From: Shaun Reich <str22@drexel.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 09:57:51 -0400
Subject: The Last Apostle by Shaun Reich
Source: direct

Summary: Mulder and Scully investigate a theological homicide of
biblical proportions.

Timeline: Occurs during late Season 7

Spoilers: Hollywood A.D., Signs And Wonders

Classification: X-File/Romance/Angst

Rated: R

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the television program "The
X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox
Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without
permission. No copyright infringements are intended. This work is not to
be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup or WWW site without the
permission of the author. I give permission for it to be put on atxc.


********************

The Last Apostle

By Shaun Reich

August 23rd, 2001

********************


Greenwich, Tennessee
Tuesday, March 7th, 2000
10:13 pm

Father Eugene Carmichael rubbed his tired eyes as he finished the
closing statements of his urgent e-mail. It had been a rough day for
him. During his afternoon nap, Carmichael had a bizarre vision unlike
any he had ever had before. In his dream, he saw a bloody cross with a
man hung upon it, similar to the death of Jesus Christ. But instead of
Jesus upon the cross, it was himself he saw.

Father Carmichael had visions before, and was known to perform miracles
now and again. He did not want to draw attention to his special gift. He
knew the dire consequences it could bring. If the media ever heard of a
miracle-maker, he'd be exposed and vulnerable. Unfortunately, that is
exactly what had happened.

A young boy in his church had recently lost the use of his legs during a
horrible hit-and-run accident after school. Feeling pity for the boy and
his struggling family, Carmichael visited them after church the previous
weekend to perform his miracle. Simply by laying his hands across the
boy's legs and praying to God, the boy fully recovered.

The family praised Carmichael for his spectacular ability, to which he
simply smiled and left quietly. Unable to contain themselves, the family
contacted the media to glorify their savior, Father Eugene Carmichael.
Little did the family realize the added attention of the miracle would
draw the attention of the one man he feared the most.

Carmichael clicked the SEND button of his email to warn his fellow
brother, Father Kellerman, in Atlanta. Suddenly, a loud crash of
lightning outside in the storm caused his pulse quicken with fear as the
swishing of trees and wind howled outside.

The elderly pastor lit a candle and walked through his house to head for
bed. Granted, after the dream he had earlier, there was no way he wanted
to sleep again. Carmichael turned the last corner to reach the staircase
when suddenly the cold wind of death blew out the single flame. Now he
was truly afraid.

Coming up stealthily from behind, a cloaked shadowy figure moaned in
agony. Carmichael turned to run, but collapsed after crashing into a
table in the foyer. The intruder pulled a short lethal knife from its
sheath, with the blade gleaming in the twilight. Father Carmichael
screamed in terror as his nightmare started to come true.


Thursday, March 9th, 2000
7:30 am

The rented blue Ford Taurus came to a dead stop amongst a row of
unattended police cars. The pair of FBI agents got out and stretched
their legs, glad to have finally arrived at the crime scene. The
Greenwich PD had contacted the FBI seeking anybody who was good dealing
with bizarre theological crimes. Mulder and Scully of the X-Files unit
were immediately contacted to investigate the murder in Tennessee.

"Guess they're all inside already. Might as well join them" Mulder
remarked as he held up the yellow 'CRIME SCENE' ribbon and let Scully
through first. As they proceeded to the crime scene, they were unaware
somebody else was taking an interest in them at the same time from afar.
Once the coast was clear, the cloaked man proceeded to the empty cars.

The absolute bizarreness of the murder as described over the phone
attracted both agents' attentions. Mulder's immaculate ability for
profiling violent crimes and Scully's deep-rooted Christian upbringing
made them the perfect FBI agents to solve the gruesome murder. A
nauseated policeman pointed them in the proper direction.

"Aren't you glad to be back in Tennessee, Mulder."

"I don't mind it as long as I don't have to deal with snakes again."

Mulder held the door open for Scully as they entered the giant living
room area of Father Eugene Carmichael. The stench of death lingered
above the fireplace. The pastor's lifeless mangled body was crucified
from a large cross that had been manufactured specifically for above the
mantle. Forensic photographers and investigators were searching the
crime scene for any clues to the murderer's identity. A burly detective
approached the agents and greeted them heartily.

"I sure am glad the feds are taking over on this one. I'm Detective
Mueler."

"We're Agents Mulder and Scully. What can you tell us so far,
detective?"

"Father Eugene Carmichael. Age 68. Single. Found late last night by one
of his church-goers. Initial exams place the death around Tuesday night.
Cause of death is pretty obvious; hung on a giant cross like Jesus
Christ."

"Thanks, detective. We're gonna take a look around" Scully wandered over
to the fireplace and visually inspected the limp hanging body. Mulder
came up behind her as she started to point out a few theological
observations.

"This guy sure went into a lot of detail with this murder Mulder. Crown
of thorns, nail spikes through the wrists and feet, gash wound in the
abdomen. Almost everything's pretty much just like Christ's death."

"Almost? What's different, Scully?"

"His chest is carved in. Looks like somebody wrote something in him.
'XI' I think. That's eleven in Roman Numerals. I wonder what it means?"
Scully pondered aloud as Mulder drifted to the adjacent computer room. A
forensics analyst was dusting a blood-stained mouse and keyboard when
Mulder entered the room.

"Find anything yet?" he asked the timid fingerprint duster.

"Nope. The murderer used his bare hands, but didn't leave any prints. My
guess is he burned them off. Deleted all the pastor's emails too. All
that's left is his directory. Computer's all yours now if you want."

Mulder put on a plastic glove as he studied the computer. Glancing down
at the keyboard, Mulder noticed a large blotch of blood around the 'M'
and 'E' keys. He jotted down the specific bloodied letters:
K,L,N,M,E,R,A. He then glanced at the screen, in which the pastor's
email contact folder was the only program open. The contact directory
was loaded with hundreds of names. It would take them a while to find
out who or what the murderer was after. He printed out a complete list
of the entire directory.

Scully came in moments later carrying a large painting. It was Da
Vinci's 'The Last Supper', where all twelve apostles of Christ were
huddled around the table.

"Found this near the fireplace. Seems our murderer is a real religious
fanatic. He crossed off one of the apostles with a bloody 'XI', just
like Father Carmichael."

"Do you think it means anything, Scully?"

"I'm not sure. One thing I am pretty sure of though is that there is
going to be one more murder. There were twelve original apostles. I
think this guy's going on some sort of twisted religious vendetta"
Scully detailed her grim view of the murderer's motives.

"Sounds about right. Probably used the Father's computer to find his
next target. I got a print-out of his directory. We can search it later
and try to find a match."

Detective Mueler returned to join the agents with some more news. 

"Poor guy. He performed a miracle on Sunday, gets on the news Monday,
and gets butchered on Tuesday. Damn shame if you ask me."

"Really? Do you happen to know the name and address of the person he
healed?"

"Yeah. A young boy named Steve McAllister. I'm guessing he and his
family are at the church for the mourning ceremony. You can follow me if
you want" Mueler stated as he escorted the coroner out with the
Carmichael's lifeless body.

Scully turned to her partner as they left the house and crossed back
under the yellow ribbon, "What's on your mind, Mulder? You've been
pretty quiet."

"Just thinking. I want to go back to DC. I want to research that
incision on the chest. Something about it rings familiar with me. I
think there's an old x-file very similar to this one. Might help us
out."

"Okay. I'm going to interview that boy that had that miracle performed
on him. Might be able to help us out. I'll drop you off at a car rental
place" Scully responded.

"While you're here in Tennessee, you can go through this directory list
too. Try to match up the names to these letters here on this slip. Maybe
we still have time to warn this guy's next target."

"I still hope we can stop this guy. You realize he has a full day
advantage on us."

"I know. I'll drive too since I drive faster."

Scully smirked at the comment and got in the rented Taurus. Little did
either of them realize that their conversation was being eavesdropped on
by the cloaked individual. He was tucked safely away in the trunk of
their Ford Taurus. He was glad that their car was unlocked and had a
remote trunk release. 

The man thought quietly to himself that these agents were pretty good.
Much better than in his previous murders. His mission was finally coming
to an end. All he had to do was find and slay the last apostle...


Greenwich Catholic Church
10:13 am

After dropping Mulder off to rent a car back to Washington DC, Scully
then proceeded through the quaint town to Father Carmichael's church.
The parking lot was filled with mourning spectators and media vans.
Scully managed to find a spot across the street and entered the sacred
church. Inside, hundreds of crying people listened to stories of their
pastor's accomplishments and of God's loving grace.

During a pause in the ceremony, Scully approached the head woman in
charge of the church. She was pale and scared. It was then Scully
realized she was the same woman who had discovered the hanging body.

"I'm Louisa Merriweather. I had gone to Father Carmichael's last night
to discuss our upcoming church events. God, I never imagined somebody
could do something like that to a good man like him."

"Miss Merriweather, what can you tell me about Father Carmichael? Any
enemies?"

"I'm afraid I don't know him that well. He came here only a couple
months ago. He told me he never liked staying in one place too long.
Always seemed paranoid, I don't know why. Its as if he knew one day this
kind of thing would happen."

"I've heard he recently performed a miracle on a boy in this church. Is
he here now?"

"Yes. I saw him in the crowd. I'll get him for you."

Louisa left Scully's side to find Steve McAllister. When she returned
back with him, they retired to Carmichael's former office to talk.
Scully went aghast when she saw the interior of the office. Surrounding
the room was paintings and pictures of Jesus Christ, The Last Supper,
and one of the apostles.

"Father Carmichael certainly loved Jesus. And this particular apostle
too. Do you know who this is Louisa?"

"That's Simon. It was his favorite apostle. Sometimes he would spend
hours telling us about their suffering after Jesus's crucifixion. He
even gave us a list of them all to try to inspire us to follow their
footsteps. I can get you a copy too if you like."

"Thanks. I'd be much obliged" said Scully curiously. She pocketed
Louisa's paper and turned her attention to the small boy seated in the
pastor's swivel chair. He seemed anxious to leave, so Scully made her
comments quick.

"Hi Steve, I'm Dana. I hear Father Carmichael helped you walk again."

"Yup, that's right. He touched my broken legs, and I felt them start
getting hot. It was so cool. I hadn't felt anything down there since
that accident."

"Do you still have any discomfort Steve?" Scully followed up.

"Nope. I played fox-and-hound yesterday. I didn't hurt once."

"Did you notice anything odd about Father Carmichael when he performed
the miracle?"

"He seemed a little worried, but that's about it."

"Go ahead, run along Steve. Thanks for your help. That's all I wanted to
ask."

Louisa escorted the boy out of the office by the hand, leaving Scully
alone to look around the room. Out of curiosity, she pulled out the list
Louisa had given her. She skimmed to the bottom, which listed the method
each apostle had died from: 

 1. Judas Iscariot the traitor hung himself
 2. Peter was crucified head down 
 3. Andrew was bound to death
 4. James, son of Zebedee, was beheaded by the sword
 5. John was banished 
 6. Phillip was crucified 
 7. Bartholomew was beaten, crucified, then beheaded 
 8. Thomas was run through by a lance 
 9. Matthew was slain by the sword 
10. James, son of Alphaeus, was thrown from a pinnacle, then beaten to
death
11. Simon was crucified
12. Thaddeus was shot to death

Scully almost gasped as she read the eleventh name; Simon...


FBI Building
3:00 pm

Mulder yawned as he entered his spacious basement office. It had been a
long drive from Tennessee, and he still wasn't done for the day yet.
After tossing his trench coat over Scully's chair, he checked his
voicemail to see if Chuck Burk had returned with any news. Mulder had
called him en route and had given him the descriptions of the case.

Chuck specialized in theologistic paranormal encounters. His capacity
for bizarre religious sightings matched Mulder's quest for
extra-terrestrial life. Chuck nearly gasped in joy as Mulder outlined
the details of the case. Chuck then promised to get back to Mulder
before 2 pm. It was no surprise when he checked his voicemail.

"Mulder, its Chuck. I checked out that description of the body and the
carving in the chest and all. You might be surprised to learn that there
is a long history of that after Christ died. They're not all
crucifixions though. A couple of bodies were beheaded and stuff. They
don't mention what the exact carvings on the bodies were though. Hope
this helps you buddy. Later."

Mulder pulled out his pack of sunflower seeds and grimaced at the
bizarreness of the case. Perhaps it was just a psychotic religious
freak. But he knew there had to be something more. 

The X-Files bin had grown full over the years, so he and Scully devised
an elaborate arrangement of the files. Using his computer, Mulder
tracked down old cases involving carvings in the chests of people. After
reading the synopsis of each one, he finally found the one that matched
his case. He picked up his receiver and dialed Scully's cellular phone
number.

"Scully."

"Hey, its me. Got some more info on this case. That old X-Files I
mentioned is from 1950. A man in Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania was walking
the Appalachian Trail. His body was found at the bottom of a cliff,
completely beaten. Had the letter 'X' inscribed into his chest. Sound
familiar to you?"

"Wait, Mulder. Did you say 1950? That was fifty years ago. Are you
suggesting this is a copycat killer?"

"Perhaps. Some lunatic comes across this murder long ago and wants to
finish the deal. Chuck checked up on these carvings too. He says they've
been going on for two thousand years. They're probably some sort of
legacy murders."

Scully suddenly remembered the piece of paper handed to her at the
church. She skimmed over it and read the tenth name, 'James was thrown
from a pinnacle, then beaten to death'. Perhaps they were really were
legacy murders.

"Mulder, you won't believe what I've found out. These murders are
following a pattern similar to the deaths the original twelve apostles
followed."

"How'd you make the connection, Scully?"

"Father Carmichael had a sheet listing all the apostles and their
deaths. You won't believe this, but the way the tenth and eleventh
apostles matches up exactly with how your trail hiker and Father
Carmichael died. Mulder, I'm almost positive this is the pattern. I just
don't understand the motivation though."

"I don't think anybody can ever understand the motivation. All we need
to do is find that last target and end this cycle."

"I think I found him Mulder, the next target. I looked over that list
you gave me. The only name that matches all those bloody letters is a
Father Nicholas Kellerman."

"That's great Scully. You need to get to him right now."

"I can't Mulder. His address wasn't listed in the e-mail bin. Only the
e-mail address. That means our murderer probably doesn't know where he
is either."

"Just to be on the safe side, we'd better get to him first. Let me see
if I can do a nationwide search for him from the FBI mainframe."

Mulder typed away and eventually pinpointed out Kellerman's address.
Since no phone number was given, he gave Scully the address in Atlanta
and told her he'd join her late that night. After hanging up with
Scully, Mulder sent Kellerman an e-mail warning him of a possible
attacker.

Once he felt he had finished all his business in his X-Files office,
Mulder headed out the door to his rental car. It was going to be a very
long drive to Atlanta.


St. Thaddeus's Church of Christ
7:00 pm

Scully pulled into the deserted parking lot of Father Kellerman's church
in a quiet suburb outside Atlanta. It had been a long day for Scully,
and she sincerely hoped it wasn't too late for the pastor. Her
investigations into Cardinal O'Fallon's religious misdoings last year
made her faith in ordained ministers waiver. She now found it hard to
trust anybody who supposedly was a spokesman for God.

Scully brazenly entered the spacious church. An array of candles filled
the rear altar with their illuminations. A large portrait of Father
Carmichael lay on the altar, surrounded by beautiful flowers and the
Holy Cross. There was only one individual in the entire building, a lone
man sitting in the front pew.

The candlelight danced across the man's sad face, coloring the man's
teardrops in a reddish hue. Scully noticed the man's white collar in his
black dress shirt. It had to be Father Kellerman. She wondered how did
he learn of Carmichael's death?

"Father Kellerman? I'm Special Agent Dana Scully with the FBI."

"I had a feeling you would find me eventually."

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't follow. How did you know about Father
Carmichael's death?"

"I felt his life leave this world for God's grace. Now I'm all alone."

"You're referring to the Apostles, aren't you Father Kellerman?"

The elderly man stood up in disbelief upon hearing her statement. It was
the first time anyone had come close to understanding his secret. Was
someone finally ready to receive the truth?

"My dear Agent. Are you ready to hear my tale of that spans across the
centuries?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. I have all the pieces, I just don't see the
connections."

"All right, Agent Scully. Follow me to my chamber, and I'll tell you
everything."


Church Parking Lot
7:10 pm

The cloaked man wiggled in pain. He had spent all day in the trunk of
the red-headed woman's rental car. He could hear her cellular
conversations through the seat cushions. It sounded to him as if the FBI
was on the right track to finding Kellerman. And judging by the time he
had spent in the trunk, the cloaked man felt this would be a good time
to emerge from his hiding spot and conclude the hunt.

Wielding his trusty knife, the man repeatedly stabbed at the backseat.
It was arduous work for a man in his condition, but it had to be done.
He had to finish his work. He stuck his arms through and continuously
ripped away chunks of the thick fabric. Twenty minutes later, he managed
to carve a mangled hole and crawled up into the backseat. A car's
headlights swerved into the empty parking lot as he settled himself.

The oncoming car parked next to the passenger side the red-headed
woman's rental car. The cloaked man poked his head up over the edge of
the door so he could look at the driver. It was just who he needed; the
dark-haired FBI Agent. The one she called Mulder.


St. Thaddeus's Church of Christ
7:15 pm

"I guess the best way to explain my story to you Agent Scully, would be
if I start at the very beginning. It was roughly 2000 years ago when
God's only son, Jesus Christ, gathered his twelve apostles around the
table for the last time. The next day, as you know, Jesus was crucified
by Pontius Pilate. He rose again on the third day, and appeared before
his Apostles individually. You already knew all this, right?"

"Pretty much. Please continue" Scully replied with keen interest on the
subject.

"Well, when Jesus appeared before his Apostles, he bestowed upon them
the Gift of the Holy Ghost, or as we refer to it as The Comforter, to
guide and uplift them in his physical absence. This spiritual
confirmation gave them the renewed strength to go out in the hostile
world and testify of Christ's mission, his gospel and resurrection."

"Okay, this makes sense so far. How does this relate to the case
though?"

"The Comforter also granted two special abilities. The first is the
ability to make miracles happen. The second... is the ability to pass it
on."

"Pass it on? How?" Scully blurted in wonder.

"On their deathbeds, the Apostles would touch a dear friend and pass on
the Comforter. The receiving person would then have those abilities
bestowed upon them. Its God's way of making miracle's happen for those
worthy of them. However, over the centuries, the power of the Comforter
has gotten weaker with each new beholder."

"Are you suggesting that the miracle Father Carmichael performed on that
boy was a result of this Comforter?" Scully posed the question to the
elderly priest.

"Yes. Eugene felt much sorrow in his heart, and was able to utilize the
power bestowed to him to heal the boy."

"So if what you're saying is correct, then this Comforter has been
around for centuries, being passed down from the original Apostles. Are
you one of the 'recipients'?"

"Yes, I am. My powers originated from the Apostle Thaddeus, Eugene's
originated from Simon. What you don't know is that we were the only
remaining two individuals with the Comforter gift? As you've witnessed,
somebody has hunted us recipients down over the centuries, trying to end
the progression of the gift."

"But how? And why? Its an amazing ability you claim to have."

"This man is eternal. God has forsaken him from death. He crucified
God's only son, and this man's damnation for that deed is eternal life.
He feels no remorse for his actions. He has killed innocent people in
the past to find us. But now it appears that his life-long vendetta is
coming to an end."

"That would mean the man we're looking for is..." Scully's jaw dropped
in astonishment.

"Pontius Pilate."


Church Parking Lot
7:20 pm

Mulder's mind was drifting wildly. It had been a long, exhausting day of
driving for him. He was just grateful that their hard work paid off and
they had gotten to Kellerman before the homicidal maniac. Rubbing his
eyes, Mulder exited his car and walked towards the back of his car, not
even glancing inside Scully's rental car.

Suddenly, the rear passenger door of her car burst open and a large
cloaked mass pummeled the startled agent to the ground. Pilate slammed
Mulder's head against the pavement a few times to knock the senses out
of him. Mulder did the best he could to fight back by elbowing the
cloaked maniac's head. It did little harm to the man, and before Mulder
knew it, the man had unsheathed a knife from beneath the folds of the
cloak.

Still spaced out from the rush to his head, Mulder felt little pain as
the knife was jabbed into his body repeatedly. His body's endorphins of
natural morphine kicked in, letting Mulder's severely injured body slip
into unconsciousness. Pilate laid two bloody fingers alongside Mulder's
jugular and realized the agent was still alive; barely.

Pilate groped the pockets of Mulder's bloody trench coat and removed his
car keys, cellular phone, and his fully-loaded Sig-Sauer. Weary from his
victory, Pilate struggled to stand as he opened the trunk of Mulder's
rental car now. With the remains of his strength, he hoisted Mulder's
limp form into the trunk and slammed it closed.

Mulder's rental car erupted into a roar as Pilate drove the car to the
parking lot's exit. He then found a secluded spot right at the exit so
he could watch St. Thaddeus's Church for when the other agent and
Kellerman would leave. He would wait all night if need be. To Pilate, a
few hours were mere seconds when compared to the expanse of the life he
had been forced to live by God. He would soon have his revenge.


St. Thaddeus's Church of Christ
7:25 pm

"Father Kellerman, its a fascinating story. But even if Pilate were
still alive, why would he want to eliminate the Comforter? Most people
would love to live forever."

"Not him, Agent Scully. After Christ died, Pilate fled to Germany in
disgrace. Rumor has it he was captured by mongrels and burned alive.
That's when he learned of his eternal damnation. He's been horribly
disfigured, forced to live the life of a vagrant."

"And has been hunting down the Comforter recipients over the centuries,
right?"

"Yes, exactly. Pilate feels the best way to get God's attention to let
him die is to spite him. His quest is almost over too" Kellerman said
with a tear.

"I won't let him harm you. Come on, I'm taking you to a safer place. I
don't know where Agent Mulder is. I'll call him later on and tell him
where were at" Scully said proudly and led him outside to her rental car
in the parking lot. She was stunned to see the torn hole in her backseat
and drew her Sig-Sauer immediately.

"He must have been in your trunk the whole time, Agent Scully. I told
you he would find me. Its only a matter of time."

"He must have snuck inside. We need to get out of here."

Scully chided herself for being responsible for aiding the maniacal
Pilate. She inspected her car further and saw he was nowhere to be
found. She and Kellerman got inside and quickly sped out of the parking
lot.

From his vantage spot, Pilate watched Scully and Kellerman's whole
escapade. He could have killed them both right then, but decided to make
his final act more, creative.

Pilate turned on the car and pulled back into the parking lot. Using his
thick cloak, he carried Mulder's limp body into the unlocked church. The
hour was at hand...


Outside Atlanta Police Headquarters
8:00 pm

Scully and Father Kellerman were almost at the police headquarters when
Scully's cellular phone rang. She reached into her pocket with her right
hand and looked down at the screen to see Mulder's name light up. She
had been wondering when he would call. She pressed the receive button
and held it gently to her ear while driving the damaged rental car.

"Mulder, where have you been? I have Father Kellerman. I'm taking him
into protective custody until we catch this lunatic" Scully answered in
a rush. The cold shrilly voice on the other end, however, was not
Mulder's.

"You must be referring to me as the lunatic. Am I right, Agent Scully?"

Scully nearly screamed upon hearing Pilate's voice on Mulder's phone.
She slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision, dropping the phone on
Kellerman's lap. He knew who it was on the other end by Scully's
reaction. The brave minister picked up the phone and spoke.

"Pilate, it's Kellerman. There's no reason to bring these agents into
our struggle. I say you and I end this once and for all."

"My thoughts exactly. However, I don't think this FBI man I have hear
will be around much longer. I suggest you tell that redhead to get back
to your church as soon as possible, alone of course. She still might be
able to help him."

"What have you done to him, Pilate?" 

"Nothing much. He's just... hanging around."

The cellular phone on the Pilate's end click dead upon depicting
Mulder's dire situation. Kellerman looked at Scully's pale,
fear-stricken face. He knew the end of the struggle was upon them, but
who would survive the ordeal was the only thing on his mind.

"We have to go back to my church. He's there with your partner."

Scully didn't even bother to second-guess herself. Mulder was the only
true person she would sacrifice herself for. She spun the car in a quick
U-turn and sped at 70 miles per hour back to St. Thaddeus's Church of
Christ.


St. Thaddeus's Church of Christ
8:30 pm

Scully parked at the far end of the street from the church to avoid
detection. With her Sig-Sauer already pulled, she crept down the
sidewalk stealthily. At the last building before the church parking lot,
Scully scanned the area from the cover of shadows.

Suddenly, an elderly hand touched her wrist, sending a spark of
comforting energy between them. Scully jumped from being startled by
Father Kellerman.

"I told you to stay in the car" she ordered sternly but politely.

"And I told you this ordeal ends tonight. Don't worry, I'm not afraid of
the consequences to me. I'm more worried about your friend. Let's hurry
inside."

Scully insisted on leading the way to the main steps of the church and
noticed a smear of blood across the door handle. Her heart sank to her
feet as she boldly pulled open the heavy door and entered. The interior
of the church was lit entirely by candles emanating from the front of
the church. And then she saw her most dreaded sight...

Mulder's naked body hung limply from a wooden cross at the altar; not
moving and not breathing. Blood had curdled down his legs from the stab
wounds. His head, arms and legs were bound to the cross by ropes. Worst
of all, his face was totally purple and lifeless. Only a miracle could
save her partner's life now.

Scully raced up to the altar to unbind Mulder, not really paying
attention for Pilate. She didn't fear for her life, only for his.
Kellerman raced in after her to help when suddenly a cloaked man burst
out from beneath a pew. Pilate repeatedly pulled the trigger of Mulder's
firearm, striking the elderly minister in the back.

Kellerman was dead immediately, ending Pilate's violent quest. Scully
drew her weapon at Pilate, but paused before firing. 

"What are you waiting for? Shoot me!" Pilate demanded in a shrill voice.
Scully was about to mouth off some orthodox surrender speech when
suddenly Pilate raised the gun and pointed it at Mulder's bare chest.

"Shoot me now or I'll shoot him. One, two..."

Scully pulled the trigger four times, screaming in anger from the loss
of her dear friend and partner. Her emotional threshold had been
breached. She dropped her gun on the ground turned her attentions back
to Mulder, still spread across the wooden cross. It was tedious work to
unbind the lifeless Mulder. Within minutes she had him laying on the
floor in front of the altar full of candles.

Checking for a pulse, Scully immediately began normal life-saving
procedures in the hopes she could breath life back into him. Despite her
best efforts, it was to no avail. She eventually crawled behind him and
cradled his head and shoulders in her lap. The fear she had been
dreading had finally happened. Mulder was dead.

Dana wept.

Her tears of sorrow bounced down Mulder's bare chest as she hugged him
closer for a final farewell. Sirens could be heard in the distance from
the ruckus that had occurred.

Suddenly, Mulder's still body began to emanate a strange warmth. Scully
tried to look out from her teary eyes at the phenomenon. The low moan
could be heard echoing from her partner's mouth. Scully ran her
blood-soaked fingers against his pulse again, and was amazed to discover
one. She rubbed Mulder's face and hair gently to get him to communicate.
She was in awe when his eyes opened in wonder.

"Mulder. You're alive. But how?" Scully stated aloud to her wounded
partner.

"Must have been a miracle, Scully" Mulder answered as he took her
delicate hand in his to wait for the paramedics to arrive.


THE END