Timeless (1/?)
by Elisa P. Black

  He reveled in the ecstasy of the blood pouring forth into his mouth and
down his throat, strengthening his body, fortifying his mind.  Fresh human
blood.  It seemed he'd chosen well again; this one was like all the others
he'd taken.  Although fear curled around the edges, tinging the blood
excitingly, it was mainly a burst of courage, strength, and an incredible
will to live.  These he took inside himself greedily, built up like a
barricade and refused to give back as he turned the intimate stranger in
to his child. 
  Lovingly, he caressed the pale face.  A beautiful girl, seemingly kind
and gentle and intelligent; she would have gone far.  Would have if not
for her incessant naivety, her caring, taking a brooding stranger like
himself in.  And such wonderful secrets she had that he could now see,
more clearly than she ever could; the dark desires and deception.  Our
personal realities are our worlds, the only battlefields we need, he
thought bitterly. 
  "My child," he whispered to the sleeping form in his arms, "our
realities are one.  We will fight our battles together." 
  As he spoke the last word, a searing pain reached out from his core and
twisted his heart cruelly.  The girl's eyes fluttered open in surprise. 
He dropped her to wrench at his chest, growling through extended fangs,
the world careening around him in dull red.  The girl stared at him,
afraid and confused, screaming, screaming like the pain inside him. 
  Oh, god, what have I done, he wondered dimly. 
  Turning, he fled from the inescapable pain of his mind. 

  A weary Nick dropped off an equally tired Schanke, assuring him that
they would get a break in their case soon and getting in return, "As long
as it doesn't come during the weekend." 
  Amen to that, thought Nick as he turned on the radio.  As the
Nightcrawler's softly spoken words floated in one ear and not quite out
the other, he was overcome by a sense of deja vu.  It was another rerun. 
The fourth one this week.  A few seconds of curiousity was all he could
manage as he parked his car by instinct alone. 
  When the elevator door opened at his loft, he fell flat on his face
immediately beyond it and considered sleeping there for the day.  He
didn't think it'd be very comfy, so he started crawling toward the couch
and found himself looking at a pair of legs.  He followed them up and
found Nat trying very hard not to laugh.  He reached toward her for help
but that only sent her into a fit of giggles. 
  "Nat, please?" he asked, trying hard not to smile. 
  She pretended to think it over and replied, "Only if you go with me to a
dance tomorrow night." 
  "Huh?" 
  "It starts off the North American Convention on Criminal Science, which
this year, lucky for us, is in Toronto.  And it's formal." 
  Nick grunted, seemingly in acknowledgement.  Nat, satisfied, helped him
up, huffing and puffing. 
  "I'm too tired to go home.  I'll stayed in the bedroom," she declared to
an already asleep Nick. 
  She climbed the stairs and fell asleep on the black satin sheets,
dreaming sweet dreams of dancing with her love and his centuries of
experience. 

  "I appreciate your coming to the conference with me, Mulder, but why are
you really doing this?  It wouldn't have to do with the serial
exsanguination murders, would it?" 
  "Why, Scully, don't you think I can be a good friend?"  He grinned
innocently. 
  She gave him a teasing, sarcastic smile in return.  "And what kind of
wild theory do you have about this one?  Vampires?" 
  "Well..." 
  "I didn't think you'd find much interesting at a conference on forensic
science and pathology." 
  Mulder was trying to grin and look guilty at the same time. 
  Scully shook her head.  "Since you'll get into this one way or another,
I might as well tell you: I _could_ ask a favor of the coroner in charge
of the case since she's a friend of mine." 
  Mulder was grinning from ear to ear.  "Oh, goody." 
  "As long as you let me know where you are and don't get yourself
killed." 
  Mulder raised an eyebrow. 
  "Mulder?" 
  "I'll be one my best behavior." 
  It was Scully's turn to raise an eyebrow. 

	End of Part 1