From: mecate@ix.netcom.com Date: Tue, 28 Aug 1956 03:58:46 +0000 Subject: Halcyon & On & On by: Sarah Lubin and Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully belong to Fox network, Chris Carter, David Duchovny, and Gillian Anderson. No copyright infringement is intended. I don't expect to make any money on this (why should it be different from anything else in my life?) so there's nothing to be gained by suing me....so for your own health, don't try. BTW, Agent Noelle Ramsey (going by Ramsey in this part) is mine! You hear me Chris Carter: SHE IS MINE! You can't sue me there, but you are welcome to use her if you give me a major part on your next TV series. PS: Mackenzie is the name of MY Shih Tzu....so be nice to him! Rating: PG-13 Category: X-File, some Angst Keyword: Character Death Spoilers: Sixth Season Summary: In a freak car accident, Scully is killed. Mulder is assigned with a new partner, Noelle Ramsey, to investigate a string of murders involving a medieval jester called Tom Fool. Highway 90; Washington D.C. 9:00 P.M. Dana Scully drove in the dark, which she hated. Very few cars drove on the other side of the two lane country road. Another thing Dana hated. She turned on the radio in the Tararus and pressed in a tape. A semi- familiar song came blaring out of the speakers. "Oh God, Mulder." mummered Dana. It was Poe. Not only was it Poe....it was Poe from the Great Expectations soundtrack. It looked like she didn't have much of a choice, but to just listen to the whole tape....or be terrorized by country music. Dana sat back and continued to drive. She began to hum to the song, in order to keep her sanity. She saw two bright headlights coming down her lane. Dana honked the horn of her car, but the pickup truck didn't seem to budge. Dana began to speed up, just to scare the driver. Then there was a loud, thundering crash..... Fox Mulder's Apartment; Washington D.C. 1:00 A.M. The phone rang and Mulder fell off the couch. He stood up and, awkwardly, walked to answer the phone. "Hello?" said Mulder in a sleepy tone. He heard Dana's mom sobbing about an accident and then something about a crushed skull. Mulder perked up. Then Mrs. Scully's said that Dana was dead. Mulder dropped the phone and ripped out the cord. He screamed and ran into the kitchen. He got out a glass and turned on the sink. The glass filled with water and Mulder put it on the counter. He opened a drawer and took out a steak knife. He placed it on his wrist and closed his eyes. A sharp pain filled his body and then blackness came. St. Mary's Hospital, Washington D.C. 10:00 P.M. Maggie Scully sat in room 2194, on the second floor. She held Mulder's hand and watched him sleep soundly. A nurse walked in with a chart. She took Mulder's pulse and wrote it down. Then, the nurse took out a little flashlight and opened one of Mulder's eye lids. She did the same with the other eye lid. "Will he be alright?" asked Maggie. She had a concerned look on her face. The nurse nodded and left the room. Maggie sighed and kissed Mulder's forehead. He turned his head and settled down. "It's only been only a day since my little baby died, Mulder." whispered Maggie. She stroked Mulder's hair. "It wasn't very smart of you to slit your wrist. Dana wouldn't have wanted that way, you know, Mulder." A doctor walked into the room and motioned Maggie outside. She stood up and followed. The doctor stood outside. "Well....will he be alright?" asked Maggie. She crossed her arms. The doctor nodded. "He has a loss of blood, but I suspect he'll need to go to a therapist. But, as you said, Agent Mulder has always been the upbeat type." Maggie nodded. "He probably did that out of anger, doctor...." The doctor smiled. "It's Dr. Adam Hanson, Mrs. Scully." He peaked into the room. "You should go home and rest. I'll call you when he wakes up." Maggie shook her head. "Is he in a coma?" Dr. Hanson shook his head. "Agent Mulder is just unconscious. He should be his wonderful self in a few weeks." Maggie nodded and walked back into Mulder's room. She stood over him and held his limp hand. "Mulder, I'm going home to get a few things, okay? I'll be back in a few hours." She kissed his hand. "Bye darling." One Year Later F.B.I Headquarters, Washington D.C. 1:00 P.M. The door opened and Fox Mulder looked only to see Skinner with a young woman behind him. She was probably five foot even or five one. She had brown hair that was in a bun and hazel-green eyes, which were probably her best feature other than some of her physical charms. She had on dark blue jeans, a v-neck athletic tee that was silver gray and royal blue that had lettering that say "half-day", and black Vans sneakers. She carried a box in her arms. "Fox Mulder." began Skinner. "Meet your new partner, Noelle Ramsey." He moved aside so that the young woman could get a better look at her partner. "She's right out of Quantico." Mulder crossed his arms and pretended to be impressed. "Oh, a newbie, Skinner." His expression changed to a dark one as he walked passed Skinner to get a cup of coffee. "How desperate can you get?" Noelle watched Fox leave the room and turn the corner. "He's a nice one." She saw an empty desk. Skinner frowned. "I'm sorry. He's just having a hard time, Agent Ramsey." He smiled at Noelle and offered to help her. "I'm be fine, Mr. Skinner." said Noelle. "I'll just go back to my car and get my shotgun, then load it with a few blanks just to scare Agent Mulder." Skinner got a nervous look on his face. Noelle rolled her eyes. "I was joking, Mr. Skinner." She waited for him to say something. Skinner nodded and laughed. "Oh yeah. Good joke." He left the room, mumbling to himself. Mulder entered the room, again, with two cups of coffee. "I brought two, in case you wanted one later." Mulder put the other cup of coffee on the empty desk. Noelle smiled and began to unpack her belongings. Mulder went back to his desk and watched her. She brought out an artsy desk lamp, a few notebooks, a pen/pencil holder that looked like it was from Pier 1 or The Pottery Barn, a black computer disk holder, a weird looking mouse pad, a mouse, and a joystick. That's my kind of girl. thought Mulder with a grin. Noelle walked over to his desk. "I have a computer in my car. Can you help me carry the mother board and monitor in?" Mulder stood up and followed her out of the building. They walked over to a black Volkswagen Jetta. She popped the truck and Mulder's mouth dropped open. Noelle walked up to him. "It's an HP Pavilion with a DVD player, networking card, a wolfer, internet, E-mail, voice mail, fax, speaker phone, and lots of cool CD Rom games such as Riven." Mulder nodded. "Are your parents loaded or something?" "My dad owns Airshop Graphics and my mom is CEO of Pixzar." said Noelle. She handed the mother board to Mulder and lifted up the monitor. They began to head back to the office. Mulder looked at Noelle. "So, where did you get such a strange name?" Noelle looked at Mulder. "Oh like Fox is a normal name." Mulder raised his brow. "What's wrong with Fox?" He put the mother board down on the ground. Noelle placed the monitor on the desk and looked at Mulder. "What's wrong with Noelle?" "It's something you say at Christmas." retorted Mulder. "Fox is quick, sly." Noelle brushed a piece of hair out her face. "Fox is the name of an entertainment company who can't complete with Disney cartoons." Mulder raised his brow. He was insulted by a girl who was about twenty-three years old. He picked up his jacket and walked to the door. Noelle was about to take a sip of her coffee when Mulder said, "By the way....I spit in your coffee." Noelle Ramsey's Apartment Alexandria; VA 9:00 P.M. Noelle walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of macaroni and cheese. A little gold, black, and white Shih Tzu followed her. Noelle flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. Quinn Mallory had the timer in his hand. "This is my kind of entertainment, huh, Mackenzie?" said Noelle. The dog jumped on the couch and rested his head on Noelle's lap. The phone rang. Noelle reached over and grabbed the phone. "Dude here." "I...I think I have the wrong number." said Mulder. Noelle burst out laughing. "Fox, is that you?" Noelle wiped her mouth. "Don't hang up. It's me, Noelle." "Oh." Mulder said in a confused tone. "How did you like your coffee?" Noelle frowned. "Ha, ha. Funny, Agent Mulder. I took it down to the labs to test it. Nice bluff." Mulder laughed. "So, how do you like your mac and cheese?" asked Mulder. Noelle got a confused look on her face. "Hey wait...how did you know that?" "I was twenty-three once, Noelle. Open up your front door." said Mulder. Noelle stood up and walked over to the front door. She unlocked the door, but the chain lock was still attached to the door. Mulder stood outside in blue jeans, an Oxford sweatshirt, a jacket, and a baseball cap. He held up two bags of Chinese food. "Chinese food, anyone?" He said with a dopey grin. Noelle giggled and took off the chain lock. Mulder walked into the apartment and saw a tiny dog run up to him, barking. Mulder stopped and watched the dog chew at his shoe laces. "Mackenzie." Noelle picked the dog up and kissed it's head. "Sorry. He likes shoe laces, a lot." Mulder nodded and followed Noelle into the kitchen. "Chinese dog, Chinese food." Noelle smiled and put the dog on the ground. "He's my older sister's." She took out two plates, two glasses, and napkins. "So, how did you know where I lived?" Mulder blushed. "I asked one of the security guards. Also, you live about twenty minutes from my place." He took out a few cartons. "I got beef and broccoli, chicken chow mien, hot and sour, egg rolls, and some Mud Pie ice cream." Noelle looked at the ice cream and put it in the freezer. "I hope you like Luke Skywalker, Fox." "Why?" asked Mulder as he began to take some food to his plate. Noelle reached for a video case and handed it to Mulder, who took it. "It's an all nighter." Mulder playfully hit Noelle on the head with the video case. "I hope you don't mind snoring." 7:30 A.M. The phone began to ring. Noelle, sleepily, reached for it and dropped it on the floor. She grabbed the cord and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?" "Agent Ramsey, you and Agent Mulder need to catch a plane to Vancouver, Canada." said Skinner. Noelle rubbed her eyes. "It's seven-thirty in the morning, Mr. Skinner." "That's right, Agent Ramsey. Your flight leaves at ten." Skinner hung up. Noelle grumbled and walked out into the living room. Mulder was asleep on her couch with the dog resting on his stomach. "Mulder." said Noelle in a soft voice. Mulder wasn't waking up anytime soon. "MULDER!" Mulder fell off the couch. He sat up and looked at Noelle, who was in plaid boxers from Boston College and a navy blue shirt. "What?" "Meet me at the airport in thirty minutes." said Noelle as she walked into the bedroom. Gate 40; Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) 9:45 A.M. Mulder rushed through the gates of the airport and showed his badge to a flight assistant. She pointed out where to go. Mulder got to the plane and found Noelle sitting in first class, reading. She was in a wearing a pair of navy blue pants, a navy blue v-neck sweater, a white (long sleeved) v-neck shirt, and a navy blue pea jacket. She had on a pair of black heeled penny loafers. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing reading glasses. Mulder a feeling she wasn't going a be a Scully and she wasn't about to dress like a real FBI agent. Mulder sat down next to her. "Hi." Noelle looked up. "What happened? Your watch broke?" "Ha, ha. Funny, Noelle." said Mulder as he took out a book from his carry on. "Didn't Skinner tell you the dress code?" Noelle nodded as she looked at her book. "He did, but I don't like `monkey' suits." She looked at Mulder who was wearing a business shirt with a tie, black slacks, and a black trench coat. "You know we better stop arguing or people'll think we're married." "This is the captain, we about to take-off. Please buckle your seat beats and place seats in the upward right position. And enjoy your flight." Mulder smiled as he buckled his seat beat. "I wouldn't mind being married to such a pretty girl like you." "Shut up." Noelle mumbled from her reading. Mulder grinned to himself. "What? Does Noelle Ramsey have....I dare say.....a boyfriend?" Noelle shot a look at Mulder. "No, I don't. I broke up with him after I came here." She raised her brow. "Why? Don't you have a girlfriend, Fox Mulder?" "We are at cruising altitude, you may walk around in the cabin." said the captain over the intercom. A sad expression swept across Mulder's face. He looked back at his book to continue reading about a lawyer trying to defend his grandfather who is on death row. Noelle touched his arm. "Mulder, what's wrong?" asked Noelle. She bit her lip. "Was it about what I said?" Mulder shook his head. "No..." Mulder stood up and went to the bathroom. He opened the door and put the toilet seat down, then sat down. Mulder began to sob, quietly. 8:00 A.M. (mountain time) Noelle was asleep when Mulder came back from the bathroom. His eyes were red and his cheeks were flushed. Mulder sat down and buckled himself in. A stewardess walked down the isle with a food cart. Mulder nudged Noelle in the shoulder. "What?" asked Noelle. She looked at Mulder. "When did you get back?" Mulder looked at his watch. "Two seconds ago. The food cart is coming with (our so-called) breakfast." Noelle sat up and took off her jacket. "So, how was the bathroom?" Mulder rolled his eyes and handed Noelle a food tray. "It was nice." He wiped his eyes and began to eat. Noelle picked at her salad. "I know about Agent Scully." Mulder looked at Noelle and began to raise his voice. "Where the hell...." He realized that a few people were looking at him. "....did you find out?" Noelle sighed. "Skinner told me....everything." "Well isn't Skinner the tell all one." said Mulder between bites. Noelle rolled her eyes and stuffed some salad into her mouth. "Skinner's right about you." she said, coldly. Mulder glared at her. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?" "You are having a hard time." mumbled Noelle. She drank her cup of hot chocolate. "And screw you, too." said Mulder. He frowned as the stewardess took his food and he leaned back in his seat. An old lady across the isle tapped Mulder's arm. Mulder looked at her. The lady smile. "How long have you two been married?" Noelle looked at the old lady with a expression meaning she was going to be laughing her head off in any moment. Mulder smiled at the old lady. "We aren't married, miss." Old lady nodded. "You two argue like you are. My husband, Alan, and I have been married for fifty years." Mulder nodded and looked over at Noelle, who was looking out the window, laughing. "I hope the both you reach fifty-five." The old lady smiled. "Well by the way his clock is ticking, I say we mind have to use foreplay." Noelle had a sudden outburst, but she calmed herself down when Mulder looked at her. "Sorry." The old lady turned back to her husband and chatted with him. Mulder and Noelle looked at each other giggled. Lottie's Bed n' Breakfast Vancouver, Canada 12:00 P.M. Mulder fell on the bed and closed his eyes. He was completely exhausted from the flight and he wanted to go to bed, but he would have to take off his trench coat. Mulder really didn't care. His last thoughts were before he fell asleep were was the luggage. Noelle knocked on Mulder's door, repeatedly. She took out the key's to her hotel room and opened the door. She lugged Mulder's and her own belongings into her room. She took off her loafers and flopped down on the bed. Noelle reached for her laptop computer and plugged it into the extra phone jack. The phone rang. Noelle reached for the phone. "Hello?" "How was the flight, Agent Ramsey?" asked Skinner. Noelle shrugged. "The food sucked, Mulder almost didn't make the flight, I've seen the movie about twenty times, and Mulder is asleep." She turned on the laptop and went to her E-mail. "You will find the information you need for your case, Agent Ramsey." said Skinner. "Mulder will be getting the same thing on his laptop." Noelle mumbled, "If he brought it." "What?" "Nothing, sir. I'll go call Agent Mulder's room to give his belongings." said Noelle. She hung up the phone and opened the document. She reached for the phone and dialed Mulder's phone in the next room. "What?" asked a sleepy voice. Noelle smiled. "Sorry to wake you up, Sleeping Beauty, but you need to haul your butt over here." Mulder hung up the phone and a few moments later, he was knocking on the door. Noelle stood up and let Mulder in. "Take a look at the document. You'll love it." said Noelle as Mulder sat down. Mulder sat at the table and stared at the document. He finally looked up and cocked his eyebrow. "Do they know who Tom Fool is?" Noelle nodded. "He is a medieval joker who was like a dream when you saw him. He would kill people who were passing by at the crossroads by leading them into quick sand." "Very good. The newbie has done her homework." said Mulder with a grin on his face. He stood up and walked to the door. "I'll see you in two hours." Noelle rolled her eyes and closed the door as Mulder walked out of her room. She sighed and continued to read her E-mail. Mulder walked to his hotel room and opened the door. He heard a cackle. Mulder spun around and saw a man with a painted face in the parking lot. He was wearing a black trench coat and he carried a dagger. The man pointed the dagger at Mulder. Mulder blinked and the man was gone. 2:30 P.M. Noelle sat in the dinner, waiting for Mulder to bring the food. He came over with a tray of fast food and sat down. "So, how did you sleep?" asked Noelle as she took a french fry. Mulder shrugged and bit into his burger. "I think I saw this guy. Have you ever seen The Crow?" "Who hasn't?" answered Noelle. "It's the best movie." Mulder nodded. "He had that face paint with a dagger and this black trench coat. He pointed the dagger at me and then he was gone." Noelle took a book out her purse. She flipped to a page. "Is this him?" 309 Main Street Vancouver, Canada 9:00 P.M. The ambulance rolled away as Mulder and Noelle walked over to the house. An officer stopped them, then the two whipped out their badges. The officer let them pass. They walked upstairs to the attic of the old house. A man that was bald with blue eyes walked over to them. "I'm Chief Manilow Hudson." "Agents Mulder and Ramsey." said Mulder. "What happened here?" Chief Hudson sighed. "This sixteen year received an E-mail, then his room caught fire. He's dead, of course." Noelle nodded and looked at the chief. "May I see his body?" Mulder and Chief Hudson looked at Noelle with strange looks on their faces. Noelle sighed. "I have a degree in medicine. Which hospital did you take him to?" "St. Joseph's. Would like one my officers to drive you over?" asked Chief Hudson. Noelle took out her car keys and handed them to Mulder. "I'll you later and try to stay out of trouble." Mulder nodded with a glare and followed Chief Hudson to the computer or what was left of it. St. Joseph's Hospital 10:15 P.M. "Victim seems to have third degree burns on hands, face, and waist." said Noelle into the tape recorder. She took a knife and cut out the kid's bladder. "Bladder is burn to a crisp and his air way looks like it have some cocaine inside." Mulder entered the room, then turned around. "Can you cover that up, please?" Noelle turned the recorder off and covered the body. "What you don't like french fries anymore, Mulder?" "Funny, Noelle. So, what's your prognosis?" asked Mulder. Noelle took off her goggles and rewound the tape. She pressed play. "Person: Coleman Alexander. Age: Sixteen. Weight: 105 lbs Height: 5'3". Victim seems to have third degree burns on hands, face, and waist. Bladder is burn to a crisp and his air way looks like it have some cocaine inside." Mulder got a digested look on his face. Noelle stopped the tape and looked at Mulder. "He was high and maybe he dropped something into the motherboard." "I checked." said Mulder. Noelle sighed as she took off her gloves. "I suspect nothing." Mulder nodded his head and sat down. "I talked with one of the kid's friends. His name is Michael Lambord. He's going to speak with me tonight down at the station." "Why don't you go ahead. I'm going to be until God knows when." said Noelle. Mulder stood and walked to the door. "Call me when you are done." He smiled and left. Police Station 10:30 P.M. Mulder sat across the table with his laptop. "How long have you know Coleman Alexander?" The kid, Michael Lambord, shrugged. "Since third grade, I guess." He heard a scratching noise from outside. "What was that?" Mulder looked up. "Probably a cat. Was Col...." "Cole." retorted Michael. "That's what his friends called him." "Okay." said Mulder. "Was Cole a good student?" Michael nodded. "He was on honor roll." The scratching noise came again. "Dude, I heard something." Mulder rolled his eyes. "Did you ever know of Cole snorting cocaine?" Michael shook his head. He stood up and walked over to the window. "He never did that stuff." "Okay." said Mulder in an unsure voice. "Can you please sit down?" The kid turned around. He was in the joker face with red eyes. He walked over to Mulder. Mulder jumped back and took out his gun. The kid took the gun out of Mulder's hand, just by looking at it, and pointed it at Mulder. Mulder grabbed the kid and threw him to the ground. He smelled some smoke, then Mulder realized that the kid was gone. Mulder stood up and saw that the computer was on fire. He ran to the door and tried to open it. The knob became hot and Mulder jumped back. He began to bang on the door as the room filled with smoke. "Help! Someone open the door!" screamed Mulder. He began to get dizzy. Mulder continued to bang on the door. He dropped to his knees and coughed. The smoke was getting to him. Mulder fell to the ground just as Chief Hudson and one of the officers opened the door. The Chief grabbed Mulder and dragged him out of the room. The officer grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran into the room. "Someone call 911!" yelled Chief Hudson. He began to shake Mulder's shoulders. "Someone get a blanket, now!" St.Joseph's Hospital; Emergency Room 11:30 P.M. Noelle walked down the hallway, just as a crew of people ran pass her with someone on a stretcher. She recognized that the person was Mulder. She ran behind the crew of people. An intern grabbed her. "You can't follow them, miss." said the intern. Noelle flashed her badge to him. "Go to hell!" She continued down the hall, until a doctor grabbed her arm. "You can't go in here, miss." said the doctor. He was a handsome man with black hair and dark brown eyes. "I'm the FBI, buddy." said Noelle. She shook his arm off hers. "And that's my partner in there." The doctor nodded and looked at his sheet. "Oh, Agent Fox Mulder. He was in a fire while questioning a kid. He inhaled a lot of smoke, Miss...." "Agent Noelle Ramsey." said Noelle. "Is he okay?" The doctor shrugged. "I don't know, yet. Why don't you go to the waiting room, okay?" Noelle groaned and walked away from the doctor. "Thank you..." "It's Dr. Alan King. You can call he Alan." said the doctor with a smile. Noelle groaned and sat down in the hallway. 1:00 A.M. "Don't stay too, long. He's under a sedative." said the nurse as she walked into Mulder's room with Noelle. Noelle gave the nurse a curt nod as she left. She made her way over to Mulder, who was asleep. She sat down in a chair and tapped Mulder's arm. "Ummm?" said Mulder from his sleep. He had a tube up his nose with a bandage on his arm. Noelle smiled. "I told you to stay out of trouble." Mulder opened his eyes and grinned, painfully. "The kid was that Tom Fool person, thingie." "What happened?" asked Noelle. Mulder shrugged. "I don't remember....well, I do. There was a lot of smoke." "You were in a fire and you were brought to the hospital because you inhaled too much smoke. Fox Mulder passed out." said Noelle. She sighed and patted Mulder's arm. "The doctors are just keeping you overnight. Tomorrow morning, you and I can go back to work, if you want." Mulder nodded and closed his eyes from a moment. "He might come back later to get me." "Do you want me to stay here with you?" asked Noelle. Mulder's eyes began to beam. "Would you?" "Of course I would, Mulder." said Noelle. She leaned back in her chair and smiled. Lottie's Bed n' Breakfast Vancouver, Canada 8:30 A.M. Noelle parked the car and nudged Mulder, who had dozed off. Mulder opened his eyes and groaned. Mulder looked at his arm which was under his Oxford sweatshirt. He had changed into a shirt, his sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, and sneakers. As for Noelle, she was running around town in a black pointelle cardigan, a "strappy" tank top, bootleg jeans, and a pair of Doc Martens. Her hair was in french pigtail braids, which made her look like a teenager. Noelle got out of the car and waited for Mulder to follow. They headed to their rooms. Mulder looked behind him and saw the boy. He grabbed Noelle's arm and pointed to the spot were the boy was standing. "Look! He's right there!" yelled Mulder. Noelle rolled her eyes and looked at Mulder. "You are tripping, Mulder. Go get some rest, okay?" Mulder nodded as he went into his room. "Just let me know if something else happens, okay?" Noelle smiled and went into her room. She sat down and the phone rang. "Agent Ramsey." "We have a fire down at the warehouse. You better get down here." said Chief Hudson. Noelle nodded and hung up the phone. She was going to change, but then she just grabbed her gun and bolted for the door. Fisher's Warehouse 9:15 A.M. Noelle got out of the car and saw Hudson walking over to her. He waved as she ran over to him. "What's going on?" asked Noelle. Hudson was breathless. "There's a fire and this creep is in there." Noelle began to run towards the warehouse. She passed the officers and stumbled inside the dark corridor. She took out her gun and cocked the trigger. Another officer was ahead of her. He looked like the person Mulder had told her about. "Stop! FBI!" yelled Noelle. A loud bang echoed in the corridor. Noelle fell to the ground with a yelp. She grabbed her shoulder and stood up. She was hit, but that wouldn't stop her. Noelle ran after the officer and saw him by a door. She fired, but missed. Mulder ran out of an police car and grabbed Hudson's shirt. "Where is she?" Hudson pointed to the warehouse. "She ran in. The place on the other end is on fire." Mulder pushed him away and ran inside after her. He took out her gun and followed the footsteps in the darkness. "Ramsey!" "Mulder!" yelled Noelle out of nowhere. Noelle opened the door and saw the officer sitting in the corner. Another man was in the room with him. The officer stood up and ran out of the room. Noelle walked inside and pointed her gun at the other man. "Don't move. FBI." said Noelle as she cocked the trigger, again. "I have a gun and I know how to use it." The man turned around and the gun flew into mid air. "I have the gun now." The trigger squeezed back just as Mulder walked back. The bullet bounced off the door. Mulder dropped to the ground and grabbed Noelle as he hit the deck. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" asked Mulder. He cocked the trigger and shot at the man in the room. Noelle looked at Mulder with a pale face. "I'm doing my job, if you haven't noticed." She stood up and grabbed the gun. She cocked the trigger and shot at the man. The man jumped on her and put his finger into the wound in her shoulder. Noelle shrieked with pain and kneed the man in the stomach. She stood up and shot the man in the head. Mulder stood up and looked at the man. "Nice shot, Noelle." She didn't answer him. "Noelle?" Noelle looked at Mulder and fell backwards. Mulder caught her and saw an officer walked down the corridor. "I need a medic, now!" "The building is about to go down. You're going to have to carry her." yelled the officer. Mulder stood up with Noelle in his arms and followed the officer out of the building. He was greeted by a group of medics who rushed up to Noelle and took her from Mulder. St. Joseph's Hospital 11:40 A.M. Mulder sat in the hospital room with a oxygen mask. He was breathing in the fresh air as the Dr. Alan King walked into the room. "Are you feeling better?" asked Dr. King. He took the oxygen mask and put it on a table. Mulder nodded. "How's my partner?" asked Mulder as he stood up. "She's going to be fine." Dr. King looked at his clip board. "She loss alot of blood and inhaled some smoke, but she'll be out of here in a few days. Do you want to see her?" Mulder nodded, eagerly. Dr. King lead him down the hallway to the Intensive Care Unit. After a few minutes, Mulder stepped into Noelle's room. Noelle was extremely pale. She had an IV in her arm, a tube going up her nose, a bandage on her shoulder, and a few flowers on the night stand. "Hey Mulder." Mulder sat down on the bed. "Where did you get the flowers?" "The Bureau sent them. I guess they feel bad." said Noelle in a weak voice. "I heard you inhaled more smoke. Smoking is bad for your health, you know." Mulder nodded with a heart melting smile. "How's your shoulder?" "It hurts." answered Noelle. "Did they find that body of that guy?" Mulder shook his head. "Not yet. It's like he got up and left." "Oh." said Noelle. She closed her eyes and yawned. "I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to kick you out until tonight. I'm tired." Mulder nodded and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later." "Don't get into any trouble, Fox Mulder." said Noelle, sleepily. Mulder smiled. "I promise I won't." Fisher's Warehouse 12:30 P.M. Mulder walked over to the remains of the warehouse. He rubbed his chin and wondered how someone could just get up and leave after being practically burnt to a crisp. "It's purely impossible." mumbled Mulder. He heard something behind him. Mulder turned his head and jumped. A man in a police uniform smiled at him. "I'm officer George Hennesy. There was another attack." Mulder nodded with egar eyes. "Where?" "69 Plumhill Road." said the officer as Mulder dashed to the car. Hang Man's Road 1:00 P.M. Mulder should have asked for directions. He saw a man sitting on the side of the road. Mulder pulled up to the man. "Excuse me?" asked Mulder. The man looked up with red eyes. "Yes?" he hissed. "I'm looking for Plumhill road." said Mulder with an unsure expression on his face. "Do you think you can give me directions?" "Go down the road and turn left." said the man. Mulder smiled and drove off. The man looked down for a minute and he looked up with painted face of a joker. St. Joseph's Hospital 5: 40 A.M. Noelle looked at Dr. King. "And no one has seen him since?" She raised her brow for an answer. "A few people saw Agent Mulder driving towards Hang Man's Road." answered Dr. King. Noelle got out of bed. "I need to be released from here now." "You can't!" retorted Dr. King. Noelle shot a looked at Dr. King. "I'm an FBI agent and I'm on a case. I need to be released to find my partner and close this goddamn case, got it buddy?" "It's against the rules." said Dr. King. Noelle took out her gun and pointed it at Dr. King. "I want to be out of this hospital by seven." She cocked the trigger. "Got it?" 7: 00 A.M. Skinner and Noelle walked out of the hospital. Noelle was dressed in a white tank top with a purple flock dyed butterfly on it, black drawstring pants, black Vans, and hooded sweatshirt. Noelle's hair was in a bun and her gun was under her sweatshirt. "I can't believe this." Skinner said as he got into the car. "You threatened a doctor with a gun." Noelle slid into the car. "He's an asshole." She closed the door. "The officer said the last time he saw Agent Mulder, he was heading up to Plumhill Road." Skinner nodded. "He never showed." Skinner began to head to the hotel. "I want you in a suit by the time I come back with breakfest." "Yes sir." said Noelle. Skinner nodded and pulled up to the hotel parking lot. "I'll see you in an hour." Noelle got out of the car. She walked back to the hotel room. The lights were on. "That's funny." said Noelle to herself. She walked into room and saw a man sitting on the bed with the computer on. Noelle grabbed her gun. "There is no need for a gun, Agent Ramsey." said the man. Noelle put her gun on the table. "Who the hell are you?" The man stood up and extended his hand. "I'm called X." He looked at Noelle's confused expression. "My real name is none of your bussiness, Agent Ramsey." Noelle glared at him. "You have just broke into classified FBI infomation. I have the right to arrest you." X looked at Noelle. "Agent Ramsey....I AM the FBI." **** 8: 45 A.M. Noelle sat on her bed in black slacks, black V-neck cardigan, black loafers, and a black trenchcoat. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail and her arm was in a sling. Skinner knocked on the door. "Come in." said Noelle. She looked up and saw Skinner with a pleased look on his face. She still had the words in her head....trust no one. Skinner handed her a doughnut. "We better get over to Hang Man Road....quick." Noelle nodded as she locked the door. She followed Skinner to the car. Hang Man Road 9: 55 A.M. A crowd of police cars, fire engines, and the like crowded around a small cliff side. Noelle rushed up to the scene. An officer stopped her. She flashed her badge and continued over to Hudson. "What happened?" she asked as a crane pulled up of a burnt out Ford Traurus. "Oh my god." Hudson patted her good arm. "We don't know if he's dead....or alive, yet, Agent Ramsey." Noelle sat down on the police car. "I told him to stay out of trouble and look what happens." Hudson looked at her. He hoped that the young male agent was still alive and hopefully unharmed. Location Unknown Time Unknown He opened his eyes and the pain rushed over him. "Oh damn." he whispered. Mulder closed his eyes and prayed that he would pass out. "Mulder...." said a familiar voice. He looked to his side and saw Dana looking at him with a smile. "Scully?" Dana knelt down next to him. "Don't talk, Mulder." she said. Her voice was echoing. "I'll take care of you." "You're...." Mulder began. "You are in limbo, Mulder." explained Scully. She stroked his hair. "You're not quite dead....yet." Mulder sat up. "What happened to me?" Scully frowned. "You listened to that man, Mulder. Don't you read your information? Tom Fool would give directions to passing travelers to quick sand and they would die. He give you directions to your death." Mulder nodded. "What about Ramsey? Is she okay?" Scully laughed. "She's fine." Scully pulled Mulder up to his feet. "Does anything hurt anymore?" Mulder shook his head and looked behind him. He gasped. Mulder saw a body of a man laying on the ground with his head cracked open, his arm twisted at an awkward angle, and his leg underneath his body. "That can't be me." Scully nodded. "It is." She walked over to the body and pulled his leg up from under him. Mulder winced with pain. "Sorry." Scully smiled. "You had quite a fall, Fox Mulder." Mulder nodded in agreement. "I know." Lottie's Bed n' Breakfest 12:00 P.M. (the next day) Noelle fumbled threw the information on the computer. She heard a knocking at the door. Noelle stood up and grabbed her gun. "Who is it?" "Room service." said a voice. Noelle opened the door as a man walked into her room. She closed the door as the man began to take out some food. "Thank you." The man nodded. Noelle pondered for a second. "Wait....I didn't...." The man turned around and he had a joker's face. Noelle saw that he had a knife at his side. "It's time...." Noelle opened the door just as the man advanced towards her. She ran down the walkway with the man after her. She turned around and cocked the gun. Skinner came out of his room and saw Noelle. "What the hell is going on?" asked Skinner. Noelle open fired on the man with the knife. She hit him in the stomach. He walked, painfully, up to her and held up the knife. Noelle kicked him and pushed him over to the rail. He kicked her in the stomach. Noelle fell against the wall. The man turned around and held up the knife. Noelle pointed the gun at his head. The knife came plunging down and a loud crack filled the air. **** "I can't believe it was Dr. King. He was such a nice person." said Hudson as he covered up the body of Dr. Alan King. "It's a very strange case." Noelle nodded. "We still have to find Mulder." An officer rushed up to Hudson. "Someone called in. They found a man at in Hang Man's glunch." Hang Man's Glunch 5:15 P.M. A rescuse team pulled out a body from the buttom of the glunch. They rushed the body into the awaiting ambulance. Noelle watched silently. Skinner walked over to her. "You can ride with him, if you want." Noelle shook her head. "It's not my place." She walked over to the hillside and crossed her arms to stare into the sunset. Location Unknown Time Unknown Mulder sat on the ground, watching his body being taken away. He heard someone behind him. Fox turned his head and saw a little girl. "Sam?" Samantha nodded. "Hello Fox." Mulder rushed over to the little girl and hugged her with tears running down his face. "Oh my god....I thought you were dead." Samantha shook her head. "Nah....but you may be if you don't go back. Agent Ramsey needs you....you need her." Mulder nodded. "I know." Samantha looked up. "Don't you see her?" Mulder looked up and saw Noelle on the hillside. He turned to his sister. "Go back to her." Mulder nodded. "I think I will." St. Joseph's Hospital one week later Noelle walked into the room where Mulder was comatose in. She had a cup of coffee in her hand as she sat down next to the bed. Mulder wasn't hooked on to so many machines like before. It was down to a tube in his nose and the IV. "Geez, Mulder, it's been six weeks and you are too stubborn to wake the hell up." said Noelle as she sipped the coffee. "He's in Limbo." said a female's voice. Noelle turned her head and saw a female with red hair walking into the room. "Who are you?" "Agent Dana Scully." said Dana. She showed Noelle her badge. Noelle looked puzzled. "But, you are dead." Scully nodded. "I am, but he's in a Limbo." Scully and Noelle spoke at the same time. "The place were you pick between life and death." Noelle smiled. "Why did you leave?" "Wouldn't you leave if you were going to be a vegetable for the rest of your life?" asked Scully with a laugh. "That's a good reason." Noelle sat down again. "I must have to be dreaming." Scully shrugged. "Maybe you are, maybe you aren't." "I wish I was." said Noelle. Scully put a hand on Noelle's back. "He'll pull through, you'll see." To be continued....