From: naomi roper Date: Tue, 03 Feb 1998 10:32:03 +0000 Subject: Fan Fiction Title: The Serpent Inside Author: Naomi Roper Rating: 18 Category: Mulder,Scully Angst Summary: Mulder and Scully must conquer their deepest fears in order to battle with a brilliant psychopath. Disclaimer: The X-Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen productions.Please don't sue. Feedback: This is my 1st attempt at a story.I would really like to hear your views,especially as to whether you'd like a sequel.Please send comments to zctlr40@ucl.ac.uk J Edgar Hoover Building 8:15 Despite the warmth in the small briefing room,Scully shivered.Forcing down the bile which had begun to rise in her throat,she steadied her breathing and forced herself to look ahead.Projected on the screen in front of her was one of the most horrific images she'd ever seen ,She was used to death,faced it often whether through her work as a field agent or her work as a pathologist. She had practised distancing herself emotionally from the scenes of carnage that she regularly witnessed ,viewing the bodies that she autopsied as things ,rather than the living distinct individuals that they had once been.She herself had felt death near,an experience which both scared her and left her awe- stricken.Yet,this was something altogether different, harder for her to stomach.On the screen in front of her was a crime scene photo showing a young woman - well what was left of her.The left side of her face was badly scarred,the flesh a dull mottled grey colour.It looked melted as if the flesh was trying to escape from the skeleton underneath.The womans hair was gone,shaved to the skull.Her nose was so badly broken it looked like omly the loose skin covering it was keeping it in place.The womans mouth was open in a silent scream,exposing toothless gums.However it was the eyes that affected Scully the most.Both of the womans eyes had been gouged out,the sockets filled with grit and sand. Scully nervously fingered her tiny cross and struggled to smother the feelings of rage the picture instilled in her,as she retuned in to what Mulder was saying. "Victim number 8 was 20 year old Lucy Matthews.Homecoming queen,prom queen,winner of 5 beauty pagents and apple of her daddy's eye She was reported missing after failing to return home after an evening out with friends.Two days later she was found dumped in an alley her body covered with garbage bags." Scully looked at the original picture of Lucy that Mulder held in his hand.Smiling at the camera ,she had thick brown hair and huge chocolate brown eyes,beautiful,but natural looking her eyes shined happily. All that girls hopes and dreams shattered by some sick pscyho,Scully thought sadly.She had to believe that they would catch this man if only to give some meaning to the loss of all those who had fallen by his hand.Pulling herself out of her reverie,she addressed the room "Cause of death was strangulation.The scarring you see on her face was caused by exposure to Sulphuric acid.Her teeth were pulled out,he probably used a pair of pliers.All of the injuries you see there were caused- Scully paused briefly,her stomach clenching - all the injuries were caused prior to death" Mulder glanced at Scully .He could tell how angered she was at the senseless loss of this woman's life.It was one of the things he respected and admired the most about her,her total compassion for all the unfortunate souls that crossed their path.It waseasy to become desensitised to the constant numbing violence.However,Scully .though a cynic was never cynical.She never lost sigh of the fact that what they investigated was human tragedy and that it was her job to prevent it happening again. Mulder continued briefing the room. "In the last nine months eight victims have been found in and around the Washington area.There appears to be no common link between the victims.The killer has targeted both men and women.The victims were of various race with differing backgrounds.All have met their deaths via a different method.Serial killers usually pick one particular method of killing and stick to it .This guy likes to diversify.Each death is slightly more gruesome and elaborate than the last.All of which indicates that we are dealing with a very sick,very arrogant individual,who has no intention of stopping.After each death the killer has sent the FBI a note.He wants to challeng us.He likes to quote shakespeare,famous poets.He's taunting us urging us to catch him,because he believes he's so good that he will never be caught.Each note arrives,in a silver envelope,return address is fake.This arrived twenty minutes ago" Mulder held up a white sheet of card and began to read. "Little Lucy was an angel, Such a pretty sight, But what little Lucy didn't figure, Is she wouldn't last the night." Skinner shifted in his chair,his lips drawn in a thin white line "Cute, any ideas about how we can move forward on this" Scully looked at him, her eyes full of sorrow. "No sir,despite the injuries inflicted on the body,the killer left no forensic evidence.There is no pattern as to how the victims are taken,dumped.We don't even know how he finds them" Mulder interupted."I think he chooses a victim then follows him until he strikes .This is all a game to him.He is totally devoid of emotion.But I do think he wants to be caught" Skinner sighed."So what do you suggest we do Agent Mulder.What's our next move?" "Nothing Sir we wait until he makes his" 3:15 PM Michael Stevens stared at the young man sitting on the park bench opposite him,eating his lunch.He was wearing a dark blue suit,a cheap knock-off of a designer label.His hair was blonde,well-cut but bedraggled.Stevens knew he worked at one of the offices nearby,he'd been watching him for two days .The man sat hunched over nervously fingering his sandwich.Stevens was intrigued.He could always spot the interesting people.Not the ones who believed they were gods gift,but the ones who emanated intensity,so that he could almost smell it. He had his own extraordinary radar,able to hone in on what mattered to people.Stevens had a talent,one which he never shared but which he felt lifted him above all the idiots surrounding him.He could know people,their weaknesses,their vulnerabilities.People were out there,praying to deities who never listened,but he a mere man,why he was their God.Determining the fates of those he chose ,those who interested him,the special ones.He wondered whether the young man knew that his fate rested in his hands.The thought pleased him and he had to stop himself from laughing.He closed his eyes briefly, slowing his breathing so that he could concentrate ,his perception growing clearer.He looked and stared penetratingly at the man opposite him. He felt his senses begin to drift as they were supplanted by something else.He felt his body grow cold and heavy.His breathing grew laboured,his lungs straining for air .He could hear his heart thudding painfully in his chest,banging against his ribs.His throat,sore as sandpaper,looked for air and found only a cold,cloying smothering substance.It molded itself to him,clinging to him,filling every orifice of his body with its inky blackness.His eyes were stinging, and with increasing desperation he struggled to be free,to move up, away from the darkness which was dragging him down into his depths.At the last moment.... Stevens opened his eyes.He knew,and with that thought he began to grin. 6:15 PM Paul Jones wearily trudged along the road to where he'd left his car.It had been a long day,and he wasn't looking forward to going home.His wife,had lost her job recently and had decided to make his life hell because of it.He felt sorry for her,hated seeing the proud woman that he'd married reduced to sitting in front of the TV all day watching inane talk shows.He loved her but at this moment.. His thoughts trailed off as he reached his car.He yanked open the door and sat heavily in the drivers seat.He turned the key in the ignition.The car whined ,its motor attempting to turn over.He tried it again, still there was nothing.Fuck he muttered to himself,just what I need. With a sigh he clumsily clambered out and moved around to the bonnet. Hearing the crunching sound of shoes on gravel he turned around startled.He squinted up at the tall man standing nonchalantly by the side of the car.He had thick brown hair and hard flint grey eyes."You having a bit of trouble there?" Stevens enquired."Damn thing won't start,I don't know what the hell's wrong with it,mechanics ain't my strong point."Paul replied."I know what you mean.Well,hey, I've got a cell phone in my car You're welcome to use it if you're in a jam,its uh..it's just round the corner," Paul smiled.thank god he thought."Thanks buddy that'll be great the wife will kill me if I'm late" "No problem" Stevens replied grinning openly his smile never quite reaching his eyes. The two men walked in the direction of Stevens' car.The day had gotten colder and it was beginning to drizzle.The sky was darkening, losing its vibrant hue. Paul pulled his suit jacket tighter around him.They rounded a corner, Steven's car was parked in a dingy side road.The place was quiet,noone else was to be seen. Stevens suddenly stopped abruptly and turned to face Paul.He stood there still as a statue ,totally silent,looking imposing in the eerie half light.Jesus- Paul thought."Hey,bud what's your prob.." He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence.The road whirled around him making him feel dizzy and nauseous.Then,it wasn't there anymore.He gawped in amazement as the road vanished before his eyes.He felt lighter somehow,his stomach doing small somersaults in his belly.His eyes tried to focus in the murky light.He was getting cold,his body refusing to respond to him.He felt something lapping at his neck and he yelped in surprise.With mounting horror,he began to comprehend where he was.He was drifting in the lake near his home.Floating in the middle of a dark, dank expanse of water.It was freezing him,its icy fingers reaching out trying to assimilate him into the icy depths.He began to panic,his breath coming in short rasping gasps as he began to sink beneath the surface.. Stevens laughed viciously as he watched the man standing in front of him flailing his arms around desperately.His face was turning blue, his eyes bulging from their sockets.If only the man could see how utterly ridiculous he looked. Utterly pathetic,Stevens thought.He almost felt sorry for the imbecile.Picking up a baseball bat from the trunk of his car,he slowly advanced on the incapacitated man. Next Day 3:15pm Mulder and Scully climbed out of their car and started walking towards the Institute of science and technology.Scully had spent some time here when she was researching her final year thesis,and as she approached it ,she already felt at home.Paul Jones had been found dead in the early hours of the morning.Cause of death was drowning,probably in a domestic bath tub.Her autopsy had revealed a slight indentation on the back of his head,possibly the result of a hard blow. A note had arrived soon after.It was short and to the point. Catch Me If You Can Analysis of minute particles found on the body had revealed a chemical used primarily in research labs.Everywhere else had drawn a blank,so she and Mulder had been sent here. Scully gazed at the sky,the sunlight warming her face.Suddenly she realized Mulder was speaking. "He's here I can sense it" Scully just managed to stifle a grin that was threatening to break acros her face."You developed some psychic powers you haven't told me about Mulder,cause if you have I could have just stayed in bed and left you to play chase the psychopathic male" "Ha Ha very funny,though who says its a man,Women deadlier than the male and all that" Mulder replied .Scully raised one eyebrow a sly smirk on her face."Well apart from the fact that his charming little note this morning was signed the gingerbread man,The blow that knocked Paul Jones out was struck with some considerable force.Besides,most serial killers are male,some genetic defect I would imagine.And besides what would a woman's reasoning be.PMT ?,or perhaps daddy didn't buy her the pony she wanted for christmas" "Did you ever want a pony for christmas,Scully?" "No just a machine gun " "That I can well believe" Mulder glanced at her affectionately,a lop-sided grin on his face.God he was so glad to have her back,working beside him. Those days spent in the hospital waiting for her to fully recover after the news of her amazing remission,had been hell.He'd been wracked with doubts .After all she'd been through would she really want things to return to normal? Could she ever return to examining the insane and the unknown after such a life altering experience? He wouldn't have blamed her if she hadn't.Yet she had,life was once again, as it should be.The months of pain were over,never to be forgotten,the memories locked in some deep recess of his mind ,waiting to return in his darkest nightmares.His heart still leapt into his throat every time she coughed or sneezed,and he'd almost collapsed when she'd had a nose bleed which had turned out to be just that.He'd been mortified when the look of utter horror on his face had given him away.Afterwards,Scully had held him so close in the hospital corridor,her slender arms fixed firmly around his chest,his face nestled in her silky hair,relief flowing through his body as he heard her say that everything was fine that the cancer hadn't returned.It hadn't alleviated his fears though and it had taken him a long time after he returned home before he finally stoppped shaking.Resisting the urge to hug her,he continued walking up the steps to the institute. "Either way Mulder,This is a complete wild goose chase.I know Skinner put us on the case because of your profiling background,but I somehow doubt that he or she is just going to come running into your arms,screaming -you got me I'm yours" Mulder looked at her with an expression of mock hurt. " I think perhaps you're under-estimating my inate sexual magnetism" "Oh right that,yeah,well I guess if all else fails" Mulder playfully slapped her as they entered the building Stevens watched through his window as the two strangers made their way down the corridor.His instincts as keen as any predator,he sensed danger. He knew why there were here.What had given him away? he pondered.Still no matter.They were wandering rather aimlessly,if they knew it was him,he would already be in custody.As they approached he could see them in a clearer light.A thin rather frail looking woman with cornflower blue eyes and shimmering red hair.Sensible light blue trouser suit,mirroring the colour of her eyes.Stevens was fascinated by people's eyes, he believed they were the gateway to the soul.The man was tall,lean and rather lanky,mussed brown hair,and kind,yet haunted eyes.He was dressed in an equally dull manner,the only real colour,his tie,a riot of mismatched colour.They walked very closely almost touching,each invading the others space.Stevens stood mesmirised,his hunter's instincts aroused at the very sight of the two of them.What would it feel like to kill them,to hold their lives in his hands? he wondered. To force them to scream his name over and over, begging for mercy that he would never grant.To carve her up like a piece of meat,slice her open and reach inside feeling the slick warmth of her pulsing organs, rip out her heart and hold it in front of those beautiful eyes,while her partner watched totally helpless.Some distant part of his mind realized that his body was reacting to this vision, his penis slowly stiffening ,pressing against the wall where he stood.He took a deep breath,forcing himself to regain control.He'd been waiting for them,and now it was time.They were busy talking to one of his idiot colleagues,It saddened him to see them wasting their time on someone so unworthy.He summoned all his strength and stared at them both. Sensations assaulted his body,emotions so fierce that they consumed him,sapping his resolve.He felt himself coughing, an acrid smell crawling into his nostrils,ashen charred remains surrounding him.then,something slithering cold against his skin,petrifying him to his very core.Again and again,vicious sensations slammed into his body,ripping the breath from his lungs,his strength diminishing,until he was barely able to stand.He opened his eyes and the feeling which had threatened to encompass him faded instantly.He stood gasping ,his breath fogging the window pane.The two agents continued talking oblivious to what he had just taken from them.Anticipation ran through his body,as he thought of them.They were more special than he had imagined.And he had chosen them... "Thank you Sir,you've been a big help" Scully forced the words out through gritted teeth.They'd already spoken to nearly thirty people,none of whom had been of the slightest help.Most had appeared to resent them interrupting their work." Oh,Mulder,this is hopeless" Scully,said rubbing at her temple trying to relieve her headache."We're never going to find anything usefull here.Maybe we should check in with Skinner,see what the other agents have turned up" " Scully" Mulder chastised her."Oh yee of little faith.How are we supposed to find him with that negative attitude? You have to embrace the possibility." Scully just looked at him,both eyebrows raised. "The possibility of what Mulder? ,of getting kicked out of the building by a bunch of pissed off scientists" "Come on Scully lighten up,I tell you what,Four more floors and then I'll take you to lunch" Scully groaned and with considerable effort forced herself away from the wall she'd been leaning on.They knocked on the next door,and entered a small room. "Good afternoon Sir.We're with the FBI .I'm Agent Mulder,this is Agent Scully.May we speak with you for a moment? Stevens smiled broadly at them both."Good afternoon,I've been expecting you.What kept you?" 6:12 pm Mulder looked through the window of the interview room at Stevens.He had willing gone into custody and seemed like he was willing to speak to both of them.Mulder flexed his shoulder trying to remove the tension in his arms and neck.This just didn't make sense to him.He had always said that the killer wanted to be caught,but to just give up.. No, none of this was right,the man he'd profiled was brilliant,egotistical and arrogant in the extreme.Risking detection by sending his damn sick little notes each time ,showed his utter contempt for those officials who were trying to catch him.And yet there he was sitting perfectly calmly,waiting for them to interrogate him.If he was the killer.. Mulder suddenly became aware that Scully was standing next to him,viewing his solemn face with concern.He smiled for her sake trying not to let her see how much this latest little development concerned him.How he had a feeling that things were far from over.. "Guess my magnetism's sharper than I thought huh" Scully snorted."So what do we think? Is he our guy?" "Well he's certainly one cocky son of a bitch,but I don't know Scully,something just doesn't sit right." "We're going to have to talk to him Mulder.are you ready?" Mulder winced slightly and nodded. Stevens observed them both as they entered the room,both of their faces looking like thunder. Mulder stood at the back of the room his arms tightly folded .The silence of the room was disturbed only by Scully laying the crime scene photos of the nine victims on the table in front of Stevens.His gaze never left Mulder's face.Finally Mulder spoke. "Do you know any of these people Mr Stevens?" "Of course I do,but then I though we'd already established that.I'm surprised that you'd even bother asking me such an routine question." " Prove it" Scully advanced towards the table."No really if you killed these people tell us how" Stevens sighed."What,you want the mundane details? I'd rather hoped for more.Still,you can't expect to much of people.They're all caught up in their own tiny little worlds ,so utterly unaware of how insignificant they are,how fragile their little lives really are,until I show them.Illuminate their thinking." " Is that would you did to Paul Jones last night?" Stevens didn't answer merely giving Scully a patronising smile. Scully was beginning to lose her temper.This man was making ridiculous statements ,yet he had given them not one iota of proof that he was what he claimed. "So,you're saying you killed Paul Jones.How? I mean these speeches are all very well but why should we believe you? It's not like you'd be the first to lie to us." Scully realised her attempt to wound his integrity was rather obvious,but at this point she would try anything if it lead to some form of concrete evidence. "Cute, Agent Scully but rather insulting.I have no reason to lie to you.You've been searching for me and here I am.You'd think you'd be grateful that I came to you.But if you want the boring details I hit Paul Jones on the head with a baseball bat,then took him to my house where I drowned him in the bath.Satisfied?" Mulder finally spoke."So you killed the other 8 as well."Stevens nodded."How did you find them?" Stevens looked up his eyes glazed over, his voice full of pride. "I would watch them from a building near my work.It was quiet there.From there I could see all the people from the offices nearby,the daytrippers,people just passing through.I saw them all .But I was only interested in the special ones,the ones that I could sense.I would follow them,sometimes for days.It wasn't always easy, they didn't all live in the area.I'd watch some of them for days.I think Lucy saw me following her.Still,the thrill,the anticipation,fear of being caught,it's all part of the game,the hunt.These people would walk around immersed in their own petty concerns and they wouldn't realize they were being hunted, that I was waiting to strike.Not that they ever realized until it was way too late" "Why..Why kill them? Lucy Matthews was only twenty years old!Why did she have to die? Because she was special!"Scully was beginning to lose it. " She was special becuse I chose her.I only choose those who interest me,otherwise where would be the point? But wouldn't you rather know how I do it? How I manage to get them alone,Incapacitate them and make them mine? " Mulder leaned forward.This is what he'd been waiting for. "Alright then you got me,how do you get them?Send them to sleep with your pretentious drivel." " You don't fool me for a second Agent Mulder.You're a smart man .You see, I can know people.I can look deep inside them and see their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities.It's a gift.I'm a natural predator,It was how I was made.I see you doubt me,but how do you think I could always get them to come with me without a struggle?" "Neat trick" Scully deadpanned "what do you do as an encore? Make the statue of liberty disappear?" "You don't want to believe.But what are you hiding Agent Scully? What do you fear? What makes you wake up in the dark of night,gasping for breath? Who have you failed? Who haunts your dreams Agent Scully? What could possibly wring tears from those ice cold eyes? I wonder do you reach for Agent Mulder when you wake,long for him to be there? Or perhaps you don't have to reach too far.." "Come on Scully.Let's go."He took hold of her arm and steered her from the room before she could object.Damn him,he thought he hoped Scully hadn't let him get to her.He was acutely aware of how she blamed herself for Melissa's death."You ok Scully?" "Yeah I'm fine really" He smiled .He could have bet anything that she'd say just that. 7:30 pm Scully knew the second she saw the barely hidden look of enthusiasm on Mulder's face that she was not going to like what he was about to tell her.She'd just returned from telling Skinner about their progress.It turned out that Stevens was a research assistant at the institute .However,examination of his bank details had revealed sums far in excess of his salary.He was being privately financed and the money appeared to be coming from a large fertility research centre,but so far they hadn't been able to find out why they were funding him.Up to this point she'd managed to avoid any discussion of Stevens' claims,but she had the feeling that that was about to change. " Scully,we need to talk.I just got off the phone with Paul Jone's wife.It turns out when he was nine he almost drowned in a lake near his home.Ever since he's been petrified of water,and Steven's drowned him." "Mulder,it's just a coincedence.Lots of people are scared of water and drowning some one in the bath isn't an uncommon way to kill somebody." "Ah yes.But it's not just that.While you've been with Skinner.I've been contacting the various families.Lucy Matthews life revolved around her looks.She had aspirations of being a model and she'd already won all those beauty pageants.Her greatest fear was losing her attractiveness,and look what Stevens did to her.The second victim was scared of heights.Stevens pushed her off a bridge.She fell ninety feet to her death." " So what! What are you saying that means?" "What if his claims are true? All of these people died in a way which reflected their deepest fears.What if he really is like some predators? What if he can smell fear?" Scully laughed."Mulder,isn't it more plausible to suggest that he simply forced them to tell him their fears.After all I think most people will give up anything about themselves if they've got a gun to their heads.And none of this explains how he managed to capture them with no real evidence of a struggle." "Yeah well I've got a theory about that" "Now there's a suprise" "Hey,give it a chance.If as he claims he can sense what people are scared of ,then maybe he can utilise that talent.Maybe he can somehow project a person's fears into their own level of consciousness.Make them believe that what they have always feared the most is really happening to them.A virtual reality of their worst nightmares.And then he makes these dreams real." Scully sighed "It's a great idea Mulder but I'm not buying it.It's quite a leap from believing he can see sense fear,to saying that he can then impose these fears on his victim's reality.The human brain simply doesn't work that way" "Robert Modell was capable of inducing people to injure themselves by utilizing an abnormality in his brain.How is this any different? And besides we know so little about the brain's capabilities, as a scientist surely you must realize that you can never say that something is completely impossible" Scully groaned inwardly.She knew there was absolutely no point arguing with Mulder when he was in this mood. "Well whatever you believe Mulder the fact is we've got him. He's in custody and we've got him on nine counts of murder.He's not going anywhere.Come on it's been a long day, let's go " Scully moved off down the corridor,Mulder took one glance back at the interview room,his brow furrowed with worry,then he shrugged and walked to where Scully stood waiting for him. End Of Part One Title: The Serpent Inside (2/2) Author: Naomi Roper 10:15pm Stevens observed his surroundings with disdain.He was sitting in a cramped cell,dressed in a bright orange prison uniform.The flourescent light on the ceiling was buzzing loudly and flickering.He could feel a headache coming on.A fresh faced guard sat stiffly to attention just before the door.They were concerned that he might commit suicide and cheat them out of a trial.The thought amused him.Suddenly,the guard moved,stamping his foot on something on the floor.Stevens raised his eyebrows in a silent question."Damn spiders" The guard said."Can't stand the things." Stevens merely smiled. 2:21am All hell was breaking loose by the time Mulder and Scully arrived back at the station house.Stevens had escaped. The prison guard had been found unconscious on the floor of the cell.He was unable to give a coherent statement as to what had happened.The only thing he would say is that he believed thousands of spiders had been crawling all over him.Scully suspected he was suffering from concussion but she could instantly tell that Mulder believed him. She turned to see Skinner striding towards them. "Either of you two want to tell me how a murder suspect succeeded in overcoming a guard and then just calmly walked out of this police station.I mean I'm sure one of you has a theory." Scully hurriedly answered before Mulder had a chance to speak"We haven't been able to determine that yet Sir,we only arrived a short time ago"Skinner glowered at Mulder but Mulder taking his cue from Scully said nothing.It was clear that Skinner was in no mood to listen to Mulder's theories. Skinner looked at both of them for a long moment before continuing. "Well,we received one of his notes ten minutes ago.We believe he's heading out to a factory where he dumped the first victim.A response team has been sent to re-capture him." Mulder shook his head." No,that doesn't feel right.I think he's trying to play us.This is just a game to him.He enjoys it,which means he won't want it to be over quickly. He's not going to the factory.He wants a big showdown.He'll go where it means the most to him,the abandoned office building near his work.The place where he watched all his victims" "Mulder,we recieved a note.You know how arrogant this bastard is he won't care that a response team is after him.He's at the factory. Now I have to go,I've got to supervise a team of agents" Skinner stormed off down the corridor.Scully sighed,it was turning into a very long night."He's not there Scully.He's at the office building.If we don't go after him he'll be long gone before they have time to realize their mistake." Scully knew he was right. Although she had to confess that the thought of going after this man with no back up did frighten her.He had disturbed her when he had started talking about her dreams.She would never want Mulder to know but she often dreamed of Melissa,of how she had let her down.In the middle of the night when it was darkest she would wake screaming for her sister.A part of her believed that she didn't deserve to be alive ,that her sister died wrongly in her place,and that if there were any justice she too would be dead.This feelings would fade as would her tears as the dark turned into morning,but the guilt remained,coiled up inside her,eating away at her.But she couldn't allow these feelings to consume her.She was a professional and she had work to do. 2:39am Mulder and Scully pulled up outside the dilapidated office building.It looked eerily gothic in the dark, its cracked windows reminding Scully of eyes silently watching them.There wasn't a sound to be heard.Scully fervently prayed that Mulder was wrong and that Stevens was at this moment being dragged into a squad car- Alive or dead,at this point she didn't care."You ready Scully?"Mulder whispered.Nodding she grabbed her torch as they moved to the front of the building trying to make as little sound as possible.The door was half open on its hinges,Mulder pointed at something on the ground.Footprints clearly visible in the dust,someone had been here,and not that long ago.Cautiously Mulder rounded the door in a single move,keeping his gun firmly out in front of him.Seeing nothing wrong,he beckoned to Scully to join him. Stealthily,they made their way across the floor,their guns steady.Their torches didn't quite illuminate the room,the corners were masked in shadow.Thousands of particles of dust whirled and danced reflected by the beams of their torches. Stevens could see them.He was thrilled.He had hoped they wouldn't be fooled by his blatant effort to distract the hoards of FBI who would be after him.They were as special as he had believed. Adrenaline flowed through his body,he felt that he was alive with pleasure.He had decided that Scully would be the first to die.She hadn't believed him,and her slight had stung his pride.He wanted to see the look of terror on her face as she faced death,as she realized that there would be nothing more for her but eternal silence.He thought that he would make her beg to die,plead with him to end her suffering. The thought pleased him,and he noticed that he was becoming aroused.He realized the FBI would be here eventually,but by that time Mulder and Scully would be dead,and he would be gone.Ready to begin the hunt again. Mulder and Scully had reached the stairs up to the first floor.Stevens was still nowhere to be seen and Mulder was beginning to get agitated. They crept up the stairs slowly constantly alert for even the slightest of sounds.But there was nothing. They reached the top quickly. Half of the bottom floor had been blocked off with rubbish but here it was much wider, the shadows extending further,shrouding the room.With a quick glance to confirm their intentions Mulder and Scully split up,hoping to cover the ground quicker.Scully watched Mulder disappear out of sight ,until she could only make out the slight residue of his torch beam.Her heart was thumping so loudly it was the only sound she could hear.With trepidation she crept around the corner.She didn't know why she felt so anxious.Darkened buildings were her and Mulder's particular forte.Yet in the half-light the objects in front of her took on a more threatening, grotesque appearance.It suggested more horrors were waiting for her in the shadows,willing her to come near.Gulping hard and trying desperately to control her breathing and her runaway imagination,she paced quickly across the floor.Remembering her training she kicked open the door to the office in front of her,keeping low to avoid being hit.Stevens wasn't there,the dust covering everything suggested noone had been there for a very long time.She was about to leave when she sensed rather than saw something moving to the left of her.She turned lightening fast,finger on the trigger of her gun- Then she stopped her mouth opening in utter astonishment.Sitting on the grime coated floor was a baby.It was a girl,her pink babygro caked in dirt from where she'd been crawling on the floor.She looked up at Dana with her big brown eyes and gurgled happily. Scully was utterly astounded.Why would Stevens have bought a baby here? Could she possibly be his? Not knowing exactly what to do she leant down and gently picked the baby up."Hello honey what are you doing here?Don't worry.Dana will look after you" The baby smiled and rested her head on Scully's shoulder.Almost instantly the child started to cry.Scully rocked her gently,trying to silence her .Yet,she wouldn't stop so Scully lifted her up so that the baby was facing her.Suddenly,she started in utter horror.Something thin and dark was squirming its way out of the corner of the baby's left eye socket. Filled with a sense of horrid fascination and unable to tear her eyes away,Scully watched as a small snake wriggled its way hypnotically out of the infants eye.Petrified, Scully couldn't bring herself to move as she watched in utter disgust as another snake squirmed its way out of the infants right eye. She wanted to scream,call for Mulder but her voice failed her.Snakes were now crawling out of the child's eyes and ears, pouring from her mouth onto the floor.Then the infant dissolved leaving Scully holding a handful of angrily hissing snakes.With a screech,she flung them to the floor.The room was beginning to swim around her and she began to hyperventilate.She realized that she was dangerously close to passing out.Unable to retain control of her body any longer she leaned to one side and retched violently,emptying her stomach contents on to the floor.Just as she was beginning to think that the worst was over she felt something brush past her ankle .Swinging the torch down she illuminated the floor.It was moving The floor was covered with hundreds of crawling snakes.Hundreds of reptilian eyes watched her,their forked tongues flickering in and out of their mouths. Scully felt something slick and cold coiling its way around her leg.Before she could move they were upon her.The snakes entwined themselves around her legs, crawling upwards probing her,threatening to enter her.She felt them moving inside her clothes,the feel of them next to her breasts.Then she felt a sharp pain and then... there was nothing. Mulder was concerned.His investigation of the rooms on the first floor had revealed nothing.He knew Stevens was here but the longer time passed,the more panicked Mulder became.He was concerned about what Stevens would do if he became cornered.Brushing the idea from his mind,he set off back to find Scully.Then,as he was passing a hole in the floor he saw something which stopped his heart and ripped the breath from his body.Scully was standing in the middle of the ground floor. Her face was deathly pale,she looked physically ill.There was a smear of dark red blood in her hair and her legs looked unsteady as if she might fall.Stevens was standing directly opposite her,...and he had Scully's gun in his hand. Mulder ran as quickly as he could to the stairs.His body began to ache and he had to remind himself to breathe .He leapt down the stairs and reached the bottom in time to see Stevens raise his gun hand .There was a burst of light and sound as the gun fired . Mulder screamed as he watched Scully's head explode into a shower of tiny red droplets.As her body began to fall he raised his arm and fired at Stevens. Stevens wasn't there.Mulder could only think he had ran off. Mulder hoped he was injured,but at this moment he couldn't care less. Mulder fell to his knees and screwed his eyes tightly shut."Oh dear God no please no" He repeated the phrase over and over like a mantra,praying that if he opened his eyes she wouldn't be gone.That it was all some horrific joke.Slowly,he opened his eyes.Scully was lying deathly still on the ground.Not trusting his legs to carry him he crawled on his hands and knees, dragging himself towards her.Finally he reached her and what he saw hurt him so much that he doubled up in pain.He lay curled up in a ball next to her,hugging his knees for comfort until he felt strong enough to look at her again. A spreading red slick stained the floor beneath her head.Her left eye was gone,destroyed by the bullet.Small white shards glinted in the light of his torch,fragments of her skull blown apart by the force of the explosion.He could see small parts of dark grey mush,lying in the blood.He dry heaved as he realized they were her brains.He wanted to cry but the tears refused to come,so sobbing silently,he reached for her,clinging desperately to her lifeless body.She was gone.He found no comfort in the fact that she would be with her father and sister.She was gone.The words reverberated in his brain as he tried to comprehend their meaning. They had been through so much,faced dangers that people wouldn't believe.Yet,through it all he had coped by relying on a false sense of security.That no matter how bad things seemed,everything would work out alright,that they were destined to survive.They had always pulled through.Even when she was lying near death from cancer,she had pulled through at the eleventh hour. And now..Now,she was gone. The woman who helped him to face each day,whose intelligence ,compassion,warmth,and generosity of spirit he had come to love.The only person he cared for,whom he would give his life for,and she was gone. Mercilessly slaughtered by a maniac.There was no meaning in her death,no reason.She was gone,becuase at the crucial moment his legs had failed him and he hadn't been there for her.She'd died because he hadn't been quicker in finding her.Stevens had taken her,destroyed the light within her and left Mulder with nothing but an empty shell.Without her he was nothing,without her, life had no meaning.Slowly, Mulder reached for his gun. Scully staggered unsteadily to her feet.Her head pounded and it hurt to open her eyes.Gingerly,she stood up,trying to ignore the pain in her head.Grabbing a torch she set off to find Mulder. Mulder brought his gun between his hands.It felt cold and heavy in his grip.He looked at Scully,then closed his eyes.He wouldn't let himself think of her this way.That wasn't Scully,that was just a shell.He wanted so very,very much to be with her,the thought totally consumed him.He opened his mouth and felt the cool,slick metal pass between his teeth.He closed his lips over the gun and placed his finger on the trigger. "Noooo" A piercing scream of terror. The word echoed in the darkened building.Mulder stopped, momentarily confused.He turned and saw Scully running towards him.She reached him, yanking the gun from his mouth.It hit hard against his teeth,bruising the inside of his mouth,ripping the delicate skin on his lips.He became aware of the salty taste of blood.Utterly bewildered,he looked at Scully,her face contorted with a look of horror and concern.Unable to speak,he glanced at where she had been lying moments before.The space was empty.There was nothing there.Scully bent down,struggling to find the words.How? That was all she could think.How could her partner have been sitting there with a gun in his mouth ready to end his life? The thought chilled her to the core..She could see that he wasn't fully with her.He kept looking at a spot to the left of her,a look of dumb astonishment on his face.Gently,she opened her arms and reached for him.Mulder smiled and moved forward.Something distracted him,a glint from above, instinctively he threw Scully to one side and fired. Stevens fell,landing heavily on the floor below.Cautiously,Mulder approached.He was dead. He had a gun in his hand.His face frozen in a final smirk. Scully walked over to Mulder and lead him away from the body.He looked like a small child overwhelmed by everything around him. Together,they sank to their knees.Mulder willingly succombed to her warm embrace.He buried his face in her hair,smelling her neck,sending up silent prays of thanks.Finally,Scully felt she could control her voice enough to speak."Why? ,Why Mulder?" He forced himself to look at her and replied in a shamed voice "You were gone" Scully looked at him in amazement.As if those three words could ever be enough to explain what he had been about to do to himself,yet she sensed that there would be no other explanation.She had felt Stevens' power in the room upstairs, before he had rendered her unconscious,and she could guess what Mulder had believed he was witnessing.She silently cursed Stevens with all her strength.Realizing Mulder was waiting for some response,she spoke."I would,I would never want you to do that.Even if I were..I would..You can't do that.Pleae don't ever do that" "Not your choice" Mulder mumbled ,smiling slightly at the look of exasparation on her face.He laughed,slightly hysterical and she giggled with him- a happy sound.Mulder beamed at her,thinking that his heart wouldn't be able to cope with the strain.Scully put her small hand on the corner of his jaw and began to caress the side of his face.The notion of this man being willing to harm himself if she were dead, flattered as well as terrified her.She had no idea what to say to him and she hoped that her touch would be enough.It seemed to be,Mulder responded by stroking her hair,running the silken strands through his fingers.She felt she wanted to do more,to show him how important he was to her.She very slowly moved forward and brushed her lips against his.Any concerns she had vanished when Mulder slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her close,returning her kisses. "Freeze FBI" They pulled apart, startled as the door was kicked in and a reponse team came thundering through,closely followed by Skinner.Skinner looked at Stevens' dead body and at the hollow look in Mulder's eyes and decided that questions could wait until later.He approached them,silently noting the position of Mulder's arm."You two ok?"" Yes Sir,Fine.Just minor injuries" Scully smiled reassuringly,her voice sounding a lot stronger than she felt."Guess you were right Agent Mulder.I should have listened to you" Skinner said apologetically.Mulder merely nodded.Scully got to her feet "I think I want to go home."Together,in silence they walked out to their car. When they reached it they looked at each other not quite knowing what to say. "I'm tired" Mulder finally said."Why don't we finish things up later?" Scully smiled inwardly relieved.She knew Mulder was talking about more than just the paperwork,but she needed to think about things with a clear head.Things were always clearer in the light of day and she and Mulder had plenty of time to work things out.Lapsing back into comfortable silence,they both got in the car and drove home. 8:15 am next day Mulder yawned as he padded barefoot to pick his post up off the mat.He was still very tired.Yesterday had been exhausting both physically and mentally.He still didn't know quite what to make of it.Last night after he had dropped Scully off,he was lying asleep on his couch when he had suddenly had the strongest feeling that what he had seen was true- that she was dead.Unable to resist he had called her and made up some lame story about not being able to sleep.He knew she would realize that he had just wanted to hear her voice,but he thought she would understand.He still wasn't sure what to think about their kiss,the sensation of it had stayed with him long after she'd left.Shrugging off the thought of Scully's sensual lips,he reached down to pick up his post and froze when he spotted the familiar silver envelope. Turning it over he saw writing on the back. Just in case I underestimated you Mulder I've set you one final challenge.Enjoy. Mulder ripped open the envelope and removed the white card inside.His heart went into his throat as he stared at the words on the page,not wishing to comprehend their meaning or the possibilities they suggested.Printed on the card was a single sentence: Try and find anyone who saw Melissa Scully's corpse.