From: dtg Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 21:35:30 GMT Subject: NEW: Found by dtg (lines reformatted) Title: Found Author: dtg Email: dgoggans@earthlink.net Rating: PG-13 Keywords: X,MSR,A,MT Spoilers: None Archive: I would be honored but please ask first. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully and Skinner belong to CC, 1013 and Fox. No copyright infringement intended. Honest. Feedback: Welcome, encouraged and always acknowledged. Summary: Three little girls have been murdered and Mulder and Scully have three days to find the next victim before her time runs out. Author's Notes: I actually dreamed this story and it's been begging me to write it down for a week. There. I feel much better. ****************** "Found" ****************** Washington, D.C. Riverfront Warehouse District August 11, 2000 8:18 PM She was trying so hard not to cry. He admired the proud way she stiffened her lower lip and blinked back the tears that kept building against her lower lashes. So brave. So perfect. He hadn't had much of anything to look forward to in a long time, and now to have his dreams fulfilled so completely-- well, it was almost overwhelming. He reached over to pat her bound wrists and she jerked away from him as far as the seatbelt would allow. She refused to meet his eyes, instead fixing her gaze on the canvas bag at her feet. "I'll show you what's in the bag when the time comes." He smiled, knowing she wouldn't look at him, then returned his attention to the road. "And I know you'll make me proud." As they drove on through the gathering dusk, he allowed himself to feel the excitement, the anticipation. So many failures, so much pain. But he knew his journey was near its end. She was the answer to his prayers. *** Reston, Virginia 8:20 PM "I can't take any more." Marilyn Hoskins pressed the fingers of both hands against her lips in a futile attempt to hold back another sob. "Are you sure it's him?" Her eyes pleaded with them to deny it. To allow her to hope. Scully's stomach clenched in anticipation of the pain she was about to inflict. "The same day that each of the previous victims disappeared, a note was received at FBI headquarters. All of the notes contained identical messages which have not been disclosed outside the bureau. We received the same message this morning regarding your daughter." Ron Hoskins wrapped his arm more tightly around his wife's shoulders. "The police have said that he doesn't ...hurt them... right away. So there's a chance you can find her in time?" Mulder spoke for the first time since they had sat down in the Hoskins' comfortable living room. "All of the evidence indicates that the victims were unharmed until three days after they were taken. Part of the message in each note seems to confirm this. Please believe that we are doing everything possible to find your daughter before any harm comes to her." Hoskins' tone became sharply bitter. "I've heard those words before, Agent Mulder. Our daughter Amelia was kidnapped and murdered five years ago when Amanda was three. I'm sure you know that. Please explain to me how the FBI could let three little girls be kidnapped and killed, all of them sisters of murdered children whose killers were never caught, and not see the connection. Why weren't we warned? Where were you when my daughter was taken?" Pain flashed in her partner's eyes though she doubted that Hoskins noticed or cared. She knew all too well the torment he had been putting himself through for the past month since being assigned to the case. His voice was soft with sympathy as he responded to the man's accusation. "I understand your frustration, Mr. Hoskins and..." Ron Hoskins stood up so abruptly that his wife was thrown off balance and fell to her right against the arm of the sofa. "Frustration!! You understand my FRUSTRATION? How can you sit there and talk to me about my 'frustration' when some animal you've let run loose is planning to... in three days....." He sank back onto the sofa and covered his face with both hands. His wife leaned into him, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ron's very upset, Agent Mulder. We know you'll do your best." She brushed the tears from her face. "Now I hope you won't be offended if I ask you to leave us." Scully rose to her feet. "Of course." She glanced at Mulder and touched his shoulder when he made no move to follow her. "We'll be in touch as soon as we know anything further." Mulder came slowly to his feet and followed her out the door, holding himself stiffly as if braced for a physical blow to match the emotional battering he'd just been through. A terse "No Comment" was his mantra as they threaded their way through the maze of cameras and microphones that stood between them and the relative solitude of their car. When they were safely inside, Mulder closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. She touched his arm and he straightened, quirking the corner of his mouth in a sad imitation of a smile. "Let's get out of here. I think I've spread all the joy I can for one day." They drove for several minutes in total silence, Mulder's attention riveted on the road. "Mulder, Hoskins was wrong. You know there wasn't sufficient evidence before this to say conclusively who the killer was targeting." She wanted him to look at her so she could better assess the damage Hoskins' words had done, but his eyes remained steadfastly forward. "That's not true, Scully. *I* should have seen it. I just didn't put it together fast enough to stop Amanda Hoskins from becoming victim number four. Now I have less than three days to make it right." "*We* have less than three days, Mulder. *We*, not *you*. This isn't your battle alone." Even as she said the words, she knew their futility. He had already withdrawn, trying desperately to put the pieces together before it was too late. All she could do now was try to help him end this nightmare before it claimed another life. *** J Edgar Hoover Building Forensics Lab August 12, 2000 7:45 AM Harold McHugh pushed his glasses up to the top of his head and pressed both hands against his eyes trying to refocus. He had been peering at the meager evidence for the past ten hours straight and could no longer read the CSU tags. His back felt permanently bent into the awkward 'seated crouch' required to see clearly through the microscope. And his butt was asleep. *Yeah, feel sorry for yourself. And when Mulder makes his daily trip up here, you go ahead and tell him you were tired and that's why another little girl is going to die.* That thought made him stand, stretch his aching muscles and try to shake out the cobwebs. As if on cue, the door opened and in walked Agent Fox Mulder followed closely by his partner Dana Scully who looked at McHugh closely, eyes narrowed in concern. "You look as if you've been here all night, Agent." "Yeah, I have. Not that it's done any good. The most recent crime scene turned up even less than the previous ones. Whoever this guy is, he does his homework. And he's getting better every time." He picked up the folder from the counter in front of him and handed it to her. "Aside from a few adult-sized footprints next to the girl's discarded bicycle, made with a very common sports shoe, there's nothing to work with. I've scanned every square millimeter of the crime scene photos with a magnifying glass and there's just nothing to go on." Mulder and Scully stood close together reviewing the folder's contents. Mulder looked up first. "No trace evidence of any kind? No blood, no prints?" He had been one of the first on the scene himself and had found nothing, but desperate situations spawned desperate optimism. "The guy might just as well have worked the scene himself and removed every shred of proof that he'd ever been there. It's almost uncanny how little evidence remains at these crime scenes." "What about the note. No saliva on the envelope flap? Is it the same handwriting?" "The handwriting is identical to the previous three notes, as is the content. He describes the girl's attire in the first part of the note, tells how he took her. Then the tag line: 'One for remembrance, two for regret, three for redemption'. Whatever the hell *that* means." Scully placed the photos back in the folder and handed it back to McHugh. "Hopefully, it means we still have three days to find the girl." McHugh seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Maybe the lack of evidence is *itself* a kind of evidence. Maybe he's with law enforcement and knows just what to look for... exactly what to do to keep himself hidden." He said this more to himself than to them, but Mulder looked at him with a stunned expression. "We missed the obvious connection between the killings for nearly four months. Could we have missed something as simple as this, too?" Mulder's voice was a mix of pain and excitement. McHugh seemed surprised to hear a response to what amounted to his thinking out loud. "Well, it seems like a possibility doesn't it? Another approach that might get us off this dime?" But now he really *was* talking to himself. Mulder was already out the door with Scully on his heels. *** Basement office 8:51 AM Mulder was pacing rapidly back and forth from the door to his desk while his partner watched, arms crossed over her chest. "Mulder, you've read the files. The first victim's brother was found six years ago in the river, three months after he disappeared on his way home from school. The medical examiner called it an accident and there was no cause to think otherwise. The second victim's parents were both interviewed by local authorities who didn't see the need to mention in their notes that an older sister had been murdered ten years previously." She covered the distance between them in two strides and stopped him with a touch on his arm. "Mulder, you found the connection twenty-four hours ago reviewing the third victim's background file. There was no way we could have put together a list of potential targets in time to protect Amanda Hoskins. You know that." "It took too long to make the connection, Scully. We should have been all over this when the last victim's parents were interviewed. That was three weeks ago, Scully. Three weeks!" He raked the fingers of his right hand through his hair, leaving it in spikes. "If McHugh hadn't dug out the autopsy on the first victim's brother, I still wouldn't have put it together. There's no excuse for my not having checked it out myself a month ago." He was determined to take this all on himself, she knew. "The autopsy reviews were *my* job, Mulder. If you're bent on placing blame, let's put it where it belongs." "You weren't officially on this case until last week. I've been profiling this animal since the third victim was found." His expression softened and he brushed his fingers over her cheek. "I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate the sentiment. But I dropped the ball on this one, Scully." He crossed to his desk and sat down heavily. "How about some coffee and the rest of those files you were going to get for me?" She tried to frown but was too relieved to see the way his eyes had cleared in the past few seconds. "Fetching coffee isn't in my job description, Mulder." But even as she said the words, she was heading for the coffee maker. She'd gotten him back on track, back from the edge once again. With her back to him, she smiled. *** Unknown location 4:40 PM The warehouse had been abandoned for more than a year and had been condemned a few months ago, just before he needed it the first time. Providence seemed to be on his side. "Are you hungry, little girl?" He had made her as comfortable as he could on the cot but kept her wrists bound together in her lap. The length of chain attached to the manacle on her leg was sufficient to allow her access to the functional and reasonably clean bathroom. She looked up at him for the first time since he had buckled her into the passenger seat of his Ford Bronco almost twenty four hours ago. "I want to go home." Her chin quivered but her voice was steady. "Sorry, little girl. I can't let you do that." He opened a juice box, pulled out the straw for her and held it in front of her face. Thirst overcame fear and she tried to take the drink from him but couldn't manage it with her hands tied together. "I guess you can't go anywhere anyway. Let's make you a little more comfortable." With that, he removed the ropes from her wrists and handed her the juice. She drank greedily but kept wary eyes fixed on his face. He couldn't suppress the feeling of admiration that had been swelling in him since he'd grabbed this remarkable child. Purely by chance, he had found the answer to his quest. He chuckled softly to himself. 'You plan and you plan, and nothing works. Then dumb luck drops salvation into your lap.' "The lights don't work here, so I'm going to leave this flashlight for you. I'll be gone for awhile, so don't waste the batteries, okay?" He patted her on the head and walked out of the room, closing a padlock on the door behind him. He began to hum happily as he walked back to his car. There was still much to do. *** As soon as the door closed behind her captor, Amanda gave in to the sobs that were clustered in her chest. She was so angry with herself for being dumb enough to let this man get close to her that she wanted to scream. Her mommy had told her almost every day about staying away from strangers, especially men who wanted to touch you. But that dumb old Ricky Tollison next door had made her mad, so mad that she wasn't paying attention to where she was riding and found herself several blocks away from home. That was when this man had driven up next to her and asked for directions. It all happened so fast that she wasn't sure she even tried to get away. And now her mommy would be so mad at her... The image of her mother scolding her for this brought fresh tears to her swollen eyes. She put her face down on the cot and cried herself to sleep. *** Mulder's apartment August 13, 2000 12:10 AM He had been motionless for the past twenty minutes and Scully was beginning to fidget. With no sound except for the gurgle of the fish tank next to her, she actually missed the furious scratching of his pencil against the legal pad despite the fact that it had been getting on her nerves for most of the evening. They had pored over the case files for the names of all law enforcement personnel connected with the sibling murders, the oldest having taken place nearly 10 years ago. It was slow going but they had managed to put together a matrix that would identify any common factors. There were none. Not a single member of the teams had served on more than one case. Mulder had been so sure that one of the names would appear on all four cases after McHugh gave him the idea that his energy level dropped to zero when the lead failed to pan out. Now he sat with his back to her, staring blankly at the darkness outside his window. She knew better than to break his train of thought when he was like this, so she got up from the couch as quietly as possible, intending to make another cup of tea. As she was turning toward the kitchen she saw his head begin to fall toward the desktop. She switched directions quickly and grabbed his shoulders before he could fall out of the chair. "Mulder!" He jerked awake, pulling out of her grasp before he realized who she was, almost knocking the chair over in the process. His heart was pounding with the adrenaline rush of the dream whose images were already fading. There was something he had missed and his subconscious was trying to bring it to his attention, he was sure of it. But it was gone now. "I'm okay. Guess I'm a little more tired than I thought." He gave her a sheepish smile and worked on leveling out his breathing. She frowned slightly before returning his smile. "I'd say that's an understatement, even for you. Why don't we call it a night and you get some sleep. We aren't going to accomplish anything when we're both exhausted." She started to gather her notes, preparing to leave. He stood and crossed to her side, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Scully, stay. It's late and you're too tired to drive home. I'll set the alarm for 5:30 so you'll have time to go home and get ready for work." They hadn't spent a night together in over two weeks and she too was feeling the loss. With a soft, smile she reached up to touch his face. His eyes immediately closed in contentment. "All right, Mulder. I'll stay but only if you promise to get some sleep." She pulled gently away from him and headed toward his bedroom, pulling her sweater over her head as she walked. His smile turned blissful as he turned out the living room lights and followed her. *** Mulder's apartment 3:08 AM His eyes snapped open and focused quickly on the face of his partner, mere inches from his own. His heart was racing but he couldn't remember what had awakened him, so he lay quietly, listening to the soft darkness. Other than the sweet sound of Scully's breathing and the bubbling water in the next room, the night was utterly still. Trying to relax into sleep, he allowed his mind to drift back to their lovemaking a few hours ago. It had been slow and gentle and soul-shaking--- even better than the previous time, just as each subsequent time since the first had been better than the last. They *had* to reach a plateau eventually. If the pleasure continued to increase at this pace, he was pretty sure he would end up in a coma. The thought brought a grin to his face, the same grin he had to fight down every time he looked at her in the office. It wouldn't take Skinner long to do the math if he ever caught Mulder with that look on his face. He followed that thread: doing the math at work, Skinner and this case, McHugh and the idea he'd given him... He actually felt the pieces snap into place and it made him sit bolt upright in bed. They had cross checked every investigator on all of the cases, but they hadn't looked at any of the background workers: the forensics teams, the bureau lab personnel. His sudden movement had roused Scully a bit and he turned to stroke her hair, soothing her back to sleep before he slipped quietly out of bed. The alarm woke Scully to an empty bed. She went in search of her missing partner and found him at the desk, dressed for work. *He promised to get some sleep*. The desire to throttle him evaporated when he turned to face her. She knew that look. "I've got him." *** Unknown location 6:30 AM When she opened her eyes, she thought for a moment that she was at Gramma Mary's house on the lake. The air had that wet, funny smell and she could hear water dripping somewhere nearby. She sat up, still half asleep, to make her way to the little bathroom down the hall and jerked fully awake when the chain holding her leg rattled against the cot's metal frame. She pressed her fingers against her mouth to stifle her cry as reality came flooding back. "Good morning, little girl. I bet you're hungry now." He had been watching her sleep for the past half hour, more convinced than ever that the end of his quest was at hand. Even in her sleep, she looked brave and strong to him. And now, seeing the defiance in her eyes, he was simply in awe. She accepted the juice box and doughnut he offered, hunger overcoming fear for the moment. She finished both, stood up and walked to the bathroom dragging the chain noisily behind her. When she reached her goal and found the door wouldn't close because of the chain, she spoke to him for the first time since yesterday. "I need to close the door." "Don't worry, little girl. I'll go outside and you can have your privacy." With that, he turned and walked out of the room. When the outside door closed behind him, she used the toilet, washed her hands and returned to the cot. He came back a moment later, crossed to the chair near her and sat down. "I want you to understand why you're here. It's very important to me that you do." "I want to go home." "I know you do, and I wish with all my heart that I could let you go. But we can't fight destiny, little one. And your destiny is now joined with mine." He smiled sadly and reached for the canvas bag at his feet. "I'm inviting a guest to join us. When he arrives, the celebration begins." *** Scully's apartment 6:40 AM The pieces of the puzzle fit together so perfectly under Mulder's sure hand that it all seemed absurdly obvious in retrospect. How they had managed to overlook their own forensics lab personnel in the search for a common link, she would never comprehend. Mulder had laid out his theory for her in the fewest words possible, eager to get in to the office and nail the bastard before he could do any more damage. He explained that McHugh was the only common factor to all four of the sibling murders and he was confident that further investigation would turn up long-standing psychiatric problems that he had somehow hidden from his employers. He was targeting the siblings of the victims whose killers had slipped through his fingers years before. Mulder believed that McHugh's alter ego was committing the murders and leaving clues in his own subconscious with the goal of providing sufficient evidence to allow the pathologist to finally catch a child-killer and redeem his soul. Scully had stopped by her apartment to shower and change, planning to join him in at the forensics lab to confront McHugh with the evidence. Mulder had reluctantly promised to wait in their office until she arrived. *** Basement office 6:40 AM Even though he didn't expect McHugh to be in his office at this hour, Mulder was having a tough time keeping his promise to Scully and regretted having made it in the first place. They were so close. Why give the man an opportunity to smell danger, as perps sometimes had an uncanny ability to do? The phone rang and he grabbed it. If she was calling to tell him she'd be late, he was not waiting another minute. "Mulder" Silence. "Scully?" "No, Agent Mulder. It's not your partner." It was McHugh. Something in his voice made Mulder's heart lurch. "Hey, Harold. You're in early again. Got something for me?" He struggled to keep his voice even. "I found something that I need to show you right away, Mulder. Can you meet me?" *He has no idea we're on to him. So what's going on? Or is this the killer, giving himself up?* "Sure, but can't you give me some idea what this is about?" "It's better if I show you. Can you come now?" Scully would be furious. Not a first, sadly. "Okay. Where?" McHugh gave him an address in the waterfront warehouse district. "I'll be waiting inside. There's a door around the back of the building. It'll be unlocked." He hung up. The address was no more than ten minutes away. He would be back with the man in custody before Scully even made it into the office. He picked up his jacket and headed for the parking garage. *** Warehouse 6:51 AM It was over before she could blink. A huge rat came out of the wall and paused at the foot of the cot to study her with shiny black eyes. Nothing about the past two days had elicited more than a whimper from her, but this made her shriek. Very, very loudly. Then everything seemed to happen at once. The man who had stolen her was sitting at the desk across the room. Her scream drove him to his feet, spinning in her direction with an expression of utter shock on his face. Before he was half turned toward her, the door burst open and another man came quickly into the room, a gun pointed in front of him. The bangs of both guns going off seemed to happen at the same instant and both men fell. Amanda covered her eyes and continued to scream. *** J Edgar Hoover Building Parking Garage 7:10 AM Scully sat in her car and stared at Mulder's empty parking space in total disbelief. She knew he had arrived at the office because he'd called her to make sure she wouldn't forget her notes. *Well, he's not here now.* Disbelief turned to fury as she grabbed her cell phone and punched speed dial one. *I'm going to kill him.* She waited impatiently through five rings, knowing that voice mail would pick up on the next ring, preparing to leave him a message he wouldn't soon forget. She was surprised when she heard the phone answered, more so when he didn't speak. "Mulder?" The anger evaporated and a cold foreboding took its place. "Please help me." It was a child's tearful whisper and Scully's heart froze. "Is this Amanda Hoskins?" "Yes. Can you come and get me?" "Sweetheart, are you okay? Do you know where you are?" A muffled sob, then "I feel okay but I'm hungry. I don't know where I am!" "Amanda, are you alone? Where did you get the phone?" "There's two men here but I think they're dead." Scully struggled to keep her voice calm. "Where did you get the phone, Amanda?" "It fell on the floor when the men shot each other. I almost couldn't reach it. He tied my leg to the bed." She was crying softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Scully was moving rapidly into the building, heading for Skinner's office. "Sweetheart, I need you to stay on the phone with me, okay? We're going to find you by tracing the call but it won't work if you hang up. Then we'll come and take you to your mommy and daddy." "Please hurry! I tried to be good but I'm scared! There's blood everywhere! Please come!" "You might not be able to talk to me for a minute or so because I'm getting into an elevator. Just sit tight, okay?" "But you'll be back, won't you?" "Yes, honey, please just hang on." The trip to the fourth floor seemed to take forever. As soon as the doors opened, she dashed toward Skinner's office. "Amanda, are you still there?" "Yes, I'm here." Scully strode past Kimberly's vacant desk and knocked sharply on the inner office door. "Amanda, hold on." Skinner had heard Scully's voice and opened the door under her hand. "What is it, Agent?" "Sir, Agent Mulder found Amanda Hoskins but I don't know where they are. I have the child on his cell phone. We have to triangulate on the signal immediately. Both Mulder and the kidnapper are down." Skinner turned to his phone to get the trace started. "It shouldn't take long, Agent. Keep her on the phone." "Amanda, can you see the man who took you? Is he moving?" "I can only see his legs. He fell behind some boxes, but he isn't moving." Scully closed her eyes. "What about the other man?" "He's not moving either and there's blood on his face." "His name is Mulder, Amanda. I want you to try to wake him up." "Okay. I'll try." Scully heard her voice turn away from the receiver. "Hey, Mulder? Mulder!" Scully thought she heard a moan. "He moved his head! Mulder! Wake up!" "Tell him Scully is on the phone with you and help is coming." "Hey, Mulder? Scully says help is coming. Mulder?" Scully heard Amanda gasp. "He opened his eyes for a second but now they're closed again." Scully listened with increasing desperation while Amanda continued to call Mulder's name. Then Skinner spoke again. "Agent Scully, we have the location down to a four block area. DC police have been dispatched to search for Mulder's car. Can the girl tell us anything about where they are?" Scully shook her head. "Amanda, can you tell me what kind of building you're in? Is it big or small?" "It was dark when he brought me here but I saw the river. It was a big building with a ripply roof and shiny sides." "That's very good, Amanda. Try to think of anything else that might help us find you." To Skinner, she whispered "It's sounds like a warehouse with a corrugated roof, possibly metal siding. Near the river." Skinner relayed this information into the phone and nodded. "They'll narrow the search to the riverfront warehouses." Suddenly, she had an idea. "Sir, have the police sound the sirens. She can tell us when they get close." "Sweetheart, I want you to tell me if you hear sirens. We'll know when the police are getting close to you by how close the sirens sound, okay?" "They're coming?" The hope in her voice was almost palpable. "Yes, they're really close. Do you hear anything yet?" Silence for several seconds, then "YES! I hear them!" "Do they sound like they're coming closer or going away? Listen carefully." "They're far away but I can't tell... wait, I think they're coming closer." Scully held her breath. "YES! They're coming closer!!" "Sir, tell them they're getting close." For the next several minutes, Scully relayed Amanda's directions to Skinner who passed them along. It was torture for Scully and for Amanda, for very different reasons. "They're right outside! I can hear them!" Skinner relayed this information and within seconds Scully could hear the police in the room with Amanda. "Amanda! Give the phone to one of the policemen." "Okay. Mister? Someone wants to talk to you." She could hear the phone being handed over. "This if Sergeant Wallace. Who am I speaking to?" "This is Special Agent Dana Scully with the FBI. One of the injured men is my partner, Agent Mulder. Can you tell me his condition?" "Just a minute." She could hear him talking to someone across the room. Then, "He's alive. That's all they can tell me. They're transporting him and the girl to University Hospital, ETA fifteen minutes. The other guy's dead." "Thank you. We'll meet them there. Tell Amanda her parents will be there soon." The adrenaline rush evaporated and Scully sagged into her usual chair in front of Skinner's desk. "They're taking him to University Hospital. He's alive." The last two words were a whispered prayer of thanks. Skinner took her hand, pulled her gently to her feet. "I'll drive, Agent. We can call the parents on the way." When they pulled out of the parking garage, Scully was finishing up her brief phone conversation with Ron Hoskins. They would meet at the hospital. Scully closed her phone and turned to her boss. "I'll tell you what little I know." She filled him in on the way to the hospital. *** University Hospital ER 7:41 AM The ER waiting room was full of DC cops when Skinner and Scully burst through the doors and headed straight for the triage nurse. "I'm Agent Dana Scully with the FBI. This is Assistant Director Walter Skinner. My partner was brought in a few minutes ago with a gunshot wound. Where is he now?" "He's in the trauma unit. I don't know anything more than that at the moment." "Can I go back there? I'm a medical doctor." "I'm sorry. You'll have to wait here until the doctor comes out." "What was his condition when he was admitted?" "He has a gunshot wound to the head and was breathing unassisted when he arrived. I'm sorry, that's all I know." "A child was brought in with him. Where is she?" This was from Skinner. "She's been taken to Peds for evaluation. There were no visible injuries but she's in shock. I can take you to her, if you like." "We'll wait here for her parents. They're on their way." Most of the cops began filing out to return to duty. A man who turned out to be Sergeant Wallace approached Scully. "I'm the one who talked with you on the cell phone. I just heard you ask about your partner." He introduced himself to Skinner and the two men shook hands. "I know you're worried and I wanted to tell you that, for what it's worth, I think he'll be okay. It looked to me like the bullet just grazed his head." "Thank you. Was he conscious at all?" "Yes, Miss, he was. For a few minutes. He was pretty agitated. Kept asking for you. I told him I talked to you on the phone and that you were on your way to the hospital. That seemed to calm him down. Then he was out again." Skinner touched Scully's shoulder, a gesture meant to comfort her but she flinched, then gave him an apologetic smile. He nodded and turned to Sergeant Wallace. "Thank you, Sergeant." "We have to question the little girl but I think that can wait until she's home. The perp is dead, thanks to your partner." His smile held thanks and sympathy. "I'll check back later to see how he's doing." Scully saw the Hoskins entering and went quickly to talk with them. Ron Hoskins spotted her at the same time and his face darkened. "Where is she? What happened? How did you find her?" The words tumbled out in a rush of anger and relief. Scully noticed the anger in his face and thought *if you only knew*. "She's fine, Mr. Hoskins. She's scared and hungry but otherwise unharmed." She reached out and gently gripped Marilyn Hoskins' arm to steady her. "You can see her in a few minutes." Mrs. Hoskins found her voice. "I want to see her now! Please!" Skinner joined them in the middle of the ER waiting room and introduced himself. "Your daughter was rescued by Agent Scully's partner who was wounded in the process. We're waiting for word of his condition. The man who took your daughter is dead." Ron Hoskins' expression didn't soften. "I'm sorry Mulder was hurt, but I can't say that I have much sympathy after what your bureau's ineptitude put us through." Scully quickly inserted herself between Skinner and the distraught father. "I'll see that you're taken to your daughter. Please come with me." She took the parents to the reception desk and helped them find an escort to the Pediatric unit. When they had left, she returned to her boss who was still fuming. "He's not exactly overwhelmed with gratitude, is he?" Skinner's jaw was even more tightly clenched than usual and his voice was quietly furious. "He told Mulder what he thought of our investigative skills when we interviewed him yesterday evening. This was mild in comparison." She didn't have to elaborate. Skinner knew the impact that would have had on her partner. As if the man didn't beat himself up enough without assistance from heartbroken parents. "I should have known better than to let him go to the office without me. I know that look." Skinner quickly connected the dots and wondered briefly if Scully realized what she had just told him. They had obviously been together early this morning. He kept his face neutral and filed it away for future consideration. "Dr. Scully." A doctor emerged through the trauma unit doors and crossed to Scully. "How is Mulder?" "Come with me, please." Scully's heart dropped and she unconsciously reached for Skinner's arm as they followed the doctor through the trauma unit doors. The doctor talked over his shoulder as he lead them down the hall. "Mr. Mulder is being admitted overnight for observation. He wanted to see you." He motioned for them to follow him through an open door to his left. "Hey, Scully. Guess I owe you an explanation." She took a deep, calming breath and released it slowly. "Mulder, are you alright?" Her hand moved to his forehead, softly brushing back the unruly bangs as she sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Got a hell of a headache." The doctor's badge identified him as Michael Winters. "Your partner is a very lucky man, Dr. Scully. The bullet grazed his temporal plate almost on top of a previous scar. Aside from a concussion and the blood loss which we're replacing with plasma, he's pretty much unscathed." He directed his attention to the patient. "You have a remarkably hard head, Mr. Mulder." Skinner muttered to no one in particular, "Tell me about it." Winters glanced at Skinner and gave him a knowing smile. "We're keeping him overnight as a precaution. He lost enough blood to be a concern and we'll watch him until his volume is back up to normal. And we'll be doing neurological checks through the night for the concussion. He should be released in the morning, providing he agrees to take it easy for a few days. "They'll be coming to take you to your room in a few minutes." He patted Mulder's hand. "Try to stay out of trouble until tomorrow." He winked at Scully and left. "I gather you and Dr. Winters are old friends?" Skinner asked. Mulder's expression was unreadable. Scully smiled wryly. "In a manner of speaking. He's treated Mulder a few times in the past." She and Mulder exchanged a look he couldn't interpret. Mulder decided it was time to change the subject. "They tell me the little girl is okay, have you seen her?" "No, her parents arrived a few minutes ago and they're with her now. Mulder, what happened?" The frown that creased her forehead was partly concern for his condition but mostly a result of her renewed fury at his having 'done it again'. He felt her anger and accepted it. "McHugh called and asked me to meet him. He said he had something to show me. There was no way he could have known we suspected him, so I took a chance." He flashed her that familiar grin, the one that said 'I know I screwed up, just remember you love me'. "I was at the door of the warehouse when Amanda started screaming. After that, it's pretty much a blur." She reached up and gently touched the bandage on his forehead. "McHugh is dead. You shot him somehow after you were hit. We'll have to wait until we talk to Amanda to see if she can supply the details." Mulder tried to sit up but stilled quickly with a wince. "How did you find us?" "Your cell phone was on the floor and Amanda answered it when I called to find out where the hell you were. I kept her on the phone while we traced the location down to a four block area. She thought you and McHugh were dead." Her eyes glistened briefly remembering the stark terror of that moment, and Mulder touched her hand. "I'm sorry, Scully," he said very softly. Skinner's voice held its usual brusqueness but the relief on his face was obvious. "You saved the girl, Mulder. Good work." He paused for effect. "We'll discuss your methods when you're back on your feet." He turned to Scully. "I'm sure you have things to discuss with your partner. I'll see you tomorrow in my office." He knew where she would be until then. He turned on his heel and left the room. Mulder's smile was grim. "I take that to mean I'm once again at the top of his shit list." "I think that spot is reserved for you, Mulder. God knows you've done your best to earn it." She was trying to be stern but it fell flat. She was just too relieved to see him breathing and relatively undamaged. If Amanda hadn't been able to help her find them, he could have bled to death so easily. She shivered with the chill that thought sent through her. Mulder saw her expression darken. "I really am sorry, Scully. I know..." He was interrupted by a nurse and two orderlies who arrived to take him to his room. As they prepared him for the trip, he reached out and took his partner's hand. It was like ice and he squeezed her fingers gently. Her expression warmed into the smile she reserved for these occasions. It told him he was forgiven. And loved. She walked next to the gurney as he was moved down the hall, still holding his hand. By his side, as always. *** The End *** Feedback? I would really appreciate your comments! dgoggans@earthlink.net -- ---dtg ---"If those are my last words, I can do better." ---Without Mulder, I'm an Ex-Phile. dgoggans@earthlink.net