Bad Blood: Bad Attitude
by Xraycat
Category: Discipline
Rating: R for violence and language
Disclaimer: Chris Carter owns the X-Files,
I own a computer and two cats.
Notes: Sorry DiAnn, didn't mean to trespass
in your territory.
Synopsis: Vampires in Texas! Who ya gonna call?
Ronnie Strickland! Fox knew if he had the chance,
he'd stake the blood sucking bastard again!
Chaney, Texas
A series of cattle mutilations. Six Holstein
heifers had been exsanguinated through
two small puncture wounds on the side of
the neck. Followed closely by the identical
murder of Dwight Funt, a sixty year old tourist
from New Jersey.
By the time Fox and Dana reached Chaney,
a second murder had occurred. One Anthony
Lombardo of Naples, Florida.
Local sheriff Lucius Harwell, had been enthusiastic
but unable to offer much assistance.
Scully discovered through autopsies, both men had
been drugged with chloral hydrate. Chloral hydrate
is an anesthetic, which will render a person paralyzed
and eventually unconscious. Both victims had eaten
pizza for their last meal. Pizza delivered by Ronnie
Strickland.
Dana Scully made the connection at the same time
Ronnie was delivering a pizza to Fox Mulder. She
entered her motel room at the Sam Houston Motor
Lodge, just as Ronnie was attempting an attack on
an unconscious Fox Mulder.
Ronnie fled as Dana entered the motel room. Checking
on Fox and determining his well being, Dana then gave
pursuit. She watched in horror as a fully recovered Mulder
tackled Ronnie Strickland in the woods. She was unable
to prevent Fox from staking Ronnie through the heart.
The fake vampire teeth didn't improve their situation.
Things went from bad to worse.
Dana yelled at him, all the way back to the motel.
Sheriff Harwell, the dumb hick, didn't believe him
either. He listened to Mulder's story without comment,
shaking his head occasionally when Mulder said
something he considered outrageous.
After the sheriff left, Dana started in on him again,
"Fox, I realize you were drugged, but honestly! I
can't believe you actually staked that poor boy! I
don't even want to hear what Walter's going to say
about it."
Fox angered her further by defending himself,
"Dana! I can't believe you saw exactly the same
things I did and still won't admit the truth! Ronnie
Strickland was a goddamned vampire and you
know it!" Pointing his finger in her face. "I saved
both of our lives, and you don't even have the
courtesy to thank me for it. Some friend you are,
Dana Scully."
Dana's face reddened, "Fox? I suggest you
shut your mouth right now! I will not listen to
another word of this nonsense. Consider yourself
warned, partner." Placing both hands on Mulder's
chest, Dana pushed him. He landed sitting on her
bed, bouncing slightly. She placed her hands on
his shoulders, refusing to allow him to stand, "I
mean it, Fox. I don't want to hear one more word
from you."
Fox opened his mouth, "Hey!" That was as far as he got.
Dana pushed him again, and he was flat on his
back. She placed her knee in his chest, "You
don't know when to stop, do you Fox?" Reaching
to undo his belt, Dana pulled it from his pants,
"I know, I swore I'd never do this again, but... "
She grabbed his zipper and violently jerked it down.
Grasping his shoulder, and easing the pressure on
his chest, "Roll over, partner." She flipped a completely
stunned Mulder, easily. Hurrying to place her knee in
his back before he could gather his wits, Dana jerked
his trousers down. "..I have had enough!" Dana strapped
him firmly, with his own belt. "You have gone too far,
this time. You are driving me crazy, Fox!" She lashed
his butt and thighs, riding her jerking partner's back,
like he was a bucking bronco.
"Dana!" Fox beseeched, "Stop, please? Stop!"
Squirming under her, he wept. "I'm sorry, I made
you so mad! I won't do it again, okay? Please, Dana,"
he pleaded. Mulder's butt felt like it might be bleeding,
"Dana, you're a doctor! You're supposed to help people,
not hurt them!"
Dana slowly regained control and climbed off of his back.
Still lost in the trauma of the unexpected whipping,
Fox remained face down on the bed. Crying and
begging, even after she had moved away from him,
"I won't make you mad, anymore! I'm sorry, Dana!"
Dana threw the belt onto the bedside table. The
buckle struck the 'Magic Fingers' box, and then
the bed started to shake. Dana heaved a huge sigh
and walked to the door, "Stay here, Mulder. I'll sleep
in your room tonight. We'll figure out what we're going
to tell Walter tomorrow." She closed the door softly
behind her.
Fox eventually stopped crying and crawled under the
covers. He dropped another of Dana's quarters into
the 'Magic Fingers' box and felt sorry for himself. He
slept with the lights on, dreaming of whip wielding,
red headed vampires. He gave up on sleep around
three o'clock. He watched television until daylight.
Subsequently, the Strickland family brought a wrongful
death suit against the Bureau to the tune of four hundred
and forty six million dollars.
The state of Texas had yet to determine whether to press
charges for the murder of Ronnie Strickland. Extenuating
circumstances were in their favor. Ronnie was a known
murderer, plus Fox had been drugged.
Fox might lose his job, even if he was absolved of any
crime. He and Dana compared stories one last time in
the basement office. They weren't too optimistic about
their chances.
Kim called with the summons to Walter's office.
Walter Skinner informed them the pathologist performing
the autopsy on Ronnie Strickland's body had been attacked.
His neck was 'gnawed on' and Ronnie's body was gone.
Fox and Dana were ordered back to Chaney, to investigate
this new lead.
Fox risked Dana's ire once again, "See, Dana? I told you
he was a vampire," he crowed triumphantly.
Sheriff Harwell greeted them cautiously but allowed
Mulder to lead the investigation.
Dana accompanied the sheriff to the cemetery,
while Fox checked out the trailer court.
Fox found Ronnie Strickland in his coffin and attempted
an arrest but Ronnie and the other residents of the trailer
park escaped. Fox awoke the next morning in his car,
apparently unharmed.
Dana came to still sitting in the sheriff's truck, only to
discover Sheriff Harwell had disappeared as well.
Fox examined her neck for bite marks but Dana refused
to return the favor.
Chaney was a ghost town. Not one living, or undead
person could be found anywhere in the surrounding
area.
Returning to the Sam Houston Motor Lodge, the agents
packed and prepared to leave.
The special agents returned to Washington to file
a report and close the case.
Walter interrogated them unceasingly, but was unable
to shake their story.
"I was drugged" seemed to be their battle cry. Fox and
Dana disagreed on only one point: Sheriff Harwell's
appearance and demeanor.
Losing his patience, Walter ordered them out of his
office with the stipulation, "I want both of you in my
apartment no later than seven-thirty! No excuses.
Just be there."
That evening Walter shouted at the pair until he was
hoarse, "You actually expect me to sign this? Everyone
knows you're crazy, Mulder!" Pinning Dana with a glare,
"My superiors are beginning to have doubts about your
sanity as well. So far, I've managed to maintain my
professional reputation." Pacing back and forth, slapping
the report, "I will not approve this piece of fiction! I want the
truth and I want it now. No one leaves this apartment until I
have the whole story."
Fox started to speak, "Uh, sir?"
Walter rubbed his head, "Fox? I'd really prefer to hear
from Dana first. I'm sure you understand." Walter sat in
his chair, staring at the two cowering young people huddled
on his couch, "Dana? If you please?"
Dana cleared her throat, "I'm not really sure what I can
add, Walter. We separated. Fox left for the trailer court
while Sheriff Harwell and I drove to the cemetery. He
poured coffee from a thermos. I drank the coffee and
passed out. The next morning I woke up in the truck.
Alone. Sheriff Harwell and the thermos were gone."
She shrugged, "I drove to the trailer court and found
Agent Mulder unconscious in his car. The park was empty.
The town was empty." Glancing at her partner, "Fox was
uninjured and unable to tell me what had happened to the
residents of the trailer park. We returned to the motel, which
was empty as well. Packing our bags, we drove to the
Dallas/Ft. Worth airport and flew home. That's about it, sir."
Walter stared at her, "All right, Dana. You're free to go."
Walter knew he was being lied to but was unable to find
a chink in their collective armor. Maybe if he separated
the two he might be able to break one of them.
Dana rose to leave, "Fox, are you coming?"
Walter interrupted, "No, Fox will be staying here.
Good bye, Dana." He ushered her to the door,
closing it firmly behind her. Returning to the nervous
young man, "Now, Fox. Start at the beginning. I want
to hear the entire story, again."
Fox spilled his guts, leaving nothing out, "Ronnie
Strickland was a vampire!" He proceeded to talk
for the next forty-five minutes.
Walter stopped Fox only once. He had a headache
and went to the kitchen for aspirin. When Fox completed
his tale, Walter quietly picked up the report and signed it,
"This will do fine, Mulder. I'll send it through, in the morning."
Fox offered at his superior a wide eyed stare, "You're
not going to tell them the truth?" He jumped up from the
couch, "Why Walter? Sheriff Harwell and the entire
population of Chaney, Texas were vampires! It's our duty
to report it! What happens to the next unsuspecting little
town they decide to settle in?"
Walter took Mulder's arm and gently guided him to the
door, "Go home, Mulder. I'm tired. I'll see you tomorrow."
He tried pushing Fox into the hallway but the younger man
wouldn't budge.
"Walter! I'm surprised at you," Fox scolded. "You are
a federal agent. You have sworn to uphold the law,
but you're going to ignore a blatant threat to the safety
and well being of our country's population?"
"Go home, now," Walter rumbled. "I've been very
lenient with you, Fox. Don't make me regret my
decision," he warned.
Fox stared at him, "So, you're going to sweep this
under the rug? Just another unsolved X-File for the
filing cabinet in the basement, right?" Shaking his
head, "I can't believe it Walter. You asked me for
the truth and I gave it to you. Why did I bother?"
Walter closed the door and sighed, "I can't sign
my name to a report stating an entire town's population
were vampires, Mulder. It's lunacy."
Mulder's eyes sparkled with fury, "Oh, yeah. I
remember now. Your precious professional reputation
might be impugned! How could I forget? Nothing
as trivial as the truth can be allowed to sully the
good name of Assistant Director Walter S. Skinner,
can it?"
Walter's face darkened, "Fox, you just don't know
when to quit!" He dragged Fox back into the front
room and threw him over the back of the couch.
"Stay there!" Walter unbuckled his belt, and slipped
it from his pants, "You know what to do , Fox." He
doubled the belt while Fox dropped his jeans and
shorts. Without aiming Walter landed the first blow.
Fox didn't have time to move his hands and the
belt struck his fingers, "OW! Walter my hands!"
He tried to get up but Walter held him in place.
"Sorry about that," Walter grunted, as he raised
his arm again, "I meant to hit your ass." The belt
whistled through the air, landing on Fox's
unprotected buttocks, "That's better." Walter
belted Fox's butt and legs, until the stripes began
to change color from angry red to vivid blue.
Fox screamed and cried but refused to beg for
mercy. He was surprised when Walter finally
stopped, foolishly asking, "Are you through?
Can I get up?" He angrily pulled on his jeans
and headed for the door.
Walter stopped him, "Fox? Where do you think
you're going? You're in no condition to leave."
"I'm going home," Fox answered defiantly, without
slowing. "I'll be fine."
"Wait, Fox," Walter requested. "I'm asking you
to stay. Come back and we'll talk. Please?"
Fox relented, "Is this always going to be your
response? If you don't like my answers, you'll
beat me until I change them?"
"Fox! I didn't beat you because of your answers,"
Walter exclaimed. "I beat you for your attitude. You
know the difference!" Tentatively reaching out to
touch Fox's shoulder, "I can't sign a report validating
the existence of vampires!" Walter continued softly,
"Surely you understand, Fox. I wouldn't do it to you,
son. My superiors would have you fired and
committed within twenty four hours. Dana and I
would follow, right behind you."
Fox stared hard at his boss, "I killed a seventeen
year old boy, Walter. I drove a stake through his
heart!" Dropping his gaze as a single tear rolled
slowly down his cheek, "Ronnie Strickland was a
vampire, Walter! Do you have any idea what it feels
like? To have everyone believe you murdered a kid
in cold blood?"
Walter gently placed his hands on Mulder's shoulders,
"Do *you* remember what I told you about my final tour
of duty, Fox? I most certainly do know what it feels like.
I blew off the head of a ten year old boy. He wasn't even
a vampire, just a little boy with hand grenades strapped
to his body. I didn't even know his name." Skinner
confessed in a rare moment of vulnerability, "I still see
his face every time I close my eyes, Fox." The moment
passed quickly. Skinner's face reassumed its usual
mask, "As cold as it might sound, this is just something
you're going to have to learn to live with."
Mulder moved closer and buried his face in Walter's
shoulder. "But, I don't want to live with it, Walter," he
sobbed. "Ronnie wasn't a boy, he was a vampire!"
Walter held Mulder tightly, "I know you believe he was,
Fox. I'm here any time you need to talk about it again, son."
Mulder wept for a long time.
Walter finally released Mulder and wrapped an arm
around his shoulder, "Come on, Fox. Let me buy you
a beer."
As they walked into the kitchen Walter announced,
"I want to hear more about Sheriff Harwell. Do you
think Dana really liked him?"
"I don't know," Fox blushed. "I'm pretty sure he liked
her, though."
"Okay, never mind," Walter let him off the hook.
"You can tell me all about you and Dana, instead."
"What about me and Dana?" Fox asked suspiciously.
"You don't have to pretend with me, Fox," Walter
said knowingly. "I saw the belt marks. I want to know,"
Walter marveled, "Just what did you do to make
Dana beat your ass?"
End