Timeless (5/?)
by Elisa P. Black

  "Man, oh, man. Dinner!"  Schanke's eyes lit up as he opened the
refrigerator and started to gather a big pile of food. 
  "Don, put that back.  I'm marinading it for tomorrow."  Myra was
smiling. 
  He looked down at the plastic-wrapped dish.  "Oh, that's raw?  It looked
good enough to eat now." 
  She shook her head and turned to check on the popcorn.  Jenny watched
the proceedings anxiously.  Schanke had turned back to the fridge. 
  He was happily picking up condiments to go on his sandwich when his
cop's instincts flared up.  As he dropped everything and spun around, both
Myra and Jenny were screaming.  A young dark-haired woman held Myra
effortlessly and had her back turned to him.  He grabbed a heavy wooden
chair, the first thing he could find. 
  "Let her go!" 
  No response.  The woman was pushing Myra's head to the side, seeming
almost to snap her neck.  He swung the chair at the woman, hoping to knock
her out.  It was like hitting a stone wall; the woman didn't move an inch
and his muscles scremed with pain. 
 She turned around with the struggling Myra and growled, so fast it was
amazing.  He caught sight of the glowing amber eyes and the sharp fangs
set against her pale face. 
  "A vampire?" he whispered to himself in disbelief. 
  The creature was biting into Myra when Jenny's screaming suddenly
reached him.  "The chair leg, Daddy!  Use it as a stake!" 
  He looked down and realized that the chair had broken and now he held
only a leg with sharp splinters.  He hurried behind the vampire so he
could get a clear shot at her and then forced it through her body.  A
deafening scream erupted from her as she dr opped his wife to pull at the
stake.  And then she was gone, a pile of ash. 
  Myra lay on the floor, pale, breathing shallowly, with two bright red
streaks coming from the bite marks.  Schanke knelt down to check her vital
signs. ‘Aw, man, not Myra!  This can’t be happening.’
  He looked up into Jenny’s tear-streaked face. 
  "It’ll be OK, hon." 
  He was trying more to convince himself than his daughter.  Schanke then
went to call an ambulance. 

  He smiled through the pain of his newborn child feeding at his wrist. 
Gently, he pushed the boy's head back.  "No more from me.  You will find
what you need soon enough.  And then we will fight the world together." 
  A white hot pain racked him, but he stood his ground this time and let
it pass.  Another one of his children had been killed, and it filled him
with a euphoric anger.  The battle was on!  He laughed to himself as it
strengthened him and all of his remai ning children who were scattered
about, purging the city.  He'd never felt more powerful, more alive, more
right. 
  And then he sensed it.  A faint presence trying to disguise itself from
his 5000 year old power.  One of *them*.  He laughed again, then realizzed
there were more.  Many more.  He couldn't fight them all.  So he left,
sadly abandoning his frightened child. 

  The four were chatting about nothing in general and enjoying their
pleasant dinner when Nick's pocket began to ring.  He managed to look
guilty as he pulled out his phone and Nat shot him an unpleasant look. 
  "Hello?" 
  "NICK!"  He had to force himself not to pull the phone away from his ear
too quickly as Schanke continued.  "You won't believe!...  Myra was
attacked by a vampire!  I-I think I killed it!  But I'm at the hospital
right now..." 
  Schanke's voice was so loud that the others at the table had heard.  He
exchanged glances with Natalie as Mulder did so with Scully.  Nick then
turned his attention back to the phone in time to hear Schanke ask, "Could
you come over and bring Nat?" 
  "Sure, Schank.  How's Myra doing?" 
  "The doctors aren't sure yet." 
  "OK, hang in there.  We'll be right over."  He hung up. 
  "I'm sorry, but we have to leave."  Nick and Nat got up to go. 
  "Could we go with you?" asked Mulder.  He stood up to indicate he was
coming whether they liked it or not.  Scully shook her head grimly, but
stood anyway. 
  They piled into Nick's Caddy and sped off towards the hospital. 

	End of Part 5