Hi, this is my second story. They say you should write what you know best
...well I grew up in a Funeral Home so the story takes place there. 
Mulder and Scully are tracking mysterious crimes committed by already dead
individuals. 
Theirinvestigation leds to a deeper conspiracy one that ultimately may
claim even Mulder!

Hey, these are fun to write!


LOVE RULES IN THE END
X-Files Story by Jude Waples/1995
judith_a_waples@magic-bbs.corp.apple.com

The following is a story based on characters created by Chris Carter
copyrighted by 
Ten Thirteen Productions. No copyright infringement is intended.



Prologue
Los Angeles
April 25, 1995

Scully opened the door slowly and looked for Mulder before she entered.
She heard him 
before she found him. He sat behind a desk, slumped in a chair with its
back to the 
door. She entered the room and took a quiet step towards him. She saw his
shoulders 
heave as he sobbed quietly. Tears sprang to her eyes witnessing his pain.


 Mulder...  she was afraid to say it above a whisper.
He lifted his head from where it had been buried in his hands and turned slowly 
 Scully?  
His face brightened through the tears and a hesitant smile appeared on his
lips. 
He blinked back fresh tears of disbelief as he stood and reached for her.
She ran into his arms and he he held her tightly.
 You re safe?  he asked, bewildered and thankful.
 I wasn t in the car. They let me go before the crash. I m sorry, you
thought... 
 You re safe. That s all that matters Scully.  he whispered.

The day started with a meeting in Los Angeles at the Federal Building downtown. 
Scully had slipped into the bank across the street and walked into the
middle of a bank
robbery. Shots were fired. The Police and SWAT team descended on the bank,
but to no 
avail. Hostages were taken. Two gunmen stood their ground in the bank.
They demanded 
a car and took a frightened civilian at gunpoint. Scully volunteered to
take the place of
the hysterical teller that was being dragged from the bank. She caught a
glimpse of 
Mulder as shewas shoved into a car.What followed was a high speed chase
through the
city and up into the hills. Her captors, two nervous, frightened young men
of Latino
decent who spoke little English. She tried to talk them. But they didn t
understand her,
or didn t care. They kept screaming a each other,and the one who held her
in the back 
seat kept pointing his gun at Scully s head as the driver raced ahead of
the police. 
She was sure they were arguing which was going to kill her.Somewhere up in
the hills 
her captors slowed the car and the man with the gun reached over and
opened the car 
door. He grabbed Scully and forced her out of the moving car. She slammed
into the dirt
road and rolled across into the sage. She was unconscious seconds later.
It wasn t 
until she got back to the city, with the help of man who found her
stumbling along the 
road that she was told the two suspects had driven off the road, and over
a cliff 
during the chase. Their car exploded into flames. They thought she was
still in the car. 
She asked about Mulder, and was told that he was inconsolable. He sat in
the empty 
office at the end of the hall.

They held on to each other, each so grateful the other was there.
Mulder took her face into his hands. He stroked her hair, her face. He
smiled weakly 
noting the bruise and scratches that covered her cheek. He couldn t stop
himself. 
He kissed her cheek. In that moment that hung between his small kiss and
the warmth 
of his breath reflecting back from her cheek he found her lips. Hesitant,
they waited 
only a moment. Her mouth opened to his and their tongues met and entwined
in a timid 
search for the other. Her heart quickened. She knew she had to stop this
now. She 
pulled herself away. Mulder s breath came out as a small gasp and he only
nodded in 
numb agreement as he dropped his hands from her. 
Their eyes met, only long enough to assure each other that everything was
alright 
between them.
 I ll take you to Emergency.  he said.  


Chapter 1
WASHINGTON D.C.

She walked around the room for the hundred time that night. She wasn t
hurt, only 
bruised and sore. She had spent the night in the hospital and caught a
flight back to 
Washington the next morning. Mulder had left without her, leaving that
same day. She 
spent the day resting,only she hadn t rested at all. Mulder s reaction to
the belief that 
she was dead, touched her deeply. Not to mention his kiss. 
 Oh God,  she thought, the tears welling up again. 
 I can t do this. 
It would be the worse thing that could happen to them both. To their
friendship, their
 partnership perhaps even their careers.
 Skinner wouldn t stand for it for a second.  she told herself. 
Her odd partnership with ŒSpooky Mulder  was already the talk of the
Bureau. Office 
relationships, the gossip and innuendo. What a perfect mess everything
was. She heard 
a small knock. She tighten the belt on her bathrobe and looked through the
security 
hole. It was Mulder.
She opened the door.
 Hi.  she said rather sheepishly.  Come on in. 
 Feelin  better, Scully?  he inquired.
She smiled and nodded. She fiddled with her belt not quite sure what to
say next. Mulder spoke for her.
 I wanted to apologize Scully. For the way I...behaved. I am sorry. 
She studied him. This kind, troubled man who felt everything so deeply so
impulsively 
could not, would not allow himself to believe that she might also be at
fault. She did 
love him, and she hated herself for it.
 What are you sorry for? 
He looked perplexed. He was expecting a reprimand.
 I m not sorry for anything, except that I might have damaged our friendship.  
She nodded and looked up at him, holding his eyes to hers.
 No, you haven t done that. 
 Well , he said digging his hands deeper into his pockets. 
 That s good, Scully.  He looked away. 
 I guess I should let you get some sleep. Maybe take a couple days... 
He turned to leave and Scully watched him. She didn t find the courage to
speak until 
he had opened the door.
 Is that all you want, Fox. Friendship? 
He stopped and closed the door, leaning heavily against it.
He was just about to speak when Scully s phone rang. She hesitated, then
picked up the
phone. Her eyes went to Mulder.
 Yes, I m fine just a little sore...really.Yes Sir. Thank you. 
Mulder had come back into the room curious of her caller.
 No, I haven t...I can try to reach him. Yes, right away. 
She hung up and looked at Mulder.
 That was Skinner. He s been trying to contact you. He wants us both back
at Quantico 
tonight 
 What s up? 
 He didn t say. 
She looked at him. The moment was gone. 
 I better get dressed.  she said. 

They arrived together in less than an hour. Skinner s office was dark
except for he 
light on his desk. They had entered after a small knock and he pointed
them to some 
chairs.
 How you feeling Agent Scully,  he inquired, rising from his seat and
walking to the 
front of the desk.
 I m fine. Thank you.   
He nodded an acknowledgement towards Mulder.
 Good. I need you both to fly back to Los Angeles as soon aspossible. 
 What s this about?  Mulder asked.
Skinner picked up a remote and flicked on the TV video machine behind
them. They 
turned to see the bank surveillance tape from the robbery. Skinner paused
it when it 
captured the two young men responsible. The two young men who were now dead, 
burned beyond recognition in a fiery crash.
 We ve identified the suspects. Raoul Rodriges, seventeen and his cousin
Paul Gomez, 
nineteen. 
 This tape was released to the public?  Scully asked.
 They were positively identified by their families. 
 So what s the problem?  Mulder shrugged.

Skinner pushed at his glasses riding them back up his nose.
 The problem, Agent Mulder, is that both these young men died over eight
months ago. 
That saccording to their families who buried them. 
Scully and Mulder exchanged glances.
 It sounds like a case of mistaken identification.  Scully offered. 
 What makes their families so sure that these men on the tape are their
relatives? 
 ThatŒs what I need you to find out. 
Mulder shrugged a little shrug, his eyebrows raised giving Scully his
ŒWhat the heck?, sounds intriguing , look.

Mulder read over the newspaper article and handed it to Scully. They had
arrived back 
in LA by mid-morning and went straight to FBI Headquarters there.
Fortunately they 
were both able to grab a couple hours sleep on the flight.
She read the article.
ŒLos Angeles - July 5 1994.
Two men drowned yesterday at a neighborhood pool in East Los Angeles yesterday. 
The men Raoul Rodriges,17 and his cousin Paul Gomez,19 apparently broke
into the 
closed pool late after the busy July 4th holiday. They had both been
drinking. It is 
suspected the younger manwent to the aid of his cousin a non-swimmer and both 
drowned. They were both of Riverton Drive. Raoul was a student at Riverton
High and a 
member of the school s basketball team. 
His cousin Paul was planning to become a priest. It was just a childish,
summertime
 prank that went terribly wrong friends said. The funeral for the cousins
will be held 
Sunday at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Ventura. 
Scully studied the pictures of the two mens. She identified them as the
two who had 
abducted her from the bank.
 Well, where do we start?  she asked.
 How do you feel about Tacos and refried beans for lunch, Scully?  Mulder said 
grabbing his jacket.

The woman who answered the door, spoke no English. She called to a young
girl who 
answered to Violetta.
 I m Special Agent Mulder. This is Agent Scully. We are with the FBI. We d
like to ask 
you some questions about Raoul and Paul. 
She translated for the woman whom Mulder suspected was her grandmother and the 
woman opened the door to them.

The old women wiped her face with a red hanky. Her granddaughter took her
hands. 
Between the two of them, they had filled the agents in on the backgrounds
of the two 
dead men.
 I don t know what else we can tell you. Raoul and Paul died. We buried
them. We saw 
their bodies in the caskets and we saw them put in the earth. I don t know
how these 
two men could be Raoul and Paul. But they are...   
She handed back the blow-up from the surveillance tape. 
 They could not do such a thing. They were good. Paul wanted to enter the
Church. 
 We need speak to Paul s family as well, but we would like permission to exhume 
their bodies.  Scully said.Violetta translated and her grandmother started
to cry again, 
but she nodded her head toward the two agents in agreement.
 My grandmother would like to prove that her grandson and Paul are
innocent of this 
crime. If it would be allowed, I would like to be there when you...open
their graves. 
I know that Paul s mother and father will do whatever the Church recommends. 
Scully took the old woman s hand.  Tell you grandmother that we are very
sorry and 
that we will do our best to help.  

Once back in the car Mulder spoke.
 Why would two young men, one an A student with a possible scholarship in
basketball
and the other an aspiring man of the cloth fake their deaths in order to
rob a city bank 
in broad daylight?  
 Do you think they faked their deaths?  Scully asked. 
 Those two women seem pretty sure who they buried. 
 Maybe.  Mulder suggested.

Chapter Two
East L.A.

Mulder and Scully stood watching the caskets being lifted from the earth.
Violetta 
stood with Mr. and Mrs. Gomez. The caskets were loaded onto the hearse and they 
followed it back to the Mortuary.

It s empty too?....they are both empty?  The Funeral Director, Mr.
Garrido stared in 
disbelief at the sand bags inside the caskets. 
I don t know what to say...nothing like this has ever happened
before...really! 
Who was the last person to handle the bodies?  Mulder questioned.
 Ralph Major. He is our embalmer. He takes care of all the preparation work.   
Mr. Garrido replied.
May we talk to him? 

Those bodies were in the casket when they left here, Agent Mulder. I
closed the 
caskets myself! 
Ralph Major was an older man. Pale and balding. He wore glasses which sat
on the end 
of his nose. 
Could someone have had access to the bodies after you closed the caskets 
Scully 
asked.
Well, they were here alone overnight, and in the hearse in the parking
lot in the 
morning. 
You just can t walk off with two dead bodies Agent Mulder ...Garrido injected.
Are you sure they were dead?  Mulder asked simply. ³Maybe they walked out
on their 
own. 
Major s irritation at this suggestion was obvious.
Agent Mulder...if those two boys weren t dead when they arrived here,
they most 
certainly were when they left.  
Mulder s eyebrows raised.
I embalmed them.  he said.  That ll do it.  

FBI Department
Federal Building - Los Angeles

Scully poured over the little information she had obtained from the
postmortem on the 
two men. There was not much left to examine, they had been nearly
incinerated. There 
was nothing to indicate any other cause of death other than the crash and
resulting 
fire. The remains had been positively identified by dental records. Scully
picked up the 
skull of the younger man and turned it over. Her eye caught the glint of a
small object
as it fell onto the table. She picked it up and studied it intently. It
looked like a small 
piece of metal, fused and melted by the heat into a tiny blob.  She
slipped it into a 
sample bottle for further testing.

What did you find Scully? 
She placed the tiny bottle containing the metal piece in front of Mulder.
He looked at it.
I give up  he said.
I found this, and another inside the skull of each victim. 
A bullet fragment?  Mulder suggested.
There s no entry wound Mulder. 
I sent it down to the forensics lab. They can t identify the material. So
I sent it over 
to UCLA Metallography Department. Maybe they can help.  
Mulder sat in his chair, holding the bottle up.
Could the heat have affected it somehow? 
It wouldn t change it s molecular structure Mulder...you know that. 
Then what is it Scully?  he asked.
There s more. It s radioactive. 
He put down the bottle.
In fact, the remains of both bodies have a small degree of radioactivity
present.  
Any guess to the cause? 
There s not enough left to explore any possibilities.  she said shaking
her head.
Scully, listen to this. 
Mulder grabbed the file he had been reading.
The police report..the officer in the car behind Raoul and Paul said he
felt the driver 
of the car deliberately swerved off the road, and that it was not his
pursuing vehicle 
that forced the accident. 
Mulder...what do you expect him to say, with all the fuss in this city
about high-speed
chases harming civilians.  she answered.
Maybe, but I d like to follow this up...ok?  He jumped up from his seat
and grabbed his 
coat. 
Let me know when you hear something.  
She waved him a silent goodbye.

Police Department

Yes Sir. That s no bull. They were a good stretch ahead of us, going
maybe 110 mph. 
There are so many turns and bends on those road through the hills, we lost
sight of 
them repeatedly. That s why we didn t see them dump your partner. We hit a
small 
section of straight road and I could see them directly in front. The man
in the back 
seat, looked like he climbed over the driver and suddenly the vehicle
pulled to the 
right. They seemed to be fighting for control of the car. Then it just 
left the road. 
It s like they wanted to kill themselves. 
Yeah..Thanks Gibb.  Mulder shook the hand of the young officer.
It  pretty weird isn t it?  he added. Mulder looked up.
You know, about them already supposed to be dead and all? 
Mulder nodded.
That s the second case like that I heard of in the last month... 
What?   Mulder said, suddenly.
Well, yeah. There was a report outta Pasadena of a guy holding his Bank
Manager 
hostage 
for two days, wanted a million dollars in exchange. Finally the guy, who
was strapped 
to the hilt with explosives, let the guy go and blew himself away. 
Mulder listened intently.
The point is, I heard the guy was identified as some construction worker
who had died 
three months previously. What d ya think of that? Pretty weird huh? 
Pretty weird..yeah.  Mulder replied. ³You got papers on that? 
Before the officer could reply the hall was filled with shouting. They ran
together into 
thelarge office where several officers were gathered in front of a television.
What s up? ³Somebody asked.
Look at this shit man! Some guy just walked into City Hall down in San
Bernardino and 
took the Mayor and half the staff as hostages. Demanding five million
dollars in 
exchange for them! 
The entire San Bernardino force must be out front of the place. 
The watched in silence as a news correspondent excitingly reviewed the
situation.
As we mentioned earlier, a lone gunman walked into the San Bernardino
City Hall this 
morning and took Mayor John Hilts and his staff hostage. He has made a
demand for five 
million dollars to be delivered by 6:00 pm tonight or he will kill the
hostages. Security 
cameras caught the man still unidentified as he made his way into the elevator. 
A black and white piece of footage played out the gunman s entrance. At
one point, he 
looked directly into the camera, not seeming to care if his face was seen.
Shit!  an officer said.
That s Jose Garcia. I swear to God it is! 
You know this man?  Mulder asked.
I knew him...he was a fireman for East L.A.  The officer who s face went
deathly pale, 
looked up at Mulder. He died, over two months ago in a fire. 
Mulder and the young officer Gibb only acknowledged the other s thoughts with a 
glance.

San Bernardino

Scully arrived as quickly as she could after getting Mulder s call. She
found him 
standing with a group of officers near the City Hall in San Bernardino
west of Los 
Angeles. A negotiator was speaking with the gunman inside.
Mulder. What s going on? 
Another hostage situation, Scully. 
Does this have something to do with our case?  she inquired.
If I m right Scully...maybe everything.  he mused.
He filled her in on the information he had received from Officer Gibb.
Mulder this is crazy.  she said after he finished.
You don t have positive prove that that man inside is Jose Garcia. 
Scully we have a positive ID from an officer who knew the guy.  Mulder
complained. 
 That isn t the point...three separate hostage situations have occurred in
the last couple
 of months, all perpetrated by individuals who are suppose to be dead. 
She knew there was no point in arguing with him. He would follow this lead
with or 
without her.
Well...I can get the paperwork started to exhume the bodies of...
 Jose Garcia and Miguel Tomas.  Mulder repeated.
I ll also she what I can find on the remains of Miguel...  she added
jotting the names 
down.
Mulder patted her shoulder. 
Good. 
Gibb ran up to Mulder. 
He s agreed to let everyone but Hilts go. He still wants the cash by six. 
Get to it Scully, I ll join you later. 
Just be careful Mulder...ok?  she pleaded. He answered with a small smile.

FBI Department - Los Angeles
Chapter 3

Mulder entered the office where Scully was busy on the computer. She
turned to see 
him slouch into a chair.
What happened?  she said quietly. She could tell by Mulder s disheveled
appearance 
and posture that things did not go well.
They killed him Scully. 
The hostage? 
No..he s safe. The SWAT team managed to lure Garcia near enough to a
window and 
blew him away. 
Well, at least its over. 
He was our best lead. They should have waited. He had released all the
hostages. 
She handed  Mulder a computer printout.
There wasn t much left of Miguel Tomas...I m waiting for both remains to
be exhumed 
and delivered to the coroner s office. Meanwhile I checked some tissue
samples of 
Tomas I located. They contained the same radioactive elements as the first two 
victims. You were right Mulder. What do you wanna bet we come up with more 
sandbags? 
Mulder whistled quietly. This is really weird, Scully! 
Not to mention that both Jose and Miguel were until their deaths, pillars
of the 
community. Miguel a husband, father, coach of the local Pee Wee Hockey
Team...Jose 
Garcia....decorated twice for heroism in the line of duty. 
We need to examine Garcia s body as soon as possible.  Mulder confirmed. 
Where have they taken it?  she asked picking up the phone.
The morgue in San Bernardino. 
Scully confirmed with the authorities in San Bernardino the transport of
the body of 
the gunman back to Los Angeles for autopsy. She arranged the details with
the coroner.
It will be here in an hour. I m going to get ready. You ok?  she tapped
his hand.
Catch you later.  he answered.
***
She spoke into the small mike suspended above the body. The brain had been
dislodged 
from its cavity and sustained considerable damage due to the entry of a
high caliber 
bullet on the right frontal hemisphere. She placed the brain on a metal
tray and picked 

up her scalpel...
***
Scully took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She was waiting for
Mulder. She was 
very tired and a small headache was thumping behind her right eye. She
closed her eyes
for a moment and rested her head on her folded arms on the table in front
of her. 
She actually fell asleep for a second when Mulder voice brought her awake.
Hey Scully...you awake? He shook her gently. ³You ok? 
Oh...Thanks...Tired that s all. 
He put down another file on the table together with a bag from Wendy s. 
Brought dinner. 
Thanks.  she smiled as she opened the bag. 
You first.  she said biting into a burger.
I did some more follow up on each of the men. Each victim was transported
to L.A. 
General Hospital and then this Coroner s Department for autopsy.  
Scully shrugged,
It s not unusual to transport a critically injured party to a large
hospital facility. 
Mulder held up his index finger, he wasn t finished.
Each victim was then sent to the Garrido Funeral Home for embalming and
funeral 
arrangements. 
They were all of Latino decent...Garrido is a Spanish speaking mortician.
It s a 
coincidence I ll agree, but it s not out of the realm of possibilities. 
she shoved a fry 
into her mouth.
You not eating? 
No...I had brains for lunch...  he said sardonically.
Scully put her burger down and gingerly wiped her hands on the small paper
napkin. 
Mulder had a way of ruining her appetite on more than one occasion. 
Well, Maybe this will cheer you up.  Scully opened her coffee and handed
her file to 
Mulder. 
Mulder scanned the Garcia autopsy report.
His blood results are even stranger. I found an additional component as of yet 
unidentifiable. It s this added component that is radioactive. It s like,
his blood cells 
were washed of everything that made them human and substituted with
elements that 
perform the same function as live blood cells but they are artificial in
substance. The 
radioactivity somehow provides the life force required. 
It worked. He smiled and whistled softly through his teeth.
Well what do you know? He popped out of his seat and circled the table.
I also did some checking on Mr.Garrido and Ralph Major. Mr.Garrido seems
legit, but 
Mr. Major seems to be more than just an embalmer. His background reads
like a Who s 
Who of Medical Colleges. He has a Degree in several branches of medicine
including 
Hemotology, and Radiology. The guy worked at Walter Reed and the Mayo
Clinic for six 
years helping to develop a process by which radioactive particles in the
blood are used 
to fight cancer. Scully, tell me, why would a man with that background be
working at a
lousy neighbourhood mortuary? 
Scully wanted to smile. He was like a hound who had captured the scent.
She wanted to 
needle him for spoiling her dinner.
It isn t a crime that he does, Mulder. Maybe he wanted a job with less stress. 
He frowned. Why was Scully always so belligerent when she knew he was on to 
something?
Yeah, a job that doesn t require people skills...right. 
She only scowled at his sarcasm. To make it up to him she reached into her
pocket and brought out a small bottle containing a tiny blue tinged metal
fragment. 
I saved the best for last.  She gave it to her partner. 
I found this implanted in his brain.  
Mulder handled it with wonder.
It s made of the same metallic material I found in the others. 
It looks like some kind of chip.  he moved to the light for a better
look. He came back 
and sat opposite Scully. He took a moment and then he asked, 
Could the blood be acting as some sort of conduit of energy between the
body and this
 chip?  Scully shrugged. I guess anything is possible... 
Anything? ³ he echoed.
What are you suggesting? 
The brain is nature s greatest computer Scully.  
And that s some sort of Œbrain  computer chip?  
He nodded. If it is,  he whispered, ³could it s purpose in the brain be to...  
Scully finished his thought. ... reprogramme it? 

Lets just say, between us, that perhaps it could be possible, Mulder; to
actually 
reprogramme someone s brain using this chip. What is not possible under any 
circumstances, barring resurrection is to bring the dead back to life! 
No circumstances known on this planet anyway...  Her look of skepticism
prompted a 
more plausible direction in his thinking.
What if they weren t really dead, Scully? You know as well as I there are
drugs which 
can induce a death-like state, even our medical technology can t detect.
Especially if 
you aren t looking for it to begin with.  
They were autopsied...embalmed... 
Supposably...we have no proof that either was actually performed.  Mulder
said flatly.
Mulder do you realize what you are saying? That would involve a huge
conspiracy,
with the hospitals the morgues. Not just a small mortuary in East L.A..
These men 
went through due process. They were treated in the emergency room, their deaths 
witnessed by a dozen doctors and nurses. The paperwork on their autopsies
was signed 
by the coroner. Their funerals were attended by at least a hundred
different people. 
All conspiracies eventually filter down to one Scully. Right now we have
one hospital 
administration who handled these cases in emergency. We have one coroner who 
claimed to have performed autopsies, one mortuary and one individual,
Ralph Major who
 was responsible for the embalming.  
He rose up and started circling the room again. A habit he performed when
he was 
thinking. Scully still reasoned for a more orthodox, less fantastic set of
guidelines.
Who would want to reprogramme presumably dead men and to what purpose? To
rob a 
bank? Or take a small city mayor hostage? You don t need to raise the dead
to find 
people to do that.  Scully argued.
Maybe it s bigger than that Scully. What if whoever..whatever is behind
this is just 
testing this out?  He held up the chip. 
These men may have just been part of a larger experiment.  
He leaned over the table bringing his face to within inches of Scully s. 
Think of it Scully! The possibility of being able to control a human
being, his life, his 
destiny, by controlling his thought process.  
I can t imagine it! That s what s wrong with it! It s always supposition,
everything s 
an X-Files to you, Mulder.  
They both sat in silence brooding over which would give in first.
She put her hands to her face hoping to wipe the weariness from her and
felt the 
scratches on her cheek. She suddenly remembered being hurled from the car.
It s not working.  she said suddenly. 
She looked up at Mulder and smile spread across her face like a revelation.
What?  he asked eagerly.
The experiment. It s not working. Don t you see? In each of these
situations, the 
victim has turned on himself, rather than to do something that was
vehemently against
his own nature. They have not been able to complete whatever they were
programmed 
to do. They were all instinctively good people. That s why those boys
threw me from 
the car, before they drove it from a cliff, and why Miguel Tomas blew
himself up and 
Jose Garcia released his hostages. They sacrificed themselves in defiance
to their 
programming. 
I think we need to start at the hospital, Scully,  Mulder pushed her
dinner back at her. 

Finish up. 

Chapter 4
The Next Morning

Dr. Wexman rose from his desk and confronted the two agents.
I m sorry, you ll have to excuse me. I m no Columbo, I m just the Chief
of Staff for the
largest hospital in L.A. County, but that s the biggest load of crap I ve
ever listened to. 
Nothing personal, you understand. 
That s ok. That s pretty much what everybody says. We re used to it. 
Mulder chided.
We have the authority to investigate this hospital, its records and it s
staff.  Scully 
said. Nothing personal, of course. 
I realize that you have Government clearance to to what ever the hell you
want to do 
in my hospital, Agent Scully, but I will assume you have some sort of
proof to back up 
these bizarre allegations?
Scully and Mulder took a quick ŒDo we?  glance at each other.

They spent most of the day interviewing  the available staff who had been
present 
during each emergency case. Only one, an x-ray technician by the name of
Carlo seemed 
uncomfortable under questioning. Finally they were able to ascertain that
somehow 
the x-rays on two of the victims had disappeared without a trace. Carlo
felt he would 
be blamed for the disappearance of hospital records and therefore had said
nothing 
until now. He was worried about his job.The coroner was extremely helpful.
His records 
were complete. With no bodies available there was nothing to contradict
his records.
Do you keep photo records?³ Scully asked. He produced a stack of photographs. 
Unfortunately the faces and private areas were discretely covered, a small
sign of 
respect for the corpse observed by some conscientious practitioners in the
medical 
field.
Can you tell me how each of these cases ended up at the Garrido Funeral
Home for 
embalming? Why not somewhere else?  Mulder asked.
Each hospital has contracts with local morticians for embalming the body
after an 
autopsy has been performed by the state. They work under a government
contract and 
accept a certain number of cases a year. Whether the family chooses to
stay with that 
Funeral Home for other arrangements is up to them, I just zip Œem and ship
Œem Agent 
Mulder. 

Scully s eyes were closed as Mulder turned the car into the freeway back
to their hotel. 
He shut off his cell phone after taking a quick call and turned to her.
We need to get a warrant to search the Garrido Funeral Home...and find
some way to 
bring Major in for questioning...  He waved the phone in the air. Garcia and 
Tomas...sandbags!  
He never stopped. They were both exhausted but he never gave into it.
Be careful Mulder, your conspiracy theory may filter down from one to
nothing.  she 
said not opening her eyes.
You disenchanted already Scully? Tsk,Tsk   he clucked at her with his tongue.
What happened to I m Batman you re Robin? 
This Robin needs to find nest for Œbout eight hours...ok? 
You won t get any bad guys in bed Scully?  he sniffed.
She opened an eye and turned it to him. He smiled.
***
If they dig much further the whole operation will be in jeopardy. Agent
Mulder is too 
persistent in his cause. He has been a constant interference for years now. 
What do you want me to do.  
It is time to take this to the next level. Perhaps Agent Mulder could be
persuaded to 
participate. His skills and clearance could prove quite useful. 
We are not allowed to kill him. 
We don t have to kill him. Only control him. 
No, we haven t perfected the process yet. It has failed every time. It is
too dangerous. 
Find a way.  
Ralph Major put down the phone. 
***
Mulder picked up their keys at the desk, while Scully grabbed a paper. 
Oh Sir? the clerk said,  This came for you. 
Mulder tore open the envelope and found a business card from the Ten of
Diamonds  nightclub on Wilshire Blvd. He sighed. He was really tired.He
dropped Scully off at her 
room and as soon as she shut the door, turned and walked back to the elevator.
The nightclub was noisy. A beer cost him $8.00, domestic. He sat at the
bar with his 
back to the entrance. Mr. X could find him.
Good evening, Agent Mulder. 
Mr. X slipped into the vacant spot between Mulder and the wall. He signaled the 
bartender for the same.
You are in particular danger on this case. You must be exceedingly careful. 
What s involved?  he asked tasting his beer.
Outside forces are determined to undermine our society. They have tried
many times.
 You personally have corrupted their plans on several occasions. Their
patience has 
worn thin with you Mulder. They may not let you continue. 
Mulder gritted his teeth.Who are they?  
The ones you have been searching for all these years. 
They are not a cohesive society. They fight amoung themselves for control
of our 
planet. You must learn to recognize the good from the evil. 
The bartender brought his beer. He shifted beside Mulder.
What have you concluded so far?  he whispered.
Evil.  Mulder answered.
Good.  he said and he was gone.

The phone rang. 
Mulder rolled across the bed to the phone and switched on the light. It
was Ralph Major.
I need to see you Agent Mulder...I need your help!  his voice reflected
his agitated 
state.
What do you want from me? 
Get down here, to Garrido s. If you want to know what s been happening
I ll tell 
you...but you ve got to protect me!  he begged.
I can give you protection if you come in... 
No! IŒm afraid to leave here. It s the only place I feel safe. Do you
want to argue or do 
you want some answers? Hurry, I don t have much time! 
Mulder hung up the phone. It was 3:00 pm.  He d slept for an hour. He
glanced at his cell 
phone deciding whether to call Scully. She would be really pissed off if
he went 
without her. He knew that, but she needed sleep or at least that s what he
convinced 
himself as he tore some paper and left her a note.

Mulder arrived at the Funeral Home. The building was dark. He tried the
front door and 
it opened in his hand. Mulder entered the building carefully gun drawn.
His eyes took a 
moment to adjust to the darkness.
Major,  he yelled. 
He felt the wall for a switch, found it and flicked in on. At the same
instant something 
struck his wrist painfully and his gun went flying. He looked into the
muzzle of a .38 
pointed squarely at his head.
It was Major. 
You come alone?  he asked. Mulder rubbed his wrist.
Yes.  
Something was different. He didn t seem afraid or nervous anymore. 
Turn around.  
He checked Mulder and found only his cell phone. He backed off and picked
up Mulder s
 gun.
Good.  he jerked his head to the right indicating for Mulder to go.

Your work with the X-Files is commendable Agent Mulder. It has been
observed by my 
superiors for some time now.  
Who are your superiors? Mulder asked.
Major only smiled.
You have met them many times and they have spared your life on several
occasions. 
Unfortunately even they have a limit to their tolerance of your relenting
interference 
into their plans. 
Who are you?  Mulder demanded.
Me..nobody. Just a worker bee. 
A highly educated worker bee. Did you develop the chip? 
No. Just the process by which it operates. 
Why? Why would you help them? 
Mulder, you better than anyone know that we are not alone. The earth is
target for 
invasion. But it will be a silent one. What better way to undermine a
society than to 
promote internal corruption and conquer by... 
...by enslaving it s population?  
We call it Œselective control . And I was going to say terrorism. The
other is just the 
means to an end. The perfect mankind-servant. Humanity controlled by computer!
Mulder smiled was sly.
It s not working though... is it? Your frankensteins keep killing
themselves. Just can t 
conquer that collective human consciousness thing can you?  
That has posed a problem. We cannot seem to undermine the moral code that
exists in 
each human being. We do not want to create mindless robots but living
beings who 
unconsciously are being controlled by us. That s the difference. 
The devil made them do it, huh?  Mulder smirked.
I need to experiment on a healthy living subject. Someone who s cells have
not been 
subject to the destructive damage caused by death. That s where you come
in Agent 
Mulder. You are a perfect specimen.
Thanks, but I have plans for the weekend. 
A young woman entered the room. 
This is Juanitia. She Œdied  three months ago. Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
She s going 
to murder you. 
Mulder looked at the young girl as she pulled a small pistol from her purse.
I thought you said you needed a living specimen?  he licked his lips nervously.

Indeed...but living is such a misleading term for what I have planned for
you. Your 
abilities and position will be of great help to our cause. Eventually we
will help 
ourselves to your partner as well. Two FBI trained agents should be able
to accomplish
a lot don t you think? Given the right motivation that is.  
For a small girl, she held quite a wallop. 
He fell, not yet unconscious, but reeling from the blow to the side of his
head. He saw
Major above him and felt a prick through his coat. Everything went dark.
Major stood 
above him a small hypo in his hand.

Chapter 5

Scully found Mulder s note shoved under her door when she awoke the next
morning. 
He went to Garrido s on his own.
Damn him!  Sometimes she could just ring his neck. Mulder s reckless
behavior and 
stubborn refusal to follow proper procedure was always a sore spot between
them; 
which he knew, and which is why he left without telling her. He knew she
would not let
 him go plunging head long into the night without some backup in place.
What was he thinking? 
He wasn t thinking, that s why he  s gone!  she answered herself. 
His rash impetuosity consistently got him into trouble and he never
learned. She tried 
his phone. There was no answer. Getting dressed quickly she made her way to the 
Garrido Funeral Home.
 
She tried Mulder s number again. She had arrived at the Garrido Funeral
Home. He 
wasn t there and the place was empty. There was still no response. She was
painfully
aware of Mulder s annoying habit of walking foolheartedly into the lion s
den. He was 
probably in some sort of trouble, only, this time she didn t know where he
was. She 
drove slowly, deciding whether to return to the hotel when her phone rang.
Mulder? 
Where are you! What s the idea leaving me again? I went to Garrido s...  
Mulder s voice was hoarse, unnatural.
Mulder are you in trouble?  Why did she even have to ask?
The call lasted only a moment, leaving that small anxious knot in her
stomach to 
tighten into an alarming sense of panic.  
The Riveria St. Clinic? Why would he be at an Abortion Clinic? She knew
the name quite
 by accident. A small article in the paper she had read last night told
her of sporadic 
demonstrations at the small downtown clinic had been the recent focus of 
police attention. She swung the car around and took the note from her
pocket that 
Mulder had left. On it he had scribbled the name of Officer Gibb. She
dialed the police 
and connected through to Gibb in his patrol car... and requested backup.
By the time she 
arrived, Riveria St. had been blocked off. She leaped from the car and
headed towards 
the first officer she saw. She pulled out her ID. 
What s going on here?  
The officer studied her ID  for only a second.
There s a young woman with a gun holding a couple Doctors inside. Making
demands for 
Right to Lifers.  he said.
I need to talk to someone in charge.  she demanded. The officer took her
arm and 
brought her safely through the maze of police cars to a Lieutenant Sanders.
FBI? Already?  he said.
I have reason to believe my partner is inside.  
He must be the one who called it in.  another plainclothes officer
offered. Scully 
briefed the officers, but she had little information. She had no clear idea why 
Agent Mulder was in there, or how he got there.
We have a negotiator ready to talk to the woman. 
That s good. I think it will work. There is a good chance she will free
the hostages, 
like the others. The trick will be to get the woman out alive, before she
takes her own 
life. 
Scully heard her name. She turned and saw a young officer approaching.
Are you Agent Scully? 
You re Gibb?  He nodded.
Mulder s inside?  he asked. ³How d he end up here? 
I don t know. He left me your name, he must figure that you could be of
some help.  Scully answered.
Yes, ma am, I can be that.   
The negotiator spoke for several hours before he was able to convince the woman 
named Juanita to release the Doctors unharmed. He got no response from her
when he 
asked about Mulder.
The woman simply disappeared inside.
What do you want to do Agent Scully?  Sanders inquired. ³He s your partner. 
We need to get in there.  she replied.
The Lieutenant directed his officers.
Two officers went to the back of the building and Gibb and Sanders joined
Scully in 
approaching the front. She positioned herself to the side of the door, gun
drawn and 
ready.
This is the FBI. Open the door and  toss out your weapon.  she commanded. 
Nothing. 
The officer tried the door. It opened. Together Sanders and Gibb burst
through on the 
count of three, Scully taking high behind them.
Mulder?  she yelled.
Mulder are you in here? 
They heard a shot, and the sound of the back door being crashed in.
Scully ran following Gibb and Sanders back toward the direction of the
shots. The other
officers had already reached the room where the shot was fired by the time they 
arrived. They were poised outside the door, they checked, then entered,
guns drawn. 
Hold it!  the officer yelled. 
Scully looked in to see the officer s gun trained on a young woman in the
corner holding
a small caliber pistol. Mulder lay on the floor. His head rested in a
small pool of blood.
He was unconscious. Put the gun down!.  
She stepped out of the shadows and brought the gun up to her head. 
Lady no!  the officer shouted. ³Put the gun down down!  
She fired and dropped to the floor. The gun she had used on Agent Mulder
dropped from 
her hands. Scully rushed to Mulder. She lifted his head and gasped as she
saw the small 
bullet hole near his left temple. Placing her fingers on the side of his
neck she yelled,
He s still alive! Call for an ambulance...now!  
Gibb rushed out the door. Sanders handed her a hanky and she tried to
staunch the flow 
of blood from Mulder s temple.
Hold on Mulder , she whispered. 
She glanced up at the fallen woman, she was dead. Scully could tell from
there. How 
could Mulder walk into a bullet like that? 
Damn you Mulder, you re always so careless!  she rebuked him.

Chapter 6

Mulder woke groggily and found himself strapped to a metal table. He could hear 
screaming and shouting somewhere in the world outside his closed eyes..
Major slapped at his cheek forcing him awake.
Where am I?  he asked slowly, not yet quite awake.
You re in Trouble City Mulder, and it s time to call in the troops.
Major loosened the strap around one wrist to give him limited use of his
arm and 
handed Mulder back his cell phone. 
Call your partner. I want you to tell her to meet you at the Riveria St.
Clinic in downtown L.A.  
Forget it.  He pushed the phone from his face.
We could just kill you now, and take her. They took her before. 
Mulder managed a weak punch toward Major but he leaped back to safety from
the prone
 man.
Call her. 
Mulder pressed a button. Scully answered immediately. His voice was thick. 
Scully? Where are you?³ 
Where are you! What s the idea leaving me again? I went to Garrido s  
Scully I need you to meet me at the Riveria St. Clinic, it s downtown.  
Scully caught on instantly the strangeness in Mulder s voice. 
Mulder are you in trouble?  she asked. 
That s right Scully, the Riveria Clinic. I ll be waiting.  
He handed the phone to Major.
No..now call the Police Emergency Squad. Tell them there is a hostage
situation at The
Rivera St. Clinic. A woman is holding two abortion Doctors and a
government employee 
hostage. 
Mulder dialed 911.

The ride to the hospital seemed to take an eternity. Mulder s vital signs
were slipping 
as he fell into a coma. She ran along side of the gurney as the attendants
pushed him 
into emergency. Dr. Wexman came running down the hall. 
Agent Scully...I just heard.
It s Mulder..  was all she could stamper out through her tears. Dr.
Wexman took 
charge, shouting instructions to the nurses. 
Get him prepped for surgery. We ll need an x-ray of the head. Check his
blood type and 
get him on an IV...STAT!   
Scully backed away to let the professionals do their job. 
He ll be alright. He ll make it.  she whispered to herself.
She sat numb and barely coherent waiting to hear of Mulder s condition.
The hustle of 
the hospital corridor bustled with noises and sounds that she could no
longer hear. She 
could only hear Mulder s voice in her head...She looked down at her
clothes. She was 
covered with his blood. It had dried on her hands and beneath her
fingernails. She 
became aware that someone was standing beside her. It was Dr. Wexman. She
stood, 
examining his face for an answer to her prayers. He took the mask down
from his face 
and said. 
I m sorry Agent Scully. We did everything we could. The damage was too
severe. He 
was dead before we had a chance to begin. I m sorry.  
She nodded and slowly sank to her seat again. 
Are you going to be alright for a few minutes? I need to finish up.  
Again she nodded. 
Mulder is dead?  she said it to herself, but couldn t believe it. ³It s
not true. 
***
She entered the hospital Morgue. Her nostrils filled with the faint smell
of formaldehyde and alcohol, soap and disinfectant. Mulder s body lay on a
metal table, 
covered with a sheet. Dr. Wexman put his hand on Scully s shoulder. 
Agent Scully. Are you sure that your up to this?  
She nodded numbly. Dr. Wexman pulled the sheet down and exposed the
lifeless corpse 
of her partner. It took her a moment to comprehend and absorb what she saw
on the 
table in front of her. She knew she would never be able to erase the
memory of it. She 
reached out and touched his hair, brushing it back off his forehead with
her fingers like
she had done so often in life. She felt the hot tears stream down her face
as she looked
at his pale face. He did not look at peace. Death was never attractive. Her eye 
caught the small incision near the entry wound near his temple. The wound
was so 
small, so perfect, hardly noticeable, yet it had taken the life of this
virile young  man. 
Dr. Wexman slipped on some plastic gloves. He was preparing for the autopsy. 
I thought I would do this myself Agent Scully. I want you to know he s in
the best 
hands. 
She nodded, not really listening. She took his hand and bent over and
kissed his 
forehead. She felt his lashes on her cheek and her tears dropped onto his face.
Agent Scully, if it would help you, you can stay.  
He spoke to her gently, but as a professional. She looked up almost startled.
No..no...  
She shook her head and turned to leave. She took one last look and dropped
his hand 
silently at his side.

The parking elevator doors slid opened and Scully walked through. Her lip
trembled as 
she tried to control her tears.
Mulder s dead,  she thought. ³He s dead.  
She walked to her car and she fumbled through her purse looking for her keys. 
Damn,  she swore and then the tears came. 
She brought her hand to her mouth afraid to let out the scream she held
inside. Afraid 
she would never stop screaming.
Agent Scully?  
She jumped, terrified, turning and dropping her purse scattering it s
contents. It was 
Carlo, the young x-ray technician she had interviewed.
What do you want?  
She looked nervously to her purse and saw her gun lying on the parking
garage floor.
Please I mean no harm.  the young man said. 
He held his hand out and then bent down scooping up her purse and gun and
handed it to 
her. 
I need to talk with you. About your partner.  he said, nervously checking
around him to
make sure they were alone. 
She nodded and she unlocked the car.
I heard that Agent Mulder died as a result of massive head injuries cause
by the bullet 
in his brain. I took the x-rays of your partner before he went into
surgery. Doctor 
Wexman took the x-rays...insisting that no-one else see them...except for
me. I saw 
them. I was curious. Even Dr. Wexman doesn t know that I studied them. 
Scully looked at him. What did you see? 
That s it. I saw nothing. There was no bullet in that man s head. No
injury to his brain. 
How could a man die of the injuries Dr. Wexman claims, where there was no
injury? 
Agent Scully, I been here only a short time, but I have seen many strange
things happening. People dying from minor injuries, corpses disappearing.
Something is very 
wrong here, and I m very afraid. 
But Agent Mulder is dead. 
Si, but not from what is claimed. 
I saw the entry wound.  Scully insisted.
You saw a wound, that is all. 
Scully sat in her car for a long time after Carlo had left. What if what
he said were 
true? How did Mulder die and who and what was responsible for his death? She 
resolved to find out if it was the only thing she could ever do for
Mulder. She turned on 
the car.

Scully turned on the shower and stepped in. The water was so hot it burned
her but she 
didn t care. She wanted to feel something, even if it was pain. She looked
down at her 
hands and watched as the water rinsed Mulder s blood from her and she
started to cry. 
She sunk to her knees as the pain overwhelmed her. She remained that way,
in the 
shower for a long time, the water beating on her head. Her tears had
become great sobs 
and her body reflecting her grief, shook, racked with small uncontrollable
convulsions. 
The rush of water did not muffled the heart wrenching cry that came from
deep inside 
her.

Scully read the autopsy report done by Dr. Wexman late that evening. The
cause of death
seemed acceptable in line with the head injury Mulder had sustained. The
x-rays were 
included showing the considerable damage inflicted by the small bullet at
close range. 
It did not have enough velocity to exit the skull, it just ricocheted
around in side his 
head tearing through his brain. The bleeding inside the brain was
substantial. There 
was nothing unusual in his blood chemistry. She glanced at the small
plastic bag that 
contained the bullet that killed him. She had seen the wound herself. Why
should she 
question the validity of the report? Only a brief meeting with a young
frightened man 
had planted the seed of doubt, in spite of the existing x-rays. To be on
the safe side, 
she sent her suit top, the one covered with Mulder s blood to the FBI lab
for analysis. 
She was waiting for the results. She had contacted Skinner and explained
to him the 
details surrounding Mulder s death. He was flying to L.A. personally to
help Scully 
resolve this case. Meanwhile she put a request in to Dr. Wexman. Now that
she felt more in control she wanted to examine Mulder s body herself.
Skinner had requested 
she wait until his arrival before proceeding further. She felt helpless
waiting for him. 
She closed her eyes. She was so desperately tired.

Chapter 7

He turned to leave and Scully watched him. She didn t find the courage to
speak until he
 had opened the door.
Is that all you want, Fox. Friendship? 
He stopped and closed the door, leaning heavily against it.
No...no. ³ he shook his head and then turned to her. ³It isn t enough
anymore is it? 
For either of us.  is all she said.

He came to her and took her chin in his hand. She suddenly became very shy
at his touch.
He felt it but he said nothing. His fingers traced a line along her jaw
and up her cheek.He combed her hair with his fingers brushing it from her
eyes. He said her name.
Dana.  It fell as a whisper from his lips.
She rolled her cheek against his hand and his mouth  found hers. His arms
wrapped 
around her as their kiss deepen. His tongue left her mouth and travelled
down her neck.
 He kissed the hollow spot on her throat and gently explored with his
tongue until he 
found her mouth again. He brought his hands down around her, circling her
buttocks and 
pulling her up against him.
Scully awoke with a start, she fumbled for the light. Her hands shook
uncontrollably as 
she picked up the phone.
Hello? 
Agent Scully...this is Carlo. 
Yes, Carlo what is it?  she asked breathlessly.
I think you had better get down to the hospital. I think they are
removing his body 
tonight. 
Removing it..where? Why?  she asked.
Hurry.  was all he said. Then he hung up.
 
Riveria St. Clinic

Major dumped the agent on the floor of the clinic s small examining room.
He had injected Mulder a second time and again he was unconscious. Major
took a hypodermic 
needle from a small  tray and after swathing Mulder s carotid artery
inserted it. He 
slowly let the contents enter the unconscious man. He could hear the
police negotiator 
over the bull horn and the yells and cries of panic from the hostages at
the front of the
clinic. He waited, taking Mulder s pulse occasionally, for Juanita to
complete the 
planned scenario he had programmed. He listened as the police requested
Mulder s 
release and when he heard no response he took a small surgical drill and
inserted a new
bit. He turned on the drill and with surgical precision opened a hole in
Mulder s left 
temple. He went only deep enough to just scratch the surface of the bone
of the skull. 
The wound bled copiously. He turned the man over and looked up at the
woman who was 
now in the room.
 You know what to do.  
The woman nodded. He went to hide in the building s basement. He would make his 
escape later.
***
Scully waited on the line for what seemed an eternity.
Yes..This is Agent Scully. What did you find? 
Sorry, I was on another line...Agent Scully we ran the tests you asked
for and we 
foundexactly what you had suspected. Agent Mulder s blood contains a severe 
concentration of natural and chemical depressants. 
Enough to produce a catatonic state to simulate death? 
Enough to put a whole city block into a catatonic state. If he isn t
dead...he should be. 
Respiration, pulse, body functions even brain waves wouldn t register on
standard 
equipment with this high a concentration of drugs present. There is one
thing that s 
kinda weird...tests also indicate the presence of an anti-coagulate.  
To cause him to bleed...  she whispered.
What s that? 
Nothing...thanks, you ve been a great help! 
Scully strapped on her gun and headed back to the hospital.

Once inside she slipped by the nurses on duty and  made her way to the
Morgue. It was 
locked, but she had no problem in opening the door. She went to the cold
compartment 
where Mulder lay. She ran her fingers across his name on the door s front,
then pulled 
it open.
It was empty.

She approached the nurse on duty. 
Agent Mulder..where is he?  Scully demanded.
Agent Mulder?  the nurse looked confused.
Dr. Wexman performed an autopsy on the body of Agent Fox Mulder
yesterday. The body 
is gone. Where is it? 
Let me see...  the nurse picked up a clipboard. 
Here it is. His body was removed to a mortuary for embalming. Preparatory
for shipping..... 
By who s authority? 
Dr. Wexman..but 
Scully was already out the door.

Somewhere in Los Angeles

Mulder wanted to open his eyes.
He couldn t move. His limbs felt heavy, dead. He could feel a chill on his
skin and 
realized that he was naked. He could feel the cold metal of a table on
which he lay 
against his shoulders, his buttocks. Even his finger tips, but he could
not move. He 
could not even swallow even though the urge to do so was great. He
concentrated on 
opening his eyes. The weight of his lids were like heavy iron doors shut
together and he
struggled to pull them apart. The blackness around him, smothered him,
threatening to
take him into unconsciousness again. He felt his arm move. It was being lifted, 
positioned. He wanted to respond, to ask for help to leave this dark world that 
enveloped him. He felt a pinch, then a prick then pain. His arm spasmed in
response. He 
swallowed. The pain he felt was repeated on other arm. The stabbing pain
helped lift 
him from the pit that wanted to claim him. His eyes opened.  
Welcome back to the living, Agent Mulder. 
***
The sliding doors at the hospital opened and Scully charged through head
down and 
plowed into Skinner.
Agent Scully?  he held her by her shoulders. She looked up, recognition
and relief 
replacing the trepidation she felt.
I need your help...now!  she demanded.
Skinner waited for an explanation.
He s not dead! Mulder. They ve taken him like the others!  
***
Mulder tried to speak, his tongue felt thick and swollen. Major brought
his face to 
Mulder s. 
Give it some time Mulder. You ve been dead for 36 hours. Even the Lord
needed three
 days to get up and running.  
He followed Major with his eyes watching him as he placed another needle
into the soft
 tissue at his elbow, an IV. 
This will help you relax while we change the oil.  Major patted Mulder on
the arm. 
No need to worry. It won t hurt.  
It s a simple process Agent Mulder. I siphon your living blood from
here,  he placed 
his hand over Mulder s left. ...and run it though this small unit. I
works something like 
a dialysis, removing what will be no longer required and replacing a
radioactive 
supplement instead. It all goes round and round and ends up here!  he
touched Mulder s 
right hand. After your body has acclimated itself to the additional
components the chip 
will be inserted into your brain. That surgery is very delicate, an
unbelievable medical
 accomplishment. 

Chapter 8

Scully approached the mortuary. She could see light on at the back of the
building. 
Carefully she climbed the short fence surrounding the locked parking lot
and drawing 
her gun ran into the shadows at the building side. She tried the door. It
was locked. 
Slipping around to the side she found a basement window propped open just
an inch. She
pushed at it. It would not open all the way, but Scully was small enough
to slide in 
through it. She found herself in the furnace room. She allowed her eyes to
adjust to the 
dark and tip toed towards the door. Once inside she found her way through
to the 
embalming room. It was empty. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps
in the 
hall outside the room. She drew up her gun. 
Agent Scully?  It was Skinner. 
She relaxed and opened the door.
He s not here. 
The place is empty Scully.  Skinner looked at her. First Mulder and now
Scully. These 
two were going to drive him screaming to an early retirement.
She knew what he was thinking.
Mulder s alive. You ve got to trust me on this. 
Alright Scully.  he said tucking his gun back into place. ³Where else
would they have 
taken him? Who else besides Wexman? who we can t locate, would know? 
She hurried past Skinner.
The coroner, perhaps a young man named Carlo...works at the hospital. 
she said over 
her shoulder.

Back at the hospital Scully and Skinner approached the Administration Office.
Excuse me...I m looking for an young technician...his name is Carlo. Do
you know where 
I can find him? 
The woman looked at Scully a look of embarrassment and pain on her face.
Were you a friend?  she asked softly.
What do you mean? 
Carlo is dead...he was killed less than an hour ago. Hit by a driver who
didn t stop. I m 
sorry... 
She looked at Skinner.
The coroner...Dr. Lake. Is he here? 
Yes, I ll call him.. 
No...  Scully said putting her hand on the phone. ³Just tell us where he is. 

Scully and Skinner burst into the Morgue. Dr. Lake was leaning over a body
closing an 
incision.
What the devil, who the hell do you...  he shut-up when he saw Agent Scully.
FBI. Where s Mulder Dr. Lake? 
How should I know? I got twenty bodies a day coming through here... 
Scully pulled out her gun and pointed directly at Lake.
Once again. Where have they taken Fox Mulder? 
Hey, who do you think you are, pulling a gun on me. I got rights. 
Agent Scully put down the gun!  Skinner commanded.
She brought the gun up to within inches of Lake s face, and her finger
twitched on the 
trigger.
Agent Scully, I don t have to answer you!   Lake cried.
Could you answer me if I put a bullet in you? 
Lake nervously licked his lips. Skinner made no move to stop her.
Look, this is Wexman s scam. All I did was forge some x-rays and sign the
papers. 
Wexman did all the harvesting.
Harvesting? 
The body parts, from the dead. Stuff s worth a fortune on the Black
Market. Look nobody 
gets hurt. They re already dead for God s sake.
That s what you think has been going on here?  Scully asked dumfounded.
Isn t it?  He asked innocently. 
The look of stupidity and confusion on his face convinced Scully he was
telling the 
truth. She brought the gun down.
Where does Dr. Wexman perform the surgery to remove the organs.  Skinner asked.
He takes the the body downtown to a small Clinic on Pacific Mile Blvd.
Harvests what 
he can and sends them over to Garrido s. The families never know,
everybody gets a 
little richer. 
***
Scully and Skinner raced towards the Medical Patient Clinic.
Skinner looked over at the agent. Her lips were set tight, the tension she
felt and her 
concern for Mulder were evident. Even Skinner was not without some feeling
to the 
loyalty these two trained agents had for one another.
That performance back there was completely against Bureau protocol. You know 
that?  he said sharply.
Yes Sir.  she snapped back, in no mood to argue.
I always figured you for the good cop.  he said in a surprisingly light tone.
She glanced at him, and felt a small smile tug at her mouth in spite of herself.

Good job, Agent Scully. 
Thanks...  she said softly.
They arrived at the Medical Patients Clinic. It was dark. It was also huge.
We will have to split up. I ll take the first floor and basement. You
take the other 
two.  Skinner suggested.
You and Mulder got some sort of system for assistance?  he asked.
We usually just yell help.  she smiled.
Skinner forced the lock.

Scully reached the second floor and followed the corridor until she saw a
light, passed
 a door marked ŒSURGERY .
She could hear the muffled sounds of conversation in another room.
Slipping quietly 
down the hall she peeked into what was the Clinic s operating room. She almost 
revealed her presence with a gasp as she saw Mulder s body on the table.
She pulled 
back, sweat popped on her brow. Mulder lay on a table, both wrists were
strapped and 
hypodermic needles were inserted in to the veins. A third hypo was
inserted at the 
elbow and a drip was attached. A small white bandage covered the area on
his temple 
where he had been shot. An electrocardiogram machine was attached to him
and she 
saw distinctly the beats monitoring on the screen. His heartbeat. He was
alive.She 
peeked again.
Mulder s eyes were open and they followed the man in the room. He didn t
move. He just
lay there, but Scully could read the fear registering in his eyes.The room
was filled with equipment, most of which Scully did not recognize.Ralph
Major was adjusting 
what looked like an embalming pump. He held a trochar in his hand.He was
preparing to 
embalm Mulder alive!
Don t worry Agent Mulder. It won t hurt. You ll see,  he held up the
trochar, a large 
hypodermic needle about the thickness of a pencil, 
Normally we embalm through the iliac vein in the upper thigh or the
carotid artery in 
the neck, but this process must be done slowly, therefore we must use the
smaller 
veins in the wrist. 
Mulder made a small sound like a whimper and Major switched on the machine. The 
small plastic tube immediately filled with Mulder s blood.
Shut it off!  
Major turned to see Scully gun raised and pointed at him.
Shut it off! she demanded. 
Major did as he was told, flipping the small switch. He backed away his
hands up.
Now, slowly put your hands on top of your head and turn around.  
She circled him still pointing the gun directly at him. He did as he was
told. She 
glanced quickly at Mulder. He tried to speak.
What s wrong with him?  she asked Major, spitting the question at him.
He s only drugged.  Major replied.
Were the others dead?. Or did you drug them too? She questioned.
They were dead except for some remaining brain activity. They would not
have been 
revived by conventional means if that s what you are asking. 
She stepped closer to Mulder. She removed the IV.
It s ok, Mulder. 
She took out her cuffs.
Bring your arms down slowly and put them behind you. 
She snapped the cuffs on and backed away.
Sit down. 
She turned to Mulder. She picked up a sheet and covered him. He looked at her. 
His eyes said the sweetest thank you.
You just can t stay out of trouble can you? she murmured softly.
I was going to say the same thing to you, Agent Scully. 
She turned startled, bringing her gun up.
Too late, Agent Scully. Now put it down.  
It was Wexman. He had a very large gun pointed at her.
She lowered her gun to the floor. He motioned her away from Mulder.
Major stood up. 
Get these cuffs off me, Wexman. 
Wexman ignored him and walked over to Mulder. He lifted an eye.
Have you started on him yet?
No, I just started when she showed up. 
Wexman turned toward Scully. 
Looks like we better set another place at the table, Major. 

Mulder strained against the drug that had kept him imprisoned in his own
body. He felt 
the tingling in his arms as he tried to lift them. The tingling became
pain, the kind one 
experiences when an arm or leg falls asleep and you try to move it for the
first time. 
He looked up at the IV stand next to him and the plastic tubing hanging
from it. He shut 
his eyes and commanded his arm to move. He felt his fingers spasm and then
his arm 
jerked. He try to grab the tubing, to pull it down, down onto Wexman, but
he only 
succeeded in knocking into the metal stand.

But it was enough. Scully watched as Mulder moved his fingers, then his
hand. She 
understood. When his arm hit the stand Wexman took his eyes off Scully for
only a 
moment. That was all she needed. She threw herself at him. A great tackle.
He was a 
large man, but Scully was able to push him backwards and she fell on top
of him. He 
still had the gun and she struggled to keep his arm away. He grabbed her
hair with his 
free hand and snapped her head back. She gasped, letting go of his arm she
punched him 
mightily in the groin. He cried out, releasing her. She put her fists
together and swung 
hitting him under the jaw. the gun tumbled from his hand. she lunged for
it, but he 
recovered too quickly. He pulled her back, and landed a left to her face.
She went sprawling backwards.
Her head hit the floor and she saw stars. She tasted the blood in her
mouth and felt 
herself slipping away into that darkness that seem so inviting when she
heard her 
name.
Scully! 
She opened her eyes and saw Wexman above her. She rolled from under him,
away from 
him. He dropped his gun. 
Scully. Are you alright? 
Scully turned to see Skinner standing at the door. In one hand, his gun
trained on 
Wexman, and in the other he held Major by the collar.
She picked up Wexman s gun.
Yes..yes, I think so.  She wiped the blood from her mouth.
Skinner pushed Major back into the room. 
I found him running down the hall. 

Scully went to Mulder. He said her name.
Dana.  She could hardly hear him.
She brushed his hair back from his face and kissed his forehead.
Thank you.  she said.
Ditto.  he mouthed silently.
Skinner came over.
Well Scully. Is he dead or alive? 
She smiled. Alive. 
Skinner looked down at him. 
How can you tell? 


EPILOGUE

Mulder took his seat next to Scully on the plane. A small white bandage on
each wrist 
peeked from under his suit cuff. A smaller one covered the small wound on his 
temple,all that remained from his brush with death. Wexman and Major were
both in 
custody and Army Intelligence had seized the equipment in Major s lab.
Scully had been 
nominated for an Award of Recognition for Heroism by the Los Angeles Police 
Department for her unselfish act of bravery during the bank robbery.
Gave Skinner my report. He ll have something to do on the flight besides
bother us. 
What do we have to do?  she asked, stifling a yawn.
Fox smiled. We have a conversation to finish. 
She put her head against his shoulder and finding a comfortable spot,
closed her eyes.
Mmmm..maybe later ok? I m so tired. 
A small smiled appeared on his face. He reached over and placed his hand
over hers. 
He snuggled deeper into his seat and shut his eyes as well.
Why not?  He told himself. They had a lifetime together.

The End.