From: Hinton3944 Date: 27 Sep 1998 22:32:38 GMT Subject: REPOST: Ronin I: In the Beginning Title:RoninI:In the Beginning Author: Doc E-Mail:Hinton3944@aol.com Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Jackie St.George is the loving property of Sheryl Martin, though Jackie might say differently. Mulder, Scully and Skinner are CC and FOX's. The ER gang belongs to NBC and some other guys. Conner McLeod and the Highlander stuff belong to somebody out there. Most of the other nifty characters and the storyline belong to me. "Angel" is the property of Sarah MacLachlan. Keywords: Highlander/ER/XF Mulder/Scully UST Spoilers:Lots of spoilers. Lots and lots of spoilers.(Movie,The End) Other stuff: This story acts as thought everything in the Dragon Series happened, as well as Sean Smith's "Etched." I recommend both if you haven't read them yet. However you do not need that knowledge. I got this idea sort of from the Immortal Files series, another must read. This story is a part of a series that may never end. I'm posting this one, as well as Ronin Interlude:The Rock. Interludes are Pre-Immortality, where as 1-? are post Immortality. Also I apologize for the Smart Quotes. I thought I had disabled them. Read and enjoy. I hope. Content:PG-13 for violence and language. Ingredients:2ScullyAngst, 1ScullyFu, 3MulderAngst, a sprinkle of dark humor and a healthy dash of UST. Summary:A man has been hired to kill Scully and frame McLeod. Mulder is on the case to stop the killer, before he kills again.... Distribution: Everywhere but Gossamer. I can handle that. She woke up in a cold sweat. The salty liquid rushing from every pore in her petite body. It had happened again, the dream. It was always the same, horrifying death, stabs of intense physical and emotional pain, the numbness of losing life. Watching all her loved ones weeping over her tattered body. Hearing and partially feeling the deep rumble of laughter from the man who had taken her head. Knowing that she was now apart of him. It scared her more each time the dream came. But, as a friend had once said, maybe it would be more frightening when she stopped having the dreams. In the bathroom she splashed warm water on her face. She let the fear evaporate with the tepid water. At least she made herself believe that. As she reentered the bedroom she glanced at the clock. 6:58. He would be awake. She took a few minutes to put on her brace. For some reason her leg always ached after a Quickening. She pulled on another pants suit, brushed back her hair, pulled on her over coat, and put the katana in its place on the inside of her jacket. A knock at the door. 7:08. As always he was early. Carefully she limped to the door, picking up her handsome cane as she went. The cane was her pride and joy. The handle and tip were made of platinum, the shoot made of ebony. Carved into the ebony were two dragons, white and black, twining around the ebony like snakes. The handle of the can had a remarkable resemblance to the head of an otter. All in all the cane was stunning. She opened the door to meet his smiling face. His hair had been cut shorter, since the Russian Mob incident, but it still shined dark brown. His hazel eyes sparkled with a look of innocence and pain. His brown suit fit him perfectly, and hid the Smith & Weston at his waist. In his slender hands was a hot cup of coffee. He handed it to her as he apologized, "Sorry for keeping you up all night with my crazy theories and silly reasoning. It must be the case. It's turning me insane." She quickly responded, "You were insane well before this case." His smile seemed to grow, "Yeah, I went insane as soon as I found out I was getting another partner." She rolled eyes and sipped her coffee, "You're impossible, Mulder." She noted the twinkle in his eyes and braced herself, "And that's why you love me." She briefly patted his cheek, "In your dreams Mulder." She quickly made her way to the rental car. Mulder let out a sigh before he followed, "Yep Scully, in my dreams." Ronin I: In the Beginning (2/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 Mulder watched Scully collapse onto her hotel bed. He fell silently into a nearby chair. The best part of the day had been when the waitress at a local restaurant had spilled gravy on Mulder, and their lunch had been free. Now,Scully was frustrated about the lack of cooperation from the local police. Mulder was upset by the fact that the case was yet another unsolved X-File that was being forced to remain unsolved. Mulder spoke first, "Damn those bastards." Scully looked at him puzzled, "Which ones? The locals, or the D.C jerks?" "Both." Scully made a husky chuckle and Mulder watched as she rolled off the bed, planted her feet on the floor and headed for her suit case. Mulder stood up and left to do the same. When he came out Scully stood at the car eying the area nervously. As soon as he had the trunk open Scully was there, yanking the keys from the trunk and heading for the driver's side. Mulder slammed the trunk shut and jumped into the front seat. He had barely shut his door when Scully was peeling out of the parking lot, leaving a cloud of dust and burnt rubber in her wake. When he turned to ask her a question she only smiled sheepishly. "My head hurt and I wanted to get out of here before anything else bad happens." "What, like you dying?" He stated with a nervous smile. She grimaced in a way only Mulder would notice, "Maybe." Dana Scully walked straight to the phone when she got home. She dialed a number and waited for it to ring. A thick feminine voice answered, "Hello?" Dana looked around nervously, "Hi, it's me." "Dana, what's up?" "I wish I knew. I have a really bad feeling." "What's wrong?" "I don't know. I was just calling to tell you, I'm packing an emergency bag. If I have to start over, come and get the bag. It will be under my bed." "Are you sure?" "No, I'm not, just keep a watch in the obituaries. I'll call at exactly 11:00 A.M. tomorrow." "Okay Dana. I wouldn't worry that much. As long as no one witnesses a shooting you'll be fine." "And if someone does?" "Say goodbye." Dana hung up the phone, and shivered slightly. She had been telling the truth, and that's what frightened her the most. As she fell, exhausted, onto the couch. She heard the doorbell. Slowly she got up, just slightly shaky. She opened the door to reveal a haggard Mulder. He gave her a tired, and a forced smile. His left hand rested on his left eye. She pulled his hand down to reveal a black eye, "Rough night?" He threw her a tired, lop-sided grin. "St. George cannot take a joke. " Scully's eyes grew wide, "You went through with it. You took her to the Sex Cauldron?" He shrugged, "I was going to take her there to cheer her up and I thought she might like the drinks." She pointed an accusing finger at him, "That's what Brandy and me are for." "I didn't want to bother you." He leaned in as he said it. Scully was almost knocked out by the strong smell of alcohol on her partner's breath. She waved her hand in front of her face and asked, "Did you take her there before or after you got drunk?" He cocked his head, in thought, "I think after." "You're drunk Mulder." he grinned. She quickly continued, "You can stay the night here. I am in no mood to drive you home. Tomorrow you'll call Jackie and apologize for being an asshole." "Scully, are you asking me to spend the night?" He questioned throwing her a leer and completely ignoring the apology part. "Yeah, on the couch." She said gruffly as she pointed him towards the couch. A gruff voice stopped them in mid-step. They spun around to meet the drunken gaze of one of Scully's neighbors. In the man's grip was a .45 Colt. He pointed it half-hazardly at Mulder. "You bastard, who the Hell do you think you are? Do you think you can just walk into any woman's house and expect her to fuck you?" Mulder took a step towards the other man, his hands slowly making their way to his gun, "What the hell..." He didn't finish the sentence. The Neighbor brought the gun to stomach level. Scully shot in front of Mulder to block the pieces of hot lead. Five shots were fired, the bullets ripped through Scully's back like a wild animal. She felt the hot searing pain, and was instantly reminded of a similar night more then a year before. Before Scully collapsed she wondered if this man was also Consortium killer. What she did know was that the bullets were killing her. She could feel herself bleeding on the outside and inside. It hurt like hell. Slowly she collapsed into Mulder's arms. The drunk swaggered out, seemingly unaware of the damage he had done. Mulder stared into Scully's bright blue eyes. Gently he lowered her to the floor, as her eyes seemed to ask. He pressed a hand to the holes in her back in an attempt to stop the bleeding. With a bloody hand he wiped a strand of brilliant red hair from Scully's eyes. She gasped for breath as she looked into his eyes. The look spoke a thousand words, but all her lips managed to speak were a few words, "I'm sorry." Her own bloody hand grabbed his. Mulder squeezed the cooling hand. "Don't do this to me Scully, this isn't the way it's supposed to end. You're supposed to die in your bed at an old age, or on a case, but not killed by a drunken bastard." She slowly brought her hand to his cheek. His tears mingled with her blood. She caressed his wet face. Then her hand fell limp to the floor. Mulder's tears came faster, he rested his head on hers. His lips lightly touched her forehead, then rested on her still warm lips and his tears mingled with her final ones. Jackie glanced up at the apartment of Dana Scully. Mulder's car was parked across the street and Dana's lights were on. Jackie put her keys in her pocket and walked up the steps. She paused at Dana's floor. Her door was open. Deftly St. George drew her .38. Slowly she crept towards the ajar door. The sight she saw was shocking. She had seen a lot of terrible things in her day, but this was by far the worst. Mulder sat at the floor, cradling the body of Dana. Her face was pale and drawn. Her vibrant hair was dull, her eyes closed in peaceful slumber. However Jackie knew it was not a slumber she would wake from. Quickly the she put her gun away, and wiped the wetness from her eyes. She looked down at her hands. She had not even realized she was crying. She let out a calming breath. She had to talk to Mulder. "Mulder?" He looked up at her. His sad eyes seemed on the verge of insanity. His face was puffy from excessive crying. "Mulder, what happened." "A neighbor. He went out the door about fifteen minutes ago. Go. I'll stay with her." He bent back down over Dana Scully's body and slowly rocked his self and Dana. Jackie held back tears. Her throat began to burn. She hoped he would make it, at least until they got the killer. He continued to cradle Dana's head. As if his own will would bring her back. Jackie forced away the emotions threatening to bubble forth. She ran out of the bloody apartment. Outside she saw a man collapse to the ground. Jackie ran up to him. His pale lips were turning blue. He gasped for air. She knelt down beside him. St. George noted the fierce grip the man had on a vodka bottle and a .45. She grabbed his lapels. "Did you shoot Dana Scully?" The man continued gasping. He managed a faint nod then passed out. Jackie St. George clenched her hands in rage. She was extremely mad. Her best friend's murderer was dead. She was going to find who was behind this. She would not stand for this. In the distance sirens were heard. These were the death toll of a woman named Dana. ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (3/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 The funeral was beautiful, filled with aromatic flowers and many people, it was the type of funeral to be proud of, except for the fact that it was the recognization of the death of a beloved person. Mulder stood solemnly at the back of the room watching as so many came to pay their respects. He gave a brief yet beautiful eulogy on her be-half, than he joined her brothers and Skinner in taking her small body to her final resting place. A remorseful song hung in the air around her grave and Mulder listened to every word. He had chose the song with St. George. MacLachlan had been one of Scully's favorite. "In the arms of the angel, far away from here, from this dark, cold hotel room and the endlessness that you fear. You are bound from the wreckage of your silent reverie. You're in the arms of the angel, may you find some comfort here." Mulder stared off into space, his face devoid of emotion. MacLachlan's simple song hit Mulder too deep for words. Jackie came up from behind Mulder. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to go drown in my sorrows at Brandy's. You want to come?" "No," he said with a hoarse voice, "I want to watch until the end." St. George let out an angry sigh. She twisted him around and enveloped him in a fierce hug. He returned it. "Mulder, don't worry. We'll catch him. I promise that on the name of St. George." "I know Jackie, I know." Jackie sighed in defeat, then she left her friend. He alone watched as her casket was slowly covered with dirt. He knelt down beside the grave, ignoring the cold wind that bit at his exposed skin and the snow that melted into his pants. He laboriously whispered through warming tears, "You owed me nothing, Dana Katherine Scully, I owed you everything, and I failed you. I should be the one resting in that grave, not you. You have cheated death so many times, this last time was the fluke, and I hate it." Mulder looked down into the soil, with every shovel full he felt her go further from him. As he watched the burial process he heard her reply in the back of his head, "I voluntarily did this. You owe nothing in return. You just need to keep fighting and stay alive. For our sakes. And for Jackie's." He whispered quietly, "If only I could truly believe that." Slowly he stood up and walked away. Leaving but sadness and a white rose in his wake. She woke up in a small, cold place. She realized it was a casket. She had died. Again. Quickly the thoughts of her first death came rushing back. The jog from the park to her apartment. The doctor had said her leg needed it. The knee needed to become accustomed to movement. She had been listening to a song on her Walkman and thinking of the past, painful months. She had never noticed the car. The drunk driver had smashed into her, then careened into a telephone pole. She remembered the explosion and the heat on her back, then she saw a car come, gloved hands pulled her in. Her last living thought had been simple yet complex, When she had awaken she was in a fancy apartment. A dark haired woman was busy at the stove. She had come up Dana. "It is good to see you awake." Scully was surprised by the woman's strong Scottish accent. "Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?" "I did not kidnap you, I am here to help. You will understand once I explain. I am a friend. I knew what you were and have been watching and following. I am Katherine Johnstone. You and I are Immortals." Then Katherine had given Dana the explanation of the Game, the Rules, the Quickening, and being an Immortal. Scully had not believed it had first. She had refused, but quickly she had recovered. She began multiple studies on herself and a reluctant Katherine. In the end she had learned something. Immortals were basically living batteries. They absorbed energy and it regenerated their cells, making them immune most things. A beheading released energy. Any Immortal nearby would absorb the energy, giving them the first's memories and power. Katherine refused to believe Dana's explanation. Dana had been somewhat happy. She was pulled back from the odd memory by the rhythmic sound of dirt falling on wood. She was in the process of being buried. She shivered in the confined space. She knew at dark her friend would be there to take her away to a place to learn and start over. She thought about how she had died, shot in the back by a drunkard neighbor. She had died in Mulder's arms. Oh God. Mulder. He was now alone, he would be forced to fight it all alone. She thought of the rest of the life she was leaving, a mother, brothers, nephews, Jackie and Mulder. She did not know which was worse, the pain in her body and the confines of the coffin, or the pain of leaving those she loved. Off in the distance a clear, sad male voice rang out. It was Mulder, "You owed me nothing and I owed you everything......" His voice was muffled as the layer of dirt became thicker. She replied quietly, to herself, "I did this voluntarily Mulder, it was stupid, but I did it." If only he could here just a few of her words. She fell into fitful slumber. Dreams of her friends Mulder and Jackie cursed the sleep. ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (4/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 Conner stole a glance at Katherine. They had been friends for over a three hundred years. If there was one thing he knew it was that Katherine never had students, if she found a new Immortal she contacted someone else and had them train the person. It was for this reason that Conner thought what they were doing was odd. They were digging up Katherine's student. Conner knew nothing of the woman except that since the woman was starting over she should live with Conner a while and train full time. Her life in Washington D.C. was over. He dug his shovel into the dirt again. This time he heard the thud of metal hitting wood. After he and Katherine had cleared away the dirt from the casket, Katherine opened the it. Inside lay a beautiful young woman. Her pale face was haloed by a crown of vibrant red hair. She wore an off-white suit with a pair of pearls around her neck. Her crystal clear blue eyes shot opened as the cover of the coffin was lifted. She managed a weak smile when she caught their gaze, "Guess I over slept." Her voice was thick and silky with a hint of a Russian accent, the kind of voice any man would fall for. He offered a hand only to get a dirty look. The woman quickly came to her feet, with the ease of one who had done it a thousand times. She self consciously smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt and ran a slim hand through her thick hair. She followed Katherine and Conner up the ladder and helped cover the now empty grave. When all was done she stared at the gravestone with her name etched in it. Slowly she came to her knees and ran her fingers over the engraved words. She spoke quietly, almost to herself, "My mother never did have this thing destroyed, I had hoped she would never have to use it...... Once again my hopes are dashed." She quickly stood up and turned to the two Immortals. Any sign of pain or sadness gone. Conner was, in some perverse way, impressed. Katherine took the following silence as her cue. "Dana Scully this is Conner McLeod. He's an old friend. He lives in Chicago. I figured he could help you start a new life there and train you more extensively then Chan." The younger Immortal nodded. She turned to face Conner, alone, "Well, Conner, it is nice to meet you. Shall we?" With that she headed to the Katherine's car. As Conner began to follow he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder, "Conner, be careful with her. She is wise beyond her years and far stronger than either of us. Watch her, though she is strong she is also fragile. Like a single wolf. She is more alone now than you or I have been in all our years. I feel sorry for her, but, but if she knew, she'd kill me." Katherine then followed the woman called Dana to the car. McLeod thought briefly of what his friend had said. Her words had been powerful, though brief. It gave Conner a thirst for knowledge of the enigma call Dana Scully. Then he collected their gear and headed for the car. Mulder sat in his office, silently twirling a pin on his fingers as he sucked on sunflower seeds. On his desk was the file of Dana Scully. Her murderer had been poisoned, his name had been fabricated. It was all part of a devious game few were privies to. In short, her death had been planned. This was the sloppiest job those bastards had ever done. The murderer's prints were everywhere, it was only a matter of time. Only a matter of time before they caught the ones who had planned murderers. Until then Mulder had to figure out why "They" had chosen that time to kill her. It was a mystery he would die searching for. He brought his pen up to his light fluff of a beard. He was a wreck. He had forgotten a lot about grooming. His hair was becoming shaggy again, and from lack of shaving he had grown a beard. His suits were now always wrinkled. In short, he was a wreck. He had alienated Jackie, pushed her away. He had lessened his calls to Mrs. Scully. Those that had been closest to Scully were now farthest from Mulder. Including himself. He was consumed with the murder case. Pouring every ounce of strength and thought into it. He knew that he had to stay alive long enough to find revenge. Then he would lay down and die. The pen dropped from his hands, with that realization and fell to the cross at his neck, her cross. As he toyed with the small gold talisman he read over the file once more. He already had the offensive paper memorized but that didn't stop him. He hoped that one of these times something would jump out at him. Like all the other times nothing did. A knock at the door tore him from the file. Skinner stood there, his muscular frame barely fitting through the door. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He said, his voice as gruff as ever. Mulder held up Scully's file, "Looking for a murderer." "We know who the murderer is, it's only a matter of time." "I know, but I want to know why he did it." "Agent Scully has made a lot of enemies over the years." Skinner said swiftly. "We both have, did. That's not the point. 'They' did this! Those bastards killed her to get at me! I won't let them get away with this, not this time!" Mulder said through clinched teeth. Skinner sadly shook his head. He then stated simply why he had come down there, "You've been assigned a new partner." "WHAT?" Skinner held up a hand to silence the ASAC. "The VCU thought this assignment would be better for this particular agent. She is smart, has a degree in psychology and is an excellent profiler, she also has a paranormal fetish." "So, basically you're sending me another me, just this one happens to be female?" "Exactly." "I could do better with Jackie. For that matter I could do better with one of the 'Spooky Pairs.'" the peeved agent muttered. "Jackie's been called to Canada for a week." "How convenient." he sneered. Mulder shook his head, this all wasn't right. It was all giving him violent thoughts. "We both know this doesn't mean that I'll get more cases solved." "Agent Mulder, we both also know why this woman is being sent here. To watch you and make 'them' feel better, don't screw her around just because she isn't Agent Scully. The woman doesn't deserve it, just like all your other agents." Mulder looked at his superior coldly, he secretly hoped those six, close to seven, years with Scully had taught him how to give a "Scully Death Gaze". It appeared to work. Skinner left. One hour later Special Agent Anna Gazerly walked in. Her long black hair was up in a French Twist, her maroon suit fit her right at every curve, her brown eyes held a look of wonder. She gave him a brilliant white smile as she took off a pair of thin rimmed glasses, "Hi, I'm...." Mulder finished her sentence, "Anna Gazerly, graduated from Stanford at the top of her class, a Ph.D in psychology. Also graduated from Quantico at the top of her class. She had a bright future, the perfect girl," Mulder switched to a voice mocking doom, "except for one flaw, she has a passion for the paranormal. Well congratulations, in your two years at the Bureau you have already earned the name Miss Spooky." "From what I understand, you've achieved the nickname Spooky as well." "Yeah, well those VCU guys aren't real original." Gazerly leaned in closer, "Is there a Mrs. Spooky?" "Sort of, but that's behind me now." His hazel eyes had turned dark. "Oh," Gazerly leaned back, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." "Don't worry about it." He waved a hand. Gazerly stared into the older agent's eyes briefly, seeing a mix of anger and grief, she quickly silenced any questions in the back of her mind. She gave a small smile to ease the growing silence. Finally Gazerly took a chance and broke the silence, "So, what's our first case?" Mulder held up Scully's file, "A murder. We're looking for a motive." Gazerly picked up the police report, "Well, Agent Mulder, you, yourself should know the answer to that, you're the eyewitness." "Just because I was there doesn't mean I understand what happened." "But you said the guy was about to shoot you because he thought you were being a quote 'womanizing son of a bitch'." Mulder leaned back in his chair, "That was a cover up," a Scully voice said. He mentally shook that thought away. Mulder continued, "the guy knew exactly what was going to happen, there was no way we could have stopped him from doing what he had planned to do. His entire life in that apartment building was a facade, fabricated by the secret government to assassinate Agent Scully." Gazerly looked at the older agent with wide eyes, "What, you're saying there was a conspiracy to kill a single F.B.I. agent?" He nodded, "Exactly." "Okay, why would they want her dead?" Mulder shrugged, "She got too close to the Truth, again and again, so they decided why not off her, this way they would only have one thorn in their side, instead of two." Anna did not bother to ask who the other thorn was, she knew perfectly well. She attempted to look into his cold gaze, but it was too cold. Suddenly Mulder stood, he threw his jacket over muscular form and headed for the door. "Hey," she called after him, "Where are you going?" He put his head just inside the door, "I've got an old friend I need to visit." Mulder shook his head as he headed up the stairs, Gazerly not far behind. He hated the sarcastic facade he had up right now. But it was a way to keep him busy, and it was better then crying. Through a cloud of dense cigarette smoke he watched the other man. He was about 6'5" with short black hair, a thin beard and dark black eyes. Small silver studs hung in each of his ears, and his hair grayed slightly at the temples. His face was a pasty white the looked very much like the skin of a cadaver. He tugged lightly at his leather jacket. Then he spoke with a thin, raspy voice. "The plan has been set into motion. Scully is dead, McLeod has been blamed. Mulder will seek him out and one of them will die. Either way, we will both benefit." The Cigarette man watched the Immortal. He was surprised at the efficiency of the man. He had perfectly planned the murder. The killer was dead. The man, Conner McLeod, was to be blamed for orchestrating both murders. It was perfect. All that he hoped for was that Mulder's new partner would not work out. If the Special Agent got a partner as good as his old one "They" would be in trouble. More secrets could be revealed, and more would have to die. ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (5/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 Anna scanned the cafeteria for a familiar friendly face, finding none she sat alone at a vacant table. It had been a month since her new assignment, and her remaining Bureau friends were fading fast. Everywhere she went, Anna received a glare or look of shock. It annoyed her. Often times she would return home to her fiance and cry. The agents of the FBI could be cruel. Even her own partner shunned her. He spoke to her only when necessary and even then he was rather rude. Anna's reasonable mind had told her this was because he had recently lost someone dear to him, and was experiencing depression. But the other part of Anna Gazerly told her that Fox Mulder was insane from a broken heart. Broken by the abandonment of his "friend." As Anna stared into her chicken-fried-meat-product another agent approached. "Well if it isn't Dr. Ice Queen's replacement. Eating alone I see." Anna looked up briefly, "Hello Five-Shot Waddle." Waddle blushed at Gazerly's use of his nickname. Achieved after it took him five shots to finally hit a particular target. "Hows yaa doing Gazerly? Boinking the boss yet." Gazerly shook her head, "Nope, that's your department." "Go to hell Ms. Spooky." "Only if you promise not to die. I don't want to have to spend eternity with you." Waddle blushed again then waddled away. His large rear swinging in time with his noisy breathing. Anna smiled in triumph. Then she looked at her watch. "Shit." she muttered. Mulder would be leaving soon to visit some friend. Anna intended to follow. Gazerly watched Special Agent Fox Mulder slowly make his way to a somewhat fresh grave. She followed, not that far behind. He had not told her to come and he had not told her to go back to the car so she wasn't concerned with seeing his wrath. She caught the name on the grave stone, Dana Katherine Scully, 1964-1998. Anna looked at the gravestone puzzled, this was the murder victim's grave, why would Mulder want to come here? Then it clicked, this was Mulder's old partner. She looked at the grave with a little more respect. She watched as he knelt beside the grave and placed a small bouquet of flowers on the fresh dirt. Then he rested his head on the cool stone and closed his eyes. Gazerly turned around for sake of privacy. She heard the grief-stricken man whisper into the ground about the case. He told the deceased woman how "those bastards" had planned her murder, and how they may have a lead on the people who had done this among other things. She heard him tell Dana about her mother and the rest of her family, finally he came to talk of himself. "I miss you Scully. I really wish you were here. I'm sorry I let you down. I swear I'll find them. I'll bring justice down upon their heads, and I'll make sure they pay, for Samantha, Jackie, Melissa, me and especially for you. I'll kill them for what they did to you. I'm leaving for a while, but I'll be back. One day." She heard a small grunt as he stood up. She turned to look at him, and noticed the sad sparkle in his eyes. She said nothing as they got back in the car and drove off. She had a greater sense of wonder about the man called "Spooky" and she thought even more about the partner, "Mrs. Spooky", the one that had uncovered and displayed the humanity if Fox Mulder. ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (6/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 In the five years that she had fought aliens, mutants and psychotics she was certain that she had never worked so hard as she did now. Her arms moved with intense speed, working the sparring dummy over quickly and hard. She ignored the pain that was soon creeping into her already sore limbs she fought back the tears that burned her eyes, she continued the extreme sparring with the wooden opponent. She quickened her movements, she faintly heard the crack of a bone or two as she slammed into the defenseless dummy, all thoughts were on other things at other places. The new job as an ER doctor at Cook County, the new apartment near McLeod's dojo, and the life she left behind. This last thing was the most often on her mind. She stopped suddenly at the presence of another Immortal. Spinning around to see her mentor and friend Conner McLeod entering the private gym. He walked over and surveyed the damage done to the dummy. He then looked at her, "You know, you going to be a master carpenter when you leave this place." "Oh come now, I'm not that bad." she stated with a sheepish grin. "No, you're worse." Conner replied with a foolish smile of his own. In realization that she was acting more like Mulder she muttered under her breath, "Well six years, what did you expect?" Conner gave her a look, "Huh?" "Oh nothing." She gave him a small smirk, wiped the sweat from her brow and headed for the shower. She had work in two hours. Jerry watched the new doctor enter the busy ER room. With the leather blazer and perfect hair he might have taken her for a tough law enforcer. She walked with a limp and sometimes used a handsome cane to maneuver the ER. She also had an authoritive air around her that tended to push off men. She threw him a brief nod as she headed for the doctor's lounge. She had started last month on the least popular shift. She almost never came in contact with the other doctors and he had never heard of her dating anyone. She was what he dubbed a "loner". He wondered briefly what made her so lonely. Scully stuffed her jacket and sword in the small locker as she pulled out her white medical overcoat. She often wondered why she had chosen emergency medicine. She figured that with all the death she had seen in her short life working as a forensic scientist was not the way to go. She had been tired of the endless stream of dead bodies, and she knew working in the morgue put her at a great risk of being found out by her ex-partner. She sighed and put her head against the cool, gray metal of the locker. The pain of loss gripping her. "Rough day?" She spun around to look into the sparkling eyes of Dr. Doug Ross. She felt a small pang in the back of her mind when the doctor flashed her a smile that was ever so similar to Mulder's sarcastic grin. She returned his grin with a weak smile, "Is there any other type of day." He shook his head, "Not that I know of." Scully slammed her locker shut and left the room, but in reality she was attempting to escape the memories that man always brought up. Ross watched as the red-head doctor, Dana Cloorey fled the lounge. He let out a long low sigh. He was determined to crack that woman's barrier and find the reasons behind her actions. Unfortunately, he had no idea how difficult his self-made mission was. He was taken from his thoughts when his friend and associate Dr. Mark Greene came stumbling in. He collapsed into the ragged couch. Then he looked up at Ross, "Any success?" "Absolutely none. I have yet to get her to reveal her past." He said in a mockingly mysterious tone. Greene shook a warning finger at Ross, "Just remember you are engaged." "He better remember." Both men turned to look at the now open door, Nurse Carol Hathaway stood there, her petite frame dressed in pink scrubs. "What's up?" The men shared a glance, Hathaway had worked with the two men long enough to know exactly what the glance meant. "Doug you aren't falling in love are you?" "No, I'm already in love." She let out a small sigh and shook her head, "Both of you be careful around that woman she doesn't seem exactly...." "Stable?" Directly behind Hathaway stood Dr. Cloorey. Her Russian accent seemed to bite into the two doctors and the nurse. Hathaway blushed a deep crimson, "Uhh, no... that's..uhh." Cloorey held her hand up, "Don't worry, I've been called far worse, from Mrs. Spooky to the Ice Queen. I'm used to being gossiped about. Just try to keep it somewhat nice. After while it can hurt, sometimes more then physical pain." Then she left the doorway as silently as she had come. The three friends shared a look of shock. Greene voiced what they were all thinking, "Damn spooky." Mulder looked at the small envelope he had seen behind Scully's grave. He had debated on whether or not he should open it. What would Scully have said? He held it up to the light, a photograph and letter. He tore it open. The picture was of a man with short brown hair and cold eyes. He looked maniacal. Mulder then turned to the letter. It read: Mr. Mulder, It would interest you to know that this man cannot die. He is a creature made by creatures you seek. He will seek you out if you do not find him and take his head. He is responsible for your friend and her assassin's demise. Mulder stared at the letter than he crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can. He was about to do the same to the photograph when he noticed writing on the back. It said Joseph Leon, antique specialist, Chicago. It was worth a try. Dead ends and traps were better then nothing, besides, maybe this way he could get rid of his death wish. Dana watched as the OR team wheeled the young girl into the elevator. Then she slid down the wall onto the floor. The young child had looked similar to Emily. She knew that she would no doubt see many small girls that looked like Emily, but she never thought she would see one in the hospital, in the ER, with internal bleeding. The case had hit her too close, it had shaken her barrier. It had made her vulnerable. And being vulnerable could get her killed. She was planning on limiting her death to two a year. And she had already met that quota. The shooting and the thing in the Arctic. She was taken from her depressing thoughts when a tall shadow accompanied by a slight "buzz" came and stood over her. It was McLeod. "What are you doing here?" "When a normally on-time student is late I tend to get worried. I came to see if everything was okay." She noticed the long coat and thick boots he wore. He had thought she may have been killed. Slowly the petite red-head came to her feet. She noticed Dr. Carter and a few nurses were staring at her. She turned her back to face McLeod. "I'm fine." Then she made her way to the doctor's lounge to get her coat. Not very far down, though, she knew she wasn't fine. Dr. Carter watched a shaky Cloorey and a man clad in a long coat leave. He wondered briefly why the woman had collapsed to the floor after the little girl went to OR. Then he had realized that she was one of those types that hated seeing little injured children. He felt sorry for her. He also wondered who the man was. Probably just a friend, that was all she treated him as. ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (7/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 Mulder looked down at the address then back up at the building. This was Joseph Leon's shop in home. This was a chance to find one of those bastards. He heard a small shuffling beside him, it was Gazerly. She had pushed to come along, claiming he might need back up. Mulder had allowed the enthusiastic young woman to join him, he didn't really care anymore. Slowly he walked up to the door. When he opened it he felt the warmth of the heater engulf his body. He immediately removed his coat. Inside the shop was cramped and full of clutter, mainly of Europe and Japan . A young woman came from behind a large wardrobe. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a pony tail and and her pale skin had a light layer of dirt covering it. She gave the Feds a sickening white smile She spoke with a surprisingly calm and cool voice, "May I help you?" Mulder nodded and extracted his ID, Gazerly followed suit. "I'm Agent Mulder and this is Agent Scu.... Gazerly. We're with the F.B.I." Mulder hoped neither of the two women had noticed his mistake, both had. He quickly continued, "We're looking for Mr. Joseph Leon. Have you seen him?" The woman nodded, "He went to Cook County to pick up a friend. He should be in the ER." Gazerly picked up the questioning, "Is his friend okay?" "Yeah, she's just a doctor. Her name is Dana Cloorey, I think." No, it couldn't be, could it? Had her death been faked. Scully couldn't still be alive, she had died, in his arms, hadn't she? Mulder shook the thought of her death away. Then he ran to the car. Gazerly was right behind him. Jerry noticed the two enter the hospital, Feds, he thought. They both wore impeccable suits, and he could barely see the curve of a gun at each of their waists. The taller man came up to the desk. He looked as though he needed to shave and brush his hair, the small gold necklace around his neck looked too feminine for a FBI man. Probably some sort of talisman. The scruffy Fed planted his hands on the desk. "I'm looking for Dr. Cloorey, do you know where I can find her?" his voice held the barest trace of a foreign accent. Jerry shook his head vigorously, "I have no idea, you might want to ask one of the docs." Just then Ross came rushing by, "Hey, Dr. Ross. This guy is looking for Cloorey." The doctor stopped and stared at the agent, the agent did the same, "Why are you looking for her." The Fed shrugged, "I need to ask her a few questions, I'm an FBI agent." Ross nodded solemnly, "I think she left an hour ago, her last patient really shook her up." The Fed's eyes seemed to brighten and darken at the same time. "Can I see the patient." "Well you can look at her. She's upstairs in OR now. I'll show you." Upstairs Ross walked along the corridors, seeking out the particular room. He stopped. From the window Ross could see the gory sight of a child's inside. He looked at the FBI agents expecting them to shiver or something, the woman went pale, the man was looking intently as if for a clue. Then he paled, but not from the sight of gore. "Shit," the Fed whispered quietly, "She looks like Emily." Both doctor and partner exclaimed at the same time, "What?" The man ignored their question, "Did she leave with anybody?" "I think so." He pulled out a picture while still staring at the girl, "Did he look like this." "I don't know, Carter saw them leave." "Get Carter up here now." "I don't know if I...." "NOW!" Elizabeth Coudray looked up from some papers as she walked down the hall, "Is something wrong?" She asked in a thick accent. Ross looked at the other doctor then at the two agents then headed straight for the phone. Dr. Roberts turned to face the two agents, "What's going on here?" Gazerly spoke, "Honestly? If I knew I would tell you." Just then Ross came back with a young man, Dr. Carter. Mulder practically threw the picture in the intern's face, "Is this the man Dr. Cloorey left with?" "I..I... think so." "Shit." Mulder shot out the door, leaving a three dumbfounded doctors and a perplexed partner. Gazerly rushed after Mulder. She had barely touched the car before he was speeding out of the parking lot. Dr. Ross watched the crazy Fed and his pretty partner race out of the hospital. He shook his head gently and wondered how the government could let crazy people like that carry guns. Then he smiled,one more hour and he and Carol would be heading for a relaxing dinner. ************************* The car skidded to a stop in front of the antique store, "Jesus, Mulder! What the Hell are you trying to do?" Gazerly questioned. The passenger side of the car had slammed into a pole when the car had skidded to a stop. She turned to hear Mulder's answer, but he was already inside, with his gun out. As she managed to pull her self from the wreckage of the car she heard multiple shots fired. Mulder slowly crept through the shop, its clutter serving as both an advantage a disadvantage. He scanned the room, seeking movement. At the back of the shop he found two doors. One was a storeroom, the other led into a hallway. Three doors were in the hallway. Opening one he found a sparse, and empty gym. The second door led to the second level. The third door exposed a small apartment. Mulder surveyed the cramped bedroom. A cot, a bathroom, chest of drawers, and a small clutter of pictures facing the bed. He walked to the pictures, his heart racing, he picked one up, his hands shaking uncontrollably , he looked into his own dark hazel eyes. He was smiling and one arm embracing Scully, his other hand was busy swiping at a grinning St. George. Mulder collapsed onto the cot. He knew only one person who had this particular picture of him. Scully. Suddenly a rapid succession of shots from the second floor brought him back from his musings. He prayed he would make it in time. Dana had returned from the hospital with McLeod only to find a killer waiting. She had never seen the man in McLeod's apartment, but she had a feeling she knew who he worked for. Both Conner and herself had their swords out as soon as they saw the man. He grinned, his teeth almost the same shade as his skin. "Ah, the enigmatic Conner McLeod and Dana Scully. I thought that you were dead. Guess I better finish." The man pointed his long sword at Dana. Conner gripped his sword tighter, "Don't." "Oh I think I will. I was paid to do a job and I'm not one to not finish what I started." As he walked toward Scully, McLeod stepped in front of her. The evil man sighed and pulled out a Colt .45, he fired the entire clip into Conner. The shots went straight through him and became wedged in Dana. She fell to the floor just as Mulder came racing through the door. Mulder looked at the living room of the apartment. The man, Joseph Leon lay on the floor, filled with holes. The bullets were all lodged in Scully. A flash of a memory from only a month before flashed through his mind. Had someone been so perverse as to steal her body and place it hear? If so how come the body was not in a state of rot? He looked at all the blood then at the man who held the gun. His short black hair seemed the exact opposite of his pale skin. The Pale Man rushed forward, the pale man slung a limp Scully over his shoulder and ran to the fire escape. Mulder was right on his heels. When Gazerly made it to the apartment she immediately saw the man on the floor, miraculously he was still breathing. She knelt beside him and began dialing 911. Just as she was about to press SEND a bloody hand touched her hand. "Don't." The man at her knees croaked, "There's no reason." ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (8/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 Mulder's lungs felt as though they would burst. He was still chasing the pale man, who now neared a half completed bridge. He unloaded his red-head cargo. "FREEZE!" Mulder held his gun in the standard "V" position, it was pointed directly at the pale man. Then she moved. Mulder looked on as his formerly dead partner slowly awoke. She sat up and looked around. Her eyes widened as they fell upon her one-time friend. "Mulder." She gasped. Suddenly a sword came flashing towards her neck. "Scully!" She rolled out of the way, the medieval sword casting a shower of sparks in all directions as it collided with the wet asphalt. Scully was up in a split second a sharpened katana in her small hands. The large, pale man stampeded forward, swinging his enormous sword in wide, solid arcs. It smashed into Dana's sword with intense force. She bent under the pressure, fighting to keep the fragile sword in her grip. She moved to the side wielding the sword in a low, gentle arc. The man ignored his nearly severed limb and continued seeking a hit on his diminutive opponent. Mulder realized Scully was in a severe impasse when she was cornered at the side of the bridge, any movement sending her to her death. Mulder ran forward, brashly, unleashing a small war cry as he slammed into his larger foe. The taller man threw him against the rail, then with his massive shoulder, he smashed into Mulder, sending him flying down into the river below. That hit had shattered his rib cage, practically sealing his fate. Death. Mulder never saw Scully kill the man in a violent fury. Never saw her scream in perverse pleasure as the Quickening strengthened and weakened her small body. He never saw her collapse to the ground reeling from the intense feeling of having another's "essence" invading her body. He had fallen twenty feet below into a river covered in ice. A river that could take is life. Despite the fact that Dana Katherine Scully, had, for the second time in her life, experienced the repulsive and seductive event titled the Quickening she was very angry. And as many had learned the hard way. An angry Scully was a dangerously efficient Scully. Carefully she brought herself to her feet. She took the pale head and body of the other Immortal and threw it into the river. Then she realized that Mulder had disappeared. Scully gazed into the ruinous river. It seemed like the Stynx with the torrent, black waters. Mulder had fallen there, and she feared that it may take him to the Underworld like its mythical counterpart. She leapt in the water, which instantly encased her, threatening to take her to Hell. She thought of another time, another place. Swimming blindly in the frigid water, fighting to keep two men and herself alive. She remembered his self sacrifice, his risk of death. The look of lethal blissfulness on his face. The same look she saw now. His body was suspended in the cold death only a hand reach away. She saw that look on his handsome face. Death seemed the only way for her friend to escape his demons, within and without. It was a damned shame. She gripped the coarse cloth of his trench coat and she pulled his limp form into her arms and kicked forward, seeking a break in the ice. There was none. She slammed her body full force into the ice. She heard a bone in her shoulder shatter, but by now her small body was too numb and too high on adrenaline to feel it. Finally she heard another break. This break was in the ice. She struggled pushing up her water logged ex-partner onto the solid ice. Then she pulled herself out. It was so cold. Carol Hathaway looked idly out the window of Doug Ross's car. She looked at how the moon shined brilliantly on the frozen river. It all seemed so normal, except for the body being pushed from the river, followed shortly after by a very small person. She grabbed Ross's biceps, "Doug, look. People are coming out of the ice!" "What the Hell?" Hathaway grabbed the wheel and turned. "SHIT!" Ross yelled. He gripped the wheel, his knuckles white. He fought the icy service road, attempting to get down to the frozen river. Scully slowly turned Mulder over. His face was pale, whether from blood loss or from hypothermia, she did not know or cared. All the Dana knew was Mulder need better medical attention then she could give. She was very weak, from a combination of the Quickening and hypothermia. As she used a muddled mind to figure out a plan of action she heard an engine gunned and the sound of tires fighting a cold, difficult road. A small blue car came flying over the levy, it was headed straight for her. And all her bewildered mind could come up was to draw Mulder's service gun and fire at the incoming vehicle. Carol stared into the moonlit darkness. Straight ahead she saw a small figure. The figure wore a familiar outfit, now bloody and torn, her once fiery red hair now hung limp and wet around a too pale face. Carol registered the soaking figure as Dr. Dana Cloorey and for some strange reason she had a feeling that the body at the woman's was the nameless, angry FBI agent. She watched in helpless fascination as the secluded doctor pulled a large pistol from the body. She held it up in a very professional, and seemingly natural position. She lowered the gun slightly and fired two shots. The front tires of Doug's car suddenly blew out. "FUCK!" The couple yelled in unison. Doug slammed his foot on the brakes. The car squealed to a stop. Carol leapt out of the car, her hands held high above her head, "Don't shoot damnit!" The smaller and sickly woman jabbed the gun into the back of her pants. She ran/limped past Carol and threw open the trunk of the car. She grabbed a small blanket and ran back to the body. Carol stood puzzled, With deft hands Cloorey wrapped the considerably larger form in the blanket as though she had done it many times before. Carol thought, "Ross," Cloorey screamed, "get him in the back of the car. NOW!" Doug moved into action, Carol not far behind. When the four were in the car Dana spun the car around and sped for the near empty highway. Carol watched with beguilement, as the usually quiet, and reserved Dr. Dana Cloorey handled the tireless car with ease. She raced down the highway at about 90 m.p.h., ignoring the honking horns, other cars, and ice. All she seemed to care about was the dying FBI agent. Five more minutes to Cook County. ************************* Ronin I: In the Beginning (9/9) Doc (hinton3944@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1 Jerry looked up to the ER entrance to see a queer sight. A too pale man lay on a gurney. Dr. Cloorey sat on top of him, she counted out numbers as she pushed continually on the mans chest, every six count she bent down and breathed into the man's mouth. The gurney was being pushed by Nurse Hathaway and Dr. Ross. "We need help!" Cloorey screamed. "Go to Trauma 2." Jerry said. Everyone watched as Dr. Ross and Dr. Cloorey along with Nurse Hathaway and two other nurses worked rapidly on the pale, prone figure. Dana looked down at Mulder's sickly face. His eyes were closed in a peaceful slumber, one that Scully knew could only be achieved by death. She rubbed his cold muscles, fitted the oxygen mask on his head, and worked at getting his heart to jump start. Through this speedy process Dana still managed to note the small gold cross that hung around his neck. She felt a deep, painful ache. Then she moved faster. Her reasons seemed to have intensified. Suddenly everything seemed to stop. No heartbeat had been found, the oxygen being pumped into his lungs was a waste. Slowly everyone stepped away from the table, everyone but Scully. It seemed as though the entire ER department stood at the door, watching, waiting. Dana slowly caressed Mulder's freezing cheek, "Don't do this to me Mulder, don't leave me like this." No breath. A rage that only a few unfortunate people had ever seen swept over Dana. The insanity she had left behind years before returned at an undefinable pace. She slapped him across the face, as though a strike from her hand would bring him back, "Don't you leave me damnit! This isn't the way it's supposed to be!" She brought her head down to his ears, the next words she spoke would only have been heard by Mulder, if he were alive. They were spoken in a harsh, conspiratorally whisper. "Damnit Mulder, you can't die, not like this, it's not right and you know it. Breathe, just one breath Mulder. I did it for you, I cheated death, more than once. You have to do it too. You have to do it again. You owe me. You said it yourself. You owe me." Suddenly, she spoke, much louder, her patience with the heart-breaking man, gone. "TAKE ONE FUCKING BREATH MULDER!" her voice fell to a whisper, "That's all I ask." Everyone listened, when no air passed through his lips, the petite red head bent her head and bit back tears threatening to explode forth. She didn't say a word. She had always prided herself on being able to hold in her emotions, being able to put up a wall. But with his death that changed. She did not cry, she was completely silent, but the look in her eyes told all what she thought. She was about to do something big, and bad. Carol watched the preceding in numb shock. The ever quiet Dr. Cloorey was angry. Dr. Cloorey was not like others, she was different then the many others Hathaway had seen act over the death of a close friend. She did not say a word, she did not fall t the ground weeping, she seemed to keep her eyes fixed on the dead FBI agent. Hathaway stared at the angered doctor. Cloorey knelt beside the bed. She slammed her fist onto the cold metal sides. There was a sickening crunch of bones being shattered. Cloorey did not cry. She knelt her head in silence. Though Carol Hathaway would never admit it, she swore she saw a single tear creep into the doctor's eyes All of a sudden her head came up, she looked frantically around the room. Her eyes fell on Mulder just as he took a deep, gasping breath. A smile crept onto her pale face. Mulder cough up some water, and a bit of blood, then turned to her, "I have the strangest feeling that I missed something." They both smiled even wider and their hands met. Scully squeezed tightly, he returned the favor. "Mulder if it wasn't for the fact that you just died for a bit, I'd kill you." "Then who would always be saving your ass Scully?" "I got friends." He nodded skeptically, "Sure." She shot him a light shut up glare. "Mulder, I think you need some bed rest. You nearly died." <> <> Scully was having a conversation with herself. Mulder must have noticed her faze out. He looked at her questionably. *You going to be okay?* Mulder grinned as if she had said it outloud. Then the other doctors moved in. She felt a hand on her arm. It was Dr. Lucy King. "Dana, your clothes are covered in blood come on, I'll do some sutures." Scully's befuddled mind only had one thing to think before she was in a room, being looked over by the resident. <> <> <> Dana's mind fell completely silent. The doctor examining her gasped. "Dana, these holes in your blouse, these look like bullet holes, but there's no sign of an entry wound." Dana shrugged, "A friend of mine asked me to help out in a play. This is my costume. We were practicing on a bridge when Mulder fell off." King gave her a skeptical look. "Then why are you wearing your work clothes you had on earlier. I noticed that you knew that agent well, that you didn't handle that girl earlier well, that you seem to have a troubled past." The dark haired nurse came in closer, her voice carried a conspiratorially tone. "I want the truth." Dana looked at the woman, <> "I'm a living battery." <> The doctor's eyebrows skyrocketed. Dana hid a smile, then continued to explain. She was going to get good at this explanation. *************************** So love it? Hate it? Really want to bate it? FEEDBACK!!! please. Should I make a sequel?