, a concierge and a bell boy? This hotel isn't down to your usual standards." Scully couldn't help smiling. Mulder looked at her with a lopsided grin. "I tried, Scully but this was the cheapest hotel I could get. I know you will have a hard time enjoying your stay here, what with the laundry service, room service and various other amenities. Geez, Scully, they even valet park." The bell boy took their bags into the lobby with Mulder and Scully right behind him. Scully looked around while Mulder checked in and was very pleased with what she saw. In fact, she was fairly certain that she was going to like New Orleans. The drive from the airport was extremely dull for the first few miles, flat and boring. Then they drove past the first cemetery. It was rather disappointing. It looked so......pristine. All of the above ground crypts looked well kept and white. She had remarked on the condition of the cemetery and how it was not what she expected. She got a surprising history lesson from Mulder. "Well Scully that is the newest cemetery in New Orleans, Mt. Olivet. It was originally started in the 1920's. Notice how we are on the very outskirts of town?" She nodded. "All New Orleans cemetaries were started on what was the outskirts of town at the time of their construction. You know that the French Quarter was the original town of New Orleans." She nodded again. "In 1721 the first cemetery, St. Louis Number One, was constructed on the outskirts of what is now the French Quarter. This cemetery not only houses many of the participants in the Battle of New Orleans, but the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau supposedly rests here. People visit her tomb and burn candles and hold voodoo ceremonies to this day." Mulder looked sideways in time to see Scully roll her eyes. He grinned and kept going. "As the city continued to grow, so did the need for additional burial places. St. Louis Number Two was built just up the street from Number One. Unfortunately, this is now a high crime area so most people don't visit. St. Louis Number Three is at the foot of Esplanade Avenue near the Bayou St. John and the Holy Rosary Church." At this point they had driven past St. Louis Number Two and she had immediately revised her impressions. It was extremely eerie in the dusk, surrounded by trees hung with Spanish moss. "You may not realize this, but the Creoles lived in the Quarter, or Vieux Carre. When the Americans came, not only were they unwelcome in the French speaking part of town, but they didn't care for the European-style homes and streets of the Quarter. So, they moved upriver, or west, from the Quarter to what is called Uptown. Uptown extends from Canal Street to Carrollton and includes the Central Business District, or CBD, and the Garden District, in addition to several other neighborhoods. Naturally, the Americans needed their own cemetery. That would be Lafayette Number One, my very favorite cemetery." "You have a favorite cemetery, Mulder?" She looked at him like he was mildly insane. "Ah, Scully, you just don't understand......but you will. Remember the Vampire Lestat? Well, this is where his resting place is located as are the Mayfair Family tombs." "You mean, this is where they would be.....if they were real" she said, attempting to remind him of the fictional nature of these characters. "Oh, Scuuulleee. Ya spoil sport." He grinned to let her know he was only teasing. "Anyway, as I was saying, Lafayette is located in the Garden District and was started in 1832. This cemetery consists of mostly families of Irish and German extraction. I'll take you there, it is very close to our hotel. It is also a short walk from Anne Rice's house, you know, the one she on which she based The Witching Hour." Scully just raised an eyebrow at him. "You know why they place their dead in above-ground crypts, don't ya Scully?" "Yes. New Orleans has a very high water table. In some places New Orleans is actually a foot or two below sea level. If they buried their dead, the coffins would float right up out of the ground." Mulder was impressed and slightly disturbed, all at the same time, by her explanation. "That's true, although I could have lived without that visualization." At this point they had passed the Superdome and she got another Mulder-titbit of useless information. "Hey, Scully, did you know that the Superdome has a strict climate control operating at all times? It has actually rained in there when system has malfunctioned." "Where in the world did you learn this stuff Mulder?" "Well, a lot of it I picked up on previous visits but some of it I got from this web site called 'Virtual New Orleans." Scully had correctly assumed that this meant he hadn't slept much the night before. She smiled as she thought back over their conversation in the car. She had been charmed and repelled by what she had seen so far. Downtown was nice, but the area between downtown and the Garden District was run down in places past the point of charming. The area around the hotel seemed lovely, as far as she could tell. There was something about the air in New Orleans. She wasn't sure she had ever felt it before. It was tropical feeling, warm and heavy, but it felt.......magical? She decided that she liked the feeling. Mulder walked up to Scully and handed her a key card for her room. "They didn't have adjoining rooms available Scully, but we are next door to each other. We are on the sixth floor." This was directed at the bell boy, who maneuvered the luggage cart on to the elevator behind the two agents and pressed the button for the sixth floor. ************************* CHAPTER 3 The Mystic Cafe Magazine Street March 20, 1998. 9:00 p.m. Clarice continued to surreptitiously watch Clay and his fiancee. After about 10 minutes or so, Clay seemed to return to normal. She could tell that his fiancee was slightly worried by his strange behavior. She would have to think about this dilemma and try to find a way to resolve it. She had spent too much time obsessing over Chris and it had only led to sexual frustration. She sighed, again. That wasn't really what she wanted, but it would satisfy an immediate need quickly. She had scoured Bourbon Street before and it always depressed her. Pretty boys that were so drunk she could do anything she wanted. No challenge, no conquest, no satisfaction. Clarice got up and left some cash on the table for Larry. She assessed her outfit carefully. Black leather mini, sheer hose, black pumps, black tee. Very simple, very sexy, very impractical for Bourbon Street on a Friday night. However impractical, it will speed up the process. She walked outside to wait for the bus that would take her to the Quarter. ****************** Ramada Inn, Room 615 St. Charles Avenue Same Day, Same Time. Scully stood gazing out of her window. The city at night looked beautiful from six stories up. Her room was facing downtown so she could see the skyscrapers and the Superdome about a mile and a half away. The funniest thing about New Orleans was that, for some reason, she had never considered the likely existence of skyscrapers. Whenever she had read about the area she had read about old mansions, the French Quarter, and all of the things normally associated with New Orleans. But not skyscrapers. She supposed that she should have realized that it *was* a city, after all. She had the strangest feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was difficult to tell if it was excitement or apprehension. Mulder had convinced her that they just had to go down to the Quarter and look around. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Scully, it's me." She opened the door to find Mulder wearing faded blue jeans and a black tee shirt. He looked.........good. Very good. The blue jeans were nearly obscene. It wasn't as if they were tight, they weren't. They were just........his. Obviously his, well worn in places. She put an immediate stop to that train of thought. "You ready to go, Scully? You look very nice, by the way." He rarely got to see the casual version of Scully that was standing before him in blue jeans and a short sleeved sweater. Even her hair was more relaxed. "Thanks, Mulder, you don't look so bad yourself. I'm ready, just let me grab my purse." She walked back to the table by the window. "Scully, it would probably be better if you didn't take a purse. At least not a big one. Not into the Quarter on a Friday night. It is much easier if you are unencumbered, with the crowds and all." "What about my gun?" "I've got mine in my ankle holster, it'll be fine." Scully wasn't entirely sure she liked the idea of going without her gun. She felt naked. But, then again, most of the crowd in the Quarter would be unarmed . She had gotten so accustomed to being an F.B.I. agent that she had forgotten that most women, or men for that matter, would go out on a Friday night without a gun strapped somewhere on their body. She stuffed some cash into her front pocket. "Let's go." ********************* Canal Street at Rue Bourbon March 20, 1998, 9:30 p.m. Clarice walked off the bus to cat calls and whistles. She walked purposefully up Bourbon into the bright lights and gaudy atmosphere of the most populated and popular section of the French Quarter. As she walked, she realized that there was only one place she could go at this early hour. One place that would be crowded enough so that she would not attract undue attention. One place where the men would notice her, but be drunk enough that they would never remember who she left with. She picked up her pace. ********************** St. Charles Street Car St. Charles Avenue at Lee Circle Same Day, Same Time "Riding the streetcar is one of my favorite things, Scully. I don't know why, it just embodies New Orleans for me." She had to agree that it had a distinctive charm. The noise that it made was a strange combination of clanging, rumbling and chugging. The streetcar was packed with people heading downtown or to the Quarter. By the time it reached the Ramada it had been so packed that Mulder and Scully had to stand. More people got on at every stop, to the point where Scully didn't think it would hold any more. Scully was pushed to a spot where the only thing she could hold onto was the seat next to her. Of course, it was at this point that the streetcar lurched around Lee Circle, throwing her off balance. Mulder saw her struggling and slipped an arm around her waist. The height differential meant that he had to stoop slightly or risk getting shot. "I've got you, Scully," he whispered in her ear. "I think I can manage, Mulder." The combination of his arm around her waist and his breath in her ear was making her feel......funny. She couldn't decide if it was in a good way or a bad way. "Relax and plant your feet a little farther apart to stabilize yourself." He didn't want to let go. Holding her up was doing more for him than it was for her. He had come so close to losing her that he needed the closeness, he craved it. In the past few months he found himself touching her as often as possible. A light touch on the arm or on the small of her back to reassure himself that she was still there, that she wasn't a ghost. His heart hurt when he thought back...... "When do we get off, anyway, Mulder?" "Gee, Scully, I'd say that's completely up to you." Mulder grinned at her. She couldn't help it. She laughed. Mulder was suprised. He bent around her to look at her face to be sure. She laughed even harder when she saw the surprise on her face. "Does everything make you think of sexual innuendo?" "Uhhhh.....yeah, actually. So what will happen if I ply you with Hurricanes?" "We have to work tomorrow, Mulder." She was still smiling when the streetcar clanged to a stop at a large intersection. "END OF THE LINE, CANAL STREET!" the operator called as everyone started piling off the streetcar and onto the corner of Carondelet and Canal Street. Nearly the entire crowd started across Canal Streets' eight lanes of traffic. "Where to, Mulder?" "Follow the crowd. Carondelet turns into Bourbon once you cross Canal Street and from there it is a block to the main part of Bourbon where all the action is." The light changed and the streetcar clanged and clattered as it turned onto Canal Street to cross over to St. Charles Avenue and begin its journey back uptown. Scully stood still for a moment and looked around. Across Canal Street she could see bright lights and hear loud music. The side of Canal Street that she stood on was amazingly similar to the downtown area of any major city with skyscrapers and hotels. It was definitely as dirty as any other city. Canal Street itself was a major thoroughfare with three lanes in each direction and a two lane middle ground which was apparently for bus traffic. On the surface, the far side of Canal Street appeared to be the same as the side on which she stood. But she knew from a map that Mulder had shown her on the plane, that the French Quarter took up a large area behind the normal looking facade fronting on Canal Street. "Scully? Are we ready to go?" "Yeah, Mulder. Do you have a destination in mind?" "Well, actually, I do. But that is only an initial destination. We have all evening and we can go into any place that interests you or we can just stroll aimlessly. Keep in mind that Bourbon Street is radically different on a weekend evening as opposed to during the day." "Why do you sound like you are preparing me for something?" "Because I am. I love all parts of New Orleans but Bourbon Street at night is not everybody's idea of a good time." Scully stopped in her tracks at that statement. "Mulder, are you saying that you think I'm uptight?" Mulder flinched. He really hadn't meant it that way. "No, Scully, not really. I just don't know if it will be you cup of tea or not." Scully knew that she gave the appearance of being rather rigid, in fact she was rather rigid. Ever since her cancer scare she had thought she was lightening up a bit, trying to live a little. Apparently, Mulder did not see it that way. Mulder was sneaking little glances at Scully's face as they continued walking. He hadn't meant to offend her but he was also knew how Bourbon Street could appear on nights like this. He really wanted her to have fun. He was inspired. He knew exactly where to take her to put her in a magical New Orleans frame of mind. ***************** Pat O'Brien's Rue St. Peter Same Evening Clarice casually strolled the area outside Pat O's. There were enough people around that neither of the doormen checking identifications noticed her. Finally, a group of attractive women strolled up to the entrance. Clarice took advantage of the opportunity and slipped up behind them, pretending to be a part of their group. Pat O'Brien's is made up of several bars connected by a brick enclosed hallway. When she walked in off St. Peter, the main bar was to her left and the piano bar to her right. If she continued straight ahead she would end up in the courtyard. She immediately discounted the piano bar. She strolled through the hallway toward the courtyard stopping at the circular staircase that lead upstairs to the ladies room and employees area. She could see out into the courtyard and noted that it was very crowded. As she turned to go back toward the main bar she spotted him. He was tall, with dark hair. He was not conventionally handsome, but there was something about him that she liked immediately. She watched him as he walked toward her and then turn into the men's room. Clarice walked into the main bar and noted that it was not very crowded. It would be easy to watch him, but she certainly couldn't talk to him here. The chance that one of the bartenders would remember her was too great. At that moment he walked back into the bar and sat down with two other young men. All three looked very young. They had to be 21 or they had fake I.D.'s. All three of them broke into raucous laughter, as three Hurricanes were placed in front of them by the bartender. The man looked at them carefully as he removed three empty hurricane glasses. Clarice sighed. Then the vision of Chris popped into her head again. Suddenly, it didn't matter so much that he was young and drunk. Clarice got up and walked towards the young men and the door. As she passed the group at the bar, she ran her hand from the lower left side of his rib cage, across his back and gave him a little squeeze. He stopped laughing and watched her as she sashayed out the door and into the hall. "Uhhh.......guys, I am gonna go get some air. If I don't come back, just meet me at the hotel later, o.k?" He was warm, his head was swimming and he *had* to see if that woman meant to grab him. "Yeah, take it easy man.....don't puke on any cops.....they throw you in jail for that here, ya know dude?" His two buddies started laughing again, finding themselves hilarious. Clarice paused for a moment in the hall to be sure he would see her walk out the door. As she reached the entrance, she risked a glance over her shoulder. He was just coming out of the door to the main bar. When she saw him look at her, she smiled her most seductive smile and walked out the door. Once on the street, she paused briefly and began walking up St. Peter away from the noise of Bourbon Street. Again she glanced over her shoulder. He was standing on St. Peter just looking up the street at her. She smiled at him and motioned for him to follow her. He jogged to catch up with her, thanking his lucky stars. He wouldn't be for long. ***************** Bourbon Street at Rue Bienville Same Evening Mulder watched as Scully gazed around, with her mouth slightly open. There were people everywhere. On the street, on the sidewalks and on the balconies overhanging the street. Some seemed to be milling aimlessly, while others gathered in groups gawking at the women standing on the balconies. Other groups formed in front of the numerous strip clubs watching the strippers parading around, trying to entice people to come into their club. Most people had a drink in their hands and everyone was having a good time. Mulder and Scully stood a little off to the side, taking it all in. "This is unbelievable, Mulder. Is the whole street like this? Because I am not really interested in seeing women take their clothes off." "Scully, Scully, Scully. You can see men take their clothes off, if you like." She smirked at him. "Seriously, only the first block or so is made up of strip clubs. After that it is various bars, clubs with live music, restaurants and tourist type shops." Suddenly, a group of men in front of them started cheering. Scully and Mulder looked up in time to see a woman bare her breasts in the middle of the street. Men on the balcony above her started tossing brightly colored bead necklaces which she and her friends scooped up off the street. "What the hell was *that* all about?" Scully was confused. "You have heard about Mardi Gras, how they have parades with floats?" Scully nodded. "Well the men on the floats toss the beads to the crowd and people go nuts trying to catch them. On Bourbon Street you will see people doing just about anything to get those beads. The bigger the strand, the more risque." Scully arched her eyebrow at him. "Hey, don't look at me, Scully. I never understood the need for beads." She still looked at him, disbelieving. "Scully, do you honestly believe that I would induce a young woman to remove her shirt and then throw beads at her?" The corners of Scully's mouth turned up slightly. He pouted, "You wound me, Scully." "Mulder, I want a drink. I want one of those big, frosty daiquiris." "Seriously?" She nodded. "Give me your hand, Scully. I don't wanna lose you." As he grabbed her hand to lead her through the crowd, Scully caught a fleeting glimpse of something that looked like pain cross his face. She grabbed his hand in both of hers and squeezed. He looked back at her and she gave him a bright smile. His heart skipped a beat and he forgot the painful memory that had momentarily haunted him. He smiled back and lead her through the crowd. ***************** Rue St. Peter at The Place d'Armes French Quarter Same Evening Clarice and her new friend, Eric, walked up St. Peter. Or in Eric's case, staggered. He had his arm around her shoulders, his hand dipping to caress her breast when he thought no one was looking. As his hand brushed across her nipple for what had to be the tenth time, Clarice looked up at him. She had to make him walk faster. "Eric, I need you inside me. I need you to fuck me....soon." She was breathing heavily, more for effect than anything else. She reached across and stroked the front of his jeans as his erection suddenly became more pronounced. He groaned. "Uhhh.....where, where can we go?" he stammered. He could barely walk, he wanted her so badly. He had never wanted someone like this. It became more urgent as she stroked him again. "I know just the place. Hurry, baby." The started walking faster past the Place d'Armes. Clarice briefly considered scaling the fence and taking him in the grass of the park. She pulled him along and across Decatur Street. They hurried up the steps of the Moonwalk, over the Riverside Street Car tracks and down into Woldenberg Park along the Mississippi River. At this time of the evening there would almost certainly be no one in the park. It was not exactly a safe place to be at night. She steered Eric away from the lights of Jax Brewery and to a secluded spot in the grass, not far from the rivers edge. She sat down in the grass and pulled him down with her. She pushed him back on the grass and unbuttoned his pants. Clarice was nearly frantic as she pulled his jeans down to his ankles. Eric pulled her on top of himself and began kissing her as he ran both of his hands up the back of her thighs. His hands came to rest on her firm buttocks and then pushing up with his hips, he ground her into his erection. He pulled his mouth off of hers, panting. "I won't last......" Clarice sat up and straddled his chest. She reached back and pulled down his briefs, freeing his cock. "I don't want you to." she said as she reached back and grasped his erection. Eric reached under her skirt to feel her heat and stroke her. He wanted her to be as crazed as he felt. He gasped in shock when he encountered bare, wet, flesh. She had ripped a large hole in her sheer, black, panty hose. "A woman likes to be prepared." She grinned down at him, her teeth glittering in the moonlight. He almost came right then. He groaned and helplessly began thrusting his fingers into her, in time to the thrusting of his hips. Clarice threw her head back and rode him as he moved his fingers inside her, brushing his thumb over her clit. She nearly screamed. She bit down on her lower lip and pulled his hand away. She slid backwards until she felt his erection in the crack of her ass. She grabbed his cock as she raised herself up off of his chest. In one swift movement she impaled herself on his rigid member. He did scream then and started thrusting into her as hard as he could. He tried to flip her over onto her back but she wouldn't allow it. She closed her eyes as she rode him and thought of Chris and his fear, his resistance. As she started to come she leant forward and sank her teeth into Eric's neck. He screamed again and she felt him come, bucking wildly, as an explosion of lights went off in her own head. ***************** Rue Bourbon at Rue Toulouse French Quarter Same Evening Mulder and Scully, each with a drink in hand, stood outside a club listening to the sound of the blues wafting in the air. Scully watched as Mulder swayed in time to the music, one foot tapping. He looked unbelievably sexy. "Hey, man, you should be dancin' wit your lady." Mulder looked startled, like he hadn't realized that he had been moving. He grinned at the short black man standing in the doorway of the club. "You're right, sir." He grabbed Scully around the waist and pulled her closer, again moving in time to the music. Scully laughed in delight as she almost dropped her drink. It was an awkward dance, with each of them holding daiquiris, but Scully moved easily with Mulder. As they settled into a comfortable rhythm, the man in the club clapped his hands. Scully smiled up at Mulder. "You're good, Mulder." "This surprises you?" Mulder grinned back at her. "Just don't ask me to dance to rap.....and I am not quite so graceful dancing to rock. I never square dance or......." "Shut up and dance, Mulder." He threw back his head and laughed. Scully couldn't remember the last time she had heard that sound. She couldn't remember if she had *ever* heard that sound. Her head was spinning. The lights, the people, the music, the laughter......and Mulder. He really was going out of his way to see that she enjoyed herself. She was dancing, laughing and having more fun than she could remember having in a long time. She was suddenly very grateful that she hadn't allowed him to come to New Orleans alone. The music had stopped and the small crowd that had assembled all applauded. Mulder held on to Scully a moment longer, looking down into her eyes. Suddenly, he realized he was staring and let go of her. "What's wrong, Mulder?" He had a strange look on his face. "Nothing, Scully. Hey, I wanna show you something, come on." He grabbed her hand again and they walked up Bourbon. As they came up to the intersection of Bourbon Street and Rue Orleans, Mulder took Scully over to the sidewalk. He stood behind her and, with one hand on each of her shoulders, he steered her around the corner onto Rue Orleans. He bent over so his head was level with hers and pointed up the street. "Look, Scully." She gasped out loud. "Oh my god, Mulder." Her eyes widened and a chill raced up her spine. "Beautiful, isn't it?" She just nodded. In front of them, one block away, was the backside of a large white church. On the wall of the church, about four stories in height was a shadow....in the shape of an angel. She had never seen an effect quite like that. She shivered again. It was such a simple thing, really, when she looked closer. It was eerie. Mulder propelled her forward, towards the church. "You cold, Scully?" "No.......it's just so......." "Spooky?" he asked, smiling. She chucked, nervously, as they walked toward the church. Mulder glanced sideways at her. She looked like she was a little spooked. It always gave him chills when he came here, he wasn't quite sure why. "That is the back side of St. Louis Cathedral. As you see, it is a simple effect." She noted the statue of the angel that was about 3 feet high and placed on a pedestal. It was sitting in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by a high, wrought iron fence. Three lights on the ground were directed up at the angel, casting a huge shadow on the wall of the church. "Mulder?" "Yeah, Scully?" "Why are we whispering?" He grinned down at her again. "Well, Scully, it's just so....." "Spooky?" He laughed out loud again as he pulled her back toward Bourbon Street, wishing the night never had to end. *********************** CHAPTER 4 Rue Bourbon at Rue Orleans The French Quarter Same Evening, 11 p.m. After showing Scully the shadow of the angel, Mulder thought it was time to visit the one place that he had on his agenda for the evening. "Well Scully, there is one place that I want to visit." "Is there a ladies room there?" "Well.......why don't we head back to Pat O'Briens and use their bathrooms. They have the nicest bathrooms on Bourbon." "You have rated the bathrooms?" She gave him that "look" again. "Scully, if you had seen some of the bathrooms on this street........." Scully held up her hand, realizing where he was coming from. She looked around, and while she was enjoying herself, she realized that some of these bathrooms might be *quite* raunchy. She strolled up the street back the way they had come from, and again Mulder grabbed Scully's hand to pull her through the crowds. ***************** Pat O'Brien's Rue St. Peter Same Evening, Same Time Clarice sauntered back into Pat O's behind another group of people and moved swiftly towards the staircase and the ladies room. The upstairs portion of the bar was almost a sanctuary and strictly female. When she reached the top of the staircase, she walked over to the windows and looked out over the courtyard. It was at maximum capacity, filled with people of all ages, shapes and sizes in full party mode. There were several women upstairs, a couple reclining on the couch and one on the bench that belonged to the piano standing next to the entrance to the ladies room proper. She walked past them and into the vanity area of the bathroom which was unoccupied except for the bathroom matron who was in charge of keeping order and cleanliness. She checked her makeup and clothing and was pleased to note that everything was in order. She sat down to rest for a few moments and touch up her perfect makeup. She barely noticed when the petite redhead walked past her. Clarice walked down the staircase and tried to decide what to do. She had only come back here to ensure that anyone who had seen her earlier saw her again. Sort of an alibi, if one was ever needed. She had only been gone an hour and with as many people that were in the place the bartenders in the main bar would have no concept of how long she was absent. She decided that the main bar was the place to be. She would sit and chat up the bartenders for awhile and then she could go home and go to bed. It was at that moment that man of her dreams came out of the men's room directly across from her. He was tall, dark and beautiful. Hazel eyes and a nose that would have seemed too big on anyone else but looked perfect in his face. A well defined jawline and a pouty lower lip that Clarice could imagine sucking on. Hair that she would *kill* to run her hands through. He paced near the staircase, seemingly oblivious to her and her stare. Clarice decided that it wouldn't hurt to *talk* to the man. "Certainly a gorgeous man like you is not all by himself?" Clarice asked as she ran a hand lightly up his arm. "No.....he's not" came a female voice from directly behind her. Clarice turned and saw the little red head from the ladies room approaching. The two women glared at each other for a moment. Then the redhead looked past Clarice at the gorgeous one "Fox, are you ready to go?" was the thought that ran simultaneously through Mulder's and Clarice's heads. "Uh, yeah. All set. Let's go. *Dana*." Scully's eyebrow quirked and she smiled at him. Clarice was not happy as she watched *her* perfect man walk out of Pat O's with his hand on the redheads back. This train of thought was depressing for Clarice so she tried to ignore it. She sighed deeply and headed into the main bar for a drink. ************** Once they were out on the street, Mulder pulled Scully to a halt on the side walk. "What was that, Scully? Fox?" "I was saving you from a predatory female, Mulder." "A what? A predatory female?" Mulder grinned at her. Scully shook her head at him. "You are not this dense, Mulder. You know a come on when you hear one." "Yeah, but it isn't everyday that I have a beautiful redhead try to protect my virtue." That stumped her. She found herself without a come back. She simply gaped at him. She struggled for a minute while Mulder continued to grin at her, the bastard. She smiled back at him. "Where are we going now, Mulder?" *************** Clarice sat at the bar sipping her Mint Julep. The place was crowded and noisy but she wasn't hearing any of it. She thought about the gorgeous Fox and became depressed. . Hazel eyes and full lips kept popping into her head. She shivered. She could feel how sensitive he was when she had touched him. Sensitive, strong....and loyal to the little redhead , all qualities that she liked. Clarice didn't even need to touch the redhead to feel her strength. She shook herself mentally. There was no use dwelling on Fox and his little friend. She would never see them again and even if she did, there was nothing she could do about it. Unless she found a way to control that type of man. Sighing, she finished her drink and got up to leave. As she moved toward the door, a dark haired young man caught her eye. She looked closely at him and smiled. Well, not completely, she realized. He had dark hair and an oversized nose which didn't work as well in his face as it did in Fox's. But he was young, good looking and he reminded her of Fox. She decided to stay for awhile. ****************** Good Friends Bar Rue St. Ann French Quarter Same Evening, Same time Mulder and Scully had walked up Bourbon to Rue St. Ann. When Mulder pulled her to the left to walk up St. Ann, Scully started to have doubts about where they were headed. She noticed lots and lots of men holding hands and kissing. Some were wearing strange leather outfits and hats. They passed a bar on the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon and when she looked in the doors she saw a gorgeous man dancing on the bar. He was wearing boxer shorts, cowboy boots, cowboy hat and nothing else. She then noticed that everyone in the place was male. Scully was not homophobic by any stretch of the imagination but she was wondering where Mulder was taking her......and why. Mulder came to a halt outside a nice looking bar on the corner of St. Ann and Rue Dauphine. It was the typical French Quarter establishment, wrought iron balconies and all. The balcony directly overhead was crowded with men having fun. Scully had never been in a gay bar before and she wondered why Mulder wanted to come here. Mulder was watching Scully with a slight smile on his face. He knew she had to be wondering what they were doing here, he could see it on her face. It really looked like a nice place. He decided to have a little fun. He motioned for Scully to follow him inside. Just inside the doorway was the bar. It was made out of a dark, polished wood shaped in a large square that filled a most of the room. In the center there were three bartenders waiting on the men that were sitting on stools on all four sides. At each corner of the square were neon lights in the shape of lilies. Off to their left was an open area that had a fireplace along the wall and a pool table with a game in progress. The room hummed with conversation. There was an empty table near the fireplace and out of the way of the game. Mulder walked toward it with Scully right behind him. Scully noticed Mulder getting admiring glances from nearly every man in the place. Mulder pulled out a chair and motioned for Scully to sit down. Mulder sat down across from her and took her hand. "Scully, I have something to tell you." He looked down at her hands for a minute and then looked back up at her. She was looking at him with a face that showed confusion at his suddenly serious tone. She looked like she didn't want to hear what he was going to say. "Go ahead, Mulder, I'm listening." He leaned forward to whisper and she did likewise to hear him. "Scully, I'm.....uh......not gay." Scully's jaw dropped open as Mulder started grinning at her again. "You son of a......" Scully started to smile. She felt like she should be a little pissed off at him for playing with her like that. "You should have seen your face, Scully, it was priceless." "Did you set this whole thing up? Was that the only reason we came here?" The grin on his face was certainly attracting attention. She may have to find a way to get back at him. "No, Scully, I just thought of it outside. We are actually here because the most recent victim spent a lot of time here and I wanted to check it out when there was likely to be a bunch of people here that knew him. Don't be mad, Scully, I was just teasing you." "I am not mad at you for making me think you were gay. However, I should remind you that we are supposed to be having fun tonight, not working. Not to mention that I have not read the file yet." "This won't take long. I just wanna ask around a little and then we can move on." "Well, as long as we are here, we may as well have a drink." Scully was starting to formulate a little plan of her own. "Sure, what can I get you?" "Just water for me, Mulder. Since we have to work tomorrow and all." "O.k., I'll be right back." Mulder got up and headed for the bar. Scully never saw heads turn like that before. "Excuse me, young lady, but is that gorgeous hunk of man your boyfriend?" Scully, startled, looked up at a tall, broad shouldered, good looking man. Then she smiled. "No. We're just friends, we work together. He wanted to come here tonight, but didn't want to come by himself." Scully was starting to feel evil. "Please tell me he's available." "Well, yes, as a matter of fact he is available." "Thanks." With that the man walked towards the bar and Mulder. Mulder was leaning on the bar waiting for the bartender to bring his beer and Scully's water. The bartender walked over and handed him his drinks with a........leer? When Mulder reached for his wallet, his elbow bumped into someone standing directly behind him. "Oh, sorry" Mulder said and turned back to the bar. "That's no problem, darlin'. My name is Ike, let me get that drink for you." Ike reached past him and handed the bartender some cash, in the process leaning close to Mulder. "Ike, I appreciate the gesture but I'm........." Mulder thought fast and fumbled with his I.D. ".....on official F.B.I. business. I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder and I was hoping to ask the bartender here some questions. Perhaps you can also help me?" "I'm sure I can help *you* Agent Mulder" said Ike with a grin. "You a regular here, Ike?" Mulder decided to do what Scully always did........ignore the innuendo and go on. "Yeah, I come here a lot. Most of the girls do. The touristy bars are up on Bourbon Street and usually we only see locals in here." "Did you know a young man named Chris MacKenzie who was murdered recently?" "Yeah, I did. Real shame. Nice young kid." "Did Chris have a.....uh, boyfriend?" Ike just laughed. "It's o.k. Agent Mulder, we won't be offended by the term. No, Chris had a steady lover who recently moved to D.C. for a job. As far as I know he wasn't seeing anyone." Ike yelled over Mulder's shoulder. "Hey Ken! Come over here, baby." The bartender that had waited on Mulder walked back over toward them. Scully walked over from the table to see what was going on since it was obvious that her attempted revenge had fallen a little flat. "Ken, this is Agent Mulder, he's investigating Chris's murder." Mulder and Ken shook hands. "This is my partner, Special Agent Scully. Ken, I was just asking Ike if Chris had been seeing anybody new." "No, his lover, Kevin, just moved to Washington D.C. and the poor baby was all depressed about it. I never saw him with anyone new. He usually came in here for a few drinks after he got off work over at the Bourbon-Orleans Hotel." "You were pretty close to him then?" asked Scully. Ken shook his head. "No, not really. He came to some of the parties and he was in here quite a bit, but I wouldn't say we were close." "How about you Ike?" "Nah, Mulder. He was a young kid. I hang with the grownups, mostly. Men your age, actually." Scully grinned while Mulder shuffled his feet a little and blushed. "Relax, straight boy, I'm just playin' with ya." Even Mulder smiled at that one. "Do either of you know anyone who may have been close to Chris?" asked Scully. "Why? Are they under suspicion?" Ken did not want to get any of his patrons in trouble. "Probably not. We are just trying to establish what happened to Chris that night. We know that he left work and came here. After he left here the file is blank. We don't know his movements between the time he left here and the murder." Ken stared at Mulder for a second. "O.K. Agent Mulder. See that guy over there?" Ken turned and pointed to a young man sitting alone on the other side of the bar. "That's Gary. He and Chris were pretty tight. I have to warn you though, he is shit-faced. He was devastated by Chris's murder." "Thank you, gentlemen. This is my card with my cell phone number. I want you to call me at any time, if you think of anything that may help with this investigation." Mulder handed a card to both Ike and Ken. Ike placed one hand over his heart and fanned his face with Mulder's card. "Oh, darlin' I will be sure to call." Mulder leaned toward Ike. "You do that....." he said, in his most sultry voice. Ike looked shocked and Scully's jaw dropped open again as Mulder turned and sauntered around the bar toward Gary. Scully and Ike looked at each other for a second. "Young lady, if I were you, I would *not* let him run around unaccompanied in here. He's just so......." Ike was speechless. Scully nodded and hurried after Mulder. She caught up with Mulder just as he reached Gary, who looked up as Mulder approached. "Oh god. This is mah lucky day." Gary was noticeably drunk. He grinned stupidly at Mulder like he was a vision from heaven. Suddenly, Mulder's view of Gary was obstructed by the man sitting two stools away from him standing up. He turned toward Mulder and smiled, also slightly drunk. "What do you want with that boy when you could have a man like me? He's just a baby......." At that moment, Ken skipped to that end of the bar. And loudly, in a singsong voice: "Straight boy, George, straight boy! Give it up, baby." George sighed heavily and sat back down, clearing Mulder's path once again. Scully decided that maybe they should have cases in New Orleans more often. This was too much fun. Ken introduced the two agents to the inebriated Gary. "Gary, these are Agents Mulder and Scully with the F.B.I. They are investigating Chris's murder." Scully and Mulder flipped open their badges for Gary to see. At the mention of Chris' name, Gary's face fell and he looked down into his beer. When he looked up again, he had tears in his eyes and was suddenly sobered. Scully decided to take the lead. "Gary, I am very sorry about your friend. Can we ask you a few questions?" Gary nodded and Scully sat down on the stool next to him while Mulder stood at her elbow. "Gary, were you here three nights ago, the night Chris was murdered?" asked Scully gently. "Yeah, I was here. Chris came in after work and had a drink with me. That was the last time I saw him." A tear ran down Gary's face which he wiped off with a napkin. "Did he only have one drink?" Mulder asked. Gary nodded. "He was getting kinda tired of the party scene. It was wearing him out, with his work schedule and all. So he had one drink and went home." "About what time was this? Are you sure he went home?" Scully gave Mulder a look that clearly said *take it easy*. "I think it was around ten. I can only assume he headed home." "Did he have any places that he stopped regularly? Like for coffee or anything that you know of?" Gary shook his head again. "I don't think so. He usually just walked up to Canal, hopped the streetcar and went home." Mulder handed Gary one of his business cards. "Gary, we will probably be in touch with you to ask you some more questions. Can you write your phone number on this card? And here is one for you to keep. Please call us if you think of anything that may help us find who did this to your friend. Anybody new that he had met or any new places he had gone recently....anything, no matter how insignificant. O.K.?" Mulder took the card that Gary handed back to him and shook his hand. "Thanks for your help, Gary." Mulder turned to leave and Scully shook Gary's hand. "We'll find the person who killed your friend, Gary." Gary smiled at her weakly. "Just make sure you put the bastard away." **************************** CHAPTER 5 The Ramada Inn, Room 617 St. Charles Avenue March 21, 1998. 7:00 a.m. Mulder was lying in bed watching CNN. Well, he wasn't really watching CNN, he was thinking about Scully. He'd had more fun last night than he'd had in the last ten years combined. Which was rather odd, when he thought about it. It wasn't like they had *done* anything other than wander aimlessly up and down Bourbon Street and conduct an interview regarding the case. He snickered when he thought about their conversation after leaving Good Friends bar. <<"Scully, you don't think I *look* gay, do you?" "Mulder, that is a very stereotypical thing to say. Not all gay men *look* gay." "Humor me, Scully. The guys in there obviously thought I was gay" "Mulder! You walk into a gay bar and the guys might just assume that you are gay! And no, you do not look *gay*, whatever that means" "But I was with you so why would they think I was gay?" At this point Scully looked decidedly uncomfortable. Mulder got it. "You set me up, didn't you Scully." Scully just smiled at him. "I didn't tell everyone who asked that you were straight. They only asked if you were available. And I said yes." "Everyone? Everyone who asked? Did a lot of men ask if you were my date?" Scully nodded. "Wow. Cool." Scully raised an eyebrow. "Why cool, Mulder?" "Well, at least I know *someone* is interested in me. I don't do nearly that well in a regular bar." Scully was incredulous. "Oh, Please! I left you for five minutes at Pat O's and you had a blond all over you." "She was *not* 'all over' me, Scully. She was probably drunk.......or a professional. Geez, Scully, if I didn't know better I would say you were jealous." Scully smiled at him again. "And if I didn't know better, I would say you were looking to get your ego stroked." Scully jerked her head toward Bourbon Street. "Let's go, straight boy." "O.K. G-woman, where to?" After that they had stopped at Marie Laveau's Voodoo shop where Mulder had bought Scully a Gris-gris bag for luck. Then Scully had made him pose for a picture under The Condom Company sign. He hated disposable cameras. It was amazing what a couple of daiquiris could do. They had slowly wandered back toward Canal Street and the hotel. Mulder looked at the alarm clock and realized it was time to get up and go to the police station. He padded across the room and into the bathroom to take a shower. ***************** In the next room, Scully heard Mulder's shower turn on as she was looking over the case file. This case was going to be something else. It had Mulder written all over it. The local P.D. had not been able to turn up much in the way of physical evidence or suspects. It appeared that the killer was exceptionally careful. Either that or the P.D. and the coroner were incompetent. She had heard all the stories about the N.O.P.D and the corruption that was running rampant. She sighed and turned back to the beginning of the file. This was the type of case he immersed himself in totally. ******************* 4th Precinct, N.O.P.D. Same Day, 9:00 a.m. Alex was sitting at her desk in the detectives bull pen going over the murder case that had been pegged the Garden District Murders by the press. The F.B.I. was supposed to show up at any time and she wanted to be fully prepared. Her partner, Patrick Monahan, had gotten the flu and would not be helping her for a few days. This meant that it was going to be two against one, since Joe simply refused to assign anyone else. She rested her head in her hand and sighed deeply. Just then her least favorite detective sauntered over to her desk. "Hey, Alex, how about we have dinner tonight? I was thinking Mulate's. We could do some dancing afterwards." Alex just stared at Michael Edwards like he had a hole in his head. He asked her out at least once a week and she always said no. Alex knew she was reasonably attractive but this was ridiculous. The man would not take a hint. He was an attractive man, medium height, blond hair, blue eyes. He just didn't do anything for Alex. He seemed.......slimy. "Thank you, Michael, but I have plans for this evening." "What do you do with your time, Alex. I mean....." "I would love to continue this conversation, but I think the Fibbies just arrived." Alex and Michael watched as a pair of well dressed, attractive, obvious F.B.I. agents showed their badges to the desk sergeant. The desk sergeant pointed in Alex's direction and the agents headed her way. "Good lord, what a babe. There is no way she is an F.B.I. agent." Alex glared at him. "Just because she is a woman, an attractive woman, there is absolutely no reason why she shouldn't be a very effective F.B.I. agent. Now get the hell away from my desk." Alex, to put it mildly, was pissed. "Jesus, you don't even know her. I was just joking around." Michael whispered. "That's not the point, you are being a sexist pig." Alex whispered back. Michael glared at her and opened his mouth to argue with Alex and tell her she was being overly harsh. "Excuse me, but are we interrupting something?" Mulder asked. He got the feeling that he and Scully had just walked in on a fight of some sort. "No, you aren't interrupting anything. My name is Alex DuMont. I am in charge of the investigation into the murders that brought you here." Alex shook hands with Mulder and Scully. "I'm Agent Mulder and this is my partner, Special Agent Dana Scully." Mulder appraised Detective DuMont. She was about 5'5", not as short as Scully, and slim, with blond hair and flashing green eyes. Her hair was up in a knot on her head and she was wearing wire rim glasses. She looked angry. "Well, Agent Mulder, Agent Scully what do you say we commandeer a conference room and go over what we have on the murders. I don't know what you hope to find, we have covered everything pretty thoroughly and there isn't anything to find." Scully took in Alex's posture, arms crossed over chest, and her comments and realized that this was not going to be a cooperative effort. Unless she and Mulder could do something to put Alex at ease. Which meant that she needed to prevent Mulder from opening his mouth for a few minutes. Then Mulder shocked her. "Detective DuMont I am sure you have done a great job. I have read the file thoroughly and it looks like you have covered everything. We are just here to help you solve this case. How about you show us the crime scenes? We can talk while we drive and this will help Scully and myself familiarize ourselves with the area." He gave Alex his best smile. Scully was surprised. Scully saw DuMont's face relax a little and she grudgingly nodded her head. "Just let me tell my Lieutenant that you have arrived and fill him in on what we are doing. Then we can go." Alex walked across the room and knocked on a door. Mulder turned to Scully and noticed a small smirk on her face. "What?" "This is a first Mulder. You actually placated local law enforcement instead of pissing them off." Mulder put on his wounded face. Then he leaned over and whispered to her. "You must be a good influence on me." "How's come it's taken five years?" Scully whispered back and Mulder chuckled. "You aren't up to something, are you Mulder?" Scully thought it best not to voice that particular concern. "Nah, Scully, I'm just in a good mood. Did I tell you I had fun last night?" Just then Alex came jogging out of the lieutenants office. "There's been another murder. Let's go." Alex wanted to get to the crime scene in a hurry before people walked all over the evidence. ********************* Woldenberg Park Same Day, 9:35 a.m. Mulder walked carefully around the crime scene. Police officers had cordoned off the area, keeping spectators and the press away. The victim, Eric Hamilton, lay under a small stand of trees, his pants around his ankles. His wallet had still been in his pants pocket, allowing them to identify him. His head was turned to the side and a wound to the neck was clearly visible. Scully was bent over the body, giving it a cursory look. Alex was questioning the man who had found the body and had called the police. Mulder was looking through the young man's wallet as Scully and Alex came walking over to him. He pulled out an electronic key card with the words "Doubletree" printed on one side. "Well, I guess we'd know where he was staying. We better go question the people at the hotel and see if he was traveling with anyone." Alex and Scully both shook their heads. "I am going to do the autopsy, Mulder, there has got to be some kind of physical evidence we can use to go on." Mulder nodded as Alex gaped. "*You* are going to do the autopsy? I don't think that's a good idea. Our M.E. is perfectly capable......." Scully interrupted her. "I am a forensic pathologist for the F.B.I. The M.E. is perfectly welcome to assist me in the autopsy, in fact, I would like to question him about the previous victims." Alex grimaced. Harold, the M.E. was not going to be happy about this. "I am sorry, Agent Scully, I wasn't aware of your background. Well, I need to question the man who found the body and I want to look closely for more physical evidence, so maybe the three of us could split up?" Mulder was starting to get mildly irritated by Detective DuMont's decision making but decided that it would be best to avoid starting a turf war. Besides, he could cover more ground more quickly by himself and he would be able to think. Mulder had the feeling that the detective would be arguing with him every step of the way. Based on past experience, Mulder knew that only Scully could argue with him productively. "Fine, you do that and I'll go to the hotel. Perhaps when you are done here we could meet at the first crime scene." "Agent Mulder, I don't know what you expect to find at the old crime scenes. Those trails are cold." This man was getting on her nerves. Didn't he know she was in charge here? "Listen, Detective, I need to look at all the crime scenes. I am not looking for physical evidence, necessarily. I am trying to get a feel for the killer, why he or she picks the victims, if there is a pattern in the locations of the bodies, things like that. Now if you don't want to accompany me that's perfectly o.k. by me." Scully could tell that Mulder was getting pissed off. She decided that it was time to interject before this got out of hand. "Mulder, why don't you go to the hotel. Detective, you can wrap up the crime scene and then maybe you could call Mulder on his cell phone, compare notes and decide if you need to meet up with him. I will conduct the autopsy and will call both of you when I am finished. We can all meet back at the station this afternoon and go over the case to date." Mulder and Alex both nodded. "Scully, you keep the car, the Doubletree is within walking distance from here. Call me if you find anything. Later, detective." With that, Mulder walked away in the direction of Canal Street. Alex sighed heavily as she watched Mulder's retreating form. She looked at Scully, who was also watching Mulder with a small smile on her face. "Is he always like that, Agent Scully?" Scully frowned. "Like what, detective? It seemed to me that you were being rather territorial and argumentative." "This is my case...." "We don't care who gets the credit, detective. As far as we are concerned you can have it all. You can talk to the press and tell them whatever you like. Mulder is the best profiler in the F.B.I. and I would think you would be grateful for his help. The sooner we solve this case, the sooner we leave and go back to D.C." Scully crossed her arms over her chest and, to her surprise, the detective smiled. "Look, Agent Scully, I didn't mean to offend you. I am just stressed out, what with my partner having the flu and my case load. It is just important to me to solve this case. I am still trying to prove myself, here." Just then the M.E. arrived and Scully turned to go help him with the body. She looked back at Alex. "Let's try to work together, detective, and solve this case before anyone else gets killed." Scully smiled. "And I'm not offended." "Please call me Alex, Agent Scully." "I'm Dana, Alex." They both nodded to each other and went about their to conduct their respective tasks. ********************* Mulder walked quickly past the Aquarium and toward Canal Street. The Doubletree Hotel was visible directly in front of him. He was perfectly content with the way things had worked out. He planned to get this questioning out of the way quickly, so he could head out to the other crime scenes. He also wanted to compile a list of streetcar drivers that had been on duty during the period of time that Chris MacKenzie had ridden it. Three days had passed since that murder and he couldn't understand why no one had already done this. At least Mulder assumed he had gotten on it like his friend said he usually did. He was found in Audubon Park, not far from St. Charles Avenue so it stood to reason that he had ridden it. He just never made it home. ***************** Woldenberg Park Same Day, 11:30 a.m. Alex had been over the park from one end to the other and had not found a thing. Not that she was surprised in the least. She supposed she should call Mulder and see what he was up to. She was, however, much more curious as to how Dana was doing on the autopsy. She thought it over and came to the conclusion that she would learn more from Dana and maybe it would give her a leg up on Mulder. She had an abiding desire to thwart his solving this case. It was *her* case........hers. Unfortunately, she also had other cases that demanded her attention. Mulder was on his own, there was no sense in her going back over well trodden ground. She knew he wouldn't find anything. ******************* St. Charles Street Car at Lee Circle Same Day, Same Time Mulder had left the Doubletree Hotel and decided to take the streetcar to the end of the line. That way he could talk to the foreman in charge of the streetcars and visit the second crime scene which was only a couple of blocks from there. He was slightly frustrated. After the hotel manager had finally figured out who Eric Hamilton was registered with, Mulder had gone upstairs to talk to the two boys sharing his room. They had been sound asleep and didn't even realize, in their hungover state, that their friend had never come back to the room. He cringed as he remembered breaking the news to them. Both had been stunned and crying when he had left the room. He related too well to the both of them. They were blaming themselves, they hadn't stuck with their friend and now he was dead. To make matters worse, they couldn't help him at all. They had both been drunk. They were fairly certain that they had been at Pat O'Briens shortly before he and Scully had shown up there last night. They didn't recall Eric talking to anyone, only that he had said he needed some air. When he didn't come back they figured he got lucky. It was Bourbon Street, after all. He thought over what he *did* have. Four young men, all under the age of 22. No consistent physical appearance, not even a consistent sexual preference. He had ascertained that Eric Hamilton had been straight. At least as far as his friends knew. There was no consistent location type. One behind a church, one behind a bar, two in parks......parks in different parts of the city. All had had sex just prior to their deaths which appeared to be consensual. In this case, he was fairly certain that looks were deceiving. All had been exsanquinated. Of course, Mulder was well aware that other, all too human, people had mind control powers. Mulder had the beginnings of a profile swirling in his head. He was confident that Scully would find a crucial piece.....she had too, because he didn't have much to go on otherwise. As the streetcar moved up the tracks, Mulder found his mind wandering. Mulder's thoughts came to a screeching halt. Mulder felt his previously good humor fading. The streetcar operator signaled the end of the line, jerking Mulder out of his thoughts. He went forward to speak to the operator. "I am Special Agent Fox Mulder with the F.B.I. and I am in town investigating a series of murders." he said as he flipped open badge. "Do you ever work nights?" "Nah, man. I only work days. Everybody usually works the same shift on the streetcars, man." "The street car station is just two blocks over, right?" The man nodded. "Is your foreman or the man in charge working right now?" "Yeah, man. Gus O'Malley, he's the man you wanna speak to." Mulder thanked him and got off the streetcar, heading in the direction of the streetcar shop. Fifteen minutes later, with the list of streetcar operators and their phone numbers in his pocket, Mulder walked the block over to Maple Street to begin his survey of crime scenes. ********************* Orleans Parish Morgue March 21, 1998, 1:45 p.m. Scully had finally wrapped up the autopsy on Eric Hamilton. The medical examiner had shown her where everything was and was not at all put out by Scully's presence. He actually seemed grateful for her help. She had discovered a couple of things that were not previously indicated on the autopsy reports of the other victims. She needed to interview the medical examiner. Just as she was preparing to do that very thing, the door opened and Alex walked in. "You find anything, Dana?" Alex inquired. Scully wondered why she wasn't with Mulder. "Not much, really. Come with me while I talk to the medical examiner." As Scully and Alex walked out into the hallway, Scully had to ask. "Why aren't you with Agent Mulder?" Alex looked at her, surprised. "Well, I figured he could handle this on his own and I need to go back to the station. I have had a break in another case and I need to go deal with that. We can meet up this afternoon and compare notes. Although, I found nothing at the crime scene, I'm sorry to say." Scully was highly confused by Alex's attitude. One minute she was extremely territorial, the next she was leaving Mulder to his own devices. She wondered what the story behind Alex's behavior was. Scully walked into the autopsy bay where the medical examiner was working on a different case. He looked up as Alex and Scully walked into the room. "Well, how'd it go, Agent Scully?" "I just wanted to ask you a few questions, sir." Scully paused. "Did you find anything in the other autopsies that indicated the sex of the assailant?" "Well, I assumed that the assailant was a male based simply on the nature of the crime. However, I found nothing to indicate whether it actually was a male." Scully frowned. "Most serial killers are male, but this doesn't seem quite right." Scully had found residue on the victim's genitals that indicated he had been wearing a condom. The autopsy showed that he had ejaculated, but very little was found on the body, also indicating condom use. This aspect, for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on, was bothering her. She needed to go over this with Mulder. He had a way of coming up with unusual, and accurate, explanations. She told the medical examiner what she had found. "You didn't find any other trace evidence, Harold?" "No, Agent Scully. The problem with this type of case in New Orleans, especially in March, is that if a body is left outside for any period of time it is bound to get rained on. The first two victims were found approximately 12 to 15 hours after they were murdered. The third victim was found about 8 hours after death." The M.E. shook his head. "The third victim was sheltered somewhat by a magnolia tree and it had not rained but there still was a rather significant lack of trace evidence. This killer is very fastidious......or just knows how to clean up afterward." "Well, thanks for your time Harold. Hopefully, I won't need your facilities again." She smiled and made her way out the door, Alex trailing behind her. "What do you think, Dana?" "Bizarre case. I need to confer with Mulder. Although I am sure he will have plenty of equally bizarre theories." She smiled slightly. She was actually looking forward to it, for a change. Alex was studying her closely. "But Dana, what do *you* think. Don't you want to tell me without running it by Mulder?" Scully bristled. "*I* think that we have a serial killer of undetermined sex, most likely male. Age 25 to 35, extremely fastidious.....covering his....or her, tracks. That's really all I have since you have found nothing at the crime scene and I have not talked to Mulder yet." Scully frowned at the detective. "We are working as a team here, Alex. All parts of the team have to compare notes in order to formulate a cohesive opinion." "Dana, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to piss you off. I was just curious what you thought of the case so far." Scully relaxed somewhat and her stomach growled. Alex smiled. "Look, I need to go back to the station and then I need to question a suspect on another case. That will probably take the rest of the afternoon. Why don't you get some lunch, meet with Mulder and we'll all get together at the station first thing in the morning." Scully raised her eyebrows. "You mean we aren't going to work half the night?" "Welcome to the Big Easy, Dana." ************************** CHAPTER 6 4th Precinct, N.O.P.D. New Orleans, Louisiana March 21, 1998, 3:00 p.m. Dana walked back into the police station and headed for the conference room that was to serve as an office for her and Mulder. He, of course, was nowhere to be seen. She had stopped at Mother's on the way back to the station and decided that she could live on New Orleans cuisine. The jambalaya was to die for. She was not surprised that the place had been packed with cops, since Alex had recomended it. Alex. Scully thought Alex was all right, but there was something about her that bothered her. She couldn't put her finger on it, just a nagging feeling in the back of her head. She decided that she was becomming irrational on the subject. Alex didn't even *like* Mulder. Scully gave up. Alex seemed very nice, as long as you didn't trample on *her* turf. Scully could relate to being a female in a male dominated occupation. Scully's cell phone chirped, putting an end to that train of thought. "Scully." "It's me Scully. You done with that autopsy yet?" "I just got back to the station. Where are you?" "I'm at the streetcar shop waiting for the nightshift to show up. I want to interview the operators to determine if Chris saw anyone or talked to anyone on his way home. If he rides it every night they ought to recognize him." "But Mulder, if he rides it every night who's to say they will remember specifically the night he was killed. It is a long shot, don't you think?" "Well, Scully, unless you found something in your autopsy, we don't have much else to go on. *Did* you find anything on the autopsy?" Mulder crossed his fingers. "Not a lot, Mulder. It rained at some point after Eric Hamilton was killed. But I did manage to determine that he had been wearing a condom. He was missing 4 liters of blood, apparently removed through the jagged puncture wounds in his neck. The wounds are consistent with human teeth, sharp human teeth. There was no saliva or other bodily fluids not belonging to Eric anywhere on the body. This killer was very careful. He made sure to clean up any trace evidence on the body, including the condom. Alex found nothing in the park at all." "Well Scully, it looks like our vampire has a knowlege about forensic evidence and DNA matching." Scully could hear the grin in Mulder's voice but she gave her opinion anyway. "Mulder, there are no such thing as vampires. I will agree that the killer knows something about forensic evidence, but with the accessibility of the internet, not to mention television shows like E.R. or even Court TV that isn't saying a whole lot." "You also said 'he' Scully." "You think this killer is a she? Aren't most serial killers male?" "Yes and yes. Think about it, Scully. It doesn't quite make sense that the killer was male. Only one of our victims was homosexual, the rest were apparently heterosexual. There was no sign of a struggle. But even if they were all gay, why would they wear condoms? They showed no signs of sodomy. If a man was going to seduce or rape these young men, it is most likely that there would be evidence of sodomy, if that is what his M.O. was. If he had some other preference, say oral sex, the victim would not be wearing a condom, it would reduce the killer's thrill. Now if the killer is a woman, she could seduce the young men easily. She is obviously cognizant of the value of trace evidence, hence the condom. Either that or she is very wary of disease. Of course if she really is a vampire she wouldn't be worried about AIDS and other STDs." Mulder took a deep breath and waited. "But Mulder, the same characteristics could apply to a man. Maybe the killer is a male who is very fastidious or conscious of forensic evidence. You also know that young men that age are not likely to admit to homosexuality to their straight friends. Let's assume for a minute that the killer is a female. How do you explain Chris? He was openly gay and not likely to be seduced by a woman." "Ahhhh, Scully, that's the clincher. Vampires are believed to have powers of suggestion and the ability to coerce their victims, holding them in thrall against their will." Mulder grinned into the phone. "Didn't you ever watch Dracula, Scully?" Scully smiled in spite of herself. "Mulder, are you coming back here anytime soon?" "Well, this may take a while. Why don't you join me. That way it will go faster and then we can go to dinner." Scully held the phone away from her head and looked at it like it might bite her. "Are you suggesting that we knock off before ten o'clock at night? And actually go out to dinner?" Mulder laughed. "Welcome to the Big Easy, Agent Scully." ****************** St. Charles Streetcar Shop March 21, 1998, 3:30 p.m. Scully pushed open the door to the shop and found Mulder sitting with his feet up on a desk across from a small, wizened black man who also had his feet up on the desk. There were piles of sunflower seed husks on both sides of the desk and both men were snickering. Scully cleared her throat and Mulder's feet came off the desk and landed on the floor with a thud. "Hey, Scully." "This your partner? Weeellllll, now that's a fine lookin' woman, boy." The little man got up and walked over to Scully and stretched out his hand. "Clayton Jefferson, miss. I keep this shop running smoothly. Lookit dat beautiful hair you've got." Scully smiled and shook Clayton's hand. "So what have you been up to, Mulder?" "Just waiting for the night shift to start coming in. We'll show them the picture of Chris and maybe we'll get lucky." Mulder rubbed his hands together. "Then we can go eat." "How many operators work the night shift?" "Well, miss, the 4 to midnight shift has 8 operators. There are more than that on the weekends but they are different employees. I assume that you want the weeknight ones?" Mulder and Scully nodded. "Then, after midnight, the streetcars only run once an hour, so we only have three. These same three work during the week, with a different three on the weekend." At that point, a man and a woman walked into the shop and headed for the time clock. Clayton called them over and introduced them to Mulder and Scully. ***************** 45 Minutes Later Mulder and Scully had questioned all the drivers with limited success and were sitting in the car, outside the shop. "Well, Scully, what do you think?" Scully looked at him quizzically. "I think we have 5 streetcar drivers who recognize Chris because he rode the streetcar nearly every night. All 5 are well aware of his sexual orientation from seeing him with his boyfriend on several occasions. Unfortunately, they don't remember seeing him talk to anyone on the night he was murdered." "What about the guy who said that he thought Chris got off on the wrong stop?" "Mulder, he wasn't sure which night that was. And besides, if none of them remember him talking to anyone it doesn't really matter." "You're right, I am reaching. It's just that this case is damn frustrating. We just don't have a lot to go on and I hate waiting for her to screw up." "I take it you didn't get anything from visiting the previous crime scenes?" "Not really, except for the fact that the killer probably lives in the area." Scully raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?" "Well, except for the last murder, where the victim was found downtown near the river, all the victims were found in the vicinity of the streetcar line. Although, I admit, I am reaching again." Scully looked thoughtful. "Well, you are, but it isn't that bad of a reach. I mean, the streetcar is a well used mode of transportation by natives and tourists alike. It would be easy for the killer to ride it and pick victims. Then get off at the same time and follow them until the time was right." "True, Scully, but that doesn't explain Eric Hamilton. But maybe the killer was getting desperate for someone to fit their profile and decided that the fastest course of action was the Quarter." "Do you see an obvious pattern, Mulder?" "Only that they are all young men. Maybe there is a personality trait that the killer is interested in, maybe she just sees something she likes, maybe a combination of the two." Mulder's stomach growled loudly and he made a face. "Are you skipping meals again, G-man?" Scully said with a stern look. Mulder gave her a guilty look and started the car. ****************** 2209 Maple Street March 21, 1998, 6:00 p.m. Clarice was curled like a cat on the couch in the front room of her half of the double shot gun house. She stretched and yawned, thinking over what she had learned earlier. Clarice's thirst had been steadily growing. Blood was a drug, a very addictive drug, as was power and control. She was becoming addicted. She laughed to herself. She had barely been able to contain herself when she had found out, thanks to her *friend,* that there was an F.B.I. agent named Fox who had a red haired partner. She shivered thinking about him, becoming aroused. She considered her options, realizing that the very real possibility existed that she would have to leave New Orleans. Especially if she managed to snare the Fox. She had moved before, due to necessity. Clarice had grown up in San Francisco and had lived happily there until circumstances dictated that it was time for a new city. New Orleans seemed like the perfect town for a woman like herself and she loved it. As she lay there a plan slowly formulated in her head. She knew what to do. She walked back to her bedroom and selected her dark brown wig, then pulled out black leggings, a black turtle neck and a cap. ********************* Ramada Inn St. Charles Avenue Same Day, 7:30 p.m. Mulder and Scully walked out the front entrance of the hotel and headed across Jackson Avenue to the little dive bar, Igor's. "What are we doing here, Mulder?" Scully looked around and noted all the customers appeared to be locals. "I wanna get something to drink while we wait for the streetcar. You want to share a beer?" The barmaid came over and Mulder ordered a Turbo Dog to go. "Turbo Dog, Mulder?" "Yeah, a local beer. I liked the name." He took a sip and handed the cup to Scully. She looked at the beer, then she sniffed it and then she cautiously took a sip. She nodded her head and gave the cup back to Mulder, smiling. "Not bad, kinda bitter but I like it." Just then they heard a streetcar, headed uptown, rumble past. "Well, Scully, that was our ride. Now we have to wait 15 minutes for the next one." "We could drive, you know." Mulder got a shocked look on his face which gradually transformed into a pout. "That's no fun, Scully. Besides, what if we decide to get wasted and can't drive?" This was said with a big grin and Scully just laughed. "You are really getting into this whole New Orleans ambiance, aren't you?" He nodded, happily. "You wanna play pool?" he asked, hopefully. Scully smiled at him again. "How 'bout we just go sit outside at the tables on the sidewalk and watch for the next streetcar." "Can we play pool after dinner?" Scully was starting to feel like his mother, but she was finding him so endearing that she couldn't help but smile. "If you are a good boy and eat all your veggies." She turned him around and started pushing him towards the door. "Where are we eating Mulder?" As much as the dive bar/local hangout atmosphere of the bar was starting to appeal to her, she was hungry. And waiting at the tables outside in the warm, humid, springtime air seemed.......romantic. She decided that starvation was making her insane. ******************* Igor's St. Charles Avenue Same Day, Same Time Clarice had positioned herself at the sidewalk tables outside Igor's so she could watch the entrance to the Ramada. She had just sat down when she saw *him* come out of the hotel with his hand on the back of his *partner*. She tensed and watched as he started to guide Scully in the direction of Igor's. Clarice picked up her drink and walked into the bar. She moved toward the back and went up the stairs to the small second floor area that housed another pool table. From there she had a perfect view of the entire bar, with the exception of the pool tables directly below her. She watched Mulder and Scully enter the bar. He was smiling down at her, telling her something. He bought a beer and was sharing it with her. Soon, they were both smiling and talking and having fun. Clarice wanted to tear Scully's eyes out and feed them to her. Then Scully turned him around and started pushing him towards the door and Clarice almost went over the railing. Clarice slipped down the staircase and moved toward the front of the bar. Next to the doorway was an alcove with tables in front of french doors that were open and overlooked the sidewalk. There was a wrought iron railing across the outside of the bar, like you would see on a balcony, that prevented the doors from being used for anything other than air circulation. From this alcove she could listen to Mulder and Scully talk, if she was careful to position herself so she wasn't visible from the outside. "Where are we going to eat, Mulder? I'm starving." "What?!? *The* Dana Katherine Scully who confessed to a "huge" bowl of jambalaya no more than four hours ago?" She scowled at him. "Scully, I'm just teasing. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say you're starving. Just for that I am taking you to a place that will stuff you to the gills." He grinned. "And I'm gonna make you eat dessert." "Mulder, I am falling in love with Cajun food.....just tell me it's Cajun." "Actually, I thought we'd go to Figaro's which is this great Italian place down in the area where St. Charles turns into Carrolton Avenue. But if you really want cajun....." "No, that sounds good too, actually. Do they have tables outside?" "Yeah, why? You suddenly have the urge to be outside all the time?" "Well, besides the fact that our office is in the *basement*, it is the air here. The atmosphere is just so...." she didn't know how to end that sentence. "Romantic?" Mulder finished for her. And then cringed inwardly. He watched for Scully's reaction to his faux pas. "Yes, actually, it is." It was Mulder's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Well......uh, oh, here comes a streetcar!" He picked up the beer and drank two big gulps out of the cup. "Come on Scully, chug it, we can't take it on the streetcar." To his complete amazement, Scully took the cup and swallowed the remaining beer. He grabbed her hand and dragged her across the street to the car stop. "What was that all about? I shouldn't have drunk that fast, I may throw up." Mulder laughed. "It's called the "Streetcar chug", Scully. I think it is against the law to waste alcohol in this town, you know." "Are you trying to get me drunk, Agent Mulder?" she said with a smile. She was starting to like the inuendo game. "You mean it only takes half a beer? Cheap date." He smiled at her and waited for her to climb up onto the streetcar. "I'll have to remember that." was mumbled quietly under his breath as he climbed up behind her. ********************** Clarice watched them get on the streetcar. She debated on following them. She could do nothing as long as he was with Scully. So, that meant that she might as well wait for them to come back and hope for an opportunity. She didn't think she could stomach watching the two of them enjoy each other's company any more. They looked almost like a married couple. Clarice intended for them to get a divorce......and soon. ********************** Figaro's Maple Street Same Evening, 8:15 p.m. "Mulder, this is wonderful." Scully enthused around a mouthful of fresh baked bread dripping in herbed olive oil. Mulder watched in fascination. He didn't think he had seen her eat like this since that rib joint. That seemed like eons ago. They were sitting outside under large umbrellas. There were candles on the tables and the place was fairly packed with couples. Scully watched as Mulder looked around the place. He was very quiet and thoughtful. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about, which was rather unusual. He was wearing a black, short sleeved shirt with black pants. The shirt was unbuttoned at the top and she could see dark, curly hairs on his chest. He was fiddling with his fork with his lower lip slightly protruding. Mulder looked up suddenly and caught her staring. "What?" "I was just wondering why you got quiet all of a sudden. Our unspoken communication is apparently broken right now." He smiled at the reference to their aborted Florida conference of a few months ago. He picked up the wine bottle and poured her some more. "Now it's my turn to serve *you* wine, Scully." "I promise not to ditch you, Mulder." He opened his mouth to protest. "I'm just teasing you Mulder. I know that we were working a case and you had one of your brilliant leaps of logic and had to check it out. Seriously, were you thinking about the case?" "Ah, Scully, we shouldn't talk about the case." "Come on Mulder, you were thinking seriously about *something*....clue me in." Mulder gazed at her and decided to let her have the whole train of thought. "O.K. I was wondering why we never do this, you know, go and just have fun. I was wondering how a non-vampire female could seduce a homosexual man and manage to drain 4 liters of blood from his body without him fighting it. I was also wondering if vampires are around us right now." He took a deep breath and continued. "And I was wondering if she was out there right now, seducing some guy into great sex followed by an erotic death." He did not look happy at that last thought. "You never asked." Mulder looked at her quizzically. "We never go and just have fun because you never asked." There. She said it. That ought to keep his mind off blaming himself for not solving the case as soon as he sets foot in town. Mulder didn't know what to say. It was the sleeping bag comment all over again. He was pretty much screwed either way he went with it. "So, if I called you sometime and said 'Scully, you want to go play pool and drink some beer?' you would go?" "Sure, I would, Mulder. That would be fun. Bet I could kick your ass." She smiled at him. That kind of invitation was pretty harmless and could be taken several ways. "Oh, yeah? You are on, G-woman, you are on." With that, Mulder's quiet mood was broken. Scully was getting good at that. "So, Mulder, tell me a drunken debauchery story about the last time you were here." ********************* Ramada Inn 2 hours later Mulder and Scully had strolled up Maple Street towards Carrollton Avenue and caught the streetcar back to the hotel. Mulder had suggested they go listen to some jazz over at Carrollton Station but after all she had eaten Scully just wanted to sleep. They got off the streetcar early and were walking slowly toward the hotel. "You sure, Scully?" "Mulder we have been working all day and then that huge meal. I am full and sleepy. Aren't you tired?" "Yeah, a little." He was resisting the urge to go into pout mode. He didn't want to go to sleep. He wanted to explore. He wanted to find the killer. He wanted to have some fun with Scully. And he wanted to do it all tonight. Of course, Scully could see it all written on his face. "Mulder, I'm sorry. I really am tired." She laid her hand on his arm. "I know you're anxious about this case, not to mention being in a town you love, but I won't be any good tomorrow if I don't go to bed." Suddenly, Mulder looked stricken. He turned his face towards her and stopped walking. "Scully, you're o.k. aren't you? You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you? You aren't going out of rem..." Scully laid her fingers over his mouth to shut him up. She had forgotten how hurt he had been by everything that had happened not too long ago. It was still so close to the surface for both of them. This was partly her fault for not owning up to how she really felt at times when he asked. He could tell she wasn't "fine". Now he was doubting her. "Mulder, I really am fine. I am still in remission." She smiled gently at him to soften her next words. "Not everybody can go on 3 hours of sleep the way that you can." Mulder looked a little uncertain so she continued. "Listen to me, Mulder. I *promise* that if I don't feel well or if I get sick again, I will tell you. No more I'm fines unless it's true." He smiled at her, but she could tell he was still troubled by the conversation. "You could go over to Igor's and find someone to play pool with Mulder." "Nah, Scully, you're right. I should get some sleep. Besides, I don't want anybody but you kicking my ass at pool." ******************** Same Night, Same Time Clarice had stayed at Igor's the whole time Mulder and Scully were gone. She had started out reading outside and drinking wine. Currently, she was playing chess with a hunky college student. He bore no resemblance to Fox other than hair and eye color, but he was nice looking and relatively intelligent. It was also a good way to pass the time waiting for Fox to come back. Just as she said check, she looked up and saw Mulder and Scully walk into the hotel. She decided to pump the concierge for information. "Hey, Kevin, keep the chess board warm. I am going to run over to the Ramada and use the ladies room." "Why don't you use the ladies room here?" "Have you ever been in the ladies room here?" Kevin shook his head. "Well trust me, you don't want to go in there." She got up and walked the half a block to the entrance of the hotel. She peered in the glass doors and didn't see Mulder or Scully hanging about the lobby. She walked in and sashayed over to the desk, thanking her lucky stars that the person behind the desk was female. "Excuse me, but I was over at Igor's and I saw the most gorgeous guy walk in here with a red head. Could you tell me if they are *together*?" The young woman just looked at her. "Look, I know you aren't supposed to give out any room numbers or anything. I am just looking for a little dish, between us girls, you know?" Clarice stared into her eyes. "Well, they have separate room, but they are next door to each other. I worked last night and noticed that he doesn't appear to sleep. He was down here a couple times. Once he went over to Igor's and got something to drink and another time he just came down and wandered around. I tried talking to him but I struck out." She frowned. "I think he likes the redhead." "Did he say anything when he came in tonight? Is there any chance he may come down again?" Clarice asked these questions in her best pleading voice. The young woman on the other side of the desk felt her pain. A gorgeous man was involved, after all. "Well, I heard him say that if he couldn't sleep he'd go for a run. If you get anywhere with him you owe me details." Clarice just grinned. "Well, I think I'll hold down my outside table at Igor's for awhile longer, then." She gave the girl a wink and sashayed back out the door. ************************* CHAPTER 7 Ramada Inn, Room 617 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana March 22, 2:05 a.m. Mulder tossed and turned. < Mulder was sobbing now, beyond help or comfort. "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!">> "No!!!" Mulder jerked upright in his bed, drenched in sweat with tears running down his face. His breath hitched, hiccupping with the sobs that were still choked in his throat. He rubbed his hands over his face, wiping away the tears. The recurring nightmare still fresh in his mind and all too close to what actually happened. His sleeping habits had only gotten worse since Scully's near death during those horrible days late last year. He got out of bed and pulled on his sweats and a tee shirt. He found himself going for runs in the middle of the night more often than he ever had before. He strapped his gun to his ankle, put on his running shoes, grabbed his room key and headed out the door. ********************* Scully jerked awake at the sound of Mulder's door slamming. She had hoped that Mulder's nightmaring would lessen as they spent more time together. She was well aware that she figured prominently in his nightmares. Scully was often overwhelmed by her desire to take care of him and protect him. All too often, she felt powerless to save him. She slowly drifted back to sleep. ********************* Mulder ran up the center of the median of St. Charles Avenue, in between the two streetcar tracks. He was in his stride. When he ran like this, he thought of nothing. He reached an adrenalin buzz where his mind was focused inward. Breathe in, breathe out, long steady strides. He felt the muscles in his legs working, driving him forward. His lungs were not even fazed yet as he had only gone a half mile. When he reached First Street he turned left and headed into the heart of the Garden District. It was completely dark and dead silent. That was the interesting thing about the Garden District. The near absolute silence of the streets, even during the day, caused the casual wanderer to whisper to his companion for fear of disturbing the peace. He jogged past Anne Rice's house on the corner of First and Camp streets, half expecting to see Lasher standing in the shadows of the yard. And glad when he didn't see him. He turned right at the next block and jogged over to Washington Street. The neighborhood changed from rich mansions to small double shotgun houses and back again. Turning right on Washington, he slowed his pace. Ahead of him were the white plaster walls of Lafayette Number One Cemetery. Mulder slowed to a stop and went up to the gate of the cemetery. He looked through the gates at the above ground crypts, crumbling and decrepit in the moonlight. Mistake number one. He heard a slight scrape behind him. Before he could turn around, stars exploded behind his eyes and he was knocked to the ground. Not quite unconscious, he lay on his back on the ground. He looked up and saw a beautiful woman, her hair covered by a cap, standing over him. Her face grew fuzzy so that he could no longer distinguish her face. The woman crouched down beside him. Clarissa was panting lightly as she crouched beside her Fox. She ran her hand along his jawline and down his throat to his chest. Leaning forward she pressed her lips to his, sucking on his full lower lip. Mulder moaned. He wasn't quite sure what was happening. His vision was blurred and fuzzy. The sucking on his lip was making him crazy. Clarissa was wet from her contact with Fox. Just kissing him was bringing her close to orgasm. She had to regain her composure. The only way this plan of hers would work was to knock him nearly unconscious. This way, she could impart a hypnotic suggestion to him and prevent him from figuring out that she was the killer he was looking for before she was ready to put her new plan into action. She massaged the front of his sweats, cupping his balls while she continued to kiss him. She moaned, plunging her tongue deep into his mouth. She gathered her wits about herself and attempted to complete her mission. She started whispering into his ear. "Fox. You will not remember this. You will not remember me." She continued to whisper to him for a few moments. His eyes were mere slits. She knew he could hear her, she could feel the confusion in him. She wanted him so badly. The possibility of being seen was too high. She also wanted to have him to herself......alone, in a bed. She was falling for him, hard. And she wanted to keep him for awhile. She was half lying on him, fondling and kissing him. She couldn't resist. She slipped her hand beneath the waistband of his sweats and stroked his thickening shaft, her other hand beneath his shirt tweaked one of his nipples. It took all of her will power to not rip his clothes off and impale herself on him. He started to moan again, coming out of it slightly. "Scully?" he moaned. "Scully, please......." He vaguely didn't want Scully to stop what she was doing. He was getting harder by the minute, but the edges of his vision were still fuzzy and dark. Clarice strangle a moan. She grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed his head into the sidewalk. Everything went black. ******************** Ramada Inn, Room 615 Same Night, 4:15 a.m. Scully moaned, softly. A tear leaked out of her tightly shut eyes. << "Time of death 10:20 p.m." "NO!" Scully started screaming as they dragged her away from his body. Suddenly he was sitting at a table in a hospital room pointing a gun at her head. The look on his face broke her heart. "Scul......" was the whisper she heard. He slowly turned the gun away from her and pointed at his own head. He pulled the trigger and his head exploded. "Nononononono........." She heard the shower running in the bathroom. She walked in and slowly pulled back the shower curtain and there he was, alive, and naked. In shock. She reached down, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him out of the tub. She dried him with a towel as he shook so hard that water was flying off of his hair and onto her clothing. She led him out of the bathroom and sat him down on the bed. Then they were running into the warehouse, searching. Flashlights flashed and suddenly there was a girl laying on the ground. Scully was taking care of her and heard a gunshot. She ran and he was laying on the ground under a bloody cross. Unconscious. Bleeding out from a gunshot wound to the leg. Femoral artery. Mulder was kneeling by her hospital bed sobbing, inconsolable. Scully was above her body looking down at him. "This in not fair, God. He has lost everyone that ever mattered to him. You can't take me now......I never told him. He's all alone. He won't survive this." "Yes he will......he is stronger than you think. He will go on, without you." "No, I don't want him to have to.......I want to be with him. I deserve to be with him after everything, God. After all the horrible things, to make me leave now is not right. Look at him. He needs me. Please let me go back to him, please. I can make him happy." "He doesn't need you. Your time is now." "NO! HE NEEDS ME, HE DOES. YOU CAN'T TAKE ME AWAY FROM HIM. HE NEEDS ME!">>>> "He needs me!" Scully sat upright in her bed, tears running down her face, her throat raw. She took deep, gasping breaths trying to get control of her emotions. She sat there quietly, regaining her famous control. She heard people talking, yelling in the hallway. They sounded drunk. She listened for Mulder. Nothing, no noise from his room. She wanted desperately to go check on him. Then she remembered. She picked up the phone and dialed his room number and heard it ring through the receiver and through the wall. It rang four times before it flipped down to the front desk. It rang three times before someone answered. "Front Desk, this is Karen, how can I help you?" "Karen, this is Dana Scully in room 615. I was trying to ring my partners room, 617, and he is not answering. Have you seen him, by chance?" "Well, yes, Miss Scully. He went out......I'd say 2 hours ago......and I never saw him come back in. Does he always run for that long? He looks like a runner, he........" Scully interrupted. "So he was wearing running clothes? Did he talk to you, tell you which way he was going?" Scully had little icicles forming in her stomach. Fear, sudden and irrational, worked it's way into her mind. "Sure, I always chat the good looking ones up. He said he was going to run up the streetcar tracks......which is very common by the way......." "Did he say *anything* else? Anything at all?" Karen was silent for a moment. "You are really worried aren't you? He looked kinda rough, like he hadn't been sleeping. He was wearing gray sweats and a sleeveless t-shirt, dark blue I think. He didn't have a lot to say, like I said he looked rough, sorta upset." Karen paused. "What would you like me to do Ms. Scully? I want to help." "Have someone bring our car around, I have to go look for him. I'll be right down." Scully hung up and jumped out of bed, pulling on some jeans and a sweatshirt. She grabbed her gun, badge and purse. She looked around for a minute and couldn't think of anything else she needed. She dashed out the door and took the stairs to the lobby. "I have got to stop talking to myself." "Did you say something, Miss Scully?" Dana had reached the lobby without realizing it and Karen was looking at her like she had lost it. The late shift valet/night watchman walked through the front door. "Your car is ready, Miss Scully." Dana hesitated. She didn't know where to start. She turned to the Valet. "Do you have any idea where Mulder may have gone for his run?" "Well, he turned and went uptown. He was in the middle of the streetcar line. If I was you, I would drive straight up St. Charles for a ways and see if you spot him. Chances are, if he turned off, he turned to the left. Better neighborhood. He would know that since he's been here before." "You have talked to him?" "Yeah. He couldn't sleep last night after you came back from the Quarter. He came down and we chatted for awhile. Nice guy. Hope he didn't get mugged or anything." He hesitated. "You know miss, he is really into that vampire/witch stuff." "Yes, I know. What did he say?" "Well, we got to talking about Anne Rice. Did you know her main house, the one she based one of her series of books on, is not far from here? Well, we were talking about that house and about the Lafayette No. 1 which is only two blocks over from the house. Yes s ir, Agent Mulder sure is into that weird stuff." "It is possible that he could have run by there. What are the street names?" "The house is on First and Camp. The cemetery is on Washington and Prytania, you can't miss it. Do not go in there at this time of night by yourself. The gates 'll be locked but don't go in there by yourself." Scully nodded. "I have my cell phone. If you have not heard from me in one hour, call the police. I am going to drive up St. Charles past Washington, then I am going to turn around and head up Washington, then up First. After that, if I haven't seen him, I am calling the police and I will meet them here. You got that?" "Why don't you just call the police right now?" asked Karen. "Because it is possible that he is just running and I don't want to embarrass him or myself." ******************** Lafayette No. 1 Washington Street Same Night, Same Time Jake was drunker than shit. He laughed to himself. He stood at the corner of Washington and Prytania trying to decide what to do with himself. It was amazing that he was drunk considering that he didn't have a penny to his name. He thought for a minute. Jake had lost everything. Job, wife, kids......all due to drinking. Now his wife lived in his house just up the street with his kids. He crashed wherever he could. More often than not he found himself going over the wall of Lafayette Number One. It was quiet, not as dangerous as some of the cemeteries in this godforsaken town. It also didn't open for business until 10 a.m. so he could get a few good hours of crash time. He staggered toward the gate of the cemetery. The actual gate was recessed back from the outside wall by about 5 feet. This was due, in part to the great width of the wall itself. Jake remembered that the wall was so wide because that is where they interred the paupers. In the old days, if you didn't have the money for a fancy crypt like a lot of the larger Garden District families, you were laid to rest in the wall. Jake just knew that he would be in the wall some day. Nobody cared for him any more. As he approached the gate he saw a body lying near it. An unmoving body. Jake began to get scared. He stopped dead in his tracks, not approaching. It was a man, that much he could see. Jake felt the fear lessen with his decision that it was just another drunk. It was amazing what he could talk himself into in this state. He walked over to the man and knelt down next to him. He grabbed the man's wrist to see if his heart was beating. He thought he felt something, but then he couldn't even feel his own heart beat at this point. He started looking for some sort of identification. As he was patting the guy down, a car slowly moved past. He tensed up and hoped that it wasn't a cop. He relaxed as the car went on past. Jake pulled a small card out of Mulder's front pocket and as he did, he heard a faint sound and then....... "FREEZE, FEDERAL AGENT! GET AWAY FROM HIM NOW." Jake jumped back and fell, landing on his ass with his arms in the air. Scully was approaching him with her gun drawn and pointed at his head. "Ma'am, I just found him like this I wasn't hurtin' him I swear I just got here myself and I didn't touch him 'cept to see if he was......" "SHUT UP!" Scully was terrified and pissed off, a bad combination. "Get over near the gate and hold up your hands." She walked over to him with her gun trained on him and handcuffed him to the gate, out of reach of Mulder's still form. She patted him down and, finding him clean, knelt down to Mulder. She ran her hand along his neck looking for a pulse. She found it and it was rapid and thready. "Oh Mulder, what have you gotten into, now?" She brushed his hair off of his forehead and checked him over. There was a pain in her chest that wouldn't quit. He wasn't moving. He didn't appear injured but she knew he had to be. She slipped her hand behind his head and felt sticky wetness. She gently pulled her hand away and looked at it. Blood. Mulder's blood. Her heart thudded painfully. He still wasn't moving, not even a moan came from him. She opened her cell phone and dialed 911. She got a busy signal. "A busy signal? A fucking busy signal? What the hell kind of fucking town gives you a busy signal when you dial 911? FUCK." She had to get him to the car, so she grabbed him under the arms and started dragging him. "Hey lady, why don you let me help ya? I dinna hurt him, I foun him like that. I swear." Scully looked him over and debated with herself. "What is your name." "Jake Brigance, ma'am." "Listen to me, Jake. I am Special Agent Dana Scully. I have a gun and I will not hesitate to shoot you if you try anything. This is my partner and I have to get him to a hospital. I am going to uncuff you and you can help me get him to the car. Then we are driving him to the nearest hospital. Do you know where the nearest hospital is?" Jake nodded. Scully uncuffed him and went back to Mulder to grab him under the shoulders. Jake walked over and motioned for her to take his legs. "He is too heavy for you to manage. You would have an easier time with his legs." Scully grabbed Mulder's legs and Jake picked him up by grabbing him under the arms. They slowly maneuvered him toward the car. Jake went to guide him into the back seat. "No. I want him in the front with me." Jake shrugged. "O.K. I just thought he could stretch out in back." Scully shook her head. "I want him with me in front." Jake maneuvered Mulder into the front seat of the car. They got him sitting up and Scully had just strapped him in when Mulder moaned quietly. "Mulder? Can you hear me, Mulder? Please open your eyes." Mulder's eyes opened slightly. He looked at her and whispered. "Scully? What happened? Why did you stop touching me?" His eyes slip shut as he lost consciousness again. "Mulder? Mulder, wake up, please. Mulder, I am touching you." She ran her hand down the side of his face and then pushed his hair off of his forehead. "Dammit." She ran around the front of the car and got into the driver's seat. "Jake, get in. You are directing me to the hospital." ******************* Mercy Hospital Emergency Room March 22, 1998, 7:00 a.m. Mulder stirred quietly. He was slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He could feel the bed sheets under him. He heard hospital noises, which made sense since his head was ready to explode. He was afraid to open his eyes. The pain would be unbearable. Someone was holding his hand. "Mulder? Are you awake?" Scully spoke quietly, knowing that he was going to be in some pain. Mulder opened his eyes, squinting. Scully said a silent prayer, thanking god that once again Mulder had dodged the bullet, figuratively speaking.....this time. She honestly didn't know how many times he could get hit on the head and survive. Her chest tightened painfully. Her relief at his apparent condition was short lived. "Scully, where am I? How did I get here?" "Mulder, you are in the hospital. What is the last thing you remember?" Mulder frowned, then winced, putting his hand to his head. "Um, I walked you to your room and then I went to bed. I guess that hotel is dangerous, eh, Scully?" Scully did not look happy at his revelation. "Mulder...........you went running at about 2 in the morning. I woke up at 4 and tried to call you. When you didn't answer, I found out the direction you had gone and went after you. I found you unconscious from a blow to the head outside the gates of Lafayette Number One. You regained consciousness briefly but then passed out again." "Scully, don't take this the wrong way or anything, I mean I am grateful that you found me and all, but, what made you decide to call me at 4?" Scully grimaced. That would be the one thing that he would pick up on. She hesitated. He would not give up until she told him, that much she knew. "I had heard you go out at 2 but I fell back asleep. I........had a nightmare and.......I wanted to talk to you. I had a feeling you needed me." "Oooo, psychic Scully......." "Mulder, it was just a nightmare." She could tell he was going to be fine by the way he was grinning at her. "So you don't remember anything about being attacked?" "Nadda. I don't even remember running. I suppose that is the cost of a concussion." He grabbed her hand, serious once again. "Do you wanna talk about your nightmare? It may help." "No, I'm fine, Mulder." Mulder withdrew from her, a pained expression crossing his face. "Scully, I am gonna nap here until they let me go, O.K.?" She nodded. "Go to sleep, Mulder. They probably want to keep you for a few more hours. I'll be right here if you need me." His eyes slid shut. He was obviously exhausted. She felt like she had hurt him without meaning to but she didn't feel like she could tell him about her nightmares. They revealed too much. ************************* CHAPTER 8 Mercy Hospital March 22, 1998, 9:05 a.m. Scully sat by Mulder's bed, watching him sleep. She was trying to figure out why someone would bash him over the head and then not steal anything from him. He had still had his gun and hotel room key on him. She initially thought that Jake had attempted to mug him, but upon further questioning she decided that he had happened upon Mulder just like he said he did. She thought about the case they were working on. Just then Mulder's doctor appeared in the doorway. He saw Mulder sleeping and motioned Scully out into the hallway. "What's the verdict, Doctor?" Before he could answer, Alex came jogging up to them, out of breath, her white-blond hair in a unkempt french braid and her glasses sliding down her nose. "What happened to Mulder? Is he o.k.?" Scully was surprised to note a sincere look of concern on Alex's face. "The doctor was just going to fill me in, weren't you doctor?" asked Scully. Doctor Graves nodded. "Mr. Mulder, as you probably determined Doctor Scully, has sustained a rather nice concussion. He should be fine with some bed rest. We would like to keep him here overnight for observation." "No way, I am checking out." Scully jumped at the sound of Mulder's voice just over her shoulder. She turned around and scowled at him. "What are you doing out of bed?" Scully asked in her best doctor voice. She noticed he had his pants in his hand. "Where do you think you are going? The doctor wants you here overnight." "We are in the middle of a murder investigation and I will be just fine." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a wave of dizziness nearly overtook him. He tried to hide it but, of course, Scully noticed. "You are staying here, Mulder. It is only one night and there is nothing else for you to do that I can't handle myself. Now get back in bed before you fall down." Mulder scowled at her but he walked back to the bed and climbed in. Scully was shocked. Alex was quietly watching the whole exchange, not terribly upset that Mulder would be in the hospital for the next 24 hours. She and Scully walked into Mulder's room. "So, Mulder, what happened? I heard you got jumped over by Lafayette Number one."Alex asked, quietly. Mulder grimaced. "I don't know. I don't remember. Scully found me unconscious on the sidewalk. I don't even remember leaving the hotel." Alex looked at Scully. "Any witnesses?" Alex directed this question to Scully, shutting Mulder out. "No, he was found, already unconscious, by a street person. There was apparently no one around." Scully paused, debating on whether to mention her partial theory. Mulder beat her to it. "I think it was the killer." At Mulder's comment, Scully's eyes widened and Alex snorted, loudly. "That is a huge reach and highly unlikely." Alex said, not surprisingly disbelieving. She couldn't believe her ears. Scully shook her head. "Actually, it crossed my mind as well." Alex looked at Scully like she was crazy while Mulder grinned at her, thinking about china patterns again. Then he realized that he shouldn't grin, too painful. "You mean to tell me that in the approximately 36 hours you have been in town, the killer has pegged you two as the people investigating his murders? That's ridiculous!" "Well, when you put it like that, it does sound a little far fetched." replied Scully. Mulder shook his head. "*Her* murders and it is not that far fetched. This case is all over the papers and the killer could have found out some how that we were investigating." "Well, really Mulder, Alex has been investigating this case longer than we have and no one has targeted her. It was probably just random violence." Scully wasn't quite sure she believed that but the odds were that Alex was right. Mulder leaned back against the pillows and sighed. "You will not go back over to Lafayette by yourself, do you understand me Mulder?" Judging by the look on Mulder's face, Scully had hit the nail on the head. "It is a perfectly safe place in the day time and you can be sure that I won't be snuck up on again. Besides, I had every intention of taking you with me." Mulder laughed inwardly at the look of disbelief on Scully's face. "I told you we would see some of my favorite places and that qualifies, Scully." Alex found herself on the outside of the conversation yet again. She cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Mulder. "You said *her* murders?" she asked. Mulder nodded and then grimaced. "I am fairly certain that our killer is female and, quite possibly, a vampire capable of seducing her victims and controlling them enough to drink their blood to the point of death." This pronouncement by Mulder caused Scully put her hand to her forehead and rub it while Alex had the predictable reaction. "You think........you're insane! Vampires! How hard did you get hit on the head? You.....what......." Alex sputtered shaking her head in disbelief. She took a deep breath. "I cannot believe you are serious about this. I get where you came up with the vampire connection, not that I believe it for a second, but how did you come up with the female theory? And Scully, do you buy this insane theory of his?" Scully took a deep breath. "I do not believe that a vampire is involved but I *do* believe that our killer is female." Scully went on to fill Alex in on her earlier discussion with Mulder regarding the sex of the killer. Mulder sat in bed listening, absently pulling on his lower lip. As Scully finished, a thought occurred to Mulder. "There is no way you are going to convince me that a vampire is involved, but I do agree with you that it sounds like our killer is a female. She must be extremely attractive to have convinced a gay man to have sex with her." Alex noticed Mulder shaking his head. "Not necessarily. Scully and I have had contact with individuals who are capable of convincing people to do things they wouldn't ordinarily do. Whether she is a vampire or not doesn't really matter." Scully looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean, Mulder?" "Think about it Scully. If someone *believes* that she is a vampire, is convinced of it, aren't they just as dangerous as an actual vampire? A human being can bite the neck of another and drink that person's blood. This is the perfect atmosphere for that kind of delusional thinking. Vampire lore is common in this town, thanks to the popularity of Anne Rice, among others." Alex was frowning, following Mulder's train of thought. "So you think that there is a woman walking the streets of New Orleans who is convinced that she is a vampire. She is so delusional that she only goes out at night, and survives by drinking blood? Where does the sex come in?" Alex asked, slightly confused. Scully spoke up to answer the question. "Sex may be a power issue. Maybe in her past something happened to cause her to feel powerless. By seducing these young men, she gets a sense of control, power." "That may be, Scully." said Mulder, nodding. Alex didn't get it. "How does that connect to the vampire part of the case? I mean how do the two aspects connect?" Alex asked, again confused. Mulder frowned as he replied. "I haven't figured that part out yet. It actually makes more sense to me if she really is a vampire. Vampires are creatures of bizarre appetites, the sex would fit into that scenario better." Scully was shaking her head, smiling slightly at how he was stubbornly clinging to the vampire theory. "What's so bizarre about sex, Mulder?" asked Scully, not realizing she was stepping into a Mulder innuendo trap. Mulder leered at her. "Sometimes it can be quite bizarre, Scully." Scully blushed slightly as Alex's cell phone rang. "Detective DuMont." Alex listened for a moment and her mouth dropped open. "What? When? Where? Talk to me!" Scully and Mulder both looked at her with grim looks on their faces. They were fairly certain what Alex was hearing on the phone. "I'll be right there." Alex hung up her cell phone. "Another murder?" asked Scully. "Not one, but two bodies have been found in different parts of the city. Both appear to be victims of our delusional female vampire." Alex replied as Mulder climbed out of bed and grabbed his pants. "Mulder........." started Scully in protest. "Two more bodies, Scully. She is escalating. We have to find her before more bodies stack up. I can't just lie here." He started pulling on his sweat pants as he was talking. Scully thought about turning her back. Then Scully realized she wasn't the only female in the room and looked over to Alex in time to see the smile cross her face as she, too watched Mulder get dressed. "Alex, where were these bodies found?" Scully's attempt at distraction didn't work as Alex answered without looking away from Mulder as he pulled off the hospital gown and reached for his sweat shirt. "One was in Louis Armstrong Park and one was behind Igor's on St. Charles." "That's right next to our hotel. My god, I think the killer *did* attack you Mulder." "Not necessarily, Dana," said Alex "it could be coincidence. She has commited murders in the area before last night." Mulder nodded. "She's right, Scully. It could be coincidence." Scully couldn't believe her ears. Mulder doubting his own theory? What the hell? "Just promise me.....promise me, Mulder, that you won't take any crazy chances. She could have found out about you and decided to take you off the case." Mulder walked up and laid his hand on Scully's arm. "I promise I won't take crazy chances if you promise me the same." Scully opened her mouth to protest. "Scully, I am serious. You are on this investigation, too. She could decide to take both of us out." Alex found herself on the outside looking in, yet again. She didn't like it at all. She watched Mulder, with his hand on Scully's arm, staring down into her eyes. Scully was gazing back at Mulder and something passed between them. Scully nodded and smiled faintly. Alex fought the wave of jealousy that passed through her. She cleared her throat and they both looked at her. "Mulder, what do you suggest?"asked Alex. Scully raised an eyebrow in surprise. Mulder sat down to put on his shoes. As he bent over, his brain felt like it sloshed to the front of his skull and everything got fuzzy. He made a grab for the bed rail as he started to slide forward. Scully stepped forward into his path and grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him back onto the bed. "Mulder........are you all right? You should stay here." She brushed his hair out of his eyes and laid her hand on his forehead. He felt a little warm but not overly so. "I'm fine, Scully." He looked at Alex. "I need to see both crime scenes. Scully will work her magic with the bodies. Why don't we all start at Igor's, then Scully can accompany the body to the morgue while you and I visit the second crime scene. Can you get the officers at the scene to preserve it until we get there?" Alex nodded and got out her cell phone to call the station for backup. She walked out into the hallway to make her call. "Mulder, I am worried about you. You are in no condition to traipse all over New Orleans." "Hey, you're right. I need a shower and a clean suit." Mulder smiled at her. "Really, Scully, I will be o.k. I need to work this case and find this killer." "I don't want to leave you alone." "You won't be. I'll be with Alex. Besides, it's broad daylight and I'll keep my eyes open." Scully sighed. She didn't want to leave him with Alex is what she had had to bite her tongue to keep from saying. She had a bad feeling about this. Alex was suddenly asking for Mulder's opinion instead of fighting him. Scully was feeling extremely territorial and it was upsetting to her. Thoughts of Bambi and Detective White flashed through her head. What she couldn't figure out, what she didn't want to examine too closely, was *why* she was so territorial. She gave herself a mental shake. "You will call me if anything happens or if you need me for *anything*?" "Of course, Scully. You are *my* doctor, after all." His tone of voice and the way he looked at her started a warm feeling spreading in her stomach. She smiled at him. "Don't you forget it, Mulder." They stood there smiling at each other as Alex walked back into the room. "We're all set. Shall we head to Igor's? Mulder can run up to his room and change while you and I get started, eh, Scully?" Scully nodded. "Let me go arrange Mulder's release papers and then we can go." ************************** Ramada Inn St. Charles Avenue Same Day, 11:00 a.m. Mulder was standing in the shower with his palms flat against the tile, water pounding down on his head. It didn't feel particularly good running over the cuts and bumps on the back of his head, but he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stand upright with out bracing himself. He had managed to wash his hair, very carefully, and the rest of his body without falling down. He was exhausted and his head was pounding. He turned off the water and stepped out of the tub. The room started spinning and he grabbed the sink. He sank down onto the toilet and put his head in his hands, willing the room to still. <> Mulder opened his eyes to find he was lying on the floor, naked and cold. He felt the remnants of something niggling at the back of his mind. Something......important.....something about the attack. He couldn't remember. There was a pounding on the door and he dimly heard Scully's voice. "Mulder, open this door now! Please. Mulder, are you alright? Answer me!" He got up and wrapped a towel around himself. Staggering toward the door, he called out to Scully. "I'm coming Scully. I was in the shower." He opened the door and Scully came charging in. She skidded to a halt when she saw his condition. "Mulder, are you alright? I was pounding on the door and you weren't answering. I was worried that......." "No, no, Scully. I am fine. Showering just took a little longer because I am tired. I didn't hear you knocking." Scully realized then that he was only wearing a towel and she blushed. She wanted to scream at her own idiocy. Mulder, on his part, saw Scully blush and went to pick out his clothes and retreat to the vanity area to dress, secretly pleased. "Mulder, are you sure? You were taking longer than usual. I thought I would check on you and when you didn't answer........" Mulder called out from the vanity. "Really, Scully, I'm fine. Is Alex still down at the crime scene?" He walked out of the vanity area while attempting to tie his tie. He stopped suddenly, dizzy. Scully grabbed his arm and steered him over to the bed, sitting him down. She grabbed his chin and lifted his head so he looked her in the eyes. "Tell me how you feel. Exactly how you feel. Now." Scully had that 'there will be no arguing with me' tone of voice. They gazed at each other for a moment, Mulder weighing his options. "Well, my head is killing me and once in a while I get dizzy. But, I am going to work this case. Three heads is better than one, even if mine is hurting." Scully stared at him for a moment and decided that she would just have to watch him, via Alex, if necessary. She was not so certain that it was a minor problem that he was having. "Mulder, Alex will be watching you like a hawk. If she sees one sign of a problem, she will have strict orders to call me. I will pack you into bed so fast that your head will *really* spin." She realized what she had said approximately the time the word *spin* left her mouth. Mulders face slowly transformed into a huge grin. "Don't say a word, Mulder." "I wasn't gonna say anything, Scully. I don't know what you're talking about." Mulder was really grinning now and it was driving Scully crazy. He got that little crack in his voice on the last sentence. She loved that. She picked up her purse and headed for the door. "I will meet you at the crime scene Mulder." She walked out and closed the door behind her. Mulder chuckled quietly. On the other side of the door in the hallway, Scully leaned against the wall and wondered if the New Orleans air was making her susceptible to a very charming Mulder or if she was just losing her mind. ************************ Igor's St. Charles Avenue Same Day, 11:40 a.m. Mulder walked into Igor's and found Scully and Alex at the bar talking to the barmaid. "I got here at 7:00 and there was only one person in the bar. So, I went about finishing up the morning cleaning that was left when Suz got off. There isn't usually too many people in here that early in the morning. Anyways, I was mopping the floor and I hears this yellin' outside. So, I go outside and find the guy who lives up stairs runnin' out of the alley yellin' 'bout a body he found in the courtyard. I ran back in here and called the police. That's about all I know." Mulder asked her if she had the name and address of the barmaid that worked before her and she wrote it down for him. He motioned with his head for Scully and Alex to follow him. They walked out onto the sidewalk. "Well, what have you two determined so far?" he asked. Alex went first. "The guy living upstairs comes down to get his morning paper and finds a 23 year old male, sans pants, lying behind the fountain in the courtyard. He panics, runs through the alley to the sidewalk where the barmaid hears him and calls the police. He gets to the locked gate that prevents people from entering the courtyard from the sidewalk and notices that the gate is slightly ajar. The lock looks like it has been jimmied." Scully picked up the tale. "The victim is one Kevin Anderson, a graduate student at Tulane judging by the Student I.D. card in his wallet. He is about 5 feet 11 inches tall with brown hair and green eyes. Upon a cursory look at the body, he appears to have been engaged in sexual intercourse shortly before his death. He has ragged puncture wounds in his neck, which are the only signs of violence." "Well, how about you go interview the barmaid, Mulder, while Scully goes to the morgue and I go to the next crime scene."said Alex while Mulder and Scully were both shaking their heads. "I don't want Mulder going anywhere alone. He just got out of the hospital and someone needs to keep an eye on him." Scully replied. Mulder scowled slightly and then shrugged. "It doesn't matter, because I have every intention of going to the next crime scene with Alex. Then we can both interview the barmaid after that." He looked to Scully. "Was there anything in the courtyard?" Alex and Scully both shook their heads. "Do you want to look at it before we leave, Mulder?"asked Alex. She was anxious to get to the next scene and take care of business. "Yeah, I need to look and try to get into this woman's head." He turned and walked through the gate into the alley leading to the courtyard. When he entered the courtyard, Mulder stopped and looked around. There were a few officers working on the area looking for evidence. One was taking photographs, another dusting for prints. There was a outline on the ground where the body had been. It was a small garden, heavily vegetated, with a fountain in the center. A wooden stairway led up to the second floor apartment. Mulder walked over to the stairway and started climbing. Halfway to the top, he paused as his head started swimming. He grabbed the railing and put his hand to his head. He then heard Scully's voice in the alley and shook it off. He climbed the rest of the way and sat on the top step. He could hear Scully talking to Alex quite clearly in the alley. The guy living in this building was either a sound sleeper or.........just then the juke box started playing in the bar. The volume was such that Scully's voice was less audible and, if he hadn't known where she was, he wouldn't have realized that she was in the alley. From inside the apartment the noise level would be even worse. Mulder sighed. Little or no physical evidence, no witnesses. This woman is connected.....just then a shooting pain went through his head. He moaned and put his head in his hands. Scully chose that moment to look up. She saw him with his head in his hands and started up the staircase. She sat beside him on the landing at the top and laid her hand on his head. "Mulder? Mulder, are you o.k.?" Mulder looked up at her and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Aspirin. I need aspirin, Scully. My head hurts." "Mulder, you need to go back to bed. I am really starting to have doubts....." Mulder interrupted her. "Scully, it comes and goes. I am fine most of the time, I swear." She studied him closely. He did seem o.k. most of the time. She started digging in her purse for the prescription Tylenol she had gotten at the hospital. He swallowed two of them dry. "Let's get out of here. There's nothing to find." He stood up and walked carefully down the stairs with Scully right behind him. "Mulder, I ordered you a burger to go. You haven't eaten in a long time and if you are going to be taking that Tylenol you need something in your stomach." Mulder stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Did you get me fries too?" He had a hopeful look on his face which relieved Scully immeasurably. She smiled up at him. "Would *I* forget to order the second half of the heart attack special? I can't have you not fulfilling your grease quotient now can I?" Mulder's stomach growled and he rubbed it. "I am hungry. You are the best doctor a guy could have Scully, you know that? Load me up with pills and grease and then when I *do* have a heart attack, you can resuscitate me." He grinned at her and she looked closely to see if he was placating her. He could be very good at hiding his condition if it meant he could keep working a case. She didn't know why he bothered since she couldn't stop him if he was determined. However, he did seem to be o.k. again. "Well, I am off to the morgue. If you have a heart attack before I see you again, I will kill you. Do you understand me, Mulder?" "Ooooo, Scully. I love it when you talk tough to me." *************************** CHAPTER 9 Louis Armstrong Park New Orleans, Louisiana March 22, 1998, 1:00 p.m. After eating his burger and seeing Scully off to the morgue, Mulder had climbed into Alex's car and now they were pulling into Louis Armstrong Park. He had his head back against the head rest and his eyes were closed. Alex parked the car and turned it off, opening her door at the same time. Mulder didn't move to get out. "Mulder, are you O.K.?" He lifted his head and looked at her. "If anyone asks me that again, I may scream." He proceeded to get out of the car and slam the door. "Well, excuse me for being concerned about you. I don't need you passing out on me and Scully shooting me for letting it happen." Mulder walked over to stand next to her. "Oh, I get it. You're afraid of Scully. That's generally a good idea. She shot me once you know." Alex's eyes widened. "You're joking." Mulder laughed and shook his head. "Nope." Alex smiled back at him. "Well, I bet she had good reason to shoot *you*." "Me? No, I'm harmless. She was just pissed off 'cause she wanted to drive and I wouldn't let her." Alex laughed out loud. This Mulder guy could be very charming when he wanted to be. If you like sarcastic and flippant men who can be arrogant at times. Alex decided that a certain level of arrogance was very attractive. She also noticed how his eyes sparkled when he talked to or about Scully and decided that she didn't stand a chance. "Agent Mulder, I have a feeling that you are anything but harmless. Shall we," she said as she motioned toward an area of the park swarming with uniformed police officers and forensic technicians. He nodded and they walked over to the scene. As Alex conferred with the various officers at the scene, Mulder walked slowly around the perimeter. The body was well hidden under a weeping willow tree hung with Spanish moss. The way it was positioned it was easily mistaken for a street person sleeping off a drunken binge. Mulder walked in ever widening circles, meandering and looking at the ground. He stopped as Alex came walking over. "It appears that this guy has been dead for approximately 36 hours, meaning that the killer struck twice on the night that you and Scully got here. He is young, about 22, dark hair and hazel eyes. They are about ready to transport to the morgue." Mulder was nodding and looking around the area. The park was located just north of the French Quarter, on the other side of Rampart Street. It was approximately a 5 block walk to Good Friends bar. From Good Friends it was another block south and about 3 blocks west to Pat O'Briens. Mulder was willing to bet that their killer picked this young man from one of those two bars. "Did they find anything on the body that would give us a place to start?" Alex nodded. "Yep, a hotel room key. The Royal Sonesta. Another tourist that got drunk and was taken advantage of." "Well, that's two in one night. And our killer got sloppy." This was said as Mulder walked past Alex and crouched down next to some shrubbery. Using a pen, he picked up a used condom from the dirt and placed it in an evidence bag that he pulled from a pocket. Alex was amused and disturbed all at the same time. "Mulder, this park is.........how do I put this delicately.......not in the best of neighborhoods. All kinds of activity goes on after dark here. It is not well traveled by what you would call respectable society. Which is probably why our victim took awhile to turn up. How do you figure that this condom was left by our killer." Mulder shrugged. "A hunch. It is in a direct walking line from the body headed back toward the Quarter. As you said, it is not a well traveled area. I think we need to at least check on it. It could be the first piece of physical evidence that we have and it could turn out to be critical." Alex held out her hand. "Well, give it to me and I'll have one of the officers take it to the lab." Mulder, instead of giving it to her, stuck it in his pocket. "I am going to send it off to the F.B.I. labs in D.C. I'll have Scully send tissue and blood samples from this victim to the labs as well and they will run DNA analysis. They will be faster than the local labs." "Mulder......." Mulder held up a hand. "I know, Alex, this is your case. You are in charge. But even you must realize that the F.B.I. labs will be more efficient and probably more accurate than the local ones. Don't you want to solve this case as rapidly as possible? You will get full credit, I don't want any." Alex sighed heavily. "Do I really seem that crass to you, Mulder? Only worried about who gets the credit?" Mulder's lips twisted and one eyebrow went up. "Well, Alex, sometimes. You aren't as bad as many I have run across in the bureau. I just get so used to people getting in my face arguing about 'their turf' that I may be overly sensitive about it to the point that I am always waiting for an argument." Mulder paused briefly. "Past experience has taught me that the average local law enforcement personnel do not appreciate my assistance, for a variety of reasons." Mulder really did not know why he was telling her all this. Maybe because Scully was less than sympathetic in this area. He didn't blame her, since he had an innate ability to antagonize people and she got tarred with the same brush. "Mulder, I am ready to get this case over with. I want to wrap it up. If your lab can help us do it faster, I'll buy you dinner at the bistro of your choice." Suddenly Mulder was not paying attention to her. He was deep in thought. "Mulder, what is it, what's wrong?" He shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought of something that I should have thought of before." He turned and walked away from her, pulling out his cell phone. Alex stared after him, sighing. For a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on, she didn't want him to send that condom to the F.B.I. labs. It made her feel.......threatened. She turned and walked back over to the coroner's assistant as he prepped the body for transport to the morgue. Mulder dialed a number in Washington, D.C. A slightly nasal voice answered on the other end. "Hello?" "Byers, turn off the tape." "It's off, Mulder. What's up?" "I am working a case and I need you guys to do a computer search for me." He outlined the case and the M.O. of the killer and asked the guys to search law enforcement agencies for murders with similar M.O.'s that were unsolved. "No problem, Mulder, although it may take us a day, day and a half to get them all." Frohike grabbed the phone from Byers. "Mulder, did you feed Scully a bunch of hurricanes like I suggested?" Mulder laughed. "She's way too sharp for me, Frohike. I tried to get her drunk but without you around she just wasn't into drinking at all." "You aren't suggesting that I drive her to drink are you?" "Frohike, you drive *me* to drink and you don't even have the hots for my body." "What makes you say that, Mulder?" Mulder laughed. "Please just do the search for me, O.K.?" Frohike said they would take care of it and get back to him as soon as possible. He hung up and walked over to Alex, who was also on the phone. She punched the end button without saying anything. "I just tried to call the barmaid and I couldn't reach her. There was no answer on her home phone. So who did you call? Scully?" Mulder shook his head. "No, just some buddies of mine. I needed a favor from them." Mulder didn't feel like explaining the Lone Gunmen to her so he left it at that. "Oh. Well. Shall we check out the Royal Sonesta? See who our latest victim belongs to?" Mulder nodded and they headed back to the car. ************************* Orleans Parish Morgue Same Day, Same Time Scully had just finished examining the body for trace evidence and was feeling frustrated. One damn lead, and a small one at that. A medium length brown hair, obviously from a wig, had been caught on a button of the young man's shirt. His entire body and his clothing had been examined and she came up with a wig hair. As she methodically began the more gruesome portion of the autopsy, Scully processed what a wig hair could mean. It meant that the killer, assuming that the wig hair belonged to her, was changing her appearance. On the up side, perhaps she was getting sloppy. Just then two technicians walked into the autopsy bay. "Dr. Scully, where do you want the next one?" She sighed. "Just leave him outside the door, I won't be too long here." She decided to look for trace evidence, take samples for a tox screen and then let one of Harold's assistants finish the internal portion of the autopsy for the two victims. She finished up on Kevin Anderson, the young man found behind Igor's, and stripped off her gloves just as her cell phone rang. "Scully." "Hey, how's it going?" Scully smiled softly when she heard Mulder's voice. "I have a small lead. I found a hair on Kevin Anderson's clothing.....a wig hair. It is dark brown and about 6 inches long. That's all in the way of trace evidence." "Great. Wig hair. She's changing her appearance. Alex! Watch where you're going.....geez, you want me to drive?" Scully heard some muttering in the background and Mulder laughed. "Scully, she's threatening my life.....how long till you're done." "How did she threaten you, Mulder?" Scully thought the two of them sounded like they were getting awfully cozy. "It's nothing, Scully. We are heading to the Royal Sonesta to check out our latest victim's history and interview his friends. Then I thought we'd come by the morgue and catch up with you. I found a condom at the scene. Could be our killer is getting sloppy, eh? I think we need to sit down and thoroughly review what we have so far and what we need to do." "Well, by the time you are done with the interviews I may be finished with everything I intend to do here so call me before you come." "O.K. Bye, Scully....." "Mulder, wait. How's your head? Any dizziness, blurred vision?" She heard Mulder sigh. "Scully, really, the Tylenol worked wonders." "We are going to work at the hotel so you can lie down. No arguments." "I wasn't planning on arguing. That sounds like a fine idea. Maybe the three of us can get some jambalaya, gumbo and po-boys sent in." Scully was a little perturbed by the role reversal regarding Alex. Suddenly she and Mulder were real chums and Scully didn't want her around. "Yeah, Mulder. That sounds great. See you soon." "Bye, Scully." ************************** Ramada Inn St. Charles Avenue Same Day, 5:15 p.m. Scully had set up her laptop on the table near the window and had piled the files all around it. A picture of the victim found in the park today was laying on top of the pile. She was staring out the window contemplating.......contemplating what? Her thoughts were jumbled and she had trouble focusing. Just then she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?"she asked as she walked toward the door. "George Lucas" came the reply in a distinctly Mulder-ish voice followed by a female laugh. Scully sighed and opened the door. "What happened to Steven Spielberg, Mulder?" Scully asked, as Mulder and Alex entered the room, both carrying large bags with heavenly aromas emanating from them. "Is this a quiz?" was the reply, followed by, "Really, Scully, I am trying new material." "Can't you get a little newer than that?" "O.K. next time I'll be Anne Rice." Mulder placed his bag on the nearest bed and proceeded to remove his suit coat. Alex placed her bag next to his and then sat down. "You don't mind, do you Scully?" asked Alex. Scully shook her head. "Make yourself at home, Alex. Is this what took you guys so long?" She walked over and opened one of the bags. "Yep. Jambalaya, Gumbo and Po-Boys. We have shrimp and we have roasted turkey, you pick Scully. I'll split with you." Mulder was rubbing his hands together, hungrily. Scully was not fooled. "Mulder, you look exhausted. Sit and don't get up." He saluted and kicked off his shoes before lying down on the bed, face down near one of the bags. Alex grabbed her purse and started rummaging through it. "Hey, Mulder, you want a soda? I am going to the machine." Mulder nodded. "Scully?" "Sure, Alex, something diet would be great. Mulder will have a Coke." At this, Mulder raised an eyebrow and looked at her enquiringly. He didn't say anything and Alex went out into the hallway. After the door closed, Mulder continued to look at Scully. She wasn't saying anything, just shuffling through some papers on the table so he asked. "Scully, what was that all about?" "You did want a coke, right?" "Yeah, but....." "Well, why complain?" "I wasn't but......" "Mulder." "Were you asserting your authority, Scully?" Scully scowled at him. Mulder smirked, he was right. Alex chose that moment to knock on the door. When Scully let her in she walked over to Mulder and handed him a coke. "Thank you, Alex." Alex grinned and nodded. The three of them split up the food and ate in silence for a few minutes, Mulder on one bed, Alex on the other and Scully at the table. Mulder finished first and started talking. "O.K. We have 6 victims. All are male between the ages of 16 and 22. No similarities in physical appearance. All were found outside. The first two victims went to the same high school." "Do you think that's significant, Mulder?" asked Alex. Mulder nodded. "Possibly." Scully chose this moment to interrupt. "The killer may have had a reason to be at that high school and encountered both his victims." Mulder nodded. "But, the two victims didn't know each other so....." "The killer didn't encounter them together or did encounter them together but in a large group....an assembly perhaps." concluded Mulder. "That doesn't really help, though, does it? I mean, that could be a counselor, a teacher, a parent, a custodian or even someone who only visited the school once." Alex paused. "For that matter, they are just as likely not to have encountered the killer at school. They were found outside. They could have been random encounters, just like the others." "I think she saw something she liked in them and picked them. Or, she saw something she didn't like and decided to dispose of them, after gaining power over them." Mulder had unconsciously echoed Scully's thoughts. "I agree Mulder. But we aren't getting anywhere, we aren't narrowing it down." Mulder nodded thoughtfully, pulling on his lower lip. "What else do the victims have in common?" asked Mulder. Alex and Scully thought for a moment. "Nothing." supplied Alex. Scully agreed. Six young men, different sexual orientation, different occupations, some tourists, some natives, different physical appearance. "I can't come up with anything. Is the M.O. still the same. Scully?" Scully pulled up her notes on the autopsies so far. "It appears to be the same but we won't know for sure until the tox screen comes back on the two most recent victims. The victims have gotten older. Perhaps she is developing a taste for older men?" Scully still couldn't shake the suspicion that the killer had attacked Mulder. And the physical appearance of the last victim was similar to that of Mulder's. Right down to the nose. She decided to bring it up. "Mulder.......did you notice the last victim looked like you?" "Ah, Scully, that's just coincidence. This killer likes younger men. I am way out of her age group." Mulder had started rubbing his stomach. He picked up his coke can and noticed it was empty. Scully was not convinced, but decided to let it drop. "What did you and Alex find out about David Williams, the kid from Louis Armstrong Park?" "He was visiting New Orleans with his friends." said Alex. "They were staying at the Royal Sonesta. The last place he was seen alive was Pat O'Briens. No one saw him leave with anyone strange, but they were all drunk. No surprise there." "Well that's two victims from Pat O'Briens. In fact," continued Scully, "that's 4 victims that were last seen in bars. All the victims that were over 21 years old." Mulder raised his eyebrows. "You're right, Scully. What does everything we have tell us about our killer? We already figured that the killer is female. We know she uses condoms.....we found one, by the way, and I sent it to the lab. We know from the hair sample that she most likely changes her appearance frequently. I think she is aged 25 to 35, and believes she is a vampire. If she is not a vampire, but delusional, she has strong issues with the opposite sex. She was most likely abused by men in her past. Somehow, this relates to her belief that she is a vampire. Perhaps she was in a blood cult that abused it's female members." He thought briefly of Kristen and got up to pace around the room, still rubbing his stomach. "She is pathologically scrupulous about not leaving evidence behind which makes me think....uhhhhhhh......" Suddenly Mulder was doubled over. Scully was at his side in an instant, as was Alex. "What is it, Mulder?" Scully and Alex eased him back onto the bed. "My head......sick.....feel......" Mulder pulled away from Scully and headed for the bathroom. He made it just in time to lose his dinner in the toilet. Scully knelt next to him, brushing his hair back. He was sweating profusely. Alex stood helplessly in the doorway. "Scully, what can I do? How can I help?" Alex felt terrible. This was all her fault. Scully looked over her shoulder. "Mulder? Are you going to be sick again?" Mulder shook his head. "Uh...no....my head. Hurts." Scully wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him up. "Let's get you to bed, Mulder. Alex, can you get a glass of water and the Tylenol on the counter in the vanity?" Scully guided Mulder out of the bathroom, through the vanity area and into the main room. She sat him down and removed his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt. She walked across the room and grabbed her bag, looking for her small medical kit. Just as she turned around with a thermometer in her hand she saw Alex hand Mulder a glass of water. She knelt by the bed and ran her hand down Mulder's arm as he took the pills with the water. Alarm bells went off in Scully's head and her stomach clenched. She composed herself. Mulder was sick and Alex felt bad for him. That's all. "Scully, is it food poisoning? God, I am so sorry I chose that place, I will never go there again." Scully was shaking her head. "It's O.K., Alex. We all ate the same food and you and I are fine, right? This is probably because he over did it so soon after a concussion. He'll be fine." As Scully talked she stuck the thermometer under Mulder's tongue. "Alex, we aren't going to get anything else done tonight, why don't you head home. We'll get together tomorrow." Alex looked at Mulder slouching on the end of the bed. "Are you sure, Scully? I can stay and help....." "No. I am going to tuck him in bed here and type up my reports. I can handle him, lord knows I've had enough practice." Mulder looked up at her. "Hey," he said weakly, "don't go airing my dirty laundry for impressionable young cops." Scully chuckled lightly and made shooing motions toward Alex, who reluctantly walked toward the door. "Call me if you need anything, Dana." Scully nodded and closed the door after her, leaning against it. She turned and walked back over to Mulder. "Let's get you undressed and under the covers." She got him down to his boxers and he was asleep when his head hit the pillow. ********************** CHAPTER 10 Ramada Inn, Room 615 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana March 22, 1998, 11:00 p.m. Scully was standing, staring out her window yet again. Mulder had been asleep for about 3 hours and she was worried. He had gotten sick so suddenly, so violently. He hadn't appeared ill when he came in with Alex. She really didn't think he was *that* good at hiding his condition from her. He had fallen asleep immediately upon hitting the bed and had been sleeping somewhat fitfully ever since. She noticed that he had thrown the sheets back, exposing a lean, lightly muscled body. Her eyes lingered on the washboard abs and wandered lower. She gave herself a mental slap across the face. She walked over to the bed where he was sleeping and sat down carefully. He stirred slightly. She brushed his hair back off of his forehead and let her hand rest there. Just a bit warm. She ran her hand down the side of his face and cupped his chin lightly. Scully shook her head and smiled wryly. "Whater you smilin' at, Scu....Scully?" Scully jumped a little at the whispered words from the bed next to her. "You're awake." she whispered back at him. "How do you feel?" "I....uh, doan feel so g-good, Scu...Dana Scully...MD." She pulled the sheets up around him and tucked him in. She considered all the possibilities and decided that he was just tired. She could not think of any other explanation that made sense. She looked up at him and held up some fingers. "How many, Mulder?" "Th-three. Tired Scully." "I know. You go to sleep." "Whater.....what are you gonna do?" "I'm going to run down to Igor's and talk to the barmaid that was working last night. After I talk to her I am going to come back up here, check on you and then get some sleep." "Noooo......doan go there, Scully, she might beee there. She might..." "Mulder, you know I can take care of myself, right?" He nodded slowly, sadly. "Then don't worry. I won't be gone long." "I jus worry Scully. I doan...." She laid a finger over his lips. "I know, Mulder, I know. I'll be back soon, don't get out of this bed. Do you understand me?" He nodded solemly. She smiled at him and got up, picking up her gun and badge. She turned to give him a little wave. He was asleep again, his mouth slightly open. She stuffed everything in her purse and walked out the door. ********************* 2209 Maple Street Same Night, Same Time Clarice pulled on her red wig over the hair net holding in her natural hair. She swung her head from side to side, appreciating the copper colored bob. She had a sexy little slip dress with a flowered print on. She gathered her "supplies" and placed them in a large purse. Her Fox and his partner were getting a little too close for comfort. If it hadn't been for her little post hypnotic suggestion, Fox would have figured it out by now. Of that she was relatively certain. She *was* sorry that poor Fox had to suffer such nasty side effects. She wasn't certain how much longer that suggestion would hold. It was only a matter of time before Scully realized that everytime Fox made a leap that took him close to solving a piece of the puzzle, he became violently ill, effectively sidetracking him. For now. Fortunately, it had only happened in front of Scully once so far. Scully was damn smart as well and Clarice didn't know how long she had until she became suspicious. She wasn't quite yet, that was evident. Clarice still felt safe thanks to her *friend* in the police department, but she knew it was only a matter of time. Luckily, she had everything she needed to complete the next phase of her plan, putting her one step closer to the *finale*. She tingled with excitement. She picked up her purse and skipped out the door. ************************* Igor's St. Charles Avenue Same Night, 11:45 p.m. Scully paused outside the door of Igor's and took a deep breath. The air was warm and heavy. The front of Igor's was open and music was blaring out over the street. Two college age guys sat at one of the outside tables playing chess and checking her out. There was laughter from inside. Scully felt an unexplainable feeling rush through her body. She was envious. The easy camaraderie that permeated the air of the bar. People talking, laughing, relaxing. A couple doing an impromptu dance in front of the juke box. She thought back to the previous evening. She and Mulder could have passed as part of this crowd. The ease they had with each other at times, the warmth. She stopped herself in mid-thought. That was pointless. Career, quest for the truth, justice pitted against a normal life. A life of dancing, laughing, and Mardi Gras. A wrought iron balcony in the place of a white picket fence. She gave herself another mental slap. She walked in the door and grabbed a stool at the end of the bar. Helen Shaver noticed the young red head sit down a motioned to her, indicating she would be there in a second. She turned back to the man in front of her, handing him his drink and taking cash from his outstretched hand. After ringing up the sale she walked to the end of the bar where Scully was sitting. "What can I get you miss?" "I'll have a glass of Abita Amber and perhaps you could answer a few questions for me." Scully said as she quietly slid her badge across the bar so Helen could see it. "Sure thing......Agent Scully?" Scully nodded. Helen poured her beer and set it down in front of her. "Is this about Kevin?" "Yes, I was hoping you could tell me some details about last night. Like what time he got here, who he talked to and if you saw him leave. I take it he was a regular in here?" "Oh, yeah. He was a graduate student up at Tulane. He came in quite often. Real nice guy, never caused any trouble, tipped well." "What time did he come in last night?" "Oh, well, let's see. I start at 9 and he was here when I got here." "What was he doing?" "Hmmmm.......seems he was playing chess outside. He kept coming inside for drinks for him and the person playing with him." "Do you know who he was playing with?" Helen frowned, concentrating. "Well, it was definitely a woman. Most likely a pretty one." "Why do you say that?" "Kevin was all happy......I think he was planning on getting lucky." "Was he drunk? Or just having a good time." "Nah, he wasn't drunk. I have to keep a fairly close eye on that sort of thing. I don't like people getting out of control on my shift." "Please tell me everything you can remember about the woman." Scully was getting her hopes up. This was the closest they had gotten to a witness. "Not much to tell, really. I don't remember her coming inside at all while I was here." "Well, didn't you have to walk past her to get into the bar?" "Yeah........." Helen was silent for a minute, racking her brain. "You know, she was wearing a cap. I remember thinking that was strange, as warm as it was." "What color cap? What else was she wearing?" "Black. She was wearing all black, kinda strange for the weather. Black shirt with long sleeves, black pants." "Hair color?" "Brown. I really didn't look closely at her face. I just remember her being all dark." "You don't remember ever seeing her before?" "Honey, with the hotels on this block we get a good mix of tourists and locals. I only recognize the people who are in here on a regular basis. We get people running in for beers to go all the time. You get so's you don't really pay that much attention unless there is something extrordinary about someone." "Did you see her leave with Kevin?" Helen shook her head. "No, he came in here later and sat down at the bar." Scully frowned. "What time was that?" "Geez, I can't remember what I had for lunch this afternoon." Scully just looked at her. "O.K., I'm thinking. It was a few of hours into my shift. I'd have to say between one and two. We were getting down to the hard core drinkers and partying tourists at the point he came inside." "Did he tell you what happened?" "Nope. I was fairly busy cooking some food. The munchies usually hit about that time so I don't have time for chatting, if you know what I mean." Scully nodded and took a sip of her beer. So he came inside between one and two. Scully's heart started pounding. She was right, she knew she was right. It scared the hell out of her. "Did you notice when Kevin left?" "Ummm....." Somebody yelled for her at the other end of the bar. "Just a damn minute, can't you see I am talking here!" Helen thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, Agent Scully, I just can't be sure when he left. He didn't say goodbye. He was just gone at one point, leaving cash for his beers and a good tip on the bar." "Thank you, Helen, you've been a big help." Scully left some cash on the bar and walked outside. She stood for a moment outside. She started running for the hotel. ********************** Ramada Inn Same night, Same time Mulder lay on the bed, his face twisted in a grimace, moving slightly, sheets twisted around his legs. Sweat poured off his face and chest. He moaned, a sob catching in his throat. <> "Uuuhhhggggghhhhh" Mulder's stomach clenched and his head pounded as he woke up suddenly. "Noooooo. No. What......." He couldn't move his legs and he started to struggle, panicked. Just then Scully burst into the room and ran towards the bed. "Mulder, what's wrong? I heard you yelling. Bad dream?" Mulder was panting and still struggling. She reached down and untangled his legs. She moved up toward the head of the bed and pushed him back against the pillows, smoothing his hair off of his forehead. "Mulder? Are you going to be sick?" Mulder slowly calmed down and stopped flailing around as Scully kept brushing his hair back, comforting him. He was confused. "No, I think I'm o.k." "What were you dreaming?" "I....I don't remember. I feel like I should, like it was important." "Relax, Mulder, just go back to sleep." He yawned, still exhausted. He felt his eyes drifting shut and wondered why he was sleeping so much. "Wha....what did you find out?" Scully pulled the sheets around him again. "We'll talk about it in the morning. Go to sleep." She looked at him and realized he was already asleep. She got up slowly and walked over to the window. Her heart had been pounding so fast running back to the hotel. She had run up the stairs and gotten to the door just as Mulder had started yelling. She had been so relieved when she had run into the room to see him having a nightmare. Alone. She had been having visions of him naked and bleeding in her bed, beyond help. She knew from past experience that it would be awhile before she would sleep. Scully sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. She walked into the vanity area and started her nightly ritual. Mulder was moving and whispering quietly in his sleep when Scully walked back into the bedroom and crawled into the other bed. She lay on her side watching him, marveling again at how beautiful he was when he slept. She could tell he was not sleeping peacefully though. She got back up and went over to the other bed. "Shhhhh.....Mulder. It's o.k. I'm here." She petted his hair and face, trying to calm him without waking him. A tear ran down his face and Scully wiped it away, gently. He started making a low keening sound in the back of his throat. "Nooooo Scully.......don't leave me, don't leave me, Scully. Uhh...Alex? Alex? Wh..where is Scully? Ohhh.....Sc-scully." Scully's heart twisted in her chest and her eyes filled with tears. Scully pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and grasped Mulder's shoulders. "Mulder......Mulder, relax. It's o.k. I'm not going anywhere." She whispered in his ear and he quieted down. He seemed to sink deeper into sleep and stopped thrashing. Scully curled up beside him with her hand on his arm. She lay there for a long time, just watching him, before drifting off to sleep. ****************** Ramada Inn, Room 615 St. Charles Avenue March 23, 1998, 6:05 a.m. Scully woke to find herself alone in her room. She panicked for a moment before she realized her shower was running. She sat up in bed, leaning against the head board and thinking about what had transpired the night before. It was now safe to assume that the killer had targeted Mulder the other night. Scully shuddered. Scully picked up the phone by the bed and dialed the number for the lab doing the tox screens on the two most recent victims. Two minutes later, she hung up the phone frowning. The tox screen results were missing. Gone. She had requested they be rerun and kept in the chemists hands until Scully picked them up personally. Scully thought about the recent sloppiness compared to earlier in the case and came to an uneasy solution. Scully knew she didn't have a shred of proof and that there were any number of explanations for the tox screens and the lack of physical evidence, not the least of which was the rainy climate of New Orleans. The vanity door opened and Mulder walked into the room wearing only his dress pants from the night before. He was rubbing his hair with a towel and was reaching for his room key and the rest of his clothes before he realized that Scully was awake. "Hey, partner, how are you feeling?" Mulder asked quietly. "That's my line. I am tired, how are *you*?" Mulder grimaced. "Uh.....I guess I am o.k. I feel kinda hung over. What happened last night? I was quite surprised, pleasantly that is, to wake up in bed with you." Scully blushed lightly. "You got very sick. Don't you remember?" Mulder shook his head no. "Well, you started vomiting and then you crashed on my bed. You woke up a little later and seemed out of it. You went back to sleep and I went down to Igor's to interview the barmaid. When I came back you were having a nightmare and you seemed feverish. You really only seemed to calm down when I laid down beside you, which is where I fell asleep." "Why did I get sick, Scully? Food poisoning?" "That's what Alex thought at first, but she and I were fine. Mulder, did you have any incidents like this yesterday that I don't know about?" "Um, well, there were a couple of moments where my head would pound and my stomach would be upset, but it always passed after a few minutes. What did the barmaid have to say?" Scully grimaced at his abrupt subject change, but knew that it would do no good to chastise him for not keeping her informed of his condition. She proceeded to fill him in on her conversation with Helen Shaver. His eyes widened as she ended her story. "You mean to tell me that Kevin Anderson spent the entire evening playing chess outside, in direct view of the hotel entrance, with a woman who apparently left him about the time I went jogging?" Scully nodded as Mulder sat down abruptly. He started rubbing his stomach again, which Scully noticed immediately. "So, Scully, it is obvious to me that you are pretty sure that the killer followed me and attacked me." "Aren't you? Come on, there are just too many coincidences here, Mulder." Mulder nodded weakly. Scully continued. "Not only that, the tox screens from the last two victims have disappeared." Mulder's head jerked up. "That's too much. The killer must be........" Mulder gasped in mid sentence and clamped his mouth shut, closing his eyes. "Mulder? Are you all right?" He nodded slightly but didn't say anything or open his eyes. She continued. "Yes, I think the killer is somehow connected to someone in the department and I think I know who." Mulder got up and walked away from her and into the vanity. Scully heard him go into the bathroom and heave into the toilet. She followed him and found him sitting on the floor with his back to the tub and his eyes closed. "Mulder?" He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I'm fine, Scully, really. Just a little left over nausea. Could be morning sickness, we did sleep together after all." He smiled at her. "Who do you think the killer is involved with?" She sat on the edge of the tub and explained her theory to him. "That sounds plausible." Just then the phone rang and Scully went into the bedroom to answer it. Mulder got up carefully and followed her. "Hello? Oh, hi Alex.......no, we were up.......really? Hold on." Scully put her hand over the mouthpiece to talk to Mulder. "There's been another murder, Alex's car won't start and she was wondering if we could pick her up and give her a ride to the crime scene. I'm thinking if you could pick up Alex and head to the crime scene, then I could finish my write ups from last night, catch a cab to the lab to pick up the re-done tox screens and then I can perform the autopsy on this latest victim. But Mulder, I want you to stay here if you still feel sick." "Scully, you know I can't stay here. We have got to solve this case, she has escalated to a victim a night." Scully opened her mouth to protest and Mulder held up his hand. "Scully, you wouldn't have suggested that I pick up Alex if you hadn't known that this is what I would want to do. I think we are getting close, she is making mistakes." "Promise me you won't do anything foolish, Mulder." "Scully, it's broad daylight. Vampires only come out at night." Scully sighed and just stared at him. "Well, even delusional women who think they are vampires would only come out at night." Mulder grinned. Scully uncovered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Alex, give Mulder half an hour and he'll be there to pick you up. I am handing him the phone, give him directions." Before she handed him the phone she glared at him. "Promise me, Mulder." Mulder gave her the boy scout salute. "I am taking a shower, I will see you later at the morgue when you bring me lunch." Mulder raised his eyebrows at her, questioningly. "It's one way for me to check up on you, Mulder." She walked into the vanity and shut the door. ************************* The Dungeon French Quarter March 23, 1998 7:15 a.m. Mulder and Alex walked through the narrow walkway to into the dark and dingy bar. It's name fit with the decor and the atmosphere. At this hour of the morning there was no one here except for the police, the employees, the victim........and his wife. Mulder noticed the 30ish woman sitting at a table crying with two officers sitting across from her. Alex looked at him and then walked towards the woman. The two officers got up and let Alex sit down. Mulder slid into the booth next to her. He let Alex take the lead. "Mrs........Shaffer? I am Detective Alex DuMont and this is Special Agent Fox Mulder with the F.B.I. Could you tell us what happened?" Amanda Shaffer looked at Alex and then at Mulder, tears still streaming down her face. "My husband and I are......were on vacation. We came in here last night.....I mean this morning, at about 3 a.m. Just for kicks, you know? It looks like a bizarre place and we were curious. So we came in and found a place to sit down.....in that little alcove over there." She pointed across the room at a small niche in the wall. There were similar niches around the room, some were like window sills and others had actual tables. "We had both had quite a bit to drink but I never thought,.......I mean Danny would never....." She broke down into sobs. Alex patted her gently on the arm. "Mrs. Shaffer, I am sorry about your loss, but if we are going to find the person that did this we need to know exactly what happened." Amanda sniffed, then looked at Mulder and began crying harder. "I'm.....I'm sorry, but you remind me of my husband." Mulder paled. "What do you mean?" asked Mulder. "You......you look so much like him." If it was possible, Mulder got paler. "He went to get a drink from the bar. We decided to share one. I only had one sip and Danny drank the rest. I started getting kind of sleepy and Danny left me to go upstairs to the bathroom. He.....he ne-ver came back." She started crying again. Mulder got up to look at the body while Alex found a police woman to help get Amanda Shaffer back to her hotel. Mulder climbed the stairs to the second floor wondering how a man could leave his wife downstairs in a bar, go upstairs, proceed to have sex with a strange woman and get killed for it. It did not take a rocket scientist to see where this was headed. Mulder's stomach started to hurt and he leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs. Mulder's head began to pound. Mulder felt a hand on his arm and jumped a foot. "Mulder? You alright? You are very pale." Mulder just nodded and headed for the bathroom. He walked through the door just as they were getting ready to bring the body out. He stopped them and lifted the sheet. Beside him Alex gasped aloud. "My god, Mulder, he does look like you." The room began to spin slightly in Mulder's vision. "Yes, there is a resemblance, isn't there. I think that once Scully gets the Tox screen results from the last victim and from this victim we will see that there are some kind of drugs involved. Could you go over the crime scene very carefully, then question Mrs. Shaffer about any women she may have noticed hanging around the bar? Question all the employees you can as well." "What? Why do I get the feeling that you aren't going to be here? What are you up to, Mulder?" "I am not *up* to anything. I have some friends of mine working on something that I need to check on and then I have some stuff I want to check out at the station. I will fill you and Scully in when you get back there." Alex frowned at him. She did not like this one bit. He was cutting her out. He was on to something and he wasn't sharing. She started a slow burn as Mulder carefully looked over the bathroom. It appeared that the killer seduced Danny Shaffer in the bathroom. Mulder imagined how it happened. Danny went to the bar and bought a drink. When he wasn't paying attention, the killer slipped him something. After sitting with his wife for a few minutes, he came upstairs and the killer followed. When he got to the top of the stairs he would have had to walk past another bar, some heavy wooden, gothic looking tables and the dance floor. It would have been very dark with strobe lights flashing. As he was walking past the dance floor a beautiful, slinky woman reaches out and pulls him towards her and starts dancing with him. With the drugs and booze in his system he would put up a fight, but would be essentially powerless. His morality would be hampered. She would follow him into the bathroom and lock the door. Mulder shrugged internally. At least now he had a good idea where to start looking and he certainly couldn't have Alex looking over his shoulder on this. Thanks to his partner, drugs, and a missing tox screen he was very close to solving this case. ************************** CHAPTER 11 4th Precinct, N.O.P.D. New Orleans, Louisiana March 23, 1998, 9:30 a.m. Fox Mulder strode into the station and into the conference room that they had been using as an office. He pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial for his partner. "Scully." "How's it goin', Scully?" "Mulder. Fine. Where are you and how are you feeling?" Mulder decided to omit the fact that it felt like he had an ulcer and that his head might explode. "I am at the station and I am fine. I wanted to warn you about this next victim." He hesitated. "Warn me about what, Mulder?" "Well.......he kinda looks like me, Scully. He's also close to my age." "What? Oh, god, Mulder. Don't leave the station until I get there." "Scully, relax a little. I can take care of myself....." he heard a snort over the phone "I may not be as good at it as you are but it is broad daylight. She can't *get* me until after dark." He said as he smiled into the phone. "This is *not* funny, Mulder. You don't know that she is a vampire. Besides, she has someone on the inside, remember?" "Well.....sort of, Scully. I don't think that the person on the inside necessarily *knows* that they are on the inside." "Why do you say that?" "Hunch. Based on the changes in the M.O. I think that you are going to find drugs in this latest victim, possibly the last two victims. I am going to question the evidence clerk here and see if they had any drug busts in this precinct recently and who the arresting officers were and then follow the trail from there. I bet if you question the lab techs and the coroner about who has been hanging around the lab lately, we will get some overlap." "And this will narrow down our list of suspects, right?" she asked. "Yep. Then you and I can question the suspects together." "What if the drugs weren't from a drug bust but were bought on the street?" "Well, we gotta have a place to start, Scully. Maybe we will hit the jackpot. Where are you anyway?" "At the lab, waiting for the tox screens that were supposedly misplaced. As soon as I get the results I am going to head over to the morgue and start on the autopsy of this latest victim." "O.K. I will be working here. We can meet up later and compare notes and question any potential suspects." "Sounds good. Mulder, where is Alex?" "I asked her to question the employees of the bar and any other witnesses that she can dig up. She also is going over the scene to see if she can find any more evidence. I didn't want her around while I am trying to dig up dirt on her fellow cops. She will probably be here by the time you get done. Why do you ask?" "I was curious how you were going to handle that. She does seem the type to get pissed off at being considered a potential suspect. I can imagine she would go ballistic if she knew we considered her partner to be at the top of the list." she added silently. "Yeah, I just think I can get more done without her fighting me every step of the way." "You mean like I do, Mulder?" She kept the smile out of her voice. Mulder hesitated, unsure if she was serious or not. He went with serious. "Oh, Scully, you and I are a productive team. Yin and yang, you know? Alex is just.......antagonistic." He held his breath. Scully laughed. "I was teasing you, Mulder" "I knew that, Scully." "Yeah, right. Talk to you later." She hung up, delighted at the turn the conversation had taken. Mulder smiled and hit the end button. He started to put it back in his pocket when it chirped. "Mulder." "Hey, Mulder, how is the Big Easy?" "Ah, Frohike. It is warm and noisy, same as always. What have you got for me?" "Well Mulder, then only murders fitting the description you gave us were located in San Francisco. But it's weird, Mulder." "Weird how?" "Well, you said you thought you were looking for a female killer?" "Yes. Are you telling me that these murders in San Francisco were committed by a man?" "Well.......yes and no. There were a rash of murders the M.O. you described. But, one of the victims survived. A young woman who we have not been able to identify yet. She said that her attacker was a male, a vampire." Mulder inhaled sharply. A woman who survived a vampire attack. "What else, Frohike?" "This woman was sexually assaulted, badly. They never caught the guy and the murders continued with one notable difference." "The victims were male instead of female, right?" "Well, yes and no, Mulder. There were some of both for a little while then it became exclusively male, fitting your M.O. exactly." "O.K. Frohike, here's what I need now. I need to know the names of the cops who worked on the case and I need you to try to find out the name of the surviving female victim" "Mulder, that part will not be easy." "I know, Frohike, I will owe you big time." After Mulder hung up he hurried down to the evidence room to talk to the clerk. ************************ Orleans Parish Morgue New Orleans, Louisiana March 23, 1998, 11:30 a.m. Dana Scully had had a busy morning. She had finished her reports of their progress, or lack thereof, so far. She wanted to interview the lab tech who had "lost" the tox screen but found that she wouldn't be in until the evening. The chief coroner had been of no help. It seems that most of the detectives of Alex's precinct visited the morgue fairly regularly, which was to be expected when working on murder cases. She had checked on the progress of the second tox screens. And then she had that conversation with Mulder. In his mind, every cop in New Orleans was a suspect and that included Alex. He didn't want anyone around to interfere when he went on this fishing expedition. So he was going to ditch her. This gave Scully a very perverse thrill. Scully still thought that Alex's partner was involved and it would definitely be better that she was not around to fight Mulder while he investigated. Scully thought back an hour to when the body had been brought in. She had unwrapped it and her knees had buckled. If Mulder hadn't warned her she might have passed out. The similarities to Mulder were astonishing. Their killer must have been planning this since she attacked Mulder the night before last. She would have had to look around quite a bit. Scully was starting to realize that her regard for her partner was even higher than she realized. She sighed and got on with the autopsy. ********************** One Hour Later Scully's heart was pounding. "Oh my god. That bitch. Dammit." She was starting to get totally unnerved by what she had found while looking for trace evidence. Just then her cell phone chirped. "Scully." "Scully, it's me." "Mulder, you aren't going to believe this.....god." "What is it? What's wrong, Scully." She heard the worry in his voice and took a deep breath and told herself that she was overreacting. "Scully!" "Oh, sorry, Mulder. I am just a little thrown by what I found so far on this victim." "What, what did you find?" "Two more wig hairs Mulder. It's almost as if she left them on purpose. Mulder, they're.....red." She took a shaky breath. "Jesus, Scully. That's......that's too much." "It has kind of freaked me out Mulder." "Are you done? Because if you are I want you to meet me. I would feel better if we were together the rest of the way on this one. Besides, I have a couple of suspects for us to question." "Who?" "Michael Edwards and Patrick Monahan. Monahan is Alex's partner and Edwards is a detective in the same precinct. Their names are on the chain of custody used to check evidence into the evidence room that consisted of sizeable quantities of a lovely little drug called Rohypnol. Apparently both were recently involved in a drug bust where Rohypnol was recovered. When the evidence clerk checked, he noted that the quantity listed on the chain of custody didn't match the quantity actually in evidence. Some of it appeared to be missing. I think you should meet me at Edwards house. He is off today so we can start with him and then head over to Monahan's." "What about Alex? Was she in on the bust with Monahan?" "I don't think so. Her name was not on the arrest reports. In any case, we will have to question her sooner or later. I would just prefer later." "That would be easier, knowing Alex. But how would someone involved with either of those two men get their hands on the drug? This doesn't make sense unless one of them is directly involved." "You're right and I just don't think that is the case. But at least we have a place to start. Did you get the tox screen results back yet?" "They weren't ready when I was there. I left strict instructions to not let anyone see them and for the tech to hand them over to me personally. I bet we find Rohypnol in both of the last two victims." "Why don't you pick them up and meet me at Edwards' house. Say, in an hour?" "O.K. Mulder. See you then. Oh Mulder?" "Yeah, Scully?" "Are you O.K.?" "Yeah, I'm fine." Actually, that still wasn't quite true. He was constantly nauseous and he couldn't get rid of his headache. But they were so close. "Be careful, Mulder." "See you soon, Scully." *********************** 2223 Frenchman Street Faubourg Marigne Same Day, 1:30 p.m. Scully gazed out the window at the crumbling building with its high, narrow windows flanked by shutters with peeling paint. It was an old but quaint looking building just outside the French Quarter, which lay to the west. Her cab pulled up behind the car that she and Mulder had rented and she got out, paying the driver. As she walked up to the car she realized that Mulder wasn't in it. She tried the door and found it unlocked. She sat down in the car and then noticed his cell phone lying on the seat. She picked up his phone and hit redial. Her phone rang in her pocket. She hit end on Mulder's phone and pulled hers out of her pocket. She dialed the number for the station and requested backup. Then Scully decided that she was going to go up to Edwards' apartment and, with a little luck, find her partner. *********************** Somewhere Else Same Day, Same Time Scully's partner was, at the moment, inaccessible. Not to mention not entirely conscious. He was dreaming. <<<>>>> Just then, the car hit a huge pothole. Special Agent Fox Mulder's head connected with the inside wall of the trunk, effectively ending his dream. ******* CHAPTER 12 ******************** 2223 Frenchman Street Faubourg Marigne March 23, 1998, 2:30 p.m. Scully walked out of the building and over to the car. She leaned against it and closed her eyes. An hour before she had entered the building filled with hope that Mulder had gone in before her and pissed off that he had done such a thing. Now, an hour later, it was appeared likely that he had not gone in without her. There was no sign of him other than his cell phone lying in the car. There was no sign of Edwards either, which could mean about a million different things. Scully was starting to panic. She looked at her watch. Two-thirty in the afternoon. It gets dark at about 6 p.m. She had to believe that Mulder would not be harmed by the killer until after nightfall. Three and a half hours to figure out who the hell had kidnaped her partner and where they had taken him. Just then, Alex pulled up behind Scully's car and got out. "Dana, I heard Mulder's missing. Is there any news?" "No, nothing. How did you find out?" "I called the station and the lieutenant said you had called for backup and that Mulder was missing. Dana, were you and Mulder on to something? Is that why you are going through Edwards' house?" Scully sighed. "Mulder and I came to the conclusion that someone from your precinct was involved in some way with the killer. Based on the crime scene lack of detail and the fact that the killer always seemed to be one step ahead. Then, this morning I found out that the two most recent tox screens were missing. Mulder found out that Edwards' and Monahan were each involved in drug busts recently involving Rohypnol." "Oh, yeah, the date rape drug. And Mulder came to the conclusion at the bar this morning that the victim had been drugged because he was with his wife. He then proceeded to talk me into staying behind so he could do some digging at the police station." Alex said, putting it all together. "Alex...." Alex held up her hand. "Dana, I understand. It does make a lot of sense that someone on the force knows the killer. It all fits. I don't know why I didn't see it before." "Perhaps because it is hard to believe that a cop would be involved? I know how that is, believe me. Alex, I have to ask, were you involved in the drug bust where Rohypnol was recovered?" "I was only peripherally involved. I didn't go in and make the actual arrest, I was backup on the street if needed. Which I wasn't. Mulder must have had more of a reason to suspect Edwards and Monahan than just the Rohypnol bust." "Actually, I think he was just using it as a starting point. It makes sense since the last two victims had traces of rohypnol in their blood streams. It could have been something the killer picked up on the street but there just seems to be too many coincidences, what with the tox screens going missing *and* the quantity of Rohypnol reported as recovered not matching what is currently in evidence." "Well, what now, Scully?" Scully just looked at her thoughtfully. "What do you know about Edwards and Monahan's personal lives?" "Well, Edwards is constantly asking me out. He is rather annoying about it, too. Monahan's divorced and, as far as I know, not seeing anyone." "Do either of them have sisters?" "Well, Monahan does. I don't know about Edwards." Alex paused, watching Scully's face. "What do we do now? How do we find Mulder?" Scully looked at Alex carefully, debating her next move. Her mind flashed back to Mulder sitting on the bed, sick, and Alex running her hand down his arm. Her skin crawled and she shivered. Then she realized that Alex was staring at her, waiting for an answer. "We need to track down Monahan and Edwards. Mulder seemed certain that one of them was connected in some way to the killer. Let's go back to the station and start there." She put Mulder's cell phone in her purse with her own and walked to the drivers side of the rental car. As she got behind the wheel, Alex noticed that Scully's feet wouldn't reach the pedals. Scully realized it as well and it caused her to close her eyes and rest her head back against the seat. Her throat working as she swallowed back the sudden tears. Alex watched as Scully gave herself a noticeable shake and pulled herself together. "We'll find him, Scully." Alex thought as she walked to her own car and Scully pulled away from the curb. ************************ 4th Precinct, N.O.P.D. Same Day, 3:00 p.m. Scully pulled up in front of the station just as her cell phone rang. Correction, she realized as she opened her purse, Mulder's cell phone. "Scully." "Well, if it isn't the always lovely Agent Scully. What are *you* doing answering Mulder's phone, eh?" "Frohike.......Mulder is missing. He was supposed to meet me in front of a suspects house and when I got there, the car and his cell phone were there but there was no sign of him." Scully heard Frohike repeat all this to the other gunmen. "Oh man, Scully, I'm sorry. You have to find him before that vampire chick takes him apart. She is bad news, very bad." "Frohike, what do you know about this? Have you been helping Mulder with something?" "Yeah, he called us yesterday and told us about the case. Asked us to search police and federal data bases for crimes with a similar M.O. We found that very similar crimes had occurred over a six month period in San Francisco. They ended abruptly about two months ago and were never solved." He proceeded to fill her in on the limited information that he had given Mulder. "So did you find the name of the female victim who survived?" asked Scully. "No, it is not recorded anywhere. It is like they were aware of the crime but the victim declined to press charges. They never added her name to any of the computerized files, like they were protecting her or something." "What about the detectives investigating the case?" "Well," Frohike said, "the cop listed on the most recent reports was a Harry Stanton. I assume he is the man you will want to talk to about that case. Do you think that this female victim is your killer?" "It certainly seems so. The killings stopped there not to long before they started occurring here. The M.O. is so bizarre as to be uncommon and one of the victims in the attacks there claims to have been raped by a vampire. She may have been so traumatized by the attack that she believes that she is now a vampire. She may also have decided that vengeance for being attacked was best served by doing to others what was done to her." "Or she really *is* a vampire." Scully sighed. < Mulder has had a big influence on these guys.> She missed him desperately. "Whatever. Frohike, do you have anything else?" She felt bad about being so abrupt with the little man, but she was starting to feel desperate. "Don't worry Agent Scully, you will find him. You're good, Mulder tells us so all the time." Scully felt tears threatening again. "We don't have anything else for you right now. We thought that Mulder would want to talk to Detective Stanton right away. We'll keep looking." "Thanks, Frohike." "Take care, Agent Scully." Scully hit end on the phone and took a deep breath. She got out of the car and walked into the station while dialing the number for information to connect her with San Francisco P.D. ************************ Location Unknown Same Day, Same Time Mulder slowly opened his eyes and then slammed them shut again against the bright light. He had no clue what was going on, other than bright lights hurt his eyes. And that his head was going to explode into a million pieces. He cracked his eyes slightly. Sunlight. Coming in through the windows and shining on his face. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the light and realized that he wasn't in his apartment. He tried to take in his surroundings but his head hurt so badly that he could barely focus. The back of his head was sticky so somebody had clocked him. He tried to move his legs and realized that they were tied together. He was lying on his stomach with his hands handcuffed behind him and his legs tied together at the ankles. Somebody had at least thrown him down on a couch. He looked up instead of sideways and his head exploded in a fresh burst of pain. Everything got fuzzy and he dropped his head down to ease the pain. "Somebody.......Scully, help me." It only came out as a croak that caused his head to swim again. He had to try again. "Somebody help me!" Slightly louder but the pain that it caused made the world go dim.......and finally, dark. *************************** 4th Precinct, N.O.P.D. Same Day, 3:15 p.m. Detective Stanton had been out of the office when Scully had called him. She had left an urgent message for him to call her as she walked into the station's detective's bull pen. The stares of the detectives and officers present told her she had their sympathy. Then she wondered which of them she could possibly trust, who here would back her up and help her find her partner. There was a commotion in the back of the room, near Alex's desk. Then Scully saw him. Michael Edwards. She practically ran towards the back of the room. Lieutenant Joe McIntyre was standing there, talking to him. "I am telling you, I am being set up. I didn't take that Rohypnol. I don't even have a girlfriend, ask anybody. Besides, this is ridiculous. How would a girlfriend, if I had one, gain access to the drug? She couldn't go into evidence herself and get it and we checked it in immediately after the bust. It's not like I would be taking it home with me before checking it in." "Actually," said Scully as she walked up to them, "many people use Rohypnol as a cheap way to increase their high by adding it to their own drinks. It can become addictive, like any other drug of its kind. Therefore, if you had a "problem" with this drug or were looking for a way to get a better "buzz" with your beer, it is very possible that a girlfriend, or sister, could find it in your apartment and use it to her own ends. That end being kidnaping, torturing and killing my partner." Scully glared at him. "Look, Agent Scully, I am sorry about your partner but I DID NOT TAKE THE DRUGS!!" Yelling at Scully at this point was a very big mistake. She stepped right into his space and stared him down. "Listen, you son of a bitch," she said very quietly, "if anything, anything at all, happens to my partner because of something you did or did not do, you will regret the day you laid eyes on me. Now did you or did you not have custody of the Rohypnol from that bust at some point during that case." Joe McIntyre was very impressed with the petite agents ability to hold her own but felt the need to take charge rapidly. Before Edwards lost a testicle. The damn fool just might *not* know when to back down. "Agent Scully, Mike was just telling me that he had custody of the Rohypnol initially and then signed it over to Monahan to be signed in." Edwards looked at him gratefully, prematurely. "That does not, however, explain how officers at the scene found a small amount of what looks like Rohypnol in your bathroom, Mike." Edwards' mouth dropped open and Scully glared at him. "Somebody planted it. I swear I did not take the Rohypnol." Edwards looked Scully right in the eyes as he said this, begging her to believe him. "Edwards," said Joe, "I want you to stay here. Do not leave until I give you express permission to do so. Do you understand?" Edwards nodded, solemnly. "O.K. Agent Scully, follow me." Joe walked towards his office and Scully followed him. They went in his office and Joe closed the door behind Scully. "Scully, I know you are worried sick about Mulder, but I believe Edwards is telling the truth. His record is impeccable for the entire ten years that he has been with the force. He is never late, never sick and always by the book. He's a good cop, albeit annoying from time to time." "What about Monahan?" "He is a different story. He's a good cop but lately he has been out sick. In fact, he's been in and out since he and Alex started on this case." He paused, eyes widening. "Christ, why didn't I think of it before? He is so temperamental that I thought he was staying home because he was so pissed at me for making him and Alex do the dog and pony show at that high school in the district. Maybe he has a drug problem. Sure as hell would explain his absences lately." Scully's own eyes widened at the mention of the high school, not to mention the extended absences from duty. "*What* high school dog and pony show?" "Monahan and Alex had to do one of those assembly things, you know a "get to know the community" thing, at the high school on Magazine Street." "You mean the same high school that the first two victims went to?" asked Scully. "SHIT! GODDAMN IT ALL!" Scully took that as a yes and grabbed her purse. "Where the hell is Alex? She was supposed to be right behind me. She *never* mentioned that she had been to that high school when we were discussing the case." Scully said, as she opened the door. McIntyre followed her. "Do you think Alex has something to do with this? I don't see how she could have gotten the Rohypnol." "I don't know. Either Alex or Monahan or both. It certainly seems that Monahan is the more likely of the two based on his recent behavior. We have to get on this. I need addresses for both of them. Can you follow me to Monahan's? We can't wait for Alex, regardless." McIntyre nodded and started shouting orders to various officers in the room while Scully tried to call Detective Stanton in San Francisco again. Unsuccessfully. ********************* Location Unknown Same Day, 4:20 p.m. Mulder groaned in pain. Remembering what had happened the last time he opened his eyes, he squinted slightly with his head lying on the couch, facing outward into the room. He was in someone's living room. The couch he was lying on was against the longer wall of the room, perpendicular to the wall that the windows were set in. He noticed that it wasn't as bright as it had been. Just then he realized where he was. He realized that he didn't have much time before he found out exactly who the killer was.....and whether or not she was a vampire. He took a deep breath and was surprised when the pain wasn't as bad as he expected. He took a chance and lifted his head to look over the arm of the couch. The door was right in front of him, about 15 feet away, next to the windows. He laid his head back down and noted a large oak entertainment center directly across from the couch. The apartment was not heavily furnished and didn't have anything on the walls. His heart ached at the thought of Scully and he tried to push it aside. He looked in the direction of his feet and saw a door-less archway and what appeared to be a dining area. Perpendicular to the couch at the end where his feet were was a matching chair. His coat and tie were neatly laid across this chair. He surmised that he was in a small, shotgun house, based on how one room opened directly into the next and the narrowness of it. His head was swimming, again, and he felt sick. Mulder tried to swing his feet towards the ground so he could sit upright on the couch. In trying to sit up, he over balanced and started to fall toward the floor. He landed, hard, his knees hitting the hardwood floor followed closely by his chest and chin. All the air went out of his lungs in a whoosh and a fresh burst of pain bloomed in his head. He laid there for a moment trying to catch his breath and sweating profusely. Just then, his heart started to pound as he heard the sound of someone trying to open the front door. ************************ Patrick Monahan Residence 1887 Sixth Street Same Day, Same Time Scully and McIntyre had been sitting in Scully's car outside Monahan's house for a few minutes after knocking and had seen no movement. "Joe, I really think we need to go in. We are running out of time. I really feel that we have probable cause. If anybody gives you a problem, just blame it on me." "All right. We go in. Under protest. I hate the idea of breaking into one of my detectives houses on evidence that is not that solid." "Not that solid? Have you listened to a word I've said? My partner is missing and we have a series of events that implicate one of your detectives. Monahan is currently at the top of that list. Now are we going up there or are we going to argue?" "I'm sorry, let's go." It just went against McIntyre's cop "brotherhood" creed but he knew that Agent Scully had a point. Scully walked up to the front door of the small, shotgun house and tried the door. Locked, of course. She looked at McIntyre and, using the butt of her gun, broke the narrow strip of glass that was set in length of the door. McIntyre just closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. She then reached in, unlocked the door and pulled her arm out to open it from the outside. Gun in hand she walked slowly into the living room of the small house, McIntyre close behind her. She stood silently in the living room for a moment, listening. Not a sound. She motioned toward the back of the house and started walking slowly in that direction. As she went through the dining room she could see someone lying on the bed in the bedroom. Joe McIntyre was right behind Scully when she suddenly lowered her gun. Her shoulders drooped and her head dropped into one of her hands. Joe walked past her into the room and saw the object of her despair. Patrick Monahan was lying in his bed with a hole in his chest. He was very dead. *********** Rating: WARNING... NC-17......WARNING. If you are under 18, go away. If you have read this far you know what one of my characters is capable of. She is at her worst and most graphic here so if the themes presented bother you, don't read any farther. CHAPTER 13 Location Unknown March 23, 1998, 4:30 p.m. Mulder laid very still and held his breath as the door opened. He was shocked, but very pleased, to see Alex walk in the door with her gun drawn. "Alex?" he croaked weakly. "Mulder! My god!" Alex DuMont ran over and crouched beside him. "I don't think she's here. Where's Scully? Why isn't she behind you?" he could barely talk his throat was so dry. Alex ran her fingers through his hair briefly before digging for her handcuff keys. "We separated at Edwards' house and then as I was driving to the station I decided to check here." She unlocked the cuffs and helped Mulder sit up with his back against the couch. Mulder looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean, you decided to check here?" "Mulder, we will discuss this later. I need to check out the rest of the house, she may be back there somewhere. You look like hell. On my way back I'll get some water and a knife to try and get your legs untied. We have to get you out of here before she shows up." She started toward the back of the house, gun in hand. Mulder tugged weakly on the layers of duct tape that were wound around his ankles. He would be lucky to be able to stand, his feet were so numb due to lack of blood flow. There was no way to get the stuff off without a knife. He heard water turn on in the back of the house and drawers being opened and closed. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the couch. He hurt all over and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Alex walked back into the room and saw him sprawled against the couch with his eyes closed. She knelt beside him and laid her hand on his arm. His eyes opened and she handed him the water. He drank greedily, until his stomach clenched. "Mulder, not so fast. I don't want you to get sick. That kinda defeats the purpose of the water." He handed the glass back to her. "Knife." he gasped. "Did you find one?" She showed him the only knife she had managed to find and started sawing on the tape. "What time is it? How long till dark?" "It's after 5. Not long enough." Suddenly she stopped and stood up. "Alex? What?" Mulder squinted at her, his vision becoming blurry. "I think I heard something.......back there." she replied. Mulder tried to focus on her but it was becoming increasingly difficult. She looked funny. Sort of scared and conflicted about what to do. She started slowly toward the back of the house. Alex walked slowly through the dining room with the knife in one hand and her gun in the other. She passed slowly into the bedroom. There was large sleigh bed to her left, its length parallel to the outside wall. There were small night stands on either side of the bed at its head. On her right, up against the other wall was a large, mirrored bureau. It was quite long and stood about stomach level to Alex. On its surface were several Styrofoam heads holding wigs of various colors. Directly in front of her and to the right of the archway leading to the kitchen there was an open closet. She could see a woman's clothes stuffed inside. She turned to the bureau and fingered one of the wigs, trance-like. She looked up, then, into the mirror. Clarice looked back at her. ************************ Patrick Monahan Residence 1887 Sixth Street Same Day, 6:00 p.m. Scully walked listlessly through the crowd of police officers swarming over Detective Monahan's house and small yard. She sat down on the passenger side seat of her car and laid her head against the head rest. A silent tear tracked down her cheek. Her heart was so heavy in her chest she only wanted to curl up and die. She had spent the last hour and a half going through Monahan's things looking for something, anything, that would give her a clue as to where to look for Mulder. Monahan's sister lived in Baton Rouge with her husband and two children. Another dead end. Even though Monahan's murder certainly indicated that he was involved with the killer, Scully was suspicious of Alex. She didn't see how she and Mulder could work with her the past couple of days and not realize she was involved. Scully didn't like Alex, but she had to attribute that to Alex's growing fondness for Mulder. All of her thoughts kept returning to Mulder. His face when they had been dancing in the street that first night. The feel of his hands on her shoulders as they stood and looked at the huge shadow on the wall of the church. His laugh that she couldn't remember hearing before. The way he sashayed through the gay bar with all the men drooling after him. His arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her, as the streetcar lurched. Pat O'Briens. Scully suddenly sat bolt upright, several things clicking into place at once. The woman who had attempted to pick him up while she was upstairs. The fact that two of the victims had been picked up there. Alex running her hand down Mulder's arm in a gesture that was familiar and disturbing. She closed her eyes, remembering the night in Pat O'Briens. She had been walking down the stairs when she saw a strawberry blond running her finger tips down Mulder's arm possessively. "Oh god, how could we be so blind." Alex was missing, as well. Maybe helping her sister? Or did she not know what her sister was up to. Scully's cell phone rang just as Joe McIntyre was walking up to the car. "Scully." "Agent Scully, Byers here. Any word on Mulder?" "No Byers, but I think I am putting it together. Did you find the name of the female victim in San Francisco?" "Yes. A Clarice Lioncourt. We had to get some contacts of ours dig deep and that is the name they came up with. They got into the personal files of one of the detectives that used to be on the case. These files were definitely not for public consumption. They think that the name is an alias, however, since nothing can be found on her in the San Francisco area." "What about Harry Stanton?" "Well, he is the most recent detective on the case. He took the case over after one of the other detectives was dismissed from that case due to personal problems." "What was this detectives name?" asked Scully. "Alex DuMont." "Oh my god. Byers, I have to go, thanks." "Agent Scully, find Mulder. We like the guy." "Yeah, me too, Byers." Scully hung up and looked at Joe McIntyre. "Why didn't you tell me that Alex had just moved here?" "She has been here for over two months, I didn't realize it was important. What the hell is going on? Is she our perp here?" "She is connected in some way with the killer. There were a series of murders in San Francisco a couple of months ago and she was originally on the investigation. She was removed due to some sort of personal problem. Now her partner here turns up dead. At least we know how Monahan is connected. He probably figured out that Alex's......friend, sister or whatever was the killer and that Alex is protecting her." "She may not know what her friend is doing." McIntyre said, defensively. Scully looked at him like he was insane. He shrugged his shoulders. He liked Alex and didn't like that he had been fooled. "Regardless, we have to find her, do you have her address?" "Yeah, let's go. I'll ride with you." ***************************** Location Unknown Same day, Same time Mulder was still sprawled against the couch since Alex had disappeared into the back of the house and hadn't reappeared. He found he didn't care. His head still hurt but he felt drunk. He knew there was something wrong with this picture, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't put his finger on anything. "I'm fucked up. I've been hit o-one too many times." He snorted. "So 'kay. I'm just a bit more fucked up than I wus before. And now I'm talkin' to myself. Fucked up *and* crazy. And a sheep...a gullible sheep. No wonder Scully doesn't want me." "Who are you talking to, Fox?" Mulder looked up toward the voice and saw Scully standing in the archway to the dining room. "Y-you're here. I doan feel good at all. Why'd you call me Fox?" Mulder asked as Scully walked over and knelt next to him. "It's your name, isn't it?" she asked as she ran her fingers through his hair. She bent over him placed a light kiss on his jaw near his ear. Mulder felt a rush of heat in his groin. He closed his eyes and laid his head back, stifling a groan. The next thing he felt was a pair of lips on his ear lobe. She kissed it, then sucked it into her mouth running her tongue over it. Mulder's mouth dropped open and his breathing quickened. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "W-what are you doing? D-don't tease me......" She cut him off by covering his mouth with her own. Her lips opened and she teased his mouth open with her tongue. His heart was pounding so hard and it crossed his mind that he had finally gone round the bend because Scully would never do this. He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her closer, kissing her back. He had a major erection and he was so dizzy that he was afraid he would pass out. He moaned into her mouth and then pulled away slightly. "Scully, please, I can't take this if you're not....." Before he could finish the sentence "Scully" growled at him and punched him in the jaw. His head snapped back into the couch and pain flared throughout his skull. He tried to scramble away from her but she sat on his legs while he struggled weakly. When he looked at her again, dizzily, he gasped in shock. "Y-you're not Scully! My god, what are you doing Alex?" ************************** 1126 First Street New Orleans, Louisiana Same Day, 6:20 p.m. Scully pulled the car up to the curb, tires screeching. As she jumped out of the car, she looked up at the house. It was huge, a mansion. Scully thought. She and McIntyre ran up the stairs and knocked on the front door. After a few moments, an old woman came to the door and peeked out through the glass running vertically on both sides. Scully held up her badge so the woman could see. The old woman smiled and opened the door. "Hello, what can I do for you?" asked the old woman. "Ma'am, I am Special Agent Dana Scully with the F.B.I. and this is Lieutenant McIntyre with the N.O.P.D. We are looking for Detective Alexandra DuMont and this is her address on record. Do you know Detective DuMont?" The old woman had started nodding before Scully had finished speaking. "Oh, yes, Alex is a lovely girl. So serious. She rents my old slave quarters at the back of the yard but she is almost never here. That girl works some crazy hours, you know? By the way, I am Muriel Beaumont." "Mrs. Beaumont, this is a matter of some urgency," said Scully. "Could you show us the way back there and point us in the direction of Alex's rooms?" "Oh certainly, follow me." The old woman moved into the hallway of the old house, beckoning Scully and McIntyre to follow. If Scully hadn't been so focused on Mulder she would have appreciated the beauty of the house she was walking through. On some level, she noted the 12 foot ceilings and the floor to ceiling windows with beautiful molding. The walls of the various rooms were painted in the pale lavender, peach and green pastels so common to New Orleans. They passed through a huge dinning room with chandelier and table service for twenty into the kitchen. The kitchen was the size of Mulder's apartment but twice as modern. Mrs. Beaumont walked through the kitchen to the back door. Opening the door, she stepped out into the huge back yard. Anyone standing on the street would not even know that this yard existed because of how the mansions of New Orleans were constructed. The house itself was huge and, from the street, appeared to extend the length of the property. In reality, when you exited the back of the mansion there was a narrow building to the left that was flush with the back of the house and parallel to the street. This building ran the remaining length of the property but was not actually attached to the mansion. Mrs. Beaumont explained that prior to the civil war, this building had housed slaves. With the onset of the war the slaves had been given their freedom and, if they desired, continued to live in the building and were paid for their labor in the house. The building had been recently restored and was divided into two sizeable apartments. Alex apparently had the upper level with the balcony overlooking the large yard that was beautifully maintained with a small pond surrounded by magnolia trees and lush foliage. At the very back of the yard, adjacent to the end of the building was a locked gate that Alex and the other tenant used to come and go without disturbing Mrs. Beaumont. Scully and McIntyre took Mrs. Beaumont's spare key to the apartment and instructed her to go back into the main house while they approached Alex's apartment. As they climbed the steps, Scully drew her gun, much to McIntyre's dismay. He then followed suit, grudgingly acknowledging that Scully could be right. Scully stopped in front of the door and knocked. "Alex? Are you in there? It's Scully." She stood to one side of the door, McIntyre the other. There was no sound from inside the apartment. Scully took the key and unlocked the door. She pushed the door open while remaining out of firing range of anyone inside the apartment. Nothing. She and McIntyre both peered around the door frame into the main room of the apartment. Clear. Gun level in front of her, Scully stepped into the room. It was very sparsely furnished. Couch, television, coffee table with knickknacks. "Alex? Mulder?" Scully called again. McIntyre looked at her sharply, still not believing that Alex was involved. There was still only silence. Scully moved to her right towards an open door. Looking around the door frame, she realized that she was looking into a bedroom. The only piece of furniture in the room was a futon. There were clothes in the closet, but the room was frighteningly bare. Like someone only lived here part time. Scully shook her head at McIntyre, who moved to his left through the living room towards the small kitchen. He peered around the door frame as Scully came up behind him. No one. They reholstered their guns and Scully had to push down a feeling of despair that was threatening to overwhelm her. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "Lone Gunmen, this is Langley." "Langley, Scully." "Agent Scully! Any word on Mulder?" "No, not a trace. I need you guys to find an address for me as fast as you possibly can......." "Clarice Lioncourt, right? We're on it Agent Scully, although we suspect that name is an alias. Have you realized the significance of it yet?" Langley paused, Scully remained silent so he continued. "Lioncourt was the last name of the central vampire character in Anne Rice's series. Lestat de Lioncourt. In the stories, Louis, Lestat's cohort, spent a lot of time in San Francisco as did Lestat, although to a lesser extent. You know, Mulder reminds me of Louis. Dark, brooding, tormented, guilt ridden......" "Dear god. This woman is obsessed with Anne Rice?" "It would appear so Agent Scully. Anyway, we started looking for an address for Clarice Lioncourt shortly after the last time we spoke with you. We haven't had a lot of luck, but we are going through all the names in Anne Rice's books at the same time, hoping to get a hit. We'll call you as soon as we get one." "Please hurry, Langley, we don't have much time." she said and disconnected. She sat down on Alex's couch and rested her chin on her fist, thinking. "Well, Agent Scully. What do you think?" asked McIntyre. "I think that Clarice Lioncourt, or whatever her name is, is seriously disturbed. She is seducing young men, draining them of their blood, killing them. Her motives for these actions are conflicting to say the least. At first, she seemed to want young men solely for the pleasure of seducing them and killing them. Then, she met a man that would not be seduced. So she forced him somehow. Mulder would say mind control. She got extreme satisfaction from that and started looking for challenges. Along the way she developed an obsession with my partner. Perfect. An older man, kind, sensitive, and most of all, spoken for......" Scully clamped her mouth shut, realizing what she had just admitted to. McIntyre didn't seem to notice, as he was deep in thought as well. "Agent Scully, about the high school. DuMont and Monahan, actually Alex, had problems there with a couple of guys. They were harassing her, making suggestive comments. *If*, as you say, Alex is involved with this Clarice Lioncourt, and these young men were harassing her....." "Then Clarice would have seen this as abuse and targeted those young men. This makes sense. Clarice was brutally raped. It pushes her over the edge and into believing she is a vampire, using Anne Rice as a point of reference. She starts retaliating on men in general, but specifically those she perceives as deserving." Scully rubbed her forehead. This was a somewhat sound theory, but there were still some missing pieces. Like how Clarice and Alex are connected and why Alex would protect her. She had to be aware that Clarice was responsible for these crimes. Unless Alex wasn't sure that Clarice was here. Scully had a major headache. There was so much she didn't understand. Being Scully, she refused to consider that Clarice was actually a vampire, although that explained more about her appetites and actions than the simple 'woman driven crazy' explanation. Scully's head snapped up. Lafayette Number One. Where Mulder was attacked. ********************** Location Unknown Same Day, Same Time Mulder's head spun out of control. He was hallucinating. He had thought he had seen Scully. Now he thought he saw Alex. He knew that he had been drugged and that he was looking at the killer. He felt a tingling sensation in his mind. "Alex?" "Oh, Fox. Alex is a good little police woman, doing what she is told. She *hates* men, although she was developing a certain fondness for you. My name is Clarice. Alex is gone, forget about her. *I* am in control here and I have wanted you since I laid eyes on you. We are going to have such a good time, Fox." Mulder was totally lost. He wasn't sure what was real. The woman astride his legs looked like Alex, but she had looked like Scully before. Only now she was wearing a pure white babydoll that was sheer, with thong panties. He could not be sure what he was seeing. He only knew that he was in deep shit and his body was reacting against his will. Clarice's heart was pounding. She was nearly mad with desire for Fox. Between the Rohypnol that she had put in his water, along with a mild aphrodisiac, and his concussion she should have no problems with him. She didn't want him drugged but she didn't have much choice. Her mind control abilities were still developing. As long as he didn't start calling her Scully again they would get along just fine. She used the knife to cut the bonds around his legs and then threw it behind the couch to be on the safe side. She slid up his legs so that her wet panties were nestled up against the partial erection that was tenting his Armani pants. He groaned and his head fell back against the sofa again. He then struggled, weakly, trying to throw her off. Mulder was rapidly losing his grasp on reality. He felt so drunk and aroused that he was unable to fight her. She was in his head and on his body and he couldn't remember *why* he was supposed to fight her. Just then Clarice rocked her hips, grinding herself into his cock. He hardened painfully and groaned again. Clarice was ecstatic. He was powerless against her. She twined her fingers into his beautiful, soft hair and lowered her mouth to his pouting lips. She nudged his mouth open with her tongue and then plunged into his mouth. She gasped in shock when his tongue met hers, dueling aggressively. Mulder flipped her gently to the side, not breaking the kiss, and rolled on top of her, resting between her legs, thrusting once. He continued to kiss her, devouring her with his tongue as she sighed. Before she realized what was happening, Mulder had pulled away and was making for the door. She grabbed his belt and yanked him backwards, easily overpowering him. Mulder was stunned at her strength. Again, he felt a tickle in his head. <> Mulder lost most independent thought as Clarice took total control. She watched as Mulder pulled himself onto the couch. She was tempted to move him to the bedroom but this would do for now. Clarice looked at him. He was beautiful even while not in control of his actions. If anything, this enhanced his appeal. The lower lip pouted beautifully, giving Mulder that vulnerable appearance that made Clarice want to lick him all over. His eyes were glazed. She was on fire, burning for him. She moved to kneel between his knees. She started at the top button and slowly pushed the buttons through the holes, one by one, until his shirt was completely open. She yanked it from his pants and slid it back off his shoulders and down his arms. When she got to his elbows she had to stop to kiss him again. His arms effectively immobilized, she sucked on his bottom lip. She kissed he cleft in his chin and showered kisses along his jaw line. She removed his shirt completely and threw it on the floor. His hand moved to her breast, thumb grazing a nipple, then jerked back, as if burned. "N-no. I. I d-don't want this." Clarice growled. She was pleased with his struggles. It made her want him even more. His breathing was fast and he was watching her. As she looked back at him, she grabbed the hem of the babydoll and lifted it over her head. She threw it so that it landed on his shirt. Mulder's eyes widened and dropped to her chest. Mulder was lost. His mind was crying out to Scully to help him. His body was reacting to Clarice or Alex, whoever the hell she was. He was painfully hard, and so befuddled that he couldn't think what to do. "I can't.....I don't.....where is Scully? I want Scully." Mulder didn't realize that he had vocalized his thoughts until Clarice slapped him hard across the face, rocking his head back against the sofa back. She was pissed off. Resistance is one thing, wishing for another woman was intolerable. From her position on the floor between his legs, she reached up with one hand and started undoing his belt buckle. With the other hand, she massaged his cock through his pants. Mulder groaned and rolled his head back and forth against the sofa back. She pulled off Mulder's shoes and threw them aside. Next came the Armani pants so that Mulder was sitting on the couch in his cotton boxer briefs. Clarice drew in her breath. Judging by the outline of his cock in the revealing underwear, Mulder was everything she had hoped for. Clarice pushed Mulder to the side so that he was stretched out on the couch. He grabbed her wrist and tried to get past her but she pushed him back physically and with her mind. Mulder laid down and Clarice climbed on top of him. She pressed her burning center into his erection as she leant forward and kissed him. Her breasts were crushed against Mulder's chest, her fingers entwined in his hair and her core grinding against his cock. Mulder thrust against her helplessly, against his will. Tears leaked from his eyes. Mulder moaned softly. Clarice felt his torment and reveled in it. She felt powerful, but she wanted more. She moved back to the floor so that she could remove his boxers. She slid her hands beneath the waistband and grasped his penis firmly. Mulder whimpered and tried to get away. She jerked twice on his cock and he screamed, his teeth clenched in a heady combination of fear, resistance and arousal. She pulled his boxers off and he lay naked before her on the couch. Mulder looked at her dazedly, thinking again of escape. Her mind clamped down on that thought and pinned him to the couch. She looked at his erect cock laying against his stomach and licked her lips. Mulder watched as she smiled. To his drugged mind her eye teeth looked sharp and glittering as she smiled. She opened her mouth slightly and lowered her head to his groin, teeth glittering. He screamed. ***************************** CHAPTER 14 2209 Maple Street March 23, 1998, 6:50 p.m. Scully pulled up to the house registered to Clarice Lioncourt with the headlights out. It was a small, well kept, shotgun house that looked freshly painted in lavender with white trim and green shutters. As she got out of the car she pulled her gun, as did McIntyre. Scully could tell that this was the place. If Mulder ever asked she would probably deny it, but she just *felt* him. There were low lights burning in the front windows but the windows visible on the side of the house were dark. There was a small, fenced yard in the front and a narrow walkway leading around the back of the house. According to Langley, a Clarice Lioncourt had rented this house one month ago, shortly before the first murder was committed. Scully and McIntyre walked silently up the sidewalk and up the steps to the front door. Just as she was preparing to knock, she heard a scream from inside. Her heart stopped in her chest. She reacted by reaching for the door handle. McIntyre grabbed her wrist and hauled her back down the steps. Scully was furious. "What the hell are you doing? He is in there and she is hurting him. I have to get to him." she whispered. "They sounded like they were on the other side of that door. She is armed, Agent Scully. I know you want to get to him but we have to think about this." Scully knew he was right but she wasn't going to wait around for Mulder to be killed. "O.K. this is what we are going to do." she said, quietly. "Call for backup and an ambulance and get them here without the lights and sirens. You watch the front and wait for a signal from me to come in." "This is *not* sounding like a good idea." "He is *my* partner and I am going in and getting him." "You could get him killed." "He is going to be killed if I don't find a way to stop her. By going in through the back I may be able to get the drop on her. She is obviously....busy. I have to get to him before she kills him and distract her enough to help him. It will be better if it is just me. She will be overconfident. If we both go in, we *will* get him killed." "I don't like this, but........" McIntyre sighed and shook his head. He did not think this evening was going to end well. Scully started for the back of the house, gun drawn, as he called for backup. ******************* Clarice's House Same Day, Same Time When Mulder screamed, Clarice clapped her hand over his mouth. "Shhhhhh, baby, I am not going to bite you. I promise that this will feel good. No teeth." Mulder was breathing heavily, eyes wide, his mind still seeing sharp teeth aimed at his cock. Clarice, kneeling by his side, stroked his hair. His erection had wilted slightly due to the extreme fear. "Oh you poor baby. I didn't mean to scare you like that." She leaned up to touch her lips to his. She pulled his lower lip into her mouth, sucking on it, while her right hand was tangled in his hair. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, probing. Her left hand slid across his abdomen and brushed lightly past his penis to cup his balls. She caressed and fondled him so that he was moaning into her mouth, painfully erect again. Her lips left his mouth and traveled down his chest to suck on one nipple, then the other, nipping the skin around them so hard that she left marks. His head was thrown back as far as it would go, mouth open and breath coming in harsh pants. He tried to push her head away but he felt so weak, powerless, with arms like lead weights. She thrust her tongue in his belly button and he whimpered. Mulder was overwhelmed. The drugs in his system combined with two concussions in a short period of time served to make him extremely vulnerable to Clarice and unable to think rationally. He had just enough resistance to make Clarice happy. He was putty in her hands, literally. One thought kept running faintly through his head. He lost what little coherent thought he had when Clarice took the head of his penis in her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip. She took as much of him in her mouth as she could, teeth bushing the silky skin of his shaft. He made gasping sounds and moved both of his hands to Clarice's head, weaving his fingers through her hair, thrusting his hips. He tugged slightly, trying to pull her off but she would have none of it. And she was so strong. Clarice wrapped one hand around the base of his cock and started pumping her hand in tempo with her tongue and the bobbing of her head. Her other hand was lightly scratching his chest, fingernails scraping over bite marks. "N-n-noo, no, no.......aaaarrrrhhhhhhhh!" Mulder cried as he came in Clarice's mouth. He pulled her hair again, trying to get her off of him, tears leaking from his eyes. "Stop....now.....s-stop....." "No, darling, we have just begun." said Clarice as she pulled herself slowly up his prone form. She placed a knee on either side of his waist and sat back on his groin. She leaned forward and started kissing him again, her breasts crushed against his chest. He could feel the heat of her through her panties and a rush of heat went straight to his cock which was already half erect again. "Wh-what have you done to me?" he gasped, as she kissed the tears off his face. "No rest for the weary, Fox. I had to be sure that I would be able to enjoy you all night long so I gave you a little something to help out.....or should I say, Alex gave you a little something." Mulder could not focus enough to figure out what she was implying. Only enough to know that he was in trouble and that there seemed to be nothing he could do about it. Just then, Clarice's keen hearing picked up a slight sound coming from the back of the house. She went still, listening. Sitting on Mulder's resurrected cock was not making it easy. "Fox, I want you to sit up." He just looked up at her. "Now, Fox." She put her hand behind his neck to help him. Mulder slowly sat up with Clarice still on his lap, facing him, her arms around his neck, and his back to the dining room. He couldn't hold his head up for long and it fell forward so that it rested on her breast. "Perfect, Fox, perfect. I think we have company." She threaded her fingers through his hair and lifted his head up, kissing him hard on the mouth. He pulled away. "I jus wanna go home. Let me go home now." She stopped this conversation by sucking his lower lip into her mouth again, flicking it with her tongue. He moaned just in time for Scully to hear him as she walked through the dining room, gun trained on the two of them. Scully felt her heart fall to her feet when she saw Mulder, naked, in the arms of Alex. A nearly naked, extremely beautiful Alex, wrapped around an extremely beautiful, naked Mulder. She was minus her glasses and her hair was uncharacteristically halfway down her back. "Alex, get off of him now!" she said quietly, the threat apparent in her voice. Alex (?) just laughed. Mulder blearily looked in the direction of Scully's voice as she moved towards the entertainment center, giving her a clear shot of Alex. Scully felt actual pain in her chest at the look of despair and confusion on Mulder's face. "Why Agent Scully! Can't you see you are interrupting? And it's not Alex, it's Clarice." She grinned at Scully and continually ran her fingers through Mulder's hair, his head resting against her chest again. Not lowering her gun, Scully decided that conversation was a good idea. Perhaps it would keep Alex/Clarice's mind off Mulder for a moment. "If you are Clarice, then where is Alex and what is your relationship to her?" she asked. "I sent her away and took over. She is a weak and pathetic little creature hiding behind a badge she doesn't deserve. You know, Agent Scully, you really should lower the gun. You could accidentally shoot your delectable partner. That would be such a shame. He is so delicious. I can't believe you have never....." "Shut up, you bitch and get off of him." Scully could have bitten her tongue for losing her temper. *Clarice* was provoking her intentionally. "You aren't going to get away with this, Clarice, why don't you just let him go? I will make sure that you get help....." Clarice threw back her head and laughed, causing Mulder's face to constrict in fear. "You still don't believe, do you Scully."Clarice said with contempt. "I believe you are suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder, that you are delusional and that you need help." Scully replied, cautiously. Clarice scowled, causing Mulder to struggle slightly, trying to get out from under her. She had her legs wrapped around him so he didn't get far. His movement rocked Clarice into close contact with his still erect cock. She moaned and kissed Mulder deeply, rocking her clit against him again. Mulder pulled away from the kiss and looked at Scully, imploring. Scully's stomach lurched again at the look on his face. If she didn't block out the sight of his beautiful, naked body she would never get them through this. "Scu...." he started in a pleading voice. Clarice yanked his head back to her and kissed him so hard that one of her teeth drew blood, which trickled from his lower lip to his chin. She moaned again as she licked the blood off of his face. Scully's stomach clenched. Mulder was hyperventilating as Clarice licked him. Scully was at a loss. She couldn't get a shot with Mulder so close. She didn't see a weapon so she could just try to take her out but the risks were considerable. If she got to close and Clarice was stronger......she couldn't afford to lose her gun. Mulder was her best bet and she hoped he was strong enough. She held out the hand that wasn't holding her gun. "Mulder. Come here, come to me." she said as she prayed silently. He looked at her with an expression on his face that she couldn't categorize. Fear, hope, desire, despair crossed his face as Clarice kept a tight grip on him, mentally and physically. She reached between their bodies and grasped his erect cock tightly. An indistiguishable sound came from Mulder's throat as he threw his head back and bucked in her hands. Scully wasn't sure he if he was totally lost or if he was trying to get away. She kept her hand out, silently pleading with him to find the strength. "He doesn't want you, Scully. It's been five years and where have you gotten with him?" Clarice taunted her and Scully kept silent, refusing to be baited. "Mulder......" she said softly, imploringly. Suddenly, Mulder seemed to succumb to Clarice's stroking. He pushed her backwards and positioned himself on top of her so rapidly that Clarice didn't have time to take a breath. He ground his hard cock against her wet panties, kissing her roughly, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Clarice whimpered and Scully's heart shattered into a million tiny pieces at her feet as she watched her beautiful partner make love to another woman. Clarice and Scully were caught up in their feelings so completely that neither one of them realized immediately that Mulder was sliding off the couch, his diversionary tactic having the desired effect for the moment. He moved in Scully's direction.....but never made it. Blindingly fast, Clarice grabbed a handful of Mulder's hair and yanked him backwards so he was sitting on the couch in front of her and facing Scully........with a gun at his head. Clarice had hidden her (Alex's?) service revolver in the cushions of the couch, waiting for just such an occassion. She had not underestimated Scully at all. Scully thought that perhaps she had seriously underestimated Clarice.....and that it was going to cost Mulder dearly. "I am tired of this fucking game." Clarice snarled. "He is mine. I am not giving him up. Now drop you damn gun and kick it over here." Clarice's hold on Mulder was tenuous with Scully in the room and it pissed her off. Mulder looked at Scully with wide, somewhat glazed eyes. "Scully, don't....." Clarice wacked him upside the head with the butt of the gun and he swayed, eyes closing in pain. "Agent Scully. I am keeping him. If *I* can't keep him, I *will* kill him. It is that simple. Now drop your gun and kick it over here." Scully did as she was told since she didn't believe she had a choice. Clarice kicked Scully's gun under the couch, out of reach, and smiled. "Now, Agent Scully, you are going to stand there quietly and watch me fuck your partner. He really has the *most* delightful body, don't you agree?" Scully's mind was racing and she thought she was going to be sick. She had to think of something, and fast. Conversation? She didn't care as long as it delayed Clarice's rape of Mulder. "Clarice, you really need help. Can't you see that Mulder doesn't want this?" Clarice chuckled. "Can't you see that he *does*?" she replied as she used her free hand to stroke Mulder's abdomen. "What did you give him, Clarice? Besides the Rohypnol." "I didn't *have* to give him anything......" "But you did, didn't you? You came in here, he thought you were Alex, with good reason I might add, and what did you do? Give him a glass of water because he was thirsty from being tied up all day?" "Shut up, Scully......" Clarice was beginning to get pissed again, but Scully was as well. "Is this the only way you can get a man like Mulder, *Clarice*? By drugging and then raping him?" "You don't know what you are talking about, you bitch. *I* know what rape is and this isn't it!" "Yes it is. Look at yourself, Clarice. You are doing to Mulder the same thing that man in San Francisco did to you. You are taking something that doesn't want to be given. Did he say no, even once? He did, didn't he Clarice." "Shut up." "That man in San Francisco brutalized you and you snapped. I can understand that, Clarice." "Shut up, Scully!" Scully was pushing too hard and didn't seem to realize it in her anger. Even Mulder, in his drug induced haze, was starting to panic, eyes wide and panting. Extreme tension between to two women and he was naked. "He was in some twisted, violent vampire cult and when he raped you, you snapped and believed that *you* were a vampire as well." "You *still* don't get it do you, Scully? I may have snapped when I was raped. I may have felt a need to take revenge for what was done to me. But that does *not* change the fact of what I am, thanks to that bastard. I am not taking revenge *here*.......I *want* Mulder and I intend to have him." "Let him go, Clarice, he doesn't want you." "SHUT UP.....SHUT UP!" "Scu-....Sculleeee, stop. Go, please go, please......" he pleaded with her. If she didn't go, this woman would kill her. "I am not going unless you come with me, Mulder." she said calmly. "You aren't going anywhere, and neither is Mulder." said Clarice as she moved the gun from Mulder's head and pointed it at Scully. Mulder tried to jerk away from her but she held tight. She licked his neck and used her free hand to stroke and tweak his nipples. His eyes slid shut and he swallowed convulsively. He felt his cock stir again and flushed with embarrasement. A single tear slid down his cheek and Scully's heart ached. She started towards him. "Stay back, Scully. Have you lost your mind? Perhaps this will make you behave again." she said as she pointed the gun at Mulder's head again. She licked and sucked at his neck and then she smiled. Scully's breath caught in her throat. Clarice lowered her lips to Mulder's throat and found his pulse beating rapidly beneath his skin. Suddenly Mulder gasped and his head jerked back. A thin stream of blood ran down Mulder's neck onto his chest from where Clarice's lips met with his throat. "God! Mulder.....no. Stop it! Stop it, damn you!"screamed Scully. Clarice removed her mouth from Mulder's throat and smiled, her teeth bloody. Mulder continued to bleed steadily, the blood running into the sparse hair in the center of his chest. His eyes were mere slits, glazed over and he looked as if he was going to pass out any minute. "Now," said Clarice, "it is time to finish this." She raised the gun and pointed it at Scully again. "I'm really rather sorry Scully. I actually enjoyed working with you. I'm sure Mulder will miss you." she said with a smile. Clarice flicked off the safety and started to pull the trigger. It seemed to Scully that the next events occurred in slow motion. Mulder reacted on pure instinct and shoved her gun arm as the gun went off. Clarice screamed in rage as she brought the gun back around and fired again at the same time that Mulder lunged for Scully with the last strength he possessed. The bullet hit him in the back, propelling him forward into Scully's arms. She caught him under the arms but his weight, combined with the forward motion, slammed her backwards into the wall. They slid to the ground with a thump. Scully heard Clarice scream as she realized that she had shot Mulder. She looked up expecting to see Clarice standing over them waiting to finish her off, but she was nowhere in sight. McIntyre and some uniformed officers broke through the front door and saw Scully cradling Mulder in her arms. He was lying like he had fallen, face down with his head against her upper chest. More officers came from the back of the house. "Get the paramedics, now! Hurry!" McIntyre yelled out the door as more officers came in the back of the house. "Where is she?!?" "I don't know! She must have run after firing the gun. She had to have gone towards the back of the house with you coming in through the front." Scully looked down at Mulder and saw the bullet wound in his upper back, towards his left shoulder blade, and pressed her hand against the wound as her eyes filled with tears. She choked them back and started yelling at the paramedics. "He's 37 years old, AB negative. We have no exit wound on the bullet that hit him in the upper back." She moved her hand from the bullet hole so the paramedic could see it and bandage it. Mulder was bleeding profusely from both wounds. Mulder's eyes fluttered open as the paramedics tried to pull him off of Scully. "N-no....S-scully.....nooo...." he whispered as the paramedics laid him on the stretcher and prepped him for transport. "I won't leave you, Mulder. It's o.k., I'm right here." She held his hand and stroked the hair off his forehead while they put another bandage on his neck wounds. "That is a serious bite on his neck. He's AB neg, call ahead so they can have some ready." "Scullee, I dinna want too. I didn't. She made me...." "Shhhh, Mulder, I know. You're going to be o.k." "They got her, din they? I didn't like her, S-scully." he sounded drunk. The paramedics looked at her with questions in their eyes. "Rohypnol and god knows what else. She put it in a glass of water." Scully replied to the questioning looks. "I jus wanna be with you, Sculleeee. B-but she.....she....." he was starting to get more agitated. Scully's heart was pounding. She bent over and kissed his temple, trying to calm him. "It's going to be fine Mulder, honest." she said as Mulder's eyes slid shut. ******************** CHAPTER 15 Mercy Hospital New Orleans, Louisiana March 23, 1998, 9:15 p.m. Scully sat in the waiting room on the surgery floor. She absently ran her fingers over Mulder's badge, not really seeing it. Joe McIntyre had brought it to her earlier when he had come to update her on what was happening. It was another mystery. Clarice had vanished without a trace. Neither Scully or McIntyre had an explanation for how she had gotten past the officers entering the house from the front and the rear. McIntyre still had cops going over the house with a fine tooth comb. Detective Stanton from San Francisco had finally gotten back to her. He said that Alex DuMont had been investigating a serial rapist/murder when she had gotten too close to the perpetrator. He had brutally raped her and nearly killed her. In an attempt to protect her, Alex's fellow police officers had kept her name out of the files. She recovered and went back to work, but only briefly. Scully had to assume that Clarice and Alex were one and the same. Either that or they were identical twins. She had ended up quitting and moving to New Orleans. Mulder was the psychologist of the partnership, but Scully felt that the severe trauma of the attack had caused Alex to feel so weak and worthless that she had created a new, dominant personality. Clarice. A very strong woman, who took charge of all situations, took what she wanted and got back at the male species that had caused Alex so much pain. The trauma and subsequent mental illness lead to her belief that she was a vampire, based solely on her survival of a supposed vampire attack. But that didn't explain what Scully saw. She had seen Clarice's teeth.......change. Scully didn't want to think about this, didn't want to examine what she had seen and how she felt about it. She wanted to bury her head in the sand and forget everything she had experienced. She was good at that. She was tired of the constant battering of her psyche and she just wanted to shove the pain deep inside herself. But she had made promises, both spoken and unspoken, that she would not live in denial any longer. Mulder needed her to be honest. She squeezed her eyes shut and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away viciously. If she started crying now, she may never stop. She had to be strong, at least for now. She didn't know how Mulder was going to react to everything that had happened to him in Clarice's house. She had no doubt that he would remember, Rohypnol or no. She had no idea how to behave around him. She was terrified of the answer to that question but she thought back to their first two nights in New Orleans. They had been close, connected. She had *liked* it, and him, more than she cared to admit. They had been so.....light. A feeling that she hadn't had in a long time. She wanted it again. She made a promise to herself and to Mulder that she would try to get that back. She would not let him leave New Orleans with only the bad memories. Scully's stomach twisted. Another tear escaped from her tightly shut eyes. ************************** Mercy Hospital New Orleans, Louisiana March 23, 1998, 11:45 p.m. "Agent Scully?" Scully's head jerked up and she wiped away the tears she felt on her face. She had actually nodded off. "Doctor, how is he? Is the surgery over with? Can I see him?" The doctor smiled slightly at her. "He should be fine, he was very lucky. The bullet didn't do any serious damage. We were far more concerned with the blood loss and the repetitive head injuries. But he has been given a transfusion and the CAT scan indicates that there has been no permanent damage." Scully let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Doctor, could you recommend a therapist specializing in sexual assault? My partner has been through an......ordeal and I want to know how to help him." "I am aware of what transpired, Agent Scully and I will contact a woman who specializes in this area. She can probably come and meet with you right away. Agent Scully........." he hesitated as he looked at the strong looking young woman in front of him. "What Doctor? Is it something about Mulder?" "No, no, I have told you everything that we know right now. I was going to say that you should talk to Doctor Karns for *yourself*, not just for Agent Mulder. People who are very close to the victims of sexual assault are often in need of as much help as the victim. Feelings of guilt and over protectiveness are common. You may also need help dealing with his reaction to you." "I will give that some thought. Thank you, Doctor." "Why don't you follow me and I will show you where his room will be when he comes out of recovery." ******************* Mercy Hospital, Room 655 March 24, 1998, 6:20 a.m. Scully sat in a chair pulled up to Mulder's bedside. A place she....they were both....accustomed to. She had been watching him sleep for several hours, the whole time wondering what to say when he woke up. His head was turned towards her slightly and she marveled at how different he looked when asleep. She had always thought him beautiful. Once upon a time it had been an objective and distant observation. One that she dare not examine too closely. Everything looked different since her cancer. He looked different. She noticed how he moved, like he was so comfortable in his own skin. She noticed how he looked at her, like he was afraid she was going to vanish but relieved that she hadn't. At least not yet. That was so Mulder, that underlying belief that she was going to vanish into thin air, that it was only a matter of time. His physical beauty took her breath away at times. Looking at him now she saw how his eyelashes rested on his high cheekbones. How his soft hair fell over his high forehead. That nose that he hated but that somehow made his face more perfect. The lower lip......that had two stitches in it at this moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a shaky breath. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him naked. His body so beautiful but his eyes tortured. She had seen him naked before but never.....aroused. She hadn't thought he could be more beautiful. She opened her eyes and sucked in a harsh breath. A feeling of shame washed over her followed closely by a rage so powerful that it took her breath away. Mulder chose that moment to open his eyes, unbeknownst to Scully. The look on her face frightened him. "Sc-scully?" Her eyes snapped to his face and she gave him a radiant smile. She got out of the chair and moved closer to him. She took his hand and leaned over to press her lips to his forehead. "Welcome back. You're going to be fine, Mulder. You had me so worried." "You aren't mad at me, are you Scully?" "Of course not! I was worried about you, why would I be mad?" "You looked kinda mad." "That was not directed at you, Mulder." "Clarice, huh? She got away, didn't she." Scully was surprised at how easily he moved into this conversation and how calmly he made that statement. "Yes, so far. We can talk about this later. You need to rest." Even as she said the words she realized that she was avoiding the subject. As did Mulder. "I am tired, Scully, and I won't last much longer, but I don't want you to think that you have to tiptoe around this. I want you to talk to me. I *need* you to talk to me." "You continually surprise me, Mulder." "Life is too short, Scully. As a psychologist, I know this is going to be difficult. But Scully, the past few months have been the worst, and at times, the best of my life. Difficult is relative. Nothing can compare to almost losing you." Scully's heart lurched. This last statement was made in a whisper, as Mulder's eyelids started to flutter. He coughed and Scully grabbed the plastic water cup and filled it. She held the straw for him and he looked at it. A wry little smile crossed his face. "You know, Scully? I seem to have lost my taste for water." "You are going to be fine, aren't you Mulder. Now take a sip or I'll think you don't trust me anymore." He smiled again, taking a small sip of water. His eyelids fluttered again and he gave up the struggle of staying awake. Scully stood over him holding the water cup. He continually amazed her. She knew that their troubles with this case were not over, but she now had hope that it wouldn't be as difficult as she had feared. She sat the cup down and brushed his hair off his forehead. That was becoming her favorite gesture. His head moved into her hand, like he was reaching for her caress. She bent over and pressed her lips to his brow again. "I'll take care of you, Mulder." *********************** Mercy Hospital Office of Dr. Sara Karns Same Day, 10:00 a.m. ".....and then she....she sank her teeth into his neck and blood started running down his chest...." Scully sucked in a sob, tears running down her face. She brushed at them, angry at herself for crying. "Dana? Do you want to continue?" asked Doctor Karns. "Yes, yes. I just feel so stupid and ashamed...." "Why? Why do you feel stupid and ashamed, Dana?" "For crying. For not being able to stop her. For thinking......." "Come on Dana, say it." "I thought that Mulder was beautiful when he was naked." "Dana, that seems normal to me. He is quite attractive and my guess it that you have thought so for quite some time. I doubt very much that you focused on it at the time the assault was happening, that it was an afterthought that you are kicking yourself for, am I right?" Scully nodded sadly. "As for not being able to stop her, she was in a position of control. There was nothing you could do." "There had to have been something! I am an FBI Agent, dammit. I should have figured her out before she had the opportunity to....to...." Scully's hands flailed in the air. "Assault him. She assaulted him, Dana. What you are feeling is quite normal. But you have to realize that you are a human being that cannot prevent every bad thing that happens. It is important for you to realize that you did not *cause* this to happen. You need to realize it, because you need to help him realize it." "Oh god, he seemed normal this morning. Are you telling me that won't last?" "Let's focus on you for a moment longer, then we'll discuss Mulder. What else are you feeling." Scully just looked at the doctor. "Dana, it is very normal to have a wide range of feelings about what happened. It will help you, and in turn him, if you learn to talk about it." "Will he *want* to talk about it?" "Maybe, maybe not. There is no clear pattern of behavior for victims of this type of assault. You need to be able to talk in case he needs to." "Well, mostly I feel rage. Overwhelming rage. She took something away from me and I want to kill her." "What did she take away from you?"asked Doctor Karns, quietly. "She.....she took.....our good memories.....and she may have taken....our closeness. He may never......" Scully paused, looking down at her hands. Doctor Karns finished her sentence. "Love you?" Scully's head jerked up. "Dana, experiences like this can draw two people closer together. It can also magnify problems that were present in a relationship prior to the attack. You *will* need help with this, that is normal. You will need someone to talk to when you go back to D.C., be it a councilor, friends or your parents. Let's talk about what you can do *for* Mulder and for yourself." ********************* Mercy Hospital, Room 655 March 24, 1998, 1:15 p.m. Mulder was still asleep, but not peacefully. <<"Scully? Please Scully. Please don't go. Don't leave me here with her. I don't want her! I don't! She made me, she did." Clarice was fucking him, he couldn't get rid of her. She wouldn't stop. She wouldn't leave him alone. "You weak, pathetic fool. You let this woman seduce you and now that you have been caught red handed you say she is making you? How stupid do you think I am? What kind of man lets himself be seduced by a tramp like this?" "She drugged me, she did! It's not my fault." "Everything is your fault, Mulder. Everything. My cancer, my abduction, Emily. My life has been nothing but hell since I started working with you. And now you go and make a disgrace of yourself and me by having sex with the murderer. It's bad enough that you believe every little story that comes your way, but now this! What did she tell you? That she was an abductee and that she needed your help?" Scully turned and walked away. Mulder started sobbing, trying to throw Clarice/Alex off of his posterior. "Noooo.....Scully. SCULLY!!! Please help me, please don't leave." Scully turned and looked at Mulder one last time. "You disgust me, Mulder. Don't ever come near me again." "Noooooo.....>> "NO!" Mulder jerked upright in his bed and then collapsed in pain from the stitches on his back. No one else was in the room. He curled into a fetal position, facing away from the door, tears running down his face. He sank deep into despair. ********************* Same Day, Same Time, Same Place Scully walked slowly down the hall pondering her session with the therapist. She thought she knew how to handle the situation. It was going to be difficult but she was confident. Her stomach was churning from the five hundredth cup of coffee that she held in her hand. It was making her slightly nauseous. She had gone to the cafeteria after making sure that Mulder was still asleep. Mulder. Her relationship with him was the most important of her life. She realized that and, regardless of what form that relationship took, she was not going to allow a two bit vampire wannabe steal that from her. She walked into Mulder's room to find him curled into a ball on his side, facing away from the door. His shoulders were hitching but he was silent. "Mulder? Mulder, are you awake?" She walked around the end of the bed and saw his face. His eyes were screwed shut and tears were running down his face. He had blood running from his lip where he had apparently pulled the stitches. "Oh god, Mulder. Mulder, I'm here, it's O.K. I won't let her hurt you again." She carefully touched his arm and he jerked away from her, opening his eyes. "You hate me, that's why you left. You think I am disgusting and pathetic because of Clarice.....you *saw* me. You must hate me. Why wouldn't you, after everything?" Scully's head was spinning. This train of thought was not one she had expected. She thought fast. She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at the blood. "Mulder, did you have a nightmare? Is that what happened?" The tears fell faster, leading Scully to believe that she was on to something. "Mulder, *nothing* that I saw changed how I feel about you, nothing. She drugged you, Mulder. She may have been drugging you during the entire investigation." Mulder's head jerked up. "The day after your concussion. She is the one who got the water and the aspirin that evening in my room. She could have drugged it. You slept more that night than you have in awhile. You sounded somewhat incoherent when you woke up during the night. *None* of this is your fault, Mulder. None of it." She carefully sat down next to Mulder on the bed and took his hand. He looked up at her, sleepily. "You are the most important person in my life. I have known you for five years. It is going to take a hell of a lot more than someone like Clarice to destroy our relationship." She spoke softly, intensely. "You.....you don't think I am disgusting?" He asked, fighting to stay awake. "Mulder, no. She gave you a concussion, possibly a post-hypnotic suggestion, then drugged you and took advantage of your weakened condition." He looked at her steadily. "So now you believe in post-hypnotic suggestion?" Scully laughed in spite of herself. "Mulder, again you amaze me. You are feeling better, aren't you?" He nodded. "Every time you came close to making the connection between Alex and Clarice, you got sick......hence the post-hypnotic suggestion. I should have seen it sooner." Mulder was mildly amazed, but too tired to focus on it. "You weren't there when I got sick most of the time, Scully. You didn't know." He always absolved her guilt feelings. Even while lying in the hospital in pain and half asleep. "I did have a nightmare. You hated me and you left me. You aren't going to leave me, are you Scully?" She leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek as his eye lids fluttered in exhaustion. "Not a chance, Mulder." ******************************* CHAPTER 16 Mercy Hospital Office of Dr. Sara Karns, Waiting Room March 27, 1998, 10:00 a.m. Scully fidgeted nervously. Mulder had just been released from the hospital an hour ago and was in his third session with the therapist. He seemed secure with her once he got past the fact that she was female. That and his embarrassment at being perceived as weak. Dr. Karns must have said something right. Scully was jealous. She wished her relationship with Mulder was as sound. She felt increasingly tenuous. The nightmares were the key. A roller coaster ride. One minute things were fine, they were fine. He would have a nightmare. She woke him up and he shrank away from her. She tried to talk to him about the assault but he pushed her away. He didn't want to talk and her attempts made it worse. Today Mulder was going to split his session with the therapist. The first half hour he was going to talk to her. The second half hour was going to be Mulder and Scully together. Scully was scared to death. Just then the door to the Doctor's office opened and Doctor Karns looked out. "Dana? Could you join us now?" Scully got up and walked into the office. Mulder sat in a chair in front of the desk, staring at a spot on the floor in front of his feet. His cheeks looked wet. She sat in the chair next to him as the doctor when around her desk to sit down. "Dana, as I am sure you are aware and as is to be expected, Mulder is having some problems. We have discussed them and I felt that it was important that you were brought into the discussion. I am going to facilitate this discussion and Mulder has given me his permission that nothing is to be kept from you. I must say that it took some convincing on my part." Scully looked at Mulder. "Mulder? You know I want to help. Please don't shut me out." Scully looked closely at him. "You said you needed me to talk to you. I am willing, Mulder." Mulder continued to stare at the carpet, saying nothing. Doctor Karns took the lead. "Dana, do you remember our conversation a few days ago?" asked Doctor Karns. Scully nodded. "Do you think you could tell Mulder some of what you felt that day?" Scully's eyes widened. "I....I don't.......no." Mulder looked at her accusingly. "You want *me* to talk. But you won't talk to *me*. What are you afraid of telling me Scully?" Mulder was getting agitated. He had a look of intense hurt on his face. "Mulder, it isn't like that. This isn't about me, this is about you. I want to help you." "This *is* about you. You don't understand. This is *all* about you." Mulder looked startled by his own words and looked back at the carpet. "Mulder?" asked Doctor Karns, "Why don't you explain to Dana what you just said." Mulder pursed his lips thoughtfully and didn't say anything for a moment. When he finally spoke, it was in a very neutral tone. "This is about you, Scully, because I can't imagine that you could work with me anymore after this." "Mulder, that's ridiculous." Mulder flinched, as did Scully when she realized how that sounded. "I just mean that there is no reason why I would not want to be with you Mulder. Nothing has changed Mulder. My feelings haven't changed toward you." "That's not true, Scully. You keep talking about this assault. It's the only thing you talk about. It's.......it's all you think about." "Mulder, tell me what you want from me. I only want to help you. If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't bother, Mulder." Scully sighed and rubbed her forehead. She felt she was making it worse. "Mulder. Please, please tell me what *you're* thinking about. I am so confused. I need you to tell me. I feel like I am losing you." The last part was said in a whisper. Doctor Karns watched as Mulder squirmed in his chair. She hadn't seen two people who were closer than these two in a long time. But the areas where their communication was lacking were exacerbated by this trauma. Neither one was willing to risk a step that would make them vulnerable to the other. "Dana, Mulder, I think it is important that you both are *honest* about your feelings. Dana, I really feel that it is important for Mulder to hear how you were feeling....how you *are* feeling.....about the assault and Clarice." Scully took a deep breath and realized that communication was a two way street. Why didn't she realize it sooner? After their initial conversations, she had not shared anything of herself with him....and he appeared to need it. Now she was staring at *her* shoes. "I was angry......very angry......at Clarice....or Alex. I wanted to kill her. I felt that she had destroyed.....or tried to destroy our.......closeness. I was......afraid that you would not......recover and that we would never be.......close...again. I felt that if I could do my best to help you get past this, that we could be........close again. Mulder, I had the best time when we first got here and now I am afraid that we won't have that again." Scully risked a glance up at Mulder and was surprised to see him looking at her with his mouth hanging slightly open. "Mulder?" asked Doctor Karns. "Don't you have something you want to say?" "I......." Mulder shut his mouth and pursed his lips. He started again. "I was certain........completely certain.....that you were patronizing me. That you kept harping on the assault because it disgusted you......that *I* disgusted you." "Mulder, I *told* you........." "I know, but I didn't believe you. I thought you were just trying to make me feel better. Actually, I kinda still think that. How could you not look at me with disgust? How could you not find me untrustworthy? Not to mention stupid and careless." "No, Mulder." Scully whispered. "You are still the same man that I have worked with for the past five years. The only thing that has changed is that you have been hurt by this woman and I want to help you, I........" "Scully, I feel violated, of course. But I am having a much easier time dealing with the assault than I am your reaction to it." "What? I don't......." Mulder held up his hand. "Let me get this out, Scully. The *only* thing that matters to me is your opinion of me. If Clarice damaged that........then she *has* destroyed me. If you don't find me repulsive or disgusting.......then I can get through this. I can......I mean, the assault is secondary......I.....if you don't hate me, then......." "No, Mulder, never. None of this was your fault. I care as much about you as I did before we came to New Orleans......if not more." Doctor Karns felt that it was time to interrupt. "Dana, Mulder, it is very important that you continue to talk about this. It is normal for Mulder to be in doubt about this and the troubles are far from over. You *must* be open about your feelings or the mis-communications could tear you apart. There is a tendency to project your feelings about things that happen on to the other person. Mulder, you can't rely solely on Dana for support because she is going to need a break from time to time. I think it would be a good idea if you made an appointment with a therapist in D.C." Mulder grimaced. "I really don't think....." he said slowly. Doctor Karns interupted. "Just because you and Dana cleared the air somewhat and understand each other a little better does *not* mean that this is over for you. As a psychologist you should know this. And just because you are a man does not necessarily make this easier to deal with. There are bound to be rough patches. From what I have learned about you in the short time we have talked, you are often filled with guilt and self-doubt. The assault will exacerbate that if you let it. I am not saying that you need twice a week therapy sessions, I just feel that you will need additional support to that which Dana provides. No one can rely solely on one person. It isn't fair to that person." Mulder nodded slowly at her words, studying his feet again. Scully saw him retreat, emotionally. He wouldn't burden her. She reached over and took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Whenever you need me, Mulder. No matter the time of day or night, I want you to call me." "Scully, you heard what the doctor said. I...." "Well, I am not sure you heard what she said. She said I will need a break from time to time and that you need *additional* support. She did not give you express permission to shut me out for my own good.......again." This was said very gently. "There is a middle ground, Mulder. We will find it." Mulder looked up at her and smiled slightly. Doctor Karns cleared her throat and they both looked up to see her smiling at them. "You two are making progress. Your time is up, Mulder. If you want to see me again before you leave New Orleans, just call me. If you like I can recommend a colleague in D.C. for you to see when you get back." Mulder stood and shook the doctors hand. "Thanks, doc. Perhaps that would be a good idea.......just in case." Scully shook her head slightly. Doctor Karns wrote a name and number on a card and handed it to Mulder. He tucked it in his wallet and then guided Scully out the door. *********************** Scully opened the door to her room and entered, followed closely by Mulder. "So Scully when is our flight back to D.C.?" "Sunday afternoon, Mulder." Mulder stopped dead in his tracks inside the door to the room with a questioning look on his face. "But Scully, that's two days away. Weren't there any flights available?" "I am sure there are plenty of flights. I have plans, here in New Orleans." Mulder was really getting confused at this point. "Mulder, I don't think you should travel so soon after getting out of the hospital. But beside that, I think we should stay here for a few days. We can have some more of that wonderful creole and cajun food, maybe dance a little, see the sights. You never did show me Laffayette Number One, you know." Scully winced when she realized what Laffayette Number One was bound to resurrect. "It's o.k., Scully, I won't collapse if you mention Clarice. Either directly or indirectly. I think this sounds like a great idea. It will be good for us both." Scully smiled at him in relief. They were going to be fine. She had hope for that now more than she did before. "Well, buster, then get into bed. Now." Mulder's eyes widened. "What?" he squeaked. Scully blushed from head to toe. "Mulder,.......I'm sorry....I mean......you need to take a nap and rest. You just got out of the hospital. If you sleep for a few hours, we can go out for dinner. If you get enough rest today and tonight, then maybe you'll be up for a little sight seeing tomorrow." Mulder was snickering. "Scully, I *understand*. I did hope, briefly, that you were coming on to me, though." Scully blushed again. Mulder grinned at her. "I feel fine, we should go out now. We could go to Laffayette, maybe a swamp tour, shopping on Rue Royale......" "Mulder, you just got out of the hospital. You were *shot* and lost a lot of blood less than four days ago. If it wasn't for HMO's you would probably be in the hospital for another day. Even then the doctors would ask you to stay off your feet and not over do it for a few weeks. We need to take it *very* easy. Now, go to your room and get some sleep." Mulder looked uncomfortably at the carpet. "Um, Scully? Do you think.......I mean, would you mind if I slept on one of your beds, in here? I don't want to be alone right now." He blushed slightly at the confession and Scully was thrilled beyond belief that he was opening up a little more. "Of course Mulder. Will it bother you if I work on the laptop? I want to finish up our reports for Skinner." "Actually, it will help me sleep. It would help even more if we could turn on the T.V." Scully smiled at him gently. "Of course, Mulder. Go ahead." She watched as he grabbed the remote and threw it on the bed nearest the bathroom. He then proceeded to strip down to his boxers and crawl under the covers. He turned on his side so he could see the television and at the same time had his sore shoulder off the mattress. Unfortunately, the sore part of his neck, which would probably scar as well, was resting on the pillow so he wasn't entirely comfortable. Scully noticed the fading bite marks around his nipples and the little scar on his bottom lip and felt her eyes tear up. She walked to the window and looked out so Mulder wouldn't notice. She heard the bedclothes rustle and turned back to the room. Mulder had shifted so that he was lying diagonal across the bed on his stomach, head turned to the television. His hand holding the remote was curled up by his face and he was sound asleep. Looking twelve years old again. Tears fell down Scully's face as she looked at him. Her heart felt like it would burst in her chest. ************************** Ramada Inn, Room 615 Same Day, 7:00 p.m. Scully was napping peacefully on her bed, the television droning in the background. On the next bed, Mulder twisted under the sheets, moaning softly. The remote fell to the floor with a clunk and Scully stirred slightly. Mulder was whispering in his sleep. "No.....I hate you......*No*.....that's not true.....Don't touch me.....don't *do* that......I want Scully, where is she?.......I thought.....you were her....Scully?.....Scully?......Scully, please.......no." Scully heard him and moved over to the other bed, touching his good shoulder lightly. "Mulder, wake up. You're dreaming, Mulder." He moaned again, quietly. "Mulder? It's Scully, wake up." His eyes opened and he looked up at her. "Bad dream, eh Mulder?" He nodded sadly. She knew that look. She bent over and pressed her lips to his cheek, trying to forestall any uncertainty on his part. "How do you feel about a quiet dinner, Mulder?" "That sounds pretty good, Agent Scully." She cupped his face in her hand and smiled at him. "Well why don't you go over to your room, shower and shave. As attractive as this stubble is on you, you will feel better for it." "You think my stubble is attractive, Scully?" She nodded, smiling. "I will never shave again." He said, solemly. She chuckled at him. "If we dance cheek to cheek, I'll get stubble burn, Mulder. You don't want that, do you?" "Yes....No! O.K. Your wish is my command, madame." With that he hoped off the bed and headed for his room. ******************* Ramada Inn, Room 617 One half hour later........ Mulder leaned on the vanity counter, staring into the mirror. He had tried shaving, but when he got to the area around the bite marks on his neck his hands had started shaking so badly that he had to stop. Now he stared. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and could feel blood trickling down his chest. Felt it, but couldn't see it. He closed his eyes and he saw Scully with her gun pointed at him. Suddenly Mulder couldn't breath. He felt like he was choking. Mulder was hyperventilating and he sank to his knees with his arms wrapped around his chest. Scully stood outside Mulder's door after knocking for the second time. She didn't hear anything from inside the room and she was starting to worry. She got out the spare key and stuck it in the slot, opening the door. She walked in and looked to the left, into the vanity and her heart stopped. "Mulder!" Mulder was lying on the floor, shirtless, eyes wide and hyperventilating. His arms were wrapped around his chest and his knees were pulled up as far as they would come. She ran over to him and looked him over to see if he was physically hurt. She grasped his shoulders to help him up and he jerked away from her. "Don't touch me! Stay back....stay back." Mulder scooted backwards so that his back was resting against the door jamb leading into the bathroom. "Mulder, it's me, Scully. What's wrong? Talk to me, please." She spoke very calmly and quietly, trying to figure out what was going on here. "Scully.......Scully." His breathing was still very erratic, panicked. "Slow down, Mulder, it's o.k." "Scully, what if I'm like her now." "What? What do you mean, Mulder? You could never be *like* her." "What if I am a vampire, Scully? You shouldn't be around me. I could hurt you." Scully was silent for a moment, thinking. Using her rational, scientific mind to figure out how best to respond to him. Without ridicule but with compassion and humor. She couldn't decide if he was really worried about this or if it was another way to push her away in order to protect himself. "Mulder, according to Anne Rice and Bram Stoker, you aren't a vampire. You didn't drink Clarice's blood. You were outside in the daylight. And you did say you wanted jambalaya for dinner." "This isn't funny, Scully." Mulder was pouting now, a good sign. "I *know* it isn't Mulder. I am just trying to help you. I don't believe you are a vampire and you aren't getting rid of me that easily." "Didn't you see her teeth Scully? I felt them....I still feel them....just now, when I was shaving. I could feel her on me, biting me." He sucked in a harsh breath, trying not to cry. She scooted over to him and sat facing him but next to him, close enough that she could reach out and touch his face. She placed one hand on each cheek and pulled his head down so it rested on her shoulder. His arms went around her waist, her arms around his back. "Mulder, there are lots of explanations for her teeth besides her being a vampire. According to the myths and legends there are lots of reasons why you *aren't* a vampire. I think it is possible that you are focusing on the vampire aspect as a way to push me away. Mulder, I don't want to be away from you. I am staying." She pulled back so she could look him in the eye. "Mulder. This. Was. Not. Your. Fault. You are a gorgeous, intelligent man who I would be very proud to have take me to dinner. Tell me you aren't hungry for some jambalaya." He was speechless, almost. "You think I'm gorgeous?" he asked. Scully laughed quietly. "That whole long speech and the only thing you hear is gorgeous?" "Nah, Scully, I heard you. I.....I was tryin' to shave and......the marks on my neck.......I freaked out, I guess." His arms were still around her waist and they tightened as he talked about the marks. She hugged him and then helped him stand up. "I think that is probably very normal, Mulder. Just don't push me away, o.k.?" In response, Mulder pulled her against his chest and hugged her again. Scully was thrilled by the gesture. There was a warmth in the pit of her stomach that she tried to ignore. "I will finish getting dressed and we can go eat." he said as he walked back into the bedroom. He grabbed a clean shirt and threw it on, buttoning it up rapidly. Scully had followed him into the room and watched as he grabbed his shoes and shoved his feet into them. "Mulder, take it easy. There's no rush. I don't want you to over exert yourself here." "You're gorgeous too, Scully." She smiled at him. "Let's go, Mulder." "Can we play pool after dinner?" "We'll see." ************************ Mulate's 202 Magazine Street, CBD New Orleans, Louisiana Same Day, 8:15 p.m. They sat on the same side of the table, him with his arm on the back of her chair, watching the dancers on the wooden dance floor. There was a band playing what Scully thought of as "New Orleans Style" music. Zydeco? There was even a guy playing the washboard. The music was lyrical, lilting, but wild and untamed. One pair of dancers made them both dizzy. The man was whirling the woman so fast, with footsteps so intricate that they were mesmerizing. Scully was afraid that the woman would fly out of the man's arms and into their table. "That's amazing." she mused. "I can do that." "You can not, Mulder." "Betcha I can." he said, grinning. "You're on." Scully replied. Mulder started to get up but she grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. "We will have to come back to New Orleans or find this kind of music in D.C. because there is no way in hell that you are attempting that until you are six weeks out of the hospital. I refuse to have you readmitted before I eat my blackened swordfish and jambalaya." He grinned at her. "You mean it? You would dance with me?" "Sure. Why not?" she asked. "I just never thought........I mean....." Just then the waitress appeared with two plates heaped with food and Scully sighed at the interruption. Mulder dug into his barbequed shrimp with gusto, conversation forgotten. Temporarily, she hoped. It was good to see him eating so enthusiatically anyway. She sighed again and started eating. ********************** One half hour later...... "God, that was good." Mulder was in pain he was so full. His stay in the hospital had shrunk his stomach and he had a hard time finishing his food. Scully was in the same predicament. "Why didn't I stop eating.....why?" She groaned. "Because it was good, that's why." "Quit saying that. I know it was good." She was feeling slightly grumpy and in pain. "Scully, this is gonna sound cliche but we need to burn off some of this food. Dance with me." "Mulder....." "You said you would." he said, sounding slightly petulant. "They're playing a slow one." Scully looked at him and wanted badly to dance with him. She was so full she didn't know if she would enjoy it. "O.K. Mulder. Let's do it." "Why Scully, I thought you would never ask." He took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. He held one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her close. They swayed slowly to the haunting music. Mulder stared into her eyes, his heart pounding, the urge to kiss her overwhelming. Scully stared back, full stomach forgotten. When his eyes dropped to her lips and then came back up to eyes, her heart stopped. Mulder and Scully made a striking pair. Him in his black dress pants with short sleeved black shirt. Her, in her black leggings, white short sleeved sweater and flaming red hair. Everyone watched the couple who stared into each others eyes. A pair of green eyes, outside the restaurant looking in, watched as well. Those eyes narrowed as the man lowered his head towards the redhead and brushed his lips against hers. *********THE END***********