From: "Tygr Eyz" Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 02:33:06 GMT Subject: xfc: "Back Roads" by TygrEyz (1 of 1) Source: xfc From: "Tygr Eyz" TITLE: Back Roads AUTHOR: TygrEyz DISTRIBUTION: Xemplary, Gossamer...Anywhere! SPOILERS: Cancer arc RATING: PG CLASSIFICATION: S, R, A KEYWORDS: Major Angst, MSR SUMMARY: There's a fine line between our dreams and reality. FEEDBACK: Cherished forever and always! tygreyz@hotmail.com "Are you OK, Scully?" "Mulder, I'm not going to vanish into thin air. You'll be able to sleep better at home." "I'm not leaving you tonight. Especially not now." "If this chip works I won't wake up in the morning all better." "I know, but I just need to be here." "All right. Try and get some rest." "I will." Scully smiled and relaxed against the pillow. She looked so small, so fragile. The soft moonlight only enhanced it making her appear like a wraith, just barely there. How could he lose her like this? Despair began to well up in him. His eyes slipped shut letting him drift into a restless sleep and he began to dream... ********************** Mulder lazily turned one of the many curves in this back road they had been following for several hours. He glanced over at his sleeping partner and smiled. It did Scully good to be able to rest like this. He couldn't help but worry about her. The steady hum of the tires and the fading light of the setting sun was making him wish he could join her. Scully leaned her head more against the door and opened her eyes. "It's about time sleepyhead," Mulder said affectionately. "How do you always know when I wake up?" Scully asked holding back a yawn. Uh-oh, he thought, busted. "Call it a sixth sense." "You'd better keep your eyes on the road from now on," Scully said catching on immediately. "Aw, Scully!" Mulder whimpered. Scully gasped, "Mulder, watch it!" A semi-truck was coming around the next curve and was halfway in their lane. Mulder swerved towards the shoulder trying to get out of the way. With a loud crash the truck clipped the end of the car and sent it spinning into the ditch. They came to a grinding halt as truck whizzed by only feet away. It didn't slow down. They sat there dazed for a moment. "Scully, are you OK?" Mulder asked alarmed. She took in her surroundings with near anger, "Yeah, I'm fine. Who was that maniac?" "Sorry, I didn't happen to catch the license number as the freak ran us off the road," Mulder ground out with unmasked sarcasm. Scully grimaced, "Something tells me that those aren't your true feelings." "I'll be just fine as long as the car is still drivable. Otherwise we're stuck 60 miles from Nowheresville with nothing but our overnight bags, some sandwiches, a thermos of coffee and our badges which are going to do us a heck of a lot of good" "You missed a couple things," Scully said after a second of thought. "What's that?" Mulder asked suspiciously. "Our guns, our coats, the clothes we have on, and three fourths of a maple bar," she paused after each item for emphasis. Mulder groaned, "That was supposed to make me feel better?" "We have cell phones." she said. Mulder flopped back against the seat, "Oh, great. A lot of help they are! This is Hill City! A signal couldn't get in here with a bulldozer." "So what do you suggest? That truck was the only vehicle we've seen for an hour and a half, which might have been a good thing considering what happened. We don't have a whole lot of options." Scully pointed out. Mulder grinned. "Well, we could always build ourselves a cabin and rock our lives away talking about the good old days until someone comes along and finds us. But by then we're obsolete but we don't know that so we say "Mulder and Scully, FBI." and they're like "FBI! I haven't seen one of them for almost 50 years!" So they take us back but we're so old and feeble they stick us in a rest home. End of story." "But Mulder, how would we survive over 50 years with only a few sandwiches, part of a maple bar, and some coffee? And what about clothes?" Scully managed to say without laughing. "So they find old, skinny, naked FBI agents. Big difference." Mulder flopped back again. "Don't let your imagination run away with you, Mulder. It'd be more likely that they'd find us decomposing somewhere. But we should be able to hike out of here in a couple of days," she said rolling her eyes. "You're looking for exercise?" he raised his eyebrows and winked, "I think we can handle that." "Before we make any rash decisions let's check out the car." She paused for a moment. He just *winked* at me! she realized. Mulder took the flashlight and crawled part way under the car. "This car is not moving with out a tow truck." "What happened?" "Imagine a bagel slathered with cream cheese. Then imagine that bagel being scraped against the edge of a table. That's what happened to the car." "Oh. Well, there are several hours till dark. We should start walking and see if we can find shelter." "Aren't I the gentleman? Drag you out here and make you walk home." With practiced eyes Scully looked over him to make sure he was all right. "Don't make me do something I'll regret Mulder. I don't want to drag *you* out." "March on then, Scully Boone." She shot him a Look, "Right on, Mulder." Three hours later they were still walking. The sun had long since set letting the sky fill with clouds. Scully sighed, "If we want to stay dry we need to find something to get under." "I don't know if we'll have to go much farther tonight." "What?" Scully looked up startled. A smile spread across Mulder's face. "Look up to our right." "A house!" "We should be able to get a place to stay there. Maybe someone even lives there with a telephone or a car." "That's hoping for a bit much don't you think? I'd be willing for just a floor to sleep on. There aren't any lights on," she said hesitantly. "You can't be afraid, can you Scully?" "It's not that, but what if someone's asleep in there?" "Well, we'll wake them up. Pay them if we have to," he laid his hand on her shoulder, "Or would you rather sleep by the road and wait for another truck to run us down.?" She smiled sarcastically, "No, thank you." "I knew you'd see it my way." "You wish." Scully's words were accentuated by the howl of a coyote. Mulder say her eyes grow larger. "It wouldn't hurt to see if someone were home," she said. The porch creaked as they stepped up on to it. Mulder rapped on the door. Scully reached to feel her gun and letting her hands swing free she repeated the motion. Mulder knocked louder. "You know, Scully, I don't think anybody's home." "Is the door locked?" "Yes. Let's see if we can find another way in." Scully let Mulder go ahead of her as they circled the house. They had hardly gone a few yards off of the low porch when Mulder dropped from view. "Mulder!" she called out frantically. "Hey, Scully," he said, his voice sounding hollow, "Looks like I found us a way in." "What is it the cellar?" "Must be. I'll catch you if you come on down." "Sure Bob," she muttered. Scully took a tentative step forward and with a startled gasp found herself falling onto a hard dirt floor. "I thought you said you were going to catch me." Scully said indignantly as she stood up. "That was if you jumped. Not went in to a free fall. Are you all right?" "Fine, Mulder. Just fine." Mulder turned and they ran into each other. "You know," he chuckled, "We really have to stop meeting like this." "Where are the flashlights?" Scully asked almost breathlessly. "Right here. I just hope the house isn't haunted." "Ha, ha. Very funny Mulder." The air was musty, smelling of old moth balls and dust. A short staircase led upwards. Mulder pushed open the door at the top. "It has furniture!" "Does that include a bed?" "Are you suggesting something?" "Yes, sleep." A couch was the only piece of furniture large enough to be slept on. "It's big enough for both of us. We could use my coat for a blanket and we'd be warmer." "That'll be fine, Mulder." Mulder looked at her closely. Was she really OK? He adjusted himself on the slightly squeaky springs and made room for her to lay down. Scully put her back firmly against Mulder's chest, spooning them and lay her head down on Mulder's arm as he arranged the coat. "Good night, Scully." "Night Mul..." Mulder smiled against her hair and fell asleep. A noise woke them both. It was only an hour from dawn. Scully sat up, "What was that?" "I don't know. Let's check it out." They moved out of the room in different directions. The walls must be paper thin, he surmised, because he could hear Scully's footsteps. It was only a second later he heard her gasp. "One wrong move, one sound, Agent Scully, and I will make sure your partner suffers the same fate as you will." a whispery voice told her. Mulder went back the way he came. "Drop your gun. We can't have any funny business." Mulder was so close now that he could hear Scully draw a shaking breath as she drop her gun. It barely made a sound as it fell to the tile of the kitchen floor. Footsteps. Mulder was coming! "Federal Agent!" Mulder shouted. The man grinned in the dim light, "I should know one when I see one, Agent Mulder." Mulder shifted his weight, "Who are you? What do you want?" "Why, you of course. Why else would I have run you off the road and brought you here?" a shrug followed another grin. "How would you have gotten here? There were no turnoffs." Mulder desperately thought of something to keep the man occupied with. "There are ways, I assure you." "If you want me, let her go." Scully gasped. "No, don't you see? I don't want you like that. You don't have any transportation, no medical assistance. Should either of you get injured, it would be certain death. And wouldn't we hate to see this? Hmm?" he chuckled with glee. "Can you tell us..." Abruptly the voice turned cold, "Sorry. The psychology will get you nowhere." Oh please! Mulder thought, "Just let her go. We'll talk, see what you want." "But I already told you." "You want me." Mulder said flatly. "I want your soul. And I think I've found it." Scully cried out in obvious pain as a knife was plunged into her stomach. "No!" Mulder shouted. Scully dropped to the ground as the man vanished. "Scully..." He tore off his shirt, "Where is it?" "Give it here, I'll do it." her voice was rough with pain. "You're going to go into shock. I...I don't know what to do!" "Mulder calm down. It's not a deep wound. But I've lost some blood." "You can't make it out of here in this condition!" "Don't write me off yet, Mulder. We'll get out. Help me sit up." "But Scully..." "Mulder, please..." The moment she was upright she toppled over. "Scully!" "I'm losing control. I can't focus my eyes. I might not be able to talk soon. I think something was on the knife." her breathing had turned labored. "No, Scully, no..." Mulder breathed. Scully made him look at her, "Mulder, you have to go on. Your quest has become mine. And I have have become yours. When you find Samantha, tell her about me maybe?" "If I find her it will be because of you. You'll find her with me!" "There was a time I didn't doubt it. But you will find her, Mulder. You're the only one I believe in." "Scully! Scully, you can't leave me! Scully, no, I love you, I love you..." "I know, Mulder..." Through his sobs he heard her draw her final shuddering breath and then silence. ********************** When Mulder opened his eyes the moon was still shining in the window. Scully's hand was gently stroking his tear covered cheek. He jumped as if hit by an electric shock and looked up into her eyes that also held tears, "Scully? Scully, you're alive!" He reached out and touched her as though he needed reassurance that she was really there, "What happened?" "It was a dream, Scully. Just a bad dream." She squeezed his hand to let him know that she understood. "Did I... did I talk out loud?" "Yes, you did." He nodded not caring if the whole world knew, "I'm so glad you're OK." The pain she saw in his eyes made her want to tell him that she would never leave. Nothing could tear them apart. Taking his face in her hands she softly brought his lips to her own, "I love you, too." THE END