Title: Irresistible II; the Evil Within.

Author: Joylynn Wing

Archive: Everywhere. Especially ATXC and Gossamer.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, wish I did. C.C. and his merry bunch 
at 1013 always did. I, however, can take credit for everyone other
than Scully, Mulder, Skinner, Pfaster, and other such notables 
which are brought to life by the wonderful actors that give them 
breath. No infringement intended.

Rating: Strong PG 13. This novel deals with very unpleasant and
serious issues. Disturbing images, violence and adult subject 
matter, occasional language, and sexual situations. If any of this
disturbs you, please pass it on.

Classification: XVRA

Keywords: Casefile, UST, to MSR, Mulder/Skinner/Scully friendship.

Spoilers: Oh my... This is a novel based on the episode 
" Irresistible. " It could be even called a loose post epi.
Since it takes place in season six, after " The Unnatural ",
but before " Biogenesis, " please be warned that it has many
mentions of previous episodes, in all seasons, up to 
" The Unnatural, " of season 6.

Feedback: Please? This is my first casefile, and my first novel.
After writing fanfic for nearly one year, I decided to venture 
forth and write this endeavor. I live for feedback for it lets
me know how I am doing. All feedback will be lovingly answered
and cherished at aljoyw@a-znet.com

Summary: An evil from Scully's past comes back to exact its
price.

Dedication: This is for all of you that have written to me to
express your support and appreciation of my writing. Thank you.
My words cannot adequately express my gratitude. My special thanks
to my creative consultant Kim Stanley. Without you, this would
never have been finished. And to my brethren of OBSSE. I only hope
that I am worthy.

Special thanks to MirKat, Sue, and BlackAbyss for your beta'ing.
You help is so appreciated!

Author's note: Please see end.

All of this novel can be found at my website;
http://web.a-znet.com/aljoyw/public_html/index.html

You may write me down in history 
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt 
But still, like dust, I'll rise...

Maya Angelou 


Silence, thick and heavy covered the misty, stark landscape. 
Veiled upon that sleek hush, was a frigid rain, which fell down 
upon the glistening pavement, in a percussion worthy of any 
concerto. That rain, which fell in a torrential deluge; washed 
away a multitude of human sins as it ran into small nature made 
rivers, seeking their way down the waving branches of the maple 
trees. 

>From the fuliginous milieu, a lone winding driveway emerged; an
ominous creature of the swirling darkness.  It gently hugged the 
small hill upon which it rose, climbing up to a small secluded 
house, tucked in behind whispering pines. There, at that seemingly
innocent abode, a battle was taking place. Not a battle in a 
traditional manner, but a war of one trying to save their soul,
and of another which sought to use that soul for their own 
devises. For in that strife, Good and Evil were engaging, and only
one could come out victorious.

The battlefield was vacuous and restrained, for the only witnesses 
to testify, were sheet covered furniture and dust balls from 
decades past. All was barren, except for the level lowest in the 
structure. In that level existed a faint light, which served to 
fill that darkness. From that obscurity, the sounds of running 
water and banging pipes filled the exanimate air. The shadows cast 
from that bleary illumination danced in time about the large 
cement walled room which was lined with dusty shelves which stood 
in judgement of the drama which was to unfold.

In the middle of the damp grayish blue floor was a flat white 
futon. Upon that thin damp mattress, a slight figure writhed 
violently under the thin wool blanket. A flash of sun-kissed 
copper brightened the muted colors as it peaked out from beneath 
the gray sheath. A soft sigh filled the air, as a figure 
attempted to regain consciousness. 

The fight was hard; probably one of the hardest she had ever 
fought, since the chemical that she had been subjected to was 
still quite evident in her system. Her slight body worked 
furiously trying to clear the threshold where her lucidity would 
return. Her essence found itself trapped within a body which 
wouldn't respond to her very basic commands. Tired heavy limbs 
thrashed about where once nimble and controlled ones used to 
exist.

' Focus... You can do it... Focus on your eyes... '
>From under the sullied scratchy blanket, a slender, fair hand 
emerged and with some great effort on its part, lifted up and away 
the dingy blanket, freeing itself to survey its confines. The damp 
cool air was chilling upon heated flesh, causing an unintentional 
shiver to run through the slight, weakened body.

Dark auburn lashes fluttered gracefully against the stark pale
contrast of fair, freckle graced skin, framed by flaming red
locks touched with light. Suddenly deep azure blue eyes met the 
faint light in earnest, blinking rather violently, as they tried 
to focus upon their immediate surroundings. As the eyes convened, 
they only noted swirling shadows, enhanced  by drug induced 
photophobia. ' Good. Now focus again, will yourself to get up. You 
can do this. We need to know what we are up against. '

Dana Katherine Scully found herself hauling all 112lbs of her
trembling slight figure, out and over on to the chilling dank 
surface of the floor from the thin mattress. She huddled there 
silently upon her stomach; her chest heaving painfully from the 
great amount of energy being put forth on her part. The cool of 
the floor soaked through her cotton shirt and chilled her body 
thoroughly, causing gooseflesh to make there way to the surface of 
her silky skin.

After a few moments, Scully brought her trembling arms down at her
side, using the flat palm of her hands to push herself up onto the
very weak, non responsive knees. As she lifted herself up, the 
rough surface tore the nylons she was wearing, exposing the 
sensitive skin of her knees to the very painful reminder of her 
predicament. She took deep rasping breaths, her O2 level still low 
in her blood from deep sedation.

With a burst of energy that she hadn't felt that she possessed, she 
got up on to her knees and then flipped over, sitting on her 
bottom with economy of movement on her part. Bright silver flashed 
like running water in the sun before her dilated eyes. Scully 
brought up a delicate, well defined hand to shield herself from 
the glare and when her vision was restored she noticed why her 
efforts were so hampered. An ankle chain; cold, heavy, and tight 
was locked to her bruised and battered ankle. From this restraint, 
long bold chain of the same forged steel, disappeared into the 
darkness.

' What the hell happened? Where the hell am I? ' Scully reached 
behind her tailored suit jacket which swung loosely about her 
slight figure, and with still clumsy fingers, sought out her Sig. 
However all that she found was the smooth cool skin of her back. 
She felt around, attempting to turn to see where her cell phone 
was, but she soon discovered in her fury of discovery, that neither 
were there for her use. Frustrated at her currently unarmed status, 
she ran a hand across her heated brow, trying to bring to semblance 
of order to her hazy thoughts. ' Focus Scully. Breath. Hmmmm... 
Must be a CNS drug, my motor skills are sluggish, my vision 
sensitive. '

Scully blinked her frustration filled eyes, and tucked a stubborn
lock of hair behind her small ear. " Damn it, " she muttered
angrily as she pulled at the chain with her shapely leg, testing 
its resolve. " Where the hell am I? " Scully demanded as she 
tossed her head in anger. Her hair fell about her tight face, 
obscuring its features from the dim, unforgiving light. She bit 
her lower lip in frustration, the normally rosebud red lips now 
a slight bluish cast, from her deoxygenated state.

She blew the hair from her eyes, determined to assess the problem
presented to her. Her mind was just starting to clear, her 
thoughts more focused. ' What is the last thing that I remember? 
Focus. I was... In my room... Packing. Yes, packing... Tickets. 
Airplane tickets, called to give time... open ended ticket... Had 
my bags packed, to go where? ' The sheer battle of will against 
sedative nearly drained her completely.

Scully managed to get herself up to the kneeling position, and 
with a slight gasp got up to a slightly wobbly standing position. 
Pushing forward, she took small wobbly steps, hoping to speed up 
her metabolism enough to start clearing out the drug induced haze 
that she was functioning in. As she began to pace, trying to focus 
herself and her body to her task at hand, her memory began to 
slowly filter back, like a cool drizzling rain in a vague dream to 
her confused, disoriented mind...


                        ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


24hrs earlier.
Airspace above Hancock Airport.
Syracuse N.Y.
0230hrs.

Fox William Mulder sat stiffly, reading the manila folder clutched
tightly in his slender hands. The poor lighting afforded by the 
over head lighting of the cabin, wreaking havoc with his overworked 
eyes. Mulder put the file down on his lap and took his glasses
off, running his hand across the furrowed brow of his countenance. 
The lateness of the evening plus the air pressurization of the 
cabin, causing the stirrings of a headache.

The deathly silence of the pastel clad cabin filled with few 
precious people, was broken by the soft murmuring of a low alto 
voice. Mulder looked over at his partner of seven years and smiled 
slightly at the sight that met his gaze, his parting lips revealing 
gleaming white teeth.

Scully lay upon the curve of his shoulder, the soft ivory of her
cheek nestled firmly in place. A strand of her reddish gold hair 
had fallen to obscure her striking features from his view, and he 
reached over slowly and tucked the stubborn lock behind her ear, 
trailing slightly across the heated silk of her cheek with his 
finger. Her skin felt like the finest velvet, its texture 
rich and inviting.

The gentle touch of his hand caused her to stir a little, the thin
airline issue blanket which she had drawn up about her, falling 
from the gentle curve of her neck. She burrowed her head further 
into his shoulder mumbling something about " Mexican goat 
suckers," and quickly settled herself in once again, gently 
burrowing her face into him further. Her slow, deep breaths 
flooded though his jacket material, setting his own skin on fire.

Mulder reached down and tucked the gray wool blanket up around 
the neckline of her camel T-shirt, the action on his part moving 
the small golden cross around her neck to move slightly in the 
light, the reflection of its existence meeting his soulful gaze. 
That simple necklace had come to mean so much to him on his 
journey to find the truth. It symbolized the faith that they had 
in one another, and when one had lost their way, the other would 
tow the line, until they were united once again.

' I have come so close to losing you so many times, yet you are 
still here. What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful person 
in my life? I don't think that I will ever be able to answer that, 
but I promise you Scully, soon. Soon all of our self-sacrifice and 
patience will pay off. Our unspoken contract will be null and void. 
Fear, will no longer be our excuse for putting us off. We will be 
able to end this little charade and we will take our place in the 
light. Soon, sunshine... ' Mulder's idle mind mused.

Mulder reached down to the file, once again opening up the folder,
to gaze at the horrors which lie there. There in front of him, was 
the head, torso and legs of a nude young woman painted in her own 
dark red blood, dried and crusted from hours of exposure. She was 
carefully posed; arranged to some unknown agenda. Around her slight 
body, matted grasses clung to the blood splayed about her, some of 
the grass shrouding her remains. 

Her head was shaved, her sightless blue eyes gazing thoughtfully 
to the unforgiving heavens. Her arms had been removed, the stumps 
clean and precise, the work of a methodical killer. Her torso was 
graced with deep, very detailed angry red slices which demolished 
the once very smooth planes and angles of her body. One of the 
incisions deep and broad enough that the once glistening healthy 
tissues of her small and large bowel now spilled about her, now 
black and pest infested. ' Anger, deep seeded, repressed anger. He 
wanted to defile her. He wanted to take away her beauty. He kept 
the hair and arms as a trophy. He owns her; he owns the power she 
once had. These reminders will serve as a means of reliving the 
moment, when he once again feels powerless. '

Mulder moved the glossy picture aside, and looked quickly at the
autopsy. Skimming over the preliminaries, his acute vision 
locating what he was looking for. ' Victim's demise due to 
asphyxiation, bruising consistent with strangulation. Wounds were 
administered after death, this determined by the amount of notable 
bleeding from the incisions. Body was free of any notable 
forensics evidence, this due to body being washed carefully after 
death and sexual assault, but before mutilation. '

Suddenly, the plane lurched slightly, sending the file and its 
contents, fluttering to the floor. Mulder sucked in a deep breath, 
the sudden movement catching him off guard. As the cabin began to 
shimmy, unearthly groans and creaks muttered from the fuselage, 
causing his heart to beat wildly, his palms became sweaty,  his 
breath to quicken. From all around him he began to hear the fear 
filled cries of other passengers. Mulder reached down to fasten 
his belt, and as it clicked he heard the gasp of the woman seated 
next to him. Mulder looked over at her, his alarm evident upon 
his face.

Scully was sitting flat against the back of her seat. Her head was 
thrown back on the headrest, her mussed hair falling about her 
aspect. Her bright blue eyes were wide open and full of panic. Her
normally fair face was almost white, the freckles that she worked 
so hard to conceal very evident even in the poor lighting. Her 
mouth was slightly open with shallow panting breaths exuding 
through her full lips. Her blanket had fallen from her, and he 
noticed that her hands were clutching the arms rests on either 
side of her. She was grasping so firmly that the knuckles of her 
well defined hands were white and taunt. " Scully? " Mulder 
questioned softly. " Are you all right? "

Scully ventured a glance at her partner seated next to her, her 
sleep idled mind still foggy. She had been sound asleep, the 
exhaustion that she had been feeling, driving her to steal a few 
moments of rest. From the peaceful land of quiet and darkness, she 
had felt the first lurch of the plane, the sudden movement sending 
panic throughout her like a wave of burning heat. It burned 
through her soul, setting her body on fire with its sheer power. 
As she gazed frightfully at Mulder, she noticed that he was pale; 
his usual deadpan panic face a long forgotten memory. " Mulder, " 
she stated rather shakily, " you are panicking. "

" I am not panicking, " Mulder replied with a nervous grin. " You,
on the other hand..." 

" I don't panic, " she interrupted him curtly. " I'm fine. "
She leaned back further upon her head rest and looked ahead,
attempting to squelch the incandescent fear which threatened to
over take her.

" Sure you are, " Mulder replied as he searched her face further.
Other than the obvious tension in her hands, she was now as stoic
and poised as ever. Where most people would lose their composure 
over the smallest incident, Scully would stand alone. Of all of 
the people that he had ever met in all of his life, Scully was the 
strongest by far. He had always thought of her as a precious 
solitaire. She was strong, multifaceted on the outside, and full 
of fire and passion on the inside. She simply amazed him.

Since joining him on the X-Files, she had been through just as 
much as he, yet she barely ever flinched in the face of 
uncertainty. Her drive to be seen as an equal, coupled with her 
perfectionist tendencies, being her only motivations. He believed 
that Scully viewed overt emotionalism as a sign of weakness, 
therefore she suppressed any real manifested feelings that she 
had. She instead chose to focus them; use them as the fuel for her 
resolve. She selected very carefully those whom she would let see 
this side of her, and he felt very lucky indeed to be one of the 
chosen few. Mulder looked over at her hand, clutching the rest 
with a grip unparalleled and brought his hand on top of hers, his 
fingers cupping hers in a protective gesture.

Scully looked at their hands, and with a slight adjustment, 
entwined her fingers with his. His warmth and feeling, filling
her with conviction and tenderness. She looked up into his eyes, 
their unspoken communication and understanding, sharing all that 
their hearts dare not utter. They were partners in every sense of 
the word, their connection to one another nearly mystical in its 
connotation, unable to be understood by the mere observer. They 
were complemented, two halves of a whole, each supplying what the 
other needed whatever the circumstances. This balance was 
perfection at work, a symphony of endless balance as old as time 
itself.

As Scully went to return the smile, a deep unwavering tone spoke 
over the intercom system. " Ladies and gentleman, this is your 
captain. We are having some slight difficulties with turbulence. 
A front has stalled over Central New York and the updrafts are 
causing the problems that we are having. There is nothing to be 
concerned about, please remain in your seats and buckle your seats 
until we are clear. Thank you. " 

Scully chuckled slightly, her rich alto filling the cabin with
her mirth, as she arched a delicate brow, " You know Mulder, " 
she exclaimed teasingly, " you really do know how to show a girl 
a good time. " She noted that the plane seemed steady now, and 
felt very much relieved. She had never been a real believer in air 
travel. The mere thought of being so out of control, at the mercy 
of another, deeply disturbed her. Unfortunately, since their 
travel often covered such long distances, she had learned to 
tolerate the activity, with a minimum of discomfort.

Mulder flashed her a lopsided grin, his eyes dark and full of
humor. " I aims to please. Nothing is too good for my partner. "
Mulder was reluctant to relinquish his hold on her hand. Each and
every touch; an unspoken promise to yet be fulfilled. However he
knew that Scully was armed and he opted for the safer road taken.
He squeezed her hand gently once again and reluctantly took his 
hand from her, reaching down to pick up the papers strewn about
his cramped feet. He swore that airlines designed for the 
vertically challenged, and as he glanced at his partners feet 
swimming in space, he knew it to be the truth. '

Scully chuckled at his joke, her unease now a long forgotten
memory. She then stooped over to help him collect the papers, 
which had littered the floor and as she leaned over to pick up a 
photo, his arm reached over and brushed the curve of her breast. 
The gentle accidental touch of his hand, sent fingers of heated 
arousal though out her body, instantly setting off an ache within 
her. She shivered slightly, and drew in a ragged breath. She 
forced herself to remain stoic as she desperately tried compose 
herself. She continued to attempt to retrieve the rest of the 
papers, her fingers shaking slightly with her tension. ' Get a 
hold of yourself Scully, * now * is not the time or the place. 
You would think that a man has never touched you before. Well, 
no one has touched you * there * in quite a while, but still... We 
are on a case. Be professional. '

Mulder's reaction to her response was quite deep. For a moment he
had allowed himself to imagine just how responsive she would be.
Was she a screamer? Or did she moan and sigh silently, her body
doing all of the talking. Mulder noticed every response his simple
touch would elicit from her; his intense interest often times
driving him to select a moment to touch her, just to observe her.
Their touches were well planned; a discrete hand hold, the ever
present hand at her back, the brush of a shoulder upon one
another while standing near. They were the infrequent precious 
gifts which they gave one another, the physical glue which held
them to one another firmly. 

Once she had gotten herself back together, and had collected the
papers that were at her feet, she leaned back in to her chair.
She tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear and grinned
teasingly at Mulder as he reached over and took the papers from
her. Mulder then rather unsuccessfully attempted to make a 
semblance of order out of the badly disorganized papers. " You 
know Mulder, " she voiced teasingly, " if you didn't have me to 
keep you together, you would simply fall apart." And with that she 
took the mess from his lap and methodically began to situate the 
reports. Mulder was the master of the intangible; she was the
master of hard evidence.

Mulder looked over at her, his amusement clearly evident upon his
face, " Face it Scully, you love coming to my rescue. You always
have. You get off on it, big time. If I didn't know better I would 
say that you think that you are Wonder Woman, " he laughed loudly 
as took his glasses of the bridge of his nose, pinching himself 
there as soon as they were gone. She was his rescuer. She had been
since the first day that they had met. Not just physically, but
emotionally.

Scully looked up with a very smug grin plastered over her face.
She handed the papers to him, the whole lot now organized and
neatly stacked. She shrugged her slight shoulders as she settled
in further into her seat, " And how do you know I am * not * 
Wonder Woman? " Scully asked as she arched her slender brow in 
challenge. She absolutely adored this banter. For them, since they 
were not involved, the intellectual banter and merciless teasing 
were their version of intercourse.

Mulder waved his hands as if making a point, as he spoke " Your 
legs are * way * too short besides, I don't think that the costume
would fit, your err bustline doesn't..." His voice trailed off as
his eyes twinkled in mischief. He knew the reaction that he would
elicit from her, and he waited in anticipation. ' Scully, I love
it when you blush. '

Of course, he didn't have to wait for long. A bright blush stole
across her cheeks slipping down her slender neck, to rest upon
the gentle swells of her breasts. ' I hate it when you make me 
blush, you ass. " Don't even think it Mulder, " Scully retorted 
with a steady voice and a sly smile, " I am armed and I am not 
afraid to use it. " Her words were spoken with her brow slipping 
into her hair line as she brought her hand put on the swell of her 
hip lifting up her jacket to flash him her firearm. She then 
slipped her heels back on her sore feet, and placed them up on the 
foot rest before her.

" Yes ma'am, " Mulder said with a lopsided grin. He pointed to the
shoulder where she had shot him years earlier, " I remember the 
last time that you shot me, for my own good * of course *. "  
She had saved him from himself, as usual.

Scully nodded in affirmation, a smile playing across the smooth
swells of her lips. " Of * course *, " she said teasingly, " but I 
must admit I did enjoy it immensely. It was very healthy payback 
for all of the hassles that you have given me. You know what they 
say, payback is a bitch. "

" You wound me Scully. And here I thought that you loved me. Ah,
the injustice, " Mulder mockingly moaned as he lightly struck
himself on his chest. He then shot her a smoldering smile which
could melt ice from the vast expanse of space. His gaze was a
promise of things to come, of love unspoken.

Scully looked over at him and rolled her eyes in mock disgust,
attempting to get the subject to a more comfortable topic. She 
knew what he meant. The look he had given her, increasing the 
temperature in the stuffy cabin beyond toleration.  Looking over 
at the folder in his trousers clad lap, she asked seriously, 
" Why do you think that we were called in on this case? This is 
obviously not an X-File... "

Mulder opened his eyes and looked over at his partner. Even in the
faint light of the cabin, looking as tired and harried as he had
ever seen her, she looked positively breathtaking. Nothing that
fate had ever sent them tarnished her. She still shone as bright
as the day that they had first met. "  The agent in charge of the 
case in Syracuse requested our presence, so to speak. I suppose 
that Skinner did it to keep us mainstream. A PR ploy to keep the 
bigwigs off our case and give us some legitimacy. "

Scully smiled slightly, and said seriously, only the mirth 
undisguised in her swirling blue eyes revealing the truth, 
" Nothing, not even * this * case could bring us mainstream Mulder. 
That is why were are still in the basement. We are the fringe 
element. " She knew this to be true. Even after seven years and an 
above average case clearance rate, they were still frowned down 
upon.

Mulder smiled slightly as he opened the folder to once again
look at the crime scene photos, " Well as they say, it's the
thought that counts. " He narrowed his eyes, his mind seeking the
answers which he knew that he held only. He was already beginning
to get a sense of the killer. He was beginning to be able to
see through his eyes.

Scully leaned over, her hair tickling him gently on the stubble
covered skin of his chiseled cheeks. She began to read the
autopsy results noting out loud in her professional tone, " It
says here that he is using Scopolamine to subdue his victims. 
It's a hydrobromide alkaloid. In large doses, it floods the 
Central Nervous System, causing confusion, memory loss, 
hallucinations, unconsciousness, blurred vision, and 
photophobia. "

" Yes, " Mulder replied curiously, tracing the words with his
index finger, " he did use it, but only for the initial abduction.
Enough to subdue, but judging on the levels present as death, he
never re-administered the drug. "

" So that would mean... " Scully mused but couldn't finish, her 
mind shuddering wildly at the thought. She brought her arms about
herself, trying to ward of the sudden chill which she felt.

" He strangled them while they were conscious, " Mulder supplied
as his thoughts began to drift in the same maelstrom as the UNSUB.
" He wanted to see their faces; their souls as they left this
existence. He wanted to steal that power from them. " Mulder 
leaned back and closed his hazel eyes, his energy already 
diminishing from his efforts. 

Scully reached over and placed her hand on his, " You're starting
to get a hold on the UNSUB Mulder, aren't you? " She was very 
concerned about him. Since getting a hold of the file and quickly 
familiarizing herself with the history of the case, she had been 
on her guard. Mulder was normally a moody man on his best day, 
but when he was trying to get into the head of a killer, he was 
down right spooky. He would loose all track of himself. His soul 
becoming as dark and foreboding as the evil that he sought.


Mulder sighed softly, " Yeah. I am starting to. I need to be
there though. The connection is weak. " Mulder could see the 
concern painted carefully over her expression. He never wanted her 
to worry about him, but he knew it came with the territory 
concerning their unique relationship. She grounded him, gave him 
the tethers to remain on this earth, when his soul went to 
wandering.

Scully squeezed his hand and said in a concerned loving tone, 
" Mulder, I don't pretend to understand what you do. I don't think 
I will ever really get a good grasp of it. But I do remember 
vividly the last time you got into someone's head. You nearly lost
yourself because you became so consumed by it. I am just 
concerned..." She was concerned. She had nearly lost him the last 
time, and she planned to make sure that it didn't happen again.

" Scully it's ok. I can handle it. " Mulder said as he put his

glasses back on his nose, burying himself back in to the case at 
hand. He wasn't so convinced of his declaration. Whenever he had 
been called upon to walk in the darkness, he found himself losing 
his touch on the light. His own darkness seeping out and ripping 
the very soul from his body. However with Scully, his truth, by 
his side, he didn't fear the trip. He knew that he could count
on her to bring him back, whatever it took. That was how they 
were. Whenever one was weak, the other could be counted upon to 
carry the load until the other returned.

Scully smiled slightly to herself, as she once again closed her
eyes, ' Famous last words, hey Mulder ' she contemplated as she 
heard the plane power down and felt their descent begin. She 
wasn't so convinced. She had had a bad feeling since they had been 
sent out into the night. She knew that something big was about to 
happen. She didn't know how she knew it. But she did.


                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


FBI Regional Office
Syracuse, N.Y.
O830 hrs


Scully leaned back in the dark hardwood chair. She pulled off the
glasses that she had been wearing, and placed them upon the
folder that she had been reading. She closed her eyes for a moment,
the bright, unforgiving lights of the overheads escaping her
sensitized vision for a few moments. ' What the hell are we doing
here? ' She mused as she leaned back further and placed her arms
behind her head. She willed away the faces of the victims that she
had been gazing at, concentrating upon the soothing emptiness 
which existed within her.

The darkness of her peaceful escape, was accompanied by the loud 
din of the main office that she found herself camped out in. The 
air conditioning was malfunctioning, and even in the early spring,
the room was much to much warm for her tastes. Voices high and
thin, low and deep filled her ears, as she found herself 
unbuttoning her jacket to relive some of the heat that she was 
retaining. ' We haven't done a case like this in such a long time, 
that it doesn't make sense that we would start now. Mulder hasn't 
been with VCS for a very long time, and many very credible 
profilers have came up the ranks since then, so why this? '

Scully once again gazed upon the death masks of the women before
her. So far four women had been kidnapped, murdered, raped post
mortum and mutilated in four days. These four women had no common 
denominators between them to justify why they were chosen.

They were of all different backgrounds, professions and of 
different nationalities. They lived in different areas of 
Syracuse; city and suburb. They were all between the ages of 25 
and 36, and all in good health and very attractive, but in very 
different ways. Isabella Roth; banker, Alicia O'Connor; student, 
Katherine White; nurse, and Shania Jones; teacher had all been 
sacrificed for an unknown agenda. The only common factors linking 
them being; they were all middle to upper middle class, successful 
and intelligent women. They were all single with a very good 
reputation; not ones one would believe to be possible victims of 
a serial killer. Going against usual denominators, the UNSUB had 
killed outside of his proposed race, for he was most likely white 
and one of his victims had been black. ' Jesus, I could be one of 
them. ' Scully realized as a cold finger of dread crept up her 
slender back and ticked at the back of her mind.

The killer had been careful, the bodies clean leaving no material 
evidence on the bodies to speak of, he had worn latex, even down 
to a condom. He had left the personal items not far from
where he had left them, thus allowing for easy identification.

He had bound them, rope impressions found in their ankles, the
skin torn and bruised so they had been bound a while, and with
the condition of the impressions, they had been at time of death.

The Scopolamine had been administered by a single injection;
on two of the victims in the hip and the other two in the 
deltoid muscle of the upper arm.

Scully looked up quickly and filled her eyes with partner, his 
long, lean body bent slightly over the desk where Bureau Chief 
Reynolds was sitting with their liaison SAC Anna Barton. Scully 
found that a moist heat began to burn from her very soul, as she 
carefully watched the graceful movements of her well dressed 
partner. Even after seven years of watching him, he never once 
failed to bring the same reaction from her time and time again. 
Scully bit her lip as she watched the sleek muscles dance under 
the well fitted cloth. ' In this case G-man, the man does make the 
clothes. '

Scully suppressed the desire that smoldered within the cool 
confines of stoic logic. She brought her attentions to the 
brunette which reminded her way to much of Diana Fowley. Scully 
wasn't sure if she liked SAC Barton. From the moment that they had 
met, she felt quite uncomfortable around her. SAC Barton had 
seemed aloof, even cold when she had first met her. The fact that 
Barton wouldn't even make eye contact with her, to Scully, wasn't 
a good sign. She considered herself to be a good judge of 
character generally, and for some reason * she * set off wildly 
ringing bells.

However Scully knew that to get ahead in this bureau, women often
had to suppress their true selves to be considered as competent
at their job. Being a woman, an attractive woman at that, was a 
sin which Scully knew too well. From the moment that she had 
joined the bureau, she had to make herself into the woman that she 
was today in order to command the respect that she deserved. Men
often expected, as did other women, that they had to ' sleep ' 
around in order to get where they were. She knew that SAC Barton 
had also probably faced the very same thing, so she chastised 
herself for her impudence. 

Scully crossed her nylon clad legs, and gently let her hand fall
to the surface of smooth cool surface of the spotless hardwood. 
She began to trace lazy, undefined circles upon the shiny surface,
with the index finder of one hand as she ran her fingers through
the lock of hair which had fallen to obscure her view.

Scully could feel the tension, which was settling across her 
shoulders making it impossible for her to concentrate further so 
closed her azure eyes, willing the bright light from her view. 
She then brought her hand from her hair to her cheek where she 
gently laid her chin on her palm as she placed her elbow on the 
edge of the desk. She then opened them and looked back over at 
Mulder, and a small smile broke across her delicate features, 
lighting the room with her beauty. Her intense love for the man 
before her filled her heart and silenced her nagging thoughts 
about the woman that she had been thinking about.

Scully loved Mulder. That was one Truth that she was very aware
of.

That first moment that their eyes had met, Scully found herself
drawn in to them, like a moth to a flame. His highly 
unconventional style, superlative acumen and improvident nature 
had insinuated themselves deep within the furthest reaches of her 
heart.

It just wasn't just his mental attributes, which had caught her 
interest. From that moment, she loved every corporeal feature 
about him also. She loved towering, athletic types with a lithe 
manner. Add to that his soulful eyes and remarkable smile, she 
found herself comparing him every other man she met, he being the 
standard. However they always seemed to fall off to the way side, 
her heart already committed to her feelings.  

And he loved her.

His every single touch, heated and determined, his every glance,
pointed and meaningful, his every single word, laden with meanings
that the two of them could only share.

They belonged to one another, body and soul. The words never dared
uttered and never fully received. The knowledge, instinctive, like
life itself, clearly understood, never challenged.

They were good together. Their partnership had proven as such. 
They could work with each other under the worst of circumstances 
and come out on top. They had been through so much, yet nothing or 
no one had ever managed to tear them apart from one another.

Their relationship was a marriage of convenience of sorts. 
Mulder and she were polar opposites, a believer and a skeptic, 
bound to have some problems along the way. They were complemented, 
like two halves of a coin, filling in the blanks and showcasing 
their effectiveness.

They had the same goals in mind and they of course, did agree to 
disagree on how to reach their shared goals, but they respected 
one another's methods of making the journey. In spite of the 
inherent difficulties that their relationship held, they managed 
to continue on, finding the answers that they were both seeking.

However, other than a few, strays from their appointed path,
they had never acted upon what they felt. They had been content
to let things exist as they were, and allowed time and often
distance to settle between them. They set limits on who and what
they were to on a another in hopes of escaping the inevitable.

For seven years they had allowed this to occur, often times 
damaging the fragile balance which existed between them.

Why?

Scully leaned back and said silently to herself, the words almost
sacred to her inner musings...

' Fear. The thing that keeps us from one another, is our mutual
blinding, all consuming fear. '

But as of late, things had been changing between them. Not 
precipitated by outside sources, but by themselves. Like the 
shifting sands of time, blow with the winds of change, things had 
been shifting between them. The line, which they had drawn so long 
ago between them had become obscured, blurred in a haze of self 
discovery and emotional acceptance.

She couldn't remember when it had blurred, but she had seen it
clearly after Padgett's confession of her love for Mulder, which
now seemed a life time ago. 

She had been so upset, after the fiasco with Diana and the 
dissention which the incident had created for them. His betrayal
of her in the Lone Gun Men's office, had ripped the very fabric 
from the stays of her soul, leaving it to ooze painfully upon that 
dusty floor as she left him there to sort out the fall out that 
he had created. She then buried her very intense feelings for him 
deep inside, where they were safe from the ills of the outside 
world. He had hurt her. He had hurt her more than he would ever 
fathom. And she never really told him.
 
That just wouldn't be she.

So she didn't and time had went on. They had gotten back the 
files, and as time heals the deepest of wounds, she found herself 
being drawn back to him. She had wanted to distance herself, to 
protect the part of her that wasn't destroyed by his betrayal, 
but her heart wouldn't cooperate.

She knew that he loved her. That was never the question at hand.
But why had he done that to her?

She knew. Just as he.

A futile attempt to push her away. Just as she would with her 
emotional distancing and flatly uttered, " I'm fines. "

When ever they got close to making that leap of faith and 
believing that their love would be enough, they would find ways to 
push each other away.

Because for them, status quo was the safest way out...
They would rather remain stagnant, then risk what they already
had.

Scully had never been one for overt emotionalism. She was a 
passionately burning woman who encased herself, in the cool, deep 
still waters of logic. 

She kept those emotions; feelings, dreams, passions, locked
deeply away within the furthest recesses of her heart knowing
that emotions were a liability, a weakness that she couldn't
tolerate. 

In spite of that logical controlled side, her heart and body 
secretly longed to let go and find herself with him. Mulder could
extricate that passionate side. He would be the only one that she
would trust to see that part of her. She knew that with him, 
anything could be possible. But in that possibility, a seed of
hope by which all things grow, came fear. 

' I am so timorous of expressing how I feel Mulder. I am so scared 
of taking that next step and admitting how I feel and never being 
able to go back. I am so afraid of maligning or even losing you, 
because somehow I end up disappointing you. You expect so much 
from me that I am affrighted that when you get to know the 
* real * me, you will leave. I am so afraid of being feeble and 
abortive. I am so intimidated of not being what you need, what I 
need, that I have created so many different roles for myself, and 
for you, that I am so demoralized, by searching for and ultimately 
finding the real me. In that disclosure and subsequent development, 
I fear most of all losing myself. '

So what had happened between then and now.

Inevitability.

She knew that their procrastination would soon end itself. Things
had a way of working themselves out whether or not you wanted them
to. That was the sheer simplicity of life. Even if you try to hide
from it in the shadows of denial and self recrimination, it will
still inevitably find you, and bring you where you need to be.
And the tide was quickly closing in on them. It was only a matter
of time.

Scully was startled from her musings as a manila folder was 
dropped unceremoniously upon the wood before her. She looked up, 
her musings dropped at the countenance of SAC Anna Barton, looking 
down upon her with a most unpleasant grimace. Scully looked about 
and Mulder was nowhere to be seen.

' My, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, ' her 
internalized Maggie Scully voice mused as she picked up the folder 
in her steady graceful hand and said politely, " May I help you 
with something Agent Barton? " Scully uncrossed her legs and slid 
further back into her chair in a vain attempt to appear larger 
than she was.

Anne Barton sat down on the edge of the desk, making sure that 
she revealed an ample amount of her nylon clad leg in case her 
prey was watching. She leaned over, her way too unbuttoned white 
silk shirt revealing the ample swells of her violet ensconced 
bust. " Yes, I think that you can. May I ask why you are here on 
this case, I mean Agent Mulder * is * the profiler, so why did you 
come along? I do believe that I did only request that he be sent
sent to assist us with a profile of this killer. "

Scully wasn't sure if she liked that question. The words were just
too laden with derogatory undertones. She put the file down and
placed her hands in her lap, entwining the perfectly manicured
fingers there. She tilted her head toward the right and said 
calmly, not allowing the doubts to creep into her words, " I am 
here because I am Agent Mulder's partner of seven years. I am a 
licensed pathologist trained and very competent in field work. As 
you know, just because one member of a team is pulled for an 
outside consultation, it doesn't mean that the other is 
necessarily left behind. Besides, Mulder would just fall apart if 
I weren't here. I keep him in line, " she added the last part in 
attempt to drive some humor into a very uncomfortable situation.

Agent Barton smiled so widely that it was painful to behold.
She flung her long dark hair behind her shoulder and as she pinned
Scully with her deep brown eyes said cattily, " I am sure that 
without you he would be fine, Very fine. I have seen his 
credentials, and he is more than competent for the job. He does 
have quite a way with getting into the UNSUB's thoughts. I am sure 
that you are more of a hindrance than an asset. Barton thought for
a moment, assessing the woman before her. From the moment she had
read his dossier and seen his file, she knew that he was the man 
for her. The men she had chased here were thick headed and quite
boring, Mulder was totally different. He could give her what she
wanted on so many different fronts. " A handsome man like that 
could have any woman that he wanted, " Barton added carefully,
trying to surmise the situation between the woman before her and
the man that Barton had set her eyes on.

' Ok. Now I really don't like this conversation. " Scully mused
as she took a deep breath and tried to bite the sarcastic words
that she really wanted to say. Scully pushed the chair back, the
legs squeaking slightly under her effort, She reached down and
straightened her jacket, all the while not breaking eye contact
and said, " I am sure that he could, but we are on a case here
and that alone warrants my being here. I have not and will never
interfere in Agent Mulder's personal life. That is his business. "
That was the truth. Scully was all business when on a case. She
would never allow personal feelings to interject into a case.

Agent Barton stood up, all 5'9" of legs and curves and smiled,
obviously very pleased with herself. ' What am I worried about,
he could never go for her. She is nothing like I am sure that his
type is. Cold fish is not good for a main meal. ' She wiped a 
stray mark of non existent lipstick from the corner of her darkly 
painted mouth and said authoritatively, " Then I take it that you 
are not involved with him, good. So I am giving you fair warning. 
I want him, so do not, I repeat, do not get in my way. I will make
your life a miserable living hell, is that understood? "

Scully came right up to her face and as she opened her mouth,
an agent from across the room called, " Agent Barton, you have
a phone call and you might want to take it. " Scully was in shock.
She had never had another agent speak to her in such a manner. She
shook her head and bit her tongue, ' Now is not the time. We both
have a job to do. '

Barton smiled sweetly and said, " Just keep that in mind, Agent
Scully and we will not have any problems. " With that she turned
rather graceful and sauntered across the office, her skirt
swaying rather exaggeratedly behind her. Her fears of the petite
red head had been relieved. She could continue with her plan to
seduce Agent Mulder without impediment.  He was her ticket out of
this one horse town and she planned to cash it in. 

Scully crossed her arms across her chest, the nub of the fabric
rubbing her cuffs cruelly into her sensitive wrists. She blew a
strand of fire, the fire burning within her soul, which had fallen
across her aristocratic features, out of her way and huffed 
slightly in indignation. ' What a bitch. ' Scully mused 
thoughtfully. ' How dare she threaten me like that? Well, I will 
just have to stay away from her. I can manage that. We all need 
to remain professional here, and Lord knows I will not stoop to 
* her * level. I only hope that Mulder knows what he is in for. ' 
She knew that Mulder tended to be blind to women, which had hidden 
agendas, and she hoped that she didn't hurt him in the process. 

Scully turned and as she took a step walked into a deep, broad, 
suit jacket clad chest. She looked up, arching an eyebrow as she 
said to the man she knew that garish tie belonged to, " What's up 
G-man? " She smiled slightly and awaited his response. She could 
smell the utterly male essence which surrounded him. It reminded 
her of safety, acceptance and love. Home wrapped up in a rather 
attractive package.

Mulder put his hands down on her shoulders and squeezed lightly.
He closed his eyes shook his head in frustration. " He struck 
again Scully. We just got the call. A park ranger in Montezuma 
National Wildlife refuge found a nude body of a mutilated woman, 
dropped off on one of the service roads. " He felt personally 
responsible. He had been sent there to get a handle on the UNSUB, 
and other than a basic profile, he hadn't got any further. The 
killer was elusive, hard to get a hold of. All of the leads, up 
until now, as cold and as silent as the victims were.

Scully breathed a sigh of resignation. They needed to catch this
UNSUB, for he was very prolific and had not skipped a day since 
the first murder. She looked into Mulder's deep hazel eyes, and 
for one moment, they were the only two that existed in the world. 
Their breaths became as one their hearts became as one. One soul, 
two bodies.

She brought her hand to his chest and said softly, " We will catch
him Mulder. I promise you that. I know that you feel bad, he

killed again, but this isn't your fault. We have just gotten here.
You will get a handle on him and I will get whatever I can out of
the victim. She has a story to tell Mulder, and I for one will 
listen until she is finally at rest. " Of this she knew was true.
The dead always had stories to tell, their voices though silenced
prematurely, still rang in her mind until all of the answers were
found.

Mulder nodded as he brought his hand down to gently touch hers.
The connection was strong between them, words almost not 
necessary. Mulder smiled weakly as he squeezed her hand in 
reassurance. He nodded and then let go of her, time once again 
returning to normal. " You are right Scully, " he replied with 
renewed strength, " we will find him. We are the best. That is 
why they call us Mr. and Mrs. Spooky. "

Scully nodded and reached down for the folder that Agent Barton
had left behind. She looked up smiled brightly at his comment.
She had always and would always consider that title, a complement.
They were the best, and even this pervert would not elude their
capture. She tucked her shirt further down into her skirt,
noting how lose the garment were becoming. She had been trying to
slim down slightly; her metabolism had slowed suddenly and she 
had found that she had gained an extra few pounds. She wasn't 
obsessive about her looks, she had always been more concerned with 
her intellectual potential, but she needed to feel that she was 
in prime condition for field work, and having lost those extra 
few pounds had made all the difference. " Yup, Mulder. " Scully
said teasingly, " nobody busts them better. "

Mulder smiled and as she turned to walk out of the office put his
hand at her lower back, right in his usual spot. She always walked
in front but he always led, their dichotomy at its best. They 
walked silently over to the exit as Scully said softly, " I have 
to use the restroom, I'll be right back. " Mulder nodded and 
paced out into the hall were the other agents were congregating.

Scully walked over to the other door and out into the hall where
she knew the ladies room was located. As she turned the corner,
she walked right into Agent Barton. Scully steeled her back and
took a deep breath, the woman's too intense perfume filling her
nostrils with a burning sensation. ' Now Scully. Be professional.
You both have a job to do; personal issues do not belong here. '


Agent Barton had seen the little show between the both of them
in the office earlier. And she wasn't pleased. Scully was a threat
to her plans after all and that she would not tolerate. ' I warned 
you, you little slut and I am taking you down. ' " Agent Scully, "
she spoke with a pleasant tone and a false smile, " fancy meeting
you here... " She stood up, relieving the stress across her
shoulder blades. 

Scully just nodded, not wanting to accent poor relations between 
them. She turned to walk into the restroom, her damp hand on the 
smooth cool surface of the swinging door, causing her to shiver 
slightly. She knew that Barton was going to be a problem. That was 
quickly becoming quite evident. However if she just avoided her 
for a while, things might cool down.

" Agent Scully, " Barton said with a hiss. She placed her hands on
her hips and nodded condescendingly. She shifted her weight from
side to side, precariously perched on non-practical high heels. 
She was really starting to hate Agent Scully. She stood in the 
way of her conquest. " I have been speaking with Bureau Chief 
Reynolds. He feels that your assistance would not be needed on 
this case. We already have a competent pathologist with many years 
of experience over you. We feel that you time and talents would be 
better utilized back in DC. This is clearly a waste of manpower. " 
She wanted Scully out of here, as soon as possible. This was the 
only way that she had worked out.

' Excuse me? I am a waste of manpower, I think not! I am not
going anywhere without good cause. ' Scully rolled her shoulders
back and narrowed her azure blue gaze. She arched a slender brow
and said firmly, " Until my superior back in DC pulls me off of
the case, I am not going anywhere. You and nobody else will remove
me from a case without just cause. " With that she walked into the
bathroom and slammed the door behind.

Agent Barton stood there, shock clearly written over her well
painted features. She slammed her foot on the floor, the shock
of her foot meeting the had surface sending a momentarily
surge of flame throughout her leg into her back. She snorted
defiantly and said under her breath as she smoothed her too short
black skirt down over her ample hips, " I wouldn't count on that
Agent Scully. I wouldn't count on anything if I were you. "


                    
                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge,
Montezuma, NY.
1038 hrs.

The warm spring breeze blew across the dried marsh grasses of the
wetlands. The living air was heavy with the essence of fresh moss
and rotting vegetative matter. Through the twisted, grotesque, 
tall trees which lined the desolate, shapeless landscape, that 
same wind blew a haunting melodic strain, reminiscent of the 
woodwinds of a great orchestra.

Throughout this uninhabited scenery, groups of invaders, dressed
in suits, dress blues and gray overalls mulled about, attempting
to unravel the mystery presented to them. Against the stark
contrast upon the scenery, they appeared to be the blight upon
the planned perfection of life.

Blood. Dark, thick and fragrant was scattered about, in abundance
where the largest group of agents were congregated. It flowed in
tangled arms of twisted carnage; a waterfall designed by man and
not by nature. Within that mass of movement, attentive and silent, 
knelt a flash of sunlit fire; lips pursed, brow furrowed, her 
slight hands clad in the tools of her trade, latex.

Scully knelt down into the thick, wet, dying grasses of early 
spring, the scent wafting up and filling her nostrils. She 
remained motionless as she examined the scene, careful not to 
disturb the delicate lace of the bloody evidence of a life snuffed 
out as carelessly as a candle in a dark room. Scully felt a chill; 
excruciating and profligate run throughout the entire length of 
her well dressed personage. She pulled her trench further about 
herself in an attempt to ward it off. 

The chill was not from the wind, which sang the last desperate 
song of the deceased, for that caress was as heated as a desperate 
lover. It was born of the vision, which graced the entire field of 
her sight. She closed her eyes, trying to force her personal 
involvement down where she could focus her thoughts more readily.

Visionless eyes begged to the heavens above, hoping for the 
salvation that she could only now find in death, which her foe 
didn't grant her in her final moments. Her skin was gray, blood 
settling out in the bottom of her body, the gray turning to a 
deep purplish color, an incongruous impressionistic watercolor of 
life ended.

Her small head was hairless, stubble now gracing where once 
glorious hair might have existed. She lay spread eagle, bloodied 
precise stumps existed where arms once held and embraced life. The 
crimson painted grasses drowned out the curves and contours of her 
vessel, nature's crude attempt of denying the inhumanity of man. 
Her torso, covered with flies and other vermin, was indelibly 
marked with deep, refined slash marks, which transversed the 
length of her slender body.

Scully felt a kink in her side, which pinched the very breath from 
her body. She brought herself further on her haunches, attempting 
to relieve the discomfort that she was experiencing. The long
flight, and lack of decent sleep was starting to get to her,
but she fought the fatigue with her steadfast strength and her
dedication to her job.

A flash of gray caught her eyes; Mulder trench coat, against the
soft browns and greens of the marshland, and a small smile broke 
across her face, lighting her sky blue eyes with fire imparted 
from the gods. She looked down once again, continuing to take 
notes on a leather bound notepad. ' The victim was laid carefully;
the body posed, on its back. Both arms avulsed with a sharp 
instrument. The amount of blood on the victim and at the scene, 
suggests death prior to mutilation and placement, at an 
undisclosed location.  The presence of flies, but no larva suggest 
that the victim was dumped here recently, within at the most 12 
hrs. '

Scully looked up once again, and as the crowd intently went about
their appointed duties, she noticed the tall, lithe, dark haired
woman hanging on to his forearm with a possessiveness unmatched. 
A flash of white-hot anger surged through her visage, and she took 
a ragged deep breath to fend of the consuming emotion which
threatened to over take her. ' This is not the time * Dana *. '
Though her mind was logical, her heart was not. It betrayed her
by having watch them intently for a moment as the woman invaded
Mulder's personal space, without refute. Not only had seen done
that but she had also taken to calling Mulder * Fox * and he had
allowed her to do that.


' Jesus, Mulder. You really do not see it do you?  She is hanging
on to your every word, like a brain dead school girl, and you are
eating it up like a starved puppy. If she were any more obvious,
she would be wearing a placard stating, " Do me you big man... " '

Scully quickly looked away from them, attempting to gather her
thoughts and to concentrate on the path which was laying ahead
of her, but her heart still refused to comply. She knew what she 
was feeling. She recognized it for what it was, and tried to 
control its influence upon her. It was jealousy, white hot and 
possessing. She didn't feel it often, her mind usually winning
the raging storm with flustered within herself, but today, she 
was fighting a losing battle. ' * Dana *, get a hold of yourself. 
Jealousy is an irrational emotion born of insecurity and 
pettiness. You are better than this. This is clearly distracting, 
and you have a job to do. This woman and the other women deserve
more from you. You owe it to them. You could be one of them. ' 

She refocused her thoughts upon the blood spilled around the slain
woman's corpse. The smell of the decomposing body coupled with
the coppery smell of the life's evidence, caused her stomach
to turn slightly, reminding her she couldn't remember the last 
time that she had eaten. She looked back down at her note pad and 
finished her finely detailed crime scene notes, in her neat 
cursive... 

' The woman has no marks in or around face; instead he removed her 
hair, a possible trophy by which to relive the high the murder 
procures and also in this act her tries to possess her. Possess
what once made her beautiful, now gaining that power as his 
own.'

Out of the corner of her auditory perception, Scully could hear 
Mulder and Anna Barton talking, her voice melting into seductive 
laughter, quite inappropriate for the moment and Mulder laughing 
along with her. Scully could imagine the way his eyes would look 
as the smile broke across his face. And this knowledge made her 
the more disturbed.

It wasn't just jealousy that she was experiencing. She was also 
angry, very angry. And hurt. And she had a right to be. It was 
clear that Agent Barton was trying weasel her way into Mulder's 
graces, using whatever means necessary even so far as to treat her 
rudely in the process to gain her end. And what was even worse was
that Mulder, by default, was allowing it. He was sucking up all of
the attention and was fawning all over her just like a love sick 
school boy himself.  

She knew that she didn't have a right to feel jealous. Her blatant 
mistreatment of Scully was one thing, but the jealousy that she 
felt was another. That was not what they were all about. They 
didn't own one another, so she knew that she had no claim upon 
him. Until the day that they finally committed to one another, she 
knew that was the way it would have to be. However even in that 
revelation, she still found no peace. She had thought that they had
meant more to one another, but Barton had proved that wrong.

Scully castigated herself for not having seen it sooner. The signs 
had been so obvious that it should have been clear as day. The 
moment they had arrived at the airport, she had been all over him, 
even going so far as to drag him off, leaving her to retrieve the 
luggage. As they prepared to go to their motel, Agent Barton had 
decided for them to change hospitality quarters, and had 
thoughtfully arranged it for them but when they had arrived,
however Mulder's and Scully's rooms were at the opposite sides of 
the motel, even though it was far from capacity. Scully had been 
too tired and wrapped up with the facts of the case to see what 
was unfolding before her until this morning.

Scully looked over at the crowd of agents mulling about carefully,
trying to find any evidence that they could to bring the UNSUB
down. She swept her hair behind her ears, her eyes narrowing
slightly in the bright light of the sun.

After they had gotten the call, Agent Barton had tried to convince 
Scully to stay back in the office since her presence wouldn't be
necessary out in the field in lieu of the other highly trained 
techs that would be out at the scene. Scully, had of course 
refused, since she often did field work while consulting for
autopsy.

Agent Barton was clearly not pleased with her refusal to stay 
behind, but Scully heeded it no mind. As Agent Barton set about 
finding someone to finish her reports, Scully could hear Barton 
trashing her behind her back to other agents, well within Mulder's 
ear shot, but he had been oblivious to the whole situation. She 
could see what Agent Barton was trying to perpetrate. She could 
have Mulder, if he was consenting, but to go after her 
professionally was a whole other matter.

Then to add insult to injury, normally they would take their own 
transportation over, not being reliant on others when the need 
arouse for motility, but Agent Barton had insisted they ride with 
her, and Mulder had agreed, quite out of character. They had 
nearly left, before Scully had finally found them and as a result, 
Scully had been relegated to the back of the sedan, fighting her 
way through the masses of clutter which inhabited there. Mulder 
and Barton had conversed the whole one hour trip there about his 
building profile of the UNSUB, without any regard to Scully at 
all. Once they had arrived, Agent Barton had appropriated Mulder, 
saying to Scully, " You can help catalogue the site, " as if she 
were some simple tech on the job as she grabbed Mulder and began
to walk away.

Beneath the black material of her carefully cut jacket, she could 
feel a rivulet of sweat roll down her back between the pale
skin of her shoulder blades. She brought her jacket sleeve
to her forehead, and wiped a dewy brow. She tucked in the notepad
which had been furiously written on much earlier in to her deep
pocket. In spite of her growing annoyance with Mulder and 
Agent Barton, she still had a job to do and she took that very 
seriously.

She stood up slowly, the hem of her overcoat, swinging behind her
with her movement. The wind stirred once again blowing her already
mussed hair out of place. She took a deep breath and rolled her
shoulders back, attempting to rid herself of the tension which
resided there. ' I wonder what Mulder is up to? '

She looked about, but for the life of her she couldn't see her 
partner or his appendage. She stepped back from the woman and 
walked over to the lead technician, who she knew was keeping the 
log for the crime scene. She studied the man carefully as he 
finished up his notes. He was blond, tall with broad shoulders
and the deepest brown eyes she had ever seen. ' Why couldn't I
fall in love with a nice man like that? ' She knew the answer
to that. From the moment that she had met Mulder, she knew there
would be no other.

" Where is Agent Mulder, " Scully asked as she took off her gloves
and put them balled up into her pocket. She looked about once
again, trying to pick out his tall frame amongst the masses. She
then tucked a sweat dampened strand of hair behind her ear, and
shifted her weight side to side, the chunky heeled shoes that
she was wearing, beginning to bother her lower back slightly.

After a moment the tech looked up from the log and looked 
about, " I'm not sure, He was here a few moments ago with SAC 
Barton. " He looked over towards the white van, which had just 
pulled up on the dirt road. " The van is here, " he informed 
dispassionately, " do you think that we can remove the body at 
this time? " His face was stoic, his eyes cold and empty. In
spite of his pretty boy visage, the day to day workings of his
job, had hardened his heart.

Scully arched a slender eyebrow and brought her hands on to
her hips. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She tilted
her head slightly to the side, her hair falling across her
face, " She is not a body. She is a person. And even though she
is dead, she still deserves the respect that you would show her
in life. Is that understood? "

The technician lowered his head, in realization of what he said.
He nodded slowly and replied softly, " Yes, Ma'am. May we 
transport her to the morgue? "

Scully nodded and searched the crowd once again. " Yes, I believe
so, but let me confer with the lead technician first. " Scully 
walked over to the cluster of five or so cars, making her way 
carefully over to what was the field command center. As she 
searched carefully, she slowly began to realize not only was Mulder 
no longer there, but the car that she had arrived in also was 
missing. ' Mulder... You didn't... Jesus, how could you? ' She 
stepped up to the agent who was coordinating the field movements.

" Have you seen Agent Mulder? " Scully asked as she shoved her 
hands into her pockets, knowing full well what his answer was. He 
had dumped her. Just had he had done before. He hadn't done it in
quite a while, since the very obvious shift in their relationship,
so the knowledge ate away at her soul.

The blond woman looked up from the map that she had been marking.
Her deep blue eyes searching Scully's face carefully. She took
of her gold rimmed wire glasses and pinched the bridge of her
nose in concentration. " He and SAC Barton left a while ago.
SAC Barton said that she had spoken to you and that you were 
aware of the change of plans. "

Scully sucked in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. ' Agent
Barton strikes again. ' " I see... " She replied as she stepped
slightly to the side, turning her face from the younger agents
view. If she was angry before, she was now livid. She was stranded
out here in the middle of nowhere, one hour outside of the city.

' This has to stop, Mulder. This has to stop right now. I don't 
care * what * you have going with that woman, but when you start 
* this * disrespectful behavior, I will put my foot down. ' Scully 
slowly walked away from the now dwindling masses. She watched
intently as the van slowly rolled away, the white vehicle bumping
violently down the rock encrusted road. The sounds of loons and
the whistling pines, now heralding the retreat of the victims
last repose.

                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



FBI Regional Office
Syracuse, N.Y.
Post Mortum Examination Bay
1630 hrs 

" Dana Katherine Scully, pathologist. This is my autopsy review
of the fifth victim, Jane Doe 22. " Scully turned off the micro-
phone and wiped her brow with the soft cotton of her white lab 
coat. The room was kept cold, as per protocol but the chill of the 
environment escaped her as she felt the perspiration collect upon 
her hair line and roll down upon her furrowed brow like a steady
rain. She knew that the cause of her distress was not illness in 
nature but rather due to a sudden drop in her blood glucose level 
from not having consumed any food in as many hours as she could 
remember. The soft cotton felt cool and soothing upon her heated 
skin and she breathed a sigh of fleeting relief.

She looked about the room as she rolled her head to release the
painful tension that resided there. The room was a standard exam
bay, several curved spotless tables designed to hold and remove
bodily fluids gracing the center of the room. There were glass 
cabinets, which lined the outer sides of the room full of various
jars and other implements. The air was thick and saturated with
the smell of various preserving fluids and Scully could already
tell that she also stunk of the chemicals which she inhaled.

She stepped back alternately rolling each ankle now clad in white 
scrub shoes. She had put scrubs of a soft raspberry color on with
a standard white lab coat over top. She wore a scrub hat and
OSHA goggles, which obscured the puffy red orbs of sunlit blue.

Scully was tired. Hell, she was exhausted. After she had finally
hitched a ride back to the field office, to do the autopsy on the 
woman in question, she discovered that the attending pathologist 
on call, the head of the department, had already prepared to do the 
exam himself. He had refused her entry until he had concluded it. 
Now this was * highly * against protocol. She had been consulted 
to come in and do the exams, but from the attitude which the 
supervisor had displayed, she could tell that he was extremely 
insulted by the implication.

Scully had ended up waiting, in the bullpen, for several hours
for Mulder to return, looking like a real ass since it had already
gotten around that Scully had been dumped by the both of them. 
Stuck with the underlings without leadership since SAC Barton was 
MIA, she ended up reviewing the results that the lead pathologist 
had produced before, for the umpteenth time on the other victims, 
hoping vainly that she would catch something that he missed. 
Because she was the next highest on the case, she was also left to 
handle the tons of paper work which now accompanied the latest 
victim. The personal items had revealed that she might be Elizabeth 
Striker, of North Syracuse, but until next of kin could come in and 
dental records were confirmed, she would have to remain Jane Doe 
22. In short Scully had had a long day, locked up in the office 
and she wasn't pleased to say the least.

Scully pulled back the white sheet which was draped over the 
corpse. In the harsh light of the bay, Jane Doe appeared even more
ashen, her lividity more pronounced. The light shone off of the
stubble of her bare scalp, revealing it to be of a soft brown 
color. Scully found herself struggling to maintain concentration. 
The long hours that she had put in, mixed with the anger that she 
felt, now really beginning to wear her thin.

She turned back on the overhead microphone and began to conduct 
her post mortum exam, trying to will away the past afternoon's
events to concentrate on the task at hand. 

" This is a woman, in her middle 20's to early 30's. She is 63
inches in extremis, 76 lbs. in weight. The discrepant weight
on a well nourished woman of this stature, due to avulsion of
both upper extremities, both being clean and precise in nature.
First impressions, hair shaved from scalp, no other facial wound
noted. "

" The body is clean, due to washing post exam, thus hair and 
fiber collection is too late at this time. Surmising that 
initial exam did collection of trace evidence. Will check to 
confirm. "

" Distinguishing characteristics; there is a sutured y incision 
from the first autopsy, running from neck to pubis symphysis. From 
the assault, on the torso, there are two deep, clean stab wounds, 
from right to left. The first measuring... " Scully bent over and 
measured the wound with the clear ruler, "  4 inches in length, 
the second... 6 inches in length, circling the left breast. " She 
then put the ruler back down upon the implement tray and 
continued, " It cuts through the ribs and intersects the heart 
region.

" The cause of death is determined by the number of broken vessels
in the eyes. She died of strangulation; corresponding bruising on
the trachea substantiating this. " Scully then rolled the woman 
over to examine her posterior, Scully's slight body carefully 
bending to prevent further strain on her back. The woman finally
came to a rest with a thud on the stainless steel table. " No other
significant marks noted except for drag marks which run the length 
of her legs, the edge of her heels, and a small ecchymotic area, 
definitely pre mortum in nature where a small needle mark can be 
visualized in the right Gluteus Medius. "

Scully then rolled the body back on its posterior, the chill of 
the corpse passing through the latex and causing a momentary chill 
to pass through her. She then grabbed a suture remover and said 
informatively, " I will begin the internal exam by removing
the previous sutures. " As she said that she bent over, and began 
to carefully remove each and every precise stitch, all of her 
worries fading away with the art of her craft.

The room was deathly silent, except for the soft, keening hum of
the cooling units and the soft breathing of the silent red head
which filled the cold, dank air and wafted softly out into
the open hall where dim lights illuminated shadows of spirits
seeking retribution for all the wrongs perpetrated upon them.


                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



FBI Regional Office
Post Mortum Examination Bay
Syracuse, N.Y.
1830 hrs 

It was dim. The hallway lit only by the single overhead located
near the end of the silent hall. That same light reflected off of
the surfaces of the desolate hall, providing the only illumination
by which to navigate. Mulder strolled down that silent hall 
wearily. The essences of preservative fluids and bodily odors 
assaulting his nostrils and making his way to full stomach turn 
violently. Down there it was very cool, a big difference from the 
offices upstairs. The change precipitating in him to put his hands 
into the cotton lined pockets of his dark gray suit.

White washed cinderblocks enhanced the gray tiled floor, a scene
devoid of color and form. ' Jesus, for a place which deals with
the end of life, you would think that they would liven things up
down here. Just to balance the scales slightly, at least. '

Mulder smiled slightly, thinking of the lunch that he had with
SAC Anna Barton. He genuinely liked her. She was intelligent,
thoughtful, graceful and very beautiful. Mulder had always found
dark, sensuous women a great turn on. Their smoldering looks and
soulful eyes going straight to his groin.

Since arriving there, she had been attentive and courteous to 
their needs. Hell, they had even arranged for a better motel, 
closer at the same price. ' Down home, local law enforcement 
hospitality, ' he mused.

Mulder also found himself becoming to attracted to her. Mulder had 
never felt a pull so strong since meeting Scully. Now he knew that 
he loved Scully, that wasn't the issue. But in the wake of waiting 
for her to get ready, he often times found himself lonely for 
someone in his life. His whole predilection with porn was the 
proof of that. An outlet to try to escape the extreme frustration 
which he found himself operating under. However, he often found 
that it came up short.

He knew that Scully would do that. If their feelings were to be 
given time and attention to flourish, she would be more than 
enough. However, since they were not involved, and at this point 
he wasn't sure if they ever would, he found himself more than a 
little in the captivating woman.

Mulder turned the corner, and a flash of color caught his gaze.
With his color blindness, in this light, her hair appeared to
be of the deepest shimmering gray. He hid behind the counter, 
giving himself time to watch her in her element.

Scully moved with a grace unmatched. She seemed to float above
the floor as she finished her business. As she slowly moved back 
and forth, her white coat gliding like the finest silk behind 
her, he once again found himself totally entranced by the vision
before him. All thoughts of Anna Barton, or anything else for
that matter retreated from his focused thoughts and ebbed away 
like a babbling stream in a low valley.

Mulder quietly sat upon the stool which was hidden behind the 
glass enclosed stainless steel counter. Mulder moved his hands
to the slender expanse of his wool clad lap. As he watched her
stitch the woman's torso, he rubbed his thumbs together, the 
calluses were rubbing softly against one another. 

' God, she is gorgeous...' He allowed himself to muse quietly, 
his loins quickened just a little. His eyes followed the 
curvaceous expanse of her luscious bottom clad in the way too
big pair of scrub pants. ' However, I was right. It is so 
obvious. She has lost weight. '

Mulder, with his photographic memory, was a curse to anyone.
After the cancer, she had lost a lot of weight. The treatments
and stress being the primary factors. After they had been granted
the 'honor' of desk duty, she had finally filled back in the angles 
and lines, which metamorphosed into curves and fullness.


However, he had noticed that after his confrontation with her
over Diana, she had began to slowly lose weight again. She had 
taken to wearing loose, non form following clothes, he felt to 
hide her loss, but his keen eyes had not missed a single pound 
dropped. As of late, she had finally started wearing more 
flattering clothes, and the drop had became very prominent. He 
knew that when she was stressed, she tended to internalize her 
feelings and that ate away at the very fabric of her very 
existence.

Mulder reached up and ran his long, slender fingers through his
already mussed hair, his thoughts clouding his acute attention.
As he attempted to make some semblance out of his shortly cropped
hair, a single lock of glistening dark hair, strayed to hang 
across his forehead. His chiseled features were pursed with 
thought, his perfect white teeth worried at his lower lip.

He knew that he had hurt her. Her eyes as she had left that office
had told him so, that is why he had gone to Diana's to seek the
answers to the questions that Scully had raised. And he had found
them, clear as day.

He wasn't sure if Diana was dirty, but that wasn't really the 
issue.

Scully, was Light and Truth of his life; and saved his soul
once again.

His own personal savior...

After his biggest mistake of his life, he never even allowed 
himself to believe that she would ever forgive him let alone ever 
have any feelings for him again.

So he had gone about, systematically trying to get back into her 
good graces, hoping beyond hope that she find it in her heart to 
forgive him. He knew that she still cared about him, but to what 
extent he hadn't sure. However his truth had been revealed in the 
guise of a near tragedy.

Padgett had revealed his Truth.

But with that truth had came more questions.

Why hadn't she ever shared her feelings for him, with him? She
surely must know how he felt about her, he had even gone as far
as to tell her. What was holding her back, was she ever going 
to do so?

Mulder was disturbed from his inward musings as Scully finally
turned off the microphone and covered the victim back up with
the white sheet that had been twisted down at the edge of the
desk.

She removed the now blood tinged lab coat into the red bagged 
linen hamper, the cloth making a soft sliding sound as it met the 
crinkled plastic.

She then walked over to the sink on the other side of the wall 
from him and ripped off her blood stained latex gloves, the snap 
of the damp offending articles, filling the stark silence of the 
forsaken autopsy bay. She turned on the faucet and began to wash 
her hands under the burning hot water, wringing them violently 
in frustration. Her skin, turning a bright red, from her 
attentions. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to drive away the 
fast closing exhaustion that she was beginning to experience. 
Slight frown lines furrowed her tight fair brow, and her pale skin 
was dotted with tiny glistening beads of perspiration.

As she reached for a paper towel to dry her hands off, Mulder 
walked up behind her and teased, " What is a nice girl like you 
doing in a dump like this? " He shot her his best leer as he came 
over and leaned upon the edge of the counter.

Scully startled quite visually, her pale face growing even paler
momentarily. He could see the dozens of golden freckles which
graced the ivory expanse of her countenance, peeking through the
quickly fading make up that she was wearing. The dark circles
which were quite evident, were in stark contrast to the damp
paleness of her face. " Jesus, Mulder. You scared the hell out
of me. " She had never expected to see him here. They hadn't
been heard from all day, and she assumed that she wouldn't see him 
until much later. She could feel the anger rise and she quickly 
sublimated the need to strangle him until his very life seeped 
out of him onto the ceramic tiled floor.

Mulder smiled and said teasingly as he waggled his brows, " No
Scully, I don't think I could ever scare that out of you Scully.
Your hair gives that away. " ' Even as disheveled as you are, you
are the most attractive hell that I have ever seen. ' Mulder 
reached over and touched a lock of spun fire, which had escaped 
the confines of her scrub hat, the strand as smooth as silk and 
as bright at the sun.

Scully shot him a 'don'tmesswith me' look, the humor of the 
suggestion lost on her at that moment. All she wanted to do was 
to go back to the motel and take a long hot bath. She was angry 
with him, that was the truth, but she was way too tired to deal 
with him now. She knew that in her strained state, she might say 
or do anything that she would regret later. Scully knew that 
discretion was probably the least damaging way out so she opted 
for it. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, saving 
the badly needed discussion for another day.

" I am going back to the motel Mulder. I haven't found anything
new here that the attending pathologist didn't already find.
Tomorrow, I will reexamine the last four victims and see if 
anything else comes to light, though I believe that the results 
will be the same. " Scully ripped off her scrub cap and tucked her 
mussed hair behind her ears. She really wasn't in the mood to 
speak to him, her patience was very thin.

Mulder was now very confused. ' Attending pathologist didn't 
already find? ' " You didn't do the initial exam yourself 
Scully? " Mulder make inquiry as he leaned closer to her. He could 
just make out the herbal scent of her hair, and the almost baby 
powder fragrance of the essence that was her. He shook his head, 
trying to get himself focused. He had never known Scully not to 
do her job, so there must have been a good reason for her to not 
do the initial exam. Mulder moved back from her and shoved his 
hands into his pockets, the chill was starting to settle into his 
bones.

Scully shook her head slowly and said softly, " No, he insisted 
that it was his responsibility. He said that he trusted no one else 
to do the job correctly. " She lowered her head. She felt 
incompetent. She had never had anyone ever challenge her ability 
to do her job. Sure in fieldwork, she was used to it from people 
who did not know her, but at her first love, pathology never. She 
looked at her shoes, noting the splatters of dried blood, which 
lay there. ' Scully, get a hold of your emotions, don't doubt 
yourself because of some old school sexist pig. You are better 
than that. ' She tried to believe what she ruminated, but found 
herself falling quite short of the mark.

Mulder looked down at his feet, his compared to her was quite a
sight to behold. Her tiny feet, barely a size six, clad in blood
splattered white medical shoes, compared to his twelve, clad in 
black dress shoes, a contrast in opposites. Mulder felt bad for
her. He knew how much being seen as the competent woman that she
was meant to her. She worked every day to prove her right to work
with the male peers in the same field. She had well earned the
respect that she commanded, and she deserved nothing less.

Mulder brought his slender hand up to squeeze her shoulder. He
swore that beneath the smooth cotton of her scrubs, he could
feel the tiniest of bones peaking through the smooth satin of her
skin. He squeezed her shoulder gently, as is to reassure her and
said empathetically, " That is odd, isn't it Scully? Since you 
were called in to consult, and they don't let you do the job they 
asked of you? "

Scully looked up and saw the deep concern in his eyes. Deep hazel,
green touched with the light of the sun, swirling with love and
respect. She could tell that he felt bad for her, but she knew
that she needed to not let this get to her. Most of all, she didn't
need Mulder's pity. She ever wanted him to ever think that he 
needed to protect her. A wave of soothing love for all that he was,
washed over her and ebbed away the anger she felt at him for a few 
moments. This was the Mulder that she loved. 

Caring...

Attentive...

Supportive...

" Yeah, it certainly is. I nearly had to threaten his life just
to get a look after he was done. " Scully said teasingly, 
attempting to lighten the mood which threatened to overcome them. 
She arched a slender brow and smiled slightly to make her point.

Mulder could tell that she no longer wished to speak of the topic,
so he let it go for now, promising himself that they would address
it at a later time. However, in spite of her brave attempt to 
put on a better face, so to speak, he knew that something else was
bothering her.  The pain was written clearly over her face, and he 
knew that it had nothing to do with the pathologist's challenge of 
her abilities. Whatever it was, it was literally draining the life 
out of her vessel. He stepped up to her and grasped her by both 
shoulders, trying to ground her, " Scully, " he asked softly, 
" may I ask you what is wrong? Cause frankly Scully, you look like 
shit. "

Scully knew that it wasn't the time or place to get into this.
She needed to get some rest and then she would be more rational
about what she was feeling. Their tenuous relationship didn't
need her going off half cocked, acting like a lunatic. She needed 
to gather herself, so she made a come back she hoped would 
distract him, " Gee, thanks Mulder. You really know how to flatter 
a girl. "

Mulder arched his brow in response. He bit his lip momentarily and
tried to center the anger which threatened to well up from
within himself. He knew what she was doing. Avoiding the issue,
as always. But this time he wasn't going to be escorted down
the primrose path. As of late, they had both taken to sharing 
their thoughts with one another and he didn't plan on regressing. 
He needed to know, and now. " I'm serious Scully. You look upset. 
Are you all right? 

Scully looked up and searched his eyes.

He really didn't know.

He was as clueless as the day that he was born.

And from within the deep recesses of her soul, anger arose;
like magma from a volcano and it spewed forth, leaving nothing in
its wake untouched. She wrenched free of him and put her hands
on her hips, leaning into him as for him to completely understand
what she was trying to say, " No Mulder I am not all right, "
Scully said as she narrowed her swirling blue eyes, her voice
low and controlled. " You left me there, in the middle of the 
field. Didn't bother to tell me that you were leaving, or where 
you were going. " She brought her slender, well manicured 
forefinger to his chest and poked forcefully to accentuate what 
she was saying as her voice rose slightly, becoming 
uncharacteristically high, " I had to beg a ride from some poor 
tech who had to go way out of his way to bring me to the office, 
where I had to wait all afternoon doing Barton's paperwork and 
babysitting the agents there. I haven't slept nor eaten for as far 
as I can remember. So in response to your question... No, Mulder. 
No, I am not fine. "

Mulder just stared at her momentarily, his long drawn face clearly
registering the shock that he felt. Her flushed face and biting
tongue subduing him temporarily. ' What? Left her? Where in the 
hell did she get that? She must be exhausted, she is really losing 
it.' " Scully, " he declared softly, not wanting to set her off 
once again, " I think that you are mistaken. Agent Barton told me 
that you knew that we were following up a new lead on the fourth 
victim. " He knew that they were both tired, and when Scully 
hadn't eaten in a while, her disposition would be quite less than 
desirable, a combination which would be a quick fuse for the 
slight woman before him.

Scully tilted her head and turned her finger to indicate herself, 
" I'm mistaken? " She said vehemently, " I think not! She never 
spoke to me Mulder. * Hell * she hasn't spoke more than five nice 
words to me since we have gotten here. " She couldn't believe what 
she was hearing. She turned from him and took an deep cleansing 
breath, trying to control her anger. ' Of course he doesn't believe 
you, ' her pissy voice said, ' has he really ever? ' Then her cool
logical voice rebutted, ' Maybe you are over reacting slightly. 
Maybe we should just end it here and discuss it when you both are 
more focused. ' She didn't know what voice to listen to. She found 
herself being literally being torn molecule by molecule; for 
a slow and certain death.

Mulder still really wasn't aware of what she was saying. Agent 
Barton had told him that she was aware and agreed to it. Mulder 
didn't want to make this any worse, so he searched for an out so 
that he could speak to Agent Barton later and question her about 
the events in question. " Maybe she told one of the other field 
agents and the message never got passed on. " Mulder tried weakly, 
trying to search for some very badly needed middle ground. He 
lowered his gaze to the floor in a tired conceding manner.

" Mulder, " Scully exclaimed exasperatedly, keeping her tone low 
and controlled, " I asked! No one knew, no one! They were as 
surprised as I, when we all discovered you both had left. She 
obviously told no one Mulder, and that is clearly against protocol 
and very dangerous to say the least. " She shook her head and 
closed her eyes. She already knew where this was going. And there 
was nothing that she could do about it. Just like a train about to 
derail, a chain of events had been set in place and they were 
going over the edge with no safety net to break their fall.

Mulder looked down at her, not believing what he was hearing. He 
had never heard her speak ill of anyone before, except for Diana, 
and this was clearly not in character for Scully. He arched his 
brow and put his hands in his hips as he rolled his eyes and 
replied, " You are not seriously trying to tell me that she lied 
to me are you? Come on Scully. Get a grip. I am sure that it is 
just a misunderstanding, a miscommunication. " Mulder was trying 
to appeal to the logical, problem solving side which Scully lived 
by. By doing this he hoped to fix this problem before it got any 
worse.

Scully looked past his sarcastic behavior and went with her heart,
she needed to make him see what she was telling him. She placed 
her hand on his forearm, trying to connect with him physically 
since they were disconnected emotionally.  " Mulder. I am 
* telling * you that she lied. She never told anyone. Ever since 
coming to this godforsaken place that is how she has been. It is 
in her grand plan to get to you... "

Mulder raised both brows, as he narrowed his hazel eyes in 
challenge. ' Get to me... Anna? ' Now Mulder was really confused. 
SAC Barton had not made any moves on him. Sure, she had flirted.
But she had only been polite and friendly, but not * friendly *. 
Mulder would know if someone was coming on to him, he just knew it. 
It hadn't been * that * long. Especially since he also found her 
very attractive. " Get to me? Mulder questioned, trying to figure 
what the hell was going on, " What the hell are you talking 
about? "

Scully raised her arms up in the air, becoming more frustrated by
the moment. He wasn't listening to her, but what was new. She 
turned to the side, and spoke harshly, " Mulder don't tell me that 
you haven't noticed. Ever since we have came here, she had been 
hanging on you like a leech. She has systematically attempted to 
keep you to herself the entire time. "

Now Mulder knew that she was losing it. She actually sounded as 
paranoid as he did. He didn't know how to deal with this Scully.
She was desperate, unfocused. What she was telling him wasn't
making any sense to him. " Scully... " Mulder warned, trying to
get her to listen to him. He wasn't sure what was eating at her,
but he knew that it had to be big.

" She switched motels on us... " Scully offered trying to get
him to see her point, but at this point she pretty much knew that
their discussion had became a lost cause.

Mulder wasn't buying it. If Agent Barton wanted to get closer to 
him, she would just tell him. Right? She seemed to be a straight 
forward honest woman, not the desperate conniving woman Scully made 
her out to be. " To get us closer... " Mulder countered as he 
stepped forward and put his hand on her trembling shoulder, trying 
to calm her down. Mulder could feel the fervor by which Scully was 
driven. Its sheer intensity was starting to frighten him.

Scully laughed sarcastically. She moved her shoulder from him, not
wanting the heat of his touch to distract her from what she needed 
to say. She reached up and rubbed her forehead in disbelief, " To 
get closer all right, but not with * me *. She managed to get us 
rooms on separate sides of the motel, Mulder. When it is nearly 
* empty? * Doesn't that seem in the least bit odd to you? She has 
managed to keep you to herself this whole time and whisks you away 
in the middle of a murder investigation against policy and 
procedure. She was supposed to be there, that was her job. "

" Scully... " Mulder warned as he lowered his gaze to meet SAC 
Agent Barton a great deal of trouble, so they shouldn't be given 
lightly.

Scully stared directly into his eyes, willing him to understand.
" Mulder are you so blind? " she asked pleadingly, " Please... She 
has the * hots * for you so bad, that she is willing to do 
anything to get to you. Did you know that right before we got the 
call, she was grilling me to find out what relationship we have. 
She made it quite clear that she wanted to pursue something with 
you. "

Mulder was floored, his face full of surprise and a touch of
wistfullness. Anna was interested in him? He had not even 
entertained the thought that she might be really interested. He 
ran his slender fingers through his mussed hair, and said with 
astonishment, " She did? " He was flattered, and if it hadn't been 
for Scully, he might have entertained the thought. His shoulders 
raised with interest, his breathing hitched slightly.

Scully's jaw dropped slightly, revealing small perfect white teeth.
' He is interested. Oh, my God. He is really interested. ' Scully
sucked in a deep breath which accompanied the sudden flash of
white hot pain which tore through her heart and shattered it into
so many pieces of sand on a wave tossed shore. ' He never loved me. 
How could I be so wrong? That was why he hadn't been aware. ' 
" Yeah Mulder, she did. " Scully said sarcastically, her heart now 
doing the talking, " I see that topic interests you Mulder. "

Mulder could see from the very hurt look on her face that she was
very disturbed by this. Now he thought that he knew what was the 
matter. He had seen it before, but not so pronounced. Scully was 
jealous. So jealous that she couldn't see straight. He reached 
down and took her hand in his, ' Ah Scully you never have anything 
to worry about. You had my heart along time ago. ' Mulder had 
never seen Scully so emotional before, but with their very real 
and very active feelings that they shared for one another, he 
wasn't surprised in the least. He often found himself blinded by 
the intense emotion when another man offered his attentions to 
Scully. He squeezed her hand gently and leaned over as he said, 
" Scully, there isn't anything between us. "

Scully looked at his hand embracing hers. Now she knew what all 
those gratuitous touches were about. Nothing. That was just the 
way that he was. She had been deluding herself all along about 
what he felt for her. She looked up at him, willing the hot tears 
of indignation which threatened to fall away, " Sure, whatever. " 
Scully replied trying to get this conversation over with as fast 
as possible. She knew that she was going to lose it and she 
refused to allow Mulder to be privy to anymore of her precious 
feelings.

Mulder knew that they needed to deal with this. The jealousy,
which he believed was precipitating her behavior, needed to be 
dealt with. That meant confronting it and bringing it out into the 
open. He brought their entwined hands up to his chest, and said 
soothingly, " Scully, that is what this is all about. You are 
jealous. " What he saw before him made him regret that he had ever
mentioned it after all.

Scully's eyes filled with an icy stare, which he had never seen 
before. It bored into his soul and ripped his beating heart from 
his still breathing chest.

Scully had heard enough. This was way too much for her. A repeat 
of what had happened in the Lone Gun Men's office ' Oh my God. That 
is what he believes this is all about. He cannot even believe in 
me long enough to see the truth. He can only see what he wants, 
no need to believe me. Just as he always has done. She pulled her 
hand away from him, bringing it to her chest in a futile attempt 
at self comfort. " Jealous, me? Please don't flatter... "

" You are jealous, " Mulder interrupted as he stepped right into 
her personal space. He smiled slightly since the direct approach 
was clearly falling short. He hoped that some humor would somehow
diffuse the situation,  " You little blue eyed monster you... "

" Get over yourself Mulder, " Scully said angrily, her voice
dripping with frustration, " I am telling the truth. She has 
treated me like shit, like a second class citizen since I have 
arrived. Did you know that right after the call telling us of
the last victim, she actually had the balls to ask me to leave 
the case, stating that another pathologist wasn't needed. " 

' Ok. I have had enough. Now is not the time and place for this
Scully. I cannot believe that you are acting so unprofessional at
this point. Why now? We should have dealt with this sooner, '
Mulder mused as he turned away from her. Now he was starting to
get angry. He had tried every tactic that he could think of yet
she still persisted. He knew that becoming upset himself was not
the solution, so he tried to bring the quickly escalating 
situation under control. " Scully I am sure that you just 
misunderstood her. I know her, she wouldn't... " Mulder tried to 
interject but his voice trailed off, his frustrating him to the 
point that his words were beginning to fail him.

Scully closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her world forever
changed as she knew it. Now, she knew that it was over. The last 
brick in the stone wall had been erected and she was the one left 
on the outside. Just as always. She wasn't enough. She never had
been. Her greatest fear had been confirmed and there was nothing 
left. " Are you telling me that you do not trust my judgement 
Mulder? Are you telling me that you trust her more than me, just 
like Diana... " Scully stated, needing to hear the words from his 
mouth.

" No, I am not. " Mulder stated as he ran his fingers through his 
hair. He closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He 
couldn't believe that Scully was bringing Diana into this. She was 
long dead ancient history. " No what I am saying is that right now 
I think that your judgement is impaired slightly... " ' Oops, that
didn't sound exactly like what I wanted to say... '

" You accused me of being jealous then and of being jealous now. 
You really have a high opinion of yourself don't you? " Scully 
said, the truth cutting deeper than she wanted. He clearly knew 
how she felt. If he didn't, he would be speaking like this. And he 
was using it to justify his ignorance over SAC Barton. Scully 
began to pace back and forth, her anxiety spilling over in heated 
waves. The smooth soles of her shoes squeaked loudly in the empty 
bay.

" No, " Mulder added as he watched her pace, his hazel eyes 
watching her every move with interest. She seemed like she felt 
trapped. He had seen many sides to Scully over the years for she 
was a woman of many facets beneath the cool exterior; the dark 
uncontrollable side which Ed Jerse had tapped and had gotten that 
tattoo, the woman who believed strongly in a higher power and 
attended confession regularly, the scared child who hid away from 
being hurt behind the I'm fines, the occasionally insecure woman 
who sought the approval of others, especially strong male role 
figures, and the woman who loved with a love beyond all measure. 
A love where she would give her last dying breath for that 
individual. But this side was new, a facet he wasn't sure if he 
liked very much. " I just know how you feel about me and your 
jealousy, though flattering, is becoming a problem. It is clearly 
unprofessional and honestly very troubling. I have never seen you 
* this * out of control. It doesn't become you... " 

Mulder was cut off by the shrill ringing of his cell phone, the 
sound granting the reprieve which they both needed. He reached 
into his pocket and pulled out the phone from his pocket, flipping 
it open. " Mulder... yeah... I got it. I will meet you there. " 
Mulder looked up back at Scully as he put the phone away. She had 
stopped pacing and was listening intently on the one sided 
conversation.

" Look Scully, I have to go. " Mulder stated as he re-buttoned
the jacket about him. He was glad that they had a chance to
cool off. They clearly were in dire trouble and a little time
and space would allow them think more rationally. He turned to
leave but Scully grabbed him by the arm and held him back.

" Excuse me? " She asked, arching her brow, their conversation now
on hold. " Go? Where? " In spite of everything that was going
wrong between them, they were still partners. At least in name,
and she planned to live up to that responsibility, no matter
what.

" We have another lead. I am going to meet SAC Barton at a bar 
downtown. " With that Mulder attempted to break free from her,
as he turned to leave the bay once again. " He knew that he 
couldn't bring her on this. Her behavior would cause more problems 
than good at this point.

" But... " Scully interjected, increasing her hold on him. Not
only was he questioning her judgement, he was also going to
dump her for the second time today. Her heart began to race, a
cool realization settling down upon her shoulders. He didn't
* want * her to go. His partner. He didn't * need * her. She 
wasn't enough. She was just the bring along luggage. Anna was what 
he needed, wanted. Even in a professional arena. She pulled her 
arm away from him. She was holding him back, just as she always 
had. She wouldn't anymore.

" You are not coming with me acting like that, " Mulder said 
bitterly, as he gazed into her now empty eyes. Her normally bright
blue were now gray and lifeless. The fire which once burned there
with a passion untamed now extinguished, only the memory remaining.
" You need to get a hold of yourself. Go back to the Motel. Take a 
nap, eat something. You are obviously very tired and need some
time. I will take care of this. "

" Mulder I am your partner, I should... " She offered half 
heartedly, already know what his answer would be. She shoved her 
into the pockets of her scrubs, lowering her gaze from his. Scully 
could feel the shattered pieces of her heart rumbling about within 
her chest, the pain shooting down to the toes of her feet. The 
reddish gold of her hair, falling forward to obscure the tears 
which were now trickling down the silken expanse of the slope of 
her cheek.

Mulder put his hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her that
they would be all right. He could tell that she was deeply 
disturbed by this. As soon as he and Barton were done 
investigating the lead, he would come back and they would deal 
with this for once and for all. And he would drag her kicking and 
screaming with him if necessary. " Go back. We will discuss this 
later. "

Scully knew that there would be no further discussion. She had
gotten the message quite clearly. She knew when she wasn't wanted
or needed. She looked at the tops of her shoes, an impressionistic
canvas of the victim's life. She felt as dead as the woman did.
She could feel her very life seeping out onto the floor below.
All that she had ever believed in was now taken from her, her
faith now a distant memory. She turned away from him, taking the
shreds of what was left of her dignity and wrapping it around
her.

Mulder turned from her, not knowing what to say at this point.
He knew that the words would come to him when the need arose.
And that time would be soon. There would be no more running for
the both of them. Their mutual denial and avoidance was the case
of this. If they didn't deal with this * Thing * between them,
it would destroy them both. ' The file, ' Mulder remembered as
he stepped to the threshold. He turned and asked softly,
Scully? "

Scully didn't turn to him, she remained distant, her body language
uttering all that she dared not say. " What? " Scully retorted
as she studied the worn cuticles of her nails. Her manicure was
in dire need of a touch up, her stress from the last few hours
causing her to bite her fingers in nervousness. 

" Since you will be at the Motel, could you please finish the 
402, which Skinner needs by tomorrow at 7:00 am? " Mulder silently
kicked himself for asking. For from the moment the words had
spilled from his mouth, he knew it wouldn't sound kosher. She
had just been telling him that she had been left, holding the
bag so to speak, so this would go over as well as a screen door
in a submarine.

Scully turned to look at him, her eyes dark and foreboding. ' So 
that is what I am only good for, the paper pushing. I always have 
been. ' " Isn't that Agent Barton's responsibility? " Scully asked sarcastically, her mouth in a tight grimace.

" Yes, but... "

" But nothing. I understand what is going on, " Scully began, her
voice steady and controlled. " I understand my place. Just like 
with Diana, just like always. I get it. I am so sorry to have 
wasted your time... I won't be a burden to you anymore. I know
when I am no longer needed. " Scully knew what he was getting at, 
it was blatantly obvious. Just as it was with Diana, just as it 
always probably would be. She just was assigned to the X-Files, 
they were his life. She was just a body. Someone to assist with
the cause. Scully could never mean anything to him. She never had. 
He wanted some one to worship him, someone to be his * yes * man. 
She was just filler along the way. She was the spy. She was the 
thorn in his side, what she had feared over all of these years. 

' So that is how you want to play it, ' Scully pondered painfully.
' Fine. I will be your good little soldier, I am tired of these
games which we have been playing all along. I am dealing out. '
Scully forcefully walked by Mulder and reached for the door, her 
shoulder brushing quite forcefully against his arm.

Mulder turned violently, and faced her, blue eyes graced hazel,
the pain more than apparent in her limpid pools of swirling gray.
" Where the hell are you going? " Mulder knew that he needed to
fix this. This couldn't wait until later.

Scully hissed low, almost militantly, her voice ice over gravel,
" I am going to do her report * sir *, anything else * sir *? "
Scully drew her arms around herself in a purely self-comforting
move. She was done. He exhaustion and pain over her revelations
had taken every bit of energy that she had left. She knew the truth
now, the one she thought that she had found, but now realized was
a lie. He didn't love her. Hell he could barely stand her. Over
all of these years she had deluded herself into believing
otherwise. If he really respected and cared for her at all,
he wouldn't treat her in such a manner, dumping her for no reason
and he certainly wouldn't choose Barton over her.

Mulder reached out and gently grasped her hand. He needed to 
connect with her, to heal the wounds which had been bared to salt, 
" Dana... " Mulder implored desperately.

The heated contact of his gentle touch melted her heart and her
strength had to take charge. She knew that her feelings for him
would never change, however she now knew that she had to forget
about them. She needed to go on. It wasn't ever going to happen. 
Scully shook her head angrily, the last few remaining tendrils of 
golden fire escaping from their confines and spilling about her 
flushed face in riotous waves. " Don't Dana me. In fact don't 
* anything * me ok? " 

Mulder reached out to grab her by the arm as she attempted to make
her hasty departure, but Scully managed to get by and walked out 
the door. Mulder stood there stunned into inaction. He knew that 
she was in pain. Scully, the ever-composed master of denial could 
fool the most ardent observer, however her words and actions were 
uncharacteristically evident. 

He had only seen her this evident in her feelings a few scattered 
times. He knew that by letting her guard down and expressing her 
emotions like this, she was really in pain. All of his previous 
anger and frustration subsided, leaving an emptiness from the 
knowledge of Scully's distress. 

Mulder put his head into his hands, his broad shoulders slouching 
from the effort. As he listened to the squeak of the soles of her 
shoes, he experienced his own personal hell. The smell of
formaldehyde and self-recriminations, the only companions gracing 
his presence.


                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Skyline Motel
Syracuse, NY
2200 hrs 

Scully scuffed down the poorly lit hallway of the Motel. Her damp 
shoes dragging slowly across the thick nap of the carpet, the only 
visitor which greeted her desperately hollow footfalls. The 
normally already protracted walk to Mulder's room now seeming like 
an eternity passing to her perception. Her body ached with every 
single step that she took, an ache that ran so deep that it burned 
into her soul. For it wasn't just corporeal pain that she felt, it 
was also spiritual.
 
Scully brought her hand up to wipe away the sparse heated tears 
which had escaped her anguish filled blue eyes. Hazy, swirling 
visions filled her inner musings. Visions which she had once held 
sacred, now revealed for what they were, lies. 

That hospital corridor in Allentown...
The near kiss in Mulder's hallway...
His ' I love you '.

She blinked her eyes forcefully, willing those false prophecies 
from her thoughts, forcing herself to deal with the issues at 
hand.

All that she had known, for all of their relationship had been a 
lie. A beautiful, graceful lie, designed for a purpose which only 
Mulder knew. Now, she needed to salvage what was left of their 
professional relationship before that also was destroyed in the 
aftermath of the truth. No matter what her personal feelings, she 
knew that they had to go on. The job which they did well together 
being more important than their own personal issues.

She had left the bay and had gone straight to the office, after 
their confrontation, knowing that rest would elude her at this 
time. She stayed there way after others had left, finishing up the 
report in record time. She then caught a cab and came back to her 
room. She hadn't wanted to leave, but the night janitorial staff 
had forced her to. She hadn't wanted to return to the lonely, 
confines of her disconsolate motel room, the tangible reminder of
her biggest failure, the isolation not being a desirable point at 
this time.

But she had came back anyway, knowing that when truth is revealed, 
good or bad, your life is never the same again, so you must
continue on. However her heart was not as convinced as her mind 
was. She had been hungry earlier, but all that she felt now was a 
pit in the middle of her chest where her heart once resided. She 
knew that the emptiness which she was experiencing would stay with 
her for it had insinuated itself deep into the fabric of her soul 
where nothing could ever heal its gaping festering wound.

Mulder had hurt her deeply, not only had he discounted what she 
had told him, he had even gone as far as to accuse her of being 
jealous, that being the reason why she was acting the way that she 
was.

If he had really know her as well as he often times claimed to, he
would know that was not the truth. Scully would never just let 
petty jealousy interfere with a case. That was not how she 
operated. He had dumped all that she had believed in, in her lap, 
leaving her to pick up the pieces of what was left of her shattered 
life.

For not only had he stole her hopes and dreams, of promises assumed
and awaited for, he had also questioned her integrity and her
judgement. He had chosen not to trust her, instead believing in the 
lies of a stranger over her.

She felt like she had experienced the biggest let down that she 
had ever experienced. After seven years of assuming and waiting, 
her knowledge of the truth was almost more than she could bear. 
She felt as if she had been led on all of those years, used for 
what she could provide, her validity; and then dumped when 
something better came along.

' Dignity, Scully... You have never owned him. Hell even your 
friendship had been proven to be false. He doesn't even trust you
enough to take you at your word. You are better than this, you 
* will * survive. You have never needed anyone to complete your 
life, and you don't now. You will go on, find your way once again, 
but this time with your eyes wide open. '
 
Scully was strong. She had always been. Her life as a Navy child 
had taught her to be so. Pain was something that she had became
accustomed to quite well. The constant moving and losing of
emotional entanglements had forged high sturdy walls which could
survive any onslaught. Scully was tired and emotionally drained,
she needed some time to focus herself. Then, as she had always 
done, she would go on.


All that she wanted to do for the moment was to take a hot shower 
to wash away the thin blanket of pain which oozed from every open 
pore of her tired, aching body. Mulder could fax the reports, after 
all that she had done for him, she deserved some time. ' That is 
the least that he can do. ' The hall was silent except for the 
pounding of her heart in her chest. She could feel the palpations 
all the way to her eardrums where they resonated and caused her 
head to throb in a synchronistic duet of percussion. She went to 
turn the corner and she stood still her lungs taking in her very 
last breath.

In the dim light, of this lonely motel hall, Scully's world ended 
as she knew it. She had always thought that the world would end in 
a big bang; fire and brimstone, but now she knew it would end in a 
whimper, her own. She saw the plain truth, as she knew it, 
displayed for all to see. As she stood there, shock and pain 
became written plainly over her pale drawn features, a single 
effulgent translucent clear tear fell upon her silky skin and 
traced a haphazard path through her time thinned make up and fell 
upon her shirt.

' He lied to me... He betrayed me. Oh my God... He left me there,
to do his dirty work, while they messed around. '

The vision before her became etched indelibly upon her heart, an
advertisement for ' never assume anything ' Mulder stood there,
kissing Anna passionately, his shirt undone and his pants 
unbuckled. Her hands were twisted into his dark glistening hair, 
his hands gently resting on her ample hips. 

Scully quickly turned around, her hair falling rather messily in 
her face. Her mind reeling from her acceptance ' Get a hold of 
yourself Starbuck.  You are better than this. No one is going to 
reduce you to being anything less than dignified. ' Scully steeled 
her back and shut the door upon her anguish. She turned on her 
heel and walked back down the hall. ' Follow up my ass. No * her * 
ass... You were * screwing * that * woman while I was slaving as 
usual * for * you. I do it all for you. Never again. This ends 
here. I am tired of playing this game. I want out. You can stay 
here and play with your * toy *, I am going home where I can get 
something accomplished. ' 

Scully rambled into her room, not even remembering how she had 
gotten there in the first place. She kicked off the damp, muddy 
shoes that she had been wearing, and slipped on a pair of dry, 
smaller heeled ones and began to gather her things methodically
almost reverently. She knew that she had to leave. Her 
professionalism and conscience screamed otherwise, but she knew 
that there wasn't any other option. He didn't want or need her 
anymore here. He had proven that, he had just been too much of a 
wimp to tell her the Truth to her face. And this knowledge gave 
her the only option that she possessed. 

She would leave this place and return home. From there she wasn't 
sure what her next move was. He had lied to her, twisted her words 
and abused her trust. She had made the biggest mistake of her life, 
and neither Mulder nor herself were going to be punished by it any 
longer. Her father had never raised a weak child and certainly not 
a quitter, but he had taught them to know when to walk away. This 
was the time. She would take some time to evaluate what was
left of their partnership after she had given herself time and
space to recover from this. She knew that she would never stop
loving Mulder, for that wasn't in her nature, but she also knew 
that she was strong and that she could handle whatever decision 
was called for.

Scully looked down at the fateful report, which she still had 
clutched in her hand. She shook her head and dropped it down upon
her nightstand. She would leave it at the front desk, for she 
wasn't planning on seeing him anytime soon. She moved about her 
temporary abode, going into her tiny bathroom and picked up all 
the personal items, which she had placed neatly about.

>From the darkest recesses of her mind, the clues which she had
ignored came forth and settled within her conscious thoughts. 
' Why hadn't I seen it sooner? Why did I let myself believe the 
lie for so long. I am not an ignorant person, nor am I careless, 
how could I let this happen? "

She knew the answer, as pathetic as it might be. She had been
blinded by her own feelings, allowing them to be projected upon 
him. Seeing what she needed to see. For if she hadn't, she 
believed that she would have seen the truth, such as it was...

Since from the first time that she had met him, in that dusty and
cluttered basement office, his boundaries for her had already been 
fabricated. He had never had to speak the exact words for they 
were implicitly fathomed.

She was Scully.

He was Mulder.

And * never * the two shall meet.


She wasn't what he needed, she never would be.

' Was I blind or what? ' She questioned as she picked up her 
glasses from the table, ' One would think that Phoebe, Detective 
White, Bambie, and Diana would have clued me in at the least. I 
am certainly not their type, so I'm obviously not his type. '

Mulder could never let her in. He needed someone to believe and 
trust in him without question, just as everyone does, and Scully 
being by nature a skeptic, couldn't help but question. 

' I tried to be what he wanted, ' she mused as she put them in the
briefcase, and wiped another stray tear from her face, ' I really
tried. I became * this * Scully, giving up everything for him. Yet
it still wasn't enough. '

Her anger was beginning to wear off, leaving anguish-laden logic 
behind to assess the Truth since her shattered heart was no longer 
up to the challenge. 

' He does care about me, but not in that way. He never has. I 
* allowed * myself to believe that he did, so this in essence is 
my own doing. He does need me. I am his validation. He just 
becomes so wrapped up in things that he doesn't notice what is 
directly in front of him. Especially when it comes to women, other 
than me. '

Scully nodded at the realization, the pain becoming slightly less
overwhelming. Self-blame always seemed to make things clearer.

However it didn't change the situation. He didn't see, or at least
didn't want to see.

And now she was left looking and feeling like a total fool.
Mulder believed that his Barton was the innocent and that she
was a jealousy crazed partner. She couldn't face him with him 
believing as such, that would only hurt their professional
relationship more than it had been already damaged. Obviously
he had made his choice, now she had to make hers.

He didn't need her now, for he had Barton, and with the way that 
she was treating Scully, she knew that would only get worse, so 
leaving was the only viable alternative. The conflict would 
eventually hurt the case, and Scully wouldn't stand for that. She 
wouldn't hold him back now, or ever again.

' I need to grieve, to mourn. I have lost a faith, which I have
believed in all of these years, and I need to reevaluate what my
life will be from here. '

Scully sucked in a deep breath, and began rather messily pack the
rest of her personal sundries. She knew that * this * was her last 
moment, in the life that she had experienced for seven long years. 
Her own stupidity and lack of forethought, the reason by which 
this life change was about to take place. She had sealed her fate 
from the very moment that she had walked into that basement office 
so many years ago. She had broken her own cardinal rule that day, 
she had allowed someone to take up residence in her life, and over 
time even in her heart. And as a result, her unwise action was 
going to be her very own noose by which to hang herself.

As she reached for her make up bag, she muttered unintelligently 
to herself. ' The plane... ' She reached over to the bedside stand
and picked up her ticket.  She reached for her cell phone, and 
dialed the number which she had memorized for the airport. She may 
not have Mulder's photographic memory, but she wasn't a slouch 
either. As she spoke in quiet hushed tones, her attention was 
distraught from the noise of the ajar door swinging open.

In the faint light of the budget motel a long hypodermic needle 
flashed brightly in the unforgiving light. Its intention not to 
heal but to harm. A lone figure walked stealthy up behind the 
woman, taking advantage of her clearly distracted attention. As 
she pressed the call end button, and bent over to retrieve her 
briefcase, a sharp sting and a muffled cry filled her now lost 
world as her blue eyes fluttered shut, taking in their last glance 
of freedom. Blissful darkness took away any pain as her slight 
body fell and her forehead connected with the end table nearest 
her. The last thing Scully could hear was the low soft chuckle of 
a very familiar voice, and her body being lifted up into strong 
arms...



                         ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Unknown time...
Unknown location...

Scully's eyes filled with tears. The memories of the last few 
hours causing her already tired, very weak state more distress. 
However the strong, empowered side took over and pushed the 
lonely, hurting Dana back inside of the recesses of her mind where 
she would be safe. This was no time for self-pity. There would be 
plenty of time to do that later.

Scully looked about the room as for any clues as to how long she 
had been there. In the fall that her memory and sore body spoke of 
rather poignantly, her watch some how had been broken probably at 
the exact time of her abduction. As her slender hand reached up and 
felt at her hairline, warm moist blood, just starting to coagulate, 
met her careful examination. ' So it isn't just the sedative that 
is confusing my thoughts, I probably also have a slight concussion. 
Just great. Just what I need. '

The room was stark, almost sterile in appearance except for the
obvious dust and disuse which enveloped it. The room was about 
10/20 as far as she could surmise, several archways offset the 
room which went into other areas, hidden from her view. As she 
walked around, the chain lashed to her ankle cut into the tender 
flesh. As she paid careful attention, she noticed a narrow, steep, 
cheaply carpeted stairway which obviously went up to the next 
level. Judging from the damp musty smell which filled her nostrils, 
she was probably in the basement of some building, the pipes and 
cinderblock walls attesting to as much.

Scully suddenly found herself overwhelmed with a need to relieve
herself. She hadn't eaten or drank anything for quite a while,
and she felt as weak as all hell, but her body still needed some 
normalcy. She looked about, noting that no facilities were 
available immediately, but in a corner, nearest her, she noted a 
bucket, set out with some toilet paper. ' Well isn't that nice, 
four star accommodations... ' As she turned, trying to decide what 
to do next, a shadowy figure, broad and tall stepped into her 
sight.

Scully gasped loudly, her voice and face filled with a fear which 
they were quite unaccustomed to. The fear ebbed up from the most
primal of locations, where the fear of the unknown and of death
resided firmly. She brought her arms up to protect herself in a 
defensive manner as she said, " Oh my God, it's you... " Her 
lonely fear filled voice filled the room gently, mingling with the 
soft non threatening tones of her visitor, " Well hello, girlie 
girl, we meet again...


                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Walter Skinner's apartment 
Washington D.C.
2300 hrs 

Walter Skinner reposed quietly in his bed in his apartment. The 
curtains of his bedroom window blowing gracefully across the night 
filled shadows. His thought filled mind precluding him to any 
sleep that night. He took a deep breath, the fresh smell of spring 
mingling with the smell of the soap which he used on his bed 
sheets filling the air and waking him up further.

Ever since sending Mulder and Scully out on this assignment, he 
had had a bad feeling about it all. He couldn't put his finger on 
it, but it was a tickle at the back of his broad neck, which 
wouldn't go away. Skinner rolled over in the freshly laundered 
sheets, the cotton flowing effortlessly across the heated expanse 
of his skin. Skinner opened his dark eyes, his vision taking in 
the opaque darkness which surrounded him.

Outside he could hear the gentle spring winds, growing stronger,
as they filled the empty streets of the city below. He loved the
city. The bustling and action a far cry from the jungle inspired
nightmares which encircled his memories. Here in the city, he
could run from the demons which plagued the vine draped, sweat
slicked visions of his inner musings...

Skinner sat up, as he ran a large hand across the furrows of his
brow. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to make sense of his
premonition. It wasn't unfamiliar in the least. It was a feeling
he had honed in 'Nam during his tour of duty there. As a Marine,
he had been taught to use all of his senses to protect himself
in the densely packed jungles of his own hell realized.

Skinner swung himself off of the bed, the cool air causing 
gooseflesh to develop over his well defined muscular stature.
He walked across the well-padded floor, his feet scuffing against
the thick pile along the way, the sound of his cotton pajama 
bottoms echoing in the spartan expanse. 

As he made his way slowly into the living room, he could hear the 
gentle tick tock of the clock that stood as the silent sentinel to 
his internal contemplation. The room was pitch dark except for the 
faint illumination of corner of the room as the streetlights 
escaped through the heavy, drawn drapes. The wisps of light 
twinkled faintly before the man who was the only witness to its
impromptu waltz.
 
Skinner walked into his immaculate, well-stocked kitchen. As he
opened the refrigerator door, he grasped a half gallon of milk.
Reaching up into the cupboard above he reached for a glass and 
poured the cold white liquid into the well faceted glass.

' Well since I am already up, I might as well finish the 
requisitions report for Special Projects. ' Special projects being 
of course the X-Files. Since being put in charge of the project 
and of Mulder and Scully, he had found himself a special affinity 
for the duo and their quest.

Over the years, the cases that they brought him were to say the 
least far fetched, but the things that he had experienced in 'Nam, 
and with his experience with his pet project, he had learned to 
expect the unexpected.

After the incident in Dallas and Mulder and Scully's reassignment, 
Skinner found himself in charge of two rather disinterested, if not 
even neglectful agents. At first he had thought Diana Fowley would 
take up the cause, in Mulder's place, given their history, but she 
had herself neglected the work, going off on her own agenda's and 
subsequently ended up disappearing rather mysteriously.

Skinner sat down at his desk, and turned on the light. The 
momentary blinding flash of illumination causing him to squint his 
eyes in order to adjust to the light.

He pulled out the requisitions that Scully had filled out, noting
the precise, very legible handwriting of his subordinate. ' No 
wonder you never practiced medicine, your penmanship is to
good. ' He mused with slight humor. As he glanced at the 
requisitions Mulder had filled out, Skinner on the other hand, 
could barely make out the hen scratch.

Looking at the two next to one another, even in black and white

proof, he noticed the delicate balance, which held the two 
together. She was his conscience, the order of his life, in light 
of his unpredictable and often reckless behavior. She was logic, 
and the strength of the two.

Mulder was faith, pure and simple; the impulse and fervor. He gave 
the reasons by which to continue the fight, against the odds. He 
dared to believe, where others didn't. Skinner envied him of that. 
He envied Mulder of a lot of things.

Skinner blew out of breath of frustration, his mind too distracted
to focus upon his work at hand. He neatly piled the papers back
into his brief, tapping his feet on the carpeted floor below.

Never in his whole life had he seen the sort of give and take 
relationship which Mulder and Scully had. It was a precious, very 
important bond which united them deeper than friends, further than 
lovers. He had always assumed that the two would eventually get 
together, since by his numerous experiences with dealing with them 
both, he knew that they were madly in love with one another. Even 
though fraternization between agents was implicitly discouraged, 
no actual written rules existed.

However, as they did grow closer, over time, the line had never
been crossed as far as he knew. They were two dedicated agents
who lived for their work, and went about their lives in unison
content with that distance, until one of them was extracted from
the whole sum. Then God help who ever separated them.

Skinner often times wished that he had such a relationship.
The marriage between he and his ex wife concluded mainly due to 
the numerous stresses inflicted upon them by his job. The simple 
fact being that he could never share most of what his job was 
about with her. This had caused a rift that they couldn't cross.

Mulder and Scully however had that solved from the very beginning.
They shared their jobs as intimately as anyone could. This and 
their unique ability to complement each other, would make them a 
great couple in his book. However he would never tell them that.
As their superior, he would allow things to progress as they
should. Things always turned out the way that they were meant,
good or bad.

Skinner took his glasses and went over to the over stuffed sofa.
He sat himself down, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
As he reached down for the remote and tuned the TV on, the stiff
cool breeze blew gustily against the sliding glass door of his 
apartment. As the voices of the new show filled the hushed, 
darkened room Skinner sat there patiently waiting. For what he 
didn't know, but he knew that it was coming soon.


                       *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

2400 hrs
Skyline Motel
Syracuse, NY

Mulder rolled over and sat up on his bed. His anger still very 
present in his mind. ' I cannot believe that I didn't see it 
sooner. Where the hell was my mind. I treated Scully like a 
petulant child, once again discounting what she was telling me, 
when she was right all along. Jesus, sometimes I can be such an 
ass. How does she put up with me? '

He and Anna had gone to the bar, hoping to get a lead on a man 
seen with Shania Jones the last time she had frequented the 
establishment, however the lead had not panned out. She had 
insisted on staying and having a few drinks, but Mulder's concern 
for Scully took over and he had requested to return to the motel.
The trip had been long and protracted, Anna talking incessantly
about how much she admired him and his work.

When they had returned to the hotel, Anna had insisted in coming 
in and procuring a profile which he thought that he had given her
earlier. Not being the wiser, Mulder acquiesced, and she came in
to get the copy. Mulder had thought that would be the end of it.

However, Anna had had other ideas.

After he had given her the file, she had presumably left. However,
she hadn't. As Mulder had prepared to take a shower, she had 
returned and had come on to him in a big way. She jumped him. And 
as Anna had kissed him in the doorway of his room, at first his 
body reacted as any healthy man's would, to a beautiful woman 
kissing him, he had became very turned on.


But as the situation had escalated, he found himself remembering 
the discussion he had had with Scully earlier. Then things began 
to fall into place. Mulder, in his confusion, had pushed her away. 
He didn't know what to think. He had mumbled something about a 
headache and had closed the door on her. Mulder had finally caught 
a glimpse of the truth. Anna did have designs on him. Enough to 
even use work as a rouse. He wasn't sure if all which Scully had 
told him was correct, but he knew that this much was sure. Scully 
* had * been in the right.

" Shit " Mulder said angrily, as he swung his long lanky legs
over the side of the very garish bedspread. ' I would have thought 
that I would have learned my lesson sooner. She had been right 
about Diana. She had been right about Karin. '

Mulder suddenly found himself fighting off a nagging guilt which
was beginning to eat away at the very fabric of his soul, thread
by thread.

Why hadn't he believed Scully?

She was his best friend, partner, and his Truth.

Why?

He was doing what he had been doing all of their seven years 
together, but had vowed after the Diana incident, would never do.

He wanted to push her away.

Whenever they got close, one or the other would shore up their
walls, driving the other away. Fear being their motivating
factor. 

Fear being his biggest factor. For Mulder never felt good enough,
worthy enough, strong enough, to be everything that Scully needed.
She had given everything up willingly for him, to walk with him,
for his quest. And in the process made it her quest. No one had
ever done so much for him, and in that knowledge, feared that he
never could do enough for her.

' I know why I did this. It was a way of driving away what I 
most want in this world, which is to be happy. Dana you are that 
happiness which I seek, my truth, so to speak. I want you in my
life, so much but at the same time I want a distance, a safety 
zone where there is some deniability. If I ignore it, it will go 
away. I are so afraid of being hurt and of losing you, I would 
rather try to drive you away than, deal with it. I have been 
always able to separate myself from whomever I am with, living
two very separate and distinct lives. But with you Scully; we are 
so intertwined, complemented, like two halves of a whole I cannot
honestly can't tell where I start and you begin. That 
inevitability daunts the hell out of me. For I feel I might just 
lose myself in you, it could be so easy... '

Scully was his everything...

She had become the conscience to his Id. She had became his 
strength, his staunchest supporter, and his best friend. Scully  
simply put, the best thing that had ever happened to him.

At first, she had been the spy sent to report on him, but over 
time, he wasn't sure when or where, she had insinuated her slight
frame into every inch of his existence, including his heart.

Her being shed light into the darkest corners of his lonely soul. 
She was the food of his mind and the heart of his life. She cared 
for him unconditionally, something that he had never experienced 
before, giving him the will and the presence to continue living 
when he had no reason to.

Mulder stood up and slipped on his baggy Nicks T-shirt. He needed 
to talk to Scully. The fight, which they had earlier, was eating 
away at him like a cancer, causing him to become more and more 
uncomfortable second by second. It burned like a hell within his 
own personal hell and he needed to put it out.

He needed to make it right, their relationship being the most
important thing in his life. He knew that they had been neglectful
of that truth for all of their years together. He knew that she
loved him. He would have thought it just platonic on her part, 
given her reaction to his ' I love you ', but the sexual tension 
which had existed all of their relationship all of those years 
told him different. That and the jail house revelation, which had
rocked his world, convinced him other wise. But he knew that she 
just wasn't ready. And the truth be known he wasn't either. But 
after the events of today, he knew that it was time. All bets were 
off. He needed to begin tearing down the walls of self denial and 
of avoidance.

For no matter how much she may deny it to herself, he could
see it in her actions and her eyes.

Those swirling azure depths of intelligence and unconditional love.

They had stuck by him though storm after storm.

Now that the clouds were finally parting, it was time to let the 
light shine in. 

Mulder walked over to the door, and stepped outside, the cool 
night air filled the stark dimly lit hallway. He walked 
determinedly, the sound of his boot clad feet resonating along the 
hallowed halls, a man on a mission. A mission to fight their 
future and to resolve the past. As he reached the end and turned 
the corner, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. A rush of 
heart stopping fear ebbed through him, sending him into a 
disjointed hysteria.


Scully's door was slightly ajar, the bedside light streaming
angrily into the creeping darkness. Shadows framed that 
intrusionary light, bringing it form and substance. The hall was 
silent and empty, no sounds of movement uttered from his 
destination. Mulder flattened himself against the cool smooth 
surface of the wall, the chill freezing him down to his very toes, 
as he slid slowly down towards the gleaming light. For some reason, 
his guard was up, his adrenaline rushed. This whole scene screamed 
suspicious.

Mulder reached the door, and with the palm of his hand, slowly
pushed the door open. He wanted to go back to his room and get his
gun, but he didn't want to waste a single moment if Scully was
injured. ' Oh God Scully, please be all right. ' His hand was 
shaking visibly, his palm damp and sensitive. Bright light flooded 
his vision, temporarily blinding him until his keen eyes adjusted.

At first it appeared as if nothing was wrong. Her small but neat 
room was carpeted in the same cheesy brown shag that his was. Her
room was filled with just a bed and a nightstand, and since the 
room was so small, they nearly occupied all free space available.
The white smooth walls shone softly in the harsh lighting. The 
small window in the corner, allowed very little street light to 
penetrate through the thick obnoxiously patterned drapery.

Evidence of her rather recent residence was quite evident. Her 
suitcase was laying open upon her still made bed. Next to the open 
case, were lined up all of her smaller bags and various other 
toiletries. The room appeared undisturbed, just as if she just had 
left, however upon closer inspection, one could note underlying 
hints.

As Mulder moved a careful trained eye he noticed that Scully's 
navy blue pumps sat next to the door where she always left them, 
the mud from the earlier rain still on the toes and heels. The 
dark earth caused a flutter to surge through his wildly beating 
heart.

' Scully would never leave that mud on them, she is a neat 
freak. ' Mulder's heart began skip beats frequently, his breaths 
ragged and labored from the acute distress which he was 
experiencing.

Mulder then walked past the shoes and noticed that on the table 
next to the light, sat Scully's wallet and room keys. Beside those
items was the neatly typed report that she had done at his request, 
all left as if she had just been here.

' She would never leave without them. Oh God Scully, what has 
happened? '

An overwhelming sense of dread encircled Mulder's heart and 
drowned him in a deep black swirling sea of pain. Mulder drew in a 
hastened breath, tightly gripping his hands. His mind flashed back 
to a similar scene, when Scully had been taken from him once 
before. He pushed that thought out of his mind, trying to get a 
grip upon himself. As Mulder walked over to the table to look 
closer, something caught his eye which made his soul fall to the 
floor and shatter into a thousand irretrievable pieces.

On the corner of the table, nearest the bed, a small smear of 
blood, glistened the bright light, the smooth surface was broken 
by several strands of reddish hair, which flowed over the side and 
blended into the darkness, a twisted caricature of a waterfall.

As he bent further down to investigate, out of the corner of his 
eye, almost obscured by the ruffle of the loud floral print bed 
spread, was a single hypodermic needle, which lay next to a 
glimmer of gold, Scully's cross...
 

                        ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Unknown time...
Unknown place...


Scully stood there, her heart literally skipping beats as the man
who still haunted her dreams to this day, stood over her with the
most evil leer she had ever seen. As she focused upon him, the 
shifting, that she had noticed in their last encounter, began to
play before her. Various aspects, caliginous and pernicious, spun 
before her. She couldn't help but close her eyes momentarily, 
trying to bring into focus the vision before her.

" So, have you missed me girlie girl, " the figure asked quietly
as he came up to touch a strand of the glistening hair which he
adored so much. His hand was big, clumsy almost shaking in its
intent. The configuration had waited patiently for so long, that 
it had to touch the trembling figure before him, lest it be a
mirage, or a cruel twist of fate.

Scully jumped back quickly, her defenses on full alert. The
gooseflesh which she wore as reaction, accompanied the very real 
sense of apprehension she felt at that moment. She swallowed hard, 
her mouth parched and tepid from her fight or flight response. She 
was in shock. Her logical mind told her as much. Her hands were 
frigid and almost deadened as she brought them up into a well 
trained defensive posture and said rather shakily, " Pfaster, what 
the hell... "

The looming presence never gave her time to finish her musings,
" It has been a long time. I have missed you. " His soft low bass 
voice uttered. He smiled slightly revealing white, perfectly 
spaced teeth. He began to pace back and forth, examining the feast 
before him. ' I was right, you are the one. '  Pfaster looked
her over carefully. Even after all of these years, she still
elicited the same physiological response.

" I cannot say that I return the sentiments, " Scully retorted
harshly, as she tried to gather herself together. Since joining 
the X-Files and working with Mulder, she had seen and done many 
hazardous and even down right hideous things. From Flukeman, to 
liver eating mutants, to even aliens. But none of these had even 
touched the sheer dismay and torment which Donald Pfaster had 
given her.

For from the moment she had joined that case, his evil design and 
acrimonious cruelty had eaten a hole into the very fabric of her 
being. The knowledge that a seemingly human monster could have 
such a lack of regard or remorse for his actions, had scared her 
to no end. He had come into her life, at a time when she had been 
at her most vulnerable. She was still recuperating from her 
abduction, and was still grieving for the loss of her father.

She had been nearly driven helpless by the events, which had 
upset her so. Somehow this one single person had a way of getting 
through all of her defenses and made her feel as dependent as a 
newborn suckling. She had tried to keep her apprehension of this 
particular individual from Mulder, for she had never wanted him 
to feel that he needed to take care of her.

She has even gone as far to see Karen Kosseff back in DC to get 
her head back on straight. When she did, she returned with 
information to rupture the seemingly insolvable case wide open. 
She felt empowered, strong in her knowledge she had beaten her 
worst fears and had come out ahead.

However on that lonely desolate stretch of highway, just outside 
of Minneapolis, all of that had changed. For the first time in her 
life, for as long as she could remember that is, she found herself 
helpless and out of control. The fear nearly paralyzing her 
naturally valorous and rebounding persona. He had reduced Scully 
to a quivering mass of fear and impotence.

In spite of her almost paralyzing consternation however, she ended 
up getting unrestrained, and maintained her composure and resolve 
long enough for help to arrive.

Scully stepped back and summed up her captor, she concentrated
strongly, forcing the swirling images to abate momentarily. The 
years had been kind to him. He looked not a bit older since that 
day she was at his competency hearing. His hazel eyes were soft 
almost friendly looking, but behind them was a cold empty 
nothingness that reminded her of what she though hell would be 
like. His medium brown hair was styled neatly and precisely, 
attributing to his obsessive compulsive nature. He still appeared 
to just like the ' boy from next door. ' One couldn't tell by his 
appearance and mannerisms that he was the sociopath that he was.

Pfaster stopped pacing, his delight in finally achieving his goal, 
pleasing him to no end. ' I have been waiting for so long, now it
is the time. My day of redemption is here. ' Since that day when 
he had escaped his imprisonment, he had systematically planned 
and then executed a ruse by which to bring her and her partner to 
him.

He had been declared mentally incompetent and had been sentenced 
to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. He had learned to work 
the system quickly, by appearing to acquiesce to their treatments 
and in the process seemed to be achieving mental health and 
stability.

Over time he had grown to be trusted, his subtle manipulations and
extreme intelligence outwitting the most perceptive health care 
provider. He had been allowed to do odd jobs around the facility,
as they thought it would assist in his rehabilitation. This
preferred status allowed him quite a bit of freedom and that was 
the way his last chance had been granted to him.

' After all of these years, you are finally mine. ' He thought 
happily. ' You are the only one worthy. The others were tainted 
and dirty, you have the promise of being pure and clean. You are 
strong, but will be stronger. I will make you worthy, and then you 
will come to me willingly. ' Pfaster rubbed his damp palms on his 
dress trousers, his nervousness causing him to be more off balance 
than normal. " You may not be pleased to see me now, but you will 
learn to be... "

Scully interrupted angrily, her voice low and controlled, " You 
think so? I will never learn to be. " She stepped back from him 
and gestured about the room. " What is this all about?  Why did 
you bring me here? Where are we? " As she moved, the chain binding 
her sore ankle, clanked loudly against the cement floor.

Pfaster turned to walk up the steep, narrow stairwell. His brown
hair caught the light and glistened softly. He turned towards his
captive and chuckled softly, " All in good time girlie girl. All 
in good time. For now know just this, this is your new home. There 
are some rules however that you should be aware of. One, you will 
never touch me. Never. Not, without my consent. Two, I have the 
power. I am in control, remember that. If you follow these simple 
rules, you will have a long and pleasant life. Of this reality, I 
can promise. "

Scully narrowed her eyes, the sapphire blue of her eyes, piercing
the dimness of her prison, and boring into his heartless soul.
She spoke softly, almost in a strained whisper, " They will find
me, I can promise you this. " She was angry and very scared. She
knew that she had to bide her time and keep a low profile. Pfaster 
was volatile, and had killed before. She wouldn't put it past him 
now. She needed to avoid angering him until an opportunity 
afforded itself to escape. " But until then, " she continued 
convincingly, " you are in control. "

Pfaster smiled slightly, small wrinkles graced his ashen face.
" Then we understand one another? I hope so. I have great plans
for you and I. We will make a great team, just you wait and see. " 
Pfaster began to climb up the narrow stairwell, the floor creaking 
loudly under his considerable weight. Once at the top of the 
stairs, he turned to stare at her. His eyes were dark and 
unreadable, his face stoic, " I will be back soon. I will bring 
you provisions and a change of clothes. You should try to rest 
until then. "  With that he opened the door, switched off the 
light, and left.

The encroaching darkness coupled with the sound of a deadbolt 
locking caused Scully's heart to sink into her feet. Suddenly her 
slight hands began to tremble and tears came to her eyes. " Oh God. 
What is going to happen to me? " Scully uttered softly under her 
breath. She stumbled haltingly over to the futon, feeling her way 
there and slowly sat down upon it. " I need to keep strong. I will 
be strong. I can beat him, I can beat this. " Scully brought her 
slender legs up to her chest, and covered herself with the thin 
wool blanket, the material, causing her skin to itch.

She knew that she couldn't sleep, even in the face of overwhelming
exhaustion. She needed to remain alert and on guard. In order for
her to survive, she knew that she needed to get into his head.
This would take every waking moment of her captivity, and every
ounce of resolve. Her father had taught her to be strong, she
was a Scully, and they never quit. ' I can do this. I beat him 
once, I will beat him again. ' She leaned her head back against 
the hard cold wall, focusing her thoughts inward. The sounds of 
dripping water and creaking boards filling her ears with 
consonance.


                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



Somewhere over Syracuse's Hancock International Airport.
Syracuse, NY
0430hrs.


Skinner glanced at his watch, and huffed impatiently. He had caught
the first available flight out of DC after the Syracuse Regional
Office had called. Skinner removed his glasses and pinched the
bridge of his nose, trying to fend of a headache which had been
threatening to take up residence in his head. His worst fears had
been confirmed, something was wrong. A something that was very 
close and near to his heart.

>From the moment he had first met her, Scully had impressed him 
deeply. She was a strong willed, hard working and dedicated 
individual who had given everything to her career. In a career 
which demanded that you sacrifice a great deal for the work, she 
had never questioned the sacrifice. Being a woman in this ' good 
boy's network ', made the job that much harder. She was expected 
to be that much better and to work that much harder, to be even 
considered half as good. She had relished the challenge and had 
given up her upwardly mobile career to take up the quest that 
Mulder followed.

Not only did Skinner admire her professionally he also genuinely
liked her. She was thoughtful, sincere and fiercely loyal to the 
end. She would lay down her life for anyone that she cared about.
Her extreme intelligence and inner strength complemented the 
already very attractive package, making her that much more 
likable.

Due to fog, he had been stranded in a holding pattern for nearly
one hour. His impatience at the situation increasing exponentially
by the minute. As he glanced out the window at the twirling gray 
clouds of mist, he straightened his tie and uncrossed his legs. 

When the call had come in concerning Scully's disappearance, he 
had gotten dressed and ready to leave in only 15 minutes. Years of

fast exits and evasive maneuvers had taught him to be fast and
organized. He knew that Mulder would be beside himself with grief.
Whenever Scully had been taken away from him in the past, he 
became more reckless and self destructive than usual. 

' Mulder, you have to keep it together long enough for me to get
there. We can handle this. ' He cogitated mindfully.

Skinner checked his firearm, making sure that the holster was 
firmly placed for discreteness and for quick retrieval. Since 
becoming AD, he had few opportunities to get out in the field and 
get his hands dirty. As he sat in his office, day after day, he 
often times found himself longing for the rush which accompanied 
the thrill of the field. Now he was experiencing that said rush 
with such intensity, he felt his heart would explode.

Glancing down the empty isle, he noticed a slender dark haired
stewardess making her way down the few filled seats towards his.
As she stepped up, he glanced up at her navy blue uniform and
picked out her name tag. " Adrienne? " Skinner asked firmly.

The young woman glanced down at him, barely able to stand upon
the high heels which she teetered on and said, her soft blue eyes
friendly. " May I help you sir? " She looked out the window and
shook her head slowly, " the fog is pretty bad. I have never
seen it this bad in Syracuse for as long as I have done this 
route. "

' It figures, the one time that time is of the essence, an 
abnormal weather pattern sets in. That must be an X-file itself ' 
He deliberated dryly. Skinner nodded in affirmation and asked 
softly, " How much longer will our landing be delayed ? " He 
adjusted his weight upon the not so comfortable chair, his anxiety 
and excitement just starting to get to him.

" Should have clearance any minute from the tower. May I get you
anything before then? " Adrienne asked softly, as she smiled with
a sincerity which Skinner appreciated.

" No thank you. Thanks for all of your help. " Skinner voiced 
thoughtfully as he gazed back outside the window. He knew that he 
needed to get there. Time was of the essence. He knew that it was 
just a matter of time after the initial shock wore off that Mulder 
would start acting crazy. That was inevitability of the situation. 
His love for Scully would drive him literally to the ends of the 
earth to find her, no matter what the cost to himself or to 
others.

Skinner smoothed the soft skin of his forehead, his pensiveness 
focused upon the events which were unfolding before him. He knew 
that he was ' in for a penny in for a pound. ' There was no going 
back anymore. Today was the day that he made his decision. He had 
always been supportive, even helpful in their cause. But he had 
always held just a little of himself back, for fear of losing 
himself to the cause as they had done before.

Now there were no more options. He had to step forward and take up
the reigns himself. The lives of two people whom he cared about 
very much were in the balance, and this time, he knew the game was
for keeps. Skinner pulled out his cell phone and looked once again 
out the window, the cool spring winds and falling rain washing 
away the evils of man, if only for a moment. 


                       
                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Scully's room
Skyline Motel
Syracuse, NY
0630hrs 

Mulder stood helplessly in the far corner of Scully's hotel room.
He stood there silently, rocking slowly back and forth on his 
heels, watching the investigation taking place before him. The 
forensics team was sweeping the room quite thoroughly, looking
at every minute detail for clues to reconstruct what had happened
in the final moments which Scully was abducted. As Mulder glanced
about the now quite stark room, the early morning sunlight
was streaming through the partially shaded window. The thin rays
of light, caught the now airborne fingerprint dust, the minute
specks caught the light and sparkled like fire imprinted diamonds.

As the din of the team filled his ears, he found himself at a 
total loss for functioning, with the team collecting evidence. His 
full profiler mode was on alert, his mind twisting and turning 
over what they had found so far, trying to get a hold of the 
individual behind the act. Who ever had taken Scully, had either 
been very careless or had wanted to leave evidence behind. The 
usual accountable prints had been left behind, Scully's, Mulder's, 
and a full time cleaning person. However several clear, very 
obvious prints had also been left, left in places in which it 
would be easy to spot. The doorknob inside the door, the door jam, 
the nightstand, the head of her bed. But the most damming and 
most obvious, were the prints carelessly left on the easily 
spotted hypodermic syringe.

Mulder knew who it was. His signature syringe being the bible
of his life. And he had changed the rules of the game...

But, why Scully?

' To jump an armed well-trained federal agent, he had to have been
well prepared. It wasn't as if he jumped her in a dark alley. The 
man had to be well prepared, watching and waiting for the right 
moment. So that means we had been watched for quite a while. His 
blatant prints strewn about show that he wanted to be caught.
He is playing a game, taunting us. He feels superior to us. Like
he needs us to find a way to know who he is... '

Mulder brushed a slender hand across his sweat dotted brow. He
hadn't slept in over 48 hours and his body was starting to wear
down. He knew that his mind would be fine. He knew that that
wouldn't rest until she was brought home to him safely. He just
worried about his body. He wasn't a young man anymore. When he
had worked in VCS, he had been young and full of energy. He could
slip into a man's mind without even a blink, now the effort
nearly wore him out.

He pushed himself to walk forward, his every step an agonizing
job in itself. He walked over to the forensics team leader
and spoke firmly, wanting his answers now. " Did the team find
anything else ? I want this taken care of in a thorough manner.
This is one of our own, and she is my partner. This counts in
every single sense of the word. "

The young dark haired man looked up from his clipboard where he 
had been keeping track of all of the personnel present and all 
that they were responsible for. " Agent Mulder. We take every case 
as seriously as the next. We are very aware of your personal stake 
in this and we are doing our best. Now, we did find some more 
latent prints. Those have been sent over to the lab for analysis 
and computer matching. After using the filter on the vac, we were 
able to find some hair and fiber samples. The blood was collected 
and will be typed and DNA tested. All and all this idiot left us 
with a plethora of evidence to nail his hide. If he was trying to 
be careful, he fell very short of the mark. "

Mulder shook his head, his thoughts becoming one with the prey
which he sought. " The UNSUB wasn't trying to be careful. He 
wanted us to find this. His use of the hypo and forethought of 
planning proves he is organized in his thoughts and actions. He 
has accomplished his goal, he wanted our attention and now he has 
it. He changed his usual MO for a reason, thus his carelessness is 
another method to his madness. He wants us to know who he is. He 
wants the power and control which accompanies the knowledge. He 
wants to play. He is proud of what he did, and he wants 
recognition for it. "

" Jesus, is that sick or what? " The younger agent replied. A
shiver running throughout his stature. He had been an agent for
several years, coming straight to Syracuse after getting out of
the academy. His experience was limited for an industrial city
such as this never had seen such brutality and evil in its
existence. 

" He maybe sick, but is very intelligent, methodical in his 
plotting. " Mulder replied as he brushed a stray lock of hair from 
his brow. Mulder walked from the corner, careful to keep his hands 
in his pockets, lest he add unknowingly to the evidence at hand 
being collected. Mulder couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but 
something was setting off his radar. Something was telling him 
that this was much deeper than just a random act. Something beyond 
the obvious evidence. Mulder stood there momentarily, watching the 
other agents carefully. ' Why Scully? Why now? What is the 
connection? '

Mulder walked out into the hall, the fresh air tinged with the 
smell of lilacs and dogwoods waking his tired, old soul. Mulder
turned to walk down to his room and as he did he saw he a tall 
well built figure. The figure was striding quickly up the hallway, 
his grey trench swaying behind his determined strides. A sense of 
fleeting relief floated over him, for now he wasn't alone in his
mission.

Mulder walked over to him, and spoke in low even tones, his 
desperation very evident to hear, as he lowered his twisted face 
to look at the floor,  " Skinner, she is gone. " Mulder knew that 
he didn't false pretense with him. He knew that Skinner was very 
aware of the closeness of their relationship and that he supported 
it.

" I came as soon as I got the message. What the hell happened 
here? " Skinner was already aware of the logistics but knowing 
Mulder and his uncanny way of finding the truth beneath the truth, 
he knew it best to have him fill the blanks. He studied Mulder
carefully, the torture already evident upon him. The dark 
circles which ringed his red rimmed eyes, matched the ghastly
pallor which he had already taken on. 

Mulder leaned against the wall, his exhaustion and frustration 
catching up with him. He took a deep breath, seeking the strength
that he needed to continue, from the life which existed about him.
" He jumped her sir. She was in there and he jumped her. And the 
funny part is he wants us to find out who he is. He left evidence 
in abundance all over in there. A veritable forensics party. "

Skinner rubbed his rough hand across his brow as if deep in 
thought, " Let me get this straight. He wants us to find him? He 
wants us to know who he is? That isn't logical... He has been so 
careful up until now. He had avoided leaving any clues, yet he 
does this? What does he expect to happen from this? " Even after 
all of his years in the bureau, he still couldn't fully grasp the 
inner workings of such a character. The thought of getting into 
his head, a choice he would avoid at all costs, for when you 
touch evil, you cannot help but be touched by it. 

Mulder looked him straight in the eyes, his hazel eyes seeing the
darkness which existed within the soul of the killer. " He wants 
to play a game. This was well planned and carefully executed. He
wouldn't make a mistake unless it was part of his plan. He wants
to taunt us. To tease us. To prove his superiority to us by 
jerking us around. " Mulder put his hands to his head and closed
his eyes, a tension headache threatening to overcome him and
drag him out into the darkness. 

" And what does that mean to Scully, Mulder? Why did he choose 
her? Why now? " Skinner was loath to ask the question. His 
instincts registering the darkness which the killer walked in. He 
knew that if this was a game as Mulder said, then Scully was an 
integral part of the scenario. A pawn in a battle of wits.

" He will not hurt her, " Mulder said as he centered his thoughts, 
his heart beginning to race. " He needs her. She is his bait, his
insurance if you will. He needs her until the game is up, then and
only then will he... "  We need to find them fast, Sir. We 
need... " Mulder trailed off quietly. He put his hands in his 
jeans pockets once again, the rough, dry skin on his knuckles 
beginning to become sore from the repeated action.

Skinner put his hand on Mulder's shoulder. He could feel the 
anguish rolling off him in palatable waves. He knew how much 
Mulder loved Scully, this was a given. They belonged together, and 
he was going to see to it that it all turned out fine in the end. 
" We will find, her Mulder. I promise you this. We will find her 
and we will bring this bastard down. "

Mulder just looked longingly toward Scully's room. His whole life
was gone, and until she was returned to him, he would not let go
of the breath that he was holding.




                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Unknown time...
Unknown place...

Scully moved deliberately about on the thin mattress. She felt 
herself growing sleepy, her eyes cumbrous and sear, but due to her 
dire circumstances, her body had remained ever vigil. Her training 
at the FBI had never prepared her for such an eventuality. Sleep 
deprivation was a serious condition. The side effects serious, to 
say the least. However, her medical residency had taught her a 
thing or two, so up until now she had been faring well.

She had managed to fend of the vehement fear that she had been
feeling since seeing him again. She had entombed them in the cool
waters of logic and science, trying to understand the man who
now held her very life in his hands.

She glanced down at her battered legs. The torn pantyhose that she 
had been wearing was now beginning to chaff at the abrasions which 
her knees held. She glanced down at them, the blood now dried and 
hard, barely hiding the bright crimson of a possibly impending 
infection. The scabs were imbedded with the mesh of the fabric, 
tugging painfully at the delicate tissue with each movement. 
' Just great. Drugged up, possible concussion and now an impending 
infection. I just love this job. ' 

With one swift tug, she ripped down the nylons, which were causing 
her such grief. She tugged at them gently, until they were to her 
knees. Once to the very painful injuries, she eased them from the 
knit, leaving the skin's barrier as intact as possible. She then 
removed them completely, her bare, pale, and scraped legs now open 
to the air. The took the hose, and with careful deliberation 
wrapped them around the confined area of her ankle. The cuff had 
been chaffing, and the barrier would protect the skin beneath the 
cold hard steel.

' I need to clean the open areas. They still have some dirt and
fiber in them. ' She pulled the shirt out that she was wearing,
and tore of a piece of the hem. With that she then with a careful
smudge of saliva, cleaned the open wounds, removing the debris 
which lie there. ' My, my. What would my residency mentor say if 
he could see me now. I gave up a promising career in medicine for
this? '

She then stood up carefully and paced slowly. Her wool skirt
did very little to ward off the chill which had settled in so
thoroughly. She pulled her tailored jacket closer to her torso,
attempting to warm herself. She plucked at the fabric covered
buttons in nervousness, releasing some of the irrefutable tension
that she was experiencing.

She had not seen nor heard from Pfaster since they had last spoken.
And since she had no real indication of how time was passing, she
wasn't sure of how long that had been. She knew that the drug, now
no longer affecting her profoundly, was still within her system,
as was probably distorting her time perception. With her watch
broken and lack of any indications of time passing, she felt 
slightly disoriented.

She had relieved herself only once, and yet was to feel the need
again. She could go for hours, but she was becoming dehydrated
and this would also affect this also.

She began to muse silently once more, attempting to make out the
puzzle which was her captor. ' What does he want from me? How did 
he know that I was here. We haven't been here for long. ' Scully 
thought as she tucked her fire colored hair behind her ears in 
thought. She bit her lower lip in concentration, her prefect  
white teeth revealed slightly in her action.

' He mentioned something earlier about control. He wants control.
Thus he must feel out of control. He hates women. That is his
operating motivation. He needs to take away the power which they 
have over him. That is why he killed, and defiled them. However he 
said that if I follow his wishes, I would not be harmed. That is 
against his MO. He kills to get his trophies, getting a sexual 
release out of the act of killing itself. Why does he have a need 
to tell me this? To placate me? To keep me subdued? I am clearly 
at the disadvantage, so why does he offer me this hope. His
treatment of the victims indicates that he enjoys the torment that
he puts them through. So why am I so different? '

She eased herself down upon the mattress and pulled the blanket 
up around her neck, leaning against the cold hard wall. The blanket 
was scratchy, irritating the sensitive skin of her legs further. 
She brought her hands down under the thin covering and dropped 
them into her lap.

' He clearly is attracted to idea of revenge. This must be 
considered due to the circumstances. Mulder and I put him away. I 
was the one that he chose and I got away. Revenge can be the 
greatest of motivators. However how will be exacted that upon me? '

Scully shivered from the images, which flashed through her mind's
eye. What he had done to those women, had bothered her 
tremendously then and did so even more now. She shut herself off 
to such thoughts, burying them deeply within her psyche where they 
would not be given the light of day to flourish. Scully sucked in 
a deep breath, centering her inner self. She needed to concentrate 
on keeping herself alive until help arrived. She needed to be 
exactly what he wanted her to be to insure her survival until they 
would come for her. And she knew that would be soon. She prayed 
that it would be soon.



                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Day 1 
Syracuse Regional Office
FBI
1400hrs 

Mulder sat quietly at the desk in the crowded, artificial region 
of the bull pen. Mulder's hands were joined in the slender expanse 
of his wool clad lap. He rubbed his thumbs together in nervous
tension, his calluses there producing a slight rubbing friction. 
He sat there reclined in a quite uncomfortable chair, his feet 
perched precariously upon the flush cool surface of the desk as he 
stared at the blinking cursor upon the computer monitor.

Mulder closed his eyes, trying to will away the hazy, 
impressionistic chimeras which swirled through his mind in a 
disjointed manner. He kept seeing the faces of the woman that the 
killer had taken, their eyes begging for closure they knew that he 
could only grant. But now the faces were joined by another, now
Scully's visage stirred with them. Mulder took a deep breath, 
sweat and stale coffee mingling to create an offensive odor which 
assaulted his keen olfactory senses. It was magnified by it being 
trapped in the poorly ventilated office, and caused his stomach to 
feel slightly queasy.

Mulder reopened his eyes, the glare of the screen reflecting off 
of his wire rim glasses. His hazel eyes scanned the page, the orbs
reading the words before him which he had written.

' The killer is male and is between the ages of 18-40. He is most 
probably white, and of above average intelligence. He is an 
underachiever, never having accomplished much in his life. In his 
personal life he is quiet, probably even shy. He is average in 
appearance, so much so that he blends in with the masses. His 
personal history is complicated. He was a victim of neglect or 
abuse, but not necessarily physical in nature. This abuse caused a 
displacement of values which was influenced by the tremendous 
anger which he held for those who he believes are responsible. In 
this case, women. This probably relates back to a dominant woman
early in his formative years which mistreated him.

He seeks to gain back the power and dominance, which he feels, 
was taken from him. So starting in vivid fantasy life, he lived 
out his needs, taking away the power which the women held over him,
gaining it for his own. However, this doesn't suffice for to long, 
and he began to live these out with the real objects which he 
longed to defile.

>From the carefully maintained lack of clues concerning these acts
and the obvious forethought involved in procuring his victims,
combined with the need for his victims to be found; He is a highly
organized social deviant. This is a game to him. He wants to taunt
us. He is very articulate and will often follow his crimes closely,
seeking the attention which he needs.

He gains a sexual release, power based from his defilement of his 
victims. He stalks them quite frequently, taking control from the 
very start. He plans carefully, then strikes, using drugs etc to 
subdue his victims due to his feelings of inadequacy. Once 
captured, he likes to torture, physically and emotionally. Once 
his victim had met her demise, he will remove trophies to keep as 
souvenirs, and will dispose of the body carefully in places where
they will be found but not quickly, giving him the time to savor 
his kill as well as still gain the attention which he feels that 
he deserves. The trophies, which he procures, are his way of 
re-experiencing the high which he obtains from his acts. '

Mulder looked up from his computer screen. Why had the killer 
chosen Scully? They hadn't been there very long, not enough time 
to explore her suitability for his needs. He would need more time
to watch her, to gain that control that he needed so badly.

He was organized and highly intelligent. So why had he left so
much hard evidence including prints at the scene. Why had his MO
changed? Killers were creatures of habit, not accepting change
well. And why now? Why Scully? Too many questions, too little
time...
 
So now it was time to get into his head...



                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Unknown time...
Unknown place...


Scully lay upon the lumpy, thin filthy mattress. Her blue eyes 
were sightless, for she had closed them for a few moments. She 
laid on her back, the black skirt which she wore bunched up over
her knees. She could feel the chill of the atmosphere upon her
slender legs, the effect keeping her very much alert. She 
alternately tensed and released the muscles in her body, trying 
to keep it functioning at peak capacity.

As Scully reclined there, she slowly centered her breathing, her
heartbeat and metabolism following in suit, hand in hand, to 
provide herself the rest that she needed, but couldn't afford
to grant, due to the circumstances. Unfortunately, her silent
musings began to center upon a memory, long buried and hopefully
forgotten. It crept from the unconscious recesses of her mind,
like a cat creeping through the fog. It hid behind the darkness,
the silence its food until it manifested, transmogrified into a 
being just as real as life itself, tormenting her very being...

She was lifeless, bitterly cold. A cold so deep, it settled into 
every molecule; her whole body becoming dumb from its unwanted 
presence. From that bone freezing insensateness, she was utterly 
paralyzed. She could comprehend what was going on around her, 
but was prostrate to do anything to save herself.

>From thoughts trapped inwards she looked towards the seeping
darkness. No light, so sound seemed to exist in this world.
A world devoid of life. A world devoid of love, a world not
worth living in.

>From her introspection, she was cognizant of her nakedness; the 
crystallized goo congealing on her gooseflesh graced tissue, a
mantle of shame she would bear from her ultimate humiliation. She 
could also perceive the tortuous, extant alien appendage, which 
made its way down her esophagus, into the depths of her being. It 
gave her life and sustenance just as her mother had done, yet at 
the same time it drained the life from her like her never to be 
born children would have never done. 

As she floated there, she could feel the beast amalgamating, 
within the confines of her corporeal body. The hushed rancorous 
entity, was constituting itself, making its presence known. For 
her, it had been the ultimate form of incursion, the molestation 
of her very anima. She had never believed in demonic possession
per say, but to her this was unfolding right before her eyes.

She remembered praying furtively to God for any supplication, from
this evil within, but her pleas fell upon deafened ears. Then she 
turned to earth, her eyes searching the darkness for humanly 
intervention; desire to be unfettered from her ephemeral symbiotic 
being, prospect to join the existing. However, the only answer to 
meet her desperate entreaties was the poisonous effluvium of 
quagmire which was to be her confinement.

Over time she remembered; her mind, deprived of sensory 
stimulation, reverted to reliving her whole existence until now; 
every single moment of time, in the space of a heartbeat, good and 
bad, reminding her of what she loved and lost. To her it had been 
the virtual happening of the final life review which she had heard 
so much about. Each and every memory replayed with such clarity 
that it was if as she was reliving it all over again. But of all 
the visions which plagued her being the most, Mulder was the most 
incessant. Her love for him haunted her like the cancer which once 
inhabited her body. The knowledge that it would never see the 
light of day, to take flight and to fly, darkening her already 
darkest hour. She was resigned to realize that she would exist 
here for eternity; the host for another. 

Scully shuddered, sitting up quickly into the damp darkness. She 
pushed the memory back into the closet where it lurked violently, 
trying to not let the overwhelming sense of panic which she had 
been fending off for a while, swallow her. A feeling, which she 
fought off often, but she kept it deep within herself, fearing 
her deepest darkest secret would see the light of day and would
doom her to a life marked with failure.

The secret had surfaced itself, just after her abduction. It first
it had been subtle, slight stirrings of nervousness which 
unsettled her thoughts, but over time they seemed to grow, the
feelings taking a strong hold over simple activities of daily
living. Being the conscious woman, that she was, she sought 
help for this growing affliction, and with Karen's help, she
learned to recognize it for what it was.

It was an anxiety based disorder; a fear of enclosed spaces, 
claustrophobia.

It didn't need to be a very small space for her to react, it just
had to be the right time and place. The appropriate trigger; the 
surroundings. They would draw out long buried memories, flashbacks, 
to when she had been missing, held against her will and tested 
upon, by strangers with no faces and with a hidden agenda. The 
anxiety had been augmented after Pfaster had trapped her in 
his tiny, caliginous, putrid closet until he had been ready for 
her. Like a lamb to the slaughter.

She had sat there huddled in the corner as her heart raced and
her lungs burned. She fearfully fought off the vague phantasms 
which threatened to fill her thoughts with unwanted, well 
buried memories. She could still remember hearing him walking 
about, his breaths even and deep as he prepared for her final 
moments upon this earth.

However it had been Antarctica, which had been her most tortuous
test. She had been alert, in almost a dream like state during her
incarceration. Her deep blue eyes searching the swirling darkness
for any light that they could perceive. That ultimate feeling
of helplessness, of total lack of control, her version of hell
on earth. That to her had been the most evil experience of her
life.

Scully listened carefully; she could hear the stirrings of her
captor above, but she tried not to dwell upon his presence for
it served to only stir her fears more. She took deep breaths;
in and out, very slow. She could do this. She was better than
* this * phobia. She was a Scully, and failing wasn't an option.



                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


1900 hrs
Syracuse Regional Office
FBI


" Ladies and gentleman... This is what we have so far. It is as we
suspected. The syringe, was found with trace amounts of 
Scopolamine. Just as with the other victims. From the amount found, 
he had adjusted the dosage to not be fatal to a woman of her size 
and weight. He had just enough to effectively and quickly, I may 
add, knock her out. "

" The blood and hair samples found at the scene were typed and 
cross matched. The samples were from Agent Scully. From that 
evidence we can assume that she was injured during her capture, a 
possible head injury judging from the hair within the blood. "

" From the carpet, we gathered hair, bedspread, and unknown fiber
samples. The samples were wool and cotton respectively.
The wool was of the same color and texture of the suit that
Agent Scully had been wearing earlier that day. The cotton was
unidentified, possibly from the abductor. "

" We have tons of latent prints. Clear and printable. However 
since we * are * talking the FBI fingerprint data base, it might
take a while to process. Even then it might not be catalogued
yet so agents are reviewing hard copies meeting certain criteria 
also. "

" It has been at the least, 12 hours since her abduction. All 
local and federal agencies have pictures of Agent Scully, and the 
tentative profile of our guy. No leads have came in as of yet. We 
have precious little time left. We know what happens to his 
victims so we need to buckle down. We are turning this 
investigation over to AD Skinner and to now SAC Mulder. A parallel investigation, following up on his other victims, will still be 
conducted by me and SAC Barton. I feel that between this two 
pronged approach we may better serve all interested parties, to 
the best of out abilities. All agents are to meet with their new 
SAC's, to receive their new assignments. Dismissed. " With that, 
Bureau Chief Reynolds stepped down from the podium and left the 
front of the room, voices once again speaking to one another.

Mulder watched intently as the mulling crowd of agents stood up 
and started meandering about the office. Mulder reached up and 
loosened the tie up that he had been wearing, its presence more 
than just a little cumbersome.

A flash of red met his tired eyes, and as he gazed over at the 
movement, he saw Anna Barton speaking seriously with her SAC
Reynolds. Mulder took a quick glance at her, and noticed she was 
wearing a bright red suit, not unlike a red suit, trimmed in black 
that he had seen Scully wear in the past.

Mulder felt tears of discommode fill his tired eyes. He took off
his glasses and rubbed his lids with the back of his hand, hoping
to somehow remove the stain of guilt which he wore.

' If we hadn't quarreled, none of this would have happened. You 
would not have been alone, and you would not be in harm's way once 
again. '

Mulder then turned his gaze over to the burley man seated next to
him at the table.

Skinner sat there quietly, a commanding figure, his hands folded
gracefully in his lap. His eyes were narrowed in consideration,
his face stoic, as he quietly sat there, taking in the information
being provided to him.

The loud, shrill ringing of a cell phone, broke the whispering
body of agents into a deadly hush. Agent Reynolds reached in his
pocket and pulled out the phone, his voice barely registering
to outside ears.

Reynolds dark, time etched face broke out into a smile. His
teeth a stark white against the bronze of his countenance. He
nodded quickly, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped
it across his furrowed brow, his slightly receding hairline
glistening with the evidence of his efforts. He put the cloth
back into his pocket, straightening out his black and green
striped tie.

" We have a match... " Reynolds said brightly as the crowd began
to clap and cheer in affirmation. Mulder closed his eyes, saying
a prayer to whatever god would have him. He slid down in his
cheap plastic chair, a sense of relief flooding his heart and
mind with light and warmth. His soul had been dark and cold,
his Truth absent from his life.

" The FBI Crime mainframe as came up with a 100% match. He has a 
prior history, abduction and murder... He was in an institution 
for an assault on a federal officer... " Reynolds stopped speaking
as he continued to listen to the voice on the other end of the 
phone. " Jesus, he is a sick one. DC is faxing all the info as we 
speak... Our boy's name is Donald Addie Pfaster. "

" What! " Mulder jumped to his feet, the coffee, which had been 
sitting on the table before him fell to the floor, the hot liquid 
spilling about his feet. All eyes were trained upon him as he
stepped forward, his hands moving wildly about, as he brought
them to his head in sheer agony. ' I should have known. This was
his MO. Jesus, Scully. I am so sorry. ' Pain surged throughout his
soul, dragging tears to his already swollen eyes. His chest was
heavy, his breaths fighting his own efforts. His heart had 
literally stopped beating in his chest.

Skinner stood up, his face marked with confusion, his eyes full of 
questioning. He brought his hand over to lay upon Mulder's 
shoulder. ' Jesus, Pfaster... '

" Agent Mulder? " Reynolds asked, " you are familiar with this 
man? " He put his phone away, gesturing for his assistant to step 
to the side so that he could get a better view of the agent across 
from him. Judging from Mulder's reaction, he knew that it had to 
be bad.

Mulder began pacing, his anxiety very evident. " Scully was the
agent that he had been arrested for assaulting. " Mulder was in
shock. He would have never suspected that his killer, was in
actuality a killer which Scully and he had pursued years earlier.
A burning nausea began to creep up into the middle of his throat.
It loosened the tethers of his sanity, and released his basal
instincts. ' Pfaster has her. Just like before. This cannot be a 
coincidence. His escaping and eventual re emergence into his 
needs.  Too convenient, too obvious. '

" I don't understand... This guy, who had Agent Scully... " 
Reynolds was confused. He spoke silently to his assistant, and the 
blonde woman walked quickly out of the office. " You have a prior 
history? How? "

Skinner looked over at Mulder, fearful of how Mulder was going to
react to reliving the events surrounding his losing her once
again.

Mulder looked up his memory returning just like it was yesterday.
" Scully and I were called in on a case concerning desecration of
the dead. The agent in charge, Moe Bocks, thought it a possible 
X-File connection with UFOs since the mutilations were similar to
cattle mutilations. But it turned out to be a death fetishist. His 
compulsion, his need, grew to proportions, which drove him to 
escalate his behavior from procuring his desires; hair, nails, 
fingers etc from dead people to killing the living to obtain his 
collection. "

Reynolds shook his head, his carefully combed hair falling out
of place, revealing the bald spot which he had worked so hard
to hide. He closed his dark eyes and continued, " And Agent 
Scully? How did she fit into this? " He was afraid to ask, 
considering the nature of his crimes, but they needed to know.

" After taking his first victim, he had been arrested for 
approaching a student on a college campus. We were visiting a 
potential suspect, in the same cell block where he was being held,
and he saw her. He was released for lack of evidence and stalked
Scully, seeing her as the perfect means to obtain his needs. He
drove her off the road, and just before he was about to kill her, 
she managed to get away. We got there just in time to prevent him 
from making another attempt. " Mulder took a deep breath, letting 
out a shuddery sigh. His hazel eyes were misty, his heart heavy, 
dragging his soul down to the floor below.

" Shit, " Reynolds exclaimed, the other agents murmuring in 
response. He reached up and loosened his tie, pulling the tie off 
and with a flick of his thick wrist, he threw it to the desk 
nearest him. " We have our job cut out for us. " He let out a 
breath also, putting his hands into his pockets. " This cannot be 
a coincidence, this is just too neat. "

" I agree, " Mulder responded as he sat down at the desk that he
had been gracing earlier. " He wanted us here. He wanted a second
chance, to get to her. That is what this was all about. " Mulder 
put his head into his hands, closing his eyes and focusing his 
introspection.

Skinner shook his head, voicing the question which all of the
other agents were to afraid to ask, " He killed all of them, for 
her? " Skinner then walked out from behind the table, stepping up 
to Mulder saying, " How could he have known that you both would be 
sent here? How could he insure that? How could he even be sure 
that you both were still in the bureau? "

Mulder lowered his face once again, guilt overcoming him. He knew 
what Pfaster was capable of, when he had gotten into his mind 
after he had taken her before. His mind was tortuous, twisted, a 
grotesque mimicry of humankind. The caliginous flagitious which 
had resided there, still caused his scalding plasma to run cold 
with pusillanimity. " I am not sure, " he responded honestly, 
" the last time I knew, he was in a psychiatric facility. "

Reynolds nodded and retorted as he scuffed his black shoe across 
the thin carpeting, " That is where we need to start. As soon as 
we have the particulars, we will reconvene. " With that he reached 
over and picked up his tie, as he left the room.

The crowd of agents began to disperse, their clamorous ecstatic 
voices filling the hall, as they left. Skinner stepped up to
Mulder, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. " We will find
her Mulder, " he said softly. " You found her before, and now
we have all of this at our disposal to locate her once again. "

Mulder just nodded, his words failing him at that moment since
his memories of how they had spent their last moments together, 
filled his thoughts with grief. He couldn't bear the thought that 
their last moment was born of anger and fear. ' She was leaving me. 
She had called the airport and was going to leave, because of my 
ignorance. I hurt her, like I have done in the past, and now 
because of that she is in danger. I have to find her, I have to. 
There is no margin for error. Her life is at stake. '


                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Unknown time...
Unknown Place...


A flash of bright light flooded the black night of her soul. 
Scully sluggishly roused from the deep meditative state which she 
had been existing in, seeking out the light which beckoned to her. 
She could hear someone moving the deadbolt to her prison, the 
sound of scraping metal against wood, causing her hair to stand on 
end.

She turned over, grunting loudly with the violent response that
her debilitated body gave her. She slowly brought herself up to 
the standing position, preparing for any foe that she may meet.

>From her vantage point, she could see the door open, the light
from the upper level flooding her vision like a long lost friend.
The sudden brightness temporarily blinded her, but after a few
seconds her eyes compensated for the change. Appearing from that 
flood of illumination, Pfaster slowly descended down the stairs, 
his presence almost eclipsing the light around him. As he walked 
down, each floor board creaked in turn under the bulk which 
stepped upon it.

Scully backed up slowly, her senses on full alert. She couldn't 
let him see her weakness. That would be her down fall. She needed 
to be aware of what he required of her, but still remain resolute 
to keep whatever upper hand that she may possess. A penetrative 
frigidity went through her slight frame, and she suppressed the 
shudder which pulsed through her.

" So, how do you like the accommodations? " Pfaster asked as he 
walked up to Scully. He brought his hands out of his pockets to 
gesture around the room around her. " I hope that they are 
adequate. " Pfaster finished in his low monotone voice. His 
expressionless eyes took in her tired, harried appearance with 
interest.

Scully studied Pfaster carefully noting the ever present gun; hers,
tucked into his waistband. " They will do, " Scully retorted as she 
straightened her back until the effort tore at her physique. She 
reached down and smoothed out the smooth cloth of her skirt, more 
out of nervousness than out of necessity.

Pfaster reached out to attempt to touch her cheek, but Scully 
leaned away from his advances as he asked, " You were injured when 
I picked you up. Are you all right? " Pfaster smiled at her attempt 
to thwart his advances, her strength still fresh in his thoughts 
over all of the years that they had been separated. He studied her
face carefully, the resulting bruise had slid down her forehead 
and blended into the edge of her brow. Purples, reds and blacks
heralded the quite sizeable gash which now was dried and angry
looking.

Scully lifted up her chin, her deep blue eyes full of ice, " I am 
fine. " She brought her arms up to cross over the length of her
chest, leaning her weight to one side slightly. ' What is he up 
to? '

A flash of anger went through Pfaster's visage. ' She is so smug.
She thinks that she has some hope. She has no clue of what I have
in store for her. I will win. Then I will take my place in the 
light. '" You know, " Pfaster said as he turned to slowly walk 
around her, his eyes never leaving the burning vision before him, 
" they are not looking for you. They never will. You will remain
her for the rest of your life, with me. "

Scully shook her head, her mussed hair falling about her face in
tussled waves, " No, that is where you are wrong. They will find 
me. " She met his gaze with equal intensity, musing silently, ' I 
am not letting you get to me. I am better than this... '

" No, I don't think so, " he retorted with an evil smile. This was
better than he ever imagined. He could feel the life already 
filling his dark soul. " They do not even know that there is 
anything wrong. And when they find out, it will be too late. " He 
continued to walk around her, sizing up the woman which showed no 
fear towards him. ' I knew that you were the one. You will redeem 
me. '

Scully arched a slender brow, steeling her faltering resolve as
much as she could manage. His words struck fear down into the very
anchors of her existence. She inquired as she shook her head in 
disbelief, " What do you mean they don't even know anything is 
wrong? When they discover that I am missing... "

" They do not know that you are missing, " Pfaster interrupted his
smile growing wider by the moment. " I have seen to it. I have
taken you lead, and made it look like that you have left town.
I have emptied your room, filled your plane reservations, and
even left a note for your partner... "

If Scully had been scared before, she was now petrified. What if 
they didn't know she was gone? He could have made it look like 
that she had left. ' Skinner, Mulder would call Skinner... " But 
Skinner... "

" Received an email from you requesting a LOA for time being. 
Your laptop was very helpful. " Pfaster finished as his eyes 
twinkled with the pleasure which he was receiving from dashing 
her hopes.

Scully shook her head in denial, and looked down at her feet.
' Oh God. No one knows that I am gone. I am in this alone. '
Scully felt a flash of burning fear encircle her heart and darken
her soul. She knew that this was up to her. She needed to be
the one to save herself, for there was no white knight on a
trusty steed to free her from her bonds. She looked back up
at his very pleased face and retorted, " Why did you bring me 
here? How did you know? " If she was her last best hope, she 
needed to better understand the motives of the dark man before 
her.

" This was all a game, " he replied, eager to begin the next phase
of his plans. " The case, the girls. All designed to bring you
here. I knew that they would bring you and he here, sooner or 
later. And to insure that, my ace in the hole, the lovely but
unsuspecting Anna Barton. " Pfaster smiled as he started to
step from her. He knew that she was going to become angry and
possibly violent. She would break, all of them did after a while. 
But knowing that the syringe in his pocket and her gun were close 
at hand, made him feel that much more secure.

Scully closed her eyes, as tears came to the surface. They were 
hot and biting, full of frustration and pain. She swallowed hard,
speaking in a soft pleading voice, " You killed them all for me, 
why? " She lowered her face from his piercing gaze, her death
complete. So many lives, given to bring her here. So many dreams
tossed into the swirling seas of eternity, for a twisted idea
which this madman held.

Pfsater took a deep breath. ' Now begins our journey. ' " You are 
the one. The one to free me from all of this. You are the only one 
who is worthy enough to love me. And through that I will receive 
salvation. You are so close, to becoming. When you are finally 
free of your ties, you will be ready. Then I will be complete. "

Scully looked back up at his, dark hazel meeting tear filled 
azure, " Complete? " He was deliberately speaking in riddles. This 
frightened her. Usually she knew that meant more mental 
instability on the speakers part. His own vision so clouded and 
confused, the words which he wished to say failed him.

Pfaster smiled once again and began to slowly walk back to the 
bottom of the stairs. He needed to rest, to make his plans for
the next step. She still wasn't ready, she needed to be pure.
"  That is enough for now, you know all that you need to know for
a while, " he answered softly as he began to climb the stairs to 
his self imposed hell. ' Soon I will be free. Soon I will take my 
place out there, until then I will be patient. '

" I am hungry and thirsty, " Scully offered before he reached the 
top of the stairs. She would rather not eat or drink anything from
him at this point, but she sensed that she was in no immediate
danger. He had gone to an awful lot of trouble to bring her
here, so she would be safe for a while. She knew that to escape,
she would need to be strong, physically as well as emotionally,
so she needed to take good care of herself.

" You need to be purified. You are not ready yet. When it is time,
you will be fortified. I will return and we will talk further.
We have a great future, you and I. " Pfaster continued up the 
steps slowly, as he spoke. He never turned to face her, he just 
opened the door and stepped once again into the light above. He 
tuned off the light, the darkness once again invading the room, 
like a soldier hiding from the enemy.

Scully slowly crumpled to the floor, the tears, which she had been
hiding falling like hot spring rain, down upon the parched 
desolate landscape of her soul. She cried for her lost freedom, 
she cried for the lives of those given for her to be here, and she 
cried for her loss of hope and confidence. Her silent sobs blended 
into the stark silence, her voice only being beheld by the God 
which seemed, to have forsaken her for the time being...


                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*


Syracuse Regional Office
FBI
2100 hrs 

" I am here Scully... I am here... " Mulder said as he stood 
looking down at the spring touched courtyard below, his hand 
wrapped around the cross which he had worn since her abduction. He 
brought his slender hand up and ran his fingers through his hair, 
mussing the already tangled mop of dark hair. 

The misty black clouds swirled violently, shrouding the weeping
sky in a veiled heated sea of mystery. As Mulder stood there,
his tired gaze mesmerized by the hypnotic quality of the clouds,
he listened to the rush of the pouring rain fall down upon the
ground below, a staccato beat done in nature's own time.

He glanced at the trees, just beginning to bear the evidence of
their renewing life, the lone silent sentinels of his discourse,
the rains shimmering like golden sands in the soft forgiving light.

Mulder closed his sea green touched hazel eyes, the tears once 
again filling their endless depths. He couldn't explain how or why, 
but ever since this morning, he had been almost able to sense what 
Scully was feeling.

It was fleeting, like a spring breeze; light and gently caressing.
But never the less acknowledged.

Fear; an overwhelming sense of dread unlike he had ever felt of 
her before.

He could feel the control that she was attempting to exert over 
it, but he also sensed that she was losing the battle fast.

Mulder opened his eyes, allowing the rain-slicked colors of spring
to entertain him momentarily through the water graced sparkling
surface of the window before him.

Bright greens of grass and leaves, were highlighted by the bright
purples, blues, and reds, of the earlier risers which reached
up to embrace the heavens.

The lushness of life about him, only served to remind him of the 
life which he had lost; the life which he needed to get back. The 
only life which had graced his lonely miserable experience for 
seven wonderful years... Scully...

The 5ft plus red headed ball of composed living fire encased in
breathtaking beauty.

Mulder's inward thoughts were interrupted by the gentle sound of
scuffing footsteps against the thin thread of the carpeting.
He looked over to see who dared to approach him for he was not
of a social mood, and a most welcome sight greeted him. Skinner
was approaching with another mug of steaming hot coffee.

" She is scared, " Mulder said emotionlessly, as he once again
looked back out the window, trying to somehow better connect
with his life absent, by joining with nature.

Skinner stepped in front of him, passing him the mug. He also
glanced out the window as he spoke softly, " I am sure that she
is but... "

" She is... " Mulder interrupted strongly, " I can feel it. She is 
trying hard to be strong. She is trying so hard, but she is so 
tired, she doesn't know if she can hold on much longer. " He 
remained stoic, his breathing deep and carefully measured as if 
he was breathing for both he and Scully.

" You can feel her? " Skinner asked as he searched Mulder's face.
He believed him. He knew them to have a very special bond which
bound them closer than anything substance known in nature. It
would stand to reason that their time together had also 
strengthened emotional empathy between them.

" She is cold, it is dark. She feels so alone, so afraid. For some 
reason she feels as if she is... lost out there all alone without
anyone. Doesn't she know that I am here? Doesn't she know that I 
will be her strength when she becomes weak? " Mulder asked to no 
one in particular. He brought his hands around the mug tighter, the 
pain from the intense heat searing through the well callused palms 
of his hands. He welcomed the pain; he cherished it. It reminded 
him that they were both still alive and that there was still hope.

Skinner brought his broad hand up to his furrowed brow, and wiped 
off the perspiration when had collected there, " She does know. I 
am sure of that. But for now Mulder, I need you to come back... "

Mulder's jaw dropped, his surprise very evident as he interrupted, 
" Sir, but Scully..."

" Needs you, " Skinner interrupted back. He shook his head and
continued, his eyes narrowed and stern, " She needs you to be here,
looking for her. She needs you to get into his head and figure out
what he is really up to. She needs you to be the one that she can
count on. That means you have to be here. "

Mulder looked over at him, and took a sip of the bitter hot liquid.
He knew Skinner was right. He knew that is was up to him. Scully
needed him here, to seek her and Pfaster out. He swallowed the
scalding substance, the liquid burning a hole into his gut where it 
sat, fueling the fire which already existed. Mulder nodded, the 
message clear in his hazel eyes. 

Out of the periphery of his vision, he could see Agent Barton, 
making her way through the small group of agents which had 
remained after the meeting. As she came to stand in from of him 
she nodded to Skinner and said softly, " May I speak to Mulder for 
a moment? "

Skinner nodded and stepped away, saying to Mulder, " Remember what
I said, here... " And with that he walked away, knowing that
he had reached Mulder in that dark cold place where he had been
consoling himself.

Mulder looked quietly over Agent Barton. She was the last person
that he wanted to talk to at this point. He was confused enough 
about things, he didn't need an added distraction. " Yes? " he 
asked quietly as he raised both of his brows in mock curiosity.

Barton looked down at her feet. She looked up and let out a soft
breath in contemplation. Her first attempt at seduction was a big
flop. She could feel him responding to her; yet he had sent her
away. She knew why, Scully. He obviously cared about her a great
deal more than she had thought. And now that she was a ' ghost ',
Scully was something she couldn't fight. She would have to back 
off for now. Until Scully either died or returned, and she 
preferred the latter. For death, which Scully definitely didn't 
deserve * would * create martyrdom, a state that she knew she 
couldn't compete." I would like to apologize for last night, " she 
started off saying as she brought up her hand to her chin in 
thought, " I normally don't come on so strong. "

Mulder just shook his head and gazed once again out at the falling
rain as he responded, " It's ok. " He wished that she would just
leave but the dejected look on her face that she wore told him
she wasn't leaving soon. Mulder put his hands back into his pocket
and he smiled weakly.

" No, it isn't ok, " she replied as she brought her hand back onto
his forearm. " I just find you so attractive and I thought that 
you were attracted to me that... I thought that I had a chance. I 
know that now is not the time so I will make this brief... Scully 
obviously cares about you a great deal, and I can see that the 
feelings are quite reciprocated. " She took her hand off his arm 
and stepped towards him, I should have seen it sooner. " She 
struggled to make each and every word honest and supportive.
She needed to get on his good side, to take credit when all was 
done. This would also allow her to be there for him, ensuring that
she would still be on his mind after Scully was returned for good
or for bad.

Mulder looked at her, his hazel eyes clouded with thought, " We 
aren't like that. We are just... "

" I know. Good friends. I would really like to be your friend,
and help you through this." She interrupted as she nodded her head, 
her dark eyes full of forced sadness. This was going to be easy.
He was so disconcerted that he really was clueless as to her 
agenda. Earn his trust and everything else would fall into place.

" Yes... " Mulder said softly, as he closed his eyes, his 
lassitude sapping every ounce of energy left within him. He wasn't
really listening to her, her words floating by him with the air
conditioner's currents.

" Well then, we had better get to work. " With that she smiled 
brightly and nodded slowly, trying to appear as sincere as 
possible. Staying in his good graces would have their benefits 
indeed.

Mulder and Barton were disturbed from their individual thoughts 
as a loud chorus of mixed voices began to enter the auditory 
landscape. Both turned around as Bureau Chief Reynolds entered 
with his assistant, Skinner not far behind. The entourage walked 
up to the front of the conference room, a small group of agents 
following closely behind.

" Ladies and gentleman, " Reynolds stated as the crowd grew hush.
" The Minneapolis bureau has faxed us the dossier that we have 
been waiting for. " With that several agents began to pass out
yellow bound packets to everyone in the room. "  Enclosed is a 
picture, and the original profile which Agent Mulder had been
responsible for. Our man, Donald Pfaster... Was in a state mental
institution for years after being convicted of aggravated assault
and kidnapping of a federal officer. After what they deemed 
successful treatment, he was allowed to enter a sheltered work 
release program. One day while the group was traveling out on a
bus to the site, it crashed head on into a drunk driver, killing 
all on board. The resulting fire was so intense that the bodies
were cremated. Since all 7 bodies were found and accounted for,
it was assumed that he was one of the causalities. In searching
his things, at our request, they found that he had been doing
more than reading on the internet. As you can see from the various
clippings enclosed, he followed Agent's Scully and Mulder very
carefully, from afar. He has know about every single case which
they have been on that has made the news anywhere... "


" Oh God no, " Agent Barton muttered as she slowly looked through
the packet which had been handed to her. She could still hear 
Bureau Chief Reynolds talking, but her thoughts were a thousand 
miles away. She fingered the picture, which she held before her, 
her heart sinking into the bottom of her chest. The photo was cool 
and slick under her now sweaty palms, she could feel what was left 
of her heart bounding fiercely in her chest.

Mulder had been listening intently to the Bureau Chief assigning
the teams, but Barton's soft exclamation and pale features caught
his eye. He knelt down beside her, her face drawn and her mouth 
wide open revealing her perfect white teeth. " Are you all 
right? " Mulder asked softly as he looked down at the picture that 
she was gazing intently at.

" It's him, " she replied as she looked back up at Mulder. " It's 
Henry Baickle. " She closed her eyes and a shudder of revulsion
ran the length of her body. She would have never guessed. He 
seemed like a normal decent, even attractive kind of a guy.

>From across the room, Reynolds had seen the events taking place
separate from his attentions. He had stopped talking momentarily
and had heard a name which was very familiar to him. " Henry 
Baickle, the newspaper guy? " Reynolds questioned with amazement, 
his voice low and controlled.

" What? You know him? " Skinner questioned as he looked down at
his copy of the photo. He looked back up at Reynolds, and then
at Barton.

Barton stood up shakily, smoothing down the line of her skirt in
nervousness. She tucked her hair behind her ears and began to 
speak, " We have an outreach program, where SU Criminal Justice
students intern here for a few weeks near the end of their
program. A student reporter from their college newspaper 
approached us a few months ago about following some of the 
student's experiences during their tour of duty. This was the guy. 
I was assigned to be the liaison between he and the department.

" This is the connection. But how did he know that we would be
the ones that were assigned? " Mulder asked as he looked over
at Barton.

She lowered her head and sighed softly, " He approached me just 
after the third woman was found. He asked if we would be calling 
in a profiler, since we do not have one here on staff. He said 
that the best profiler that he had ever heard of was a Fox Mulder 
out of DC. I did some research and... "

" Do you know where he lives? " Mulder asked quietly, hopefully

guarded.

" No, but SU would have an address, I would think. " She replied
a broad smile blossoming across the now pink skin of her visage. 
She had been feeling pretty low, for she had been the one to 
unwittingly draw Mulder and his partner to the trap that Pfaster 
had set for them. Being duped was something that she couldn't 
stand. But now she had recourse. She would be the one to bring him 
in. This would be her chance at greatness.

Reynolds smiled in turn and gestured to her. " Barton, you take 
Miller and Jenkins, and go to the campus. See what you can find. 
Agent Mulder, I need a clearer profile of Pfaster. This one that 
we have is old, it is clearly not reflective of his new state of 
mind. " With that he stood up straight and tucked his shirt further 
into his dress pants. " Let's make this good guys, we have very 
little time left. "

Mulder nodded at Barton as she left with her assigned agents. He 
knew that they wouldn't find anything. That would be too easy. 
Pfaster was playing a game, a game that he planned to win, and 
both he and Scully were his guests. He wasn't done yet. The game 
wasn't up. Mulder knew that it would be up to Pfaster to make the 
next move, it would be up to them to take it from there.

As the crowd went about their appointed duties, Skinner walked up
to Mulder, his mind thinking just as Mulder's was. Skinner rubbed
his hand across the strong line of his jaw, his eyes were dark
and narrowed, "  We both know that they will not find a thing.
He is too smart. "

Mulder nodded and sat down at the desk next to him, taking another
sip of the now quickly cooling coffee. The rain continued to
fall gently, washing away the sins of man below. Nature was 
doing its part in annihilating the evil which parched the land,
now it was time for man to do the same.



                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Unknown time...
Unknown place...

A small figure sat leaning upon the cool, smooth wall. Her bright
eyes were closed, focused upon a vision which was only visible
to her...

" You don't need me Mulder. You've never have. I've only held you 
back, " Scully remembered declaring to him as she bit on her lip 
trying to will back the tears which threatened to fall. She 
couldn't deal with this any more. Seeing the hurt in his eyes was 
way to much for her. She remembered, turning and walking for the 
door uttering in plaintive defeat, " I've gotta go. "

As she walked down the hall, she could remember feeling the tears 
of profound loss and grief, as they washed over her already 
shattered soul, sending shards of it to floor beneath her feet. 
As she walked down the hall, she could remember Mulder's presence
behind her as he spoke in desperation, his voice strong and true, 
" You're wrong. "

She could still see the pain, which was etched deeply over his 
strained face. She could remember that she needed to escape; she 
needed to hide from the tremendous pain which ripped through her 
soul and tormented her heart. " Why was I assigned to you? To 
debunk your work. To rein you in. To shut you down. "

She could still see the love and honesty in his eyes as she 
recalled the words that she had spoken to her, " You've saved me, 
Scully. " Scully could still feel the heat of his hands on her
shoulders, " As difficult and frustrating as it's been sometimes, 
your goddamn strict rationalism and science have saved me a 
thousand times over. You've... you've kept me honest and made me 
a whole person. I owe you everything Scully and you owe me nothing. 
I don't know if I want to do this alone. I don't know if I can. 
And if I quit now, they win... " His baring his soul to her so 
intimately had been the most important moment in her life. 

She could still feel the brush of her warm lips on his cool brow; 
his soft sweet breaths like gentle butterfly's wings against her 
skin, the warmth and softness of him in her arms, and she could
still feel the warm fullness of his lips as they brushed hers just
before the terrible night came to claim her...

Scully suddenly opened her eyes, her vision's only perception,
the darkness about her. She had tried to hard to fight off the
anxiety that the darkness brought her, and as a result she had 
been hiding safely away in her mind, where there was no darkness,
only light, pure and soul lifting.

However, whenever she tried to think of bright thoughts that would
lift her spirits, she found herself thinking of Mulder and of
all of the times that she had spent with him. She knew that this
wasn't the time and place, but here in the dark, where a multitude 
of sins were hidden, she was at this moment, no longer
Scully, the FBI agent, she was now Dana...

In her real world, she was Scully. A strong, controlled, and 
centered woman. She was refined, no nonsense and simple in her 
presence. She was Scully, and she had faced monsters within and 
without. She had faced them and have never lost her resolve.


But here in the dark, she was Dana. The woman behind the suits
and forced stoicness. She existed in her soul, hidden safely from 
the swirling storm clouds of without. The darkness drew Dana out,
even as she wished her back, for the darkness was not safe. 
Dana was the lover, the dreamer, the spiritualist, the poet and 
yes even the believer.

Scully allowed the existence of Dana to continue, only for that 
she knew that without her, she would be nothing; a mere shell
of a human being without life, another Fellig, and she would
never let that happen.

She knew that she needed to keep her wits about her, for she 
needed to be at her most alert, so she graciously allowed whatever
memories which her thoughts needed to focus, even if they were
unrealistic. The memory, which had been playing before her was
precious, for it had meant the world to her. And even though it
now was proven false for what she had thought what it had meant,
she still clung to it with a strength unparalleled. It had been
the proof of her faith for so long, that she wasn't going to give 
it up now. She needed the strength that it brought her, to face 
the fate which had befallen her.



                      *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Day 2 
Syracuse Regional Office
FBI 
1600 hrs.

Mulder sat quietly at the desk that he had been sitting at for
ten hours straight. He stretched his long, cramped legs out below
the surface of the desk, the material feeling a little more than
sticky in the sweltering heat. He brought his slender hands up to
his hair and ran his fingers through it, the greasiness present
more than unnerving for him.

Mulder had long ago abandoned his suit jacket and tie and now had
his short unbuttoned way down below the sweaty T-shirt that he
was wearing. He brought his hand down to grasp the countless mug
of coffee that he had been ingesting. The agents which had been in
the office overnight had ordered pizza, but his nonexistent 
appetite had prevented him from eating any. He had been working on
a more complete profile of Pfaster, his walk into the darkness 
which was evil, had kept him more than focused. It had been long 
night, and an even longer day. The investigation at SU had proven 
to be pointless, as they had feared.

Pfaster had given a false information concerning his address and
had paid his tuition with money orders that were not traceable.
He was attending classes, part time with a concentration in
religious studies. No one that he had been acquainted with had
anything to add about him, other than he was quiet and well
mannered. He also had not attended class since Scully's abduction,
which was of no surprise to Mulder, for his schooling was just
a means to and end for him.

Mulder closed his eyes, willing his depletion to cease.  From
the weary recesses of his reason, he began to recall the words
of a song which he had heard earlier on in the day, on the radio
playing in the lounge. He hadn't recognized the artist, for this
station wasn't his usual style, but the words had caught his
attention...


' Spend all your time waiting,
for that second chance,
for a break that would make it okay...'

' There's always some reason,
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day... '

That was the story of his life, always waiting... never feeling
good enough.

' I need some distraction,
oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins... '

' Let me be empty,
and weightless then maybe,
I'll find some peace tonight... '

Scully was that release, for she was the only one to chase
away the burning memories which haunted his every waking moment.

' In the arms of an angel,
fly away from here,
from this dark cold hotel room,
and the endlessness that you fear... '

' You are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie,
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here... '

She was his salvation, his comfort. She gave him life, she gave
him hope. She filled his heart with love and released the fear
which he felt.

Mulder opened his eyes, the bullpen's activity once again catching
his gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Skinner
making his way towards the corner where he was sequestered.
Skinner hadn't left the office either, but had managed to shower 
and shave so he appeared as fresh as ever. Mulder took another sip
of the coffee as Skinner came to a stand before him, his glasses
taking in the man before him.

" I called Maggie Scully, " Skinner said softly as he sat in the
chair next to him. He brought his hands into his lap, and
enfolded his fingers. " She's strong, just like Scully. She gave
me a message to give to you, she says that she has faith in you.
If anyone can find her, you can. She knows that you will bring her
home. "

Mulder just lowered his head, letting out a soft breath as he did.
" I have been working on that updated profile on him. I am almost
done. I don't know how much help it will be, but we will 
understand him better. He then looked back up at Skinner, his now 
dark eyes, full of pain. " I have to find her sir, I... "

" You will, we will. Keep the faith, Lord knows that you have
enough for all of us, " Skinner interrupted as he nodded his head 
in affirmation. Skinner could see the toll this was taking out of 
him. His visage heralded back to when Scully had been abducted 
before. This scared him. He knew Mulder to be fragile, reliant 
upon Scully to help keep him together, and with his digging into 
the dark thoughts of Pfaster, he was more concerned than ever.

A shrill ring, caused the two men to jump slightly. Both reached
for their cell phones, but in an instant realized that it was
Mulder's.

" Mulder... " Mulder said into the phone as he leaned back into
the hard surface of the wood behind him. He brought his stiff
legs out in front of him, and brought his feet up to rest on the
edge of the desk.

A disembodied voice spoke softly it's tone clear and resonant, 
" Hello, Mr. Mulder... I think I have something that you might be 
very interested in. "

" Pfaster... " Mulder hissed as his feet fell to the floor, with a 
heavy thud. His heart began to race, his face felt flushed. He 
knew that he would contact him, he had been prepared but the 
reality of it was still irrepressible.

Skinner stood up quickly, speaking in hushed tones to the other
agents about, the participants scattering to all points of the
wind. He picked up his cell phone and dialed out, trying to get a 
cellular trace on the call.

" You are as brilliant as they say you are... " The voice responded 
with a slight chuckle.

" How is Scully? " Mulder asked as he listened intently to the 
call. He carefully examined the background noise, which was present, 
hoping for any clue which could lead him to her.

" You are not in a position to ask any questions Mr. Mulder. 
* Dana * is fine. I will protect her. She is safe... " The voice
retorted strongly, his voice low and controlled.

Mulder knew how to talk to him, his mind reaching for reflective
listening techniques which he had learned in hostage negotiation
classes, " How is she safe Pfaster? " He brought the phone 
between his head and his shoulder, freeing the hand that he had 
been using to begin to jot down the conversation. 

" I would never harm her, she is the one, Mr. Mulder. She is my 
savior. My Salvation. She and she alone can bring me into the 
light... " Pfaster informed him, his bass voice showing no
inflection. 

" What light, tell me about the light? " Mulder asked as he
quickly jotted down the conversation. He knew that he needed to 
get further into his thoughts, make Pfaster feel like he was being
listened to, make him feel important. He knew that this would
get Pfaster to open up further, thus possibly making a mistake
which would be his fatal one.

" I have lived in the darkness, Mr. Mulder. I have existed in the 
depths that evil provides its disciples. Searching for my 
redemption. Do you know what it is like to live like that? " 
Pfaster questioned softly, his voice betraying his hurt.

" Yes, yes I do, " Mulder conceded, his eyes filling with tears.
He did know. He too lived in the colors of the night. He also
walked that road, his heart and soul immersed in the darkness
which it brought.

Skinner looked over at him, putting his now silent cell phone
down. He could see from the stunned look on Mulder's face that
he was connecting with him. Even though he knew that Mulder
really didn't need anymore darkness at this point, his
connection might be the very thing that would save Scully, 
in the end.

" She is very special, " Pfaster continued to share with Mulder, 
" I knew that from the time that I first saw her. She is touched, 
graced by God. She can give redemption. She can give me 
redemption, * give * me my humanity. She is part of the one, the 
vessel of its power. She has the power and she will give me it, 
freeing myself of this earthy excrement. "

Mulder squeezed his eyes tight, forcing his thoughts to become one
with him. He could feel his thoughts, blending with his, becoming
one... " How... How will she grant it, Pfaster? " Mulder questioned
firmly, trying to get him to open up further.

Pfaster chuckled softly, his voice thick and even, " Why, Mr. 
Mulder, Do you really need to ask me that? I think you know how. "

A burning anger rose up from his soul, as Mulder dropped the
pad which he had been hen scratching upon the table as he sat
up stiffly, " If you lay a hand on her... " Mulder hissed his 
voice angry and threatening.

Skinner reached over and placed his hand down on Mulder's forearm,
squeezing it firmly. He shook his head, his eyes narrowed and
piercing. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to piss Pfaster off,
and threatening him just might accomplish that. Scully's life was 
dependant upon Pfaster's mental state.

" Please. I am not the monster that you believe me to be. When I 
am done, I will not have to force her, " Pfaster retorted, his 
voice dripping with ice. " There are more subtle ways of achieving 
my goals. For now I am finished, but I will call again. " And with 
that the line went dead, Mulder slammed his phone down on the 
table, catching the attention of the other agents still within the 
room.

Skinner questioned quickly, " What did he say? " He leaned forward
to get a peak at the yellow pad before him.

Mulder reached for the pad, quickly handing it to Skinner. He
was at a loss for words at this point. His heart was too busy
shattering at his feet upon the cheaply carpeted floor. He closed
his eyes once again, the words of the song once again filling his
thoughts.

Skinner quickly looked down at the pad, his face displaying the
dismay that Mulder was feeling. He knew that this was bad, but
he wasn't aware of how bad it really was. ' Oh, God. ' He mused
as he looked at the heart broken man before him, his own heart
breaking for the both of them...



                 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Unknown time...
Unknown place...

>From behind the closed lids of her equidistant deliberations, 
Scully noticed that the overhead light had been turned on. She 
quickly brought her now unsteady stance up to its full height. She 
could tell that her body was suffering greatly from the duress 
which it was having inflicted upon it. 

Her eyes were sore from the darkness which she found herself most
of the time immersed in, the lack of fluid drying out her eyes
greatly. Her mouth was dry, and her output was slowing, the urine
becoming more concentrated and pungent with each voiding.

She found that her thoughts were becoming sluggish, harder to
focus. She knew that it was all related to her growing condition
of dehydration, and until she received hydration, it would
only grow worse.
 
Suddenly the door opened, and a looming shadow began to ascend
the stairs towards her. She stepped back, making sure that their
was enough space between them as he came to a halt before her,
his eyes dark and cold.

" Dana... " Pfaster said softly as he walked up to her, his hazel
eyes shining in the dim light. He scanned her carefully. She was
quite a sight. Her golden red hair mussed, her clothing wrinkled
and quite soiled. He was impressed. For so far as she had been
there, she had not once lost control in his presence. Her eyes,
remained focused and controlled. He knew her to be strong, but
she was * strong *. She would take more work than he had 
anticipated, but he didn't mind. It would make her surrender that
much sweeter.


"Pfaster... " Scully replied as she stood up straight in front of
him. ' I need to be on level with him, he needs to see me strong
and resolute. ' She would not show him fear, for she knew that was
what he wanted. He needed to feel in control, her at his mercy,
but she would show no fear. ' Let him think that he does have me,
but he will not know my surrender... ' She smoothed her skirt down
over her slender thighs, and out of the corner of her eyes, she
caught him carefully watching him during her actions. She could
see a dilatation of his eyes and a quickening of his breaths.
She silenced a shudder, a primitive realization hitting her like
a cold wave. ' Shit, I turn him on. '

" I am impressed, " Pfaster said as he walked in a semi circle,
back and forth about her. She was beautiful, no doubt. He had 
found other women as beautiful, but he had never been sexually 
aroused in such a way that he would want to have intercourse with 
them, they were too dirty... But not Dana, she was worthy. She 
would give him new life. " You haven't slept at all since I 
brought you here. "

" And I won't... " She replied, her voice firm, her fear 
sublimated. She still saw the hazy, muted faces, which played 
before her on occasion, but she had learned to tune them out. She 
knew he was evil, of this she had no doubt. She also knew that 
this was her subconscious's way of dealing with the human monster 
before her, for evil would never be thought to lie within the 
average boy next door.

" You need to save your strength, " Pfaster informed her, 
genuinely worried about her condition. She seemed all right for 
the moment, but for what he had planned, she would need to be in 
peak form. However the cleansing was needed, to rid her of the 
evil which she was tainted with.

Scully shook her head, her sapphire blue eyes narrowed, as she 
gestured about her. " Why * have * you brought me here. You said 
that you would bring me provisions. You feign concern, yet you are 
harming me. " She continued to hold fast to her ground as his dark 
emotionless eyes pierced right through to her very soul.

Pfaster stood there fugaciously, his face stoic and unreadable.
Then a smile broke across its flat planes, a grin as evil as she
could ever imagine, " You are fasting... " He brought his hands
into his pockets, trying to quell the burning desire which was
flowing through him.

Scully was confused, " Fasting? For what? " She brought her hands
up in front of her and crossed them across her chest. She couldn't
be sure, but she thought that she noticed an decrease in the
temperature whenever he was near. However, she had chalked it up 
to the menace which he posed to her; her physiologic reaction to 
the stress which he induced in her.

Pfaster nodded to himself, as he spoke carefully. ' It is time,
she needs to know. She needs to prepare herself for her fate.  
" You need to be pure. You need to be clean to redeem me. You are 
going to give me back my humanity. " He stopped pacing and stepped 
up to her, his large frame dwarfing the slight red head before him.

Scully arched a slender brow, and tilted her head, a strand of
her quite messy hair falling across the curve of her cheek, 
almost obscuring her vision, " And how will this occur? " Scully
asked as she stepped up to him. He wasn't going to intimidate
her, even if he was the one to be in control for the moment.


" You will have my child, " Pfaster said nonchalantly, as he 
brought his hands to his hips, taking one more step towards his 
prisoner.

Scully's jaw dropped to her chest, she felt the bile rise in
her throat. ' Oh my God. ' She thought fearfully, as her heart
began to pound painfully in her chest, " Excuse me? " Scully
barely spit out as she shook her head, " A child... " He 
obviously didn't know. If he did, she wouldn't be here. Of course, 
it wasn't common knowledge that she was sterile. She wasn't sure 
if she wanted to know this, for she knew the answer already, but 
she needed to hear it from him, " And how do you propose to get me 
pregnant? "

Pfaster grinned even wider, his eyes full of lust, " The usual 
way, with a little augmentation. " His eyes stared at her, going 
from the top of her head, down to the bottom of her bare feet. He 
had planned on waiting a while longer, but he knew that he 
wouldn't be able after all. She was here, and so close. He would 
need to bring up the timetable to speed.


Scully closed her eyes, tears filling the sky blue depths. It was 
as she had feared. Not only was she at his mercy totally, she was 
* at * his mercy. She brought her arms tighter around herself and 
uttered, " No... " She could feel the hysteria rising up in her. 
How could she fight off a man, twice as big as her? Sure, she 
could try, but shackled she would not be able to go anywhere. 
Eventually he would get to her, and what then? How far would he go 
to insure his progeny? ' What happens when he finds out I cannot 
conceive? What will he do then? '

Pfaster could see the blatant reaction in his chosen one. Her
fear and revulsion were clear and he spoke quickly to dissuade
her fears, " I am not going to rape you, if that is what you are
thinking. "

Scully just looked at him, as if she was dissecting him piece by
piece, " And you think that I am going to have consensual sex
with you? She shook her head and walked away. She knew that she
had to come up with a plan fast to get away from him. It was
only a matter of time, time that she didn't have in her favor.

Pfaster smiled in reply, and said as he turned to walk up the
stairs, " You will, when it is time. It is your destiny and 
mine. When it is time, you will not be able to resist, for you
will know it is your place to be here with me, and our child.
I brought you here Dana Katherine Scully, and you are mine.
The woman, that you existed as before, no longer inhabits the
world out there. You are being remade, in the image that you need
to be for you to be my vessel, for through you I will be reborn,
whole and complete... " With that he began to climb the narrow
stairs, the board creaking under his tremendous bulk. He had much 
to prepare for, much to do before the time.

Scully was left there, carefully reviewing what he had said.
" They will find me, mark my words. They will find me whatever you
may think. " The light went absent, the thick swirling darkness 
once again enveloping her. She began to pray intensely that they 
would find her. She knew that God always won and never let the 
devil steal the show. But she knew that until that prayers was 
answered, she would have to be her own rescue party.

She lowered herself slowly down to the mattress below. She began
to collect her thoughts, letting their cold matter ground her
firmly to reality. Now that she knew her fate, her fear was more
manageable. Knowing something, makes it that less fearful, for 
then you can plan.




                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Unknown time...
Unknown place...



Donnie Pfaster walked slowly across the dusty hardwoods of his
self made prison. His hard soled dress shoes clicked loudly
upon the floor, kicking up small puffs of dust along the way.

A small smug grin graced his average features, as he walked 
through the front living room, his successful actions pleasing him 
to no end. His months of planning, and careful forethought had 
brought him to this moment, and that knowledge bolstered a very 
damaged, very fragile ego.

' You said that I would never accomplish anything; you said I was 
a failure. You said that no real woman would ever desire me. I 
have proved you wrong, mother. I am able to do anything that I set 
my mind to, you just never let me do so. '

Pfaster sat down upon the still covered davenport, watching 
intently as the small slivers of moonlight began to filter through 
the partially closed shades. The wind moving through the trees 
before the window, caused the fingers of soft light to dance 
merrily upon the dark wall, a signal to him that his 
accomplishment was praised.

Pfaster shifted uncomfortably upon his seat, the rock hard 
erection that he was sporting, more than troublesome.

He rubbed himself roughly, still amazed that she elicited such a
response from him.

For until the day that he had met her, only the dead had aroused 
such passions.

He still remembered that fateful day in that holding cell. When
his eyes had fell upon her personage, everything had changed.
She had proven that he wasn't beyond the light, that all was not
lost. He knew her to be most worthy of his attentions, and when he
had procured her, his life had became complete.

However, when she was taken from him, his life had became from 
that point, a race, which he was determined to win. A race in 
which his immortal soul was at stake, and she was the only light 
in his darkness. He had spent every waking lucid moment thinking 
about how she was the one. He had played their games; well in 
fact. Throughout all of his treatments, attempting to appear 
better, though he knew that they couldn't save him.

When they began to believe the lie, he was allowed more privileges,
given access to their library; to their computers, making his
work that much easier for him to perpetrate his delusions.

Pfaster took a deep breath and brought his hands to his finely 
combed hair, gently checking to see that it was still in place. He
leaned back, allowing the icy silence to fill the deepest recesses 
of his mind. The institution was loud and crowded; nauseating 
smells filled the long windings halls, making his stomach turn 
violently.

This was nice, a place where the world would not touch him. The
silence was comforting; like no place which he had ever known.
He could get used to being there, a world created by himself,
where any of his dreams could happen. Even since being here, the
ghost which haunted his mind was peculiarly silent, only taunting
him on occasion. In this world, he felt worthy and redeemable.

A feeling which he had never experienced before, and Dana Scully
was a very big part of that.

Pfaster let his musings return to where it all began. He had been
the youngest boy of several older sisters. The outcast among the
tides. For some reason, unbeknownst to him, his mother had singled
him out, as the evil dark one; the cause of everything bad in 
their family. His sisters, beautiful and perfect in every way, 
were flaunted as the ideal, which he was told that he could never 
obtain.

Nothing that he ever did was right, including the natural 
investigations which all young boys do of their bodies. He had 
been caught red handed so to speak and had been punished severely 
for it.

And from that night on, his whole world changed. For in an instant,
a young innocent boy had been tainted and a monster had been
born...

But in this act of twisted nurture vs nature, a monster most 
atypical was born. A monster not of without, but of within.

Pfaster stood up slowly, his lumbering form aching with his every
movement. He also had not slept since she had returned to his life.
Sleep, to him was unnecessary, since she was everything that he 
needed. Scully would help to wash away the filthiness, which he 
lived with everyday. 

She would drive away the memories, of his mother touching him,
stroking him, not out of love but out of a need for control. Her 
touch, had not been the same as his. His felt good; his mother's 
felt evil. He had hated it. He had cried until she had left, and 
then he, out of a need to drive her touch from his body, touched 
himself. And when he had, he had visualized her lying before him, 
dead.

Her beautiful body lifeless, her power removed with the proof of 
such things, her glorious hair and nails.

So it had began.

Pfaster slowly walked over to the window, carefully watching the
trees sway stiffly in the evening's influence. Tomorrow was the 
day. His excitement was beginning to build. Tomorrow was the day 
which he had been planning for. A new beginning, for him as well 
as for Scully...


                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~


Unknown time...
Unknown place...


Scully awakened from her hazy thoughts with a startle. At first 
her dehydration influenced vision wouldn't let her focus. Perhaps 
protecting her from the fate that had befallen her. But after a 
few moments reality came crashing back, cold and desolate. Her 
worst nightmare once again given the breath of life in which to 
flourish and grow.

The smell of human excrement filled her nostrils and threatened
to dispel the foul bile which inhabited her very empty stomach.
She began to mouth breathe, removing the foul stench temporarily
from her palate. She rolled off of her side, stretching her sore,
tired limbs past their normal range of motion; trying to dispel
the pins and needled sensation which had taken up residence there.

She slid to her abused and aching knees and stood up, pressing the
soiled skirt down over her bruised and dirty legs. The material 
had became stiff with dirt, the once smooth material now harsh and
vicious against the sensitive skin of her thighs.

>From the edge of her perception, she could hear the stirrings of
Pfaster as he walked about up stairs. She glanced around the room,
the absent walls held steadfast against how long she had been held 
down here. The never changing light level, coupled with no means 
to tell time and caused time to stand still. She had tried to 
count the minutes earlier during one of her more lucid moments, but 
had given that up after a while.

It really didn't seem to matter.

Scully licked her parched, cracked lips, the sparse saliva causing
the raw surface to smart under its caress. Even the caress was 

painful, her swollen tongue groaned under the abrasion that her 
lips provided. From her skin turgor, to her lack of voiding, she 
could tell that she was growing very dehydrated.

Scully shook her head, trying to clear her head of the very last 
words Pfaster had spoken to her.

' You are going to redeem me. '

The words still struck fear into the depths of her soul, for she 
was all alone in this.

She knew that he was right, God help her, at least partially.
Mulder would probably not know she was gone. After the argument,
that they had had, he probably did think that she just left.

He would be so tightly wrapped up in his profiling, that he 
wouldn't think to call her. All else ceased to exist when he was 
on the hunt. That was the way that he was. And she could only 
surmise that when he was in a relationship with a woman 
romantically, that was also the way that he was, focused. Between 
the two, no one would be the wiser until it was too late, for her.

Scully felt tears of hot indignation fall down the now dirtied 
cheeks of her face. She knew that no one would find her. Pfaster 
had played the game a little too well. No one would know whatever 
happened to her. And by the time they suspected something might 
even be up, she would have died from dehydration.

Scully felt a surge of hopelessness encircle her heart and she 
fought that feeling with all that she was worth. Since they would 
not be able to find her, she needed to be prepared for any out
available. ' You have been in worse predicaments than this Dana,' 
she mused as she sat back down on the thin mattress. ' You need to 
rest and get yourself together. There isn't much time left, you 
need to think of a way to save yourself. Forget the pity and get 
to work soldier. ' She brought her shackled ankle up to her bottom, 
tucking her chin on top of the knees. Her mind began to formulate
multitudes of possible scenarios, reaching for the out which
she knew that existed...

                   

                       ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Day 3
Syracuse Regional Office
FBI 
0330hrs 


AD Skinner looked up from the neatly stacked pile of requisitions.
He closed his eyes momentarily, rubbing his eyes with the callused
flat of his palm. He leaned back upon the hardwood back of the 
office chair, wishing that he had his own well-worn, soft leather 
chair. He stretched out his long well muscled legs, working the 
stiff tired limbs. The gray wool pant legs of his trousers slid 
down to the econo line blue Berber carpeting with a soft thud, the 
only sound that could be heard in the desolate silence.

Skinner looked up, surveying the office about him. Dark rolling
shadows danced about the room, providing a floorshow for only
those who were to pay careful attention. Skinner could still smell
the soft scent of take out Chinese food which they had eaten 
earlier, mixed with the stale smell of cigarette smoke wafting 
from the latrine. The lights were down, the only illumination 
being provided was from the occasional desk lamp left on near its 
occupant.

About three other agents were scattered about the bullpen. 
Normally no one would be in, but with the investigation at hand, a 
night team had been assigned. The three, dressed in jeans and 
T-shirts due to being off time, were pouring over potential 
witness statements.

Skinner looked over into the far corner where Mulder was sitting
intently. He was stooped over a pile of folders, Skinner knew to
be his carefully rewritten profile of Pfaster. Mulder still had 
not been out of the office since arriving here after leaving 
Scully's room. He still wore the same suit, which he had put on 
that very morning. However, by now it was creased and soiled, 
matching the unshaven face and too short, unwashed hair.

' Jesus, he looks like shit. I don't know how much longer he can 
hold out. '

Skinner shivered at the thought. However, the most frightening 
thing about the man that he was observing was his eyes. Even from 
across the poorly lit room with very tired, strained eyes, he 
could see it.

The darkness.

The empty, lost look that reflected back to the shell shock which
he had seen back in Vietnam. The walking dead.

A man, soulless but not dead.

A shell of a life, existing but not living.

Skinner stood up, his back groaning in protest to his maltreatment
of it. He raised his arms over his head, extending the limbs out
of midline. He had been given Scully's case, the added stress of
that plus his regular duties as AD wearing him very thin. However
his concern outweighed his stress, so he continued on.

Relentless in his mission, until his quest was fulfilled.

He made his way carefully through the crowded maze of desks,
his shoes clicking against the thin carpeting. As he stopped to
stand in front of Mulder, the thin distracted man looked up
at him, his eyes glazed and empty.

" Mulder? " Skinner asked as he put his hands into his pockets,
and sat on the edge of the wooden desk top. He looked down,
the faces of Pfaster's other victims staring up at him, demanding
retribution.

Mulder looked up at his superior, his eyes seeing but not 
comprehending anything going on outside of himself. He was walking 
in the darkness with the man which held Scully. He could read 
almost every single thought that Pfaster had ever had, or would 
have.

He could see his victims for what they were. Unfulfilled vessels;
tainted offerings for his redemption. Sacrificial lambs.

" Yes, sir? " Mulder said absentmindedly as he leaned back 
slightly. He reached up to remove his loosened tie, fingering the 
fine silk which his slender hands held. The simple geometric tie 
of blues, grays and brows, were mixed in a soft, classy design. It 
had been a gift from Scully, a while back. Scully had been so 
pleased that she had found such a nice tie at such a good price. 
Mulder found himself wearing it often, for it pleased Scully to no 
end to see him wearing it.

" How are you holding up? " Skinner asked as he watched the pale,
stubble graced face contort in thought momentarily. He knew the
answer, it was clearly written upon his visage. However, he hoped 
that Mulder would open up to him. Skinner was a practical man. He
knew though they had many leads and knew who the killer was, they
had no clue as to where to start looking for him. He had been 
careful, leaving no tangible trail as to where he might be living. 
He knew that Mulder, in spite of his obviously distracted state 
was the only one good enough to get into his head effectively.

" Fine, Sir. " Mulder replied as he took another sip of the very
concentrated, extremely bitter coffee. He sighed and shook
his head slowly, attempting to clear the fogginess which 
threatened to take over his thought patterns. ' I need to remain 
thoughtful. I am so close. I can feel him. Scully is depending 
upon me. I will not let her down. '

Skinner shook his head in retort. Mulder could be just as bad as
Scully when it came to denial. They were the poster children for
denial as far as he was concerned. A flash of anger, born of
fatigue and frustration boiled up to the calm exterior and he said, 
" I suppose, I don't need to tell you that you look like shit. Go 
and get some rest."

Mulder chuckled slightly, his mirth sort lived. "  Sorry sir. No
can do. I will not be able to rest until we find her. I am so 
close. " He put down the coffee cup with the rapidly cooling 
liquid spilling over the edge, falling upon the smooth table top 
into a dozen or so irregular splash patterns. 

Skinner scowled slightly as he brought his hand out of his pocket 
and brought it to his brow. He knew that Mulder wouldn't rest, at 
least not willingly, yet he also knew Mulder needed to have a 
break. If he were to begin to fall apart totally, he would not be 
any use at all. " Mulder, what if I was to make that an order? " 
Skinner half heartedly retorted. He knew Mulder took orders as 
well as an 1-year-old, but he still had to try.

Mulder smiled softly to himself, ' Boy, wouldn't Scully get a kick
out of that one. ' Mulder pushed his chair back, the rough legs
pulling at the nap of the low pile and causing a ripping sound.
He stood up slowly, answering " Since when have I ever taken 
orders? " He crossed over in front to where Skinner was sitting 
precariously on the edge.

Skinner nodded and replied, " That is what I thought you would 
say. " Skinner looked down at his feet, studying his shoes 
carefully. He wasn't sure how to broach the topic, but he needed 
to have Mulder's thoughts on the topic. " So Mulder, I am not sure 
if I really understand how Pfaster thinks that raping Scully, will 
save him. Isn't this against his MO? He was into dead things, 
right? And now he wants Scully, alive? "

Mulder nodded and shuffled through the pile of files which lay 
upon his desk. " I have been doing extensive research upon 
Pfaster's stay in that institution. He underwent some ECT therapy. 
That was not a success. All that succeeded in doing was causing 
more harm than good. He became more delusional than he was 
originally. He wasn't suffering from depression or any other 
recommended disorder, so they attempted a radical new form of 
Aversion therapy. Utilizing new anti psychotics, with the video 
display and the electrical shock conditioning, they thought that 
they had treated him successfully. However... " Mulder searched 
quickly to find another file and began reading, " He began to 
fixate upon religious overtones of salvation and redemption. This 
seemed like an appropriate displacement at the time, but I guess 
that it backfired on them. He knows what evil is... He knows that 
it drives him to do what he does. However he is powerless to stop 
it so he seeks other methods to redeem himself. "

Skinner grew nauseous at the thought. A mad man who knows that he
is sick, seeking redemption. ' What else would he be willing to 
do? He has killed and kidnapped for his need. Would be willing to 
do what he said that he wouldn't just to achieve his goals? " I 
know that some cultures believe that sexual intercourse is a type 
of rebirth of sorts but this... "

" He doesn't want Scully for sex, he wants he for what she can 
give him. " Mulder swallowed hard, his heart beginning to pound 
hard within the tight confines of his chest. He put his hands into 
his pockets and lowered his eyes to the floor, as the pain began 
to swallow him whole. " He believes that if he father's a 
child... "  


" Excuse me? " Skinner nearly choked out, not expecting to hear 
that. " A child? But I thought Scully... "

" Can not bear children... " Mulder finished as he looked up.
" She can't. But he doesn't know that. He has followed us very
closely over the years, but that was never revealed. All that he
sees is a strong, successful, intelligent woman who is worthy to
give him redemption. She is inherently good, and she did escape 
him. She is his last chance in his sick little world. "

Skinner closed his eyes, bile rising up from his gut. He had heard
of sick things, his job had hardened him to most everything. But
to believe you could get redemption through conceiving a child
with someone against their will, was beyond his comprehension.
" All of this to conceive a child? " Then he stopped and thought 
for a moment, ' Oh my God. What if? ' " Mulder, " he asked softly, 
" what happens if and when he finds out she cannot conceive. I 
mean, if we don't get to her in time, how long will he wait? "

Mulder closed his eyes and the vision of Pfaster touching his 
Scully, being with his Scully, filled his mind with unimaginable 
dread. He opened his hazel eyes, and looked about the nearly 
desolate room. " I believe that he will not wait long. Once she is 
ready, as he said, he will try to fulfill his mission. If we can't 
get to her, I believe that within a matter of time she doesn't

become pregnant, he will kill her. That will not be an issue with
which he would have any trouble. She will become expendable. "

" Then we will make sure that we get to her in time. If we have to
go door to door to find her, we will. " Skinner put his hand on
Mulder's shoulder in support. Skinner nodded and smiled slightly,
" I have faith. "

Mulder just nodded and lowered his head. In his heart he knew that
they would find her. Of that he was quite sure. He knew that he
was close, and they had been through way too much together to
have it end like this. But in his mind, doubt remained. Would they
be there in time to stop him from acting on his delusion?



                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Unknown time...
Unknown place...


Silence, thick and hot, like syrup filled the deathly still air.
it filled the curtain of desolation, like a long lost partner,
edges blurred, blending into a seamless union of perfection at
work. Within that infinite universe of impossibilities, someone
was attempting to make the impossible, possible.

Scully sat silently, carefully taking measured breaths, letting
the forced rhythm to wash over her like a warm wave, bathing her 
in swirling comfort. Her eyes were closed, her thoughts turned 
inward, as she attempted to keep her mind limber and her memory 
keen. She had found her mind growing soft, the results of sensory
deprivation.

' Left Common Carotid Artery
Left Subclavian Artery
Aortic Arch
Left Pulmonary Artery
Left Pulmonary Vein
Left Atrium
Aortic Valve
Mitral Valve '

She visualized each feature, as if she was holding them in her
hands, word for word; image for image...

Her entire Anatomy and Physiology.

Her father had always taught her that a sharp mind was always
the best defense, and seeing she had very little for her arsenal,
she knew that this would have to be her way out.

Out witting him.

Scully clenched her brow tightly, envisioning the gut of a human
during dissection.

' Stomach
Duodenum
Small Intestine
Cecum
Ascending Colon
Transverse Colon
Descending Colon
Sigmoid Colon '

She followed the pink healthy tissue, as it wound its way 
carefully throughout the open body cavity. She allowed herself to 
be drawn into the vision; in so far as to smell the pungent smell 
of the organs and hearing the soft sounds of moist organs sliding 
against one another while she moved them about.

Suddenly the sound of a deadbolt sliding slowly, filling the 
desolate silence, the sound of scraping metal against metal, 
sending fingers of discomfort up her stiff spine.

Scully rolled over, every joint in her body screaming in 
succession. She brought herself up to standing, bracing herself 
physically and emotionally for anything possible which could be 
inflicted by her deranged captor.

As she looked up the stairs, she saw dancing fingers of light
permeate the deep stillness... A lone figure turned on the light,
the bright flash temporarily blinding her. She blinked her azure 
blue eyes quickly, her eyes quickly compensating for the sudden 
change in focal light.

She watched the dark figure descend the stairs, his huge stature
causing a large shadow to loom over her as he approached. She
took a step back towards the wall behind her, providing some 
measure of perimeter control. 

" Dana... " Pfaster said softly, as he stepped to stand in front
of her. He stooped over slightly, putting his hands into the 
pockets of the cocoa twill pants that he was wearing. He took in
a breath, the foul smelling air now even getting to him.

" Yes... " Scully said as she sized up her opponent. She noted the
ever present gun at his side, that would be a problem. His size 
was formidable, so a frontal attack was definitely out of the 
question. She shifted her weight from side to side slowly, due to 
the fact that her legs were beginning to cramp from the 
electrolyte imbalance caused from her ever growing dehydration.

Pfaster shook his head slowly, her ever present strength still a
constant source of astonishment. When he had taken the others, 
they had broken within hours of being left here down in the dark. 
She however remained in control and even a little bit testy. They 
were of such a little challenge. They were so unworthy it made him 
sick. " You continually amaze me, " Pfaster muttered softly, as he 
smiled a tight smile.

Scully arched a brow and rolled her eyes in annoyance. She could
really do without his color commentary. She put her hands on her 
hips, and stared him down the scum that he was, " I am just so 
glad that I can provide such a rich source of entertainment for 
you. " She tossed her stringy hair out off her damp face, 
revealing the full extent of her growing annoyance with the 
situation.

Pfaster narrowed his eyes, the hazel depths almost turning as 
black as his soul. " * In spite * of how you resolve renews my 
faith that you are indeed the chosen one, you do need to rest... 
It is essential that your health be in excellent condition for 
ovulation to occur. " In preparation for his harvest of Scully,
he had thoroughly read up on the topic of fertility.

Scully looked up at the ceiling, and huffed questioningly, " And 
how are you going to know when I ovulate? "  She knew that she 
needed to bluff him. Since this was clearly the reason why she was 
her, she needed to figure out exactly how much he did know, and 
begin to from the figure out a plan to free herself. " Ovulation 
isn't a set event, hell it is so unpredictable that a whole branch 
of medicine was designed to follow through on it. "

" Starting the day after tomorrow, " Pfaster said unemotionally, 
" with your first morning voiding, we will test your urine for the 
hormone produced just before ovulation. We will continue to test 
until you test positive, then we will have about 12 hours to 
insure enough sperm is available for fertilization.

Now she had the means, now she needed to prepare herself. For her 
to take the advantage of any break possible, she needed to make 
sure that she would be strong enough to take her chance, whenever 
it presented itself. " You do realize that my less than optimal 
state may delay or even prevent ovulation, Scully informed matter 
of fact, as she brought her arms out in front of her to make a 
point.

" Yes, " he replied as he brought his hand to his smooth chin in
thought, " also starting tomorrow night, you will begin taking 
prenatal vitamins and you will begin to be provided three 
nutritious meals a day. I will also weigh you every day, making 
sure that your weight does not fluctuate.

Scully was intrigued. Everything seemed to revolve around tomorrow.
She tilted her head, making her interest seem as innocent as 
possible. If a chance was going to present itself tomorrow, she 
wanted to be ready. " Why tomorrow? What is so special about 
tomorrow? "

" The purging will be complete... " Pfaster answered as he looked
deeply into her ice blue depths. He was so glad that his penance
was up. Having her so close, was such a distraction, especially
since they hadn't even began planning. He closed his eyes 
slightly, stifling the wave of joy which was engulfing him. His 
plan was nearly complete, only one more step to put into place.

" What is this purging? " Scully pressed further, she needed to
know everything that he was thinking. " I do not understand. "
To beat the monster, one had to get into their head. She needed to
understand what he was doing, to better plan for her escape.

" You need to get Agent Mulder out of your system. " Pfaster spat
out, his face contorted with disgust. He really hated that man.
Her attachment to him was the one thing that was preventing
this from progressing at a more expedient measure. He shook his 
head and turned away, trying to compose himself. He knew that she
shouldn't show any weakness, for she would use it against him.

" Excuse me? " Scully choked, her throat tight and her face pale.
She had never expected that was what he was thinking about. She
turned slightly from him, releasing a deep breath. She then looked
back at him and said softly, " You are so far out of the ballpark,
you are in the parking lot. "

Pfaster grinned, knowing the trap was finally sprung. He stepped
towards her, placing his hands back into his pockets, placing his
one hand firmly around the securely capped hypodermic which was
hidden in his pocket. " You talk when you are under sedation, you 
know. I know you love him, " he retorted in an amused tone, his
eyes twinkling with pleasure.

Scully narrowed her intelligent eyes and said desperately, " You 
are mistaken. " This situation was hard enough, let alone add 
another factor into the equation. If he thought that she had 
feelings for Mulder, he would never trust her enough to give her 
an out, she would be doomed. 

Pfaster shook his head in disagreement. He took another small step
forward in preparation. " No misunderstanding here Girlie Girl, "
he spoke firmly, " I know how you feel about him, and that taints 
you for me. He runs hot in your blood. I thought that purging 
would be enough, but I had miscalculated. But all is not lost, for 
I plan to remedy that mistake very soon. "

Scully felt fingers of suspicion crawl up the back of her neck.
Pfaster was up to something, and she knew that it wasn't good. She
brought her face forward, furrowing her brow in thought as she 
asked, " What do you mean that you are going to remedy that 
mistake? "


Pfaster squeezed the syringe tighter, as if getting strength from
its very presence. " I am going to eliminate the very poison from 
your blood. I am going to eliminate the very thing that stands 
between you and me, Mulder. " Pfaster turned slightly, as if he 
was planning to walk away from her.

Scully grabbed his forearm with a tight grip. She raised both
brows, her eyes full of fear and tension. " What? " Scully asked
as she shook her head, her reddish gold hair falling about her 
face, " Oh my God, I... " Scully felt her heart begin to flutter, 
and nausea was beginning to rise up from the depths of her very 
upset stomach.

Pfaster winced from the heated firmness of her touch. He whispered
softly, his voice low and husky, " Then you and I will be as one.
Nothing or no one will stop me from meeting my destiny. " Pfaster
gripped the syringe tighter, loosening the cap, preparing for
his attack.

Scully fought the surge of protectiveness, which he had elicited
from her, but lost miserably. She stepped up on her tiptoes, 
forcing her stern gaze to meet his. Her heart was pounding so 
violently, that her lungs burned. " If you so much as harm one 
hair on his head, I'll... " Suddenly, out of no where, a sharp 
prick hit the middle of her deltoid muscle. From the depths of her 
soul, she began to feel the room spin, her vision began to dim. 
She felt her legs grow weak and her equilibrium waver, " Jesus, 
what did you do... " Scully managed to say just as she pitched 
forward, her world closing in around her.

Pfaster caught her rag doll body, her slight figure not a bother
for him. He lowered her carefully to the floor, as her eyes began 
to roll back into her head, " I knew your reaction would be so 
emotional, I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. It's okay... Just
rest. We have a big day tomorrow. " With that he slung her over to 
the mat, placing her head upon the small pillow which lie there.

" Please, don't hurt... I can't... " Scully whispered softly, as 
the incoming darkness finally claimed her elusive spirit. She felt 
herself slipping away, her soul no longer within its corporeal 
confines. She found herself swimming in a sea of warm dreams, Dana 
once again finding her way from the depths, moving Scully out of 
the way, even if only for a few moments.


                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Day 3
Syracuse Regional Office

FBI 
1600hrs 


Her eyes...

Her beautiful swirling blue depths of strength and intelligence...

As Mulder lay upon the cool slick leather of the too small couch
in the staff lounge, his clear photographic memory shared the 
vision of her eyes. He had seen so much of his world through those 
eyes for so long that they had become his whole existence.

Deep warm pools of ocean blue touched with light... 

Unguarded, honest, reflections of soul... 

Mulder smiled slightly as he stretched out his long slender 
runner's legs, tensing and relaxing the tight muscles along the 
way. He rubbed the smooth dress trousers with the callused tips of 
his slender, well defined fingers.

Mulder rolled over slightly, his face falling flat upon the cool 
surface of the back rest. The smile receded, being replaced with a 
slight snore, as he snuggled further into his pose.

In the enclosing darkness in which he found himself, he found some
respite from the demons which had been plaguing him since Scully
had been taken.

As Mulder's vision's played out before him, his eyes darted about 
under his paper thin eyelids, his dark lashes fluttered against 
the golden hue of his skin.

Mulder unconsciously brought his slender hand to his head, and he 
ran his well defined, fingers through the silky dark chestnut 
tangle which was now his hair. As he did this, a stray lock of 
glistening hair, strayed to fall upon the deep furrows of his brow, 
creased with his dream musings.
 
After a few moments, Mulder's dream began to take flight, the 
darkness within giving away to events which he had no knowledge of,
to wash over him. The images muted hazy, colors blended seamlessly 
into flowing lines...

Scully. He could see her light even before he caught glimpse of
her. She lay quietly upon a thin, futon like mattress, surrounded
by the swirling wisps of darkness. He moved ethereally towards her,
her soft, shallow breaths filling his soul with joy. Even through
the damp, foul scented air, he could make out the intoxicating 
scent of her very presence. Soft floral tones muted with summer's 
breezes and spring rain.

In that solitary room, he felt something so profound, so earth 
shattering...

Love, pure unconditional love and desire. 

And in that moment, a miracle graced his life.

He felt their souls connect once again. Their souls had brushed
and united even if for only a moment in time.

Two hearts beat as one.

Two breaths mingled and became as one.

Two souls embraced and shared as one.

They had once again joined the ebbs and flows of creation.

The Alpha and the Omega.

Just as they had several times before in the past.

He had missed that feeling. He had missed that soul mate 
connection which he only shared with her. In its embrace he felt 
safe, strengthened, loved...

He came closer to her, seeking to warm himself in the light of her 
truth. He reached out with his essence; touching the damp cool 
skin of her cheek. He could also feel that she was also free, 
following the ebbing estuaries of her heart. Suddenly he felt a 
surging heat and he found himself in a warm, inviting place. He 
couldn't place exactly * where * he was, but he felt safe, so he 
knew that it had something to do with Scully.

As he looked about, a vision began to form. It was hazy and 
impressionistic at first, but then it began to take on a crystal 
clear clarity which hurt his concentration. However it was unlike
any vision which had graced his eyes. The colors were bright, 
vivid, deep and sharp. All about those colors were streaming
rays of light, pure and idealistic, as if the clouds had just
parted from a sudden storm which had just rolled in from the
horizon. 

Piercing blue eyes.

That was the first sight that he saw.

Piercing blue eyes, swirling with deep emotion.

As he stared at the eyes, he saw a vapor of ivory, flowing 
effortlessly like a heavenly cascade, glittering with blazing 
points of brilliance. 

He narrowed his vision, he saw that the cloud was topped with
the most impressive of sunsets, clad in copper, lighted with
golden hues. Waves undulated within that sunset, the blue eyes
just below the horizon.

Scully. He was looking at Scully, through * her * eyes, into a
mirror.

He felt himself looking down, at a diminutive girl. Her cherubic 
countenance beaming brightly up at him. She was also graced in a 
cloud of white, her eyes piercing the vivid colors about them.

Emily. He was looking at her precious successor. Through * her * 
eyes. He had once told her that he had never seen her as a mother,
but now he did.

" Are you ready Dana? " A accustomed voiced filled his ears. He
turned to look, and the tear stained face of Maggie Scully
smiled euphoniously at him. She was enveloped in a cloud of vivid
blue, her hair swirled upon the top of her head.

Suddenly a diaphanous cloud of snow white, fell upon his vision.
He was floating within the cloud, gliding towards the light
which filtered in from behind him. From that light, an impressive
man with the same piercing blue eyes, arrayed in white emerged.
His strong, proud face was edged in a now fading shock of red.

Her father... 

He felt his arm, draping over William Scully's, as they promenaded
once again toward the light. And within that light, a soft pair
of sea touched hazel eyes gazed loving.

And Mulder didn't have to think twice. * His * eyes. Filled with 
the same love which he had just seen in his.

Love, pure and unconditional. 

Mulder opened his eyes once again, the hazel depths now glittering
brightly with unshed tears in the faint light. 

Mulder swung his lanky legs over the side of the black sofa, his 
sock clad feet landing with a slight thud upon the area rug 
beneath him. He scratched his taunt stomach gently, as he stood 
up and went over to the restroom on the other side of the room. As 
he slowly ambulated, his footfalls, echoed gently off the thinly 
carpeted floor.

Mulder went to the sink and from the spigot, retrieved himself
a glass of very cold water, the cool smooth liquid, flowed 
effortlessly down his parched, brittle throat. It bottomed out in 
his stomach where it caused an involuntary shudder.

He had been where no man had been before, within the very dreams
of one Dana Katherine Scully. He had seen the world, her world,
through her very eyes. Full of love, light and Truth.

He had not seen Scully's world; but rather the idealistic world
of the woman which he knew to exist behind the cool facade.

Mulder smiled brightly, his teeth gleaming brightly in the light. 
He knew that everything would be all right. Deep within his heart, 
he knew that she would come back to him and * they * would find 
their way back to one another. She was safe, for now. And that was 
all that mattered...



                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Unknown time...
Unknown place...

It was deathly silent. The only sounds perceivable were the 
occasional faint sounds of running water and banging pipes from 
over head. Within that desolate auditory landscape, Scully sighed 
softly, her voice dreamy and content. She slowly moved her head, 
her thoughts not within her body, but within the cosmic oneness, 
where anything was possible, and dreams came true.

Her meditations...

Incessant and tender...

Apparitions of events antecedent and of events longed for...

" Hey, it's not a bad piece of ash, huh? "

She heard him say into her ear and she turned and gave him a
look which could freeze boiling water. She could feel the heat
rolling off of him, chasing away the chill which had set in.

She felt Mulder silently chuckle, his mirth becoming quickly
contagious. " The bat-talking about the bat. Now, don't strangle 
it. You just want to shake hands with it. " Hello, Mr. Bat. It's 
a pleasure to make your acquaintance. " " Oh, no, no, Ms. Scully. 
The pleasure's all mine. " 

Scully laughed softly, gripping the bat more firmly within
her grasp. This was nice, she couldn't ever remember when she
had seen him so happy. Like a little boy. She fell in love with
him all over again.

In the corner of her ear, his hot breath tickled softly, instantly
causing a heat to burn within her. " Okay, now, we want to... we 
want to go hips before hands, okay?  We want to stride forward and 
turn. That's all we're thinking about. So, we go hips... before 
hands, all right? "

Scully could feel his gentle touch upon her hips, his hips pressed
firmly against her bottom. The feeling of having him this close to
her was more than she had ever imagined. Decadent visions of him, 
bent over her, his body thrusting deeply into her, conjured a 
shudder to run through the entire length of her body.


" Okay, " she replied, trying to make her voice as steady as 
possible. 

" One more time, " Mulder said softly.

She felt his firm touch, and his arms turning her hips with more
confidence. Scully felt another rush of moisture fill her panties.
This was too much... She wanted to throw him to the ground and
show him how she could hold a bat.

" Hips... before hands, all right? " Mulder says again, the 
visions that his words were providing her, once again plaguing 
her.

" Yeah. " she said, her mind no longer on playing baseball.
She had know that the tension between them had been stronger than
ever, but she hadn't really thought that it had gotten this far.

" What is it? " She heard Mulder ask, her mind screaming...
' More hips... More hips... ' The heat that she had been feeling,
was now replaced with something hotter and much harder that she
had felt in a long while...

Scully felt a soft, questioning touch on her shoulder. In her drug
enhanced hallucination, it was Mulder touching her, so she rolled
over and whispered imploringly, " Mulder... " In her dreams, Mulder
wasn't dead. He was as alive and vibrant as he was always. She 
didn't want to leave her self-created universe. Here she was safe,
only love and light existed. No one died. No one suffered. It
was heaven, well at least what she believed heaven to be here on
this earth.

>From the swirling, comforting visions that her mind was providing
for her, a dark foreboding voice called for her, which seemed to
herald her impending predicament. " No, I'm afraid not, Dana. "
Suddenly the dream was shattered. Her memory came rushing back
to her in heated waves, burning the flesh that it touched. ' Mulder 
is dead. You killed him. You will die soon also. There is no joy, 
there is no peace, this is your reality... '

Scully immediately rolled from the perceived presence as quickly 
as she could. She struggled with every last ounce of strength that 
she possessed and got up on top of her haunches, her weight 
swaying precariously upon her perch. " Pfaster, " she spat as she 
stared into his cold hazel blue eyes. She could see hell's very 
fires burning within his soul.

" I am so sorry Dana... You claim that he meant nothing to you,
yet you speak of him often in your dreams. I believe that you have
been trying to deceive me. " Pfaster smiled evilly. He knew that
he had her. Drag the fight out of her and she would be his. He
knelt down beside her, the smell of his cheap cologne filling the 
air about him. " You will never leave this place. Not alive anyway. 
You are mine, body and soul. Forever. "

Scully felt tears come to her eyes. For the first time, she 
believed what he said was true. She would only leave this place 
after her death; when he discovered her inability to have children. 
She had not planned her death to be so undignified. Reliant upon
a basic biological function which she couldn't provide, helpless 
until God's merciful hand finally reached down and freed her soul 
from its earthly confines. She would rather be dead now, by her 
choice then left to the fates to decide. " Please, " Scully begged, 
she never begged so she meant it. " Just kill me now. " She had no 
will to live, Mulder was gone, and this life she had now was not a 
life worth living.

" No, " Pfaster said as he reached out to touch her arm. She moved
away from his touch, and he smiled brightly as she did this. " I'm
sorry but you cannot die... You are my redemption. You are my 
salvation. I am evil, and my only hope is through you. " He could
see the life ebbing from her eyes. He wouldn't let her physically
die, just the life, which existed within her. Then he would fill
her up with his own life, a vessel by which he would be reborn.

Scully closed her eyes, her hallucinations threatening to drag
her soul away once again. " I'm tired, " Scully said in the
softest voice, as she fell down to her bottom, " so tired. You
have killed them all because of me. You have taken away the only
person that has ever meant anything to me... " Her upper body
fell to the mattress, her voice trailing off as a phone began to
ring upstairs, " I have nothing... I am nothing... Let me die... "

Pfaster brought the rest of her thin shivering body upon the 
mattress. He dropped the thin blanket over her slight figure and 
chuckled as he began to walk up the narrow stairwell up to the next 
level.  ' Soon, Dana soon. You will have no need for such desires. 
You will also find completeness in the union, which we will share. 
You will forget about what you once were, and you also be reborn, 
whole and perfect, untainted once again. '

Scully allowed the soothing black velvet of the night to envelop
her. She found herself a float upon that sea, weightless and
free, not tethered to earthy confines. Within that curtain of
nonexistence, from the darkest recesses of her innermost thoughts,
came a voice. A voice, so soft almost inaudible to the
unaided ear, came forth. Yet even in that whisper of Truth, she
recognized something. Something intangible, but that simple
voice spoke directly to the essence of her being. It flooded the
empty vessel, which was her soul and breathed new life to her
being. For one brief shining moment, she felt Mulder's presence
within her.

As the voice became more audible, the swirling clouds of darkness,
converged, until they coalesced into a vision which matched the
voices character.

" Scully. I know that you are afraid. I know that you feel that
you are now alone without any hope to cling to. But sunshine, I
will prove you wrong. I am here with you... In you... I live
through you. Please don't give up what remains, please be
strong. I need you to live for me, Scully. If your eyes cannot 
bear to envision the horror before you, let mine. If your heart 
cannot bear to beat a single beat more, let mine. If your mind is 
clouded, and cannot focus, let mine. If your soul is just too 
tired too take another step more, let mine.

You are my way, my Truth, my light...
Let me be yours... "

And from whence the apparition came, it returned.
The visitation imparted newfound resolve and focus.

Deep blue once again took in the surroundings before her. Her 
limbs now renewed, slowly brought her up until her tired, drug 
addled body once again was seated upon the permanence of the 
earth. Her mind, once befuddled with the chemicals designed to 
hamper her thought processes, reached forth from the darkness, 
seeking the light which reached out for her.



                         
                      *~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*



Day 4
Syracuse Regional Office
FBI 
1800hrs 


Mulder slowly looked up blankly at the man talking to him. He had
been listening for all about one minute, and once again found 
himself lost in his swirling thoughts. Nothing seemed to reach his 
inner musings, even the loud droning of the agents around him in 
the bull pen. 

Even after all of his training in school and years of experience
with VCS, he still to this day marveled how individuals with 
similar circumstances could turn out in vastly differing ways.

Mulder looked about the room, as he caught bits and pieces of
different agents conversations. As first, after Scully's abduction,
tension had kept personal dialogues under control, but now
with time and consideration, the other agents went about their
way. The human condition dealing with the atrocities which it had
to deal with every day.

Mulder glanced at Skinner, still expounding as if he wasn't aware
of Mulder's lack of attention. Skinner had been breaking down the
investigation until then, knowledge which Mulder had already 
gathered over the course of his time with the case at hand.

What Skinner was telling him was useless for he knew that between
he and Scully, they would pull through. He knew that Pfaster had 
been to careful to make a stupid mistake now, so it would be up to
Mulder, thinking Pfaster out and Scully, working on her end for 
this nightmare to end.

The nightmare which Pfaster was, created as a product of his 
environment; the emotional result of years on constant verbal, 
physical and possibly even sexual abuse. His world had been forged 
from the pain, anger, and confusion of a child lost, of a child 
never quite good enough even with all that he would do to prove 
otherwise.

In spite of the twisted heinous acts which Pfaster had committed 
upon others, and also in spite of the fact Pfaster currently held 
Scully, Mulder felt a slight pang of empathy for the truly man 
made monster. For what Pfaster had suffered through a child had 
mirrored in many ways what Mulder had experienced.

As Skinner continued to speak, Mulder picked up Pfaster's folder,
and he glanced at the seemingly ' normal ' man which looked back
at him. The face of a victim and of a perpetrator.

Abuse, whether committed by a stranger, or even worse by someone 
you have loved and trusted with your very existence, was a very 
life altering course of events which leaves no one untouched in 
its wake...

Mulder leaned over the desk, and closed his eyes, trying to will
the tears which threatened to fall in a torrent at bay. Scully,
was paying the ultimate price for the sins of others. These sins,
passed down through the generations, were now effectively
destroying the lives the innocent... He himself included.

Skinner looked troublesomely over at the dark man across from him.
For a man so very worried about his partner, he seemed awful 
distracted. For the last few moments, he had been updating Mulder
on the case, and Mulder had been lost in a world of his own.

Skinner dropped the coffee cup which he had been holding onto the
desk, the resounding thud drawing Mulder's eyes up towards his
gaze. Skinner arched his brows and narrowed his steely gaze,
as if to say, ' get with the program ' and then continued to
speak, Mulder's attentions guaranteed by his unwavering stare.

" I have requested and have been granted five more agents to 
assist with the case, which will be arriving on the seven o'clock 
flight in from DC. I have surveyed through the DMV, all driver's 
licenses registered from out of state, within the last 6 months. 
However, there have been no photo matches as of late. He needs 
some sort of proof of identification, so I have been trying to 
track that down. "

" We have teams going over the SU campus with a fine tooth comb.
They are questioning all people who could have had any contact
with Pfaster, during his time there. Agent Barton is leading that 
arm of the investigation. "

" I have the 6:00 and the 11:00 local news on 68, 3, 5, and 9 
showing his and Agent's Scully's pictures, and descriptions at the 
top of the hour. Routine traffic stops have been stepped up on the 
SU campus and in the surrounding area. "

Mulder shook his head, his thoughts finally totally with Skinner's
train of thought. " No, Skinner. He is too smart. He would 
never put himself in a position for a need for ID. He was, and 
will continue, to lie low. He doesn't want to attract attention 
to himself. He knows that stealth and anonymity will be his saving 
grace. "

Skinner reached down and grabbed the mug, and took another sip of 
his coffee. The bitter fluid was way too hot, but his fatigue kept 
him from really knowing it. Hr rubbed his callused thumb over the 
smooth surface of the rim, the ceramic glaze almost like silk. 
" No one is perfect, " Skinner retorted firmly, " he will make a 
mistake. He is too smug, and that will be his down fall. " Skinner 
believed it, or rather hoped it with all of his heart. Until then, 
he had been so very careful that without him making a grave 
mistake, and soon, the chances were slim.

Mulder dropped the folder on the desk, and brought his hands up 
to cover his stubble graced visage. " That I agree with, " Mulder 
said ominously, " however when will he? When it's too late? I need
to get there before... " His voice had been dark and full of worry, 
but his body language was telling a different tale. He was 
concerned, that wasn't an option, but he somehow knew that things 
would be all right. Fate, or whatever had spoken to him had told 
him as much.

Skinner cut him off, hoping to save Mulder from himself, " You 
said that he will be careful; methodical even with his preparation 
of Scully. That will buy us time. He has prepared to carefully,
to screw that up. " Skinner put his cup down once again and looked 
over at Mulder. Mulder seemed different. He had seemed that way 
since he had taken his rest. To Skinner, a man who had seen many 
sides of Fox Mulder, this side was new. He appeared calm. Calm in 
the face of adversity. This was too weird.

" Yes, that is true also. I know that we will find her, I feel it.
I just want it to be sooner rather than later... " Mulder then 
walked over to the window, his feet dragging on the carpet below 
his feet. He looked outside, gazing at the world beyond. Ever 
since his 'dream' he swore that he could feel her. He swore that 
he could smell her on himself. She was near, and that gave him 
strength. Mulder spoke quietly to Skinner, his voice full of awe, 
" I had a dream about her... "

" A dream? " Skinner retorted softly, his brows raised in interest.
He leaned back against the desk, bringing his muscled arms across
the broad expanse of his chest.

Mulder tilted his head, his attentions deep in thought. " Maybe 
the word dream is inaccurate. Vision, is more appropriate... I was 
in her head; in her heart... " Mulder closed his eyes, the 
darkness of his lashes in stark contrast to the almost ghastly 
pallor of his translucent skin. " I saw her dreams, her ideals; 
through * her * eyes. The way her life, might be. * If * she had 
her way. She was so happy. She had herself surrounded by the ones 
that she loved, hell still * loves * even though they are no 
longer in her life. I even saw myself, saw the way that she sees 
me, through the love which she feels for me. She is waiting sir, 
she hasn't given up hope. She nearly had, but she is now strong 
once again. "

Suddenly the high pitched ring of a cell phone broke the moment of
silence which had hung between them. Both men reached for their
phones in tandem, but with a nod, Mulder realized that it was 
Skinner's phone which had ringed. Mulder leaned against the sill,
his thoughts once again centered on Scully, as Skinner spoke to
the caller in hushed tone, " Skinner... Yeah... " Suddenly 
Skinner's eyes grew wide, his face graced with a broad smile, 
" Yes! Oh  yeah... Yes... Oh God... Thank you so very much... " 
Skinner hit the end button with a flourish. He slapped his hand 
firmly against thigh, letting out a large relieved sigh. Finally 
something to work with. The waiting game was over and now it was 
time for action.

" What? " Mulder exclaimed loudly, turning to walk over to Skinner
quickly, his interest peaked by Skinner's obvious relief. 

Skinner composed himself quickly, now wasn't the time to lose it.
" Good news. One of the students questioned, had some information 
that we have been looking for. Pfaster as his alias asked for a 
ride after class, to a car repair shop just off campus. It seems 
his late model, four door black cutlass got a flat tire on the way 
to school that day. He had to have it towed. A conversation 
resulted as they waited for the vehicle, and she learned that he 
worked for an in home carpet cleaning service to pay the bills. 
After he received the car, after paying cash, he asked to follow 
her back to campus because he wasn't familiar with the area. He 
admitted that he lived somewhere near the southern end of campus. 
He asked her to come home use with him for coffee, after they 
arrived back at campus, but she declined since she didn't know him 
very well. I guess that probably saved her life... "

Skinner took in Mulder's visage. What he saw there he wasn't
expecting. Peace... Pure centered unadulterated peace, and
strength, like the strength he often saw in Scully's eyes.

Mulder smiled slightly to himself, his soul strangely quiet. He
reached up and gently fingered the warm metal which laid there,
the heat strangely soothing. " No, from the sounds of things, "
Mulder said almost stoically, " I don't think that he would have
hurt her. She was too close, too much of a risk... " Then his 
train of thought shifted suddenly, finally addressing the 
situation at hand. What have they done to follow up on this 
lead? " Mulder looked directly into Skinner's eyes, and tilted his 
head. Even Mulder himself was perplexed by his own behavior for he 
had never been the calm one in his and Scully's relationship, but 
then he realized. He was fulfilling a role, just as always. He was 
to carry the load until she was to return. This was his 
concession.
 
" They are following up with the mechanic and with the DMV, "
Skinner said firmly, " They are also doing a search of the deeds, 
of the houses in the area, and they will update us as soon as they 
have anything. "

Mulder absently reached over and grabbed his coat which had been
draped over the back of the hard backed wooden chair. He tossed it
over his broad shoulder and grabbed the file which sat upon the
desk. She was there. He could feel it. He needed to be where she
was, to have a better connection to her. " I going to go out there, 
I can... "

Skinner walked up briskly, to stand in front of the lanky man 
before him. He brought his hand onto Mulder's shoulders and 
squeezed firmly, "  No you can't, " Skinner said as he narrowed 
his eyes and leaned forward slightly, " You said it yourself, he 
will call you again. We * need * you here in the office, for the 
equipment. We might have a chance at a trace, and at least a copy 
of the call itself. When we have anything concrete, we will 
* both * go out. Until then, you are better suited being here. For 
when he does call. Is that understood? "

" For now, " Mulder replied with resignation, as he dropped the 
coat back to the chair, and it slid to the floor with a soft thud 
as he gently placed the file once again back on the desk with a 
flick of his wrist.

Once again, the shrill ring of a cell phone broke the underlying 
dim of the crowded room. From the pitch, they both knew it to be 
Mulder's and he reached for it gracefully, putting it to his ear 
and said, Mulder... "

" Mr. Mulder... " A familiar voice chimed, filling Mulder's ear 
and soul with dread. Mulder began gesturing wildly, pointed to the 
phone for Skinner to take the lead. Skinner dialed his phone, 
softly requesting a trace while Mulder attached the mic to the 
earpiece, and turned on the tiny micro cassette recorder.

" How is she? " Mulder asked softly, turning from Skinner to 
concentrate upon the words being spoken. He sat down silently
in his chair, lowering his face to touch his chest.

" She is resting comfortably, " Pfaster said with a chuckle, his
voice firm and victorious. 

Skinner hit the end button, and began to walk about the swirling 
sea of suits, talking quickly and succinctly to the agents about. 
The room became soundless, some of the agents walking quickly out 
of the room, going about their appointed duties, some themselves 
picking up their phones, making silenced pleas for assistance. 

" May I speak to her, I... " Mulder pleaded, needing to hear the
sweet alto tones which would let him know irrefutably that she
was all right.

" I don't think so. In fact this will be my last phone call to 
you. Even though I must admit that I love rubbing it in your face 
that you have been bested; I have much to much going on that I 
have to take care of which has a higher priority. "

Mulder closed his eyes, now knowing that he had very little time
left to fully understand the monster behind the man. " Dana is 
this higher priority? " Mulder reflected back, leaning back into 
the chair, grateful for the firm support which he found there. He 
could feel his strength wavering, Scully once again drifting away 
from him.

" Yes, yes she is, " Pfaster replied as he sighed audibly. " Dana 
has been finally prepared. Soon we will be as one, and I will be 
redeemed. "

Mulder knew that Scully wouldn't allow him to just ' be ' with her,
and this thought worried him. How far would Pfaster go to get what 
he most wanted from her? " You said that you wouldn't rape her, 
how do you plan to be with her when I am sure that she will never 
consent willingly? " Mulder asked as he brought his feet up onto 
the desk, and tried to will himself to centralize his reflections. 
He could feel his control once again slipping away, and he needed 
to keep it together for Scully's sake.

" She will... She * is * aware of her place and will comply. It is 
her destiny, and mine. After the life that she has lived with you,
she will finally find peace... " Pfaster replied softly, as he 
took a deep breath.

Mulder listened carefully, he could hear quite distinctly in the
background, the sound of bells. Similar to church bells, to be
precise. The bells were clear, even down to the vibrato which
accompanied the longer tones.

" I must go now, " Pfaster finally said as he chuckled slightly.

" Wait... " Mulder replied desperately, his voice high pitched and
breathy. He dropped his feet to the floor, with a loud thud which
did not escape the attentions of others in the room. He needed to
keep him on the phone for as long as he could, the more 
triangulation the better for pinpointing the area which she was 
being held in.

" I want to thank you Mr. Mulder... " Pfaster whispered softly, 
his voice low pitched and resonant.

" For what? " Mulder asked as he listened further. He could no
longer hear the bells, the background silent except for rustling
of soft material and the deep even breaths of his caller. Mulder
reached down and fingered the fine weave of the pants which he 
wore. The material sliding effortlessly between his fingers.

" Without you bringing her here with you, I would have never
seen the dawn of my salvation. Thank you Mr. Mulder, you have
given me so much. You have kept her somewhat safe until now,
and now I will take over. I will cherish her as she ought to
be... " With that the line went dead, Mulder jumping up and 
smashing his closed fist against the desk before him.

" Damn it, Skinner... Bells, I heard bells. I couldn't recognize
the song, but I heard a carillon. " Mulder ripped the wire off the
phone and flicked the rewind button on to listen to it once again.
He leaned over the desk, listening and fast forwarding to the 
place where he had heard their first tangible clue, his heart 
racing in time with his breaths, both to determined to finish 
first.

Skinner walked over briskly, his steps heavy and determined. He
pulled out a piece of paper which he had secured in his breast 
pocket of his suit jacket. " The trace revealed that the call was 
received from the city of Syracuse tower. They couldn't pin point 
it further, due to Scully's phone being on roam. "

>From across the room, Mulder could hear the sound of high heeled
footsteps, crossing across the bull pen in earnest. Mulder and
Skinner looked up, noting the dark haired woman whom was walking
quickly towards them.

" The DMV proved to be a dead end, " Barton said as she stepped
up in front of the two men, smoothing her gray skirt into place.
" The three cars fitting that general description, are accounted 
for. He must have stolen it at some point. The plates also must be 
stolen, since he hasn't registered any vehicle. We are doing a 
search of stolen vehicles fitting that description nationwide but 
that will take some time. "

She then tucked a long strand of dark hair behind her ear and 
leaned forward, putting her hands down palm first on the desk.  
" We are still running through the titles for the entire area 
where she said he drove into, however as of yet we have no 
leads. "

" He called, " Mulder stated matter of fact, as he continued to
fiddle with the recorder, fast forwarding it to the part and 
playing the bells once more, and said, " and we do not have much 
time left. He is ready to proceed. " He leaned forward and 
listened intently to the tones which he heard there.

" Wait a minute... " Barton exclaimed loudly, drawing both 
Skinner's and Mulder's attention, " I know those bells. " She 
closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, undertaking to converge 
her thoughts. She was tired. It had been a long couple of days, 
and she was at the end of her energy surge.

" What? " Skinner replied, his face full of hope, as he leaned 
towards her, putting his strong hand on her shoulder. 

" Those bells... The campus... Graham Dining Hall. The bells are 
* right * behind the dining hall on the southeast corner of the 
campus. I heard them when I was on campus yesterday, " Barton
replied as she looked up confidently, her face full of confidence.
She pulled her jacket hem down, and with a quick movement brought
her hands up to cross her chest.

" Shit... " Mulder exclaimed " He has gotta be near by. Do you 
have a map of the area? " He searched her face, his drawn features 
lit up brightly at the thought that this nightmare could be over. 
He took a deep breath and smiled happily at the thought...
' Scully, we are coming... Please hold on... '

" Of course... " Barton said smugly, as she swung her briefcase up 
on top of the desk top, flipping it open and shuffling through the 
massof papers which resided there. " Ah ha... " Barton exclaimed 
as she started to open up the carefully folded diagram.

Mulder swept off all of the objects which rested there. Coffee
cups, pencil holder, case files, and various other sundries fell
upon the floor with scattered thuds, as he reached for the now
opened map, spreading it carefully across the now cleared desk.

Barton leaned over, her dark hair falling down her face as she
traced a path across the paper before her. " Here are the bells, "
her dark eyes glittering with excitement, " right behind the hall. 
Now there are a lot of trees and other sound barriers around that 
area so, I would say for it to be that pronounced, it has to be in 
an area approximate to the bells themselves. Let's say... 
Comstock... Ostrom... and the intersection of Stratford. That is a 
heavily residential area. Mainly older houses, rented out. Or 
older residents who have lived there for ages. "

Skinner stood up, clearing his voice loudly, " Ladies and 
gentleman," He said with a loud, commanding voice, " we have a 
location. I want to convene a briefing, at 2030 hours. By then the 
other relieving agents will have arrived, and we can begin our 
sweep of the area. "



                   ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Day 4
Syracuse Regional Office
FBI 
2030hrs.

" Ladies and gentleman, here is our situation. From Pfaster's last
phone call, we have been able to determine that he and Agent 
Scully are hold up somewhere within a 5 mile radius of the 
southeast corner of the campus. The streets involoved are Comstock, 
Ostrom, and their intersection with Stratford. "

" Now we are all going to break up into teams of two, and with the
grid that we have provided you, along with the list of titles for
that grid, you will search house to house, north to south. Our 
guise will be that Niagara Mohawk Power is looking for a gas leak, 
and that we need to test all houses. We will post Ni Mo trucks at 
all points in and out of the area, under the same premise. Now we 
have a late model, four door black cutlass which has been linked to 
him, so please be on the look out for that vehicle. Once you have 
located the vehicle, or suspect that you have found him, hold your 
ground. Do not proceed. Call it in. Wait until the field commander 
contacts you in person. Then we will question and evacuate the 
occupants of the area. Then and only then will we attempt contact.

" Now we have contacted the local police and sheriffs. They will
spare us every available officer that they have, and they will
assist us out in the field. "

" Once we have all of the cover and vehicles in place, about 2230
we will begin. Maintain radio silence until suspect is sighted 
except for scheduled check ins. Remember, he has Agent Scully's 
firearm, and he is mentally unstable. Do not give him any latitude. 
Be very careful. Please go to Agent Barton and receive your 
assignments... Dismissed. "


With that Skinner stepped down from the podium, running his hand
over the smooth surface of his forehead. He could tell that this 
was it. Even after all of these years, he still had the intuition 
which he had honed back in the military. Skinner could feel his 
heart beginning to do that familiar tympani which accompanied the
thrill of the hunt. That was what the FBI was all about. He 
reached over and picked up his coffee, taking one last sip of the 
bitter surface. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mulder's 
determined approach. ' Jesus, Mulder. You don't even need to ask. 
I can read what you want written all over your face... '

" Mulder? " Skinner asked softly, as he replaced the mug to the 
desk, reaching for and picking up the tactical diagram for the 
approach. He hated to be the one to tell him this, but it was 
necessary for all those concerned.

" I want to be out in the field, sir. " Mulder said firmly, his 
face painted with evidence of the state of his mind. He wanted to 
be there when they found her. That wasn't an option, which he would 
give up easily. Who knew what kind of condition that they would 
find her in. Once he approached her, and she fought his advances, 
his anger could surface, leaving her at the mercy of his less than 
kind personality. Pfaster was a time bomb for Scully, just waiting 
to go off. She would need him, whatever the outcome.

" Yes, but you can't be in any of the teams... " Skinner retorted 
as he placed Pfaster's file and the diagram into his duffel bag for 
the field. Skinner had already changed into his field gear, black 
pants and shirt with the familiar FBI breaker. He himself wouldn't 
be in the field, he would be at the tactical command post until 
the confirmed sighting, when he would take over the surveillance. 

" What? " Mulder said as he leaned over towards Skinner. He brought
his hands into his trouser pockets, and shot him a lost puppy dog
look. Garner enough pity, and nearly anyone would fall for what
you ask. " I need to be there, Skinner " he retorted firmly,
she needs me. I need to be there for her. I owe her so much, if
I can do this one little thing for her... She is everything to me.
I... "

"If Pfaster recognizes you, it is all over. " Skinner said as he 
looked into Mulder's swirling now murky green eyes. " Your 
presence could jeopardize the whole operation.  You will stay at 
the communications post until alerted. Then you move in. Got it? " 
They were too close to have Mulder going off and ruining all of 
their carefully paid plans.

" Yes, sir... " Mulder said softly, realizing Skinner's point.
For this plan to work, Pfaster had to be unsuspecting at all
times. The element of surprise was their best ally. Mulder watched
for a moment as the room began to clear, the agents preparing for
the maneuver. He then walked with them, his heart praying that
they were not to late.


                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Unknown time
Unknown place

' The light is on Dana. The light is on. He is coming. Wake up
and get off your ass. Now is the time... ' 

Scully moaned softly, and nestled further into the thin blanket
which she found herself curled up in. She was loath to leave the
nest which she had created for herself, for the first time since 
she had first awakened there, in the cool dampness of the 
basement, she actually felt warm. The warmth encircled her like a 
long lost lover, safety being its gift.

' Dana. What would Dad say? He never raised a quitter, so do not
start now. I know that it is hard, but you are the only one that
can do it. Get up! '

Dilated blue eyes met bright, blinding light.

In a flash, they were gone. Only to awaken once again, but this 
time swirling hues of grays, browns, and flashes of  silver filled 
her brilliant eyes, focusing her environment before her. Scully 
shook her head slowly, shaking the dusty corners of her mind free, 
as she still felt Mulder's presence all around her.

Scully wasn't a quitter. That just wouldn't be she. So with a deep
breath, she rolled herself over on her side and brought herself up
on her bottom.

' Jesus. When I get out of here, I think that I am long over due 
for a nice vacation. Preferably someplace warm. '

Scully unify her swirling deliberations, attempting to what was
happening. She couldn't tell how long that she had been out, so
it could have been eons but that didn't matter. She could just 
make out the heavy footfalls of Pfaster up above. She wasn't sure 
of how long that she could hold out for she knew that her physical
condition was quickly deteriorating, so she knew that if she was 
to make a move it would have to be soon.

She heard him playing with the lock above, so in an act of self
preservation she rolled back over and decided to play possum, just
as she had played with Bill whenever he was bothering her.

Scully knew that with his superior size and strength, she was no
match for him sickly and unarmed, so she knew that cunning was
her only way out. She kept her eyes closed, trying to deepen her
breaths as she heard the door swing open loudly with a groan. As 
she heard him step slowly down the stairwell, she steeled herself 
for whatever was to happen. Fear drove her body's rhythms, and she
fought that instinct with everything that she had.

' He needs to think that I am unconscious, still under the 
influence. Then he just might let his guard down. I only need one 
chance to get at the gun, and then he will wish that he hadn't met 
me in the first place. '

" Dana? " Scully heard Pfaster ask softly. She remained still,
death being her partner for this most * serious * of dances. She 
sensed him walking about her, attempting to ascertain her 
condition. She actually felt a breeze as he knelt next to her, his 
breath foul and biting upon her sensitive flesh. 

" Damn it. She should be awake by now. The dosage was correct, 
maybe her physical state isn't allowing the drug to clear her 
system fast enough. " 

Scully nearly jumped out of her skin, as his cool hand met the 
warm flesh of her brow. She forced her overwhelming desire to rip 
his eyes out way down into the depths of her strength. The thought 
of him touching her, nearly driving her to distraction. Scully 
could swear that her heart, which was beating so loud that it 
actually was hurting her ears, had to be able to be heard by him. 
However she knew that couldn't be true. That just wasn't 
physiologically possible.

" Dana, help me out here. You are the doctor. Shit, what have I 
done? You are of no use to me like that. I need to sober you up. "

Scully wasn't sure what he meant by that but she knew that any
time after he unlocked her, she would have a chance, so it had
to be good. Suddenly out of nowhere, she heard his voice once
again, but this time its inflection and carefully chosen words
drove fear into the very heart of her soul.

" Donnie, you fucked up. I told you that you were no good. You
couldn't even calculate a simple dosage correctly. I should have
put you out of your misery when I had the chance. You were a
mistake by the start. "

' Oh shit. Schizophrenia... His psychosis is deepening. '

" Mommy. I am sorry. I will be good, I promise. Just don't hurt
me any more. I promise to fix this. I know I can. Just give me
a chance. "

' Oh great. He is totally lost. Unpredictable. Ok... I can deal 
with this. All that much better to trick him when he is so 
obviously impaired. ' Scully felt him walk past, and she opened her 
eyes and sneaked a peak. Pfaster was pacing wildly, his eyes bright 
and unfocused. His tension wafted off of him, its heat almost 
palpable. Scully noted his very agitated state. Since he had 
brought her here, she had not seen him like this, frantic and 
variable. Scully shut her eyes, focusing her every sense upon the 
man before her. If he was going to make a mistake, she was going 
to be ready...

Pfaster looked angrily at the woman before him. He wasn't angry 
with her, for it was his mother who was to blame. His mother was 
always with him, mocking him. She had been quiet since his conquest 
of Dana Scully, but just as quickly as she disappeared, she had 
returned. Pfaster wasn't sure what to do. Tomorrow morning his 
plan was to commence. With her, in this condition, he knew his 
plans would be delayed. Delay wasn't an option. Salvation was so 
close at hand, he wasn't going to wait a moment longer.

Pfaster sniffed deeply, his nostrils burning from the noxious 
fumes. The basement was rank, the smell almost intolerable. He 
knew that Dana couldn't stay down here much longer. For her to be 
an appropriate vessel, she needed to be healthy, and this smell 
couldn't be healthy.

" I have got to clean you up, Dana. You need to bathe. " With that
Scully felt Pfaster drag the thin blanket from under her feet.
As she remained silent she felt the cold hard grip of cuffs 
encircle her wrists, sending a dash of disappointment surging 
through her. Scully remained still, fighting the urge to shake his 
grip loose, as he took the blanket and literally wrapped her slight 
body up tightly in it. So tightly in fact, she could barely catch 
her breath. ' So much for escape, for now. However he does have 
to unwrap me to wash me, so that maybe my out. '

Scully then felt him pull on the shackle, which held fast to her
bruised ankle. A loud click filled the heavy breathing which
accompanied the stillness which had invaded this man made hell of
hers. Then a blast of cool air caressed the tender skin lying 
beneath, and a surge of relief shot through each and every cell of 
her corporeal body. ' Yes, this is my chance. Please, God give me 
the strength. You have given me this chance, and I will take it. 
Just give me some of your faith... '

Pfaster let out a deep breath, and as he bent over he lifted Scully
into his arms. Her body remained as still as death, the pale flesh
barely visible under the soiled visage before him. As he held her,
he could feel the very light but quick beating of her heart. This
percussion momentarily provided him some respite from his worries.
She would come around, and when she did, his plans would commence.

Pfaster began to climb the stairs, precariously balancing the 
slight woman wrapped tightly in his arms. With each step that he 
took, he found his ultimate salvation coming that much closer...

Scully fought of the waves of overwhelming nausea which being that
close to Pfaster was eliciting from her. Since her stomach was
empty, it was oily, scalding, and bitter bile which threatened to
spill over and give her cover away. She took slow even breaths in
through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to quell the
violent quaking within her abdomen.

She tried to open her eyes slightly, but the way that he had her
wrapped within the scratchy blanket, she only saw swirling 
darkness in her vision. 

Her nausea was made that much more challenging by the fact that he 
smelled of a cheap, now faded cologne and pungent sweat, long 
cooled and well fermented. But layered above that, was something 
more insidious. An essence which Scully was well versed with, but 
fought to believe. Death; Rancid, rotting, and musty. She could 
smell the lingering smell of a putrid corpse. Scully squeezed her 
eyes tighter, willing away the revulsion which washed over her 
like heated waves of burning lava.

Pfaster stepped into the large spotless ancient bathroom. His 
apparently lifeless bundle tucked carefully in his arms. His mind
now on auto pilot. He had been fighting his mothers presence for 
so long that he found himself weakening fast. He needed to get her
cleaned up and then he needed to lie down and rest. Since leaving
the institution, he had been off of all the meds which he had been
taking. That was when she had came back. She had been dead and 
silent for so long, that when she began to haunt his very thoughts, 
it nearly scared him to death. Now, she came and went, less since
Scully had arrived but still quite present. Enough so that her 
incessant ranting was enough to distract him from his goals.

' No more distractions. No more failures. I am going to prove
you wrong mother. I am worthy. '

Pfaster gently lowered her bundled body down to the gleaming
white tiles of the floor, making sure that her head would not
be harmed by its descent. He reached in his pocket and pulled out
the syringe which he had sequestered there, its nagging presence
a constant reminder of his failure. " You will be all right Dana.
I promise you. Once I get you cleaned up, and you get a good
night's rest, all will be as it should in the morning. "

Pfaster turned from her, and walked slowly over to the gleaming
tub which stood at the back of the room. He reached over and 
turned on the spigots, steam rising almost immediately from the
rushing water. Pfaster then walked over to the vanity, and as he 
reached for a blue bottle which lie upon the top shelf, he doubled
over, clutching the pedestal sink before him. A sharp pain cut 
through his skull, from his mother's voice screeching loudly, 
drowning out all other rational thought.

' You are an ass. You are such a failure. She can never redeem 
you. No one can. You are a hopeless piece of shit. You should take 
her gun and shoot yourself with it. You are a waste product which
should be eliminated before more are contaminated by you '

" Shut up... Just shut up... " Pfaster found himself fighting
the very formidable demons which resided within him. His thoughts
so wrapped up in his private war, his senses oblivious to the
stirrings under the blanket and the flash of red which emerged
from its cocoon, to rise like the phoenix and once again be 
reborn in the light...

Scully peaked out from under her coverings. Pfaster's lack of 
close proximity and speaking to himself drawing her out from her 
entombment. Her bright blue eyes met the soft blues and whites of
the antique bath, the elegant refined surrounding quite different
than she would have pictured of Pfaster.

She could see him hunched over the sink, his hands firmly planted 
upon the porcelain. She could hear him muttering incomprehensibly 
to himself, his voice hushed and strained. She could see her
weapon tucked into his waist, the grip facing her. Scully glanced 
about, seeing the white stool which sat next to her.

Scully slowly brought herself up to her knees, fighting with
every ounce of strength left in her body. The rough stiff material
of her skirt brushed painfully across her chaffed slender thighs. 
She knew that the time was now. She knew that this chance might not 
come again. She grasped the chair next to her, and stood up with 
all the height that she possessed. She stalked slowly over, trying
to keep the swinging chain of her cuffs as still as possible, 
lifting the chair up as high as she could...

Pfaster grasped the hypo firmly in his palm, a futile effort 
against the unseen forces which threatened to tear him apart from 
the inside out. He wasn't sure of how much longer he could hold 
out. She was getting stronger, becoming more controlling in his 
life, just as she had been in life. He knew that without Scully 
and the hope which she gave him, he would have killed himself long 
ago just to shut her voice out of his head. Her voice continued 
to drone on, the sound flowing clear down to his curled toes until
a blinding flash of light mated with a dull throb and a loud thud 
caught his attention.

As he spun around, he caught a flash of red, bright and glimmering
like burnished sunshine, he knew it was Scully. Even before 
getting a good sight of her, he brought up the needle that he was 
brandishing, feeling the resistance as it met soft flesh.

Scully winced as she felt the sharp prick, which caught her off 
guard. She pulled away, the needle tearing delicate flesh as she 
worked herself free. With her hands, she grasped the gun, which 
was tightly tucked in his waistband. As she stepped back, she 
pulled the gun free, attempting a lopsided isosceles stance, her 
balance quickly failing due to the newly inducted drugs in her 
system. Even as she stood there, she felt the drugs powerful pull 
upon her. The room seemed to darken, her vision tunneled. Her 
thoughts began to twist, facts and beliefs converging as one; long 
lost memories now floated as real as life before her.

' Keep it together Scully, " she mused as she took in through her
blurred vision, the visage of Pfaster bathed in copious amounts of 
blood, dripping in a thick carpet down the sloped lines of his 
physiognomy. His eyes met hers, locked in a struggle as old as 
time.

" S-s-stay where y-y-you are, " Scully uttered as she clicked the 
safety off. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her 
swirling thoughts. She widened her stance, hoping the broader base 
would shore up her wavering balance further. She could see the 
shadows which threatened to assault her. The drug was working 
quickly, she soon would be non functional so she knew that she had 
to be quick.

" You cannot leave, " Pfaster spit out, his mouth filling with
hot thick coppery tasting blood. " You are my only hope to free 
myself of her. " Pfaster dropped the hypodermic needle, his hand 
now laying limply by his side due to his whole side now being numb
and weak. He brought up his other hand, running his fingers 
through the slick red-tinged hair that he encountered there. His 
fingers then found a huge gash, which was just inside his hairline. 
He winced and swayed with his prodding. He couldn't let her go, 
that was not a option.

" You are under arrest, " Scully managed to say as her thoughts 
began to fail her. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly, the 
drug that she was given now starting to take its toll. Swirling 
colors of red, blue, and green played like fireworks behind her 
eyelids.

When she reopened her eyes, she could see Pfaster take a step 
near her, his hands reaching out to her. " Stay where you... are ", 
she warned as she brought back the trigger to prove her point but 
he took another tentative step, his gait unsteady and exaggerated. 
She stepped back clumsily, gripping the gun that much tighter in
her impuissant embrace.

Scully knew what she had to do. This wasn't an issue. Pfaster
wasn't going to let her go. He was going to keep her here forever,
his slave to his needs. He didn't know and couldn't acknowledge
anything else. It was either Pfaster or she. Two lives, as fragile 
as the palest of blossoms on a storm tossed sea, were locked in
a struggle where only one could win. His or hers.

Pfaster also knew what fate had in store for him. Dana Scully had
bested him, and the game was up. Without her, he was nothing. She
was his redemption, his release. Now faced with a life without
substance, he chose the opposite of life. The darkness would be
a welcome friend, silencing the hate filled voice which haunted
him everyday of his life. He consciously took a step forward, 
fully knowing the consequences of his actions. A loud bang 
resounded through the high ceiling room, followed by another bang, 
which accompanied a sharp undulation of burning pain, than the 
darkness.

The comforting loving darkness which the universe exists in.

Scully held the hot firearm in her hands. The scalding gun metal
burning into her very soul. Pfaster was now dead, lying in his
own pool of blood, his head now a nonexistent memory...

As she had pulled the trigger, she also had felt the darkness 
claim his immortal soul. She had seen death before, and knew it for 
what it was. For her it had been the light, bright and loving. For 
him it had been the darkness... Two paths made as one now once 
again diverged. 

Scully blinked, her deep blue meeting the light. Dropping her
hands down in front of her, her gun still clutched in her hand, 
she reached up with the edge of her shoulder and pushed the mass 
of hair which had fallen into her vision out of the way. As she 
brought it down, she noted the copious amounts of blood and other 
foreign materials which she found there. In her quickly spiraling 
drug induced psychosis, she felt dirty, even culpable. Mulder had 
died for her, his blood just as much as Pfaster's, was on her 
hands.

She looked down at herself, her dark jacket glistening with the
blood of the dead. She could feel her rational thought slipping 
away like a rip tide, and could do nothing to stop it but just sit 
back and watch. She looked about, her thoughts disconnected and 
confused. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there, or where 
she was to go. All that she knew was that she felt dirty and she 
needed to get away.  

She tried to slide the jacket off, the now damp material reeking 
of blood, but due to her cuffs she couldn't get it off. She set the 
gun down for a second and began to work on her sleeve, pulling at 
the now ratty strings there until a rip filled the air. She 
struggled with it for a moment until she managed to free herself, 
and tossed it onto the floor. 

She then glanced back at Pfaster, his lifeless body lying on the 
now bloodstained tiles of the bath. What she saw there, struck 
fear into the very heart of her being. Pfaster's face was no 
longer there, true. However, in its place were the swirling images 
of evil incarnate. The visions were fuliginous, colorless. The 
faces amalgamating into one another; blending as one shifting 
image, but this time other ones joined the familiar, Cancer Man, 
Hitler, Tooms, the men which had abducted and tested upon her, 
Satan, Mengele; True evil. Evil based in fear, from fear. Fear 
incarnate. Evil born from lack of control. She closed her eyes and 
shook her head, her hysteria mounting. In her mind, evil was still 
out there, and she was still at risk.

' I gotta get out of here... They still can find me. ' She thought
desperately, as she turned quickly and ran out of that room where
she had faced evil and won. She raced down the stairs, her vision
still filled with the evil which she knew as well as she knew 
herself. She continued running, precariously into the chilled 
night air, her bare feet slipping on the damp frigid grass, her 
whole being seeking the succor which it so urgently desired.





                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*

Day 5
0115am.
Corner of Comstock and Stratford.
Syracuse, NY.


They say silence is golden but for Fox Mulder, silence wasn't.
For each and every tick of his wrist watch and the advancing 
silence which it annotated, it was a nightmare born from hell.
Through the small opening in the crystal clear, rain slicked 
window, Mulder could just make out the delicate essences of 
freshly mowed grass and the newly laid mulch which often 
accompanied it.

Mulder sat stoically, in the front seat of the communications
van. He jiggled his left leg in nervousness, the nubby material
sticking quite uncomfortably to his inner leg.  The forced 
sedentary state which he was forced to exist in, more than he 
could handle.

" Grid 10 clear, " the blond dispatcher replied loudly, as he
checked off a place on the clipboard before him. He rolled his 
head, attempting to relieve the knots which resided there.
" Jesus, we have nearly three fourths of the search area covered
and still no contact, " he supplied as he reached over and picked
up the small Styrofoam cup of rapidly cooling coffee.

Mulder closed his eyes, trying to will away the sequential 
negatives which the man was noting. Since losing Scully once again,
he found himself oftentimes slipping back; his photographic memory 
supplying him memories of better days between them. From the 
gossamer threads of time, a memory surfaced which for at least one
moment, allowed him to escape the hell which was now his life.

" Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI's most unwanted, " Mulder 
remembered saying as he heard the soft knock at the door. He 
continued to look at the slides, knowing that he should greet his 
new partner on one hand, and on the other resenting his new 
babysitter. As he felt her, rather than heard her look about, he 
turned to look at her.

" Agent Mulder. I'm Dana Scully, I've been assigned to work with 
you, " he remembered Scully saying, offering her small hand to him. 
Mulder reached for it, its small size deceiving of its great 
strength

" Oh, isn't it nice to be suddenly so highly regarded? So, who did 
you tick off to get stuck with this detail, Scully? " Mulder 
remembered saying sarcastically, as he searched her face. Blue eyes 
met his hazel, and at that very moment, he knew that he had seen 
heaven framed in the fires of hell. Sure she was blatantly 
arrogant, dangerously intelligent and seriously scientific, but 
those blue eyes, speaking of the passion within spoke volumes to 
his soul.

" Actually, I'm looking forward to working with you. I've heard a 
lot about you, " she replied pleasantly, her face full of 
sincerity. He remembered her voice, honey over ice. It pierced 
down to the very heart of his soul.

Where she remained until that very day...

" Agent Mulder, " a strong male voice called out, his tone soaked
with excitement and enthusiasm. " the local Sheriff's received a 
call of reported shots fired. Because of the proximity to the area 
in which the shots were heard, the call was routed to us. A team 
was dispatched to the scene, and a car fitting Pfaster's was 
spotted in the driveway... "

Mulder let out a gasp of relief. He moved to the next seat, 
gesturing to the man to get up front. Mulder turned his face to
the window, the glare of the headlights burning like fire in the
still of the night.

 
                   ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Unknown time...
Unknown place...

 
Scully shifted slightly under the prickly branches of the bush
she was sequestered under. The cool wet ground added to the 
biting evening wind as it cut though the thin material of her 
T-shirt, chilling her straight through to the bone. She drew 
herself closer together, as she tried to shelter herself, along 
with making herself less of a vulnerable target. As she tried to 
peer from within her safe haven, her vision remained altered, her 
hearing diminished.

The drug Pfaster had managed to administer to her before she had
gotten free, was clouding her mind and limiting her judgement.
She found it hard to focus, her thoughts swirling in a misty gray 
haze of long forgotten memories and painful regrets.

Scully rubbed the smooth metal of her handgun between her palms,
the friction caused her hands to become suddenly much warmer.
Unruly tendrils of golden red tresses fell down upon her face and
they obscured her vision. Her bare feet were numb from the biting
winds and from the abuse she had inflicted upon them in getting
here. Scully suppressed a vicious shiver, which threatened to 
assault her, her mind trying to construct a formed thought.
 
She thought that she had shot him, but the blurred vision and
lack of concentration had prevented her from really knowing the 
truth. As she had ran down the quiet, unfamiliar neighborhood, she
could hear distant, urgent voices coming her way. In her delirium
she had crawled under the nearest cover, and that happened to be
a burning bush. She knew that she needed help, she was injured
and quite doped up, however her less than rational mind precluded
her from taking any proactive actions.

As Scully looked down the street dimly lit by a residential
lamppost, she could see several people walking towards her. The 
clicks of their heels and the lilting sounds of their quiet voices 
echoed among the quiet modest homes. Their shadows cast eerie 
flickers of lights, which danced gracefully among the old, twisted 
maples.

>From her vantage point she couldn't see who they were, their 
nameless faceless visage, to her blurred vision, and muted 
paranoid thoughts made her believe that they maybe after her. In 
her mind, Pfaster could be still alive and she wasn't taking 
chances.

She crouched even lower to the ground, her irrational fear 
drowning out all logic. She quieted her angry breaths, the loud 
sounds which were emanating from her enough to give away her 
seclusion.


                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Day 5
0130hrs
234 Ostrom Ave.
Syracuse.

Mulder sat crouched between two evergreen bushes. He pulled his
heavy trench coat tighter around himself in an attempt to ward off
the chill that was setting in. A stiff cool breeze was blowing
in from behind him, and in the cool drizzling rain which was 
running down the back of his neck, he found himself shivering 
violently. The sweet smell of early spring flowers mingled softly 
with the earthly essences of damp ground, causing his nose to 
react involuntarily to its subtle caresses.

Out of the corner, of his eye, he saw that Skinner was silently
directing a swat team to take up scattered positions about the
heavily landscaped yard. Silence; thick and deafening was the only
spectator which was watching the events unfold about it. As Mulder
followed the groups silently progressing to the back of the house,
he saw Agent Barton, dressed from head to toe in gear, following
along in succession. The groups crept from bush to bush; tree to
tree, finding the obscurity desired from the flora scattered about
the property.

Mulder looked at the silent house before him. It was as black as 
the night which he found himself clad securely in, except for the 
lone lit window which was located at the top of the stairwell.
Spotters had been placed in secure places but as of yet no 
sightings had been made.

As Mulder knelt there, the wind whistled softly through the newly
clad trees which reached up to the heavens in supplication, trying
to intercede upon the prayers which were being said by the 
officers which lie in wait there.

Mulder wiped the back of his slender hand across the furrowed 
expanse of his heated furrowed brow. The perspiration which he 
felt there was not due to intolerable heat since he found himself 
encased in a slow frigid drizzle but was due to the almost 
unbearable amount of stress which he was experiencing.

In the headset that he was wearing, he could hear literally dozens
of voices; every timbre and every inflection possible, a chorus of
salvation for Mulder's lamenting.

Mulder blinked slowly as he rolled his shoulders to release the
knotted muscles which bothered him there. He raised his arm and
looked down at his watch. ' Soon, Mulder... Soon... The teams are
almost in place. ' Mulder drew in a deep breath, and said once 
again another string of prayers directed to whatever God's were
present to greet his silent musings. 

He knew that Pfaster wasn't a real threat to anyone, including 
the teams of law enforcement personal which were about to storm 
the house. His personality was such that anyone who wasn't 
inferior to him, wasn't in danger. He was too weak and too 
confused to best anyone else. His only strength was felt by 
tormenting those smaller than he, of the female persuasion.

' All clear. No sighted targets, no signs of movements. All teams
in place. Move in... ' A disembodied voice whispered gently in his
audio. Mulder could feel the adrenaline rush through his veins,
the thrill of the hunt once again setting him on fire.

Mulder rose quietly, following the words of Reynolds. He 
stealthily moved from his seclusion to the end of the line which 
had quietly congregated at the foot of the porch. His breaths rose 
and fell, not doing anything to relieve the pain which had taken up 
residence there.

With a tense, whispered " Go... " The officer in the lead, reached
for the door and pulled it open, thus was the storming of the
abode commenced.

" Federal Agents... Stay where you are... We have you surrounded. "
A low, rough voice called out into the eerie silence, piercing the 
thick fabric which it created. As soon as the voice retreated, the
silence once again closed in, accented only by the soft humming
of crickets and the occasional calls of night birds.

As they rushed through the porch, Mulder noticed the front door
already open, and the determined procession halted. " Evidence, 
steer clear. Have the crime scene technicians standing by... "
Mulder looked about, the porch was empty, clad only in off white
walls, the floor covered in cheap thin carpeting.

With those words, the procession continued. Mulder followed suit,
his heart racing wildly within the tight confines of his chest,
his breathing was ragged and labored. At once, he saw the reason 
for the delay. Small barefooted prints, bathed in dusky sanguine 
blood, clearly visible even in the dim light afforded at the top 
of the stairs. The prints crept in desperation down the stairs, 
and across the floor where they disappeared silently into the 
carpet where he stood.

Mulder continued on, the hollow footfalls of boots ringing loudly
as they group split up and went about their appointed directions.
Mulder began to climb the stairs, careful not to touch anything
which would be tested later for evidence. Out from the corner of
his uninvolved ear, he began to hear a litany of voices call out,
their voices mingling and coalescing, " Kitchen clear... Living 
room clear... Dining room clear... " With each and every voice's 
report, Mulder found himself falling further and further into a 
pit of despair, his dread compounding by the second. As Mulder 
approached the landing, the stairs groaned painfully under his 
determined attentions.

Suddenly, " Clear. Dead body. Request coroner and crime scene 
techs, " a clearly female voice called out, as he heard a auditory 
body begin to mumble softly in succession. Mulder rushed to meet 
the other stragglers which had split, one continuing down the dark, 
dusty hall, the other massing in shock in front of the upstairs 
bath.

Mulder pushed his way through the crowd, the black uniforms parting 
like the red sea before him...

The first thing that caught his eyes...

Blood.

Thick, warm and bright.

Gleaming against shining white tiles...

The life giving substance was pooled in a puddle of about an inch
or so, trapped inside the elevation of the threshold.

It was swirled about in an impressionistic haze, the crimson 
fading into a soft pink where the edge met the geometric tiles.

Mulder blinked and looked about once again, this time his eyes 
caught the sacrifice offered up to their attentions. It was 
propped up against the wall, flaccid and quiescent.

Death...

Clad in the thick reminder of life once vital... A towering 
figure... Once a life existing, now the headless pillar of a 
grotesque version of a Victorian waterfall, twisting and curling 
its way down the steep verdant slope of human flesh...

The collective breathing of the team blended with the quickly
filling ancient bathtub, the shock very evident in the electricity
which filled the atmosphere. The once pristine waters, now 
speckled with bits of dark hair floating gently in the ripples of 
pink, enhanced with grayish bits of brain matter. The pink tides 
crashed delicately against the stark white porcelain liner of the 
claw footed tub.

' Shit... Where is Scully? ' Mulder thought as the last voices
called out from the colors of the night. " All clear, only one 
occupant present and accounted for. Crime scene techs move in. " 

' She must have shot him, at point blank range. Those prints 
appeared to be about her size. " Shut the main off in the 
basement, " Mulder called out to no one in particular, the 
impending flood would destroy any evidence.

Mulder glanced wildly about; the gleam of silver caught his eye.
A single hypodermic needle graced the floor near the corpse, 
nearly obscured by the thick carpet of life lost. The plunger 
appeared to depressed more than half way, the cap clearly 
discarded. 

A stool lie broken, shattered into irregular frequent shards of 
white wood. The violence demonstrated, indicated a piece of 
woman's clothing, carelessly piled nearby. The fabric was quickly 
absorbing the bodily fluids around it, its occupant long 
vacated...

' She hit him over the head, and managed to get a gun, more than
likely hers and then shot him. He shot her up once more, but not
enough to knock her out. She got the hell out of here, probably
actively hallucinating... '

Mulder reached up and fingered the necklace which rested against
his chest. The metal was searing, almost painful against the
cool damp flesh of his fingers. " Secure the scene, " Mulder said
softly to the team leader to his right, the rest of you... follow
me. As Mulder tuned around slowly, he noticed the smudged bloody,
very delicate handprints carelessly smeared down the waist high 
wood paneling and down the banister.

As Mulder and the entourage descended the stairs, Skinner spoke
to them through their headsets, " We have a confirmed sighting
of a small woman fleeing from the scene after the gunshots were
reported. She was last seen going north on Ostrum Ave. Crime
scene techs take possession. All teams report to your team 
commanders. 


                       *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Day 5
0300hrs
234 Ostrom Ave.
Syracuse.


" Sir, there are a few things that we would like for you to see. "

Skinner blinked his eyes slowly, drawing his acute attention from
the horror which lie before him. He brought his trembling hands 
into his pockets, trying to disguise the tension which he was 
feeling. The room was very cold, but his body was drenched in a 
cool sweat derived from the anguish which he could see in every 
inch of this room.

He watched, his mind numb with disgust, as a technician dressed in 
field gear descended the stairs and walked towards him. The 
technician lowered the cooler marked as evidence carefully to the 
cold floor.

" We found these upstairs in the kitchen when we were exercising
probable cause, " With that the young man opened up the lid,
and stood back, displaying the contents for Skinner to see. 
The man stepped back, his familiarity with the objects inside now
driving him away from experiencing more. All he wanted to do was
to do his job and get out of here. Never again to look back. He
wanted to take his wife and children into his arms and forget 
the worst experience of his life.

Skinner looked over at the young man, and instantly felt sorry for
him. Skinner could see the thinly disguised abhorrence and ire
which the swirling tawny eyed expressed. Skinner stepped forward 
and looked inside, preparing himself for whatever he might find 
there. As he did, his heart sank that much lower into the bowels 
of his tormented soul.

" Jesus... " Skinner said vehemently as he glanced up into the
visage of the pale, dark haired gentleman before him. " Just when
you think you have seen it all, " Skinner finished as he bent over
and reached in, pulling one of the sealed bags to the side. 
Skinner scrutinized the tagged bags carefully, committing each of 
the contents to memory as he went along. He began counting 
mindlessly, trying to focus at the gruesome task at hand and not 
at the life that it once held.

" All of the limbs that had been excised are present and accounted
for, " the technician shared helpfully, " He kept them in the deep 
freezer, above all of the frozen goods which he also kept in 
there. "

Then the guy paused, thought to himself and said, " Sir, I don't 
mind telling you this... this has been the most disturbing case 
that I have ever worked on... Up here, other than the occasional 
single homicide, we don't get to see the true evil which exists in 
the world. I have lived here, all of my life, and my wife and I 
are raising our children here. We have always considered it safe, 
at least until now. I guess that I know that nowhere is safe any 
more. "

Skinner nodded and glanced at the gleaming nametag which adorned
the black tactical garments, " Higgins? " Skinner asked softly,
as he closed the lid to the cooler and stepped back, effectively 
blocking out the disturbing objects which lie within.

" Yes... " Agent Higgins retorted as he leaned over to pick up
the object, his balance carefully centered as he brought it
up into his arms. 

" For all of the inhumane things that I have had the misfortune
of experiencing in my life, this also ranks pretty high on the
list of things that I would never want to see again, " Skinner
said as he brought his hand up to pat Agent Higgins on the 
shoulder, trying to reassure the man. " I cannot tell you that
this will not happen again. Unfortunately until the world takes
each and every one of us seriously as a human being and treats
us as such, monsters like he will continue to walk the earth,
very much the creations of our own making. "

Higgins nodded as he turned and walked away leaving A.D. Skinner
once again alone in the dusty cellar of Pfaster's residence.
Skinner suppressed a shudder, which threatened to make its way
through his muscled physique. Before he left to search on foot
for Scully, he had wanted to come and see for himself where she
had been forced to live for nearly a week. He wasn't sure why,
but he had to know what she had been through, first hand. To
walk in someone's shoes was the highest form of flattery he knew.

Skinner walked over towards the off white futon, bare and lumpy
which sat before him. A small pillow was off to the side, lying
near a small pair of battered size 6 women's shoes he knew to be
Scully's. Next to the chain which was anchored into the wall were
a pair of torn and bloodied nylons.

Skinner turned his head, closing his eyes momentarily. A flash 
of revulsion shooting through his heart like a hot poker. ' Jesus,
Scully... What did he do to you? ' Skinner walked about slowly,
attempting to get a feel of the ambience which existed as real as
he. Skinner continued to take the shallow panting breaths that he
had been taking since coming down here, the action almost 
effectively eradicating the stench, which permeated the air. 

This was how it smelled in the POW camps back in 'Nam which he
had liberated from time to time. The smell, even today, still 
elicited the same terror which it did then. Skinner needed to
get out of here. He had only been here for a few moments, and
he could feel the walls closing in on him... He turned slowly, 
his heart bleeding for the woman who had had to undergo this most 
dehumanizing of experiences. He stepped slowly up the narrow 
stairs, rising out of the darkness which could lurk within men's 
souls, into the light of freedom and grace. Skinner could feel the 
hair stand up on the back of his neck, the evil which existed 
there attempting to claim one last victim.

Out of the depths of his memory a poem surfaced. It circled his 
heart like a silent prayer, and he found himself reciting it to 

chase away the very real monsters which he found himself plagued 
by...

' You may shoot me with your words, 
You may cut me with your eyes. 
You may kill me with your hatefulness, 
But still, like air, I'll rise... 

Out of the huts of history's shame I rise... 
Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise... 
Leaving behind night of terror and fear
I rise 
Into a daybreak that's wondrously dear
I rise. ' 



                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*


Stratford street.
Eastbound
Syracuse...
0330


" Unit five... No contact... "

Mulder listened intently to the broadcast, his heart once again
hearing the worst. Scully was out here somewhere, in this cold
neighborhood, drugged to the very tips of her hair and possibly
injured. They were so close, he could feel it. He knew that after
what she had been through, with the chemical in her system, she
would be very hard to find. With her years of training and her
handgun she would be a formidable prey to quarry.

Hazel eyes carefully searched the night, looking for any sign
which could lead him to the one that he couldn't live without.
Tall trees, silent sentinels of ages gone by, lined the closely
packed residential area. The once proud trees now stood as injured
testimony to a weather pattern gone awry a year ago. With the
house to house search which was going on, nearly all of the
lights were on in the neighborhood, casting a eerie hazy with
the reflection of the blowing gray clouds which loomed overhead.

Mulder looked silently over at the others that were teamed with
him. Their faces also bore the signs of exhaustion, which he 
found himself plagued with. Mulder turned his eyes skyward, the 
sounds of propellers distracting him at the moment. The bright 
search lights of the dark helicopters sent him back into time
to when the helicopters were not the ally but were a foe which
to contend with. A cornfield with bee domes a lifetime ago.

Mulder relished the chilling drizzle, which fell down his face 
like delicate angels' wings. The contrast of the sudden coolness
against the heated expanse of his aspect a welcome visitor in
the night.

Other than the scattered few which were left behind to collect
evidence, all of the teams were now conducting a ground search
for the missing agent, but as of yet, had not came up with any
hard evidence of her location. Mulder and a group of three were
following the house to house contingents, making sure that they 
hadn't missed anything. The fogginess coupled with the cover of
night made the pursuit very abstruse to say the least.

Gillespie, the police officer which stood nearest to him,
said softly, " This is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
She could be anywhere... " He brought his hand up to tip the
front of his hat down further over his exposed flesh, trying to
ward off the rain which accompanied their journey. As he did this,
he swept the yard once again with the wide beam of his light,
attempting to find the objective that they sought.

>From behind them a soft, bass tone retorted, " They called for the
dogs, they will be here within the hour. " With that the bass 
voice coughed loudly, the sound echoing loudly off the houses which 
lined the street on either side.

" Let's hope that we do not need to resort to that, " Mulder
stated as he drew his coat closer around himself, the stiff
breeze which accompanied the weather front quite strong. Mulder
kicked a stone which he stepped up to across the road, his anger
and frustration sending it nearly into a darkened window.

" Why? " Gillespie asked as he brought his free hand into his
pocket, wishing silently that he had brought his gloves out here
in the first place. He had hoped that the dogs from the state
troopers had been out sooner, but they had to be brought in from
Utica, a good hour and a half by interstate.

" She is quite drugged, I suspect. The dogs would just further her
potential psychosis. She is armed and well trained, she could hurt
herself... " Mulder stated dispassionately as he turned his head
to spy a rabbit which rushed out of a newly awakened peony bush
across the way. Everything that he had seen tonight since the 
search began set his heart pounding.

" Or someone else... " The bass voice said firmly as he reached to
make sure that his weapon was unsecured by his holster and that
the safety was disengaged. Mike Wren had been a Trooper for nearly
10 years and he had jumped at the chance to get out of his vehicle
and assist on this little endeavor. When he had heard of the 
situation with the missing agent and Pfaster, he knew that he had 
to be here. He had waiting his whole life to participate in 
something this big.

Mulder shook his head abruptly, " She would never... " He uttered
as he again looked up to the heavens as another chopper flew 
overhead going west. Of these words that he had spoken, he was 
quite sure. Scully would never hurt anyone with out just cause, 
even if she were under due influence. She just didn't have it in 
her. Mulder flashed his flashlight over towards a movement out the 
corner of his eye, but this time it was just a tabby cat making 
its nightly rounds.

" How do you know that? " Wren asked as he stepped up to the group
to stand by them as they walked side by side down the street, 
their footfalls echoing in spite of the soft soles which they were 
wearing. He wiped the sweat off his brow, the beads gliding 
effortlessly down his brawny caliginous features.

" I know her, " Mulder rebutted. " She would never draw her weapon 
except for a good reason. For God's sake she is a physician first 
and foremost. " Mulder then closed his eyes, willing the instant
flood of tears which had just taken up residence there. Mulder did
know her, probably better than anyone. She had been there for him,
through everything that life had thrown at them both and had 
remained strong. A deep pang of guilt flooded his soul for he 
blamed himself for all of the wrong which had transpired in her 
life.

" How long have you known her, Sir? " Gillespie asked softly,
sensing the anguish which Mulder was feeling. There had been 
rumors that Mulder and Scully shared a bond that was deeper than 
mere partners. What Mulder felt for her was quite evident to 
everyone involved. However what kind of relationship they shared 
was still a mystery.

" Seven years... She is the best thing that had ever happened to
me, " Mulder replied as he searched the distance for any sign that
she might have been there. He knew that she was out there. And
after seven years of going to the end of the earth to bring the
other back, he wasn't going to let her down now.




                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Comstock Street, 
Northbound.
Syracuse
0400

Skinner walked steadily down the street, the night birds now 
singing their chorus of life. The rain had stopped suddenly, the 
clouds dissipating as quickly as a bad dream. The bright full moon 
shined brightly off the glistening pavement, the little beads of 
water reflecting like fine crystal in the forgiving light. He 
pulled his windbreaker around himself tighter, and took a deep 
breath. His frustration at not finding Scully as of yet eating 
away at him like a cancer. All teams had reported in; they had 
canvassed most of the hill area, but had not found a single clue 
to point them in the right direction. The dogs were do at any 
minute, but even with that knowledge he was still disconcerted.

As he looked toward his right, the agent closest to him stopped 
dead in his tracks and pointed over to his left. " Sir, I saw 
something move over in those bushes. " The agent directed his 
flashlight in the direction of the movement, and with that added 
illumination things appeared a lot clearer.

Skinner looked over to where the speaker was pointing and noticed
a slight refection of light of a metallic object hidden deep
within the shrubbery. Skinner gestured with his free hand and
directed the other agents to walk along with him to investigate.
Skinner took a deep breath and prayed that this nightmare was
over. They had had quite a few false sightings as of late and
the level of tension was growing exponentially.

As they walked closer, he swore that he heard the click of a
safety release. Skinner dropped towards the ground as the others
followed suit, drawing their firearms and adopted a defensive
posture. This was it. The time had come. The quest was over and
now it was time to bring her home.

>From the bushes just a few paces ahead, emanated a soft familiar 
voice, " Don't move. Stay right there. " The voice was shaky,
full of fear but very recognizable. It was low and husky, like
a fine whisky, sending chills up Skinner's spine.

" Scully, " Skinner said softly, " it's me, Skinner. Please put 
down your weapon. " As he spoke, he slowly crept closer to the
voices hiding place. The cold hard surface of the pavement rubbed
painfully against the thin surface of his dress pants. He could 
feel the moisture from the previous rain seeping through, his skin
becoming that much more infuriated. ' What I wouldn't give for a 
pair of fatigues, ' his mind mused almost amusingly.

For a few moments silence was the only sound that greeted his sore
ears, then the same voice spoke falteringly, its fear and utter
confusion very evident. " Stay where you are, don't come any 
closer. " Suddenly the bush began to shake violently and they could 
see a slight figure; move to a better vantage point. The barrel of 
the Sig she was brandishing flickering brightly in the street lamp 
light.

Skinner remained still, the breathing of his subordinates and 
himself filling the now still air with clouds of water vapor which 
surrounded their faces and swirled about their necks. Skinner 
replied softly, almost patriarchal " Scully it's ok. We are here 
to help you. Pfaster is dead, He cannot hurt you anymore. Come out
here and come with us. We were all so worried about you. Please
trust me..."

Scully heard those painful words that she had heard so many 
different times in her life. They cut like a hot knife into the 
very focus of her essence. She drew back the trigger of her gun 
and the sound filled the empty street with it's presence. " I 
trust no one, " the paranoid drug hazed mind mused into the wind.  
She rather shakily drew her gun up to her sight a little further,
her vision impairment making it hard for her to get a clean line 
of sight. As she brought her foot under herself further, a stab
of pain rushed through her thigh and she cried out in pain,
tears filling and obscuring her already impaired ocular 
abilities.

Skinner's heart hell on to the pavement below his bent knees.
Scully's cry had tore a deep rift within himself, which he felt
profoundly. He wasn't sure what drugs Pfaster had given her, but
it was very clear she wasn't in her right mind. She was a trained,
drug crazed agent, a loaded gun ready to go off. He spoke firmly,
as he tried to get her to focus upon him, " Scully it's me,
Skinner. You can trust me... You know that. "

" What about them? " Scully retorted angrily. Scully wasn't sure 
of what to believe. She recognized the voice; it was so familiar,
yet she couldn't quite place it. It had told her Pfaster was dead.
But she knew that you couldn't kill the devil. Of this she was as
sure as she was of life. The cool wind blew against the thin 
material of her tanktop, her nipples become harder than they were 
before. ' I am so tired. I wish I could close my eyes and sleep. I 
wish that this would go all away. ' Her teeth began to chatter her
body shudder in order to generate body heat. ' If it starts 
raining sleeping bags... Oh God. Mulder. What have I done. You are 
dead. Because of me... ' Tears fell harshly upon her smooth 
chilled skin, and she wiped them away with her forearm.

Skinner gestured slowly to the contingent surrounding them, as he
moved a bit further forward for her to see min more clearly.
" They will leave... " He could see her shake her head in 
confusion as she listened to his words.

The agent next to him interrupted curtly, " Sir ", his voice full
of warning and a touch of consternation. This was against protocol,
clear and simple. Out in the field one didn't just leave the
one that you are partnered with alone. Backup was always essential.
Taking unnecessary risks wasn't an option.

" Agent Warner, you will do as I say. You all will do as I say.
Go. Get help. Call Mulder. I will stay here... " Skinner warned
softly, as to not upset Scully more. He sat down on his cool
bottom on the glistening black pavement. He glanced over at the
agent, his mouth pursed with determination. " You heard what I 
said, get Mulder. If any one can get through to her, he can "

Warner nodded his head in affirmation, and gestured toward the
other three agents. They fell back slowly, carefully, fully aware 
that this situation was far beyond their ability to control. Once 
they had reached a safe distance, they ran for suitable cover, 
speaking in hushed tones into the head gear, trying to notify the 
man which they knew could bring her in safely.

Skinner brought his hands down in front of him and rather 
trepidatiously put his gun down upon the pavement. ' Gain her 
trust. Appear non-threatening. ' Her crossed his hands in front of 
his muscled legs, and entwined his fingers, trying to appear as 
calm and non invasive as possible. " They have left Scully... It 
is just us... They are going to get Mulder..."

" NO, " Scully screamed loudly, " he is dead. Pfaster killed him.
Killed * us * because of me... A fresh onslaught of tears fell 
down her cold tight cheeks. Who was this man? She knew 
instinctively that she could trust him, but how she didn't know. 
She was confused. This man putting down his weapon in complete and 
utter trust of her, is telling her that they are going to bring 
Mulder? Scully drew in a breath and yelled rather emotionally, 
" Oh Mulder... it's all my fault. I tried to fight, but he was 
stronger. Oh God, if I only had listened you would be still 
alive... "

Skinner was in shock. ' What the hell did Pfaster do to her... '
' She thinks Mulder is dead. Oh, God, no wonder she is so crazed.
Mulder hurry up and get here. She needs you. She needs to know that
you are OK. ' " Scully, Mulder is here. He is alive. Pfaster is
dead, Mulder isn't..."

" Yes he is... " She interrupted harshly. " Pfaster told me so. "
She dropped the gun slightly and brought her face down into her
forearms. " He killed Mulder because he knew that I was in love
with him. " Tears fell from her drug hazed eyes. " He told me that 
I should do everything that he said. I tried. I really did. But 
when he wanted... Oh, God... Why didn't I? Oh God I wish that I 
could die... "

" No Scully. Don't. You do not want to die, " Skinner said 
lovingly. He knew that this situation had gone from bad to worse, 
Now not only did he have to gain her impaired confidence, he had 
to convince her Mulder was in deed alive and well and that she 
couldn't hurt herself. " Mulder would lose it you know, if he 
thought that he were the reason you hurt yourself.  You would kill 
him then. Just as sure as I am sitting here. "

" I already did. It's too late. I loved him so very much. He was
my everything. My whole life. My soul. My faith. He will never
know. He will never know the truth. I know that he didn't feel
the same way, but that doesn't matter. I should have told him.
He deserved to know. Now... there is no more. " Scully's voice
trailed off, her tone filled with defeat and resignation. She 
knew what she had to do. She knew how this would have to end. 
However she needed some time to focus and to rest. She took a deep 
breath and closed her eyes, the soft cool wind now no longer a 
chill, just the soft caress of a long lost lover.

Skinner felt tears come to his eyes. The pain she was feeling
was as real to him as it was to her. " Scully...Dana... " He 
wasn't sure how to reach her. She obviously was too impaired to 
function in any rational capacity so it wasn't going to be easy.

" You know, I can probably count on one hand the number of times
that I heard him call me that. I always wanted him to call me that.
To get beyond that facade of mine and to get to know me, the woman
beneath. He never did, you know... Know me. He never wanted to. "
Scully squeezed herself tighter, that knowledge driving the
pain deeper within herself.

Skinner's heart skipped a beat once again, he had never really
been privy to how deeply hurt she had been over the relationship.
After what he had seen over the years, he knew that Mulder cared
deeply, even loved her. But obviously she wasn't privy to that.
He had seen the ebbs and flows that they had shared over the 
years, but had never really gotten deeply into the matter. Skinner 
clenched his hands tightly, trying to fend away the chill 
beginning to set in. ' Where the hell are you Mulder... She needs 
you... ' 

As Skinner sat there on the cold hard surface of the road, a cold
drizzle began to fall once again, covering the lush green earth 
with promise of new life to come...




                      *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Comstock Street
0415
Syracuse, NY.


Mulder slammed the door of the squad car as he stepped out onto
the cold hard road below. The sound of the door reverberating 
loudly amongst the close older residential houses. The stiff spring 
wind whipped his trench around his slender legs, and mussed his 
already tussled hair. He walked briskly, his heart pounding 
violently with in the confines of his tired chest.

As he made is way through the massive convention of law enforcement
personal, vehicles and interested onlookers, his mind tossed about 
like rolling breakers against rocky shore.

' Oh, God... Scully, what did that psycho do to you? If he has 
laid a single hand upon you, I will personally hunt him down in 
the afterlife and kill him all over again. ' Ever since getting 
word that they had found Scully, a weight had been lifted off of 
his broad shoulders. In its place had been settled a eerie sense 
of calm, which in itself was probably just as frightening. Now 
that he had her back, what were they in store for? What had 
Pfaster done to her during her captivity? ' Don't even think that 
way. Expect the best and prepare for the worst. We can handle it. 
We have in the past, and we will now also. '

Once he finally made it to the yellow 'do not cross' line, a 
younger looking man, wearing a local enforcement uniform, rushed 
up to him and cut him off. The young man was pale, blue eyed and 
blond, appearing to be more of a surfer type than a serious 
professional. He lifted his arms up in a gesture of restraint, 
" Sir, you cannot go beyond this point without proper I.D. " This 
was the young man's first assignment and he took his job seriously.

Mulder flashed him a rather disgusted leer and as he pulled out 
his I.D. and displayed it to him said angrily, " Look son, I don't 
have time for this... " He tapped his foot in frustration on the 
ground, his only thought revolving around getting to Scully.

The young man examined the object carefully and said softly, in a 
very an apologetic tone, " I'm sorry, sir. Right this way. " He 
lifted up the tape and allowed Mulder to enter unobstructed.

Mulder followed the squeaking of radios past the rest of the 
throngs, and finally found himself walking upon an empty, dark 
residential area of older two story houses. By now the place had 
been evacuated, and the only sounds heard were the winds whistling 
trough the leaf laden trees, and the faint sounds of city traffic 
in the background. The first snow crocus of spring, white, and 
purple were just starting to come forth from their cold suspension.

AS he turned the corner to his left, suddenly the street changed 
and smaller, one story houses emerged, their lawns more spacious 
and covered with older dense foliage. Just a head of him, sitting 
on the side of the road, sat a broad shouldered individual, whose 
smooth skinned countenance reflected the dim light of the barely 
functioning street lamp.

As he walked towards the figure he knew to be Skinner, the gentle 
clicks of his dress shoes tapped gently upon the wet pavement. The 
figure got up and slowly trudged towards him, never once allowing 
his vision to stray from the bush on his left. He walked carefully, thoughtfully, as if not to disturb anyone within any distance.

Mulder quickly marched up to Skinner, his tired countenance full 
of relief and said very faintly, " Where is she sir? Is she all 
right? If he hurt..." Mulder drew his hands out of his trench 
pockets and clenched them angrily in front of himself. Mulder was 
becoming acrimonious once again. It had taken every ounce of 
strength on his part to remain calm and collected for Scully's 
sake. However, he was falling sorely short of his intended mark. 
' Scully, you have always been our strength. I don't know how much 
more I can hang on... I need you... '

Skinner ran a broad strong hand across the furrow of his brow. His
eyes were dark and thoughtful in appearance. He spoke softly, his 
deep tones soothing and caring, " Scully is over there, beneath 
that burning bush. She has a gun and I think it's hers from the 
appearance of it. She is very disoriented and quite impaired. She 
is obviously exhausted and between that and the hallucinogens that 
bastard dosed her with, she is barely focusing. Skinner then 
looked back once again, the shadow to which he was referring still 
as a deep lake, with a forlorn look gracing his countenance,
 " She thinks that you are dead... "

Mulder's eyes grew large, appearing to almost be a dark green
in the faint light." What? She thinks..."

Skinner interrupted him curtly, " Your dead. Apparently Pfaster
told her that he killed you as retribution for her having 
feelings for you... " Skinner looked down at his feet, his 
frustration and anger at the situation, not lost upon him, 
rather tempered and directed into matters at hand.

" Feelings for me, he punished her for that? " Mulder asked, very 
afraid of what his answer might be. He steeled his heart for the 

works to utter forth from the man in front of him, his heart was 
breaking literally into two.

Skinner looked him straight into the eye, willing Mulder to find
the courage to accept a very real possibility, " He did want her 
to have is child, maybe when he had told her that you were 
deceased, he planned to executed his plan. " He delivered the word 
carefully, as he studied Mulder's face intently.

Tears came to Mulder's eyes. He clenched his hands tightly, his 
knuckles turned white from his effort, " Oh, God... Did he? "

Skinner shook his head in ignorance, " I don't know. She has been 
pretty out of it since we found her. She doesn't seem to know who
I am, or where she is. She is so unnerved because she blames 
herself for your untimely demise, that in her mind, she doesn't 
want to live anymore. "

" That is the drug sir," Mulder said strongly. The woman they 
were about to deal with was not their Scully. This was the drug 
induced possibly physically abused result of Pfaster's sick 
little games.


Skinner began to drift back towards where Mulder had come from,
his breaker damp and heavy from the falling drizzle. " I am very 
aware of that, however the problem still stands. She is armed and 
psychotic. She is a danger to herself and to others. Now, * I * 
have been able to now to keep the locals under control, but the 
are loosing patience. You are the only one who can reach her, and 
do it quick, time is of the essence... "

Mulder took a deep breath and began to walk over towards the 
shrubbery. Just out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a very 
slight figure slouched up into a ball under the landscaping. As 
he walked up toward Scully, a shaky paranoid toned alto voice 
emanated from his goal, " Stay right there...* Don't' * come any 
closer. I am armed and not afraid to use it. "

Mulder couldn't help but chuckle a little. Just hearing Scully's 
voice speaking to him after all of these days being enough to 
celebrate, but just those simple words also had brought him back 
to a time where she had shot him. " I am very aware of that fact 
Scully, very aware. Remember when you shot me? "

The bushes moved just a little, as the figure adjusted herself.
Scully peered out at the tall dark stranger. He also seemed to
be very familiar to her. An understanding that came from the very 
depths of her soul, which caused her feel an overwhelming sense of
caring and comfort about him. She asked quietly, her alto tones
soft and questioning, " Who... are you? "

Mulder took another step forward and took his hands out of his 
deep pockets. He brought them forward in a gesture of trust and 
understanding. " Don't you know, after all of these years? " 
Mulder asked softly, trying to gain her trust.

Scully shook her head, she couldn't honestly for her life remember
who it was but she knew, somehow that he was once very important
in her life. His soft low tones inspired such a trust from her 
that she almost felt safe, " You will have forgive me, I am a 
little... forgetful at the moment. "

" That's ok, I will * forgive * you that this once. Are you ok 
in there? You must be quite uncomfortable. " Mulder said with a 
dry wit. From the tone of her voice, he could tell that she was 
calming down and possibly could be even coming out of her haze. 

Scully couldn't help but chuckle softly, she liked this man. She
scratched an itch caused by the sap of the plant sitting on her
tender, pale thigh and said, " Well, the bush itches and I am 
freezing my ass off but other than that, I guess I'm ok."

"Why don't you come out from there? " Mulder entreated as he 
gestured with his hands in an inviting motion. " I know a really 
nice place that has the greatest Scungilli Marinara. It's only a 
few minutes from here. You would really love it. "

Scully sucked in a deep breath. ' Italian Food. Yup, I can really 
go for that. ' She hadn't eaten anything since being kidnapped. 
His voice sounded so familiar, almost just like... ' Now it can't 
be. It just... Mulder is dead. Get a hold of yourself, Starbuck, 
you are really loosing it. ' " Uh. Uh." Scully retorted teasingly, 
her wit was just beginning to return, but her memories and 
emotions still ragged and volatile, " I don't think so. I don't 
even * know * you. I trust no one. "

Mulder answered softly, his voice so soft as if non existent, " As 
you shouldn't. But you have always trusted me. Just like * I * 
have trusted you. " ' That's it. Bring her out. Get her to focus. ' 
He slouched his shoulders and lowered his head, in order to appear
less of a threat to her.

Scully lowered her voice, her eyes filling with tears. " I... 
trusted only one. He is dead. I am now alone. Cold, so cold. " She 
pulled her arms around herself, still clutching her SIG tightly. 
In spite of the seemingly familiar man in front of her, she felt 
so alone and empty.

When she had said those last few words, Mulder found himself 
flashing back to an another time that she had pronounced them. 
Memories of Scully immersed in the greenish fluid, the umbilical 
firmly planted between her rose bud lips, sending shivers of pain 
through him just as if they had happened yesterday. As he spoke 
his voice reflected his anguish, " Scully..."

Scully shook her head, her mind just starting to focus, " Only 
* he * calls me that. * Scully *. That was all I ever was. 
Scully. " She lifted her azure blue eyes skyward as if searching 
for a sign of solace.

Mulder's heart was dying a slow and painful death. Her words had
cut through him like a hot sliver of glass. ' Does she really
believe that? Is it the drugs, or is it the woman behind those
words? Jesus, will I ever be able to make this right? ' He spoke
quickly, his heart behind his words, " I'm sure that you were more 
than that to him. "

Scully blinked her eyes slowly, and tilted her head to the side,
her focus lost in thought, her vision swirling and her equilibrium
still off. She said hesitantly, her immense sadness dictating her
thoughts methodically, " No, not his type. Tall, gorgeous, and 
elegant... Like Diana, Phoebe... He told me once that I had short 
legs... "

Mulder found himself being drawn into her feelings. He knew that
even though she wasn't truly lucid, the feelings had to be coming
from within her somewhere, " I'm sure he was just joking, " Mulder 
uttered reassuringly, " I'm sure that he didn't mean it... " He 
tried to look through the obscuring overgrowth, but his vision 
still only met a very vague shadow.

Scully chuckled slightly, her memories giving her hazy mind 
something to hold on to. " Sure, and * I * am Eleanor Roosevelt. 
No wait I couldn't... Too boring. That is what he told me. I am 
too boring. " She adjusted her weight once again, the muscles in 
her legs and back, beginning to throb rather painfully from their 
very confined status.

Mulder inched up closer as he uttered, " Is it alright if I come 
up there? I find it hard to have a nice discussion with anyone, 
when I am so distant from them. "

Scully arched her slender auburn eyebrow; her voice spoke 
warningly, " Sure... Just remember... " She finally managed to get 
herself situated to where she could unfold her legs slightly. She 
winced from the jolt of pain and gasped slightly.

" Oh, don't worry I will, " Mulder proclaimed as he rambled up 
closer, his feet clicking gently upon the pavement. In the process, 
he began to make out more of the form hidden from his sight. 
Scully hair gleamed brightly through the hazy branches, and he 
could see her profile as she looked about her unfamiliar 
environment. " Are you sure that you do not know who I am? " 
Mulder added softly, trying to get her more focused, " We have 
been together a long time, I should sound very familiar to you 
Scully... "

" I'm not... exactly sure. He gave me... drug... hallucinogenic,
I think... memory impaired. Vision affected. Jesus, I'm just 
falling apart. " Scully shook her head chuckling huskily, as she 
methodically tried to regain the memories of her past few days 
with a little more clarity. ' Think Scully. Focus... '

" You are not falling apart. I am here to catch you. As we have 
always been for each other. Scully do you remember Antarctica? How 
I came for you? How cold it was? Do you remember what I told you 
before they took you away from me again?  You make me whole, 
Scully. You owe me nothing, I owe you everything... " Mulder mused 
loudly as he walked up, flush with her hiding place.

Scully closed her eyes, her warm memories cloaking her safely
within herself. Scully mumbled softly along with Mulder's voice 
inside her head, " I don't' want to do it alone. I don't think I 
can... " A single crystal clear tear fell from deep azure eyes, 
and it slid slowly down her dirt stained face.

Mulder knelt down, his knees instantly becoming wet from the rain
soaked road. As Mulder looked into the bushes, he finally got a
good look at her, her face was flushed, covered with dirt. Her
hair was mussed and full of twigs. She was wearing her T-shirt
that she had been wearing last, the material which glowed almost 
ethereally in the light. He reached forward, extending his hand 
towards her, " That's it Scully... Remember... We almost kissed. 
God, how I wanted to. You did also. Your eyes told me so. Your 
beautiful blue eyes. "

Scully gasped loudly, ' How the hell??? No one knew that 
happened. ' She began to shiver violently, not out of hypothermia, 
which she was suffering from, but from shock... " How do you know 
those things? I never told anyone, only... " She gasped softly, 
her voice full of perturbation.

Mulder smiled brightly, his teeth gleaming faintly in the dim 
light. He nodded affirmatively, and retorted, " Mulder and 
yourself knew... "

Scully closed her eyes, his face from their hallway confrontation
still gracing her memories, they touched her soul sending forth
heated tears of regret to fill her eyes. " Yes... "

Mulder reached into the bushes and touched what he thought to be 
her shoulder gently, " Do you remember Scully, the iced tea in 
that bag on that stake out? It could be love... " He squeezed 
gently, trying to reach her. He could feel her tremble slightly 
under his touch.

She felt the warmth of his hand through the thin material of her
shirt. As she looked at the profile of the man before her, she
tried to focus her blurred vision. ' He seems so familiar...
He sounds familiar... He even smells familiar... ' Scully mumbled 
softly, her memory flashing back to that night when they were on 
that stakeout," I guess it must be fate... "

Mulder continued speaking, his voice getting lower and lower,
forcing her to concentrate upon each of his syllables. As he spoke
he continued to kneed her shoulder gently, reassuringly, ' Listen 
Scully. You know who I am. Listen to me. " Yes... Who else would 
know that... ' " Who else would know that you love chocolate, hot 
bubble baths, classical music, and creme... no sugar in your 
coffee... "

Scully's eyes grew wide, her jaw slackened slightly, " How do... " 
Scully interrupted curtly, " I don't... " She shook her head once 
again, her golden red hair falling gently about her face. She 
reached up with a hand, the other raising lightly due to the cuffs 
and tucked a strand which was hanging in her vision behind her ear.

Mulder could see her apprehension and her confusion. He was 
finally getting through to her. He could see it written across her 
tired physiognomy. Mulder lowered himself further, so that he was 
seated upon the pavement before her, " It's ok, Scully. I am here. 
It's me Mulder. "

Scully's delicate features twisted in pain, her eyes filled with
warm stinging tears. ' This cannot be happening. This isn't really 
Mulder, he is dead ' Her denial wasn't cutting it now. Somehow, 
someway, she knew deep within her that he was right, he was Mulder. 
However her less than rational side, pushed the acknowledgement 
aside and cried emotionally, " No, you are dead... He told... "

Mulder shook his head; a lock of dark hair fell across his 
furrowed brow. His eyes almost glowed with love and understanding 
as he answered softly, " What he told you was wrong... He did 
it... To control you... So you would acquiesce to his demands... "

" But... " Scully exclaimed as tears, hot and indignant fell down 
her cheeks, ' This cannot be happening... I must really be losing 
it. '

Mulder knew that it was time to go in for the kill. ' Fish or cut 
bait old man... ' " But nothing, Dana Katherine Scully... * Dana * 
do you know why I never really ever called you by you given name, 
beginning from the first moment in that basement office? "

' Oh my God... ' She finally believed. It was Mulder. The man
whom she had thought had left her life for good. The man whom she
loved most in this hostile and distant world, " You called me 
Scully then... Mulder? Is that... you? " She lurched forward just
a mite, trying to get a better look at him.

Mulder's eyes filled with tears also, they fell in a torrential 
downpour down his face, catching on the days old stubble and 
cooled in the cool moist wind, " Yes, angel it is. I have come for 
you. I want to take you home. Let me protect you. Let me... "

Scully rolled her eyes, her denial still holding on tenuously,
"  Oh Geesh... What kind of stuff did he put in that syringe... 
I am so far gone that I am having auditory hallucinations. "

Mulder chuckled softly, as he smiled brightly, " I assure you I'm 
not a hallucination, besides I am the only one who gets all the 
good drugs in the relationship. However I am sure that you have 
wished it was a bad dream several times. " He said these last
words with a hint of sarcasm.

" Mulder... I have never wished such a thing, well not much 
anyway... Scully smiled slightly, her eyes finally becoming clear 
and focused. She dropped her gun on the bare cold ground, the 
metal clanking slightly on the stones which lie there. She arched 
a slender brow and looked about slightly, " Mulder? " She 
questioned as she gestured about herself, " Where am I, and why am 
I huddling under this bush? "

Mulder laughed brightly and grasped the hand that she was waving 
about. The tears continued to fall freely down his face, his utter 
joy and relief taking over, " I don't know Scully, a sudden need
to get back to nature? "

" Mulder stop laughing like a madman and help me get out of 
here? " Scully asked as she struggled to free herself of the 
complicated maze of branches, " Jesus, the places that you take me. 
Why can I just have a normal job like anyone else, and not have to 
crawl about in shrubbery, in the middle of the night, in the 
freezing rain, " She fought weakly, thus her progress was 
non-existent.

Mulder pulled her hands gently and between the both of them, they
liberated her from the thick tangled mass of branches. Mulder 
noted that her hands were cuffed in standard issue cuffs, probably 
her own. The pale skin underneath, raw and bleeding. Small rivulets 
of the crimson substance, ran down her forearms where they met her
elbow. Mulder caught her as the momentum of their efforts 
propelled her forward. Her slight body gently thudded into his, 
and as he looked down, what he saw made him want to vomit.

The clothes that Scully were wearing were painted crimson in the
blood which Pfaster had shed. The pale expanse of her skin was
likewise hued, except for the dirt, scratches and bruises which
were clearly evident upon her. Mulder could see her nipples, tight 
and small, straining against the wet, clinging material of her
shirt. Her hairline and upper forehead were mottled an 
impressionistic mixture of purples and blues, with a touch of 
yellow.
 
 
As his hazel eyes finally came up to hers, her glassy azure eyes 
were filled with bewilderment and questioning, " Mulder, what is 
wrong? " Scully asked as she trembled slightly. She looked about,
her memory failing to release her of her confusion. 

Mulder just shook his head his eyes filling with tears which then
fell down his face once again. ' Oh God Scully, what has that 
animal done to you... ' Mulder took her by her now trembling 
shoulders and massaged her muscles slightly, his face full of pain 
and anger.

" What? " She questioned exasperatedly, as she finally gazed down 
at her self, his eyes leading the way. Scully's eyes grew wide, 
her jaw dropped several inches revealing her perfect white teeth. 
" Oh, my God... What the hell happened? " Scully was scared. She 
was covered in cold glutinous gore and she couldn't remember how 
it had happened.

Mulder took her hand and squeezed tightly, his apprehension at the
situation very evident in his face. Her hand felt, soft and very 
cold even in the light her could see that her normally red lips 
were blue. He spoke quietly, asking in a soft loving voice, " Did 
he hurt you? " He implored as he squeezed her hand tighter and 
searched her face.

Scully shook her head; her thoughts still not completely focused.
" I... " ' Who is he? Where the hell am I? ' She glanced about 
once again but this time noticed a group of people which was 
advancing fast from behind Mulder. From their appearance, they 
appeared to be law enforcement personal, but in this lighting with 
her sensitive vision, she couldn't be sure.

" Scully? " Mulder begged once again. He grabbed her slight  
shoulders in his strong broad hands and clenched her tight. She 
seemed to be staring off into the distance beyond his shoulder, 
her thoughts thousands off mile away.

Scully's face remained blank, her eyes full of confusion and 
frustration. Suddenly Scully's eyes fluttered slightly, the night
now spinning wildly about her, her vision dimming. She could hear
Mulder's voice calling faintly, as if from across a great chasm
which was separating them, but her voice faltered as she tried to
answer. She pitched forward, her slight weight falling into
the swirling blackness which came like a thief in the night to
free her once again.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
0530


Quiet hushed the sterile, well-lit hallway. Artificial lights
gleamed brightly off of the well-polished light tied floor. Large 
neat metal shelves of medical supplies lined the deliberately 
empty hallway. The walls were a sterile white, empty except for 
the occasional sign which graced the seemingly endless expanse.

Suddenly the pair of large automatic doors swung open, and from 
outside of the entrance a gurney was rushed in. The gurney was 
surrounded by a large group of health professionals, each of them 
part of a light blue sea of scrubs. As the gurney was rushed forth, 
in the calm din, voices loud and strong were muttering forth, 
reporting each of their own very responsibilities, a veritable 
symphony of teamwork at its best.

B/P 80/58 palp.
Pulse 110 rapid and thready.
Resp 26 and steady.
Accu chek 58

As they spoke, they hovered above a flash of matted red hair,
immersed in a multitude of blankets. The figure lay deathly 
still, as they worked furiously trying to determine her plight.

Fox Mulder trudged behind the entourage, which was attending to 
his partner. His mind was in a hazy fog, induced by low blood 
sugar and shock. He was exhausted and frustrated. From the scene 
where EMS had responded, he had been pushed aside and rather 
rudely treated. He knew logically that they had a job to do and 
that they needed to concentrate upon the patient at hand, but it 
still annoyed him to no ends. Every attempt on his part to 
ascertain her condition had gone to no avail and he wanted 
answers.

As the throng of orderly health professionals propelled the pale
unconscious body of Dana Katherine Scully forward, the verbal
tide continued, of very little comfort to his ears.

" 35 year old female, apparent lacerations, abrasions, and 
contusions. Possible head trauma untreated from at least 5 days 
past. Victim was given multiple drug injections during captivity,
evidence of dehydration, and starvation. Questionable sexual
assault. Victim unconscious since evaluation, suffering from
exposure. "

As they wheeled Scully onto the trauma room to their left, Mulder
found himself restrained by a thin, dark haired woman, who was
similarly attired to the others. The woman gripped his forearm
firmly, the heat of her hand permeating through the material
of his coat. Mulder took a deep breath, noting that she smelled
like vanilla and cinnamon, soft and sweet.

" Whoa there sir, I am afraid that you cannot go in there. "
The woman said firmly as she pulled as his arm gently, trying
to lead him away from the group attending to Scully. She looked
up into his face, her bright eyes searching his face. This was
the part that she hated about her job, keeping people from the
ones that they loved.

Mulder attempted to pear through the clear glass of the door,
but a set of off white blinds was drawn shut upon him. He angrily 
spun around and spat at the top of his voice, " That's my partner 
in there, I need to be with her. " After all of the time that 
they had been separated, he wasn't going to go willingly.

The nurse nodded her head and gently led him over to a small
brightly lit waiting room directly across from the room which
Scully was brought in. As Mulder numbingly followed her lead,
he could vaguely hear her barking orders to others just out
of his sight. Out of no where a soft, thick blanket was wrapped
around his damp shoulders and he was gently steered to a large
sofa at the far wall. As he sat upon the soft coffee brown
couch, he felt a cup of hot liquid pressed into his literally
lifeless hand.

The nurse sat next to him, and drew the blanket tighter around
his shoulders. " They will take very good care of... your
partner... " She could see that he was very worried about her, 
but from the looks of things he needed attention also.

" Scully, Dana Katherine Scully " Mulder mumbled as he took a sip 
of the steaming hot liquid, the fluid scalding his sensitive 
tongue and burning a slick tingling path down his parched and sore 
throat. The warmth of the liquid began to thaw him from the inside 
out, the feeling not an unpleasant one.

The nurse rubbed the blanket roughly against him, attempting to
provide some artificial warmth through friction. She asked softly,
making sure that he words were clear and precise, " Are you going 
to be ok, Sir, I could get someone to look at you if you... "

" No it's ok, " Mulder curtly interrupted, " I'm fine. Just a 
little tired that's all. I just need to know if Scully is going to 
be all right. " Mulder gazed longingly at the door. His mind 
focused only on one intent, making sure that he wasted no more 
time.

The woman looked at him, her deep brown eyes full of sensitivity
and thought, " Let me see what I can do for you as long as you 
promise you stay right there and don't move. " She brought a long 
slender hand to his trench clad forearm, and squeezed gently.

Mulder looked at her and smiled slightly, " I will try to behave 
myself however I am well known for not following the rules. " 
Mulder chuckled softly and turned to look into his hands.

The nurse chuckled in return and said softly, " I would have never 
guessed that. " With that she stood up and walked over to the exam 
room and opened the door. As she walked in, Mulder could see 
Scully lying on the gurney, as the team worked diligently around 
her.

Mulder sat back and closed his eyes drawing his wet trench around 
him, the soft sound of the unit lulling him into a state of deep 
contemplation.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Mulder heard a firm bass voice
speak into his right ear, " We have the crime scene documented 
there, Mulder. How is Scully? Skinner sat down next to Mulder, 
pulling out his cell phone from his pocket. He hazarded a glance 
at him. Mulder looked like hell. Days without sleeping, eating, or 
basic hygiene had taken its toll. His hair was greasy, matted. 
His normally smooth cheeks were graced with too much stubble. The 
suit that he wore was wrinkled and soiled, and he reeked of sweat 
and rain water.

Mulder looked over at him with the most lost look in his eyes,
" They haven't told me anything. I have been here all of this time
and I don't know a damn thing. " Mulder brought his hands up to
his face and continued; " I don't know what I will do if that
bastard assaulted... "

" We will handle it, " Skinner replied as he sat back against the 
cold chair, " We will remain strong for her. She will need us 
regardless of the outcome. She is strong. She is a fighter. We are 
a team and will work as such to bring her back, whatever it takes. 
Is that understood? " Skinner asserted forcefully.

" Yes, " Mulder answered despondently, his heart once again full
of anguish. He wasn't sure how they would manage but he knew that
they would. As a team, they were invincible.



                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
0615



Mulder caught the sound of a door being pushed open and the 
melodious, tranquil tones of voices from his inward deliberations. 
He opened his eyes, hazel embracing the bright artificial lighting 
causing his eyes to ache. He rubbed his face against the sleeve
of his coat, trying to bring his idle mind to life.

As he looked up from his forearm, he caught the door open once
again, but this time he saw a sight which made his stomach turn
violently in his taunt abdomen. Bile, bitter and burning, swirled
like a monsoon in his stomach.

Scully lay prone on the exam table, her pale slender legs up in 
exam stirrups. She was covered from head to thighs, with a thick 
white blanket, her feet covered in thick white socks. The only 
color visible was the bright shock of red gold against cold white, 
since her face was turned from him. Even from there, he could see 
the deep abrasions and contusions which dotted the normally smooth 
skin of her legs. Just as quickly as the door had opened, it 
closed leaving Mulder quavering in its revelations.

Mulder closed his eyes, willing the memory now etched upon his
mind to quickly fade away. 

" Mr. Mulder? " A disembodied voice implored softly, as a hand
was brought to rest upon the firm surface of his shoulder. Mulder
opened his eyes once again, the woman whom had helped him earlier
stood there silently, her other hand resting gently on her slight
hips.

" How is she? " Mulder asked as he leaned back, trying to work out
the kinks which had settled in his spinal column from his awkward
position. 

" She is dehydrated, hypoglycemic, and shocky. However her vital
signs are stable, and she is responding well to IV hydration and
glucose supplementation. She has many cuts and bruises, but none
serious. Her head injury, is minimal. No sign of concussion.
All and all she is quite well, and resting comfortably, " the 
nurse replied professionally, as she sat down next to him and 
crossed her legs at her small ankles.

" Was she... " Mulder managed to murmur out as he looked over at
the closed door, praying that Pfaster hadn't had a chance to get
his hands on her. He closed his eyes again, the image of Pfaster
lying lifeless on the bathroom floor not enough to erase the
tremendous anger which brewed deeply within him.

" Not as far as we can tell, A rape kit was done and with the 
exam, " she replied resolutely, " no sign of trauma was noted. 
Given the state of her muscle tone... "

" Excuse me... " Mulder exclaimed as he looked her directly in the
face, and then glanced at her nametag noting that her name was 
Carol de Curzio. This was something that he clearly didn't need to 
know. Sure he loved Scully with all of his heart, but this 
discussion wasn't necessary. 

" She has never had children vaginally and is obviously not very
sexually active, so it is safe to say that she did have 
intercourse, she would have some trauma present if not consensual. 
The slides revealed no sperm, vaginally, anally, or orally. No 
bruising or irritation either which is consistent with sexual 
abuse. However, it would be best to question her further when she 
is awake and lucid. To be safe, " she added further, as she 
crossed her arms in front of her chest and let out a deep breath.

" Thank God, " Mulder proclaimed as he jumped up and stood straight 
at attention. Mulder smiled as he thought quietly for a moment that
at least for now, Scully was going to be all right. She would have
a great deal of issues to deal with concerning her captivity and
her escape, but at least she didn't need to deal with rape on top
of all that, " May I see her? " Mulder beseeched as he nodded 
towards her door.

" Give them a few more moments and you can see her for a 
minute, " Carol answered as she stood up and stepped from him to 
look down the hall towards the nurse's station.

" Has she became conscious at all? " Mulder inquired as he brought 
his hand up to touch the chain which peaked out from beneath the
collar of his dress shirt. He needed to talk to her for listening
to her voice earlier was clearly not enough.

" She was momentarily and she was mumbling your name, " Carol 
responded as she brought up the clipboard that she had been 
holding at her side, and jotted something down quickly upon it. 
" You two must be very close, " she finished as she looked up 
towards him, a sly smile creeping across her delicate features.

" We are... " Mulder nodded brightly as he smiled in return.
Funny, after all of these years of denying how he felt about her,
admitting it wasn't that hard after all. It felt fitting.

" We did have to sedate her for the exam, " Carol added as she 
stepped out into the hall, turning to walk down to the station to 
give morning report. The bright light shined brightly off her 
chestnut hair, the red highlights glimmering softly. " It was for 
her own good. It was very light, she should be coming around very 
soon. "

" Thank you... " Mulder stated softly, as he gestured with his 
hand, " for everything. " He and Scully owed so many people so much 
for all of the assistance which they had provided. With everything 
that he and Scully had seen and experienced, he sometimes grew 
jaded about the inherent good in people. At times like these, his 
faith was renewed, even if only for a while. 

" No thanks necessary... " Carol replied as he strolled down the
hall, her mind now upon the fact that she would soon be home with
her family, graced by the light of day...
 

                         
                      *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



0645
University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.



Mulder quietly walked into Scully's room. The room was silent 
except for the sound of her IV machine and the deep even breaths 
that the slight figure in front of him was taking. Those very 
breaths soothed his soul and eased his anguish. ' She is really 
alive. She is really here. ' He walked across the floor, the hem 
of his gray trench swishing gently behind him. 

Scully's slight figure was curled up on her side in the fetal 
position, her bruised and abraded arm tucked gracefully under her
pillow. He could just make out the cling bandage which he knew to
grace both of her wrists from the too tight handcuffs. He knew 
rationally that she was going to be all right, her injuries were 
minimal and she wasn't raped from what they could tell, but seeing 
her like this, in her favorite position to sleep was reassuring to 
say the least. 

Mulder studied her scratch graced, blanched face. Even those
deterrents did nothing to diminish the breathtaking beauty which
he so admired.  She appeared just as he remembered. The golden 
freckles that she worked so hard to hide were quite evident upon 
the ivory skin, as was the beauty mark which enhanced her upper 
lip. Her blue eyes were closed, the dark auburn lashes fluttering 
like gentle butterfly's wings under her dream laden rest. 

Mulder reached over with a trembling hand and brushed a strand of 
fire from her face, just as he had seen her do so many times 
before. Her hair was tangled and matted with the leaves and twigs 
which had became imbedded there from her excursion.

 ' Jesus, Scully. Aren't we a pair. We certainly are not the 
poster couple for romance. ' He took her slight hand in his, the 
cool pale skin there giving him cause for worry. He stroked it 
gently and to his surprise, she mumbled softly and tightly grasped 
his grip. Her eyes darted to and fro beneath the translucent skin 
of her eyelids. Her rosebud lips parted slightly and she smiled 
slightly, the action causing her eyes to get those little laugh 
lines that he so loved. They had been through so much, that the 
little moments like these, meant the most. Mulder leaned over and 
brushed a kiss upon her brow and Scully smiled once again, but this 
time he could make out the words very clearly, " hips before 
hands..."

Mulder smiled brightly and squeezed her hand once again.  That 
moment spent on that baseball field had been there epiphany. He 
knew from the way that she had reacted to him that it would not be 
much longer before they would be together. Seven years of 
sacrifice and sexual repression had seen to that. 

Mulder squeezed her hand once again and whispered softly, " I love 
you Scully. I promise that soon, we will both say those words.
You are * my * Truth, you are my life. Please get well soon so
that we can go on. I cannot live without having you fully in my
personal life anymore. You are my everything, and I only hope that
I can be that for you also. "

Scully stirred softly in her sleep once again before muttering 
softly, " I love you too, Mulder. " She snuggled her pale face 
into the starched pillowcase of her bedclothes and sighed softly. 
Her breathing returned to normal and her face grew slack once 
again.

Mulder stood straight in shock. He knew how she felt, but to hear 
those words from her, even when asleep, was more than he expected 
this soon. He had feared hearing those words from her for so long 
that he had tried to drive her away from him on more than one 
occasion. 

He had used everything that he could think of to deny what they so 
obviously felt for one another. But as all things in life, his 
best laid plans had failed. Consciously or subconsciously, he 
needed her in his life, and she needed him also. This bond, 
transcended all differences between them and made them strong. A 
bright smile broke across his dark features. ' Maybe that little 
talk should come sooner than I thought? ' He mused seriously. 

Mulder pulled up the sheets further around her delicate features. 
He knew that she needed to rest above all else right now and he 
planned not to disturb that. Mulder slowly walked from her room, 
her gentle breaths filling his heart and healing his soul.



                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
0700


Mulder walked out into the hall, and brought his forehead to the 
cool smooth surface of the hospital corridor wall. He steadied his
breaths and focused his thoughts. As he stood there, he could 
hear the staccato footfalls of dress shoes. As he looked up,
Skinner walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

" You saw her? " Skinner asked quietly as he shifted his weight
side to side. He was just beginning to feel the sheer exhaustion
that was setting in. When he was on the hunt, he could deny the
bodily calls for rest and for sustenance. That life saving 
ability had saved his ass more times than he could count.

" Yeah, " Mulder mumbled his fatigue threatening to claim him also.
He ran his slender hand through his hair, and bowed his face back
upon the wall. He could barely keep his eyes open, the contacts 
that he was wearing were dry and stuck to his eyes. He blinked,
trying to tear to relieve the itchiness which plagued him. However
even with his best efforts, it didn't work.

Skinner narrowed his eyes and said with assertion, " Go back to 
the hotel, Mulder. " Skinner tried to avoid taking too deep of
a breath for Mulder was quite * ripe * at that moment.

" Excuse me sir? " Mulder retorted as he stood up and faced his
superior. He was shocked. How could he ask him to leave, after
he had just gotten her back?

Skinner steeled his back and leaned over slight to him. He knew 
how stubborn Mulder was. But he also knew how Scully would react 
to seeing him like this. " You heard me, " Skinner spat forcefully, 
" you don't want her to wake up and see you like this. She doesn't 
need to see that. How can she rest if she has to start worrying 
about you? You look like shit, you can barely keep you eyes open. 
You smell like a barn and you haven't even shaved in God knows 
how long. Trust me it isn't a pretty picture. "

Mulder shook his head, trying to unite his quickly dwindling 
concentration, " But what if she wakes up and needs... " He 
couldn't bear the thought of being away from her just yet. He 
had just gotten her back. He didn't want to lose her so soon. 

" I will stay here, " Skinner offered softly, " I will call if she 
needs you. Go take a shower, get a nap and eat something for 
heaven's sake. " Skinner smiled reassuringly as he put his hand
on his shoulder. 

" But..." Mulder offered weakly. He knew that Skinner was right.
His logic was flawless. Scully didn't need to see him like this.
He needed to be resolute and supportive for her. That then meant
he needed to get his act together before she awoke.

" No, buts. Go. " Skinner retorted firmly. He put his hands in his
pockets and gave him a stern look. 

Mulder nodded and smiled slightly. If he hurried, he could do all
of that plus contact Mrs. Scully and let her know that Scully was
fine. He knew that she was safe, and that Skinner would see to it 
that she would remain that way until his return. " Sir, I want to 
thank you, " Mulder retorted genuinely.

Skinner arched a brow and his face filled with questioning,
" For what? " 

Mulder brought his hand up to his furrowed brow as if in thought,
and then spoke carefully, " You have done so much for us over the 
years. You have always been there for us, when others would have 
left us at the wayside. I... "

Skinner took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose,
" There are no need for thanks, Mulder. Like I said once before,
you are the one who is truly the brave one. You face those ideas
which others of us would rather forget. Your work is important.
It is essential. You and Scully are the only ones standing 
between us and Them. "

Mulder " Well, that isn't entirely correct sir, " Mulder added as
he turned to leave the building. He brought his arms up over his
head and stretched. The nightmare was indeed over and life could
begin once again. A nap was starting to sound good right about now.
" You also stand there with us, beside us. You are part of this
team also. "

" Get going Mulder, you stink. " Skinner replied as he brought out
his rolled up morning paper to read for the interim. 

" Yes, Sir. " Mulder replied as he walked out the automatic doors,
the bright sunshine filling the darkest corners of his soul.
Today was a brand new day, and with that came the hope and promise
of a new life. A new life that he was determined to share with
Scully.

 
                     
                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.

1000


Skinner sat outside of Scully's room in the trauma center. The 
hard plastic molded for a much smaller body than his, causing his 
back to ache with the pressure that it exerted upon his stature. 
The soft, footfalls of staff, accompanied the whirring, beeping, 
and clicking mechanical sounds the corridor. He leaned back 
against the hard, cool surface of the wall and brought his hand to 
his deeply furrowed brow.

' I am so damn glad that it turned out as it had. If Scully had not
came back to him, Mulder would have been lost forever. '

Skinner drew his trench coat tighter around his dress gray suit.
His new black shoes, though very suited for field work, did nothing
to dissuade the languor which plagued his very essence. He looked
about him, the artificial lights reflected brightly off of the
light tiles of the floor. 

Mulder had been gone for several hours, and Skinner had been 
faithfully keeping vigil since he had left, as promised. As he 
went to stand up, the chair a pathetic excuse for a medieval 
torture devise for the nineties, he heard the door to her room 
open and he turned to look.

An IV tech walked out clad in hospital whites. Her blonde hair was
pulled sternly back from her face, the effect causing him to 
experience pain just from the observation. She glanced about, as
if looking for someone, but being that it was before change of
shift, all staff was in report.

She looked back to Skinner, and asked firmly, " Are you a friend of
Ms. Scully's? " She brought her IV tray just before her and brought
it from her right to her left hand as she looked up at him.

" Yes, I am. Is there a problem? " Skinner rolled his shoulders
and took a deep breath. He put his hands into his deep pockets
and shifted his weight from side to side, his worry beginning to
grow. The doctors had said that she would be all right, but being
that she wasn't completely out from under the drug's side effects,
anything could happen.

The tech flashed him a bright smile and shared, " Oh no. Nothing
is wrong. I just thought that you would like to know that she has
woken up. I'll go tell the staff, why don't you go on in. "
With that she turned and walked down the hall, her new shoes 
squeaking loudly upon the shiny surface, her lab coat swaying
gently behind her in the breeze from the air conditioning.

Skinner turned and smiled brightly, taking his cell phone out
of his pocket. Before he went in, he wanted to make sure that
Mulder was on his way over. He knew that the best medicine for
them both was to see one another. He hit speed dial and as soon
as Mulder's familiar voice answered he said quickly, " She just
woke up. I know that she would like to see you. "

A disembodied voice replied firmly, " I am on my way over. "
With that the call went dead, and Skinner put his phone back to
whence it came.

Skinner took a deep breath and centered himself. The momentary
flash of worry replaced by a rush of tremendous relief. ' Scully
is going to be all right. The case is all wrapped up. Pfaster
will be six feet under before the end of the week. What more
could a man want. ' He braced his weight against the glass and
metal door and walked in.

Scully sat slightly upright, her back just barely against the 
pillows. The back of her stringy reddish gold hair meeting his
gaze as she looked out at the parking lot from her room window.
Her slight hands were drawn into her lap, her white, starched
blankets twisted firmly into her grip. Even from his vantage
point her could see that her knuckles were white from the effort
she was putting forth. 

" Scully? " Skinner inquired softly as he stepped forth. The
bright morning sun's rays, a kaleidoscope of reds, golds and
oranges gleaming through the window,  met his tired gaze with 
the promise of a new day. The antiseptic smell of the suite, 
filled his nostrils and as Scully turned to met his challenge, the 
bright blue of her azure eyes eclipsed the glory of nature's 
promise.

" Hello, Sir. " A most professional voice greeted his ears. She
smiled weakly, her pale physiognomy covered in fine, reddish
scratches. She brought her trembling slender hand up to push
the thick curtain of hair out of her face.

Skinner quickly walked over to her, taking her hand in his. Here,
in the light, he could see just how frail she appeared. In her
captivity, she had obviously lost weight, her small delicate 
bones very obvious beneath the opaqueness of her ivory skin.


Even her face appeared thinner, dark contour appearing beneath
the curves of her cheeks. Skinner smiled brightly, ignoring
the less than healthy visage before him. " How are you feeling? "
He asked as he sat down on the edge of the firm mattress, the 
edge giving way slightly under his bulk.

Scully looked down at her free hand, her nails ragged and worn, 
" I'm fine Sir. Thank you for asking. " She looked about, from
what she could see; the IV in her hand and the sterile, clinical
room before her, she knew that she had to be in the hospital.
However, for the life of her she couldn't remember how she had 
gotten there. " May I ask you a question Sir, " she asked softly
as she looked him into his eyes.

Skinner blinked quickly, " Sure, what can I do for you? " He
let go of her hand, suddenly very uncomfortable with the touch
that they shared. He slid himself off of the bed and pulled up
the chair which had rested next to the head of her bed.

Scully looked about her with an unmistakable look of confusion
floating across her refined features. She brought up the blankets
which had lain in her lap, closer up to her chest, trying to
ward off the chill which had set in. ' Pfaster. The last thing I
remember is preparing to jump Pfaster... Then everything is
black. ' " How did I get here? " Scully asked in the smallest 
voice that he had ever heard.

" You don't remember? " Skinner asked in turn. But as quickly as 
the question had been formulated, he knew the answer, ' The drug. 
She was under the influence of a hell of a lot of medication. 
Things will be cloudy for a while. ' " Of course you don't know 
Scully. It's ok. You are at University Hospital. You had an 
altercation with Pfaster. Somehow you managed to hit him over the 
head with a chair and then... "

" I shot him, " she finished as she suppressed a shiver, which ran
through her. She could recall bits and pieces of the event. A hazy 
recollection bore of drug, exhaustion, and lack of food. His face, 
strained and determined, his hands cold and clammy as he carried
her up the stairs. 

" He is dead. You shot him point blank. " Skinner filled in as he
watched her expression carefully. She appeared calm, cool, 
controlled as usual. Her whole demeanor screamed Federal Agent Dana 
Scully. But her eyes told a different story. They were unfocused, 
confused and pain filled. They darted about in nervousness as she 
tried to get a grasp on the past events which she had experienced.

Scully looked back at him, and quipped sarcastically, " Well, I am
glad to see that all those years on the firing range paid off. "
She brought her legs up to her abdomen, her knees just beneath her 
chin. She brought her slight arms around them and closed her eyes.

" Do you want me to get you a nurse? Are you all right? " Skinner
asked as he bent his head down slightly to try to catch her gaze.
He brought his hands down into his lap, his fingers rubbing 
slightly on the smooth fabric beneath them.

" Yeah. I am just tired, " she replied as she began to rock 
slightly back and forth. She knew that she was safe, her plan had 
worked, but where did that leave her. Because of her selfishness 
Mulder would never see the light of day, never would take another 
breath. The last words that she had shared with him had been 
heated, angry. Not the way that she had hoped their last moments 
would be shared. She continued to speak, her voice becoming softer 
and higher pitched with each word uttered, " How long was I there 
with him? I didn't have any means of telling time and there were 
no open windows for me to look out of. "

Skinner stood up and stood next to her, he could see blood and
biological materials still strewn throughout the silky strands
of her hair. ' Jesus Scully. You are acting just like you are
shell shocked. ' And she was. Her whole personage had changed
from her usual self to this withdrawn, unfocused woman before
him. He spoke softly, " You were down there about five days. "

Scully blinked slowly and looked up at him, " Oh... It all seems
to obfuscate together. After he drugged me up, things are a blur. 
I slept so much, that time almost stood still. " She then looked 
down at her knees and began to rock again, her grief, shock and 
exhaustion controlling her every move at this point.

" Scully... " Skinner said as he leaned over her. " I really think
that you need to see a doctor, let me go and get someone for 
you... " She was starting to frighten him. Who knows what that
monster had done to her and how would make her act.

Scully looked up at him and once again. She shook her head 
negatively. She knew that all she needed was some rest. She needed 
some time to deal with everything that happened. She knew that she 
would recover physically. She didn't have any pressing injuries. 
She knew that she would heal mentally. She was strong, this would 
not effectively keep her from being fully functional for long.
However emotionally, was another facet she knew would be difficult.
" I need to know Skinner. " Scully stated softly, " I need to know
how he died... " She knew that though the knowledge would not
absolve her of her guilt in his demise, it might help her to deal
with it better if she was totally aware of the situation. 

" I told you, you shot him Scully... " Skinner answered with a
confused tone, she seemed more than just shell shocked. She wasn't 
retaining anything that he was telling her. ' Maybe the drug is 
still in her system. Maybe it is causing her to be this way? ' 
Skinner reached for the call bell and pressed it to summon for 
attention.

Scully shook her head furiously, " I don't mean Pfaster. I mean
Mulder... " Before she got a chance to finish, a small thin nurse
dressed in green scrubs and white clogs walked in and waved 
Skinner out the door, " I need to look at Miss Scully. Will you 
excuse us? "

Skinner just nodded and said to Scully, " I will be right back.
We have a lot to discuss. There are some things that you should be
aware of. I will be right outside. " He squeezed her shoulder 
nearest him and nodded supportively.

Scully just looked back at him and nodded in affirmation. It had 
to be bad if he couldn't just tell her. A surge of pain cursed 
through her, a tornado in a valley, circling her heart like a 
heated knife. She sucked in a breath and swallowed hard. ' Maybe 
this can wait a little bit more time. '

He walked stiffly out of the room, as the nurse pulled the curtain
about the small redhead laying in the white sheets of her discord.
He could see the pain as he had walked out. However until Mulder
was here in plain sight, he knew that she would never believe him.
As he stepped out in the hall, Mulder came strolling up quickly to
him, his stride determined and happy.

" How is she? Can I see her? " Mulder asked breathlessly as he
reached Skinner who was leaned up against the wall. Mulder tucked 
his hands into his pockets and smiled brightly as he peeked into 
the open door, not able to see beyond the light blue privacy 
curtain which had been pulled tightly around the bed.

Skinner shook his head; " The nurse is in there with her. You can
go in as soon as she says I assume. She seems as good as we can
expect considering what she has been through the last few days.
However, she doesn't remember anything that happened after her
altercation with Pfaster, and she still thinks that you are 
dead. "

Mulder drew in a ragged breath. He knew that she must be so
miserable. He knew how he felt when she was gone and he didn't
know is she was alive or dead. He knew that she must also feel
that way. " She must feel like shit, sir. I remember how I have
felt all of the times that I have been on the other side of the
door. " Mulder brought his slender hand up to run his fingers 
through his hair, trying to straighten the hopeless cause with 
little effect.
 
>From behind Skinner's ample shoulders, walked the nurse that had
been in Scully's room. She walked up to the two men, looking at
the clip board of notes which she had carried in with her.
" Miss Scully, is doing well. The IV is doing its job. Her vital
signs are stable. If she continues as this rate, we will transfer 
her up to the med surg floor in just a few hours. You may go in 
and speak to her if you want, but please just for a few moments. 
She needs her rest. "

Mulder smiled brightly, " Thank you so very much. Now if you
will excuse me, I have some good news to share with a certain
red head of my dreams. With that Mulder walked into the room,
his trench swinging strongly behind him. As he walked by Skinner,
Skinner could smell the very expensive cologne, which we wore.

Skinner furrowed his brow as a bright smile broke across his face.
" Red head of his dreams... I guess that I just won the office
pool, " Skinner said to no one in particular. The nurse looked
at him with the most puzzled face and shrugged her shoulders.
She turned and walked down the hall towards the nurse's station.
The bright light around her, a halo of colors broken only by the 
glass surrounding the desk she was walking towards.

Skinner turned to walk towards the other hallway, his face still
lit up with the grin that he sported. ' What I could do with 500
dollars. It was such a sucker bet. ' Skinner turned down a corridor
which he knew that lead to the cafeteria. For the first time in 
several days, he actually had an appetite. And with he new found
winnings, he was planning on enjoying himself. 
                      


                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
1030



Mulder walked in slowly, the curtain still drawn around her bed.
The room was filled with deafening silence, so thick that it could
be palpated with the very skin of his body. He took small even
breaths, trying to settle himself down. Even though the room
reeked of hospital chemicals and cleaning supplies, he swore that
he could smell the essence which he knew as only being Scully.

It wasn't the perfume or the soap that she usually wore that he
recognized, it was the elemental base which all of those were
enhanced by. He breathed it in deep, allowing its sheer power to
heal his still tormented soul, and to refresh his heart with life
and love eternal.

Mulder pulled back the curtain, and a flash of gold which he 
recognized as being Scully, was facing out the window, her eyes 
meeting the early morning rays. She seemed so small in that very
white bed, that it tore at his heart strings. He wanted to run up 
and wrap his arms around her, driving away the demons which 
stalked them both in the shadows of their existence.

" I told you, I don't need anything right at this moment. And
if you touch that IV one more time... " Mulder heard Scully 
say, her voice full of annoyance and disdain. She had been poked,
prodded, checked and examined over every inch of her body. She
had never felt so violated in all of her life. Even Pfaster had
not transgressed her so.

" Scully, you aren't giving those nice nurses a hard time are
you? " Mulder retorted, the sound of her voice even more
powerful that the air which he had breathed in just moments
earlier. He put his hands into his pockets and walked up so
that his thighs met the bed.

" Mulder? " The smallest voice his voice had ever encountered
inquired from within the nest of warm blankets and golden
sunshine. 

Scully rolled over, her mind reeling at the voice that she had
indelibly imprinted upon her psyche. As her eyes met the freshly
shaved, neatly dressed, wet haired personage of her partner,
tears, hot and thick, as the hot summer rains which fall upon
the parched landscape, feel down her golden sprinkled cheeks,
to pool deeply on her collar bones. ' Oh my God... '

" Scully, you ought to by now that I don't die easily, " Mulder
retorted and sat down next to her on the edge of her bed. He
reached out and stroked the only strand of hair not filthy, which 
had fallen across her cheek. Her tears which she was shedding
for him met his touch and he carefully wiped them away.

" Oh, my God. It is you... I thought... " With that she reached 
over as she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Relief 
flooded throughout her body, her heart began to beat furiously in 
her chest. She couldn't believe that he was real. When she had 
seen him, even though her eyes spoke their truths, her heart 
refused to believe. Now with him wrapped within her tired arms, 
she finally allowed all that she was feeling to come out. Harsh 
powerful sobs wracked through her body, a ship crashing on an 
immovable shore. Her breathing ragged and labored. It was not for 
herself that she wept, it was for the fact that the man that she 
loved was before her, his heart beating with hers.

Mulder held the sobbing woman tightly in his strong arms. Her hot
wet tears staining his dress shirt beneath his jacket. Her rocked
her gently, slowly trying to will away the immense pain that she
was shedding before his sight. " It's ok, " Mulder whispered 
softly into her hair, stroking it softly under his strong hands. 
" I've got you. You are safe. " 

He pulled her up with him, drawing most of her shaking body into 
his lap, her head buried deeply in the curve of his neck. He held 
her gently, lovingly his eyes clamped shut. Against his chest, the 
steady beating of her spirit which flowed through her body, and her 
garroted vacuous respirations were the concrete reminders of the 
fragileness of mortality. Her grip on him was almost stifling in 
its fervor, but he himself was reluctant to let her go. " Hey, 
Scully. If I didn't know better, I would be led to think that you 
missed me. "

Scully chuckled slightly, her broken voice retorting, " You can be
such an ass Mulder. But as God as my witness, I did miss you. "
She calmed down slightly, her heart slowing, a symphony of 
percussion. She closed her eyes and centered her breathing, ' In 
through your nose; out through your mouth. We need to get a hold 
of ourselves, Dana. ' She mused in the second person.

Mulder continued to rock her slight body, his heat seeping through
him and warming her cold, desolate soul until it was full of love 
and light. Tears came to his eyes as he drew her closer whispering
sincerely, " I missed you also. All of that time not knowing... I
cannot live without you Scully. You are my life, my completion.
I was so lost... " With that he gathered his wits together, trying
to lighten the mood, " Besides, who else would put up with me 
padding the expense accounts to pay for my triple X pay for view 
orders when on the road. "

Scully began to laugh at that comment, her tears beginning to 
abate slightly, then the realization of his firstly spoken words 
began to set in, ' All of that time not knowing? ' Scully pushed 
back from her safe haven, loath to give up the security which she 
felt for the first time in as long as she could remember. She 
looked him seriously in the eyes and asked, her azure blue full of 
confusion, " All of that time, Mulder? How long did you know that 
I was gone? How was I found? I wasn't aware that anyone knew. "

Mulder searched her face in return, his turn for confusion, 
" What do you mean? " Mulder inquired huskily, his voice honey 
over gravel, " Of course we all knew that you were missing, it 
wasn't as if he tried to hide it, in fact he flaunted the 
knowledge in front of us the whole time. " He brought his hands to 
her shoulders squeezed gently and then brought his palm up to cup 
the curve of her cheek.

Scully leaned into his palm the rough calluses scraping the
sensitive skin of her cheek. She blinked her eyes slowly
processing the information that she was given. " But... I...
He told me... " She took a deep breath and formed a coherent 
phrase, using all the strength that she could muster. " Pfaster
told me that he emailed Skinner and told him I was taking some
time off. He told me that he hid my belongings, filled by
ticket and basically made it appear that I had left. He told me
that all of you were not the least bit wiser about my
circumstances... "

" Well, well. Pfaster was a very busy man. He left all sorts
of trace evidence on the scene, latents and such. The next day he 
called us on your cell phone and began to taunt us. He told me 
that you were the one, the one that could redeem him, purify the 
dark depths of his soul. He left a trail so big, an idiot could 
have followed it. "

Scully shivered slightly at the words that Mulder had spoke.
She felt him draw her back to him and she didn't refuse. She 
closed her eyes as her face met his chest, the smell of his soap 
and his freshly applied cologne filling her senses. " Jesus 
Mulder, " she whispered emotionally, " he told me that no one 
would ever know what happened to me. He told me that I would be 
with him and I, Dana Katherine Scully would cease to exist. I 
would be a vessel... "

" He didn't * hurt * you did he? The exam didn't reveal anything
but I need to hear the truth from you lips, Scully. Did he... " 
Mulder trailed off as tears once again to fall effortlessly from 
his swirling depths of green and gold. He knew that until she told 
him herself, he would not find rest. Sure there was no evidence of 
obvious sexual assault, but what about oral physical assault. That 
rarely could  proven with tests, and that is just as traumatic.

Scully shook her head against his chest. She burrowed herself 
further into his chest, and sighed softly. She tightened her grip 
on his waist, eliminated any perceivable space which may separate 
them. " No Mulder, " she replied as she repressed tears which 
threatened to fall, " he wanted to, but he seemed to need my 
surrender. In the end, he gave up on that, and even though he knew
that if he approached me I would shoot, he did so anyway. After 
that everything is black. " Scully inhaled and exhaled slowly, her
senses filling with the decidedly male essence of soap, fresh 
sweat and fragrant cologne which Mulder exuded. " Mulder how did 
you find me? " She asked her voice dripping with tremulousness, 
" I mean what happened after I killed him... "

Mulder drew his arms tighter around the woman in his arms, her 
soft flesh burning deep into his heated caress, " Well, the last 
phone called clued us in, " Mulder said his voice as sharp as a 
sliver of glass, " We could hear carillon bells in the background 
and when we investigated, Agent Barton recognized them as being 
from Syracuse University. Near by where the bells are located is 
an older residential area. That is where the search concentrated. 
We had been searching most of the night, when neighbors heard gun 
shots and called it in. We went there, and found him very dead. 
But you were missing. "

Scully shivered brutally and closed her eyes, her terror at not
having full knowledge of her circumstances tormenting her greatly,
" Where was I? " Scully asked as she clenched his trench tighter
seeking the warmth which she knew that he could only bring.

Mulder brought his hand up to caress the silken weave of her hair,
he looked down and gazed at the heated silken strands of gray 
which he knew was the fire of her soul which he could never really 
appreciate, " We began to canvas the neighborhood, " Mulder 
replied, his voice tight with emotion, " Skinner and his crew 
found you hidden under some bushes nearby about 2 blocks. They 
called me, and I came and got you. I must say that you were pretty 
out of it... "

Scully nodded and pulled away reluctantly, loath to let him go but
knowing that this clearly not a professional situation to be seen
in. However, she did remain loosely embraced within the fold of 
his arms, an indulgence which she couldn't deny herself. " Mulder 
did he really plan the whole thing, I mean... " Scully questioned 
softly, a delicate breeze in the still of the hot desert.

" Yes he did, " Mulder replied his voice biting with red-hot 
anger, " While under treatment, he fixated on you. In his sick 
twisted little world he decided that his only salvation was 
through you. We are not still totally clear on how he totally 
planned it all... There are to many variables to insure our 
arrival, but he had paid close tabs on us; especially you. "

Scully lowered her face from his vision, shame and pain painting
its delicate features flushed and drawn. ' This was all about me.
He did all of this for me. They died because of his fixation; 
lambs to the slaughter. ' Scully felt the searing presence of 
salty tears burning their way down her chaffed visage. She reached 
up with one trembling hand and quickly wiped their evidence from 
her, the heat of the tears on sharp contrast to the coolness of 
her fingers.

Mulder reached down and lifted her still trembling chin with his 
thumb and forefinger, revealing her distress to his probing gaze.
Mulder shook his head, as a single crystal clear tear streaked 
down and landed on his arm, " Scully, " Mulder replied with a 
voice as soothing as warm honey, " it wasn't your fault. You had 
nothing to do with it. " He then reached up with his other hand 
and gently stroked the curve of her cheek to where it met her jaw 
and then followed it to curve behind around the nape of her neck. 
" You have to know that, Scully. " Mulder finished as he lowered 
his gaze to assure that she understood him.

" I do. But... " She replied softly, as she averted her gaze. " I 
tried to remain strong. For them. For me. But I failed so many 
times. I know that I am a trained agent, but I felt so 
helpless. " She gazed at him through tear filled eyes. Shame 
filling every aching pore of her being. Weakness was not an option 
which she believed in.

" Scully, " Mulder replied as he smiled brightly back at her, his
eyes kind and supportive. " You never failed. You never have. You
beat him. You saved yourself, against tremendous odds. " He 
stroked her hair gently saying, " That is proof enough, even for
you. You are the strongest person that I know. "

Scully nodded weakly and looked him straight in the eyes, 
gathering the faith that he held there and took it deep within her 
heart where she could call it her own. Suddenly as she sat there, 
enveloped in the essence that was Mulder, an overwhelming wave of 
desire hit her like hurricane coming to shore. Her heart began to 
pound, its rhythm primitive and earthy, her breathing quickened 
and became labored.

Her eyes caught and followed the sensuous curve of his upper lip,
its lush exterior begging to be tasted like a fine wine, savored
slowly, carefully, discovering all of the nuances which lie there.
She raised her face, losing herself in the deep swirling depths of
autumn greens and golds, and without a moments hesitation tilted
her head slightly and brought her lips to his.

' Heaven, simply heaven, ' Mulder mused as her lush, rose red lips
met his. As they had stared into each other's eyes, Mulder had 
known what was coming. He had wanted their first kiss to be 
special, memorable, theirs and theirs alone, but in the wake of 
his overwhelming desire, he had been powerless to stop it. Mulder 
forced his eyes to remain open, preferring to see this event occur 
as well as to feel it, but when she gently took his lower lip 
between her lips, and gently tugged it, his eyes fell shut as he 
fought the urge to throw her to the mussed sheets of her bed and 
deepen the kiss further.

Scully brought her hands up to entwine in the dark silky hairs of
his nape, and leaned forward to nip at the lip which she had taken
as her own. She moaned softly and with a delicate sweep of her
tongue caressed the plump flesh beneath hers. She could feel his
lips open slightly, and in a hesitant action she brought her
tongue to greet his seeking the fire which she knew only he 
possessed.

For one brief moment, time stood still. Tongues met, and caressed.
Seeking, exploring, tasting, the unfamiliar territory which both
had before them. At first the kiss was hesitant, a toe in a
rushing river, but then as they drew closer together, the kiss 
grew, consuming all thought, until Mulder's long buried voice of 
reason stepped forward and spoke. ' Not here, not now. ' Their 
first time as a couple, was to be private, not for all to see. 
Mulder moaned softly, as he pulled his lips from hers, loath to 
willingly give up the new home which he had just discovered.

As they parted, Scully smiled weakly, and pulled his head towards
hers, causing their forehead to touch together, their ragged 
shallow breaths mingling as one. She lowered her eyes, trying to
bring her raging desires under wraps for a moment. She was 
disappointed true, but * this * was not the time.
 
" Scully, we need to talk, " Mulder said as he looked into her
flushed face, his eyes dark and dilated, meeting hers smoky and
bright. He had always imagined her like this, wanting him. He 
wanted to show her just how much * he * wanted her, but not like
this. '  But not here, not now. ' Mulder said as he pulled his 
forehead from hers.

" Excuse me... " A loud, firm voice called from across the room,
breaking the moment and sending it out to see like a wave 
rebounding from the shore.

Mulder and Scully pulled back from one another, a bright blush
stealing across both of their faces. Mulder slid down from the
edge of Scully's bed and stood up, meekly putting his hands into
his deep pockets while Scully leaned back against the numerous
fluffy pillows which sat behind her.

" If you would excuse Miss Scully and I for a moment, I need to
examine her briefly... " The dark haired woman with the deep
green scrubs and the round face said as she stepped towards the
side of the door and gestured sweepingly for Mulder to leave.

Mulder turned towards Scully, noting the pale rose petal flush and
widely dilated eyes associated with extreme desire. Mulder flashed
her a bright smile, revealing his row of perfect white teeth and
nodded as he said huskily, his voice honey over gravel, " I'll
be right back. " With that he leaned over and gently placed a warm 
firm kiss on her hairline.

Scully nodded and flashed him in return a rare magnificent
' Scully smile ' with teeth and all. She watched as he sauntered 
out of the room, pausing for a moment to nod at the nurse who had 
just interrupted them. Scully brought her hand up to tentatively
touch her still moist lips, remembering how his touch felt upon
her. She felt the fire within her once again surge but she
managed to suppress it as she always had done, but this time with
promise that good things were to come.

" Miss Scully, how are you feeling? " The nurse asked as she 
walked up and placed her small hand on Scully's shoulder. Sara had 
been a little unnerved by the obviously very private moment that 
she had just walked in on. And from the looks on her patient's 
face, she knew that Scully was also.

" I'm fine... " Scully replied curtly, really meaning it, as she 
looked at the nurse's nametag, "...Sara, " she finished as she 
pulled up the clean, stiff bedclothes further around herself. 
Scully found herself in a losing battle to regain her composure 
after finally kissing Mulder. ' Jesus, Dana. It's just a kiss... 
But what a kiss it was. ' She though happily as she watched Sara 
check her Foley Catheter Bag for output.

" Looking good, " Sara responded when she saw Scully seriously 
studying her. " Your urine is still quite concentrated but with
rest and plenty of fluid we can remove this in a few hours. "
She finished as she gestured to the bag. Sara then picked up 
Scully's wrist, her gentle touch noting the tiny bones, and began 
to take her pulse.

" How is my blood work? " Scully queried knowingly as she twisted
her hands firmly into the scratchy material which lie there, her
knuckles turning white under her ministrations. She couldn't
wait to get out of there. After all of her hospitalizations in the
past, the less spent in an ER the better. She found herself
growing nauseated from the smells which seemed to exist only in
a healthcare environment, the memories they provoked too much for
her to deny.

Sara turned to look at the IV machine, noting the cc/hr, which had
been programmed into its red digital display, " Good. Your glucose
is now within acceptable limits and your BUN has lowered, however
your WBC's are still elevated and your electrolytes are still way
out of range. " Sara then marked the bag of IV fluid with her pen
and finished, " Another bag of this, and you should be able to
come off IV hydration. "


" Hmmmm, " Scully replied softly, as she gazed out the window
longingly, as she drew her arms up around herself and closed her
eyes. She was very tired. Her drug induced bouts of 
unconsciousness were not restful to say the least. The 
hallucinations were at times quite vivid, precluding her mind 
from a moments piece. ' Ahhh, a bubble bath and a nice warm bed. 
Now that would be wonderful. '

" Who is that dish? " Sara questioned, her lilting voice bathed in 
innocence, as she raised her wrist again to look at her watch, as
she counted to Scully's respirations. Ever since coming on shift, 
she had heard about the dark handsome man whom had waited 
impatiently just to see her. All of the other staff was all a buzz 
over it, speculating as to what they meant to one another.

Bright blue eyes suddenly met the light with renewed interest.
" Who, ah Mulder... " Scully replied matter of fact, as she 
tucked a strand of sun kissed fire behind her ear as she arched
a graceful brow, " He is my partner. "

Sara chuckled slightly as she walked over to the sink. She turned
on the spigot and squirted some of soap into her slender hands.
" Sure whatever you say, partner... " She retorted as she brought
her hands under the steaming water and began to rub them together,
the friction a not so pleasant feeling.

" No, it's true. " Scully insisted firmly, as she turned to face
the nurse across the room. Her blue eyes filled with hope and
faith, as she meditated ' However I think that will be changing 
very soon. '

" Honey, you maybe only partners, " Sara retorted with honesty,  
" but that man obviously has deep feelings for you. And from the 
looks of things, the feeling is mutual. I am gonna leave. A tray 
will be coming so for you to eat. Nothing fancy, an all liquid 
diet for now... " She then reached for a towel and carefully dried 
off her hands, using the towel to turn the water off. " I will 
call that Romeo back in before he implodes... " Sara finished as 
she turned to look at Scully, " A little advice, get him while you 
can. He loves you, but without knowing how you feel, it will 
suffer, I guarantee it. Love cannot exist for long in a vacuum. " 


                       
                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
1100



Mulder peaked his head inside of the door, the bright sunlight
steaming in the sterile, impersonal room gave to some life and
some hope. The TV was on to the news, the voices muted down to
soft whispers. As he glanced over to where Scully's bed was, he 
noticed that she was precariously seated upright in the hospital 
bed, her tiny bare feet dangling quite far from the floor. On top
of her bedside stand table was a tray of suspicious looking items
which she was picking at. Mulder had to stifle the chuckle which
threatened to escape his tight lips. Just the sight of her legs
so far off the ground was quite amusing. " Scully? " Mulder said
tightly, trying to avoid chuckling, to keep from humiliating her 
further.

Scully looked up to face the voice, which she knew as well as her 
own, and a smile played at the delicate corners of her mouth. Her 
intense cerulean eyes met Mulder standing there with the biggest 
grin, revealing gleaming white teeth. He in a calculated move then
brought his trembling hands out from behind his where he back held 
a immense spray of blossoms. Vivid blues, reds, yellows and 
purples beheld her attention as he proclaimed, " I stole these 
from the guy down the hall, he broke his leg so I had a head 
start. "

Scully smiled brightly, those words evoking a recollection of when 
he had come and visited her at the hospital when she was first 
diagnosed with cancer. ' We have come along way since then 
Mulder, ' she mused thoughtfully as she tapped the green cube of 
cloudy Jell-O with her small spoon. The gelatinous substance 
wiggling limply on the plain white plate, a most pathetic sight 
indeed. Scully dropped the spoon to the plate with a loud clink 
as she blew out breath of disgust and set her jaw firmly.

" What is it Scully? " Mulder queried, his voice dripping with 
concern. He walked over silently, his footfalls clicking 
cautiously on the spotless bleached tiles. From the report of the 
nurses taking care of her, she was to start an all liquid diet in 
order to restart her digestion. Before she was to leave her, 
eating at least three meals progressing up in consistency was 
necessary.  

" I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect that it is supposed to be
food. " Scully retorted, her voice soaked in biting sarcasm. She 
then picked up at glass of olive-drab colored liquid and attempted 
to take a sip of it and when the chalky, sickly sweet substance met 
her tongue she dropped the glass down with a clatter, the fluid 
slurping over the side and splattering against the puke green tray
on which it sat.

Mulder put the flowers on the corner of the bedside stand table 
and lifted the glass, sniffing it with an expression of disgust 
which certainly didn't sell the necessity well. He had smelled cow 
shit better than that. " What the hell is that stuff, " Mulder 
queried as he wrinkled his nose, small lines creasing his smooth 
forehead. ' And she is supposed to get better eating that stuff? '

" That is Ensure, " Scully informed quite professionally with an
arched brow as she then proceeded to push away the tray table lest 
she deposit the juice which she had managed to get down, " a 
complete nutritional drink. Nutritional for what I am not sure, 
for I know I can't drink it in * this * lifetime. "

Mulder looked over at her as he set it down and smiled brightly,
for there in the corner of the crease of Scully's lips was a 
single drop of the offensive substance clinging there for dear 
life. With no regard for consequence, he brought his finger to her 
soft yielding lips, a low gasp emitting from them, and wiped 
the liquid to his rough fingertip. As he withdrew, he noted that  
quite a wild shudder ran though his partner and with a flourish 
he brought it into his mouth saying, " I don't know Scully, it 
isn't that bad after all. "

One could have heard a single strand of hair drop in a crowded 
room with that comment.

Scully forced a blush from stealing across her features as her 

breath hitched. She could feel the incessant pounding of her 
heart, accompanying the burning hole which had taken residence in 
her chest. She averted his hazel eyes from hers as she wiped her 
moist shaking palms on the flocculent material of her hospital 
gown. She felt herself grow quite distressed, but in a very 
pleasant way. A familiar burning ache suddenly surfacing in areas 
where they ought not be in a public place.

Mulder inhaled a breath of anger at himself for being so forward
at a time like this. Innuendo was part of their perfunctory dance, 
but with her right here, it wasn't called for. She needed him to 
be the strong, in control until she was ready to assume her place. 
Silently chastising himself for his impudence, he centered his 
thoughts and said avoidingly, " So what's * that * Scully? I have 
never seen cloudy Jell-O before.

Scully devoured a ragged breath, her lungs burning with the effort 
and offered, " That is Hi Protein Jell-O. " She lifted her eyes to 
meet his, their hearts and souls meeting and questioning. A 
question asked and a message received. Scully reached over with
a slender hand and picked up the mug of steaming coffee, its
welcome flavor a kind distraction from the situation at hand. She
took a slow sip of its bitter essence, her thoughts swirling with
the cream which she had added earlier.

" Oh my... " Mulder continued on this very safe and quite amusing
topic, " It kinda resembles a something that I saw in ' Paranormal
Happenings. ' " He reached over and picked up the bowl, a 
mischievous gleam twinkling in his now moss green eyes. He twirled
it in the air for her to see, his long fingers chilled by the
coolness of the china. " Look, see what it does when I tip it 
upside down and... "

" Fox?" A distinct, thin voice called out from the door which 
neither of them had noticed open. Agent Barton walked in, her dark 
hair twisted into a French knot at the top of her head. She 
reached down and smoothed the tight fit of her tailored jacket over 
her ample bosom, which she knew to be her best asset. She looked 
over at the couple, carefully investigating the green Jell-O which 
Mulder held in front of himself. A bemused smile graced her 
seductive lips as she touched the tip of her pink tongue to the 
corner of her mouth.

" Barton... " Mulder replied as he put the bowl back down upon the
tray which held the liquids which Scully had discarded. He looked
at her, his face unmoved and professional. " May I help you? " He
finally asked as he stepped from the table to stand at the head of
Scully's bed. 

Barton reached up and smoothed the stray piece of hair which had
fallen across the side of her face. " May I speak to you for a 
moment in private? " She gestured with a long slender arm towards
the door just behind her. Now that Scully was back, she could
* see * how far she could interest Mulder. She had gotten the 
promotion that she had so desperately wanted from her work on the
case, and now she was testing the waters on part 2.

Mulder reached over and placed his hand on Scully's slender 
shoulder, the torridity of her skin searing through the calluses 
on his hand. His eyes following the curve of her luscious lips, 
which he felt still imprinted upon his. He so furiously wanted to 
take her in his arms once again and kiss her until she screamed 
for mercy, but he knew that as soon as she was released and was 
stronger, he was going to * show * her just how much that he 
needed her. " I'll be right back, " Mulder reassured as he smiled 
and walked slowly over past Barton and out the door.


Scully studied Barton with a careful eye, a familiar sense of
unease filling her heart. There was something about her, she 
couldn't quite pin her thoughts on it, but it unnerved her. Scully
tucked the reddish gold wave of her hair behind her ear, as she
reached over and picked up the carefully folded napkin and wiped
her lips with it, trying to break the stare which Agent Barton
was giving her.

Barton turned on her too high heels and walked out the door, her
ample hips swaying gracefully in the navy blue skirt which she
wore. The door swung closed behind her, the door clicking softly
with the contact at the door jam.

Scully blinked slowly and turned to lie once again back in her 
bed, the mattress crinkling softly under her slight weight.
She moved about stiffly, attempting to get into a comfortable 
position in spite of her corporeal bodies deep discomfort. 
Scully finally settled on her right side, closing her eyes to 
the dissonance of the world about her. She still felt very
uncomfortable about Barton. She did see Mulder and she kissing
in the hall, however Mulder was with her and had kissed her
so even if there had been something between them, it was now
over. Love had finally won. A small smile broke across her face,
as she found her thoughts floating up to the heavens, joining
the universal oneness of life, the opposite of evil.


                       ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
1145 hrs 


Mulder leaned against the wall, his head just clearing hers as he
leaned towards her, her floral scented perfume, overpowering the
antiseptic smell of the corridor, making his head spin. " I am 
glad that you came here. I needed to talk to you. " That much was
true. He still wasn't clear as to what may have happened between
Scully and she, but this one thing was true, her help had been
invaluable in bringing Scully back to him.

" I never got to thank you for everything that you did, " Mulder 
shared as he looked into Barton's dark eyes, " I owe you. Without 
your help, we may never have gotten to her. You have done so 
much... I'm glad that you were promoted. You deserve it. " Because 
of Barton's invaluable assistance on the case, she had been 
offered a new job at the New York City bureau. From some of the 
conversations that he had overheard, he knew that this was what 
she had been working for. Mulder suppressed a flash of intense 
desire, if it hadn't been for his intense feelings for Scully, he 
might have taken her up on her previous offer. She was beautiful, 
smart, dedicated and quite willing, a great combination. 

" Thank you, " Anna offered as she smiled brightly, attempting to
show as much teeth as possible. She leaned forward, making sure 
that her unbuttoned blouse displayed her best assets to the man 
before him. She brought her hand up to twirl a strand of dark hair
around a slender finger, " But that is not the only reason that I 
came here. "

Anna placed her other hand down on top of Mulder's forearm and 
squeezed gently as she spoke to Mulder her voice dripping with
innocent seduction, " Now that Agent Scully is back and safe, I 
want to pick up where we left off. I find you... How do I tell 
you this? I have never met anyone like you. You do things to 
me... " She then leaned forward and whispered softly, as she 
brought her soft, luscious lips up to meet his trying to reel her 
intention in. She pressed herself firmly against him, forcing her 
tongue into his mouth.

After a moment of kissing him, his response less than desirable,
she leaned back and added as she swept her eyes over his lean
features, " I want you... "

Mulder shook his head, his shock at her audacity too much for him 
to process. He liked aggressive women, but only one in particular,
Scully.  " Anna... I think that you have the wrong impression, "
Mulder said as he backed away, trying to free himself of her
clutches. " I like you but not in that way... " Mulder stated as
he directed them into the alcove just behind Scully's door seeking
some privacy. " I... "

" Don't deny that you want me, " Anna interrupted curtly, her
annoyance becoming quite evident upon her well painted features.
She wasn't used to being turned down flatly, and she wasn't 
pleased at the least, " I know you do, I... "

Mulder reached over and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and
shook her gently, trying to make is point across, " I think that 
we need to talk. This has to stop... " He gestured with his other
hand for her to follow him. He was flattered, but he needed to
make is point clear and he knew that this would take some time.


                    
                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.
1145 hrs


Sound. Soft uttering tones brought Scully back to earth...
Out of the periphery of her hearing she could hear two voices 
conversing and her curiosity got the better of her. Blue eyes met 
the pure light, framed by dark lashes. 

She glanced out of the open blinds, noticing that she could
just make out two figures to the corner of the breakfast cart out
side of her door. The two figures were deep in discussion. As the
cart moved past them, she noticed that it was Mulder and Barton
who was so cozily huddled together...

Scully sat up intently, a stab of burning pain surging through her
in a heated wave. ' It's not what it looks like Scully. You and
he just kissed. ' Scully cogitated as all of the memories of Anna 
and what she had done her came rushing back. She could still see 
Mulder kissing her in the hall of their motel. Scully shook her 
head, trying to clear her thoughts. Mulder had made his choice,
right?

Suddenly, Anna reached up and kissed Mulder full on the lips, and
Scully nearly fell off her bed. Mulder didn't seem to be fighting
her off and from the looks of things to her, he seemed to be
enjoying it.

Scully closed her eyes from the punishing vision, willing the
burning wave of pain which swept her out into the deep sea of
oblivion to drag her under. ' Oh, God. * That * is why he pushed 
me away... He didn't want me kissing him. He wants her. Only 
her. ' Scully mused as she felt her heart take its last beat and 
fall to the floor beneath her dangling feet. She opened her eyes 
to confirm what she had just see, but the corridor was now empty, 
devoid of life, just like her soul. However, she had her answers. 
Pfaster was right about one thing. She would never be with Mulder. 
Tears of rejection and disappointment filled her heart. She felt 
the tears fall down her face in torrents which she couldn't 
control.

She stubbornly wiped them away with a slender arm, her strength
once again fully in place.

She wasn't angry. Anger never even crossed her thoughts. She felt
shame and self recrimination only mixed with a healthy dose of
deep despair mixed in. 'All of these years. All of the innuendo, 
all of the glances were nothing. They * were * my imagination 
seeking for something that clearly wasn't there. How come I have 
never seen it before? All of those woman he paid attention to... 
Tall, graceful, beautiful. I never have fitted that profile. I am 
just Scully; partner, best friend and ass saver. He never saw me 
in that way. The kiss, his confession, only was to insure that I 
stay here with him. He needs me, but only for the cause.'

' He doesn't want me, he wants her. I was so stupid. I allowed 
myself to believe that he loved me once again. Why do I do this to 
myself? Oh God... The kiss... He is going to ask me what that was 
about.  His little talk, oh God he is gonna know! Then he is going 
to feel bad and pity me... What the fuck have I done? I may just 
have driven him away and lost my job in the process... Think... 
Think... ' Scully searched her thoughts for a plausible denial. 
' Ok. Drugs. I still have some of the Scopolamine in my system. 
Blame it on the drugs... Then I need to get away from her 
as fast as I can I... '

Scully knew what she had to do.  She reached for the call bell,
the smooth white nub, cool to her heated touch. This had to stop.
She needed to take control...



                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*



1220
University Hospital
SUNY Health Science Center
Level 1 Trauma
Syracuse, New York.




Skinner reached for the door handle to Scully's room. Mulder and 
she had had plenty of time to catch up, and there was still work 
to be done. Scully was not obviously up to doing the final report,
so Mulder would have to do it alone. However, Skinner had gotten a 
call from the locals. Since a shooting had taken place, Scully 
would have to submit to questioning as per protocol. They had 
agreed to come by and speak to her at the hospital, and so he 
needed to make sure when.

Skinner pushed the door open, the hinges silently gliding into
the cool expanse of the room. Standing there to his astonishment
was Scully, dressed in two sizes too big scrubs, which resembled 
the uniforms which the staff wore, attempting to put on a tennis 
shoe with one hand as she leaned heavily against the bed next to 
her. Skinner swore silently as he marched over to her quickly, 
his aspect etched in the concern which he felt very deeply. 
" Scully, where the hell do you think you are going? " Skinner 
barked as he brought his hands down upon her slight shoulders.

Scully stood up and turned to face him, her face still red and her
eyes swollen from her release. She smoothed down the top, which 
hung nearly to her mid thighs and said rather firmly, " I sir, am 
going back to my motel. " She needed to get out of here. She 
needed some space. This was not the place or time to deal with 
this. She felt especially self conscious that her boss was seeing 
her this way. He didn't need to be subjected to her failures. That 
would not be professional.



Skinner searched her face. He could see that she had been very 
upset recently but he knew not to call her on that. He knew that
overt emotionalism to Scully was invidious. Her professionalism
coupled with her personal need to be in control being the key
factors. Skinner sucked in a breath, and prepared to step away
when, she swayed slightly from her lack of balance making him
more concerned with her safety than anything else. " But... "
He uttered as he tried to break her impending fall.

Scully shook her head, as she brought her hand up in front of her
to warn him off. " I am fine, " she said resolutely, " no real 
injuries. I am still a little foggy, but some fluids and sleep 
will do the job. " She knew that wasn't the case. What ailed her 
would take more than simple band aid treatments for her heart was 
splintered into a thousand irretrievable pieces of torment.

Skinner looked about, his alarm going off loud and clear. " Where 
is Mulder? " Skinner asked as he spun around, his frustration and
anger getting the best of him. The room was empty and silent save
for the two of them. He looked back towards her and reiterated 
strongly, " Why isn't he here with you? " He shoved his hands into
his pocket and huffed loudly, trying to control the anger which
was seeping from around his carefully maintained edges.

Scully took a step to go around the towering personage of her
superior. His sheer size and bulk still sometimes to this day
disturbed her. However she knew that he would never hurt her so 
she ignored her nervous apprehension. As he stepped in front of 
her she quipped rather harshly her wounds rather raw, " I am not 
Agent Mulder's keeper. I don't know * where * he went. He was 
here. He stopped by for a moment and had * more * pressing matters 
to attend to. "

Skinner brought his hands up to his furrowed brow, he could feel
the tension building and he was more confused than ever. " More 
pressing matters? "  Skinner questioned himself as much as her,
" I don't follow you. " Where would Mulder go? After going crazy
for how long because of her absence, and he leaves her like this? 
This wasn't making any sense to him. He shifted his weight 
slightly, trying to gain the ground which he felt was slipping 
away from him.

Scully shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms about her
slight figure in a weak gesture to console herself. No matter how
much she promised herself, she still felt betrayed in the most
personal of ways. She knew that she had been wrong all along, but
that knowledge didn't make it any easier to accept the truth that
she had come to believe. She took a deep, ragged breath squelching
the need to scream in anger and instead informed softly, " Agent 
Barton came by. They seemed to have matters they needed to discuss. 
He never told me where they were going, they just left. " As she 
turned to sign the consent forms, the room began to spin slightly 
and she swayed slightly towards her left.
 
Skinner caught her fall. His hands grasping her shoulders firmly.
He had never, until now noticed just how small and thin she was. 
With her suits and heels coupled with her powerful personality,
the image she portrayed hid the real woman behind it. "  Whoa, "
Skinner declared softly as her steadied her. " You shouldn't be 
standing yet. You are still too unsteady. " He could feel her
petite bones trembling barely under his touch, and he released
his grasp slightly for fear of hurting her.

Scully wrenched herself from his grasp. All she needed was to get
out of her and get some air. This room was to be ever imprinted
in her psyche as the place that her Truth had been revealed. She
tucked a stray lock of fire behind her ear, " I am fine sir. " She
uttered professionally, " I know I have a statement to give and a 
report to finish. " She turned from him once again and finished 
signing the medical release.

Skinner brought his hands up in the air in frustration. ' What the 
hell is going on? We get Scully back, and yet things are as nearly
bad as before. Mulder is off somewhere doing God knows what and
Scully is here falling apart right in front of my eyes. ' " I 
thought that he wouldn't dare leave your side after we got you 
back. I thought that he wanted to be here with you, " Skinner 
finally exclaimed as he pulled her slight figure to face him. 
Skinner was lost, what had set her off? What had happened between 
them?
 
Scully looked up at him, the yet to be shed tears glittering 
brightly in her sapphire blue depths. She then looked down at
her feet, trying to will the wave of grief which threatened to
drown her in its wake. Then in the softest voice he had ever 
heard, " Why would you think that sir, we are just partners, 
friends. He was here, saw that I was fine, and left. Just as it 
should be. "

Skinner place his hand on her shoulders, trying to grasp what
she was saying. Was he so wrong? Had he misunderstood Mulder's
motivations after all. True, Mulder had said practically everything
else * but * those three words, however at the time, he thought 
that it was just Mulder being Mulder, nothing else. Skinner 
squeezed her shoulder gently and said in reply trying to reassure 
her, " He was so upset... "

Scully nodded her head slowly. That she did know beyond all else.
Mulder did care for her. She was an important part of his life,
and in this she could take comfort. She met his gaze once again 
and smiled slightly, a forced smile which looked more like a 
grimace than anything else. She closed her heart and focused her 
eyes, " I am sure he was. He cares for me a great deal. However, 
that is as far as it goes. We are partners and friends and nothing 
more...  Just as we always have been. Just as we will always be, " 
as she had said that her voice was husky, so full of pain that it 
wrenched both of their ears.
 
" Scully... " Skinner said uselessly. His heart bled for her to
the point that his mere words were clearly inadequate. He closed
his eyes momentarily, remembering the pain that he felt after
her had lost Sharon. He remembered hearing Scully's confession to
him not so long ago, and this knowledge made it that much worse.

Scully tried to put on a stoic, accepting facade. She squared her
shoulders and stood up straight. Ahab had taught her well. She
was the good little soldier. Emotions were useless bitter 
creatures which sullied the world around them. She could get 
through this. She was strong. " It's ok sir, " Scully said with a 
resolute voice, there is nothing to feel bad about. Everything is 
as it should be. "

" Tell him..." Skinner muttered, as he looked her squarely into 
her eyes. " You have to tell him. " He however knew her answer 
before he had even finished uttering those words. Scully would 
never tell him. She would never betray the code by which she lived 
her life. She would never risk loosing what they had, 
professionally and personally, just for her needs. 

Scully's face became pale; small beads of perspiration shined
like crystals on her brow. " There is nothing to tell him sir.
I think that you are making assumptions, which shouldn't be made.
There has never, and will never be any behavior which could be
construed as unprofessional on our parts. I just need to get out
of here, get back to DC. I need some time, that is all. "
She reached up and took his hand off her shoulder and squeezed it 
in hers. She knew that this was the right thing to do. The love 
that she felt for him would never be spoken of again. It would be 
left on the floor of this very exam room, to lay with the other 
discarded remnants of her life.



                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



1245
Eastbound on Route 5;
West Genesee St.
Syracuse, NY



AD Skinner flashed over at the woman seated across from him. From 
the moment they had left the ER she had fallen in slumber. Her 
head inclined slightly to the right, the mussed strands of golden 
fire falling to obscure her face from his vision. The bright 
sunlight resonated off the tussled waves, nearly blinding his 
sight with its effulgence. The only sounds filling their 
commodious silence being her gentle, typical breaths. 


Skinner averted his attention from the woman and back to the road.
His anger with Mulder intensifying by each passing moment. What 
the hell had happened that he would leave her in such obvious 
distress? He claimed that he cared for her a great deal; yet 
Scully was alone dealing with something that was so big that she 
could barely keep it together. He knew Mulder to be an extremely 
intelligent man, but this little episode, was further proof in 
his mind, of just how careless Mulder could be.

Skinner wasn't sure of how to best deal with the situation. He
knew that Scully would remain professional and not let this 
affect her work. That simply wouldn't be her. But Skinner knew
that somehow this situation had been rectified, no matter what
the cost.

He had been sure, during his conversations with Mulder, that he
really loved Scully. Even though, the evidence pointed to the
contrary, Skinner was now becoming skeptical. Should they even
be together if this was what would happen as a result? They were
both better together than apart, but was the promise of something
better worth what they could lose? He had never seen Scully so
rattled before, it just wasn't she, so was this all worth it? He
wasn't sure. Of course it would help to know what had happened
between them, but he also knew that Scully would never tell him.
He knew that she would never mention this incident again and it
would just vanish with the incoming tide to be swept out to sea.

Skinner made a left and turned onto the street where Mulder's and
Scully's motel was. The bright afternoon sun beating through his
windshield and making the cabin quite uncomfortable. Skinner 
brought his broad hand to his brow and wiped the glistening little 
beads of sweat that he found there.

Suddenly a tumultuous taking in of breath, caught his ear and he
turned as a faint rustle of movement joined the unusual breathing.
He hazarded a glance over at the tiny woman seated across from 
him. Scully's face had toppled back upon the headrest, her elegant 
lineaments twisted into an expression, which said it all. 

Apprehension. Pure, uncensored dread and terror. 

Skinner reached over and grasped her hand across the space between 
them stating benignly, " Scully it's ok. You are experiencing a 
dream. " He squeezed her hand firmly, trying to reassure her 
through the sheer force of will. But in spite of his best efforts, 
her bodily movements became more irritable and her low alto moans 
began to fill the air with her experience.

>From the peaceful silence of Scully's rest, in her slumbering 
dreams she found herself back in the swirling black dungeon that
had been her prison for 5 days...

It was dark, a cold penetrating darkness, which reflected the 
turmoil which existed within her soul. Beneath her, the thin damp 
futon shifted under her unsubstantial weight. From overhead, she 
could just make out soft foreboding footsteps, creaking across the
wide floor boards which she knew existed above her head. 

Suddenly a bright light flooded into the seeping darkness,
shattering Scully from the deceptively soothing darkness which she
found herself immersed in. And from that Shadowy curtain, a voice
called... " I told you Girlie Girl, it is your fate. You are
destined to be here with me... "

" Scully! " Skinner yelled loudly as he shook her limp arm. She 
had proceeded from whimpering to talking unintelligibly and was 
now thrashing aggressively against an sightless adversary. 

Skinner was not quite sure what to do. Should he wake her up, or
should he wait it out until they got to the hotel or whatever came 
first? He could tell by her actions that it had to be a very bad 
one and once again her silently cursed Mulder for not being here. 
' Jesus Mulder, she has been there for you whenever you have needed 
her, no questions asked. But the time that she needs you? "

Scully's fear filled attentions finally met the bright light of 
the day. Scully took in a ragged breath, her heart beating wildly 
within the borders of her chest. The desperate pleas of Skinner
reaching her through the darkness which enveloped her.

She looked about the cabin, her eyes darting nervously about
in worry. She tried to draw in another deep breath, but found the
incessant pounding of her heart made it too difficult to comply. 
A silent sob escaped her lips as warm salty tears fell down her
pale, drawn face.

Skinner squeezed her hand firmly once again, as he asked worriedly,
" Are you ok? " He felt more than inadequate. He clenched the
steering wheel tightly with his free hand, his knuckles becoming
white with his efforts. He also felt the thumping of his heart,
his hands humid with his uneasiness. ' What the hell do I do?
Where the fuck are you, Mulder? '

Scully closed her eyes, and began to center herself. ' Deep breath
in through nose, out through mouth. ' She mused silently. Scully
drew her arms around herself, in a futile comforting effort. She
knew that what had happened to her would be with her for quite
a while. She however was more than just a bit embarrassed with her
display in front of her boss. ' Jesus, Dana. Get a hold of 
yourself ' Scully felt a cool shiver run down her spine and she 
trembled with its presence. " I'll be ok. I just need some time, "
she said as she reopened her eyes and looked out the window at
the world speeding by.




               *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Skyline Motel
Syracuse, NY
1400hrs


Scully sat in her floral scented, bath water. Steam rose like 
tendrils of flickering light in the dim light afforded to her by 
the overhead lighting which graced the small bathroom. She took 
the soft sponge and squeezed it gently, allowing the fluid to flow 
silkily over her the swells of her swaying breasts, causing 
ripples to form around her slight body.

Scully allowed herself to sink further into her watery heaven that 
she had created for herself, trying to will the events of the past 
few days from her mind and from her heart. Now that she had freed 
herself, there was a lot of work to be done. And all of it was 
Mulder. In that hospital room, she had allowed herself once again 
to believe the lie which her heart told her. But this time, she 
had made a very fatal mistake. She had acted upon her delusion and 
now she was going to pay for it. She had crossed the line, and had 
lost. Scully felt a temporary flash of pain curse through her soul, 
but the strong arm of resolve quickly extinguished it, like cold 
water on a blistered burn. The force of her sheer will, drawing the 
very breath from her body.

' Dana, you really need to get a life, ' she mused softly to 
herself as the stretched out her slender leg from the quickly 
dissipating bubbles, the shocking coolness of the contrast between 
hot and cold causing billows of quavers to dance over her heated 
flesh.

In spite of her earlier resolve a lone, rogue tear which was 
perched upon a gently fluttering eyelash, fell tracing a lazy 
path down the pale, lightly freckled skin of her gently sloping 
cheek. As it reached the line of her jaw, it glittered just as 
brightly as the icy blue depths of her pain infused eyes.

' I don't need him or anyone to fulfil my life. I have everything
that I need. ' Scully thought sadly, as she tucked a stray strand 
of now damp molten copper touched with gold behind her delicate 
ear with a perfectly manicured hand.

Scully had been tired after finally moving her belongings to this
room. Her old room was still taped and the room which Mulder had
managed to obtain her was directly next to his. With his still
obvious ' relationship ' with Barton, she didn't want to have to
be in a position to see or to hear them together. Skinner had
protested, but he finally relented and with his help, moved her to
a room on the second level, far from any disturbing occurrences. 
She had laid down however sleep had been an elusive friend at best. 
She knew that she wouldn't really rest until she finally got back 
to her own place, far away from the horrible memories which 
Syracuse now held for her.

For not only had she nearly lost her life in that dirty, crowded
city, she had lost something ultimately move valuable than just
her corporeal existence.

She had lost her heart, full of hopes and dreams.

' Anna called him Fox ' Scully's still disbelieving mind supplied. 
Of course many of the woman whom he had made a personal connection 
with had called him by his first name with his explicit 
permission, all except Scully. 

Never Scully.

Scully had tried once long ago, as she had tried the one and only
time to shared her feelings with him. However his strong rebuke 
had challenged her enough, that she knew she wouldn't ever try 
again. That comment had hurt her, much more than she would ever 
let on. But somehow, even in the light of that revelation, she 
still had gone on believing that he might have some feelings for 
her. She had missed the point on that one and on many subsequent 
ones to come. Her blind faith had clouded her judgement she had 
assumed things existed without confirming their presence. ' Never 
assume anything... It makes an ass outta you and outta me, ' her 
father would always say. ' How come in my professional career I 
always demand proof, but in my personal life, I make this kind of 
mistake? '

Scully leaned back and closed her eyes, her still very fresh
realization twisting violently like a hot knife in the very center
of her being. ' How could have I been so stupid? How could I have
missed all of the signs along the way? You know why you did 
Dana... You wanted to believe. You needed to believe. You knew way 
down deep inside, but you refused to see what you know that was 
there. '

She knew that she had to get over this. She knew that she had to
go on and quench the feelings that she felt for him in some other
way than exploring them with him. She now knew that was never to be
realized. She wasn't what she had thought she was. And what was 
worse, she knew that she couldn't blame anyone other than herself 
for the situation.

' Did he really ever feel attracted to me or even have those kind 
of feelings for me at all? Or was it he was finally just tired of
waiting, and decided a sure thing was better than a poor risk. '

Either way, she knew that she didn't really want to know the
truth.

For she knew that the truth was very evident. Scully wasn't what
he wanted in a personal relationship. That was all that she needed
to know.

They had always seemed to have issues of trust, respect and 
equality which reared their ugly heads time and time again. These 
very real issues often time threatened to tear them apart, causing 
rifts between them that often existed for some period of time. 
However she had denied their true meaning by telling herself they 
were just the normal ebbs and flows that all long term 
relationships under went She had never dared allow herself to 
explore the possibilities any further.

And then there were the women, which she had met which he had 
shown interest in. Phoebe, Bambie, and Det. White, Diana, Karin 
and now Anna.

They were her living proof.  

Scully was vastly different from all of these women that he had let
in, yet she had ignored the implications and went on believing.

But now she knew the truth. The cold hard truth her weary heart 
and disappointed soul would have to live with day after day. All 
of what had transpired between them, even the most important moment 
in her life to then, had been Mulder's way of assuring that she 
would never leave him. He needed her to accomplish his quest, she 
was a good soldier. Nothing more. She was an ends to an means, a 
way to validate him and his work. She was his friend, confidant 
and partner. 

The teasing innuendoes, and touches she now knew to be just him. 
She could never be what he really needed in his life, someone who 
believed in him without challenging his assertions. She would be 
allowed to shared the journey with him, in his life but not in his 
heart 

Scully accepted this. She had been taught long ago, by the only 
man who had ever really loved her, that sometimes sacrifices
had to be made for the greater good. Sometimes personal agendas
were insignificant to the whole. Scully was strong, determined and
controlled. He needed her. She knew this. She had committed 
herself long ago to the quest at hand, and she not being a quitter 
planned to see it to the very end. No matter what the personal 
cost.

Scully shivered slightly, her slight body easily overcome from the
softly scented water sudden cooling. She rose to her feet slowly,
the tepid water falling like gentle rain from the silky expanse of
her skin. She pulled the soft white thick towel from the edge of 
the tub and wrapped its comforting expanse around her.

She stepped from the tub onto the thick bath mat, which graced her
motel floor, her thoughts still in a heated jumble. She knew that 
she was doomed to be alone and distant for the rest of her life. 
At 30 something years of age, barren and in a job which demanded
so much of her free time, she knew her social options were fixed.
She had made her decision along time ago and she was prepared to 
live by it.

Scully quickly dried herself of, not allowing herself to enjoy the 
feeling of the soft cotton upon her still sore flesh. She wouldn't
allow herself that luxury while she still had Mulder on the mind. 
She pulled on a pair of white silk panties, and began to apply her
floral scented lotion over her freshly washed skin. She closed her
eyes, she just needed to get through today. Once she had some time 
and distance, she would be fine, she always was. 



               ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*



University Hospital 
Syracuse, N.Y. 
1400hrs.


Mulder walked around the nurse's station in the University 
Hospital ER. The click of his dress shoes, a staccato beat that 
pounded in time with his strained heart. His anger over Agent 
Barton's behavior was more than he could bear. ' How dare she come 
here and make a pass at me? Right in front of everyone. I should
have dealt with this sooner. I have not done anything to lead her 
to believe that I was interested in pursuing any sort of 
relationship with her. Even when she kissed me before, I pushed 
her away. Can't she take a hint? 

Mulder had literally dragged her down to a linen closet down the
hall to talk to her in private. After a moment of trying to be
polite and explaining his reasons for not being interested in her,
she had lost it. A heated discussion had commenced, not so kind 
words about Scully being spouted by the brunette. That made Mulder
even more mad. So mad he had threatened to bring her up before the
OPR.

* That * had shut her mouth quite efficiently.

Mulder pushed his anger aside, knowing that it was quite 
insignificant to the matter at hand. Scully needed him, and that 
was all that mattered.

Mulder walked into the room where he had last seen Scully. The
stretcher was remade and empty, the room now devoid of any 
indications that she was ever there. He looked about, finding
nothing that would help him and rushed back out into the corridor
and quickly made his way to the main desk. 

He approached the heavyset woman seated directly in front of him.
" Where is Dana Scully? " Mulder demanded desperately, his voice 
loud and firm. He ran a slender hand through his mussed hair and 
took a deep breath in frustration.

The woman looked up at him from her paper work, his loud behavior
more than a little annoying. She brought her hands up to her ample
bust and asked with annoyance dripping from her shrill voice.
" May I help you? " It was days like these that she really hated
her job.

Mulder shot her a stern glance and repeated more directly, " I
am looking for a Dana Scully. She was in exam room 5, and I left
for a while, where the hell did she go? " He was getting more
angry by the second. He brought his hands into his pockets,
pulling out his badge and flashed it to her.

The woman arched a brow, reminiscent of his Scully as if to say,
' And that is supposed to impress me? ' " Dana Scully, Dana Scully.
Where have I heard * that * name before? Oh, yes. The woman who
left her without medical consent. Stands to figure that * she * is
with you... "

" You let her leave? You let her leave after being exposed to
a powerful drug and nearly being killed. What the hell were 
you thinking? "

" Oh, please spare me the kind words, " she replied sarcastically,
" like * I * can stop anyone from leaving. " She shuffled through
the pile of papers and flashed a lone piece just underneath his
nose. " This allows any patient to leave without medical clearance.
It is called Patient's Bill of Rights. She requested to leave and
after signing the appropriate forms she left with a really cute, 
bald headed guy. " The woman smiled brightly and handed Mulder the
paper as she shot him a look of superiority.

' Skinner, ' Mulder mused as he looked at the form. Sure enough
in Scully's careful cursive was her signature releasing the
hospital from any liability concerning her leaving without
medical consent. Mulder dropped the paper back on the desk and
reached into his pocket for his cell phone, as he walked over into
the waiting room. He hit the buttons for Skinner's speed dial and
pressed send.

" Shit, " Mulder swore spitefully as he realized that his phone
had been off. ' They have been probably trying to call me all
of this time and I never got the call. ' Mulder hit the power,
and tried once again, this time the phone rang through.

A loud, very angry voice answered the call. " This had better
not be Mulder, because if it is I am going to kick your ass. "

Mulder answered the challenge, " Well since it isn't me, then
may I ask you a question? Where the hell is Scully? "
Mulder turned to face the wall, as he noticed several people
look at him in curiosity. 

" * Now * you are concerned. I have been calling you since I
brought her here. Since when have you started leaving your 
phone off? "

Mulder barked back angrily, " My phone was off by accident,
and I have always been concerned. What the hell is going on? "
He looked over at the crowd glancing curiously over at him and
turned to walk out the side door. As he stepped outside, a
cool breeze slid under his trench and elicited a harsh shudder
from his lean frame.

" Scully insisted that she go back to her motel room. I didn't
want her to drive or take a taxi alone in her condition,
so I brought her here. "

Mulder walked over to his car and unlocked the door as he 
answered, " Why did she leave so soon. She left without permission. 
She needs to be in the hospital. " He shut the door and started the 
engine, quickly pulling out of the parking lot, out onto the 
street. 

" I know that, " Skinner answered, " but she wasn't going to take 
no for a answer. She is resting now, but if you know what is good
for you, you will get your ass here ASAP. You have a lot of 
explaining to do. "

With that Mulder heard the phone go dead and he closed the line.
He threw the phone down on top of the seat next to him, and opened
the window slightly. He could tell that Skinner was pissed at him
for some reason, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out 
why. Mulder shook his head and turned on the car radio, letting
the tunes that floated with the ebbing tides of the wind to soothe
him.



                       *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Skyline Motel...
Syracuse, NY.
1430


Mulder walked quickly down the empty hall, the white walls and
monochromatic carpeting nearly giving him a headache from its
repetitiveness. The drive on the way over had been horrendous,
as usual road deconstruction was commencing, and the detours
offered were less than shortcuts. Mulder's head had been
spinning like a level four tornado on the way over, his thoughts
offering every single plausible scenario as to why Scully had
fled from the hospital. However, nothing had came close to
explaining it well enough to still his panic stricken heart.

As he banked the corner which was just down the hall from his
and Scully's rooms, he heard a very pissed, very loud voice
call out to him from just down the way. " Where the hell have you 
been? " Skinner stood there, leaning against the off white wall,
his free hand lying challengingly on his hip.

" I sir, have been in the worst traffic that I have ever seen.
What is wrong with Scully? " Mulder implored as he stepped up to
stand in front of Skinner. Mulder pulled at his overcoat feebly,
the heat from the afternoon sun, warming him just a bit to much
for his liking.

" I should be asking you that very same question... " Skinner 
replied as he fingered the warm metal of the key which sat in his
hand. Skinner shook his head and lifted his arm up to gesture 
before him, " I leave her in your care one moment and at the next 
moment, she is visibly upset and checking herself out of the 
hospital against her physician's advice... "

Mulder looked up towards the ceiling, noting a water spot which
hung just above him. He looked down and rolled his eyes, as he
ran his fingers through his mussed hair, his frustration very 
evident in his tone. " I have no clue... I was with her... She 
seemed fine... Agent Barton came in and asked me to speak with her 
and... "

" Well whatever it is, " Skinner interrupted curtly, " you have to 
fix it. Listen to me... Now I do not pretend to know about this 
' thing ' that you and Agent Scully have since that is none of my 
business. However, I can say that the two of you need to find some 
common ground on which to stand. You both have been through so 
much together, that it had bonded the two of you deeply. If it 
goes deeper than professional; deeper than mere friendship than 
you both should deal with it... " Skinner brought his hands up to
cross in front of his chest, letting out a deep breath.

" But sir, fraternization... " Mulder stated weakly, trying to
protect he and Scully. For them to have a chance, they needed
work to be something separate from them. He knew how very 
important Scully's job was to her, and the X-Files were his life.
Hell, they had become her life also. The less people involved, 
the better.

" I trust that whatever the two of you decide will not effect 
your professionalism on the job, " Skinner replied matter of 
fact, " What is out of the office, is none of mine, or anyone 
else's concern... " Skinner nodded his head and tilted his head, 
as if to make a point. What he said was true, to him. They were 
a great team, the best. A personal relationship would only serve
to strengthen their bond. As long as they remained professional,
he would do nothing to stand in their way. " And by the way, what 
did Agent Barton want to speak to you about? Skinner asked as an
afterthought.

" You don't want to know sir... You don't want to know... " Mulder
replied as he brought his hands into his pockets, shifting his
weight from side to side. He didn't want to open that can of worms
at that point. They had enough that they had to deal with. " Is 
she in her room? " Mulder asked as he gestured to the room just 
down the hall from his with a slender hand.

" No, not that room... " Skinner retorted as he shook his head.
He pointed to the level above, his hand graceful. " She requested 
to be put in another room on the 2nd floor. " Skinner held out the
key which he had held in his hand.

" What?, Why? " Mulder asked, his voice filled with confusion. He 
took the key from Skinner's hand, turning the key about in the 
light, the metal shimmering brightly. ' The key to her heart, ' 
he thought as he dropped it into his pocket. ' Now, how to get 
close enough to use it? '

" I couldn't answer you that... " Skinner stated as he stepped 
from the wall, and straightened his tie. He then re buttoned his 
overcoat and straightened his back, " You should go and speak to 
her. I have taken care of things here... I am going back to DC on 
the next flight. I trust that after Scully gives her statement 
that you will take some time... "

" Sir? " Mulder asked, his voice soaked with confusion. He himself
loosened his tie and slipped off his coat, laying it flat on his
forearm. ' Since when did Skinner ever offer for us to take 
time? ' Mulder took out his own key and proceeded to unlock and 
open the door to his own room.


Skinner walked past the door turning to look at Mulder's befuddled
face. Skinner smiled brightly and waved his hand as he said, 
" Scully should take sometime off, say a week and of course you 
will be there to keep an eye on her... " This was what little he 
could offer to their cause. Since being on the X-Files, neither 
had been on a decent vacation, in quite a while. This would be it. 
They deserved some time. After all that they had done, the world 
owed them that much. For when they returned, it would be business 
once again.

Mulder smiled in return, his white teeth shining brightly in the
faint light. ' A vacation... Now that is an idea. Some time for
just us. No aliens, no X-Files, just she and I... Alone. ' The 
numerous possibilities filled his thoughts. " Thank you... "
Mulder replied gratefully, his voice low and reverent.

" No, thank you... " Skinner retorted as he began to walk down the
hall. Silence once again filled the empty space where there voices
once occupied. As Skinner turned the corner, he could hear the 
door click closed softly, and Skinner nodded. He knew that
whatever Scully had waiting for Mulder, it was big. He knew that
it wasn't going to be pretty, so getting as far away as possible
was a good idea.

                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Hancock International Airport
Main terminal
Syracuse, NY
1450hrs.


A.D. Skinner stood in the middle of the terminal, awaiting the
last call for his flight home. He glanced about the large building,
the sleek interior and spotless full length windows contributing
to the light airy feeling which seemed to infuse the atmosphere.
He pulled his overnight and his garment bag further onto his
broad shoulder, the straps biting deeply even through his overcoat 
and suit.

The air conditioning was on full force, and he felt a breeze blow
gently across his chiseled features. On the board above, he noted
the final call and gate number flash before his eyes. Skinner said
a silent prayer, for Mulder and Scully, the victims of Pfaster's
carnage, and especially for Pfaster. Skinner knew the wonders
which the afterlife held, the beauty and the depth. However, what
it would be like for Pfaster. What lie ahead for his soul? What
retribution for his sins with be enacted? Skinner shuddered at the
thought.

Skinner walked over towards the hall which lead to his departure
gate. His coat swung back and forth behind him, his steps echoing
loudly on the highly polished floors of the terminal. He found 
himself surrounded by the throngs of other passengers which mulled
about, attempting to get to their final destination. He forced 
those thoughts out of his mind. Those thoughts were better left 
unexplored. For Skinner, he surmised that Pfaster would get 
whatever he deserved. Whether that be punishment, or mercy...


*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*


Skyline Motel...
Syracuse, NY.
1530 hrs

Mulder walked down the narrow hallway slowly, his mind lost in
a multitude of swirling images. He had changed into a navy blue 
Henley and his favorite jeans, knowing that this was personal and
work was to be a separate relationship.  He came to the door which 
he knew to be Scully's and knocked on the thin, hollow wood firmly. 
His balled slender hand stung slightly from the impact that he had 
created The resulting thudding rang loud and resonant throughout 
the empty hallway. Mulder could smell the mustiness of the cheap 
brown carpeting, the scent causing his sinuses to more than ache 
just a little.

Silence was the only greeter of his discord. ' What the hell is 
going on Scully? One minute we are set to have the talk and the 
next you are running away from me once again. When will the 
running end, Scully? When will we find ourselves finally dealing 
with what we feel for one another. ' The light at the end of the 
hallway was faint, casting faint shadows in the windowless hall, 
the lone silent sentinels of the drama about to take place, in 
spite of the high sun just outside of those walls.

Mulder knocked once again but this time his loud, determined voice
joined the solo. " Scully... Are you in there? " He reached in his
pocket for the spare key that Skinner had given him. The key was 
hot, the metal almost scorching him with its brand. A brand which 
burned down to the very depths of his soul, marking his as hers 
for eternity. 

He waited a moment, the silence causing his fear to multiply by
the moment. If he had been worried before, he was now very worried
now. He carefully slid the key into the lock and turned, and swung 
the door open. The fragrant essences of soft florals and baby 
powder which he always associated with Scully, met him as a long 
lost friend. As Mulder looked about, he could see the last visages 
of steam rising gracefully in the shadow occupied corners. Laid out 
on the bed, was Scully's suitcase, her items neatly folded and 
placed, greeted his weary eyes.

As he turned slightly, a flash of gold caught his eye and he 
turned back to examine the fleeting glance further. ' Oh, my 
Scully. You are breathtaking. ' Scully had walked out of the bath 
to her small closet on the other side of the doorframe. Since 
Mulder was hidden from her view due to the small jut in the room 
wall, he could observe her without her knowledge. And what he 
beheld nearly killed him then and there. Scully stood there, ivory 
with gold highlights, wearing the finest of silk bras, and her 
black skirt which he favored among her many.

She was searching through the closet for something that seemed to
be escaping her eyes at the moment. As she moved, the fine muscles
rippled gently over delicate curved angles which served only to
torment his very neglected libido. The length of her back was 
covered with quickly fading bruises; lasting evidence of her 
ordeal. The line of the skirt, accentuated the curves of her 
bottom, a sight which Mulder's vision never got enough of. As he 
watched her, he noted the white cling bandages which encircled 
both of her slender wrists. The cling was pristine and precise, 
obviously just replaced.

Mulder suddenly felt a twist of perversion in his thoughtless act.
He had been violating Scully by his quite observation in her 
clearly vulnerable state. ' Jesus, Mulder. Are you so desperate 
that you need to voyeur upon unsuspecting women. You really need 
to get a life. ' As she went to turn back into the bath, Mulder 
cleared his throat and stepped out of the anonymity of the shadows 
to address the woman before him. " Scully... "

Scully shuddered, brought the shell that she had been 
contemplating to cover her state of undress, as she turned to meet
the voice which so clearly startled her. She arched a well defined 
slender brow as her forehead furrowed slightly in apprehension. 
" Mulder... " Scully said breathlessly, " What the hell are you 
doing? " She had been totally unaware of his presence and his 
jumping out at her had unnerved her to say the least. She found 
that her heart was pounding in her chest, her palms were moist 
and weak.

Mulder stepped forward and put his hands into his pockets. " I 
knocked, " he said informatively, " I called your name but no one 
answered. " He dropped his head and stared at the tops of his
boots. He could tell by her justified reaction to his surprising
her that he had unsettled her. He could see the tension written
clearly over her delicate features from his vantage point. Guilt,
a blanket in which he ensconced himself often, surrounded him with
its icy embrace.

Scully felt very uncomfortable at that moment. She was standing in
front of him, with only a skirt, and her white silk bra. Now, she
was aware that the shirt that she clutched desperately in front of 
her was covering the essentials. However even with this knowledge, 
her state of undress was disconcerting. " As you can see, " she 
retorted firmly, " I am fine. So if you would please leave... " 
With that she gestured the fingers of one of her hands towards the 
door, begging his leave.

Mulder stood there, his breath ragged and uncontrolled. His eyes
had been centered upon the sweet swells of her milky white 
breasts. The thin blouse that she held in front of herself was far 
from adequate in protecting her from his inquisitive gaze. He 
could feel interest growing strong in areas due south and in 
response his jeans were becoming quite uncomfortable. He took a 
deep breath and swallowed hard. He fought an admirable fight to 
keep his lust hidden, but he knew that his time was limited.

Scully began to feel a blush steal across the swells of her chest,
and glide up to the very tips of her ears. ' Get a grip Scully. He
really probably doesn't even notice. He only thinks that you are a
buddy, a good friend. It is highly probable that he hasn't even 
thought of you more than once as a woman. This is no big deal. 
Just finish getting dressed and go on. ' That silent revelation 
weighed heavily upon her heart and she buried that pain deep 
within herself. Now wasn't the time to deal with such things. 
Soon, but not now. " Is there something that I can do for you? " 
Scully inquired as she turned to pull the shirt over her head, her 
back facing him.

Mulder watched her as she pulled the shirt over her head, her hair
falling about her soft features in a blazing halo. ' Scully, God
you are so beautiful. How could you love a bastard like me? I am 
fully aware that I don't deserve you but I will earn that right. 
I promise you that. ' " What are you doing? " Mulder asked softly
as he stepped forward. 

Scully walked into the bath and ran a stiff bristled brush through
her hair roughly. She welcomed the pain. The pain was a distraction
which she found tempting. It relieved her of the constant nagging
which plagued her heart. " For your information, " Scully replied
sarcastically, " even though it * isn't * any of your concern, I 
am getting ready... "

Mulder leaned against the door jam, his arm looped on his hip. He
smiled slightly and said informatively, " I can see that, but why 
are you here and not at the hospital? " He could tell that she 
still needed rest. Her face was pale and drawn, in spite of the 
small numerous angry red scratches which temporarily marred her
smooth complexion. She had carefully applied her make up, but even 
with her best efforts, her faint dark circles were still quite 
evident. As she brushed her hair, her hands shook with the effort. 
Scully looked up at him. She narrowed her deep turquoise eyes and
said in her most professional voice, " I am fine, I didn't see any 
further need for hospitalization. " She sprayed some hairspray
on her hair and walked by the looming figure which filled the door
frame. She really didn't want to speak to him at this point in 
time. She knew that she needed time and space to get over the
intense feelings which she held for the man before her.

Mulder followed her to her closet where she bent over and 
retrieved a pair of high heeled black shoes from the dark recesses 
of the storage area. He could tell that something was disturbing 
her. Her whole demeanor screamed to that end. But the question was 
how to deal with the situation? " What about the room? "

" Room? " She inquired innocently. It wasn't as if she was going 
to tell the truth. ' Sure, Mulder. I switched rooms. I couldn't 
bear the thought of hearing you with her so I ran away like a 
coward. ' She walked over to the bed and seated herself upon the 
mattress. She slipped the heels on slowly, adjusting the white 
cling which encircled her right ankle and then rubbed the bruises 
which remained as her legacy.

Mulder walked over and sat next to her. He could see the distress 
in her face, as she rubbed herself gently. He knew that she 
wouldn't admit to feeling discomfort, for that wouldn't be she, so 
he reached for her ankle and brought it into his lap as he gently 
kneaded the flesh beneath the silky stockings. " Why did you 
request to be moved from the room next to mine? "

Scully suppressed a moan and instead a shiver ran throughout her
slender frame. She could feel that just from a simple application
of his touch, she was beginning to ache deeply. ' Jesus Mulder... 
Why do you have to make me feel so good? It would be so easy to 
walk away if you weren't you. ' " Mulder, I am a big girl, " she 
replied her voice dipped with shaky security, " I can take care of 
myself... Besides it * is * rather inappropriate for us to be next 
to one another with Skinner here... People might get the wrong 
impression. "

Mulder smiled sweetly. He could tell the reaction that he was 
eliciting from her was deep and meaningful. ' She loves me. I know
that. She knows that. Why now when we are so close is it that 
she's closing off to me? ' Mulder continued to massage her sore 
ankle and with a gentle movement slipped the shoe off, beginning 
to work on the knots in her tiny feet " And what is that wrong 
impression? " Mulder teased brightly, " Care to share with the 
class Miss Scully? "

Scully found herself closing her eyes. Her breathing was becoming
shallow and desperate. She found that she was growing more aroused 
by his touch each passing moment. She needed to get this situation 
under control. This was inappropriate, unprofessional and even in 
that light, felt way too damn good. She needed to learn to control 
her basal reactions. She could never allow herself to feel that 
kind of pleasure from his touch for it would only serve to prolong 
her torment more. " Mulder... " She groaned softly in warning.

" Scully, we need to talk... " Mulder stated softly, as he
dug his fingers into the arch of her slender foot.

Scully regretfully pulled her foot away from his ministrations.
She reached down and slipped her shoe back on her foot. She 
glanced carefully at her watch, trying to settle the desires, 
which threatened to inundate her in their course. " You have five 
minutes, so make it good Mulder. " She needed him out of there. 
She needed breathing space, to focus herself.

" About us... " Mulder said as she went to stand up. He grabbed 
her hand gently and pulled her down back on the mattress with a 
soft thud. He kept close grip on her hand, knowing that if given 
the chance she would try to escape the topic at hand, and 
restraint was the only way that he was insured of her undivided 
attention. Her hand was cool and clammy to the touch, his 
analytical brain surmising that she was more than a little 
uncomfortable.


" Look Mulder, " Scully stated as she observantly assessed the 
attention that he was now giving her hand. She found herself once 
again on the slippery edge of the abyss. He was gently stroking 
the soft inner side of her wrist, just above the bandage with the 
pad of his thumb. The effect more than distracting. She could feel 
moisture pooling within her, the realization breaking her 
carefully honed facade. " I need to apologize for the way that I 
acted back in the hospital, " she said weakly, " I shouldn't have 
broken down like that and I definitely shouldn't have kissed you. 
I am very sorry for those indiscretions. The kiss especially; it 
was unprofessional, totally inappropriate given the circumstances, 
and bordering on sexual harassment. All that I can say in defense 
is that I was still under the influence of the drug which Pfaster 
gave me. Even with that, I am really ashamed of what I did. "

" Scully... " Mulder interjected. He knew that this was going to 
be hard, but he wasn't quite expecting this. He pulled gently upon
her forearm and brought his emotion filled hazel eyes to embrace
her cerulean blue ones, full of consternation and regret.

" Look, I know what we are about. You have been every clear from 
the start and I whole-heartedly agree. We are good friends, 
partners, and nothing else. I assure you that it will not happen 
again... Now if you will excuse me, I would like to finish getting 
ready. " Scully was now getting frantic. She needed him out of her 
space, now. Her resolve was weakening as the waves came forth to 
remove each and every pebble that she had carefully mortared in 
place around her heart.

Mulder held fast to his line of inquiry. He could tell that he was
having an effect upon her. Her face was flushed; tiny beads of
perspiration, her gift for his attentions, dotted her upper lip. 
He held his grip strong against her increasing attempts to pull 
herself away from him. He asked her softly, his voice full of 
concern, " Why are you in such a hurry, Scully? "

" Look Mulder, " Scully said as she finally managed to pull away 
from him, " I am sure that you have things that you need to take 
care of here, but I really just want to go home and take some time. 
You can stay here all that you like and finish up with Agent 
Barton, I promise to cover for you. I am sure that you and she 
have some personal matters to discuss. " With that Scully stood up 
and pulled out her briefcase, and began rummaging through the mass 
of papers that she found there. She reached up and tucked the damp 
strand of fire, which had fallen across her cheek, behind her ear 
and took a deep breath. She kept her back towards him, not wanting 
him to see the agony which was indelibly etched upon her visage. 

Mulder stood up his mind finally grasping what was going on
between them. ' Agent Barton? She is worried about Agent Barton? '
" Scully, he uttered softly, " I think that you are mistaken about 
Anna... " He needed to clear up this little mix up. He never 
understood why Scully was so bothered by her. ' Doesn't she know 
that I love only her? No one could ever take her place... She 
should realize that. '

Scully fought the tears, which threatened to fall in torrents down
her face. ' I cannot let him see me like this. I need to be strong
a little which longer. I can do this... ' " Mulder... " Scully
voiced almost inaudibly, trying to warn him to just let it go.

" We aren't involved, " Mulder stated as he brought his hand to 
her slight shoulder. Her muscles were rock hard and tense under 
his loving touch. He then took that hand and stroked the length 
of her hair, the burnished fire was soft, like the most precious 
of silk under his appreciative touch. He had learned a long time 
ago, that to really connect with Scully, touch was very operative.
Her mouth could avoid the issue, but her heart and body couldn't
do the same.

Scully took a deep breath and spun around, looking him straight in
the eyes; blue meeting hazel, immortalized for eternity. ' I have 
to let him know that it's ok. He is afraid to ask for my approval. 
So I will give him the push that he needs. You can't chose the 
ones that you love. And you certainly can't make them love you in 
return. I need to make sure that he finds what he is looking for. 
Even if it isn't what I want. ' " So what are you waiting for 
Mulder? " She inquired firmly as she put her finger in the broad 
expanse of his chest. "  A sign from above? Not that * you * would 
ever believe it. You need to stop hiding and find your way to her 
Mulder. You both like each other, so what is the problem? You are 
both two consenting adults, so what is the big deal. Look, I am 
sorry what I said about her Mulder. I was tired, hungry, and just 
a slight bit frustrated with the case so I overreacted. If she 
makes you happy Mulder, then tell her how you feel. Life is too 
short to waste it with hoping and dreaming, but never really doing 
anything about it. Carpe Diem, seize the day. Don't just think, 
make it happen! "

Mulder's eyes filled with tears. ' You would deny what you feel so
that I could be happy? You would pretend that you felt nothing 
about me, living with the knowledge that I loved another? ' Mulder 
was completely overwhelmed by this realization. Unconditional love 
had not been something that he had experienced before. His parents 
never provided for that basic need, and Sam had been taken away 
from him. Scully was capable of such a deed. He had always been 
aware of that knowledge, but to see to what extent she could 
practice it, humbled him greatly. " But what about your happiness 
Scully? " Mulder beseeched softly. Did she ever think about her 
own happiness?

" I am happy Mulder, " she replied, her voice quavering with 
effort from the biggest lie that she had probably ever told. She 
turned from him to walk over to pick out her jacket from the 
closet. Since he clearly wasn't leaving, she would have to make 
the next move. She had done what she had needed to do. She had 
totally set him free. Even though her heart ached more than it 
ever had before, a sense of peace also accompanied the agony, from
her sacrifice, " I have my work and it fulfills me. I love it. "

Mulder walked over to where she stood. Scully had never been a 
good liar. Her heart was never up to the task. Denial had always 
been her forte. Avoidance her second best asset. She was utilizing 
both now, he recognized it. And he wasn't going to stand for it. 
It was time. " Love... Don't you want love in your life? " Mulder 
inquired as he stepped to her side, her profile now at his
disposal.

" Of course I do, " Scully responded as she picked an imaginary 
piece of lint off of the black jacket, " but it is different for 
woman then men. Men are still considered eligible as they get 
older. In fact it can be a turn on for most women, but women on 
the other hand, are not as marketable. Too many younger, more 
innocent women are out there for me to have a real chance, and 
that is fine. I am happy with what I have and I dare not ask for 
more. I suppose that if it's meant to be, it will be, if not... "


Mulder chuckled slightly, " I didn't know you believed in fate 
Scully. " Mulder had her pinned. There was no where that she could
hide and he knew it. He knew what he had to say now. The words 
were quite clear to him. He needed to bring them both back from 
the edge, to find themselves protected by the light of the Truth.

Scully waved a slender hand out on front of her, dismissing his
folly. " I don't... " Scully informed firmly, " It is just a 
figure of speech. " She walked over to the bedside stand table, 
and picked up the phone. She rummaged through the phone book there 
trying to find the number of a cab company. It was time to get out 
of here. She couldn't wait any longer.

" Scully... " Mulder urged lovingly from across the room. The 
words were right there, their flavor new and exciting. They tasted 
of the sea; the very essence of life. They awakened his senses and 
filled his heart with a love so profound he could no longer 
suppress it. Seven years... A life time, now under his command.


" It's ok Mulder really... " Scully said as she wiped a lone tear
which escaped her emotional control. She skimmed the yellow pages,
her eyes blurred from the tears which endured there. Her shaking
finger barely located the phone number which would bring her 
relief from her torment. She began to dial the number, each of the 
numbers filling her ears with their familiar tone as he said...


" No, no it isn't, " Mulder stated as the tears which Scully dared 
not shed, started to fall down his own parched visage. He wasn't 
concerned about sharing them with her. He had earned the right the 
moment that he had realized that he couldn't live without her. 
" Did you know that when he had you, I saw you there? "

Scully turned and looked him straight in the eyes. His hazel eyes
burned with the Truth which he believed would set them both free.
She caught a sob, which had nearly escaped her and managed to 
mumble out, her voice low and husky, " Excuse me? "

" I was there, with you, in your prison, " Mulder shared as he 
took a step forward to close the distance between them. He raised 
his hands in the air, gesturing to her as he continued, " I saw 
the dreams that you had... I saw Melissa, your father, Emily... 
All of those that you have lost in the past years since you have 
met me. I saw the love, the tenderness, the longing... "

" Mulder... " Scully exclaimed as she closed her eyes and centered
herself. She had felt him also. When she had been so close to 
giving up, he had been there to shine his light into the perpetual
darkness. She could remember his voice... How real it was. She 
could feel his very presence, filling her heart and chasing the 
demons from within.

" You know what else I saw? " Mulder implored as he took another 
step towards her. He found himself drawn to her, the pull more 
than he could deny. He brought his hands down to his legs and 
rubbed his damp palms on the material, the cloth strangely 
soothing for him. " I saw myself, Scully. I saw myself, through 
* your * eyes... I saw how you feel about me, just as you feel 
about them... "

" Mulder... " Scully replied, her eyes still closed. She lowered 
her face, her gleaming hair falling down to obscure her features 
from prying eyes. She couldn't open her eyes, she refused to. For 
if she did, she would have to face the reality which stood across 
the room from her. With her eyes closed, reality was what she made 
it. It was under her control. With her eyes open, she was out of 
control.

" You can't deny it, " Mulder replied, " can't deny the connection. 
It has always been there since the first day that we met. Isn't it 
strange how much energy we put into pushing each other away, while 
at the same time trying to pull each other closer. Maybe we ought 
to stop the lies we use to cover our fear. I will take that first 
step... "

Mulder stepped languidly over to stand next to her, his proximity 
allowing for her to see him very clearly. He reached slowly into 
his jeans pocket and pulled out the proof of their love. Mulder 
lifted his hand, allowing the tangible evidence of such to dangle 
from his long, elegant fingers; her necklace the symbol of faith, 
devotion and of everlasting love. It filled the room with its 
light, allowing the warmth to spread exponentially throughout the 
room. He reached over with that same hand, the necklace still
dangling precariously, and stroked the length of her jaw, her
whole body shivering under his attentions.

" Mulder... " Scully expressed, her azure blue eyes filled with 
crystal clear unshed tears which sparkled brighter than the 
brightest star among the heavens. No matter what had ever happened 
to her in the past, Mulder had always kept her safe. He had kept 
vigil when the darkness was at its most threatening. 

" This is the proof which you have always needed to believe.  I 
love you, Scully. " There, he said it. The phrase which was the 
only Truth that really ever mattered. He then walked up behind her 
and put his hands on her hips, ' hips before hands ' his memory 
supplied. He pulled her to him, the length of her backside pressed 
firmly against his. The heat of her being, awakening feeling so 
deep within him that he felt lightheaded. He then took his hand 
and gently stroked the reddish gold of her hair to the side, 
exposing the nape of her neck,  eliciting Scully to lower her head 
in the process. Mulder took a deep breath, the importance of the 
moment overwhelming him, as he lifted the necklace and reached 
over her head, draping the warm metal around her silky neck, 
brushing the skin gently in the process. He was finally going to 
finish what he had started in that hall long ago. What he had 
attempted to clinch on that baseball diamond for her birthday 
present, but had been to afraid to follow through with.

Scully leaned unconsciously back against him. The heat that he was
generating, filling the void which cooled the passions that once 
burned brightly within the fires of her heart. She let out a sigh 
as she closed her eyes, the phone falling needlessly to the floor, 
the sound of the dial tone their only witness. " Mulder... "

" No, more lies " Mulder replied as he turned her to face him. He 
brought her up tightly against himself, losing his rationality 
from the sheer nearness of her presence. " Scully. * I love 
you. * " He stressed as he brought his hand up to cup the curve of 
her face, the tears that she couldn't deny herself flowing freely 
down onto the silk of her silk shirt.

" Mulder? " She appealed as she brought her hand to wipe the tears 
which he now shed with her. ' Oh my God. Is he saying? Am I 
hearing him correctly? Or am I deluding myself once more? " She 
could see her tangible proof before her, the tears falling from 
his red rimmed hazel eyes. Love, fear and healthy dose of desire, 
lived before her with each and every single crystal drop.

" I have loved only you for so long, " Mulder assured as
he brought his other hand up to cradle the other side. He stroked
the sensitive line of her now trembling jaw, the attention causing
her to close her eyes momentarily. ' Believe me Scully. It is
now time for you and I to step forth and take our place in the
light of the day. The darkness no longer is our refuge. We are
each others refuge. '

Scully shook her head, denial shedding its dark cloak over her
understanding, " But I saw you kissing her twice... " Her mind
was in a turmoil, the visions spinning so quickly that she 
couldn't contain them all. She could hear the Truth in his voice, 
see it in his face and eyes, but the tangible proof which she had 
been before kept her from taking the next step that she so 
desperately wanted to take.

" If you had asked me, " Mulder announced huskily, the passion 
dripping from his voice as he entwined his hands in the heated 
curtain of fire which surrounded her face, " I would have told you 
the truth. She has came on to me several times but I never 
reciprocated. I love and need only you. You are everything! Nothing 
else matters. " With that he brushed his firm lips across the lush 
garden that was her mouth. Mulder then leaned back, searching her 
face for his answers.

Scully smiled weakly as a single tear fell from her heated pools 
of blue, tracing a path down the soft angle of her cheek. She 
reached up and stroked the line of his upper lip, noting how 
smooth and warm the flesh was against hers. She stood up on tiptoe, 
whispering softly, " I love you too. " With that she leaned forward 
and touched her lips to his.

Mulder felt her lips caress his. The torridity and silk of her 
amply curved body against his more than enough to awaken the 
passion just below the surface which he barely contained. He met 
her with commensurate tentativeness, using his lips to seize her 
upper one, and with a light stoke of his tongue attempted to 
entice her lower one. Scully groan softly within his arms, and 
then he pulled back just enough to veer his head slightly, opening 
his mouth just enough to allow his tongue to once again graze the 
upper curve of her lip and then with a tantalizing intention, 
nibbled it gently. 

Scully experienced an outburst of ardor rush over her, the 
feelings that she had been repressing for all of the years that 
she had been by his side finally coming forth like a wave of 
unqualified energy and she leaned forward her mouth pressing 
voraciously against his, her soft humid tongue carefully begging 
entry, just as he had done, and with a calenture which had never 
possessed before she pressed up against him and returned the 
conflagration. 

>From the light which unfettered them both from their corresponding 
prisons came a desire unleashed, which was borne of seven years of 
disavowal and subjugation. Their tongues met and embraced for the 
second time, Scully trembled under their embrace, driving any 
last continuing apprehension from her, leaving her exposed and 
weak in its recession.

Suddenly the hand which had been caressing the satiny skin of her 
aspect, slid down the silken length of her delicate neck, down 
her trembling shoulder, along her gently curved tummy, until it
met the soft arch of her hip, where he promptly caressed the 
gentle swell of her underside. She moan loudly and she found 
herself gliding and descending headlong into the fervent pyre 
which threatened to consume her. The escalation of burning desire 
which flowed through her instantaneously wetted her silk panties. 
She met him aggressively, her kisses becoming more erogenous, 
more needy than she had ever experienced before. 

Mulder was lost from the moment that their tongues had met. He
needed more, he needed her to lose control. He needed to see her
let him in, without question, without regret. Mulder brutally
delved the opulent uncharted garden that was Scully. He ran his 
tongue across her teeth, along the top of the roof of her mouth, 
and along the silken walls of his newly found paradise. He found 
himself delving deeper and deeper into her, her tongue meeting 
his with equal force and curiosity. She tasted just as he had 
imagined, like chocolate, and herbal tea. Sweet yet tart. He 
could taste the night on her breath, and the combination caused 
his desire to fan brightly in her awe-inspiring presence.

Scully ground her hips into his, seeking out the release that she
knew that only he could bring. She could feel the aching in the 
very manifest rigidity in his jeans. This knowledge drove her 
passions further causing her to seek out his deep-seated secrets, 
his intrinsic essence with her relentless, reckless exploration. 
Her body began to quaver from the sexual tension that she was 
experiencing. She crushed herself as firmly as she could against 
him, attempting to meld with him, her essence seeking its 
culmination and her hands ran up and entwined into his dark thick 
hair. She always knew he could extract from within her a 
rudimentary riposte, with just a simple touch of his, but she was 
taken back as to how much of a response. A fierce shiver ran 
through her slight body, and she found herself growing weak, the 
room spinning wildly under his ministrations. ' Sweet Jesus! '

' Seven long years, Scully. It has been so long. ' Mulder mused as 
he was overwhelmed by the flood of emotions which flowed through 
him because of the passionate woman encircled with in his 
shaky embrace. He plundered her garden with a need so 
uncontrollable it took his breath away. This simple act of kissing 
had already sent currents of agitation throughout his body, his 
hormones raging. His need throbbed painfully within the tight 
confines of his boxers. He wanted to take her then and there, 
however he wanted more for her and for him. They deserved to have 
a first time to remember; not a quicky in an inexpensive motel. So 
he slowly pulled his mouth from hers, indulging one last nibble on 
her bottom lip, which elicited a loud whimper in response, before 
he released her.

" Mulder? " Scully managed to mumbled out, her breathing ragged 
and shallow. She reached up and touched the firm outline of his
passion swollen lips, stroking the flesh that she discovered there
with her heated touch of her gentle touch.

" Jesus, Scully, " Mulder chuckled as he squeezed her bottom with
his firm grasp, " What you do to me... I want you so bad I can't 
see straight... " He rubbed his erection into her stomach, proving
exactly what he was saying to her.

" You have me Mulder, right here, right now. " Scully retorted as
she pressed her hips back against his, her throbbing loins
dictating her actions. She could imagine how they would be 
together, that knowledge distracting her usual collected thoughts.

" No, not here, not now, " Mulder stated firmly as he brushed 
another kiss full of promise across her rosebud lips. He stepped 
back and focused on the passion filled swirling depths of deep 
blue. " I want to get to know you. We have known each other for so 
long, yet we hardly * know * each other. We have a lot of work to 
do on * us *... This is forever, I don't want to screw it up... "

" Mulder... " Scully replied as she took his large hand into her
small one. She squeezed it gently, allowing all of the emotions
that she felt to pour into her touch and flood his person with
them. This was important, they both had work to do, so taking
their time was imperative. Eternity was a very long time. 


                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



Airspace over Dulles International Airport
Washington DC
2230hrs.

Mulder looked over at the woman whom he loved most on the world.
His heart swelled with the emotions that her presence elicited
from him. Scully lay upon the curve of his shoulder, her breathing
regular and soft. She had found his shoulder, and nestled in, just
after take off and had been sound asleep since. Mulder reached over
and stroked her cheek trailing into her hair, causing her to stir 
silently. A broad smile broke across his face as he turned back to 
face the screen of Scully's lap top which was settled firmly on 
the table before him. 

The cabin was silent, except for the soft outward musings of the
stewards behind them. He began to type once again, his efficient
hunt and peck method finally finishing the report before him.
' A limited autopsy of Donnie Pfaster was done in accordance to 
law. The results were within normal limits except for one peculiar
finding. During the preliminary exam of the external genitalia, an
abnormality was discovered; and with further testing it was 
determined that he was sterile, unable to conceive the child that 
he so desperately wanted. 

According to the Minnesota Board of Corrections, the only next of
kin listed for him were his sisters. In contacting them in regards
of the disposition of his remains, they all flatly refused to take
any responsibility for him. The youngest sister, Allison, was the
only respondent which showed any interest. During the discussion,
she revealed that she felt ' bad ' that he had been treated so
poorly. She, like her sisters, had tried to stop the abuse but 
were powerless to do so. She, however, wouldn't have anything to 
do with the disposition because, * the others would take it 
wrong *. In the end, the remains of Donnie Pfaster were cremated 
and buried in the county cemetery in an unmarked grave.

Agent Dana Katherine Scully is doing well as can be expected. Her
ordeal had taken a physical toll which only time will heal. She 
has been granted vacation time in order to expedite this process. 
However, the emotional aspects of her abduction and subsequent 
imprisonment are yet to be seen. The EAP counselor has been 
alerted, and will provide support if necessary.

In closing, I cannot seem to escape the original closing paragraph
which I closed his file with before. It seemed just as fitting
then as it does now...

The conquest of fear lies in the moment of its acceptance. And 
understanding what scares us most is that which is most familiar, 
most common place. That boy next door, Donnie Pfaster, the 
unremarkable younger brother of four older sisters, extraordinary 
only in his ordinariness, could grow up to be the devil in a 
buttoned-down shirt. It's been said that the fear of the unknown 
is an irrational response to the excesses of the imagination. But 
our fear of the everyday, of the lurking stranger, and the sound 
of foot-falls on the stairs; the fear of violent death and the 
primitive impulse to survive, are as frightening as any x-file, 
as real as the acceptance that it could happen to you. '

Mulder hit the save, and after it was safe he closed the screen
and shut the top. They would soon be landing, and then this
nightmare would soon be all over. At least in action, but not in
memory.

But for now, he chose to have good thoughts. For their future was
as bright as the stars which twinkled just outside the cabin 
window. Mulder closed his eyes, curving his lean frame closer to 
Scully's, her heat drawing him near.

Evil, as dark and fundamental as life itself had nearly torn them
apart. But in the end, two now stood as one. They stood in the 
light, their backs towards the darkness. The darkness from which 
the evil within had lived. 

In a world of perfection, balance exists. The light never exists
without the darkness, and the reverse is also true. To appreciate 
the sunrise, one must experience the night. However that balance 
must be maintained. For when the delicate scales are tipped and 
darkness is unleashed, the light can and will be extinguished.


Out of the huts of history's shame I rise. 
Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise . . 
Leaving behind night of terror and fear 
I rise 
Into a daybreak that's wondrously dear 
I rise...

Maya Angelou 


Author's note...

My, this novel has been a very long and rewarding journey for me. 
Thank you for taking it. This was the novel, almost never meant 
to be. After a hard drive crash and a disc failure, it almost was 
scrapped twice. However, this story had to be told. It grew to 
have a life beyond mine, and I was just brought along for the ride. 
>From the first page written, each and every one of the characters 
had their vision, and I just wrote it as they saw it.

As you can see, I used two pieces which were not mine in this
novel. The first was Sara Mc Lachlan's " Angel. " Now I know
that this particular artist would probably not be in Mulder's
CD tower, but the words, simple and poetic, are universal in
meaning. Her songs often reflect the relationship which Mulder
and Scully possess, and I felt it fitting for those words to
be used in that context. Secondly, I used the poem of one of
my all time favorite author's and survivors, Maya Angelou.
If you haven't read any of her works, go out and find them. She
speaks with a song which makes my heart weep for joy, and makes
my soul cry out in understanding.

I dedicate this work to all of those, which have suffered abuse
at the hands of another. Whether it be physical, emotional or
sexual abuse, this is for you. I am with you, and I share your
thoughts, and your experiences. It just doesn't influence those 
whom it is perpetrated upon, but it influences all of us.

Remember what Maya implies, we are survivors, not victims...

I refuse to be a victim anymore, I am a survivor.

What are you?

Joylynn Ann Katherine Marie Wing...

aljoyw@a-znet.com


And Still I Rise

You may write me down in history 
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt 
But still, like dust, I'll rise. 
Does my sassiness upset you? 
Why are you beset with gloom? 
Because I walk like I've got oil wells 
Pumping in my living room. 
lust like moons and like suns, 
With the certainty of tides, 
Just like hopes springing high, 
Still I'll rise. 
Did you want to see me broken? 
Bowed head and lowered eyes? 
Shoulders falling down like teardrops, 
Weakened by my soulful cries. 
Does my haughtiness offend you? 
Don't you take it awful hard 
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines 
Diggin' in my own backyard. 
You may shoot me with your words, 
You may cut me with your eyes. 
You may kill me with your hatefullness, 
But still, like air, I'll rise . . . 
Out of the huts of history's shame I rise. 
Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise . . 
Leaving behind night of terror and fear 
I rise 
Into a daybreak that's wondrously dear 
I rise. 
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave 
I am the dream and the hope of the slave. 
I rise. 
I rise. 
I rise.
>From Maya Angelou, And Still I Rise. New York: Random House. (c) 1978 
by Maya Angelou.