Divine Intervention
Part Sixteen

Outside Wiseman Jewellers.
Washington DC.
November 17th 2000.
6:44pm

            "Mulder!" Skinner's voice boomed as he raced after Mulder
through the swarm of agents and police who were to busy studying phone
books and read-outs to care who or what was running towards the
jewellers. Finally, a large agent turned around, just in time to see
Skinner calling after Mulder before Mulder ran past him. He didn't get
more then two feet before the agent grabbed his shoulder, pulling him
to the ground.

            "Get off!" Mulder screamed, struggling with the agent as
he pinned him to the ground. He struggled against the agent's unmoving
hands as Skinner loomed over him.

            "What were you thinking?" he demanded as the agent rose
and let go of Mulder, watching him carefully.

            "I need to get in there and do something!"

Skinner shook his head.

            "You'd do something alright, you'd get them all killed!
You said you could handle this Mulder."

            "I can."

            "Not from where I'm standing, you can't."

Mulder sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

            "We need to get them out, or get in." he paused. "That's
my professional opinion."

Skinner leaned against a police car as Mulder dusted off his overcoat.

            "Why do you say that?"

            "He's making no demands. If you take hostages, you make
demands. He said that he only came here to rob the place."

            "You think that this was his plan the whole time?"

            "No, not originally. I don't know his motive, not until I
know *who* he is and until I can talk to him."

Skinner removed his glasses and began to wipe them with a
handkerchief.

            "What do you propose?"

            "We ring her cellular. We need to talk to him. The longer
he's in there, the more chance he has to get mad. He's already getting
angry with Dr Janeway and he's shot Mike. So who next?"

            Skinner stared at him silently. He knew who Mulder feared
would be next. Everyone who was working on this knew who could be
next, Scully.



Inside Wiseman's Jewellers.

Washington DC.

November 17th 2000.

6:44pm

            Scully sipped the diet coke slowly, her eyes staring away
from Sam, refusing to look him in the face. He was pacing along the
wall, his back to her, his face not visible. She swallowed the
lukewarm substance, allowing it to wet her cry throat. Her chest
throbbed. Her head throbbed and she was acutely aware of the fact that
the hostages were becoming more and more restless.        Tom stared
over at her and she could see in his eyes, had seen it from the moment
that she'd woken up, that it didn't look good. God only knew how long
she'd been out; her watch had somehow been smashed so she didn't know
what time it was. She didn't need a medical degree to know that from
the amount of blood around her, she'd lost a lot. Too much, especially
when there was no way of replacing it.

            Her once white shirt was now drenched and sticky with
drying blood, she stared at it for a moment. What if she died? How
would Mulder react to seeing her like this? Covered in blood,
contusions spreading across her face, her lip bleeding? She closed her
eyes, trying to imagine his face before her, his smell as he held her
close at night, his touch as he caressed her.

            "What the fuck?"

            Scully's eyes opened to see Sam staring carefully from the
window. He smiled and started to laugh. He turned to stare at Scully.

            "Didn't they teach you to get along with one another in
the academy?"

Scully stared back at him, trying to keep her emotions at bay.

            "What are you talking about?"

Sam laughed again.

            "There are agents out there fighting with one another.
Seems serious, I wonder if your precious Fox is one of them?"

Scully didn't reply. She didn't need to; Sam knew that she feared what
he'd said, even before he's uttered a word.

            "I'm guessing from your silence that I'm probably right.
Has he got a bad temper, this Agent Mulder?"
Silence.

            "Don't try to guess what he's like, you're an animal, how
could you know what a real man is like?"

He stared at her. She was sorry she'd opened her mouth. The words had
come in measured tones, but they stung him. She didn't know why, she
just knew she wished she'd kept them inside her head, where they
belonged.

            "You think that you're smart, don't you Dana?" he paused,
walking towards her slowly, purposefully. "Women like you always do,
they think that they're better then men. You think that just because
you have some brains in your skulls... that you can try to act aloof
and flirt with us, then you turn around and say that..."

            "What? What do you think we say?"

He snorted.

            "Don't try your psychoanalysis with me doctor."

            "I'm not trying anything."

He stared at her, turning as the phone lying on the ground rang.


Inside Wiseman's Jewellers.

Washington DC.

November 17th 2000.

6:51pm

            Mulder swallowed.

            "What do you want?"

Skinner nodded to Mulder as he heard Sam's voice.

            "Before you say anything... Can I take a guess that this
is Agent Mulder?"

            "Wrong." Skinner replied.

            "Too bad, I saw his performance out in the car park."

Skinner bit his lip.

            "That wasn't Agent Mulder Sam."

There was a pause.

            "I'll let you talk to Scully if you put him on."

Mulder grabbed the phone but Skinner shook his head.

            "What do you want Sam?"


The phone went dead. Skinner stared at the receiver in his hand.

            "What happened?"

            "He hung up."

Mulder dialled the number and picked up the second receiver.

            "Hello."

            "It's Mulder."

            "Why hello Agent Mulder."

            "Let me speak to Scully."

            "Who?"

            "Don't mess around Sam, you said that we could speak to
her if I came on the phone."

            "Did I say that?"

Mulder looked to Skinner.

            "What do you want?"

            "Want?"

            "To release the hostages? What do you want?"

There was a pause.

            "Mulder?"

Mulder's heart froze. It was Scully.


Divine Intervention
Part Seventeen


Inside Wiseman's Jewellers.
Washington DC.
November 17th 2000.
6:53pm

            "Mulder?" she froze, as there came no answer; Sam stared
down at her, his eyes cold and switched off.

            "Scully? Are you alright?"

            "Oh my God Mulder..." tears trickled down her cheeks.

            "Hang on Scully, don't let him get to you." He paused. "Is
he listening?"

            "No."

            "Listen carefully, there's a bug in your Pepsi. We can
hear what's going on, you're not alone, do you understand?"

            "Yes..."

            "Is there anyone else hurt in there?"

Sam walked over to her and reached for the phone.

            "No."

            "Has he hurt you?"

Sam motioned for the phone.

            "I miss you Mulder," she whispered quickly.

            "Give it here..." he ordered and Scully mutely handed him
the phone, he put it up to his ear.

            "Now, ready to listen Agent Mulder?"

            "Tell me what you want Sam."

Sam looked at Scully.

            "I want you."



Inside Wiseman's Jewellers.

Washington DC.

November 17th 2000.

6:55pm

            "What?"

There was a pause.

            "I'll release all the hostages if you come in."

Skinner shook his head and Mulder swallowed, his heart was burning. He
stared at the phone.

            "I don't think that I can do that Sam."

Sam hung up the phone and Mulder stared at the floor.

            "I've got to ring him back."

            "You're not going in there Mulder."

Mulder threw the phone onto the ground and it smashed into a million
tiny fragments. His eyes were full of anger as he looked intently
towards Skinner.

"He could *kill* her!"

"If he was going to do that, he would've done it already."

"What? How can you say that? He's *torturing* her in there for
Christ's sake!"

Skinner's face was set in a harsh stare and the whole room of agents
watched the two men, riveted to the scene. Nobody in the room removed
their eyes from the two agents until a shot sounded from inside the
jewellers. Both Skinner and Mulder turned to the agents on the
headphones.

"What happened?"

"He shot someone."

Mulder took the headphones.

            "Who? Who did he shoot?"

Mulder listened to the screaming people as they wailed and cried in
shock and fear.

            "Who the fuck did he shoot?"

There was a groan, soft and yet distinguishable from the rest of the
voices. Mulder was sure that it was Scully. But was she hurt? Mulder's
cellular rang and he answered it immediately.

            "Mulder."

            "Agent Mulder, are you willing to change your mind?"

            "Who did you shoot Sam?"

            "I'm asking you a question, are you willing to come in?"
            "I need to speak to Scully."

Sam sighed.

            "She can't come to the phone right now."

            "If you've so much as hurt a hair on her head!"

Skinner's hand rested on Mulder's shoulder and the younger agent took
a deep breath.

            "You said you'd send out all the hostages."

            "I'll send out 6 now and the rest when you come in." he
paused. "You are coming in, right?"

Mulder swallowed and refused to look at Skinner.

            "Are you going to hurt anyone else?"

He had to know Scully was going to be all right.

            "No."

            "I'm coming."




Inside Wiseman's Jewellers.

Washington DC.

November 17th 2000.

7:02pm


            Sam hung up the phone and placed it on the counter,
staring intently at it for a moment before facing the hostages.

            "6 of you will be leaving us now..." he stared at the hole
in the cabinet behind them, it lay at least 20 inches above any of
them, he'd aimed above them all. "The rest of you will be leaving once
our guest arrives..."

            "You...you...you...you...you and..." he paused and stared
at the hostages momentarily, trying to decide on the last hostage to
leave. "You."

            Tom stared back at him.

            "You want *me* to leave?"

            "I know how much you like it in here doc, but I'm letting
you go."

            "She'll need medical care."

            "She's fine."

            "I can't leave until she comes with me."

Sam shook his head.

            "There's no winning with you people is there? I'm keeping
you here, you complain. I let you go; you complain and want to stay.
Does the word stupid come to mind?"

            "She needs medical attention."

            "And she'll get what she needs, you're leaving."

Sam pointed the gun at him.

            "10..."

            "You're not serious!"

            "9..."

3 of the chosen hostages rose and ran to the door, throwing fleeting
glances towards Tom.

            "8..."

Two others rose and followed, running through the open door.

            "7..."

            "Can't you choose someone else?"

            "6...5...4...3..."

Tom rose and looked at Scully, she nodded to him and he ran to the
door.

            "2...1...0. Bye doc."

Sam aimed and shot as Tom's hand reached for the door. He'd hit him in
the back of the head. Tom's body went limp and he tumbled to the
ground, falling less then a foot away from the door.

            "Tom!" Scully screamed, her voice frantic. She couldn't
move from the ground, her shoulder pinning her with the pain. She
began to crawl towards him.

            "Stay where you are, don't test me Scully."

            "You bastard, he was going, why did you shoot him!"

            "He didn't go when I said, stay where you are. I don't
want to hurt you anymore then necessary."

Scully shook with rage and tried to rise, Sam walked over and shoved
her back down to the ground. She began to cry helplessly on the
ground.

            "You fucking bitch!"



Outside Wiseman's Jewellers.

Washington DC.

November 17th 2000.

7:09pm

            "What happened?" Mulder demanded from the other side of
the room.

            "He's shot Paris."

            "What?"

Mulder walked away from the other agents who were fitting him with
safety gear.

            "Why?"

            "He was releasing the him, but Paris wouldn't go at
first."

            "Is he dead?"

            "We're listening for any sign, Scully's trying to get to
him right now."

            "How many hostages are out?"

            "5"

Mulder strapped the last clip of the bulletproof vest.

            "I'm going in there!"

Skinner shook his head.

            "He's after killing another hostage."

            "There are at least 4 more people in there Sir, we need to
get them out."

            "He'll kill you!"

            "We don't know that."

            "Sir?" Agent Anglia stared up at Skinner, removing his
headphones.

            "What is it?"

            "The line's just gone dead."

Divine Intervention 
Part Eighteen

Outside Wiseman's Jewellers.
Washington DC.
November 17th 2000.
7:13pm
 
               "What do you mean the line's just gone dead, what
happened?"
               "We don't know exactly."
               "What do you mean *exactly*?" Mulder ordered.
               "Sam was going towards Scully and then he called her
a fucking bitch and the line went dead."
               "He found it."
               "The bug?"
               "How else to you explain it? I have to get in there."
Skinner stopped him.
               "Wait Mulder. Are you sure about this?"
               "You think I'm personally involved."
               "I *know* you're personally involved, that's the
trouble."
Mulder sighed.
               "Of course I am, she's my partner and..." he stared at
Skinner. "It's my duty not to let her get hurt. She'd
do the same for me."
 
 
 
Inside Wiseman's Jewellers.
Washington DC.
November 17th 2000.
7:18pm
 
               "You bitch, you've been talking to them the whole
time!" he kicked her in the abdomen again and spat on
her, his face contorted in anger. "I knew I couldn't
trust you, fuck!"
               Scully coughed and spluttered, coughing up blood, her
hands failing to protect her already battered form.
               "Sam!"
               Sam turned as the door was banged upon. A man, roughly
6 ft, with brown hair was banging on the door, eagerly
trying to get in.
               "It's Mulder, open the door!"
Sam looked at Scully and then looked back at Mulder.
               "Open the door for him, then leave."
He was talking to the other hostages and they rushed
to the door, opening it for Mulder and running out.
Mulder stepped inside.
               "Lock the door."
               "Let Scully go."
               "I can't do that."
Mulder stared levelly at him.
               "You said you'd release all the hostages."
               "She's not a hostage."
               "Let_her_go_"
               "I can't do that. You see, she and you broke our
agreement. There never was a mention of this..." he
reached down and picked up the bug that had been in
the bottom of Scully's cup, he'd seen it when he'd
walked over to her. "I don't remember agreeing to be
spied on."
               "We needed to know what was happening in here."
               "Well, at least you're admitting to it and not saying
it was part of the drink."
               "Let her go, you wanted me and now I'm here."
Sam laughed.
               "I don't value her over you. I never did." He aimed
the gun at Scully. "She's the prized possession of any
man."
               "What are you doing?"
               "I'm aiming a gun at your lover Agent Mulder."
               "Don't shoot her."
Sam laughed.
               "And why the hell not? What's to stop me? I'm going
to prison anyway. I've killed Mike and the doc and
I'll be put away for life on those charges alone. Then
there's the bank robbery..."
               "Don't kill her, there's no need."
               "There's never a need. There's no need to wear
clothes during the summer, everyone does though."
Mulder stared at him and felt that his heart was
twisting.
               "You wanted me here, didn't you? You wanted me here
to watch her die..."
Sam was silent.
               "It happened to you..."
               "I'm no FBI agent..."
Mulder stared at him.
               "Your girlfriend was killed..."
Sam stared down at Scully, his finger moving over the
trigger.
               "How did she die Sam?"
               "It wasn't me who did it, if that's what you're
thinking."
               "I wasn't thinking that Sam."
Mulder took a step towards him.
               "Stop right there."
Sam turned and aimed the gun at Mulder.
               "Don't try and talk me down."
               "I'm not, I'm trying to understand why you're doing
this, who killed your girlfriend."
               "It was my wife, she was my wife."
               "Who killed your wife?"
               "And my baby, they killed my wife and my baby."
               Mulder stared at him, his glance occasionally slipping
to Scully who lay motionless on the floor in a pool of
blood.
               "Who did it? Who killed your baby?"
Sam shook his head.
               "It doesn't matter, I don't care anymore."
               "That's why you're off your medication, isn't it Sam?
You suffer from depression don't you?"
               "The medication doesn't help, it only numbs what's
already there."
Sam scratched his ear with his free hand.
               "I didn't mean for this to happen, it wasn't supposed
to go like this...If she hadn't come in, then none of
this would've happened."
Mulder nodded, watching with relief as Scully's
finger moved. Sam's finger retracted from the trigger.
               "I know that you didn't, how long ago did you lose
your wife?"
               "7 months ago."
               "I'm sorry."
               Sam nodded, tears beginning to slide down his cheeks.
It was only up close that Mulder realized how young
this man really was. He couldn't be more then 30.
               "You still haven't told me who did it Sam."
Sam swallowed.
               "It..."
               Scully moved, her leg hit a chair as she moved and Sam
spun around, gun aimed.
               "No!" Mulder yelled as he saw Sam's finger returned
to the trigger and in a second he was running towards
him, pushing him to the ground but Sam landed with his
back on top of Scully. Her body jolted and a gunshot
sounded.
               Within seconds Skinner and a team of agents were
bombarding the jewellers. Skinner ran in but stopped
as he stared at the bundle of bodies lying beside the
solid oak desktop at the back of the shop. It was as
if time slowed to almost nothing.

Divine Intervention
Part Nineteen
 
Washington General Hospital.
November 18th 2000.
1:24am
 
        "I'm so sorry, I know how hard it is on parents to
lose a son or daughter..." the doctor shook her hand
slowly and gently, noticing how cold the older woman's
hands were.  "We did everything in our power to
save..."   
        "I know you did..."
Dr. Rabbit stared at her, watching quietly as the
mother cried, the tears streaming from her blue eyes,
her brown hair hanging loosely around her face.
        "By the time the ambulance arrived, there was little
that could have really been done. If it's any comfort,
the gunshot would have caused no pain..."
        She nodded limply, releasing the doctor's hands.
        "When I got the call, it frightened me half to death,
I knew that something was wrong. I could feel it in my
bones. And when they told me, it wasn't real. I
thought I was dreaming, it's a mother's worst fear,
losing your child. Children should never die before
their parents."
        "Is there anyone that I can call, anyone you'd like
to speak to? We have a priest available if you'd
like."
        "I'd just like to see him."
She rose as a balding man passed her and he glanced at
her briefly before striding down the corridor.
Assistant Director stared at Mrs. Angela Hunt as if she
were just another person on the street, not knowing
she was the mother of Samuel Hunt.
He strode past the front desk, ignoring the night
nurse's pleas for identification and that visiting
hours were over. His overcoat swayed as he walked past
one room after another, searching them all for his
agents. He came to room 321 and saw Mulder sitting by
the window, his eyes staring vacantly through the
panes of glass, into the gardens below.
"Mulder?"
He didn't turn.
        "Where is she?"
He didn't speak.
        "Mulder?"
He didn't move, just continued to stare through the
window.
        "I told her I loved her, I asked her to marry me..." he
paused. "I was so happy, I could barely keep it in."
        "She went to pick a ring." Skinner stated and Mulder
was silent for a minute.
        "We were going to pick it together, but I had to do
that paperwork..." he paused. "Remember?"
        "Why didn't you tell me?"
Mulder stared at him, his eyes almost empty of
everything but anger and resentment.
        "The FBI frowns upon relationships between agents,
remember? It's the unspoken rule of the FBI."
        "Mulder..."
A tear slid from his eye, but they held no sadness,
just pure anger.
        "I loved her with everything I had, with every pore
of my being and now some guy with a mental problem has
taken it all away."
        "Sam is dead Mulder."
Mulder snorted and closed his eyes.
        "After all he's done, he won't have to even pay. I
bet he died instantly."
        "As far as I know, yes he died instantly."
Mulder shook his head, staring out the window.
        "Scully's in theatre..."
        "How is she?"
        "They said they'd tell me..."
Skinner nodded and swallowed.
        "I'm sorry Mulder..."
        "You didn't shoot her."
        "It wasn't your fault."
        "Who pulled the trigger?"
Skinner paused, as Mulder stood motionless in front of
him.
        "You were trying to protect her."
Skinner watched Mulder's reflection in the pane of
glass.
        "I was trying to protect her and ended up shooting
her in the stomach.
        "You shot Sam."
        "I shot Scully."
Skinner swallowed again.
        "Nobody's going to hold you responsible."
Finally Mulder turned around and stared at Skinner.
        "I know I will..."

Title: Divine Intervention
Part: 20/?

Washington General Hospital.
November 18th 2000.
2:31am

        Mulder sat with his head in his hands, staring at the ground.
He was alone in the room, occasionally hearing the rush of feet as
some doctor called a "code blue"  from down the hall. A nurse had come
in three times, telling him that a doctor would be with him as soon as
it was "convenient". He sighed and ran his hands through his hair,
rising as he heard a familiar voice come from down the hallway. 

        He walked outside, onto the linoleum floor of the peach
coloured hallway and saw a sight that was becoming more and more
common as his partnership with Scully progressed. Mrs Scully stood,
her hands clutching the desktop of the nurse's station, her face awash
with emotion, tears streaking her motherly face. 

        "Please, you don't understand...." She was pleading to the
nurse who nodded sympathetically, pulling out a form from under her
desk. 

        "Mrs. Scully?" Mulder began as he approached her, his hand
outstretched, touching her shoulder. She turned and looked at him, as
if momentarily not recognizing him and then recognition flashed into
her eyes. 

        "Fox..." she said it with relief, clinging to him, as he was
her lifeline, as if he were the only thing that kept her from losing
hope. "What's happened? They won't tell me anything." 

        "Do you know this woman Mr. Mulder?" the nurse asked and
Mulder glared at her. 

        "She's Scully's mother." 

        "I didn't know..." the nurse began and the doors opened, Mrs.
Scully released Mulder and faced the doors, watching Bill and Tara
enter, wheeling Matthew in front of them. 

        "What's he doing here?" Bill demanded and Mulder's body
tensed. He wasn't feeling up to battling it out with Bill at this
precise moment in time. 

        "Don't Bill." Tara pleaded, looking at Mrs.  Scully. "How is
she mom?" 

        "I..." she turned to Mulder. "I don't know, Fox?" 

        "She's in surgery..." 

        "I'm betting you've got something to do with this." Bill
stepped from behind Matthew's stroller.  and stared at Mulder. Mrs
Scully's hand touched her son's arm and Bill looked at her and then
nodded.  "Well then what happened?" 

        "She was taken hostage." 

        "Hostage?" Mrs. Scully's mouth opened. "What happened?" 

        "It's difficult to explain. She was in there since 1 pm..." 

        "And you didn't call us?" Bill demanded and Mulder swallowed. 

        "I was having enough trouble trying to save your sister,
without having to worry about you being down there too." 

        "How did she get hurt Fox?" Margaret asked and Mulder sighed. 

        "One of the hostage takers shot her in the chest." 

There was a pause and then Bill stared at Mulder. 
        "The bastard better be in jail." 

        "He's not." 

Bill grunted and said with unbridled disgust. 

	"I should've known." 

        "He's in the morgue..." 

        "He's dead?" Tara asked, her brow creasing. 

	"You shot him." Bill said, it wasn't a question and he sounded
surprised. Mulder just nodded and there was silence. Mulder closed his
eyes for a moment and then he sighed. 

        "I..." 

        "Mr. Mulder?" 

He turned. 

        "Is something wrong?" 

        "I'm Dr. Stent. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to
you." 

        "She's not..." he stopped, not able to say what he feared. 

        "No, she's not dead." Mulder breathed a sigh of relief. "But
it's not over yet. We operated on her chest and removed the bullet;
there was only minor damage, but a lot of blood loss. I'm afraid that
the bullet wound to her stomach was much worse." 

        "What wound to her stomach? You said that she was shot in the
chest!" 

Mulder ignored Bill and concentrated on the doctor. 

        "What is it?" 

        "I'm afraid that the bullet ruptured her spleen and we're
trying to repair the damage, I have to ask," she paused. "Is she
married?"  Mulder swallowed. 

        "We're engaged." 

        "What?" Bill demanded, grabbing Mulder's arm but Mulder pulled
away roughly, staring at Bill but it was Maggie who spoke to Bill. 

        "This is no time for your macho man antics Bill, your sister
is in there being operated on, grow up and shut up! Do you think that
you're helping here? Do you?"

        "Mr. Mulder?" 

Mulder returned to face Dr Spent, her face grave. 

        "The main reason I came out was to talk to you, I have to get
back in there." 

        "What is it?" 

        "Can I talk to you for a second alone Mr Mulder?" 

        "We're her family, for God's sake! Surely you can tell us?" 

Mulder nodded to her. 
        "It's fine." 

        "I'm so sorry Mr Mulder, but she's lost the baby." 

        "Oh Fox..." Mrs Scully's hand rested on Mulder's shoulder as
he stared blankly ahead. 

Title: Divine Intervention
Part: 21/?

Washington General Hospital.
November 18th 2000.
2:44 a.m.

        "Did you know about this?"  Mulder stared at the floor. 
        "Mr. Mulder?" Dr. Stent touched his arm. "Are you alright?" 
He swallowed.
        "I didn't know, I didn't..."  His eyes glazed over and he
shook his head. 
        "I didn't know..."  He turned from Dr. Stent and walked down
the hallway.  Bill moved to go after him but it was Dr. Stent who
stopped him. 
        "Sir, I don't think you should go after him." 
        "I have a right to." 
        "Bill!" Mrs. Scully's hand touched Bill's and he faced his
mother. She had tears in her eyes but they were harsh as they glared
at him. "He's lost his child, don't you dare go after him!" 

2:57 a.m. 
        Mulder stood with his hands in his pockets, staring absently
at the grounds of the hospital, his jaw set in a grim expression. He
swallowed, allowing the cold wind to freeze his body, but it only
froze his skin, not his heart, not his thoughts. His eyes closed and
he tried to block out everything, to just find relief that she was
alive, that she was still breathing. 
        A baby.  His eyes opened wide with shock. 
        A baby girl.  He swallowed. 
        A baby girl with flaming red hair, like Scully's and his nose. 
The tears fell before he finished his description. He sat down on the
bench, his head in his hands, the tears slipping through his fingers
and his body shivered. He gulped, trying to take deep even breaths and
when he finally managed to calm himself down and stop the tears, he
stared across the parking lot.  He'd never thought about kids, not
really. Here he was, losing one. What was the saying? You never know
what you've got until you've lost it? He shook his head as the tears
welled up again. If he lost Scully now... 


4:32 a.m. 
        Mulder stared at her silently, standing at the window looking
in. Her mother turned, as if she sensed him, and she smiled sadly at
him, he nodded, turned and walked away. 

4:44 a.m. 
        "Mom said I'd find you out here."  Mulder looked up and saw
Tara standing in front of the cafeteria table. 
        "If you've come to give me a lecture Mrs.  Scully..." 
        "Tara..." she assured, sitting down, her hand landing on top
of his. She smiled reassuringly. "I'm so sorry Mr. Mulder..." 
        "Mulder..."  She smiled again. 
        "Mulder..." she paused. "I just wanted to say, I mean I know
from what..." she stopped and took a deep breath.  "I mean, if you
need anyone to talk to, someone who won't..." 
        He stared up at her expectantly. 
        "What I'm trying to say Mulder is that, I know from what I've
heard from Bill that you're somewhat of a recluse and if you need
someone to talk to about things, I'm here." 
        "It's not necessary..."  She swallowed. 
        "I don't know if you know this, but we didn't get Matthew
overnight you know..." she sighed sadly. "I've had three
miscarriages..."  Mulder swallowed. 
        "I'm sorry." 
        "Don't be, what matters really in the end is that we have
Matthew. The point is, you'll get through it, if you love each other.
I know you don't get on with Bill..." she smiled. "Few people do at
first, but if you saw him with Matt, he adores him so much." 
        "I know you're trying to help, but this is different...  I
didn't even know, this isn't the way you're supposed to find out." 
        "There's no way to find out Mulder, it's not something anyone
should have to deal with."  He swallowed and bit the top of his lip as
it quivered. 
        "I didn't ask for this, yesterday was supposed to be..." he
stopped and swallowed. "Look at me, how am I supposed to face her? How
can I be there for her when I can't even look at her without wondering
what if I hadn't asked her to marry me yesterday, that if I hadn't,
she wouldn't have gone into that jewelers, that she wouldn't have got
shot... that I wouldn't have shot her." 
        There was silence as Tara stared at him. 
        "You shot her?"  A tear slid down Mulder's cheek. 
        "It was an accident. I made her lose this baby, it's because
of *me* that she lost the baby. *I'm* the reason she's in there
without *our* child inside her." 
        "Mulder, what you're telling me." she paused and took his
hand. "It's not your fault. You love her, you didn't mean to harm her,
and you stopped that madman from killing her." 
        "And in saving her, I killed the one thing she's wanted all
her life and thought she'd never have! Why doesn't that make me feel
any better?" 
        "Because it's your fault."  Mulder and Tara turned around and
saw Bill standing behind Tara. 
        "Bill..." Tara began, rising. "Don't."  He glared at her, as
if talking to Mulder was the ultimate betrayal. 
        "Mom blames me for disliking you. She says that I do it
without a reason, I just do it maybe because I don't want her
happy...." He shook his head. "Even Dana won't fault me after this." 
        He turned and walked away. 
        "Let me go after him and talk to him Mulder, he's-" 
        "Right. Everything I touch breaks." 

6:21 a.m. 
        "I don't care what you say he's done Bill, Fox would never
hurt Dana on purpose!" 
        "He did Mom, get over it! Your precious knight in shining
armor isn't infallible and has cost Dana her child!"  Margaret Scully
stared at her son. 
        "When did you become a monster? When did your heart stop
beating? You know the pain of losing a child, would you honestly think
that Fox would do that to Dana or himself? He loves her Bill and you
know he does." 
        "If he loves her so much then why isn't he here?  She's been
out of surgery at least 2 hours, if he loves her so much then why
isn't he here?"  Margaret swallowed and stared at her hands as she sat
beside her daughter's bed, the machine beeping quietly in the
background. Mulder turned away from the observation window and walked
down the corridor. 


Title: Divine Intervention 
Part: 22/? 

Fox Mulder Apartment.  
Washington DC.  
November 18th 2000.  
7:31 a.m. 

	Mulder stepped inside his apartment, closing the door and
throwing his keys on the couch, dropping his jacket on the side of his
sofa-come-bed. Sighing he switched on his machine and listened
absently as he lay on the black leather, which squeaked predictably as
his body rustled slightly, ignoring the mundane recorded voice that
relayed the time of the calls.

	"Fox? Fox, if you're there.... Pick up, it's Margaret,
Margaret Scully. I've just got word from the hospital, we didn't know. 
We're on our way to the hospital right now, if you can call me back,
please." 

        There was a beep as the message finished and Mulder sighed and
covered his eyes with his hands.  "Mulder..." there was a pause and a
mumbling of voices.  "Mulder, it's Frohike. We're watching you on the
news right now man. Is Scully all right? I mean, there's not much
we've found out so call us when you get the chance, you know the
number."

        Another beep and Mulder rose, heading towards the kitchen. 

        "Friday, November 17th 2000 at..." 

There was a pause and Mulder stopped, suddenly feeling apprehension
creeping into his every pour, causing his stomach to knot. "1:15 p.m." 

        He spun around and stared at the machine. That was before the
robbery, that was the time she'd gone into the jewelers. It might be
her. It could be her. He stopped and stared at the machine. 


Washington General Hospital.  
7:31 a.m. 

        "Dr. Stent." Margaret Scully said as she rose from her seat,
Bill remained seated beside the door. 

        "Mrs. Scully." She smiled warmly towards the older woman. 

        "Is there any news?" Bill asked and Dr. Stent didn't turn
around to face him but kept her eyes on Mrs.  Scully. 

        "I'm afraid we could be in for a wait. Your daughter was
operated on for a significant period of time and due to the injuries
and trauma she has survived, we've decided to keep her sedated for at
least today." 

        Mrs Scully nodded, sitting down on the chair again and
crossing her hands on her lap. She sighed. 

        "I am happy with her progress. The stitching seems to be
holding and there's no bleeding, and there is every

indication that the operation was successful. Is Mr.  Mulder here?" 

        "No..." Margaret replied and Bill grunted. 

Dr. Stent smiled again towards Mrs Scully. 

        "Is there anything that we can bring you Mrs.  Scully?  Would
you like to freshen up or get us to bring you in a more comfortable
chair?" 

        "No, I'm fine." 

        "I'll be back to check on Dana at the end of my rounds and if
you speak to Mr. Mulder, can you tell him that I need to speak with
him?" 

        "Certainly, and thank you." 

Dr. Stent nodded and turned, her hand on the door. 

        "Can I speak to you outside for a moment Mr.  Scully?" 

He didn't reply but just got up and followed her outside the room. 

        "Mr Scully..." she began as he closed the door. "Do you care
for your sister?" 

        "Excuse me?" 

        "I'm afraid that from what I've seen, your attitude towards
her has been less than..." 

        "Just what exactly are you implying doctor?" 

        "When your sister wakes up, she's going to have to deal with a
very substantial and heartbreaking ordeal and she will need everyone
around her to be as considerate as possible and not badgering each
other in the manner you're doing." 

        "I don't believe that you-" 

        "If you'll pardon me *Mr.* Scully, I am Dana's doctor and I
know what is best for my patients. Whatever grudge you hold against
Mr. Mulder, you leave outside this room, do you understand?" 

        "In all honesty *Dr.* Stent, I believe that I know what's
better for my sister than-" 

        "No, Mr. Scully, you don't." she stared at him. "I am the
doctor that is in charge of your sister's medical care and whatever
brotherly problems you have, I suggest that you keep them out of this
room and even out of this hospital until your sister is in a fit state
to cope with your attitude. She's been held hostage forthe last 24
hours and on top of that, she's lost a child that she may or may not
have known that she was carrying. Now, for *her* well-being, I'm
warning you not to make me ban you and I don't care if you *are* her
brother!" 

        It was all Bill could do to stand there and take it.  He
simply stared after Dr. Stent as she walked down the hallway. He
swallowed and opened the door to his sister's room. 

Fox Mulder Apartment.
7:40 a.m.

        His finger pressed the button again and he leaned back against
the couch, covering his eyes with his hands. 

        "Mulder? I know you're not at home, but I've tried to leave a
message at work, but the phone's busy. Anyway, I'm just calling to
tell you that I finished early with the meeting so I'm going to go
into Wiseman's and get a head start on you with the rings. Before you
get jealous, I promise I won't pick anything until you get here which
will hopefully be soon. I'm standing across the street from the
jewelers and I'm thinking of you.  Love you, Bye." 

        He licked his lip and sighed, tears pricking his eyes. It was
the last thing she said to him before she went in there. She'd called
here because he'd been using the phone to try to call her. She
couldn't get through to him and if she had, maybe she wouldn't be in
that bed. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, reaching over
and picking up the picture frame he kept on his desk. 

        He stared at the photograph and even though he had a eidetic
memory, staring at her face in this picture always made his heart skip
a beat. In the photograph, he was staring down at her lovingly, his
arms encircling her waist and his head lying on top of hers. She
stared at the camera, her blue eyes gleaming as she smiled fully
towards the photographer. 

	It was the last photograph that he had of them together. It
had been taken by a complete stranger after Mulder had asked him to,
more like begged him to, at the carnival they'd been to a
 couple of weeks ago. He'd won a neon pink elephant for her and she'd
kept it beside the bed ever since. She held it proudly in her arms in
the photo. 

        A tear slid from his cheek and landed on her neck, rolling its
way down the glass until it dripped from the edge of the frame and
landed on the wooden floor.  He clutched the frame to his chest as he
closed his eyes. 

Title: Divine Intervention 
Part: 23/? 

Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 18th 2000.
1:24 p.m.

        His footsteps were tentative as he approached the door, his
fingers were shaking and his whole body felt as if it would never stop
trembling. It was all he could do to put his hand on the door without
turning away. As he felt the cool metal of the handle beneath his
hand, it twisted before him and the door opened, Bill stepping out of
the room. 

        He stared at Mulder momentarily before grunting and walking
down the hall. Mulder swallowed and opened the door, immediately
seeing Mrs. Scully sitting beside Dana's bed and staring out the
window. The curtains had been drawn back since he'd been here last. 
She didn't turn.
        "I thought you went for coffee."  Mrs Scully said as Mulder
closed the door.
        "How is she?" he asked and she turned around. 
        "Fox?"  Mulder stared at her and Mrs. Scully rose, walking
over to him.
        "They sedated her; they said it was best." 
        "When will she wake up?" 
        "Tomorrow hopefully."  There was silence as Mrs. Scully stood
before him, her eyes not meeting his. 
        "Bill told you."  It wasn't a question and she walked away,
her back now to him. 
        "I told him you wouldn't hurt her on purpose." 
        "You're right, I wouldn't."  He stared at her back, not
willing to look at Scully. 
        "You shot her."  Mulder swallowed and she nodded, her back
still to him. 
        "I don't blame you Fox, you saved her." 
        "I killed our child in the process."  Mrs. Scully licked her
upper lip and turned around, her arms folding across her chest. 
        "There's nobody that can stop you from feeling sorry for
yourself Fox, only you. Dana will wake up and she will be hurt and she
will need you, more then you need her. Look at her." 
        He didn't move. Mrs. Scully walked to him, turning his face
gently in Scully's direction with her fingers. He stared at her and
his heart stopped. 
        "She's alive Fox and she needs you." 
        Mulder stared at what used to be his beautiful partner. Her
face was covered in bruises and small cuts; her left eye was
completely closed because of the purple contusions that surrounded the
soft tissue. 

He could faintly see the top of the dressing that was covering the
wound on her chest and Noticed the harsh red color of the skin that
surrounded it. Her worst injuries were hidden, hidden by her gown and
by the covers of the bed. He swallowed as his stomach contents turned
somersaults. 


        He only noticed now the absence of Mrs.  Scully's hand from
his face and thatshe had left the room.  He took the three steps
needed to get to her side slowly, allowing himself to walk calmer then
he felt for inside he was dying. How could he look at her like this
and not feel that it was his fault. Bill was right, as much as he
hated to admit it, but it was his entire fault. If Mulder hadn't
proposed that day, she'd be alive and she wouldn't be lying here with
two bullet holes in her and her life at risk. 
        She would always be at risk with him around but he couldn't
let her go. He'd be here for her, she was going to be his wife and
he'd care for her. He'd always be there for her, he'd take her in his
arms and never let go, and there would be nobody who could separate
them, nobody that could hurt her with him there to protect her. 

        He gently took her hand in his and rubbed the back of her hand
absently with his thumb. Swallowing, he used his other hand to wipe a
stray strand of blood stained hair from her face. He wouldn't lose
her, he couldn't bear to lose her, he needed her as much as she needed
him. 
        "Mr. Mulder?"  He didn't turn around to see who it was; he
knew the voice was vaguely familiar. 
        "Yes?"  Dr. Stent stood on the opposite side of the bed and
looked at Mulder. 
        "Did Mrs. Scully inform you that I wanted to speak to you?" 
He looked surprised. 
        "No, why is something wrong?"  She swallowed and looked
briefly at the clipboard in her hands. 
        "I'm afraid that I haven't told you everything about the
operation." 
        "What do you mean?" he stared accusingly at her. "Are you
saying that she won't wake up?" 
        "No Mr. Mulder, I'm not saying that, please calm down." 
        "I'll calm down when you tell me what's wrong."  She paused
and looked uncertain. 
        "I'm afraid that when we were operating on Dana..." she paused
again and her eyes changed slightly. Mulder noticed that Scully's
always did the same before she broke bad news to him. "When we were
operating on her stomach injuries and discovered that she was
pregnant, the damage was so bad that we were forced to remove-" 
        Mulder interrupted. 
        "Are you trying to tell me that she won't..."  He couldn't
finish. 
        "I'm sorry to tell you...but due to the nature of the wound
and the position of the bullet, we were forced to remove the uterus
and Dana will be unable to conceive a child again." 
        Mulder swallowed. 
        "I don't understand this, you're telling me that she can never
have children again?"  Dr. Stent's eyes softened. 
        "I know this is a hard thing to take in Mr.  Mulder." 
        "You're telling me that she can't have any more children, is
that correct?"  He rose and started to pace. 
        "Mr. Mulder, there were certain aspects of the pregnancy that
are... strange." 
        "She was told that she was barren, that she wouldn't be able
to conceive." 
        "I'm well aware of that. I've looked over her medical records,
and I really don't know how to explain what has happened." She paused.
"It's the first time that I've ever seen something like this occur." 
Mulder shook his head. 
        "I can't take this in. I don't understand what you're trying
to tell me." 
        "I'm saying that there is no way that I can explain what
happened to Dana other then the possibility of..."  Mulder closed his
eyes. 
        "I understand that this is trying Mr. Mulder." 
        "You don't know anything, not unless you shot the most
important person in your life and caused them to lose the one thing
they thought they'd never have..."  Dr. Stent sighed. 
        "Would you like me to tell her mother?" 
        "No, she's under enough pressure as it is." 
        "Do you want to talk to a counselor?" 
        "And hear again how sorry everyone is? I just want her to wake
up." 
        "She will."  Mulder shook his head and sat on the chair by her
bedside again. 
        "Is there anything else that I should know?"  Dr. Stent was
silent. 
        "I won't know for certain until Dana wakes up." 
        "You won't know what?" 
        "It's always difficult to estimate the damage bullets can
cause."  Mulder swallowed and stared at Scully. 
        "With these bullets, what kind of damage can be caused?" 
        "It can range from nothing to more long term concerns..." 
        "Like what?"  She gathered her clipboard from the bed. 
        "There is no point in worrying until she's awake."  She went
to walk towards the door. 
        "Tell me." 
        "Mr. Mulder...." 
        "Tell me, I need to know."  She sighed. 
        "It depends on the bullets." 
        "The chest wound, what could that do?" 
        "Well, she already had the bullet out when she came here, it
just needed to be cleaned out but the blood loss from the wound was
worrying, it was close to muscles and vessels that could affect her
motor skills." 
        "Motor skills?" 
        "It might affect her arm or hand functions." 
        "What?" 
        "I said might, and I use that word heavily Mr.  Mulder.  You
asked what might happen and I'm telling you. It could turn out
perfectly fine, I'm giving you worst case scenarios here." 
        "What about the other bullet?"  She sighed. 
        "Mr. Mulder..." 
        "Tell me Dr. Stent." 
        "I really can't predict that. The worst case would be
paralysis." 
        "What?" 
        "It would be in the worst case Mr. Mulder, there's probably a
5% chance of that happening." 
        Mulder ran his hand through his hair and sighed. 
        "I really don't think that you're in any fit state to deal
with this." 
        "Why would you say that?" 
        "I know that it was you..." she stopped. 
        "That pulled the trigger." 
        "I was talking to the police."  Mulder nodded and closed his
eyes. 
        "Just tell me she'll wake up." 
        "She will." She laid her hand on his shoulder.  "I promise." 


3:12 p.m. 
        Mulder's head was lying on his shoulder when Margaret Scully
walked in the door, Bill following with a bag over his shoulder. 
        "He's asleep."  Margaret said and Mulder's eyes opened. 
        "I was just resting my eyes for awhile."  Bill stood by the
window and stared at his sister silently. Margaret sat on the other
side of Mulder, beside the window. 
        "How is she?" 
        "Dr. Stent came in after you left, she..." he paused and
forced a smile. "She said everything would be fine." 
        "Did she say when Dana would wake up?" 
        "No, not really. She didn't give precise details."  Margaret
nodded and sighed, taking Scully's hand in hers and smiling towards
her unconscious daughter, almost as if Dana would wake up to see her. 
        "Tara will come by tomorrow to see you when you wake up honey.
She says hi." 
        Mulder glanced at Bill and saw that he was intently staring
out the window, his hands clasped behind his back, his face grim. What
would a man like that think about? Was what he said always what he
thought? 
        Bill turned and stared directly at Mulder. His eyes spoke all
they needed to. He hated Mulder, with vengeance. 

Title: Divine Intervention
Part: 24/?

Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 18th 2000.
5:16 p.m.

	Mulder rose slowly from his seat, his back stiff as he'd sat
in the same position for over 3 hours. He sighed softly as Margaret
looked up at him, her eyes softening slightly as she stared at his
tired form. 

	"Where are you going?" she asked and he closed his eyes,
running his hands over his face. 

	"To get some coffee, do you want something?" 

She stared at him for a moment before smiling. 

	"Sure, some coffee would be great." 

	"I'll come with you." 

	Mulder looked towards Bill as he rose from his seat in the
corner. Mrs Scully threw her son a warning glance that, if he saw, he
did not acknowledge it. 

	"Sure," was Mulder's only reply as he turned and opened the
door of the hospital room, walking out and leaving it open for Bill to
follow. 

	"You didn't have to come." Mulder began as he headed towards
the cafeteria. 

	"Yeah, well..." he paused as he caught up with Mulder.  "I
don't want to find myself lying in some hospitalbed with poisoning." 

	"Poisoning? You think that I'd poison you?" 

	"I heard you've done worse, like shooting my sister." 

Mulder stopped walking and waited for Bill to turn around. He did and
his face was as hard as steel. 

	"Why did Tara marry you?" 

Mulder could clearly see that he'd caught her off-guard. 

	"What business is it of yours?" 

Mulder shrugged, his anger flaring up. Bill had never seen Mulder's
anger in full swing. Mulder had always controlled his anger in front
of Scully's brother, for her sake but at this particular moment in
time, he didn't give a damn what Bill thought of his behaviour. 

"Well then what business is it of yours about me?" 

	"My sister, that's what." 

Mulder's eyes bore into Bill's and Bill blinked several times before
Mulder answered. 

	"Your sister?" 

	"That's right." 

	"Then act like her brother." 

	"Excuse me?" 

Mulder took a step forward, his face a few inches from Bill's. 

	"Act like her brother, because right now, you're acting liked
a damned fool!" 

	"You've no right to talk to me like that." 

	"And what right have you got to treat me the way you've
treated me in the past? Nobody else in your family seems to have a
problem with me." 

	"I'm the only one who knows what you're like!" 

	"What I'm like? Tell me, inform *me* what *I'm* like!" 

Bill grunted. 

	"I don't have the time to tell you anything."  He turned and
began to walk away but Mulder grabbed his right arm and turned him
around. 

	"The way I see it, the reason you're here is because your
sister is in there."  He pointed towards the room they'd just left.
"And she's not going to be awake for at least another three hours so
the way I see it, you've got plenty of time to inform me what you
think of me." 

	Bill stared at him. 

	"You've got a problem with me and I want to sort it out right
here and right now because...." He paused and stared at him, his eyes
stony. "I'm tired of your dirty looks and strong talk with that stupid
chip on your shoulder!" 

	Bill stared at him stonily. 

	"You wouldn't know how I feel about my sister. You had one and
before you were out of high school, you fucking let some asshole take
her." He paused, seeing with happiness that his words had stung
Mulder. "You lost yours and now you're trying to take mine." 

	Bill stared at him in disgust a moment longer and then turned,
heading towards the cafeteria. Mulder grabbed his arm, turning him
around and punched him squarely on the jaw. Bill fell to the ground
and Mulder clutched his aching fingers momentarily as he stared down
at Bill before stepping over Scully's brother, who was clutching his
jaw. 

	"Don't *ever* mention my sister." 



5:35 p.m. 
	Mulder placed the money on the counter as he picked up his
tray. 

	"Have a nice day sir." The cashier said politely as Mulder
nodded towards her and carried the tray towards a vacant table. He sat
down and sighed, unwrapping the sandwich.  He was about to take his
first bite when Bill occupied the seat opposite him. 

	"Running off from a fight is a cowards way out..." he said,
sighing and rubbing his jaw absently. 

	"From what I remember, you were lying on the ground."  Mulder
took a bite of the ham sandwich. "If I'd stayed, you would have more
then a cut lip and a sore jaw." 

	"Funny Mulder, real funny..." 

Mulder chewed. 

	"I wasn't being funny."  Bill stared at the coffee. 

	"Why are you here?" Mulder asked, not looking up at the navy
man. "I thought that you didn't have the time to talk to me?" 

	"Yeah, well I fit it into my schedule..." 

Mulder glanced up at him as he took another bite from his sandwich. 

	"I'm sorry if I can't hide my surprise..." 

Bill shook his head. 

	"Look, I'm not here to chit chat, I want to know what happened
to Dana in that jewelers..." 

	"There's a paper over there, why don't you invest in a copy?" 

Bill stared at him, not blinking, Mulder sighed. 

	"She got shot." 

	"How?" 

	"With a gun." 

Bill swallowed and looked at Mulder through stony eyes. 

	"Is this some kind of joke to you? Or does Dana really mean
nothing to you?" 

	"How can you say that?" 

	Bill took one of the coffees from Mulder's tray and opened the
plastic lid, steam evaporating from the open cardboard cup. 

"It's simple, you treat this as if it's nothing." 

"I've lost my child, or have you forgotten. It's far from nothing..."
He paused. "What would you like me to do? Cry? Is that what you want?
For me to be a wreck and to fall to pieces to make your job of
tormenting me easier?" 

	"You like to twist everything anyone says, don't you?" 

Mulder shook his head and Bill stared hard at him, unrelenting. 

	"I just want to know what happened." 

Mulder stared at him. 

	"I proposed to her yesterday and she said yes, we were going
to pick out the ring at lunch, she was finished early from her meeting
and decided to go." 

	"To the jewelers that she was held hostage in?" 

	"That's right." Mulder paused and placed his sandwich down on
a napkin. "She went in there to pick a ring and I was late. I got held
up. She walked in on two guys who were holding the place up and she
was taken." 

	"She went in there by accident and one of them decided to
shoot her just because she had an FBI badge, no other reason, she
didn't do anything. She was unconscious for awhile and by the time I
got there everything had gone to hell. Two people were dead and the
robbers were agitated." 

	"A doctor that was in there came out to get medical supplies
and said that one of the men, Sam, was particularly picking on Scully
and was intimidating her to the point that she her condition might
deteriorate and he wouldn't let her go. Shortly after that, Mike, the
other suspect, got shot and died." 

	"Who shot him?" 

	"Sam. I talked to him and he agreed to let everyone in return
for me going in there. He shot another person, someone who was
responsible for saving Scully's life, before I got in there. When I
did get in there he refused to let Scully go." 

	"And that's when you shot her?" 

	"Yes, that's when I shot her." 

	"Why? 

Mulder stared at the sandwich. 

	"He aimed at her, I jumped at him and we fell on top of
Scully, I pulled the trigger by accident and the bullet hit him
through the chest, straight through his heart and killed him
immediately." 

	Bill was silent as he went through what Mulder had just told
him. 

	"If you want me to say that I blame myself, then I do. Are you
happy now? Don't you think I've tortured myself with my own doubts and
worries without having you constantly aiming your anger aimed at me?" 

	"Mr. Mulder?" 

Bill and Mulder looked up as a hand touched Mulder's shoulder and a
nurse stood in front of them, smiling. 

	"Dr. Stent told me to find you." 

	"Is something wrong?" Mulder asked as he rose. 

	"No..." she began and Bill rose too. "Dana's just woken up." 

Title: Divine Intervention
Part: 25/?

Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 18th 2000.
6:03 p.m.

	Mulder ran from the stairway towards Scully's room.  He barged
past medical staff without a word of apology and when he reached her
room, he found Mrs. Scully standing outside it, looking anxiously in. 
	
	"Mrs. Scully?" he asked and she turned and smiled. 

	"She woke up Fox, she woke up!" 

The door opened just as Bill joined them and Dr. Stent stepped out. 

	"She's awake and you can see her for a couple of minutes, then
we need to examine her." 

	Maggie went to her left side, placing her hand gently in her
daughter's and she smiled as Scully's half opened eyes stared up at
her. 

	"Dana? It's mom..." 

	But if Scully recognised her mother, she didn't show it. Her
head turned limply around to stare at Mulder and Bill. She blinked as
she stared at Mulder but no recognition entered her eyes and she
swallowed, closing her eyes again. 

	"She doesn't know us!" Maggie said aloud and Dana's eyes
opened again, staring up at her mother. She looked tired and dazed and
confused all at once. 

"Fox?" 

	"Scully." Mulder came to her bedside and took her other hand
in his. She turned her head groggily around to face him and looked up
at him. Again, no recognition crossed her face as she looked at him. 
"It's Mulder..." 

	"Alright, I think she's had enough now, you need to wait
outside." Dr. Stent's voice demanded gently and they said their
goodbyes to a woman who seemed to remember nothing about them. 

	Mulder watched as the same nurse who'd come to the cafeteria
closed the door of Scully's room. 

	"What happened your lip Bill?" Maggie asked and Mulder turned,
staring at Bill's blood stained lip and swelling jaw. 

	"I..." he paused and stared at Mulder. "Tripped." 

	"Tripped? That's not like you Bill." 

	"No..." he swallowed. "It's not." 

If Maggie knew her son was lying to her, she chose to either hide it
or not to acknowledge it. She turned to Mulder. 

	"She'll be alright Fox, won't she?" 

	"She's awake, that's all that matters..." 

Maggie nodded and they took the seats opposite the room, looking at
the door. 



6:25 p.m. 
	"She's awake now..." Dr. Stent said as she closed the door
behind her. "When you saw her, she wasn't fully alert, you must
remember that she's been under heavy sedation till now." 

	"She needs to rest, she can't exert herself too much, she's
had two serious operations but..." she smiled.  "She's asking for you,
so you can see her for a short time." 

	Maggie and Bill opened the door and smiled enthusiastically
towards Scully, as she lay almost motionless on the bed, her face
looking expectantly to the door. 

	"Mr. Mulder..." Dr. Stent held him from entering the room by
placing her hand on his arm. He turned around and stared at her
anxiously. "I haven't told her about the operation, not completely. I
want to wait until she's feeling a little better, a little stronger. I
just wanted you to know that she's not fully aware of what's happened,
she doesn't seem to remember most of the incident in the jewelers and
I'd rather you not say anything to upset her at the moment." 

	Mulder nodded. 

	"Is it alright to go in now?" 

She smiled. 

	"Of course." 

	Mulder stepped inside, looking at Scully from the doorway. She
was lying on her back, small tubes and lines hanging from everywhere.
The steady beeping of her heart on the monitor brought a smile to his
lips. 

	"Where is he?" Scully's voice demanded hoarsely. "I want to
see him." 

Maggie stared around at Mulder and he nodded towards her and smiled as
he walked towards Scully's bed. 

	"I'm here Scully..." he took her hand. "Don't worry." 

	"Oh Mulder..." she began, tears brimming her blue eyes. "I
thought I was going to die in there and I..."  her lower lips
quivered. 

	"Shhh..." he wiped a stray strand of hair from her eyes.
"You're alright." 

	"But they're all dead Mulder... all the blood and the
shots..." she closed her eyes. "They're all dead because of me..." 

	"Scully..." his hand moved to caress her cheek as if he were
aware of nobody in the room but the two of them. "They're not dead..." 

	"Tom..." her eyes became scared. "Tell me Tom's alright..." 

Dr. Stent stepped beside Mulder. 

	"I think it's best that you leave her alone for now, she's
very confused and getting into a state." 

	Scully clung to Mulder's hand. 

	"Don't go, please, I don't want to be alone here..."  her
lower lip quivered again and a tear fell from her eye. "Please
Mulder..." 

	Mulder glanced at Dr. Stent before smiling slightly and
kissing her forehead gently. 

	"I'll be back tomorrow honey." 

	"Please..." 

	Mulder swallowed as he released his hand from Scully's. He
closed his eyes as he walked towards the door. 

	"We'll be back too honey, okay?" Maggie said as she kissed
Scully gently. 

	"Please, you have to promise you'll come back..." 

	"We promise." Bill replied and Mulder turned in the hallway as
Maggie and Bill came out of the room. Dr.  Stent walked to the door
and her hand rested on the handle as Mulder stared at Scully. 

	Her body was shaking with the force of the emotion coursing
through her body and she clung to the sheets as tears fell down her
cheeks. She shook her head. 

	"I don't want to stay here..." 

	"Please..." Mulder begged, staring intently at Dr.  Stent. "I
don't want to lave her like this..." 

	"I'm sorry Mr. Mulder, maybe tomorrow..." 

	Dr. Stent closed the door and Mulder moved to the observation
window. He looked in as Scully's eyes met his, Dr. Stent sticking her
IV with a needle. 

	"It's alright Dana, you'll feel better soon." 

	Mulder turned from the window, the last thing in his mind was
the image of Scully lying on the bed and crying. 

Divine Intervention
Part: 26/?

Assistant Director Walter Skinner's Office.
FBI Headquarters.
Washington DC.
November 19th 2000.
8:45 a.m.

        Mulder sighed. 

        "The four weeks isn't my idea Mulder, it's bureau policy..." 

        "I don't need time off." 

Skinner leaned on the side of his desk and pressed his hands against
the desk. 

        "Mulder, the truth is you have to take it off." 

Mulder stared at him, waiting for him to go on. 

        "What?" he asked. "There's something you're not telling me." 

Skinner closed his eyes briefly, thinking. 

        "You know every time you discharge your weapon there is a
bureau inquiry. And until it's complete you are going to be
suspended." 

	"Suspended?" he stared at Skinner. "This isn't the usual
shooting related investigation."

Skinner swallowed. 

        "No. We've watched the tapes from the surveillance cameras
recovered from..." 

        Skinner grew silent for a moment as Mulder stared up at him
expectantly. 

        "It shows everything..." Skinner stared at him to gage his
reaction. "From the original take over to..." 

        "Me shooting Scully." 

        "You never said anything to me... I didn't know." 

        "It wouldn't have made any difference." 

	Skinner's jaw twitched and Mulder sighed. The powers that be
had been trying to get him out of the FBI since the day he'd decided
to investigate the X-Files.  Mulder had managed to outwit them for
over 8 years, he'd held onto his precious files through everything and
now he could be re-assigned, or worse, for shooting the one thing he
loved more then the files.  He stared at Skinner with more emotion
then he'd originally intended to show. 

	"They want me out, don't they?" 

Skinner shrugged and forced a smile. 

        "Since when have they been able to get rid of you?" 

        "I never shot my partner before." 

Skinner sighed and rose from his desk. 

        "You saved their lives Mulder, not only Scully's....  but
everyone in there." 

        Mulder shook his head. 

        "But I have a suggestion." 

        "Which is?" 

Skinner swallowed and Mulder knew that he wouldn't like what his
superior was going to say. 

        "I think you should see a psychiatrist." 

        "What? You're kidding." 

Skinner's face told Mulder he was far from kidding. 

        "No. I don't need a psychiatrist to tell me something's wrong
with me, there is *nothing* wrong with me." 

        "You shot Scully. All I'm saying is, if the board decides that
you're staying, then they'll tell you to go. Better to do it now
before they order you."  Skinner removed his glasses and left them
sitting on his desk. "It'd show them that you're..." 

        "Willing?" 

Skinner smiled slightly and Mulder nodded. 

        "Fine, I'll do it..." 

Mulder rose. 

        "How's Scully?" Skinner asked as Mulder walked towards the
door. He stopped and turned t face his superior, his face holding
emotion he could not keep under control. 

        "She woke up yesterday, but was pretty dazed and frightened." 

        "It's understandable... She's been under a lot of pressure." 

Mulder shrugged. 

        "I think it's more then that." 

        "Why?" 

        "I don't know... she wasn't acting like herself. She was
petrified..." 

	"She's been through a lot Mulder." 

Skinner paused. 

        "Do you love her Mulder?" 

Mulder looked appalled at Skinner for asking the question. 

        "Don't worry, it's between us..." 

	Mulder paused, looking out Skinner's window as if wishing he
could be anywhere else but here. Skinner sighed. 

        "Look, it's not some big secret, the two of you have tried to
be discreet but I wasn't born yesterday." 

        "What do you mean?" 

        "Well, for one, I went to her apartment a few days ago to
discuss something and..." 

        "Her car wasn't there..." Mulder finished, realizing now for
the first time that Skinner had known for a long time what exactly was
going on. "Yes." 

        Skinner smiled and nodded his head. 

        "It wasn't that hard, was it?" he stared at Mulder as he
looked up. "You love her Mulder, so go to the physiatrist." 

        Mulder rose. 

        "I have to see her, I haven't seen her all morning..." 

        "Why?" Skinner asked, puzzled. 

        "I..." he paused, looking uncertain suddenly.  "She wasn't up
to visitors..." 

        "Well, then why was the FBI told they could send down their
agents?" 

        "Their agents?" Mulder swallowed. "They're there now?" 

         Skinner nodded. 

        "I haven't spoken to her yet, she doesn't know I..."  He shook
his head and rushed from Skinner's room. What the hell were they
thinking? Scully was confused, they'd tell her everything, they'd tell
her things she didn't know, like... he paused, standing at a doorway
as his head spun... like he'd shot her and killed their child... 


Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 19th 2000.

        He raced down the hall, pushing past an orderly who yelled
after him, shouting obscenities as Mulder ignored him and ran towards
Scully's room. He forced the door open as if his life depended on it
and stood momentarily shocked at what he saw. 

        The priest raised his hand so slowly that it made Mulder's
heart stop as he stared at the hand moving in the sign of the cross,
the long monotonous beep of a machine in the back of his mind and then
it clicked.  He walked forward one step, looking in the observation
window of her room as the nurse pulled the sheet over her body, a male
nurse pulling the curtain around the bed. He swallowed, this couldn't
be happening. 

        His heart was racing miles ahead of his mind, it's thumping
banging so hard his chest hurt. His hands ran into his hair and his
body pressed against the wall, sliding down until his buttocks sat on
the backs of his legs. His head lowered toward his knees as the first
tear fell from his eyes. 

        He heard the footsteps that were becoming all too familiar
over the last few days and he rose before he looked, grabbing the man
by the collar and pushing him up against the wall, hearing the crack
of his head as it hit the cement. He punched the man's side, gaining
no pleasure as he heard his grunt as he placed his hands up against
Mulder's chest. 

        "Get off me!" he screamed at Mulder but Mulder's arms pinned
him to the wall like iron. 

        "You bastard!" he yelled, hitting Bill across the cheek. "You
couldn't fucking tell me? You let me walk in here and find her
like..." he stopped, his arms going limp. "Damn fucking son of a
bitch!"

Divine Intervention
Part: 27/?

Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 19th 2000.
9:30 a.m.

	"Fox!" Maggie's hands were on Mulder's shoulders.  "What is it
you think has happened?" 

	"Why couldn't you tell me?" he demanded slowly, not looking
her in the eye. "I had a right to know!" 

	"Fox..."Maggie's hands moved from Mulder's shoulders.  "I
don't know what you're talking about." Her voice became urgent. "Has
something happened to Dana?" 

	"I had a right to know..." Mulder muttered, Bill pushed past
him. 

	"What the hell is going on with him? One minute he's slapping
me around like he's some big tough FBI agent and the next he's sobbing
like a little girl..." 

	"She's not dead." Maggie stated, looking at Bill but speaking
to Mulder. His head rose. 

	"What?" 

	"She's not dead Fox." Maggie repeated, staring at her
daughter's previous room and realizing what was going on. She watched
absently as Bill wiped blood from his lip. "She's moved rooms." 

	"She's..." he couldn't finish and rose from the ground, his
eyes glancing at Bill before centring on Maggie.  "You're...sure." 

	"She was moved to a another room earlier this morning, we
found out just a few minutes ago but..." she paused.  "We didn't get
to see her." 

	"Your FBI friends are up there with her."  Mulder swallowed. 

	"They're interviewing her?" 

Maggie nodded. 

	"The guard that's outside her room said that we couldn't go
in." 

	"What room?" 

	"Room 346..." 

Mulder swallowed and passed by Maggie. "I have to see her..." 

	"Why?" Bill shouted as he rushed to the stairs.  "Afraid that
she'll find out the truth?" 

	Mulder climbed the stairs, running through the stair doors at
the right floor in time to see two FBI agents getting into an
elevator. He recognized the woman from Headquarters but before he
could get to them, the elevator doors closed and they were gone. 

	Mulder walked along the hallway, passing room after room, door
after door until he saw room 346. He paused, running his hand through
his hair and wiping the tearstains from his eyes. He took in a deep
breath and prepared himself to see her. He smiled, she was alive. 

	"I'm sorry sir." A nurse opened the door in front of him. "You
can't come in, Dr. Stent is speaking to her." 

	"What about?" Mulder asked, glimpsing Scully's back as she
faced Dr. Stent but the nurse closed the door. 

	"I'm sorry, I don't know..." 

	"Please, I have to speak to her..." 

The nurse smiled. 

	"I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to speak with Dr.  Stent." 

	Mulder sighed and closed his eyes, sitting on the chair
outside the room but rising just as quickly, finding the act of
sitting down something he couldn't do with Scully in there, thinking
God-knows-what after those two agents filled her head with anything
from him playing no part or planning the whole thing! 

	He paced up and down the hall, not knowing how Long he had
been waiting when the door to Scully's room finally opened and Dr.
Stent finally stepped out. 

	"Mr. Mulder..." she began, swallowing and Mulder sensed that
she wasn't expecting to see him out here.  "You can't go in here..." 

	Mulder's lips pressed together as Dr. Stent swallowed again
licking her upper lip. 

	"Does that include FBI Agents?" 

She looked at her feet for a moment. 

	"That's different Mr. Mulder..." 

Mulder shrugged, his anger rising. 

	"I don't see how, in my opinion, I'm entitled to see her..." 

	"Not if she doesn't want to see you." 

Mulder was momentarily stunned. 

	"What?" 

	"She..." she paused. "She's extremely distraught..." 

	"Distraught? In what way?" 

Dr. Stent sighed again. 

	"Look, no matter what you say, she'll want to see me, I know
it." 

	Mulder pushed past her and opened Scully's door.  She was
sitting, her face turned away from him as she stared out the window.
She pressed a kleenex to her eyes. 

	"Hey..." Mulder ventured as he stepped inside the door. 
Scully didn't turn around, her hand just moved away from her eyes. 
Mulder walked towards her bed, standing beside the bedside table.  He
reached out and touched her shoulder and she flinched, he withdrew his
hand and stared at her. "Scully?" 

	She turned towards him, her eyes filling with tears.  As she
stared at him, a single tear slid down her cheek and fell silently to
the blanket. 

	Dr. Stent's hand touched Mulder's arm gently. 

"Mr. Mulder, I think that you should leave..." 

	Mulder looked longingly at Scully as her head turned back
towards the window. He waited for a moment to see if she would say
something but felt the silence seemed to clamp down and smoother him. 

	He turned but was stopped when her sheets rustled but he
didn't have a chance to turn, her words made him freeze. 

	"Is it true?" 

	Mulder's back was to her and he froze, afraid of turning and
seeing the pain he knew would be in her eyes, he couldn't face seeing
her look at him. 

	"Yes." 

	Dr. Stent led Mulder out of the room but as he turned he saw
Scully staring at her stomach, tears streaming down her face. He
wanted to go back, but was afraid that she'd tell him to leave and he
didn't think that he could take that so he turned and left. 

Divine Intervention
Part: 28/31

Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 19th 2000.
11:59am.

        Her eyes looked older then her 64 years as she stared at her
daughter, sighing as she wiped a stray strand behind her ear, crossed
her legs and swallowed. 

        "It wasn't Fox's fault Dana..." she paused and stared at her
daughter's turned head. "If you weren't pregnant..." 

        Scully flinched. 

        "... You might think differently about what happened..." 

Maggie's hand entered Scully's and she finally turned and faced her
mother, a tear slipping from her eye. 

        "Don't worry..." Maggie began. "He'll come back..."  Scully
returned her gaze to the window. 




        She doesn't understand. Nobody understands.  How could they? 
It's not as if this is an everyday occurrence.  They've never
experienced the emotions that I'm feeling coursing right through me. 
Mom tries to simplify everything, to make it clear-cut. Mulder shot
me, he didn't mean it, and everything is all right.

        The rational person/doctor/FBI agent inside me is screaming
that she's right, but something else inside me is screaming at her and
telling her that she hasn't a clue, that nobody does. I'm empty now.
Inside, I'm empty. 

        Mom's view is that the "bad guy" is always to blame.  The bad
guy is at fault. But it wasn't the bad guy who shot me was it? I don't
know where I am or what to think, but all I know is at this particular
moment I don't want to hear any excuses, I don't *want* to hear any
apologies, I don't want to see him.  I don't want to see the father
and killer of my child. 

        It wasn't my fault that Missy was killed. It wasn't Mulder's
fault that I was abducted. It wasn't my fault that I couldn't save
Emily. Don't think that the church is to blame for anything; it cured
my cancer, it was my salvation. It's not even Bill's fault that he
doesn't like Mulder. He's over protective. It's not Bill's fault that
he doesn't approve of my job, he's watching out for me. It wasn't
Mulder's fault I lost the baby. 

        I haven't heard his side of it; my mother has sugarcoated the
truth while the agents who saw me this morning probably tried to make
it appear that it was Mulder's fault that the whole thing happened in
the first place. One question runs through my mind.  How could I love
someone *so* much and never want to see them again? 




      Bill pushed the door open as Tara came behind him, carrying the
small bundle of pathetic grapes in a plastic bag-he didn't want to
bring flowers, flowers meant condolences. 

      He looked at his sister. She looked dreadful.  Her face was
pale, except for the yellowish bruising that appeared in small patches
on her skin. Her eyes were blood-shot with dark circles underneath and
her blue eyes lacked their usual depth and intensity. He swallowed as
he approached her, watching as she feigned a smile for Tara, asking
how she was. Tara smiles, and he closed his eyes as his lips come into
contact with his sister's cold skin. 

"Bill..." she says, smiling. His eyes let her know that she isn't
fooling him. "How are you?" 

"Better than you, did you get any sleep?" 

"A little." 

<Liar> a voice inside Bill raged, his eyes asking the question he
didn't speak. <He was here>

"Really Dana..." Tara said, sitting down. "How are you feeling?" 

"She didn't get much sleep last night, she was twisting..."Maggie
began and Dana's thoughts zoned off again. 





      It's impossible not to wonder, even in this short time that I've
known. Brown eyes? Blue eyes? Red hair?  Brown hair? His nose? My
temper? I can almost picture the frail little fingers gripping mine as
I smile down at him or her. No, it was a boy, I've decided. A little
boy. I would have called him Adam. 

"Charlie says he's coming home from New York on..."  Maggie's voice
interrupted her thoughts, Dana's mind closed off again. 

      A boy. A wonderful little baby boy. Brown hair.  Blue eyes.
Perfect smile. He was perfect, until he was taken away from me in the
blink of an eye and I didn't even know. 

      "It's hard to imagine..." Tara begins and the first tear falls
from Dana's eye as she stared out the window.  I was four months gone.
He felt pain. His little heart had beaten in his chest and then the
beating had stopped. He'd lived inside me for four months and had been
taken away, by the person that I loved.  "Dana!?" 

      I turned towards Bill. It was one of the few times that he had a
worried expression on his face.  "What was that?" I asked, wondering
just how long he's been trying to talk to me. 

"I said I'm going for some coffee, do you want anything?" 

      I shake my head and returned my gaze to the window. I heard the
door close after Bill and felt the tears well up in my eyes again, for
no reason other than I couldn't stop them. 

      "You're looking well Dana..." Tara commented as she looked at
her sister-in-law intently. "Considering..."  I turned my head towards
her, tired of hearing her say the same thing. She always acted
unthinkingly in a difficult situation. 

      "Considering what?" I asked, finding my emotions on an
uncontrollable roller coaster that I neither wanted to be on nor
wanted to stop.  At this stage, I didn't care if I flew from the seat.
I watch as Tara fiddles with a strand of hair, looking at mom for some
re-assurance or rescue, maybe both. 

"You know..." she finally replies. I ponder for a moment, do I know?
Tough question. 

      "Well, that depends, which particular trauma are you referring
to?" I felt my mother's hand rest on my arm but I shook it off,
feeling too wound up for niceties or emotion controlling. "Considering
I was taken hostage?" 

      "I didn't mean to upset-" 

      "Considering that I was shot by some maniac who thought I looked
like his girlfriend?" I could feel my voice beginning to tremble and
Tara's face was growing paler as my mother's hand slipped from my arm
in shock, she'd never heard me deliver an outburst like this. 

      "Considering I watched a man who saved my life, murdered in cold
blood..." 

The first tear fell silently down my cheek. I swallowed. 

      "Considering I thought I was going to die, that..." my mother
took my hand and squeezed. "That when I finally think I'm safe, the
one man who..." the tears were trickling down my cheeks now, dampening
my nightshirt collar. "The one person who I count on, takes away the
only..." I pause, the tear continuing to fall. 

      "It's okay Dana..." Mom offers as the door opens and I look up
to see Mulder walking in. 

      "No Mom..." I begin, staring at him. "It's not." 


Divine Intervention 
Part: 29/31

Washington General Hospital.  
Washington DC.  
November 19th 2000. 
12:43am. 

	His footsteps were hesitant at first, as if a child taking
it's first, clumsy, steps. He stared from Scully to Maggie to Tara and
then back to Scully who turned her head towards the window, avoiding
his gaze. 

	"Fox..." Maggie sounded surprised and relieved at the same
time, almost as if she hoped that he could make sense of this new and
strange daughter that she found herself with. 

"I didn't mean to interrupt..." 

Maggie rose; Tara followed her lead, picking up her coat. 

	"You didn't, we're going to meet Bill for coffee..."  Maggie
turned and kissed Dana's cheek. Her daughter remained motionless.
"I'll be back honey."  Mulder brought the flowers out from behind his
back and placed them on her bedside locker. 

	"Sorry they're such a small bunch..." he began, smiling
nervously. "I would've come earlier..." 

	He cleared his throat, and watched for any sign of recognition
on her face, he received none. 

"They said that you needed to rest..." she stared at the window, not
moving. "I didn't know if I should bring flowers or not, you always
hate having too many..." 

His voice trailed off and he remained silent, watched her for a minute
to see if anything she did told him that she was going to speak to
him. 

	"It was a boy," she finally said and he stared at her,
unnerved by the tone in which she spoke in. It sounded like the manner
she used when interrogating suspects. 

	"What?" 

	"Our baby...it was a boy." 

	"I..." 

	"You don't have to say anything, I'm just filling you in, you
are, were, the father..." 

Mulder was silent, thoughts running through his head.  He'd never seen
Scully this angry. He wasn't saying that he expected to walk in and
act like nothing had happened, but Scully had never been this way with
him and he didn't know how to react. 

	"I was four months along," she continued, her words cutting
into him like a knife in butter. "I didn't know, did you?" 

	"I don't think..." 

	"What? You don't think what? Give me your psychologist's
opinion." 

	"Scully..." 

	"Mulder, *get* out." 

	He stared at her, thinking he'd heard things. 

        "Go." 

        "Scully, please..." 

        "Mulder don't, I need time to think before I say things that
I'll regret." 

        "Scully. I need to talk to you, I don't want to leave it like
this..." 

        "Like what?" her head had never turned to face him since he'd
walked in. it was either because she couldn't face looking at him
because she hated him so much or she didn't want to look at him for
fear of breaking down, he didn't know which he feared more.  "With me
lying here with the knowledge that I had the chance to have a child
and you took that away from me?" 

        "I didn't mean to..." he drifted off mid sentence and
swallowed, wondering where they'd gone wrong to end up here. 

        "Didn't mean to what?" 

        They were silent. Neither could stand to speak but Mulder kept
his eyes riveted on Scully while she still refused to look at him.
Thoughts ran through his mind so quickly that he had trouble keeping
up and then it dawned on him. 

        "You can't forgive me." 

It wasn't a question. 

        "I don't know what I can or can't do, it's too soon." 

        "I can't live without you Scully." 

She swallowed. 

	"And I don't know if I can live with you."  "Scully, we're
engaged to be married..." his voice came in a whisper. 

	"We were engaged to be married." 

Mulder stared at her intently as a tear slid down his cheek. 

	"You're..." he paused and laughed nervously, wiping the tear
away with the back of his hand. "You're saying you're not marrying
me?" 

	"I don't know." Her voice was measured, calculated, as if
every word counted. 

	"You don't know?" his voice was frantic and he swallowed
again, his hands running through his hair, the fact that she would not
loo at him was driving him crazy. "I don't understand." 

	"I lost *my* child Mulder. I had a baby in my womb for *4*
months and the bullet from *your* gun took him away." 

	"He was my son..." 

	"If you found Sam and I fired my gun at her and murdered her,
would you be so quick to forgive me?" 

	"That's different." 

	She closed her eyes briefly. 

	"Is it because she was a living breathing person?" 

	"That's not fair! I didn't know!" 

	Scully sighed. 

	"Life, Mulder, isn't fair..." 

        He was reeling in shock. He stood in the middle of her
hospital room and yet it felt as if he were standing in a stranger's
room. She was different. The rational man inside told him that it was
her right and that she was in shock but what she was saying to him
wasn't coming from someone who was in shock, it was coming from
someone who'd been hurt too many times in the past and had reached the
final straw. 

        "He was going to shoot you," he offered lamely, just in case
it made a difference. 

        "I remember." 

        "I did it to save you." 

        "I know that, I'm thankful." 

        "Thankful?" 

She swallowed thoughtfully. 

        "I don't know how or what to feel Mulder, give me time." 

        He sat down on the chair beside her bed. 

        "I need time to re-evaluate things..." 

Mulder's head lay in his hands as she spoke. 

        "Tell me..." he begged, raising his head.  "Tell me you'll
marry me." 

	She closed her eyes and he knew the answer before she even
said it. 

        "I can't do that..." 

Mulder's hand reached across her body and with gentle fingers, he
turned her face around so he was looking at her for the first time
since he'd come in. 

        "Tell me you love me." 

Scully opened her eyes, staring at him. They were brimming with tears
but were empty of any emotion. 

        "I can't do that..."

Divine Intervention
Part: 30/31


Washington General Hospital.
Washington DC.
November 26th 2000.
3:23pm.

        His footsteps traveled up the stairs slowly, his hand sliding
along the railing as he took the steps, one at a time. When he reached
her floor, he didn't speak to the nurses, he didn't want to speak to
anyone but her. 

        She'd been all he'd thought about since he'd left her room a
week ago. She filled his every waking thought, his every dream and
everything in between. He couldn't believe that what she'd said to him
last week had been what she'd been thinking. 

        The Dana Scully that Mulder knew would never talk to anyone,
never mind him, like that. She was so cold, so detached and it had
made him wonder if this is what she was like to people she didn't
know. If that's where she got the name "Ice Maiden." He'd cursed
himself for thinking such a thing, the torment she'd been through
because of him had been dreadful and here he was, acting like an
asshole and thinking something like that. 

        He couldn't face going back to his apartment.  He couldn't
face seeing her pictures everywhere and her clothes hanging in his
closet. He couldn't face seeing his life without her so he'd stayed
with the Lone Gunmen. 

        He ran a hand through his hair and realized that he was
shaking. She'd had a strong affect on him. She could cause him to feel
such depths of passion and at a glance could make him fall to earth
with the force and strength of lightening. 

        He knocked on her door and a voice called "enter"  from
within. 

        "Are you the doctor?" a man asked from the bed and Mulder
swallowed, staring at him in surprise. His hand fell from the door and
he turned and left. She was gone. 





Fox Mulder Apartment.
November 26th 2000.

        He pushed the door open quickly, walking inside. 
        "Scully?" he called, looking into the living room and staring
at her things still lying across the couch. 

For a moment, a small hope began to grow inside him. 

"Scully?" 

        He should've known that she wouldn't be here.  He walked into
their bedroom and saw the open closet and the missing suitcase from
under the bed. He pulled open the drawer nearest to him and saw that
her things were missing. He walked over and sat on her side of the
bed, picking up the picture frame that sat neatly on her nightstand.
He stared at his face smiling back up, cradled in her shoulder as she
smiled up at him. 

     The teardrop fell to the glass, landing softly above his head and
rolling down the glass until it dripped from the edge. He ran his
finger over her face and for the first time since she'd been taken
hostage, he cried. 
        His body shook as his hand went up to his eyes and the picture
frame fell to the ground, smashing into a million tiny pieces... 




Margaret Scully Residence.
November 26th 2000.

        "Maggie!" He yelled, banging on her door with his fist.
"Maggie, are you home?" 

Mulder gritted his teeth and took a step back, cupping his mouth with
his hands. 

        "Mrs Scully!" 

        "Hey!" a man called from over the white picket fence of
Maggie's front yard. "Are you trying to wake the dead?" 

        "What?" 

The man smiled slightly. 

        "The shouting." 

        "I need to speak to Mrs Scully." 

The white haired man shrugged and continued clipping his bush. 

        "She left about twenty minutes ago..." 

Mulder stared at him. 

        "Her car's still here..." 

The man looked up at him and smiled. 

        "I didn't say she drove away..." 

        "Do you know where she went?" 

He shrugged again. 

        "I've no idea..." he paused. "The man she went with was about
your height, long trench coat and bald." 

        "Bald?" 

        "Yeah, kind of stern looking if you ask me...  Maybe he was
one of yours..." 

        "One of mine?" 

        "FBI, you're FBI right?" 

Mulder didn't answer, he got into his car. He was going to find out
why the hell Skinner drove Mrs.  Scully away in his car. 



Assistant Director Skinner's Office.  FBI Headquarters.  Washington
DC.  November 26th 2000.  5:34pm. 

        "He's been waiting for over an hour Sir." 

Skinner walked into his outer office and stared at his secretary. 

        "Who?" 

        "Agent Mulder, Sir." 

Skinner stared at her and she swallowed. 

        "I couldn't stop him, he was convinced that you were in there
and when he saw you weren't, he wouldn't leave..." 

        "Hold all my calls..." 

She nodded and Skinner opened his office door. 

        "Agent Mulder, what do you think you're doing?" 

        "I think *I* should be the one asking that *Sir*" 

        "What are you talking about?" 

Skinner placed a pile of files down on his desk. 

        "Where did you take Mrs. Scully?" 

Skinner stared at him, straight faced. 

        "I don't know what..." 

        "I've got a witness who saw you driving Mrs.  Scully away from
her house." 

        "Agent Mulder..." 

        "Where is Scully?" 

        "Agent Mulder!" Skinner slammed his fist on the table. Mulder
stopped talking. "What are you doing following me? 

        "I'm trying to find Scully!" 

Skinner sighed and sat in his chair, taking off his glasses and laying
them on the table. 

        "Sir, please..." Mulder's voice was desperate.  "I need to
talk to her, she left without saying anything..." 

        "She's confused and upset." 

        "I need to talk to her Sir." 

Skinner stared at Mulder, noticing the deep circles under his eyes and
the three days growth on his cheeks and he sighed. 



Bill Scully Residence.

        Mulder stared at the door as it opened before him.  Tara stood
in the doorway and sighed. 

        "She said that you'd come..." 

        "She's here?" 

Tara sighed again and reached inside behind her, picking something up
from the mahogany table in the hall. 

        "She said it's best that you don't see her..."  she looked at
the envelope she held in her hands before handing it over to Mulder.
"She said to give you this." 

        "Please let me see here Tara..." 

Tara smiled slightly and shook her head. 

        "Mulder, she told me she doesn't want to see you, she made it
quite clear that what she wants to say is in there..." she tapped the
envelope. "I'm sorry." 

        Tara began to close the door but Mulder's hand stopped her.
She looked alarmingly at his hand on her arm before he removed it and
swallowed. 

        "Tell her I love her." 

Tara nodded, closing the door. Mulder took a step away from the door
and turned around, beginning to walk down the path. He stopped half
way, staring at the envelope intently, unaware of the watcher in the
window above. 

        She stared at him as he looked at the letter and the tears
began to fall from her eyes, rolling quietly from her cheeks. She held
the curtains in one hand as she gazed at Mulder's form below. He
turned and she drew the curtains together. She didn't want to see him. 


Divine Intervention
Part: 31/31

Basement Office.
FBI Headquarters.
Washington DC.
November 26th 2000.
6:34pm.


He got a faint whiff of her perfume as he ripped open the sealed
envelope. He'd sensed her watching when he'd stood holding the letter
in Tara's driveway. He sighed as he stared at the crisp white paper in
his hand, swallowing as he closed his eyes. 

It wasn't good news. He knew it. He could tell as his fingers unfolded
the letter hidden within the white envelope. The paper held her neat
penmanship and as he stared at it, he was immediately drawn to the
tearstain that sat ominously at the bottom left hand corner, smudging
the last initial of her name. Tearstain equals bad news, he thought
and felt his stomach knot. 

        "Mulder, It's hard to express my thoughts when I don't even
know what I'm thinking. I don't remember what happened. Telling you
that I did would be lying and the last thing I want to do is lie to
you. 

There are so many things that you, my mother or even Bill could say to
explain what happened, but for me, there is only one thing to be said.
My child is dead. It's a harsh statement but it's the only one that
keeps coming to my mind. 

Emily was hard on both of us. We both blamed ourselves for letting her
slip away and it was hard to accept the fact that she was gone when I
had just found her and accepted that she was mine.  But we survived it
and our relationship grew stronger, so strong that I felt that there
would never be anyone else in this world for me.  How naive of me. 

You've loved, cared and protected me for so long Mulder and I am
thankful. But even with the many times you've saved my life, I can't
forgive you, taking this one life from me.  There are many things that
run through my mind. I should love you, I do love you, but it's not
the same. 

I don't blame you for what happened Mulder; I can't blame you because
it wasn't your fault, none of it, no matter how much you think it is.
I've simply had enough. It's been one case, one mutant, one shooting,
and one kidnapping too many. I can't risk my life anymore. I've paid
dearly Mulder, as have you, but I feel that it's time to break away.
I'm starting again and giving you the chance to start again. 

Eight years is a long time to depend on someone and I suppose we've
come to the stage where everything is vital, everything counts and
when something happens that upsets the balance of things, everything
is turned upside down. 

You might call it fate. Maybe this tells us that we weren't meant to
be, some kind of intervention from the almighty powers that be. It's
hard to think of my life without you, but I have to move on. I need to
move on.

I can't be an effective agent working with you and it would be better
if the work went forward without me.  You've always had me to protect.
I've just held you back. You never needed someone to question your
every move. 

We've both moved from one controlling relationship to another. When we
found each other, we found that our souls clicked, we connected and in
connecting we dominated the other's life. We stayed a constant
reminder of what might have been in another life, in another
profession, in another time. 

Our work won't allow us to live and love each other the way we should.
I can't ask you to give up what you do, just as you can't ask me to
forget our son.  They're both impossible. 

You'll hate me. You'll blame me but in time, I hope, you'll
understand. There are things in this world that nobody can comprehend
or justify. This is one of them.  Maybe this was meant to be. Maybe
what happened in the jewelers was supposed to tell us something.
Everything happens for a reason. 

You'll disagree, you never did really believe in fate.  You always
believed in taking the plunge and doing things your way, never
following the rules, making your own rules. You're so intense Mulder,
you intoxicate everyone. People have different ways to react to you,
the most common being fear.  But you amaze everyone, whether they want
to admit it or not.  You amazed me and you still do. 

I know you better then anyone Mulder, I even like to think that I know
you better then you know yourself sometimes. But I can't be consumed
in you, by you. I need to get away.  I need to break free and build a
life, a new life that I can truly live. 

I need to break away from the mutants and monsters and conspiracies
that have grown to take over my life. I need to find something normal
and safe. I can't fear for my life anymore. I need something to help
me fill the emptiness. 

I can't talk to you because I don't want to resent you in another 8
years for not letting me go. 

You'll always be Mulder and I'll always be Scully. " 




Bill Scully Residence.
Washington DC.
November 26th 2000.
6:34pm.

The tea was getting cold. She just stared at the mug;  the steam had
stopped rising about ten minutes ago. Her hand reached for the spoon
and started to stir the lukewarm water, even though there was no sugar
in the cup. 

Tara stared at her as she took a sip from her own mug that had "best
mommy" plastered across it. She hadn't thought how inappropriate it
was until she'd seen it sitting on the oak table. She swallowed the
drink and placed it back on the table, staring across the oval table
to Scully. 

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to him?" Scully swallowed and
stopped stirring, her hand still held the spoon as she stared at the
tea. 

"I..." she paused, a tear slipping down her cheek and landing on the
table. She released the spoon and rose her hand to her face, wiping
the tears away as they fell. 

"You could still talk to him..." she suggested and Scully's hand fell
from her face and she stared at her sister-in-law. Scully could hold
in the tears no longer, she laid her head on her hands and wept. Tara
rose and rubbed her back soothingly. 




Fox Mulder Apartment.
November 26th 2000.
7:21pm.

He'd read it four times now. Each word, over and over.  He'd looked at
every word until he'd learned the whole thing by heart and then he'd
read it once more to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. 

"I need something to help me fill the emptiness." 

Emptiness? What emptiness? The emptiness left from her son or the
emptiness that Mulder had created by being in her life? By cutting her
off from her friends, her family, her 'normal' life? She was sure to
feel empty after losing another child, but to stop seeing him
altogether without an explanation, without at least a chance to talk
to her? 


"I can't talk to you because I don't want to resent you for another 8
years for not letting me go." 

Does she resent me now? Did she always resent the changes I caused by
having her with me on the X-Files?  The fact that she used "another"
seemed to suggest that she already resented him. He shook his head in
a mixture of disbelief and uncontrollable emotion.

What could he say to change her mind? If this was really some long
festering resentment brought to a head by the shooting, how could she
ever stand to work with him again, let alone love him? 

His mind reeled with possibilities and hidden meanings. He sighed and
looked at the letter again. She hated him. 

"I need to move on..." 

How much clearer could she make it? She'd had enough, it was the last
straw. He couldn't blame her, but he was angry. He was angry at
everyone and everything but he was angry with himself most of all. How
could he not know this would happen? He always knew she risked her
life just being his partner. Letting her into his world changed
everything. 

With her in his world of secrets and lies and hidden meanings, he had
changed her life. He'd been on his own for so long and when she'd
come, after the initial suspicions, she'd become a part of it, part of
him. 

"I know you better than anyone Mulder..." 

And he'd thought that he'd known her. He thought that he knew every
inch of her so well. He thought they'd told each other everything. The
first time that he'd held her in his arms and felt her lips on his,
he'd forgotten every bad thing that had happened in his life. He'd
forgotten conspiracies, forgotten aliens, forgotten his father and
even forgotten Samantha.  She'd consumed him. He swallowed. Didn't she
know?  Couldn't she see? 

"You never did really believe in fate." 

Wrong! When he was with her, it was the one thing that he believed. He
believed that they were meant to be.  When he held her in his arms and
felt the warmth of her body next to his, he felt that everything in
their lives had led up to THAT moment. That every single thing
happened so he could feel her in his arms and kiss her hair. Maybe he
was wrong; maybe everything led to him losing her. That was the way
his life, his love always went. 

Was there really some plan for them? Was there a path that they were
directed on, whether they knew it or wanted it? If he saw her again,
could he change her mind, change fate? Could he ask her to come back? 
Would she agree or would she laugh in his face? 

"Our work won't allow us to live and love each other the way we
should. I can't ask you to give up what you do, just as you can't ask
me to forget our son." 

Patrick's words came back to him. Could he give up his job at the FBI
for her? If she came to him and asked him, said she'd come back to him
if he did, could he?  Would he? 

He looked at the letter as it fell to the ground as he felt the first
tear slip from his eye and fall to the paper, next to the now smudged
remains of her tear. He let his head fall to his hands and wept. 

  "Please forgive me Scully..." 


Well did you like the ending? Want a sequel? Tell me what you think
and I guarantee a reply! After 31 parts, you're bound to have a
thought or two!!!!  dk_scully_101@yahoo.com