From: shinkai@mlode.com (Susan Shinkai) Subject: Completed story: Firewalker with Me (1/1) Date sent: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 10:20:28 -0800 Title : The IM Files - Firewalker with Me Author : Shinkai E-mail Address: shinkai@mlode.com Rating : R+ Classification - SR Spoilers - Firewalker Keywords - Scully/Mulder romance, alternate reality Summary - Scully goes it alone on her first case after her return. Something has gone wrong in a volcanic research base and the suspects are a mad genuis and a new life form. Meanwhile, Mulder learns what it means to be a working father. 12th installment of the series Intro: Mulder has been working cases without Scully for awhile. How would Scully do without Mulder? Can she consider extreme possibilities? Does she need to? On the otherhand, how would Mulder do without Scully taking care of a baby? If you're not familiar with the IM Files, it all started with a story called "Meeting the Invisible Man." Start there and see if you want to end up here. Rating Note: R+ = Sex happens but is not graphically described. Well, not too graphically. Imagine a blanket over it and it still works. Thanks and acknowledgment goes to Connell for his thoughtful feedback for this series. Thanks all those who have encouraged the continuation of this series especially Vikki, Domenica, Mandy, Lorrie, Tam and Koula (wherever you are.) Disclaimer: The characters and situations depicted in this story are not the legal property of the author or her agents. This use is not intended to be an infringement on the rights of the legal owners. Use and distribution of this story is for not-for-profit entertainment purposes only. FIREWALKER WITH ME Fox Mulder thought that life had finally taken a turn for the better. Dana was back, he'd found an infant that he was sure was his daughter, the X-Files were open and he finally knew why Skinner took a personal stake in Mulder's investigation. Bill Scully, Jr's had return home without giving Mulder anymore grief and Melissa had decided to stay in the Washington DC area. All of his other problems seemed incidental in the light of all the positive events. But there was little chance that things would continue to reinforce his new out look... The first blow came when the results of Scully's blood test showed there was only about a 65% probability that Hope was her daughter. Her OB-GYN, Dr. Wong explained that such low probabilities were not that unusual but they might indicate a higher degree of mutation of Scully's ova. However, the case worker for the Child Protective Services, Terrence Lang, accepted the test results as the first piece of evidence that Mulder and Scully might not be the parents of this young abandoned child. Mr. Lang visited Mulder at Scully's apartment as he prepared to bring his wife and child home. Mulder greeted him enthusiastically, hoping to make a good impression to ensure full custody of Hope. "Mr. Lang, would you like to see the room I set up for Hope? I got some help from Dana's mother but ...." Mr. Lang shook his head and frowned automatically at Mulder's efforts. "Frankly, Mr. Mulder, I came here to talk with you privately. Don't take this the wrong way but based on the test results, I have to ask....is there any possibility that Hope could be your child from another woman, other than Dana?" Mulder face dropped in dismay. "NO! I've been totally faithful to her! I'd never..." Mr. Lang held up his hand to stop Mulder's words. "I didn't mean to imply that you were unfaithful, but it's apparent Hope was conceived before you two were married." Mulder shook his head as he raised his voice. "I've haven't been with another woman for at least two years." "What about artificial insemination? Have you ever been a sperm donor?" Mr. Lang asked seriously. "NO! I can't believe you're refusing to accept that she is OUR child." Mulder growled. The man didn't flinch and replied "You have to appreciate the unique circumstances of this case. Dana's abduction, the child's condition when we found her. And by the way, I know you deliberately withheld information from us. The findings that Dana may have never been pregnant." Mulder fumed "Dr. Wong also confirmed that something happened to her since her first pelvic exam. All the signs of her previous pregnancy disappeared as well." "Which is why we're reluctant to make a decision as of yet. Frankly, Mr. Mulder if we determine that Hope is not the child of you and Dana, I doubt you'll be granted custody." Mr. Lang replied. "I don't intend to pass judgment on your behavior or your lifestyle, but from what I've seen so far, this is no way to raise a child." "What do I have to do to convince you she's our baby?" Mulder asked through clenched teeth, as he held back his outrage. "Find me a witness to her birth. The issue is not whether or not she is your child; it's if she is Miss Scully's baby." he answered simply. "For what it's worth, because of the shortage of foster parents and because of your devotion to this child, Hope will remain in your care until her final disposition is decided. During this period we'll monitor her care and if we deem you and Dana as fit parents, we may grant permanent custody." Mulder look of hate finally fade. "Thank you. At least you haven' t written us off completely." ____________________________ Mulder went to see Scully that evening at the hospital and told her about Mr. Lang's visit. He expressed his frustration and concern that they might take Hope away from them. "What did you expect Mulder? " Scully replied quickly. "It's their job to make sure she's well taken care of. As far as their concerned, the State is her mother and father, not us." He kissed her tenderly. "Stop being so reasonable. It makes me look bad." "No, Mulder you do that on your own." she answered with a smile. "Are you ready to go home tomorrow?" he asked as he rested his head on her bed. "Yes and so is the nursing staff. I'm so healthy, they can't keep up with me. Besides they're tired of kicking you out at night. All except Nurse Franklin...she enjoys kicking you out." Scully said as she stroked his hair. Mulder sighed contentedly "Dana, I want to be alone with you for just one night, without Nurse Franklin interrupting us." "Good Luck. We're parents now. Nurse Franklin only interrupted once each night. Hope will wake us 3 or 4 times at least." she reminded him. Mulder sighed again "At least it will be you I come back after the interruption." He moved up on her bed and kissed her passionately. She tried to warn him to stop but as usual he continued his affections. Just then Nurse Franklin came in. She was a 40ish average looking woman who wore a permanent scowl on her face, even when she was happy. "Mr. Mulder, I'd think you'd know the rules by now." Mulder reluctantly slid off the bed and looked at her like a bad dog caught in the act. "She's going home tomorrow. Can't you wait another 24 hours?" "No, I can't" he cried and grabbed the nurse and kissed her passionately. The stunned nurse stared at him with the same expression as always but this time she said nothing and looked pale. Mulder waved good bye to Scully and left then room, happy to be alive. ____________________________ There was a great deal of commotion the following day. Mulder brought Scully and Hope home in the morning. First, Maggie came by to help settle Hope and give so helpful advise. Then Melissa stopped in to check on Dana's aura and Frohike came by with flowers. Finally Skinner came by to see when she would be coming back to work. "I already have my physical on file. I'll be at the range first thing Monday morning to re-qualify. After that, I'll report to your office." she reported cheerfully. "I recommend you go directly to Agent Mulder's office. He seems anxious to get started with you." Skinner replied with a serious look, which broke into a slight smile. "Damn, Scully, it's great to have you back." "It's great to be back, Sir." she replied with a smile. Mulder entered the room carrying a sleeping baby. "AD Skinner meet Hope." he whispered. Skinner glanced at the baby and nodded an approval. "What have you worked out about child care?" "Scully's mother and sister will switch off taking care of her during the day and while were away on assignment. When she's a little older we'll bring her to the office if we don't have any active cases." Mulder beamed with pride as he held the quiet bundle. Skinner nodded again and said "The office types used always tell us that the basement wasn't the `copy room'. They called it `the reproduction center.' I don't think this is what they had in mind." The couple laughed softly as not to disturb the baby. "Good luck to you both. I hope it works out. See you Monday." Scully walked out with Skinner as Mulder took Hope back to her crib and whispered "I hope it works out, too." _________________________ As the day wound down, Mulder became increasingly anxious to be alone with Scully. The few stolen moments of intimacy in the hospital only made him want her more and now that she was home, he couldn't bear to be apart from her. His hugs and kisses were sincere but constant. Scully finally had to banish him to the bedroom so she could settle Hope for the evening. "You'll have to excuse your father." she whispered to the tiny child. "He's been very lonely without me and he want to share the love he's been saving for me." Her kissed her softly left her sleeping. The second Scully entered the bedroom, Mulder as upon her. Already naked and fully aroused, he seemed to be trying to touch her entire body at once. His hand trembled as he pulled at her robe. "Mulder, relax. I'm here, now...it's OK." she whispered as she calmed his shaking hands. He cried her name and other unintelligible words as he pulled her to the bed. "Fox, call me Fox when we make love." was all she could understand. He kissed her with the savage fury of a drowning man, then brought his lips to her throat. For a second, she felt like he would tear it open in his desire to possess her, but his soft moist tongue lavished it's contours instead. His inflamed erection slid along her inner thighs as he twisted his body trying to enter her without breaking the kiss. His soft whimpers told her he was beyond conscious control, so she guided the anxious flesh with a tender caress. The touch broke the spell of the kiss and he abandoned the effort to do both, as he thrust his hips forward, penetrating her forcefully. She gasped at the sudden sensation and whispered "Steady, Fox...carefully...." Her own passion had not reached the same fervor and the her passageway was not fully lubricated. The dry thrust pulled painfully, but she knew that pain and pleasure were as much partners as she and him. Before long the discomfort faded and her body responded freely to his pleas. Mulder knew he was behaving selfishly but his raging desire demanded nothing less. He tried to speak to apologize but only groans and sighs would come forth. But she answered him with a sensuous embrace as her body pressed against his, urging him deeper into her body and into his own rapture. At that instant, Mulder felt her love so completely, he could not longer hold back his ferocious orgasm. He sobbed and screamed her name as his essence filled her in a torrent of passion. Her ears were nearly deafen by his cries which tapered to quiet moans as he collapsed upon her. Her own fire still burning, she rolled him over and captured his moans within her own lips. As his sounds were muted, she heard Hope begin to cry. Mulder made a vain gesture to move but she gently patted him on the head and rose from the bed. "You can get the next one." she said kindly as she put on her robe and left the room. Hope stopped crying as soon as Scully picked her up. No doubt the loud cries frightened her, Scully thought. After a few minutes of gently rocking, Hope returned to dreamland and Scully returned to her bed, only to find Mulder sleeping as soundly as his daughter. Frustrated but not surprised, she sought what release she could as she pressed against his warm body and massaged her own heated flesh. Her climax was a whisper compared to his, but it was enough to let her sleep. Until Hope woke up again and Mulder continued to snore, his hand damp from his own wet dream. It was a very bad omen indeed, even if she didn't believe in such things. Within a week of being home, Scully had her first family crisis. Mulder and Hope both had chest colds. She felt as if she had two babies to take care of. Hope most likely picked up the virus from the hospital and Mulder no doubt got it from Hope. Despite the fact that Scully's immune system was weaken by her condition, she did seem resistant to the virus and her overall health was better than Mulder' s. She effectively quarantined Mulder and Hope to avoid a recurrent infection. When Mr. Lang came back to check on their progress, Scully made him gown and mask before seeing Hope. He was impressed by her thoroughness but a bit disturbed that Mulder did little more than sit in bed. Scully explained that he still had some fluid in he lungs and tired easily. The X-Files were on hold for 3 days until Mulder was well enough to come back to the office. Scully left Hope in Maggie's care, while she watched over Mulder at the office. ____________ As they sorted thorough the miscellaneous reports, one request caught their eye. It was a request for `investigative assistance' on a possible missing person case for the Mount Avalon Volcano Research Team. The request was submitted by Dr. Adam Pierce who came out from Washington state and had waited 3 days to see them. They called his hotel and he came to FBI headquarters within the hour. Pierce explained he was part of the Firewalker project, the experimental use of a robot to collect data from deep within the volcanic tunnels. He had left the project site several weeks earlier because of `philosophical differences' with the project's lead volcanologist, Daniel Trepkos. It was been a week since any word from the team on Mt Avalon and a remote video feed coming from the Firewalker robot itself showed a body lying on the floor of the volcano. The same video showed `something' moving, maybe something alive, down there. Pierce stressed that Trepkos was a genius, a visionary, with a flair for the dramatic. But like many men who saw beyond the ordinary, he stood at the threshold to madness. Scully asked if he suspected Trepkos of foul play or if he could have something to do with they saw on the video. Pierce wasn't sure. Mulder pointed out that this fell under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement but Pierce emphasized that because of the heavy government subsides for the project and the unusual circumstances, the investigation could be conducted by the FBI. He also emphasized his desire to avoid publicity and his reluctance to go through proper channels. People would be quick to kill such an expensive project. Mulder smiled and replied "We're not exactly proper channels." Pierce asked if they could go immediately. Mulder hesitated as he looked at Scully. Scully said she'd be ready that afternoon. Pierce nodded gave her the number of the chart flight. Mulder took her hand and said "Maybe you should take some time..." She shook her head "I need to work. I've already lost too much time." She paused as he coughed slightly. "Besides, someone has to go and it's not going to be you." Mulder stared at her "What are you talking about? What do you mean I'm not going?" "Mulder, respiratory illness and volcanic gases don't mix. You can't risk it." she replied bluntly. Before Mulder could say anything else she explained "If you get pulmonary edema, I'll have to evacuate you. There goes the investigation. Not to mention the fact that you could die of asphyxiation before help arrives. Even you don't get worst , I can't imagine you sneaking up on a suspect as you cough your lungs out." "Scully, I can't let you go alone." he said with concern. "Mulder, you've been alone for months. I can handle one case." she said firmly, as she started looking through his files. "Now show me if you have a file on inner terrestrial life." He took her hand and said softly "Scully, you can't..." "Accept it. I'm back, Mulder and I'm not going anywhere. Except Mt Avalon.." Then her voice soften as she said "Someone needs to stay with Hope until she's strong again." Finally he understood her determination, and the reality of having a child struck home. He wrapped his arms around her and she kissed his hand. "Mulder, I promise I'll be careful. And I'll be open to extreme possibilities." "I'll be in contact with the local Search and Rescue." Mulder offered. "If you need help fast they're the best bet. Make contact as soon as you have a handle on what going on out there." "Don't worry. Just because I'm going alone, I won't forget you." she assured him. "You're my expert on things that go bump in the night, or in this case, in the volcano." He hugged her and whispered "I'll go bump in the night with you anytime." She hugged him warmly but in the back of her mind she thought bitterly She quickly banished the thought and kissed him deeply to atone. ----------------------- Pierce expected Mulder to join them, but Scully explained and he accepted it when he realized he had no choice. "We're just going to investigate." she emphasized. "If there is any serious threat, we'll evacuate or call for assistant. I know what kind of things can live in the woods." Scully shuttered at the memory of the glowing swarm they encountered before in Washington. Mulder explained the situation to Skinner who agreed to let him work out of his apartment until she returned. Maggie came by to help set up thing for Hope. "Are you sure you can handle taking care of her all day?" she asked before she left. "If Scully can handle a case by herself, I can handle Hope." he said confidently. Mulder had kept his apartment to use as a private office. He kept duplicate files and records there. It also provided a buffer zone to keep work way from home. Except for the time being, it was both. Hope seemed content in her crib so Mulder began making calls to the North Cascades Search and Rescue. They confirmed the coordinates of the Mt Avalon base and reported that Agent Scully had checked in with them and they were on stand-by until further notice. Before he was off the phone Hope began to cry. He cut the conversation short and went to check on her. He followed the ritual checklist - hungry, wet, gas, etc. Nothing was wrong that he could find. So he held her in his arms and rocked her hoping to quiet her. After 30 minutes, she was still crying and her face was red from constant wail. Mulder went through the list again but this time he checked her temperature, looked for stray marks on her body, and shut off all the electrical devices that weren' t essential just in case they were emitting a high pitched hum. She was tired but she continued to cry. he thought to himself as he wondered what to do next. Finally after two hours she quieted down and seemed fine. Until the next time. _____________________ Moments after arriving at the Mt Avalon base, Pierce saw the damaged antenna dish and went to go check on the surface monitors. Scully tried to insist on the safety of the Team being the first priority but he seem more concern with condition of the expensive equipment. Scully went on without him and entered the bunker like base. What she found within the base alarmed her enough that she called Search and Rescue base to arrange an airlift. Before any arrangements could be made for a routine air lift the next day, she called for an immediate medi-evac. Within hours she canceled both calls and requested the notification of the FBI Spokane Office and ordered a CDC evacuation unit to be placed on high alert. She reported a contagion of unknown nature which she was attempting to isolate. 30 hours later, she called the Search and Rescue again, requesting an evacuation. This time the Army Biohazard unit responded. Scully reported she was the only survivor. __________________________ Each time Scully contacted the Search and Rescue, she requested that specific information be relayed to Agent Mulder. Each time her request was denied. All they would do was call him to tell him what the current status on her evacuation was. Each time they called, Hope would cry to the point of exhaustion. Finally on the third day, the Spokane FBI office called to tell him that Special Agent Dana Scully was confined to a medical quarantine for one month, under going level 4 decontamination. Now it seemed nothing would quiet Hope. Mulder spent the better part of 2 days trying to calm Hope, between calls to the Spokane FBI Office, Army Biohazard Unit and Skinner's office. He tried everything he could think from feeding her to rocking her to warm baths. But nothing worked. After a few hours she would become too exhausted to continue and would sleep for a bit but then it would start all over again. She seemed most content, sitting in her carrier on his desk, wrapped tightly in bedding with the lamp focused on her while she faced the fish tank with him in the kitchen. She would stay somewhat quiet like that until she was hungry or needed to be changed or the phone rang. Mulder thought to himself as he watched his daughter from the kitchen. In desperation, Mulder called Maggie and asked her if she could take care of Hope in Dana's apartment, until further notice. She obliged willingly. Mulder felt like he was dumping his baby because he couldn't handle her but Maggie reassured him that he deserved a break especially with the news about Dana. he told himself, as he watched Hope go quiet in Maggie's arms. With his apartment finally quiet, he started making phone calls to find out how to talk to Scully. Offical channels insisted that she was still being debriefed. "It's been two days since she came out of there!" he shouted into the phone. "She was only in there for two days. She could have re-enacted the whole thing in less time." "I'm sorry Agent Mulder but that's all we can tell you now." the nameless official replied. Mulder finally called someone he knew could help. "Lone Gunmen." Langly answered. "Turn off the tape machine." Mulder growled. " I mean it. It's about Dana." That was the only thing he ever said that made Langly really off the machine. "What's wrong , Mulder?" "Dana was investigating a possible disappearance at the Firewalker Project Site at Mt Avalon. Once she got there all hell broke loose and now she's the only survivor from the site, and she's being held in level 4 decontamination quarantine." Mulder paused then said slowly "I need to talk to her to find out what the hell happened." "Mt Avalon? The military was all over that place two days ago. Buttoned it up tight, all the research and records destroyed to prevent contamination. Yeah, like I believe that." Langly punched up a few references on his computer. "Mulder, I think I can help you. Does she know you're trying to contact her?" "I'm pretty damn sure she might have a clue since I haven't heard from her since she left Washington 5 days ago." he grumbled. "Got it." Langly acknowledged. "Give me a few hours." He typed some more and Mulder could hear a modem in the back ground. "If you get any collect calls tonight, accept them no matter who they're from." "Will one of them be her?" he asked anxiously. "I sure hope so." Langly replied then hung up. Mulder paced nervously in the apartment. He hadn't eaten or slept in over 48 hours, since he heard Dana was in quarantine and Hope went ballistic. Suddenly the phone rang and he snatched it immediately. He said nothing at first then a voice said "Fox?" He sighed with relief "Mrs. Scully. What's wrong? Is Hope OK?" "She's fine. I just wanted you to know...Melissa will stop by later tonight to pick up some a few things I forgot to bring with me." she said calmly. "I'll be here all night. I'm waiting for a call. In fact if you don't mind, please don't call again unless it's an emergency." Mulder suddenly heard Hope crying in the background. "I don't think she likes phones." he observed. "I can't say I blame her. All to often they bring bad news." Maggie sighed. "I'll talk to you later, Fox." Three collect calls came to his phone. The first two hung up without a word. On the third one, he heard "Mulder, it's me." "Are you all right?" he asked quickly. "I'm fine, really. But there's information I've been trying to get to you for the last five's days." she whispered. "I guessed as much. How long can we talk?" "Only for about ten minutes. What do you know so far?" she asked anxiously. "Just that the military sealed the access to the mountain and destroyed all the records." he replied bitterly. "Believe it or not, if that's really what happen, it might be good thing." she said thoughtfully. "A good thing?" he questioned. "When is hiding the truth a good thing?" "When the truth is revealed by one man's obsession only to discover that the truth only blinds him to the reality, instead of enlightening him." she answered cryptically. Mulder fell silent and somber "Dana, what happened inside that mountain?" "Mulder, everyone died by natural causes except Pierce. Trepkos murdered him to hide the same truth the military wants to hide." she explained. "How did you survive? " Mulder asked cautiously. "Trepkos let me live." she sighed. " Because of you. Because of us. Because the truth can't be hidden forever. And only those who can accept extreme possibilities can live with such truths." "Start from the beginning..."Mulder urged. "The Firewalker found something. Trepkos believed it was a new life form...." "Inside the volcano." Mulder gasped Scully suddenly went silent then whispered "Mulder I have to go. A package will be delivered to by courier tonight. It's the journal I kept at Mt Avalon. It will tell you everything....almost everything. I'll tell you rest when I'm sure we have a secure line." "When can I see you?" Mulder asked hopefully. "I don't know. Give Hope my love. Bye." Then the line when dead. Mulder stared into the dark lonely apartment for a moment . This was the life he had before Dana began working with him. Much of that time was spent waiting for other people's reports on some incidents. He'd read them, cross reference them and file them away. He rarely felt a desire to have been there in person when it happen. Even the passion he felt in pursuing his own cases faded once the case was resolved. His search for the truth was a exhausting frustrating journey with countless dead ends and endless misdirections, his passions unrequited. When Dana joined him on this journey, suddenly the passion returned. Not just in his personal life, but in his work. He took everything personally, his successes and his failures. Even those second hand reports had more meaning to him, because so often it could have been him that witnessed those event. Why did his life with her make such a difference in every aspect of his life? Simple - the more strongly he felt about a case, the more likely she was to critically judge it. The more critical her judgment, the stronger their theories became. The stronger the theories, the closer to the truth they grew. The closer to the truth, the more passionate was his pursuit of it. But Dana offered him more than the truth he so desperately sought. She offered him a life beyond that single pursuit. His world would not collapse if that truth continued to be denied. Nor would it end if someday he did discover the truth. Even when she was gone, her light could fill his soul and turn his lonely darkness into a place of hope. And now, she pursued the truth in his name, as his proxy. After months being missing, subjected to some unknown fate, she was isolated and silenced by her own government. But Mulder knew by her words and the tone of her voice, she was not alone. She carried his spirit and beliefs as well as her own. Together, they were the light and the truth, the hope and the dream. The couier arrived a short while later. Mulder open the small package and found the hand written spiral notebook which served as her journal when the laptop wasn't practical. He flipped to the first entry on Mt Avalon.... "Nov 11, Firewalker Project Base, Mt Avalon, Washington "... Dr. Pierce left me to survey the surface equipment on site, so I entered the underground base unaccompanied. I discovered the central work area and communications bays. All the equipment had been destroyed beyond repair- radios, telemetry - even the power was out. "My first encounter with a member of the team was an assault by robotic engineer, Jason Ludwig, After subduing him at gun point, he explained that he thought I was Trepkos, coming back to kill them. I doubt the veracity of his claim but he was clearly agitated and quite possibly suffering from paranoid delusion. "Once Ludwig was convinced I was there to help, he called out the other team members from hiding, Jessie O'Neil and Peter Tanaka. They appeared to be suffering from the same post-trauma stress syndrome as Ludwig. The last member of the team, Erickson, they claim was dead. They re-established power and I attempted to interview them separately to determine the course of events. ".....The various accounts of the events and can be summarized as this - Upon Firewalker's return from it's first deep descent into the volcano, Trepkos took the data and locked himself in the lab for 3 days analyzing it. During this period, Trepkos became increasingly mentally unstable then finally went berserk, destroying the lab and killing Erickson. His body was taken into the volcano by Firewalker and left there. I can confirm that it was Erickson's body we saw in the video feed from Firewalker. The robot itself was disabled by Trepkos and remained deep within the volcano. Apparently, Trepkos had a bipolar mental illness which may have contributed to his aberrant behaviors. His whereabouts is unknown at the time. "When Pierce did not return by nightfall, Tanaka, Ludwig and I went looking for him. Tanaka located Pierce's body in the forest not far from the landing site. Inital examination reveals he was strangled with a garrote with severed his trachea. The team members suspect Trepkos and demand to be evacuated. In addition to the mental stresses, Tanaka is showing signs of respiratory distress. " I have radioed Search and Rescue to arrange an air lift of the remaining personnel and to request assistance in searching for Trepkos. SAR reported that due to limited resources, no help would be available until the morning I have secured the parameter of the base to prevent Trepkos or other assailants from entering undetected. I cannot justify going out alone to search for him and leaving the other unprotected. " Even though the team members concur that Trepkos killed Erickson in a fit of insanity, it is possible they are withholding information. The event which triggered Trepkos is something within the Firewalker data. Trepkos destroyed most of the data but the team was able to salvage some notes and records. In the interest of a thorough investigation I will attempt to review that data.... "Nov 12 2:00 AM Trepkos's notes from Firewalker's descent are fantastic. He believes the robot has recovered a new life form from within the volcano, surviving under impossible conditions. The notes are jumbled and difficult to decipher but there appears to be a biochemical flow chart which is attempting to describe the organisms metabolism a silicone based life form. " I cannot isolate any concrete proof that such an organism exists but I presume it was detected within samples returned by Firewalker. Trepkos's manic genius bypasses the logical sequence of events making the validation of his data difficult. The audio tape record is in fragments but he speaks in eloquent words of his search for the truth driving him to a point were the truth itself becomes obscured. That what he was uncovering were truths beyond our own reality. (Side Note: Mulder, I hear your voice in his words. If you were here, perhaps you could make sense of this. But I must pursue this the only way I know how - follow the evidence.) "4:00 AM Tanaka has suddenly become acutely ill with an unknown respiratory infection or irritation. Current vitals measured empirically are pulse >120, BP >200 systolic, Resp >25 labored and shallow, temp >102. I have radioed for an immediate med-evac and they are responding.... " ... Tanaka is dead, secondary to a parasitic fungal-like organism which over ran his respiratory system, finally obstructing his trachea and breaching his frontal neck tissue. In his final moments, the pulsating mass in neck was evident and he became combative, fleeing from us into the woods. We recovered his body a short distance way, the stalk of the parasitic growth protruding approximately 8 inches from his neck. "I have canceled the evacuation and placed this site on quarantine. I have requested the notification of the local FBI and CDC. Until the CDC can arrange proper isolation and decontamination procedures for the evacuation, I will attempt to study the nature of the unknown organism to determine if we are at risk of infection. I must suspend my analysis of Trepkos's notes for the time being." ____________________ Mulder set down the notebook and took a deep breath. "Dana, do you have any idea what you walked into?" He was glad he knew she was safe or he may have found it impossible to read on..... ____________________ "Nov. 12 8:00 My initial autopsy of Tanaka confirmed my suspicious that the organism grew within his respiratory tract and caused his death by asphyxiation. The only other remarkable finding was a large amount of sand was recovered from his lung. While it may have been inhaled during his work on this project, the sheer volume suggests another etiology. Ludwig and O'Neil deny any evidence or report of a new life form. "(Side note: MULDER , where are you when I need you? I know the evidence suggests that the organism recovered by Firewalker and the one that killed Tanaka are one in the same. I know that Trepkos notes inferred a life cycle based on silicone instead of carbon and that sand is a silicon based substance, but is that enough to conclude that a silicon based life form is living in this volcano and breeding in human hosts? If this true, such a life cycle cannot be natural as there is no natural interface between the volcanic subterranean world and the above ground life forms. Unless there is some other vector of transmission....Mulder, how can you see extreme possibilities so clearly? Each time I even consider one, I must invent several more just to have it make sense. Perhaps that's your secret - abandon logic, accept the evidence at face value.)" ___________________ Mulder smiled to himself. Scully understood him so well, she could argue on his behalf in his absence, even with herself. She felt his pain and shares his joy. He felt immortal in her soul. And he wanted her close to him. But for now all her had was the journal, so he read on... ___________________ "My tests on the spores recovered from Tanaka's body indicate that they effectively become inactive shortly after being released. I was unable in to grow them in any medium, under any conditions of humidity and heat. I will notify the CDC and arrange for the evacuation..... "...I'm disturbed by information I have learned from Jessie. Apparently, she and Trepkos were lovers and she understood his mood swings better than most. She assume his behavior was set off when he stopped taking his medication, lithium carbonate. But lithium is only prescribed for bipolar disorders, not for psychosis. Jessie was both awed and frighten by him. She was not so afraid that he would hurt her but of the things he saw so clearly that few others understood. His `heart of darkness'. I believe that dark genius saw something that drove him to kill Erickson and Pierce. I must try to find him to complete my investigation. "(Sidenote: Mulder, I feel Trepkos and you are brothers in the darkness. I confess my desire to find him and understand his motives are less about these murdered or the new life form than it is about trying to see into your darkness. Like Jessie, I live in constant fear. Someday I may awake to a man consumed in his obsession to the point of insanity. My need for control in my life demands that I try to prevent that day from ever happening, and if that means sharing the insanity, so be it.)" ______________________ Tears filled Mulder's eyes. He had no way to tell her how right she was and how sorry he was that thing were that way. It was apparent that Dana never required his protection. He needed hers. Mulder read on ..... _______________________ "I employed the assistance of Ludwig to search the tunnels for Trepkos. When we found him, Trepkos fired a flare gun at Ludwig. As the magnesium flare embedded in his body, I could see the pulsating mass in Ludwig's neck. Trepkos forced me to surrender my weapon at gun point. Then he doused Ludwig's body with gasoline and ignited it. As the flames engulfed him, the stalk erupted from his neck, as it had with Tanaka. He was trying ot kill the organism. Trepkos confessed to the killing of Pierce but stated that Erickson was the first to die by the new life-form. Everyone else, Tanaka, Ludwig and Jessie , were infected. He escaped exposure because he was locked in his lab doing research. In his deranged mind, he felt he was responsible for introducing the deadly organism to the world and he vowed to eradicate it. He killed Pierce to prevent another Team from resuming the work once they were all dead. "I attempted to explain my finding regarding the spores life cycle but he refused to believe I was sincere. As we argued, Jessie approached us. She was terrified and held her arms out to Trepkos. I could see the throbbing mass in her throat. Trepkos embraced her then discharged my weapon into her head. I took cover behind a jumble of rocks and watched as he threw away the weapon and the mass burst from her neck. Trepkos lifted her body and proceeded to walk deeper into the tunnel. I recovered my weapon and ordered him to halt. He ignored me and I fired a round over his head as a warning. The shot triggered a rock slide which buried them both. "Nov. 13 I returned to the base to report that I was the only survivor requiring evacuation. Even if Trepkos did survival the cave-in, he was surely infected by the spores and without proper protective gear, it would be unwise to expose myself to such risk." ________________________ That was the end. Mulder studied the last entry and knew there was more to the story than what Scully dared write. But what could have been so secretive that she wouldn't write it? The journal already had references of new life forms, hints of conspiracies, and details of their private life. Mulder flipped through the journal for any other clues. He wasn 't even sure how she got it out of quarantine. Quarantine for a whole month. So much for one night alone with her. And a whole month playing a single father. Just then he heard a knock at the door. "Mulder, it's me." the woman's voice said. "If only it were you." Mulder sighed quietly at the greeting used so often by the woman he loved. But tonight it wasn't her, only her sister. "Come in Melissa." The dark room concerned her. The last time she walked into his darkened apartment his mood was even darker. "Mulder, why is it dark in here? And don't say because the lights are out." "But it's true. In all the commotion of having Hope here, I forgot to buy light bulbs." he confessed. "Is that why your reading by the light of a fish tank?" she asked teasingly. He nodded and she just laughed. "How long before Dana comes back? Not too long, or Mom and I will have to baby sit YOU and Hope." "One day is too long as far as I'm concern." Mulder replied anxiously. Melissa began to gather the items for Hope and asked "Will you be staying here or at Dana's place?" "I'll go to the office to work but I'll be home with Hope every night." he said. sadly. "Something's wrong. Something about Hope. Don't try to hid it from me, Fox - I know you too well." Melissa warned. "If you know me so well, why do you call me Fox?" "Because I know you hate when I do. Come on, tell me what's bothering you." Melissa insisted. Mulder sighed and said "It's Hope. She cried almost the entire time she was here with me. Even when she was with your mother, and she called me, Hope cried. I don't think she likes me." Melissa began to laugh and Mulder's face turned bright red. "You think it's funny that my daughter hates me?" Melissa smiled and hugged him. "She doesn't hate you. She loves you, in fact she feels your love." Mulder gave her a puzzled look. "Mulder, she wasn't crying at you, she was crying with you." "But I wasn't crying..." Mulder protested. "Only because you're an adult who's learned to filter out that pain. But you were crying within, crying for Dana." Melissa explained. Suddenly the light came on in Mulder's eyes. "She's empathic to me?" "Like mother, like daughter. You'll never be the `Invisible Man' to either one -they'll always see you for who you are." Melissa smiled and started to leave. Suddenly Mulder stopped her. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." he said as he took the bag from her hands. "It's just that you shouldn't have to make a special trip, if I'm going home tonight." "But I thought you were going to stay here tonight." she asked. "I was but that was before I knew my daughter didn't hate me." he smiled. Mulder surprised Maggie when he came instead of Melissa.. He did ask Maggie to stay the night anyway since he expected another late night call. Mulder kissed his sleeping baby gently then retired to the couch in the living room. He continued to study the journal, when suddenly his phone rang. "Mulder." he said anxiously "Good news, Mulder. They're going to let me out in 14 days." his beaming wife said. "That's great." he replied happily. Then he said cautiously "Is there anything else you CAN tell me." "This is a secure line. Thanks to Langly and his friends." she replied. "I only have about 10 minutes." "Tell me what happen with you and Trepkos. I know this journal is incomplete." Scully sighed. and began slowly. "When I went searching for Trepkos, Jessie wanted to come but Ludwig didn't trust her so we left her behind. He was killed just like I described and Trepkos did get my gun from me." Mulder interrupted and said "Don't feel bad. It happens to me all the time." Scully smile then continued "He told me the story of what happen just as I described it in the journal but I offered to take him back under my protection so he could report on his research. I warned him that he would have to answer to the crime of killing Pierce. "He just laughed and said he was already trying to answer for an even great crime. A crime against nature. Mixing life forms that did not belong together. And the final crime of supreme arrogance in believing that he could control it. That only he could control it. If he had shared his finding with the other, none of this would have happen. Then he apologized for having to kill me. `No one leaves' he said. "When I told him I knew how the spores spread and that I was not infected, he warned me against the same arrogance he had. `You can't control nature. Her awesome secrets are hers alone' I asked if he was willing to just let Jessie die like the others. He told me `I ask her to join me here, told her that this would change her life. Now I don' t end have the courage to end her suffering.' That's when I told him about you. An about our search." Mulder's head shot up "Us? Why did you tell him about us?" "Because he needed to understand. As young as Jessie was, she made her own choice. He wasn't responsible for her fate anymore than you were responsible for my abduction. He seem affected by my understanding and offered my life in exchange for my silence about the new organism. I refused saying it was my duty to tell the truth. He said people weren't ready for the truth. I told him he was being arrogant again. He said I was just as arrogant if I let only half the truth be told. Then I told him he was right and that only he had the whole truth to tell. "Trepkos finally said `The truths you and your partner seek are no different than mine. Only he is looking up and I'm looking down. Promise me, when the time comes you'll look earthward as well for the answers.' That I did agree to. Then Jessie came and they embraced as I described in the journal. But it was Trepkos who told me to take cover before he shot Jessie. He didn't want to risk exposing me to the spores. And when he walked off with her body, I didn't try to stop him." "Scully, YOU let him go?' Mulder asked amazed that she would ever consider it. "Mulder, I saw too much of you in him. From his brilliance, to his arrogance, to his guilt. He gave up everything to prevent the spread of the disease and now he was infected as well. I knew he wasn' t ever going back to the surface. The families of the deceased would have their answers and there was no more justice our courts could administer. "Why the military would want to hid the truth I have no idea. I expect my report will be edited to express the events as they see fit. There are no plans to re-establish the Firewalker Project or to continue the deep exploration of the Cascade Volcanoes But I know what I saw and I know what Trepkos saw, even if I don't understand it all. And Mulder, you can bet that on the day I find enough proof to tell the whole truth, everyone will be looking downward for answers." "Dana, if I wasn't already married to you I'd ask you to marry me again." Mulder said lovingly. "I hate to admit it Mulder, but crusading for the truth is addictive." she replied. "Strange isn't it? That being apart like this has brought me closer to you?" "Just don't make a habit of it or I'll be out of a job." Mulder teased. "After this, no more secret calls. I'm tired of secrets" she said wearily. "Kiss Hope good night for me and dream about us tonight." Mulder smiled and said "I always dream about us." Before hanging up he asked "Just how did you get that journal out?" She sighed "There a some truths that will remain hidden...like the truth about soliders and redheads. Good-night, Fox." Her teasing made her absence ever more unbearable. Mulder held the phone tight to his chest and imagined Scully with him. Her warm soft body, curled atop his. Peacefully content. Alone at last. It was a wonderful dream until he heard Hope crying. Mulder meet Maggie in the hall and told her he would take care of it. It was time for her feeding and Mulder enjoyed watching such a simple pleasure change Hope's demeanor. Afterwards, she rested quietly in his arms and he reluctantly placed her back in her crib. He sat on the floor beside the crib and rest his head on the edge as he watched her sleep. Just like he watched Dana sleep. That's was how Maggie found him in the morning, still watching his beautiful baby. Scully had trouble sleeping while trapped in isolation. The problem was so bad she actually requested something to help her sleep. When she finally drifted off, she first dreamed of being with Mulder and his desperate passion. As wonderful as it was, the dream faded and her mind returned to images of being in the hospital in a coma. She saw Bill and Mulder fighting and wished they would stop. She saw Melissa trying to call to her and she was unable to answer. Then she saw the mysterious Nurse Owens as she carried a small infant away. The child Scully knew was her own. Then in a moment of clarity she could see the infant - and she was not Hope. Scully woke in a start and looked through the observation window. In the shadows, she would have sworn she saw Nurse Owens leaving the room. Is the dream the truth or truth the dream..... END _____________________________________ I didn't plan to write this story, it just wrote itself. One of my reader's suggested Scully face this one alone. Her seeing aspects of Mulder within Trepkos helps to make this work. Trepkos's obession droven him mad but in the end his compassion prevailed. Lots of changes in the story due to basic premise change but the most significant change was Jessie's death. Her romantic demise in my story served to create the bond between Trepkos and Scully which allowed her to let him go. I also planted seeds of future grief in the fates for young Hope. I promise not to kill her off but her origin remains a question. I hope you caught how bonded Mulder and Hope are. From the instensity of his rapture to the pain of his fear, she responds to him emotionallly. Even his dreams of Scully fade at Hope's side. She is definitely Daddy's Little Girl. But who's the Mom? BTW: The title is a cheap tribute to "Twin Peaks", where the phrase `Fire walk with me' was a clue to a young girl's mysterious disappearance. If you didn't know, David Duchovny appeared in several episodes of the show as a transvestite DEA agent. Please send feedback and comments to shinkai@mlode.com