From: Kelly Martin Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 20:57:12 -0700 Subject: Dancing in the Dark Title: Dancing in the Dark Author: Michael Martins E-Mail: Rated: PG-13 Category: M/S Romance/angst character dies Summary: A grieving Mulder brings down the consortium with help from his friends. He also learns about the strength of life and love, and that no one ever truly dies. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Skinner and the lone gunman belong to Chris Carter and company. Iris belongs to the Goo Goo dolls. No money was made from this story. Sorry about the copyright infringements. Twisting in the sleep is supposed to symbolize a Sleep of the disturbed. Someone tortured or alone. Mulder was both. Mulder was dreaming he was reliving that horrible night. running and running. He was cut and there was blood running into his eyes. He could feel the pain in his gut he could see nothing but Red there was fire everywhere. He screamed. Looking wildly about him. The explosion in the warehouse had taken most of the block and he had just been caught in the initial blast before he had entered the door. But Scully? Scully had gone in first just moments before the explosion. Omigod. No SCCCULLLY. He ran to the center of that fire pit He went through fire for her because he knew she would do the same for him. He ran full force through the destroyed warehouse Her name screaming from his lips and he didn't even know it. He kept screaming even after he found her he kept screaming even as the wrapped her broken body in a black bag. Mulder was hunched over in the spot where the explosion had thrown her. Screaming and sobbing to himself I should have gone first. I should have gone first. Then he felt peace the warehouse was gone the blood was gone the fire was gone he was with her again. She was dressed in a white dress that swirled about her in a heavenly shroud her face was unmarked and clean. Mulder felt dirty just looking at her as she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. I'm dead I must be dead he sobbed to himself. "Shh. No your not dead but your not far from it Mulder." Scully soothed. I should be Mulder sobbed. Mulder look at me Scully commanded. As she took his head in her hands. Mulder could never refuse anything to her. He looked at her through his tear streaked eyes. I love you Mulder you know that. He nodded like a child and wept softly. "The last six months that we were lovers I loved you more than anything and I loved you before that. Don't forget that Mulder." "I won't". He promised. "I know what your thinking of Mulder. I am your guardian now I watch you wherever you are and you know that I love you and miss you. But I don't want you here yet Mulder you still have things to do." Tears were running down her cheeks as she smiled down at him. "No. No Scully you don't understand I can't live like this there's nothing for me now. Don't you understand he said to her desperately Don't you see what I'm trying to tell you. There's nothing for me If your not here. I can't go on." "You will and you must. Do you understand me Fox? I love you but I don't want you here yet I'm watching you now and I will not stand by and watch you destroy yourself." Her grip tightened on his face. "There's more to this than you and me I wish that I could tell you how much more but I don't have that power anymore. I can tell you later. But for right now remember that I'm watching you Mulder remember that and this." She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the mouth. Mulder closed his eyes to the sweetness of her kiss and awoke in his bed. The tears still running down his cheeks and his throat still sore from the yelling. He lay back on the bed remembering her words and feeling his heart beating in his chest. I love you Scully he said. Mulder fell in to a deep sleep the first real rest that was not from weariness or exhaustion. As he drifted an angel looked at him sweetly and said I know. Skinner looked out his office to his secretary. Linda Send Agent Mulder up will you? Linda looked at Skinner and sighed to herself. She knew what this was about. She buzzed the intercom. Mulder who was typing furiously on his computer heard Skinners request. Sighing he turned the computer off and looked at Scully's picture on his desk. His office was on the fifth floor now that the basement was boarded up and covered. Mulder had done this the moment the request no Demand for the new office had been sent by him. No one would ever use that office again. Nothing had been touched the posters the pictures even the coats had been left just the way they belonged alone. Mulder had seen to it personally That the office would never be used again. The new office was cold and sterile empty except for the computer and the picture of Scully. He had pictures of them together. But those pictures would never be used. He missed her too much. Standing he took the picture in his hand and turned out the light to his office of 15 months. As he walked to the elevator everyone in the office stopped there work and watched him walk determinedly forward. As he strode down the aisles the one agent began to clap then another and another the clapping soon became deafening as he walked silently. Amid cries of giv'em hell Spooky and Go high agent Mulder. He took the elevator up. And walked to the Assistant Director's office. Knowing what would happen everyone expected it so did he. Sit down Mulder. Mulder sat down and looked at Skinner. Skinner looked back at him sadly and handed him the discharge papers. I'm sorry Fox. The director did it himself. I ran interference as much as I could but I. Mulder stopped him with his hand. "It's all right sir we both knew I was on the edge." Skinner looked at the somber soon to be Ex agent and grimaced remembering the devastated look on his face after Agent Scully had died. There was no doubt that the warehouse explosion had been the consortiums idea but it was meant for Mulder. Mulder had gotten sloppy after she died. It looked like he had stopped sleeping all together. He walked with a dead look in his eyes and he sometimes forgot to shave, and if man needed prove that there was a hell they need only look at Mulder. Mulder cut corners ignored cases and blatantly refused direct orders. The higher ups had very little sympathy except for Skinner he knew the bond that Mulder shared with Scully and he cried at her funeral for her and for him. I wrangled a deal with the Director. In light of your dedication and work he is giving you this bonus. Skinner was screaming inside that son of a bitch didn't even have the decency to come to his agents funeral. Mulder opened the envelope. A check for 340,000.00 "I asked where it came from Mulder. I sure as hell know that it's honest money I checked it myself no one will benefit from her death I can promise you that Mulder." Mulder put the picture down on Skinners desk and reached out his hand. Skinner got up from behind his desk and shook it tightly with a grim face. He watched Mulder with the utmost dignity take his picture and walk out of the office. Skinner wondered if Mulder would be alive at the end of the year he doubted it. As Skinner sat down at his desk he watched Mulder leave then he began typing up his own resignation papers. Mulder got in to his car and never looked back. He drove to his apartment. All his stuff was packed up all his things were ready to ship. Mulder had planned his last trip to be in the reflecting pool with a gun. The place where he and Scully had planned there lives together the place that they confessed there love to each other. But not know she needed him to do something for her. Justice. Mulder took his locator ticket and marked all of his things for the movers. He called up the ad he found in his newspaper under Office Space. A few quick calls on his cell phone and he was set up he didn't need to see the office he just needed a base of operations. As he left his apartment he drove to the office and paid the owner cash no questions no paperwork that was the plan. He had formed his plan he would get them he would get them for taking his lover and the mother of his unborn child they took that from him now he would take from them. He had learned enough about the consortium to know how they worked. The office was more than sufficient he had an entire top floor it was unfurnished but it would do with the Gunman's help he could design a fully functional computer system and security would be easy to set up. Mulder called them first. "Byers It's me Mulder. "Mulder where are you we heard that you'd been kicked out of the FBI they say you went of the deep end. Are you all right?" "Yeah I'm fine I was out of it for a while but I'm here for a little while anyway can you and the guys come down? He gave them the address and the equipment that he would need. They promised to be there shortly. Mulder looked at his new place It would do for someone who wasn't going to be alive in a while. Mulder still remembered his dream of Scully and he was never one to not believe but he knew he couldn't respect her wishes completely. I'm sorry Scully God you don't now how sorry I am but I need to do this." This isn't just for you but for everyone. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x The gunman had helped Mulder set up everything and in a week he had everything that he would need. In fact his office was so sophisticated with the money he had been given as well as his savings and the money his father had left him he had some of the newest equipment to date. The gunman spent more time in Mulder's new HQ then in there own office. Fox had no problem with this he needed there help and there conversation. Together they had begun to gain more information on the consortium than he had in the FBI Mulder learned new things everyday. Word on the street was put out on his HQ people who wanted information on something need only ask one of Mulder's message relayers. In exchange for secrets on the consortium he provided the payment of information with information. Mulder and Langly were discussing the possible whereabouts of several places where the consortium could be. "Mulder I'm sure you know that they can't be in all these places at once." "And I'm sure that you know that not all the information we receive is on the level they know about us and they send out misinformation." "That's not the point they." Loud sirens began beeping alerting them to intruders on there floor. "Byers check the video how many?" "I only see one guy but I can't get a clear head shot." "Frohike, Langly get the armaments out and cover me!" Mulder barked. As he stood behind the door they had several security fences and a grid sanction blocked off but that didn't matter if there was only one guy he might have information. The door opened and the intruder stepped inside the doorway. Mulder swung the gun in a wide arc connecting with the back of the intruders head. "Oww geeze what the hell." the intruder spun around to face the man who had just assaulted him. "Mulder what the hell is your problem?" Skinner said wincing as he rubbed his head. A very shocked Mulder could only stutter "Sir. I'm sorry sir you were the last person I expected to see here." He said sheepishly. "Yes I can see that." Skinner said looking at the office layout there was a massive computer system to the left with several monitors on both sides. An elaborate phone line system that seemed connected to every kind of scrambler, distorter and ID system known to man. Behind another door Mulder guessed there was an office space and living quarters. "You seem to have a fine setup here Mulder." Skinner said nodding appreciatively. "Thank you sir." "No sir any more you can just call me Walter. I left the FBI. For good it looks like. I figured you could use some help." "How did you know where we were? Langly asked looking at the tall ex- Assistant Director. "I have my connections also." Skinner answered cryptically. "I thought we could pool our sources and finally put an end to the consortium for good." "Any help is good help." Mulder said gripping Skinners hand in his. "Welcome aboard." x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Skinners help was invaluable as the following months proved they had an almost inexhaustible supply of first hand information. Skinner had access to files all over the state people in the state war and Central intelligence agencies had no problem giving information to an old friend. They were already making bold progress Mulder and the gunman had already begun writing a master virus for when the time came to lead a strike against the consortium. When Mulder was fighting against them he seemed truly alive. He still didn't sleep well and when the others went out on the town he always stayed home. Mulder shut the systems down he had cut into several power grids so no one would notice the subsequent power drain but he didn't need them on twenty four hours a day. With the security system in place Mulder walked alone in the empty office space. It was quiet and dead like he was inside. Mulder did a good job of hiding his pain inside. With a few smirks and jokes he could put people at ease around him. But he knew to himself that he was cold inside and out. As Mulder walked in to the gunman's office he found Frohike's CD collection. Bored he placed a song on the CD player. Goo Goo dolls that's a strange name. He mused silently, he'd heard it before but tonight he wanted to hear it by himself. He turned the volume all the way up the speaker amplifier system was top of the line and he intended to use it whenever he could. He sat on a chair and listened to the hauntingly slow tune. Scully appeared before him as she had in his dream She smiled at him her white dress flowing around her. She reached out to him and pulled him to his feet she was solid SOLID. He slid a shaking hand to her waste and she held his back. He took her other hand in his. He sang to her softly with the lyrics to the song: "And I'd give up forever to touch you cause I know that you feel the same way. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now. Cause all I can taste is this moment and all I can breath is your life. Sooner or later it's over I just don't want to miss you tonight. Scully joined with him singing softly her voice had changed to a serene siren call: "And I don't want the world to see me cause I don't thing that they'd understand when everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am." They softly waltzed in the dark. Falling silent they both danced as the song over took them. and you can't fight the tears that ain't coming. all the moments the truth in you lies when everything feels like the movies. yahh you bleed just to know your alive, and I don't want the world to see me cause I don't think that they'd understand when everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am. When the song ended Scully pressed her lips to Mulder's whispering in his ears I love you. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Mulder had been planning for nearly a year now as the team began final preparations for the mission as they prepared they began calling in favors all over the place. The Lone gunmen put out the call for people with expert computer skills hackers, extractors and encryptors. Skinner knew enough military men that could find the people that they would need demolitionist, strategists and weapon experts. they also found suppliers that could get them the things they needed. Mulder and Skinner often joked about the fact that they arrested people for doing this. The warehouse was fully prepared as Mulder laid out the assault teams directions and plans. There were twenty men. Each one had a specific task and leader. Five for each man. Mulder was laying out last minute instructions going over the blue prints that they had decided was the consortiums main base of operations. "All right Frohike you need to handle there security system I want the entire place blacking out we don't need more reinforcements barging in on us. The grid sections are most likely to be in sector 8c and 4x so your guy's will have to spread out." Frohike nodded assigning his five men's certain area. "Byers are you sure that this schematic of there computer core is going to handle this kind of output system we have your extraction team is going to take a while and it looks big." That's the most up to date chart we have the equipment we designed should take out al there information fast and sweet. But we can't drain the core and load the virus at the same time." Mulder nodded." I know that's what I'll be doing just remember that are frequency on the walkie talkies are set at the amplifiers level that can only be detected through these screeners he said handing them to the men at the tables. "Any one not wearing a screener will hear nothing but a high pitched squeal!" Langly said proudly. Mulder nodded at there inventor "How are you on those relay stations when I send this will you be able to connect the phone systems to one certain track?" "Every phone will be hooked to one independent line Langly promised. It'll be tricky but it will have to do." "Walter have you checked the explosives we can't have one malfunction the timers are all synchronized right?" "There all set and ready to go they'll all make a good bang and we each know our stations if these are placed right the whole building will go down fast and hard." Skinner said nodding at his team. "Great." Mulder looked at the men assembled they were ready they had to be. "Langly the disks?" Langly handed him the virus system Mulder's job was the most time consuming the only place that the viruses could be inputted was in a computer terminal on one of the top level. Everything else was done on the basement and ground floors, of the thirty story building. Mulder looked at the twenty-four men all dressed in black and ready to go. "Good luck out there people lets make this one count." Mulder said grimly as the men and women went to there unmarked vans. Mulder closed his eyes it was coming to an end he could feel it. The monolithic building had a large ominous shape to it that was intimidating even during the day. At two A.M. no one noticed the four vans all strategically parking in certain areas. Mulder called to each team separately on the walkie talkies. He deployed Frohike's team first they entered the building with ease a distorter helped to disguise them from the cameras and they entered the buildings they were like ghosts. They dispatched the preliminary guard team with ease. They set to work on there business immediately. Mulder left his station and entered the elevator to begin his part leaving Skinner to deploy the rest of the teams. Mulder was anticipating everything from an armed unit of about twenty men waiting for him at the top to unanticipated alarm systems. He was quite surprised to see the entire floor deserted. He cautiously ran to the largest office in the floor pushing open the door he spotted the computer system that he needed to use he unloaded the data up link system while the computer booted up. "You might find the access panel would work better on our direct net agent Mulder. A cold voice said. Mulder spun around to look at a face of a man that he wished had been dead countless times. Cancer man puffed on his cigarette. "It's all useless Mulder do you truly think we stopped watching you oh it was touch and go for a while but we know all about your master plan. You think that you can destroy us?" "I don't think. I know, and were going together you hear me you son of a bitch?" Cancer man looked non-plussed at Mulder. "Well then by all means continue on your mission don't let me stop you." cancer man said. "You know what your doing. The things your plan will do can destroy us but I know for a fact that you won't do it. Mulder completed the up load all he needed was the signal he would press the enter key and the entire system would fall Langly had patched every phone line in to that one terminal. When the virus went through it would not only go to everything in the data core of the building but to every place that this building had every called. It was unwieldy but the sacrifice was a price they had to pay. Mulder never turned his back on the smoking man. He looked at Mulder care fully. "You really went off the deep end didn't you Fox did Scully truly mean that much too you? I know that you were hot in the sack from what I've seen from our surveillance cameras. But what did she give you? Nothing, nothing except her skepticism. He said withdrawing the cigarette from his mouth angrily. Mulder looked at him he knew that cancer man had a trump card with him but he was playing for time. Mulder looked at him levelly. "Your wrong Scully didn't give me nothing when you killed her she never died not to me she left me something you don't know. She gave me her strength. She gave me her courage and above all else she gave me her love. As long as I have that she's not truly dead and I'm not doing this for her she wouldn't want this she'd want legal Justice. Not this. this is for the people you killed and broke over the countless years this is for my sister my father Melissa my unborn child who you killed when you killed Scully." He was crying now and he didn't care. "It's funny that you should mention your daughter Mulder. Why don't you turn on that monitor you'll see something quite interesting the reason why you won't blow this building and yourself up." Mulder clicked the screen on keeping his gun leveled at Cancer man what he saw surprised he knew what to expect but it was still a shock just the same. A little girl was sleeping peacefully in a bed she looked about two years old. Mulder recognized the interior of her room which matched with the buildings living division. Reliable sources had told him that, that sector was not being used and was currently empty. They must have missed her or they had received advanced knowledge of the attack and they had, had her brought to him. "She turns three in September. Remarkable resemblance wouldn't you say Mr. Mulder a good mix you and Scully were. We extracted the fetus from Scully's body at the morgue she developed in a tank so she aged a little bit faster than normal during the gestation period. But I think you can see that she's your daughter. Yes little Dana here is a fine girl smart as a whip. I'm very proud of her." Mulder went back to the computer checking in with all his stations. Cancer man for one of the first times was in shock. Mulder was just ignoring this. Something was wrong he knew Mulder knew that he wasn't bluffing and he also knew that should have been screaming at him. Demanding to know where his daughter was being kept. Instead he was going through with his insane plan and for the first time cancer man felt true fear. Fear that he had pushed Mulder completely over the edge. Instead Mulder seemed perfectly at ease. As if he was expecting it. "Ready Walter?" "Ready Mulder" "Get everyone clear." Mulder began to Push the Button. "Don't!" Cancerman shouted Mulder if you do this you will destroy millions of dollars. equipment you will leave the U.S. defenseless against her enemies can you handle that?" Mulder looked at him coldly. "It's time to pay the piper." In a last ditch effort Cancer man tried bargaining. All right Fox You have us. do you get it. We are in your hand and you know what? There are things we can tell you things you wouldn't believe. Seeing Mulder pause Cancer man felt that he was getting on surer footing. That's right Fox I can tell you everything Samantha's disappearance, your father. There here. I know over the years you wanted more than anything to get in to these files. That information you extracted doesn't hold everything oh there's few things. but there's written documents hard copies. Things so top secret there's only one copy. If you push that button you'll destroy it all There are things about Scully in them things you wouldn't believe. Things about her family her life intimate aspects that you would kill to know I know you would Fox. He was sweating just a little as his hand shook with the cigarette. He covered the shaking hand with the other still looking levelly at Fox. Will you destroy that Fox will you destroy her? Mulder looked at Cancer man for a moment that seemed to stretch for hours. Then he pushed the button. The virus was designed specifically for this task the piranha program built to withstand and literally eat any kind of information that it found. In a matter of minutes the building died. The power went out the fire control systems spurted and died anything powered anything stored was consumed by the virus. The building died but not the phone line that was saved to the last the virus entered it and spread worldwide. Computers everywhere, anything connected to the consortium died what happened to the building happened worldwide any backup bases the consortium had died that day. Everything died. Mulder looked at the crestfallen man the cigarette drooping from his mouth haphazardly a dazed look on his face. "I know where she is." Mulder said simply. "Scully told me" He left the room quickly and ran down the steps to a boarding section he ran to room 42 and pushed it open. The startled little girl woke up and looked at the man "Daddy?" Mulder ran up to her and scooped her up in to his arms. "Yes that's me how did you know who I was?" "Mommy told me she said you would come to rescue me." Dana said simply Mulder shed a few tears as he ran down the deserted corridors. Looking at his watch he realized that he had less than a minute to get out before the whole building blew up. He ran down the stairs clutching his daughter tightly in his arms. He ran out the exit door with exactly twelve seconds to spare. Running behind the van cover your ears Dana. Mulder said holding her to his chest. Cancer man watched from the window as Mulder carried his daughter to safety. He sighed and extracted his last cigarette. He had time for one puff before the buildings charges detonated blowing the entire structure to kingdom come. The debris littered the entire block the team that had brought down the consortium looked around them. Through the dirt and smoke and fire they felt the feeling of victory. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Daddy took me home away from that place. He showed me pictures of mommy and I visit grandma Scully every week, she tells me stories about Mommy. She say's that I act just like she did when she was my age. I'm glad I wish that I could see my mommy and talk to her. Daddy says he wishes that too. I love my daddy with all my heart. He promised to always take care of me and I'm glad. He still misses Mommy but he says that she'll always watch over us. I like to watch him when he doesn't know it. One night I watched him. He stays up late some nights he never told me why. I watched him put a song on to the music player I watched him smile and stand up then I watched him begin to dance alone. But it was like he was holding someone. Of all the memories I have of my daddy this is the clearest one. When I close my eyes I can still see my daddy dancing in the dark. The End "The way to make sure that someone will go on living is to never stop loving them." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- Lyrics from the Goo Goo Dolls song Iris were used with out permission. Spender in skinners office Spender we have a mission for you. What is it? We want you to infiltrate one of the largest and most dangerous organizations in the world. Really Sir! Yes we want you to make some connections in the Father son Pick nick you'll have to bring your father. But sir I. I. I. No Buts, the boy scouts of America are waiting Get out there and make America Proud or something. Dismissed. Yeah I know it sucks but so does Spender so what can you do?