From: SNOWITE@KSUVM.KSU.EDU (Snowite) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: So Close - pt. 1 Date: 27 Apr 1995 14:57:05 -0500 This is my first attempt at writing fan-fic. Any comments would be appreciated. Send them to me at Snowite@ksu.ksu.edu or post them here. All characters from the X-Files belong to Chris Carter and TenThirteen Productions. No infringment intended. Etc... So Close Fox Mulder looked up as Dana Scully, his partner, entered their office. As usual, she skirted around the mess surrounding his desk and sat behind her own. It was close to five in the afternoon and Mulder knew that she had been working hard all day. When she thought he wasn't looking, Dana would knead her temples as if she were trying to fight a headache. "Dana?" Mulder thought. When did he start thinking of her as Dana? "What Mulder?" Dana Scully cringed at the harsh sound of her own voice. Mulder realized that he had been staring at her for quite sometime. "What?" he asked innocently. "Mulder." The word was a warning. "Yes, Scully?" Mulder was still playing the innocent. Something in Dana snapped and she grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on, her stapler. Mulder, sensing that he was in trouble, was already ducking when the stapler connected to his forehead. Mulder's momentum continued to carry him to the floor. Dana was horrified that she'd lost control like that, she was also pretty impressed with her aim. Then she realized that Mulder wasn't getting up. "Mulder?" she called tentitivly. No answer. Cautiously she stood up and began to walk towards Mulder's desk. "Mulder?" "Oh, God. How am I going to explain this to Skinner?" By now she had reached the desk. Mulder was laying on his side between the desk and his chair. Dana pulled the chair back and rolled Mulder carefully on to his back. She knelt by his side and inspected the bruise already blooming on his left temple. "Feeling better?" Dana barely stifled a scream as Mulder opened his eyes. "You... you..." Dana began to hit Mulder in the chest. Laughing, he tried to grab her arms and ended up pulling her to his chest, trapping her arms to the side. Dana took advantage of her position by tickling Mulder's sides. "Uncle!" he yelled. Dana dropped her head down onto Mulder's chest and tried to catch her breath. Mulder was still gasping for air from Dana's last attack. "Don't ever do that again. You scared me half to death, Mulder." "I promise... just don't... don't tickle anymore... truce?" Dana looked up into Mulder's eyes and started to say something. "Ahem. Hello?" Dana rolled her eyes and threw her head back down on Mulder's chest. "Just a second," Mulder called and sat Dana to one side. Carefully, he sat up and looked over his desk at the file clerk standing in the doorway. "Yes?" Indicating the pile of folders in his hands the clerk stuttered, "I... uh I was told to bring these down to you... or Agent Scully... uh, sir." The clerk was shifging from foot to foot, obviously unsure about what was going on. "Where is Agent Scully? Uh...sir. I could take them to her since you seem to be... ummm... busy." Mulder waved to Scully's desk. "Just put them on her desk, thanks." Without looking behind himself he reached back and held Dana's arm down when she began to get up. Uncertainly, the clerk did as he asked, then backed out of the room slowly, as if he didn't want to turn his back on the agent everyone called 'Spooky'. As soon as the clerk was out of sight, Mulder stood up and held out his hand to Dana. "Need some help?" Ignoring his hand, Dana stood up. "Mulder... I'm not even going to try. I'm going home... now. Good night." Mulder was already looking through the new pile of folders on Dana's desk. As she pulled her purse out of the bottom drawer Mulder sat on the corner of her desk. Dana's mind was already focused on a tub full of scented bubbles when Mulder spoke. "Scully," all traces of his earlier mischief were gone. Dana mentally waved goodbye to her bubble bath for the moment. "Yes, Mulder?" He just handed her a folder. Quickly, she scanned the report inside. "An unidentified women in her twenties reported found in a corn field in Kansas. No ID. Farmer who found her reported seeing strange lights before he found her. This is just like hundreds of other reports we've seen, Mulder." He jerked the report away from her and quickly scanned it again. "Here. Read this, Scully." He jammed his finger to a line on the report. His face had gone completely white. Dana leaned over the file and read aloud, "Only information authorities can get from victim is the name Samantha." Dana quickly looked up. "Oh, Mulder." ***** So Close (part two) Now it was Dana Scully's turn to watch Mulder. It was as if he had shut down. After Dana had reread the file again, she watched Mulder make flight and car reservations. Then he just sat there and stared off into space, he had not regained his color. Dana continue to finish everything that needed to be completed before they could leave. The minute Dana had read the line that mentioned Samantha's name, she had known that there was no way Mulder was going to wait any longer than necessary. As soon as she was done, Dana grabbed her purse and stood up. Looking at her watch she realized she had just enough time to stop by both apartments and get to the airport before the flight. "Mulder?" She reached out and touched his shoulder. "Come on, Mulder, we need to pack." He slowly looked up. "Pack?" "Come on. Let's go." Dana reached out to pull on Mulder's arm. Before she touched him, he snapped out of it. "Scully? What... what if it's her?" Dana was remembering the psuedo-Samantha from before. She remembered how Mulder's father had reacted when he heard that Mulder had traded his 'sister' for her. She didn't want Mulder to get his hopes up. "Mulder, let's go to Kansas." ***** Dana watched Mulder out of the corner of her eye. Since they had gotten on the plane he had reread the case file several times. Everyonce in a while he would stop and stare into space until Dana would begin to worry and then he would begin reading again. Other than that one time, Mulder hadn't said anything about the possiblity of the unidentified woman being his long lost sister. "Hello, this is your captain speaking. We'll be landing at K.C.I. shortly. It is currently raining and the temperature is 45 degrees. Have a nice stay." Mulder looked like he completely missed the announcement. "Mulder?" Dana touched his arm. "I know, Scully, we're almost there." When they landed, Dana filled out the paperwork for the car while Mulder went in search of the luggage. Dana finished first and stood next to Mulder. Her briefcase, carryon, and his carryon sat next to his suitcase. Mulder was watching the luggage pass by and Scully joined him. The longer they waited, the more uneasy she became. When the new cases stopped entering the conveyor belt, Dana knew her suitcase was taking the vacation she had been putting off. "Come on, Scully, let's file a lost luggage claim." ***** Mulder drove the brown Sedan slowly through the dark streets. "See anything yet?" he asked. They had driven to the small town of Louisburg from the airport. Mulder had been driving around the town for over twenty minutes and had yet to see anything that even resembled a hotel. "Mulder, look. There's a gas station. Why don't you stop the car and I'll ask where a hotel is." Dana had made this suggestion twice already but Mulder had yet to do it. This time he pulled over. Mulder watched Dana run through the rain to the gas station. He realized that she hadn't had a chance to rest yet today. She had been tired at five, but here it was after ten and she was still up and running. Mulder knew she was worried about him. He knew that she wanted him to talk to her about this. He couldn't do it, not yet, not until he knew for sure. The car door opened and Dana got in. "I found a place." She shook her wet hair and Mulder groaned as he wiped the water off of his face. ***** Mulder parked in front of the 'Dew Drop Inn' He turned to Dana, "Are you sure this is it?" "I've already told you, there is only one motel in this town and this is it." She didn't sound any happier about it then Mulder. Half of the building was a coffee shop that seemed to double as the front desk. Mulder saw only four doors from the parking lot that could be rooms. There were several other cars in the parking lot. "Are you sure?" "Mulder." "Okay, let's go. Wait don't get out yet." Mulder reached into the backseat and pulled out the newspaper Dana had read on the plane. He got out of the car and held the paper over his head. Quickly he ran to Dana's side and opened her door. Together they ran for the coffee shop. A little bell tinkled over the door as they entered the room. The woman behind the counter looked at them with intrest. The man at the counter looked boredly at them for a moment then returned to his coffee. "Can I help you?" the woman called. Mulder stood dripping for a moment then walked to the counter, Dana right behind him. Before he could say a word the woman spoke again, "You two need a room? I have one left, double beds I'm afraid. You and the missus won't mind, I hope." Mulder began to correct the woman when Dana broke in, "That's all you have?" "That's right, dear. The annual ciderfest ended today and we're still pretty busy. You just passin' through?" she asked Mulder. Again, Mulder started to say something and again Dana broke in, "We're not sure how long we'll be here. This trip was a little unexpected." The woman shared a knowing look with Dana, "I understand, dear. Fill this out please and I'll get your key." ***** So Close (part three) Mulder carried in the last of the luggage and tossed most of it on the closest bed. Dana's briefcase, he sat on the dresser. "Care to tell me why that woman thinks we are married?" He crossed his arms and waited. Dana stuck her head out of the bathroom doorway, where she was checking the locks on the window. "She doesn't think we're married, Mulder." She paused until her meaning sank in and Mulder began to blush. "This is the only room in town and it was easier to let her assume what she wanted than to bring up unidentified people, strange lights and the FBI. Besides, I'm tired, Mulder." Mulder immediatly felt guilty. Dana was unpacking her carryon. She hung up the blouse that would go with the suit she was wearing and put her underwear in one of the drawers. She looked up to see Mulder doing the same. She unpacked her toiletries and looked at Mulder again. He was still unpacking her suitcase. "Umm... Mulder?" He looked over his shoulder at her, "Yeah?" "Do you, that is, my... my pajamas are in my suitcase, Mulder." He immediatly realized what that meant. Since her suitcase was on its way to parts unknown she was pajamaless. "Do you want to borrow something?" She sat on the bed farthest from the door, "If that wouldn't be too much trouble." "Just a second," Mulder looked through what was left in his suitcase, some dress shirts and suit pants and a pair of jeans. Hidden beneath the jeans was his Redskins jersey. Before he could think about it, he pulled the jersey out, "Here, best I can do." Mulder tossed the jersey at her. As soon as Dana saw what it was, she began to refuse then changed her mind. "Thanks." She carefully folded the jersey and sat it on her pillow. She leaned across the bed to the alarm on the nightstand. "What time do you want to get up?" "Six. I want to look around town a bit before we visit the hospital." Dana hid her surprise. She had expected Mulder to want to rush to the hospital first thing in the morning. Something was up. Mulder looked up to see Dana staring at him. He raised an eyebrow, "Yes?" Dana waited until Mulder unfinished unpacking and sat down on his bed. "What's the matter, Mulder?" "There's nothing wrong..." he looked up at her, "I... it seems like I've spent my entire life looking for her, Scully. If it's not her, I..." Dana quickly moved to the floor next to him. She sat on her knees and put her hand on his arm. Mulder was holding his face in his hands and he was trying unsuccesfully to stop his tears. "If it is her, if I've finally found her, what will I do? My life has been devoted to finding her. What happens if I do? What do I do with my life?" Dana reached up and pulled Mulder's head to her shoulder. "I don't know, Mulder. But whatever happens I want you to remember that I'm here if you need me." Mulder pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I know." Taking a deep breath, Mulder stood up and held out a hand to help Dana up. "I feel better. I just had to say it to someone." "I understand, you don't have to explain." "I just want you to know that I'll be there for you too. I mean it." Dana smiled, "I know." Mulder looked at the alarm clock, "It's late. Let's go to bed, Scully." Dana looked him up and down, "Mulder, I am not that desperate." Mulder threw his pillow at her. She deftly caught it and threw it back. Dana picked up her borrowed nightshirt and grabbed two plush towels. "I'm taking a bath. Can you find a radio station before you go to bed?" She liked to sleep with the radio on. "Sure. Oh, Scully?" Dana paused before the bathroom door, "Yes?" "Want me to wash your back?" Mulder chuckled as she slammed the bathroom door. He quietly found a soft rock station and hummed along with the music. He pulled on a black t-shirt commemerating Orson Wells' 'War of the Worlds' broadcast and a pair of purple and green plaid boxers. He grinned as he thought about what Dana would say if she saw them. He knew how she felt about his ties, which was probably why he made sure to wear his favorites around her. She didn't know about his boxer collection though. It outshined his tie collection by a mile. He turned off all the lights except for the wall lamp next to Dana's bed. He turned it down as low as possible. Then he crawled into his bed and closed his eyes. Quietly, Dana opened the bathroom door and looked into the room. One light was left on and Mulder was asleep. The radio was playing "Stay" by Maurice Williams and the Zodiac. She finished toweling her hair dry and hung the damp towel over the shower rod. With another quick glance at Mulder, she pulled the jersey down farther on her legs. Softly, she padded across the carpet to sit on her bed. She watched Mulder for a second then crawled under the covers. As she snuggled down into the bed she put one hand under her head. Before she fell asleep she realized that the jersey smelled like Mulder. Mulder watched Dana come out of the bathroom. His jersey came to mid-thigh. Immediatly, he closed his eyes, but her image stayed in his mind. Carefully, he looked at her again from under his lashes. As she turned out the light and got into bed the radio played 'Stay--Just a little bit longer--Please, please, please'. "Please," thought Mulder. ***** Dana opened one eye cautiously. Something had woken her up out of a less than sound sleep. She had been dreaming about... well it wasn't important what she had been dreaming about, she quickly thought. After a moment she focused on the alarm. It was almost seven o'clock! Both eyes snapped open and she sat up in a rush. Mulder had been sitting against the headboard of his bed full dressed. He had a notebook in his lap and the case folder in his hand. He had been singing along with the music on the radio as he made notes. He jumped when Dana sat up. "Mulder! What are you doing? Why didn't you wake my up sooner?" Mulder looked over at her. She looked so cute in his jersey, her hair all tousled from sleep. "Ah," he cleared his throat, "You seemed to be having a pretty interesting dream and you slept straight through the alarm." He watched fascinated as she blushed. "Care to share, Scully?" Dana blushed even more. "Go get me some coffee, Mulder." He thought about pointing out the fresh cup sitting on the nightstand next to her, then thought otherwise. "Okay, Scully. Then we visit the hospital. By the way, I called the local PD. Seems the sheriff is out of town till tonight." Dana stayed in bed until the door closed behind Mulder. After she was sure he was really gone she pulled herself out of bed and grabbed clean underwear and her suit and ran for the bathroom. When Mulder knocked on the door fifteen minutes later. Dana was just finishing her makeup. "Come in," she called. "Come in? Really, Scully, I could have been a psychopath or a lunatic. You didn't even ask who I was," he chided as he brought her the warm cup of coffee. "You mean you're not?" she asked, acting surprised. "Besides, Mulder, psychopaths don't have the room key." ***** So Close (part four) The hospital was in the next town up the road, about a twenty minute drive. By eight o'clock, the Agents had visited the Chief of Staff and gotten permission to see the woman. "We're really not sure what to do with her," Dr. Perkins said. "She has no signs of injury, no enternal damage, no psychological damage as far as we can tell. She seems lucid, she talks to the nurses and the other patients. But if you ask her something about her past, she closes up. It's as if she either doesn't remeber or doesn't want to talk about it. The only thing we had gotten out of her was the name Samantha when she was first brought in and she was half out of it." Dana watched Mulder as they walked down the hall with Dr. Perkins. He was obviously impatient. Twice she had pulled on his arm when he had been about to demand that Dr. Perkins hurry up. ".... seems to be perfectly healthy, as a matter of fact, she seems to be extremly healthy. She had been out in that field for who knows how long in the spring night air, but doesn't even have the sniffles," Dr. Perkins was saying. "We can't release her unless someone comes to pick her up and we know that she'll be cared for. Or until she has a past." Dana nodded her agreement. "What about her possesions. Clothes she was wearing, jewelry, anything?" Mulder jumped in. "There was no mention of these things in our case file." Dr. Perkins stopped and looked at both Agents. "I assumed you knew. She was found nude. Here we are. There are three other woman in this ward so I must ask you to keep your voices down." He stepped through a swinging door and walked down the center aisle. Out of the ten beds in the room only four were occupied. Dr. Perkins stopped to talk to a nurse and Mulder looked at the four women. One was an older woman in her forties. One woman had waist length auburn hair almost the same color as Dana's and was sitting up in bed watching them with intrest. Another woman had her arm in a sling. The fourth was a petite brunette, who was sleeping. Mulder began to move towards the brunette and Dana reached out to stop him, then dropped her hand. "Here we are," Dr. Perkins said. Mulder jerked his head around. Dr. Perkins was standing next to the red head. Confused, Mulder looked back at the sleeping brunette. Dana put her hand on his shoulder and gently turned him towards Dr. Perkins. "Samantha, these are Agents Scully and Mulder, with the FBI. They'd like to ask you a few questions." Dr. Perkins quickly left. Dana looked at the woman and frozed in shock. Dana recognized the hair color on some level but what shocked her was the woman's eyes. They were the exact shade of Mulder's. She turned to mention this to Mulder and realized that he was no longer beside her. He was standing next to the head of the bed and the woman was staring up at him, her waist length,curly,auburn hair falling back from her face. "Fox?" her voice was low and husky. "Samantha?" It couldn't be her and yet.... The woman blinked and looked at Dana, "I... I don't think so... But I know.. .. yes, I'm sure I know her," she looked back at Mulder. "I'm supposed to find you, Fox," she looked back at Dana, "and your partner, Dana Scully." "Who told you to find us?" Dana asked. The woman blinked again and seemed to consentrate, "I... I don't know. I didn't know that I wasn't Samantha tell just a minute ago." Dana reached for the medical chart at the foot of the bed. Mulder was still staring at the woman. "Why? Why were you looking for us?" Unspoken, was the question, "How do you know Samantha, where is she?" "I can't remember. All I remember is the light and a roar and the wind. I remember waking up and the name Samantha was important. I had to find someone, it was very important. It was you." Dana looked up from the chart, "Mulder, can I speak with you for a second?" They moved to the end of the ward. "Mulder, there is something wrong here, but I'm not sure what. I'll need to run some tests," she whispered. Mulder nodded "Are you okay?" she asked. "Yeah, Scully. I just... what do you make of her?" "I don't know, Mulder. Something just isn't right." "What do you think we should do?" Dana hid her surprise. Mulder hardly ever asked her what they should do on a case. "I should probably get to work on those tests. You should probably find the farmer who found her." "What do we call her?" Dana understood his reluctance to call her by Samantha. "I have no idea." "I think Elisabeth is a pretty name. It's one of the nurses names." Both Agents turned to look at the woman, at least fifteen feet away. "Pardon?" Dana asked. "Would it be okay to call me Elisabeth?" Mulder asked, "Did you hear us?" "Yes," she frowned, "was I not supposed to?" Quickly, Dana stepped in, "Elisabeth sounds fine. We'll let everyone know today. I need to get some blood samples today so that we can begin to figure out what happened to you. Is that okay, Elisabeth?" The woman smiled at the use of her new name. "I don't see a problem with that, Dana." Dana waved Mulder towards the swinging door. "Come by for me when you're done, Mulder." As Mulder walked through the door he heard 'Elisabeth' say, "Why do you call him Mulder and not Fox?" ***** So Close (part five) The farmer who had found 'Elisabeth' was just finishing his lunch when Mulder knocked on his door. "Agent Mulder, FBI. Can I ask you a few questions, Mr. Sturm?" "It's about that little lady I found, ain't it? You're the third guy to come lookin' for me, first was the sheriff and second was some military guy." "And they asked?" "Asked me about that girl, where I found her, why I was out in the fields so late, that sorta thing. The second guy asked me about what I saw before I found her." "What did you see, Mr. Sturm?" Both men were standing on the porch. Sturm pointed out over the fields, "I heard this loud humming noise so I came out here to look around. Then I heard this sorta whistle noise and I heard this huge explosion, saw it too, just over there. Found pieces of some kind of metal all over the fields when I went in. Then I found the woman. Funny thing, next morning I went out and there wasn't a piece of metal anywhere." "What happened to it?" "Haven't a clue. You wanna see where I found her?" "If it's not too much trouble." Sturm led the way to a farm truck. Mulder asked, "You live out her alone?" Sturm started the truck, "Heck no. My wife and son are in the city visiting her mother. They've been gone for a week now." They had been driving alonf for a few minutes when Sturm stopped the truck. "Over here." He led Mulder to a patch in the field that was flattened. "She was here." Mulder began to look around. "How far away was the explosion and the rubble?" "Explosions was just up the road. There was metal all over the area. As a matter of fact she was pretty much covered with the stuff." "She was covered in metal?" "Yeah, and some of that stuff was hot, too. I burnt my hand on a piece or two trying to get her out," he showed Mulder the red welts on his hand. "And these hot pieces were on her?" "Yeah. Luckily, she didn't seem to be hurt by it." Mulder was about to turn around and go back to the truck when something caught his eye. There was a strange colored stone. It seemed to be glowing. Carefully, Mulder reached out and touched the stone. Stiffeling a hiss, he pulled his hand back and looked at his read fingers. Quickly he looked around for something to pick the stone up with. He pulled his hankerchief out of his pocket and folded it over. Again, he reached for the stone. While it still glowed, there was no heat coming from it as long as Mulder held it with the hankerchief. Puzzled, he reached out again and touched the stone, immediatly pulling his hurt finger back again. Near where he found the stone was a long piece of what looked like leather. Mulde picked that up too. "Okay, as long as I don't touch it with my skin it doesn't burn," Mulder thought. "Didja find somethin'?" Sturm asked. Mulder stuffed the wrapped up stone into his pocket. "No. I thought I did but it was nothing." "You ready to go look at the other place?" "Yeah," Mulder stood up and looked around the field again. A few minutes drive downt he road was the area where the explosion had occured. Mudler barely stiffled his gasp as he saw the area. Something big had blown up. An area roughly the size of half a football field was black and burnt. There were no signs of plant life left in that area. On the sides of the black patch, the corn stalks had been bent outward, away from the center. Mulder got out of the truck and began to look around. As he had suspected, there was nothing on the ground that could have come from the explosion. He did find several groups of truck tire prints, that he would bet a day's worth of sunflower seeds belonged to military vehicles. "You done?" Mulder looked around one more time. "Yes. Let me give you my card and tell you where I'm staying in case you think of anything or in case someone else comes to talk to you." Mulder pulled out a card and quickly wrote the number he could be reached at on the back. Sturm took the card. "Is there somethin' I should know?" "Just be careful." ***** It was close to four in the afternoon when Mulder walked through the swinging door to the women's ward. Dana was sitting next to Elisabeth's bed. Mulder was struck again by the resemblance between them. They were by no means identical but they were very alike, and then there was the hair color. They stopped talking as he approached. "Hello, Mulder," Elisabeth glanced at Dana as if seeking approvial. Mulder noticed the switch from Fox to Mulder. He lifted an eyebrow at Dana. "Elisabeth, I need to talk to Mulder now. And this evening we have a meeting with the sheriff," Dana explained. "You'll be back tomorrow, won't you?" Elisabeth asked. Dana smiled, "Of course. I still have questions." Elisabeth smiled back, "Goodbye, Dana. Goodbye, Mulder." ***** So Close (part six) Dana stood up and pulled Mulder down the hall. He turned back and called, "Bye." Dana led him through a maze of hallways to a door marked simply 'Lab'. Just inside the door, Dana handed him a surgical gown and mask. She began to put on her own identical gown. "What's this?" "It's important, Mulder. I'm going to show you some blood samples and I don't want anything to happen." "But..." "Humour me, Mulder." Reluctantly, Mulder began to pull on his gown. "By the way, I called the airport. They've narrowed down the places my luggage could be to Las Vegas, Nevada or Atlanta, Georgia." Wisely, Mulder hid his grin. "One of the nurses offered to loan me some clothes until my suitcase finds its way back here." "That was nice to her." Dana glared at him, "She brought me a shopping bag over lunch. It's jeans, blouses, and t-shirts, Mulder." This time he couldn't hide his grin. He couldn't remember ever seeing her work in anything other than a suit. It was going to kill her to work on this case dressed in jeans. "So, what do I need to see?" Dana looked him over quickly to make sure he was ready then showed him to a long counter with a microscope on it. She switched the microscope on and checked to make sure the slide was in focus. "Look at this, Mulder." He leaned over and looked into the microscope. "Looks like a blood sample." Dana nodded, "That's right. It's a human blood sample from a patient. I requested it for comparision to this." She switched slides. "Now look." The slide contained what first appeared to be another blood sample, but Mulder looked closer. The cells were larger than normal and a deep purple color. Mulder looked up, "What is it?" "It's a blood sample, Elisabeth's blood sample." Mulder looked back at the slide, "But it's..." Dana began to nod. "That's right. The cells themselves are larger than any human blood cell I've ever seen. Also, notice the color." Mulder nodded. Dana handed him a copy of Elisabeth's medical chart. "Notice the slow heart rate and low blood pressure. I've already sent sample's of her blood back to the home labs." "What does it mean?" Mulder put the papers on the counter. Dana handed him another set of papers. "What I noticed about Elisabeth's medical chart was that I had seen something similar before. These are notes I found misfiled on my laptop a while ago. They are just notes, the real reports and evidence were destroyed or taken. Notice the subject has a similar hear rate and BP. Several other things caught my eye. When I saw the blood sample it clicked. I said Elisabeth's blood cells are larger than any human blood cell I've ever seen." "I sense a but..." "But, I have seen cells that size that seemed to serve the same purpuse as blood." "What are you saying, Scully?" "Those notes are about one of the Gregors." Mulder flinched at the mention fo the alien clones. "I had found some tissue samples from one of the Gregor's and I sent it to the lab. As you know, all the samples were destroyed but I remember seeing them." Mulder crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter. "So what you're saying is that she's an alien clone?" Dana frowned at Mulder's alien clone theory. She was still inclined to believe the clones were some sort of secret government experiment. "No, Mulder. She's human. Mostly. I can't say for certain without the proper lab tests, but I would guess that she's some sort of hybrid between human tissue and what ever the Gregor clones were. Several other things lend to this theory; her excellent health, her high metabolism, her superb hearing," she ticked them off on her fingers. "But she doesn't look like either of the previous clones. As a matter of fact, she kinda looks like you, Scully." Dana stared at Mulder, "I thought she looked like you." Surprised, Mulder considered it for a moment then shook his head, "I think you're seeing things, Scully. Let me get this straight. You are saying that Elisabeth is some kind of super-human?" Dana rolled her eyes, "That's not how I would put it, but yes, super-human does seem to describe her. ***** Mulder held the car door open for Dana and waited until she was settled in her seat. He closed her door and ran around to the driver's side and got in. As he reached for the ignition he said, "Okay. We've established that she's different. Just how different, we have no clue," he looked at Dana to confirm his statement. When she nodded, he continued. "We know that she seems to exhibit some unique traits, i.e. heartrate, BP, and hearing. Therefore, it's probably safe to assume that she might have some other... characteristics that we have yet to see." Again he looked to Dana for confirmation. Her nod was a little slower this time. Mulder waited until he had pulled the car smoothly onto the highway to continue. "She knows something about Samantha and she was sent to find us." Dana started to say something and Mulder spoke quickly, "She knew our names, Scully, our first names. Dr. Perkins didn't mention them and no one else knew them." "That doesn't mean she knew Samantha, Mulder. There could be a number of different reasons for how she know our names." At Mulder's skeptical look she quickly thought of one, "It could have something to do with the government." Mulder grinned, "Maybe you have been around me too long, Scully." They rode in silence for awhile. Suddenly Mulder spoke, "Does she know that she's... different." As much as she wanted to stick with her theory about a government plan she had to admit it, "I don't think so. She seems so unaware of the differences, probably because most of them are so minor that no one would notice them if they weren't looking. The few differences that were brought to her attention, like her hearing, seemed to puzzle her." "Are we going to tell her?" Mulder's face was carefully blank. "How do you tell someone that they aren't totally human, Mulder? Assuming she doesn't already know." ***** So Close (part seven) They ate at a local diner. Mulder filled Dana in on what he had learned during the day. He mentioned the stone he had found and promised to show it to her back at the room. After dinner, Mulder drove to city hall where the sheriff was supposed to meet them. Mulder parked the car and got out. While Dana got out, Mulder looked around. "This is it," he thought, "small town mid-America." The day-care across the street was closed already, but Mulder could almost hear the children playing on the jungle gyms in the yard. The entire town looked like an ad for some sort of Hometown USA campaign. "Coming?" Dana called. ***** The local sheriff, 'Call me John, everybody does' Holliday, offered them two chairs in front of his desk. "What can I do for you?" he smiled. Use to being treated with everything from barely hidden suspicion to open anger, the Agents were a little taken aback by the sheriff's attitude. "We are here to discuss the unidentified woman found several days ago by Mr. William Sturm." "Yes. I remember her. Pretty little thing. You two any relation to her?" Mulder raised an eyebrow, "No, why do you ask?" John looked back and forth between the agents. "Seems to be a family resemblance." Mulder and Dana looked at each other. Appearently they weren't he only ones to notice something odd about Elisabeth's appearance. "No family relations, I'm afraid," replied Dana. "Can you tell us anything you have about her?" "Well, everything I know about how she was found, Agent Mulder most likely heard from Bill," Mulder's eyebrow climbed again. John shrugged and gave Mulder a 'Hey, it's a small town' smile. "I'm sure you know more about her than I do. I can tell you that a fairly large mess was cleaned up in a rather short period of time." Casually, Mulder asked, "Any idea who?" "Officially? Haven't a clue. Unofficially, I would be watching the woods around Powell observatory tomorrow night." Mulder realized that John wasn't about to volunteer anymore information. Dana was looking at the two men as if she expected them to sprout a third eye in the middle of their foreheads. Mulder stood up and shook hands with John, "Thanks for your help." "Sorry I couldn't be much more help." John stood up as Dana slid out of her chair. "You all have a nice evenin'. I suggest you have Lou Ann at the 'Dew Drop' pack you a picnic dinner when you go stargazing. Something nice and romantic like." Dana waited for Mulder to correct him but Mulder just grinned. "Will do." Dana waited until they were in the parking lot before she asked what had just happened. "Like the man said, we're going on a romantic little stargazing outing. If we just happen to see something in the woods and natural curiosity takes over, who's to blame us?" "Mulder..." ***** Dana had jsut finished putting her borrowed clothes away. Mulder was leaning back against his headboard playing with the remote control. Dana got her laptop out of her briefcase and sat back on the bed to type up her notes. Mulder continued to switch the channels every few minutes. Dana typed almost a half page before she broke. "Stop it!" she yelled. Mulder jumped and immediatly shut off the television. Sheepishly he looked at her, "Sorry." Sighing, Dana saved her work and turned the laptop off. "What?" "I don't understand what happened here, Scully. If Elisabeht is some sort of alien hybrid like you said," he ignored her protest that that was not what she had said, "then why is she here? Why doens't she remember anything? What about the explosion on Sturm's farm?" "Did you find anything that might have ID'ed what blew up?" Mulder shook his head, "But I did find this." He pulled his hankerchief out of his jacket that was draped across the foot of his bed. "I found this where Elisabeth was found." He brought the hankerchief to Dana. "Careful, don't touch it with your skin. It burns like hell." Carefully, Dana unwrapped the glowing stone. *Pain. Horrid pain...She screamed...Soft glow in front of her...The hot touch of a stone...The glow seemed to bathe her in calmness...No more pain* "Scully? Scully, are you okay? Answer me!" Mulder was gently shaking her. Dana blinked and the half formed thought was gone. "What happened? You unwrapped the stone and zoned out." "It was nothing. I just... I just seemed to remember something." Cautiously, Mulder asked what she had remembered. "Nothing much, Mulder. I just saw a light similar to this one," she motioned to the stone. "It seemed to have some sort of calming effect." "When did you see this?" Dana closed her eyes. "I don't remember." "Scully..." "Drop it, Mulder." "Scully..." "I said drop it," Dana pushed Mulder away, "I'm taking a bath, Mulder. Then I'm going to bed." Dana grabbed his jersey, underwear and other bath supplies and slammed the bathroom door shut. "Okay. We won't talk about it then," Mulder said to the closed door. Mulder looked at the alarm and saw that it was only ten o'clock. Normally, he wouldn't go to bed for hours, but he figured Dana would be happier with him if he was asleep when she came out. He found the radio station they had listened to last night. After checking to make sure everything was secure for the night he pulled out another t-shirt, this one was white and simply said 'Old FBI Agents don't die, they just declassify!' His boxer's were also white and seemed to be perfectly normal. Until he turned around. In large, hot pink letters across the back was the work 'WOW'. Mulder cleaned off his bed and Dana's. Then he turned down the lights like last night and got under the covers. Dana leaned her head back against the tub. She could hear Mulder moving around for awhile then he settled down. If she strained she could hear the radio. She began to relax as the hot water began to work. She refused to think about what she had remembered. For once in her life she didn't analize it. She simply didn't want to remember. She closed her eyes and listened for the music. "And now... The Five Satins with 'In the Still of the Night'!" "In the still of the night/ I held you, held you tight/ 'Cause I love, love you so/ Promise I'll never let you go/ In the still of the night..." ***** Mulder was suddenly awak, his heart pounding. Being careful not to alert who ever had woken him that he was in fact awake, Mulder began to carefully look around the room. He didn't see anybody, but that didnt' mean a whole lot in his line of work. Then he heard Dana whimper. He was out of bed in seconds and sitting next to her on her bed. She was having a dream. "Scully." She whimpered again, tears were beginning to fall down her face. "Scully, wake up." Mulder gently shook her until she opened her eyes. "What happened?" "You were dreaming. Do you remember anything?" "No." Mulder didn't push it, not this time. "Do you want anything? Maybe some water?" "Yes. Water." Dana pushed herself up against the headboard. Mulder turned on the lamp next to her bed and found a cup. He handed her the water. "Need anything else?" Dana thought for a moment and started to say something then changed her mind, "No, thanks, I'm fine." "Okay," Mulder took the empty cup and set it on the nightstand, then leaned over and tucked her in. When he was satisfied that she was comfortable, Mulder turned out the light and got back into bed. "Good night, Scully." "Good night, Mulder." Mulder's eyses had just closed when Dana spoke. "Mulder?" "Yeah?" "Nice boxers." Mulder was glad the lights were off so Dana couldn't see his face, "Thank you. I have some better ones. When we get home, you're welcome to come over and I'll model them for you." "In your dreams." "Interesting thought," he said to himself as he drifted into sleep. ***** So Close (part eight) Dana waited for Mulder to get out of the car. She'd waken up after Mulder again this morning. They'd eaten breakfast, then driven to the hospital She knew he wanted to talk to Elisabeth. Dana wasn't sure pushing her to remember would be the best thing but she knew Mulder was going to try. "Anytime now, Scully." Mulder was waiting for her. Elisabeth was awake and sitting up in bed when they saw her. "Hi, Dana. Mulder. Nice jeans." Dana looked at the too tight jeans and overly large whit blouse she was wearing with a pair of borrowed Keds. "Thanks," the sarcasm was heavy in her voice. "Elisabeth," Mulder attempted to catch her attention. "How are you today?" Dana watched Mulder pick up two chairs and bring them to the bed. "Fine." "We need to ask you some questions today." Mulder held out a chair for Dana then sat down. "Okay." Mulder pulled out a notebook and pen. "Elisabeth, I want you to tell me the first thing you clearly remember." She thought for a moment, "Clearly?" Mulder nodded. "I was in this bed and someone, a nurse I think, was leaning over me calling me Samantha." Dana watched Mulder. So far he was calm and there didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary going on. "Do you remember anything before that?" Elisabeth looked at Dana, "Not clearly." "Tell me the earliest thing you remember." Elisabeth's eyes began to glaze over, "I was someplace soft and safe. A long dark haired woman, 'Samantha' she told me, was taking care of me." Mulder's voice was low and gentle as he encouraged her, "Go on. Do you know where you are?" "No, but I've always been there. Samantha tells me things. I don't remember much, just a voice. Then... then noise, loud noise. My head hurts so bad." Dana reached out and held Elisabeth's hand. "Something is happening. Samantha leaves. I have to leave. I remember moving, being put in a chair. I fell asleep. When I woke up I was lost. Then there was this bright light that hurt my eyes and noise. Then I woke up here." Dana tightened her grip. "Do you know what happened? Where did you go? Where did Samantha go?" Mulder quickly asked. Elisabeth shook her head. "No. I... I don't know." Mulder continued to push, "Think, Elisabeth." Elisabeth looked at Dana, "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "Mulder!" "But, Scully..." "She doesn't remember. Stop pushing, Mulder." Dana stood up and wrapped her arms around Elisabeth. "It's okay. You did well today." She glared at Mulder over Elisabeth's head. Elisabeth began to calm down. Mulder was... he didn't know what he was feeling. He was close, he could feel it. Elisabeth was his only link to Sam. He knew he was pushing, but he couldn't help it. There had to be some way to make her remember. The stone! Maybe if she saw the stone she would remember. Mulder saw Dana help Elisabeth back under the covers. He remembered Dana's reaction to the stone. What if Elisabeth had the same reaction? Was it worth putting Dana through it again? He didn't know. "Scully, I... left some notes I need at the room." "Fine, I'm going to stay here," Dana glanced back at Elisabeth. "I'll be back later." Mulder looked at Elisabeth one last time. ***** The phone was ringing when Mulder opened the door. He was out of breath when he answered the phone, "Hello?" There was a slight pause then a feminine voice answered, "Agent Mulder?" "Yes?" "Agent Mulder, this is Karen Sturm." Immediately, Mulder placed the name, "Yes, Mrs. Sturm?" "Do... do you know where my husband is?" ***** Mulder phoned Dana and told her he was on his way to pick her up. He explained why over the cellular phone. Dana was waiting outside the hospital when he drove up. "Tell me again what happened?" she said as she got in. Mulder pulled out of the parking lot, "When I got to the motel the phone was ringing. It was Mrs. Sturm. She said the house had been ransacked, both trucks were still there, but her husband was gone." "Was anything taken?" "Not as far as she can tell." "Why did she call you?" "I gave our number to her husband. Appearently, he called her and gave it to her just in case." "Do you think he knew?" "I don't know." ***** Dana was questioning Mrs. Sturm when her phone rang. Mulder was out in the fields looking for something, anything. The police had arrived twenty minutes ago and several officers were taking prints. Dana excused herself and moved off away from everyone else. "Hello?" "Scully?" "Mulder?" "We found him." Mulder stood in the field near were Sturm had found Elisabeth. He was looking at the still body of William Sturm and he was cursing himself. ***** Elisabeth knew they were coming, she could hear them in the hall. She smiled as Dana reminded Fox... "Mulder," she corrected herself, not to push this time. Her smile faded as she heard a familiar sound for the first time in a long time. She could hear the humming of the Pendant. ***** "I mean it, Mulder." "I know. I just want to show her that rock and see if it brings back anything." "I'm not sure about this." "Scully. It's the only thing we have to go on." They pushed through the swinging doors. As always, Elisabeth was sitting up waiting for them. "Hello, Dana. Hello, Mulder." "Elisabeth. How are you doing?" Mulder asked. "Fine, thanks." "Good, good. I need you to look at something I found near where you were found. It might set off a bell somewhere." "You mean the Pendant?" "Pendant?" "I heard it earlier. Still can. Is that what you brought me?" Dana frowned, "Heard it?" As Mulder pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket, Elisabeth explained, "I can hear it humming." Mulder placed the handkerchief on the bed and cautiously unwrapped it. Elisabeth watched him. She looke at the glowing stone. "The Pendant." "Wehre is the Pendant from?" Mulder asked. Dana was carefully averting her eyes from the stone. Elisabeth never took her eyes off the stone. "Samantha gave it to me so that we could be alike. Her Pendant is different from mine, but it was close enough for me." "Samantha has a Pendant?" Mulder kept his voice low. Elisabeth looked lost for a second, "Did I say that? I... I'm not sure. I saw the Pendant and I saw Samantha giving it to me. I think I did. I'm not sure." "Are you saying that Samantha is like you?" "Mulder!" Dana exclaimed. "Like me? I don't understand?" "She doesn't know, Mulder." "I don't know what? What's going on?" Mulder could't hide his impatience. "Tell her, Scully. We need to know what's happened. A man has died and we need to know why." Elisabeth was looking at Dana. "I don't understand." Quietly and against her better judgement, Dana told Elisabeth about the lab tests and her theory that Elisabeth was some kind of hybrid. "I'm not human?" "No," Dana glared at Mulder, "That's not what I said. You seem to be..." "She's trying to say that you are super-human," Mulder broke in. Dana couldn't take looking at the stone anymore. She reached out and quickly covered it again. "Mulder!" Elisabeth seemed to be in shock. "I... I... Dana?" She reached for Dana's hand. "How long? How long have you know?" "Since yesterday." "Dana, I... can I sleep now? My head..." Shooting an evil look at her partner, Dana agreed. "We'll be back tonight." Mulder began to protest. Dana cut him off, "I forgot, we have to stake out the observatory tonight. We'll be back in the morning." "Does anybody else know?" "No. No one else. Get some rest." Dana pulled Mulder out of the ward. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Mulder turned and stared down at his partner, "I could ask you the same question? You're treating her like she's some long lost relative!" "And you're treating her like she had something to do with the disappearance of your's!" Dana froze, "I'm sorry, Mulder." "No, you're right. I'm pushing. I just... I'm so close to finding her, Scully." "I know. Look. It's getting late. Let's go back to the room and get ready for your picnic. We'll come back tomorrow." ***** So Close (part nine) Mulder hefted the wicker picnic basket Lou Ann had packed for him and Dana into the trunk. He put the red plaid blanket next to the small tape player he had borrowed. He shut the trunk and checked to make sure he didn't get any dirt on his jeans or his white dress shirt. His running shoes had seen better days but that couldn't be helped. Lou Ann had mentioned that he looked pretty good when he went to pick up the basket. Dana had been in the bathroom when he chaneged and he left before she could see him. "Wonder what she would think?" he thought. "One way to find out," he said outloud. He knocked on the motel door. "Just a sec. Who is it?" came the reply. "Opportunity." "Cute, Mulder." Dana opened the door. Her outfit was similar to his; acid washed jeans, a teal blouse, and the borrowed Keds. She had on the barest hint of makeup and Mulder could barely smell her perfume. "Cologne?" she asked. "After shave." "Ahh, you can come in, you know." Mulder followed her inside and watched as she packed some last minute items in the back pack he had borrowed from Lou Ann's son. "Okay. I think I have everything we'll need for a little night time exploring. Let's go." ***** Elisabeth slowly came out of her sleep. She could hear something humming. It was starting to bother her. She woke up and took stock of her surroundings. The ward was empty except for the other patients. They seemed to be watching a talk show. After making sure no one was looking. Elisabeth reached out and pulled the handkerchief closer to her. She slowly unwrapped the Pendant. The humming was starting to drive her crazy. She noticed the leather strip in the handkerchief. She picked it up and reached for the Pendant. The glow grew brighter as she touched it. Carefully, Elisabeth threaded the strip through the back of the Pendant. If the talk show on 'Men Who Claim to Have Seen UFO's and the Women Who Love Them' hadn't been so interesting, someone might have noticed the glow of the Pendant. They might have noticed that when Elisabeth secured the Pendant around her neck the glow grew to encompass her entire body. They might have noticed the sudden dimming of light as the Pendant settled against her and stopped glowing. But they didn't and they didn't notice Elisabeth get up and walk silently past them and out the door. ***** Mulder pulled the Sedan into the parking lot at the observatory. "There are the woods, Scully. Let's set up near those trees," he pointed. Dana got out and stood by the trunk. She wished she had remembered to borrow a jacket. Mulder handed her the blanked and tape recorder and he pulled the picnic basket out of the trunk. He waited until Dana shut it then headed for the trees. ***** Elisabeth stole a spare nurses uniform and left the hospital. On one hand she had no idea where she was going; on the other, she knew her friends were in trouble and she needed to get to them. She stood outside for a minute, her eyes closed as she concentrated. The Pendant glowed for a second then she opened her eyes. With a final glance to get her bearings, she began to run, not towards the road but back into the trees. ***** It had only been dark for half an hour. Mulder had unpacked the picnic basket, amazed at how much food Lou Ann had packed. Dana was sitting on the other side of the blanket. The tape player was playing the soundtrack from 'Dirty Dancing'. Mulder was waiting. ***** Elisabeth stopped only to close her eyes and consentrate. Each time the Pendant would glow. Then, she would continue. ***** "Mulder, what are we doing here?" Dana was leaning back on her hands and looking down her body to her toes. "Huh?" Mulder was laying on his back on the blanket. His eyes were closed and his hands were resting lightly on his stomach. "I said, why are we out here? We've been here for hours, Mulder." "We are staking out the woods, Scully." "For what?" Mulder didn't answer for awhile. "We'll know it when we see it." "Mulder..." Mulder opened one eye. "Scully..." Mulder sat up suddenly. "Mulder, what..." "Shh. Listen." Dana froze. In the distance there was the loud roar of a military helicopter. Soon the lights were visible. The Agents watched as the helicopter flew past them and landed in the woods. "I think that's it," Mulder jumped up and held out his hand to Dana. "Come on, let's go exploring." Dana grabbed the back pack and followed Mulder into the trees. After looking through the pack, Dana handed mulder a flashlight and turned hers on. They followed the noise deeper into the woods. Mulder held up one hand and Dana frozed. They could see lights ahead. Quietly, Mulder and Dana ducked behind a tree. There was a make-shift camp set up in the clearing. Tall light poles were placed around the compound. Several tents were up and a military helicopter was sitting in the middle, the blades were still turning lazily. Several soldiers were moving around the compound. A pair of soldiers removed a bulky tarp-covered object from the helicopter. Mulder began to move closer to the compound. Dana grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?" she hissed. "I want to see what it is." "Mulder, damn it. Wait for me." Dana followed him closer to the compound. Mulder turned his flashlight off. Dana did the same. They were within fifteen feet of the compound. "Scully. Do you have a camera in that bag?" Dana didn't answer. "Scully?" Mulder looked over his shoulder. Dana was surrounded by three soldiers. One had his rifle pointed at her. The other two had their rifles pointed at him. Mulder briefly thought of his and Dana's guns hidden in the car. They had decided the chances of their 'cover' working would improve if they didn't have their guns. Mulder was beginning to think maybe that wasn't such a good idea. "Dear?" he asked. ***** Dana and Mulder were sitting next to each other in one of the tents. Two of the three soldiers that had found them in the woods were standing over them. Mulder had explained that they were just out for the evening, having a picnic and they saw the helicopter fly by and land so close. And, he explained, she had never seen a 'copter up close before, so... The soldiers didn't seem to be buying it to begin with. When the soldiers found the Agents ID's, they believed it even less. But Mulder was still sticking to his story. He tried again to explain that he was just an innocent guy out on a date in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the soldiers snorted, "Come on, you're FBI." Mulder looked hurt. "Just because I'm an agent doesn't mean I don't have a love life." Dana barely kept from laughing outloud. "Besides," he continued, "we work in the same building. That's how we met. It was love at first sight. Wasn't it, dear?" Dana realized he was talking to her, "Oh, definatly, darling." Mulder continued, "We came up for the Ciderfest and decided to stay awhile." Another soldier entered the tent and the first two snapped to attention. Then a man in civilian clothes came in. He stood before the two agents. "Agents Mulder and Scully of the X-Files Division. I've heard a lot about you two." "I'm afraid you have us at a disadvantage." The man ignored him. "Care to explain what you were doing out here, Agent Mulder?" "No, not particularly." "Agent Scully?" "Becoming one with nature?" "Cute, Agent Scully." He tossed their ID's at them. "It seems that you two have become a nuisance lately, a distraction. I, for one, no longer wish to be bothered by you." He turned to the soldier closest to him. "Take them into the woods and kill them." "What? You're not going to tell us what's been going on here?" Mulder asked. "I'm sure you already know, Agent Mulder." "I have a hunch." "Too bad you won't live long enought to confirm it." The man motioned with his hand and two fo the soldiers pulled Dana and Mulder out of their chairs. The entire group moved out of the tent. Mulder stopped to look around and one of the soldiers pushed him. "Make sure they won't be found for awhile." "I don't think so." Everyone turned to look at the woman standing ten feet away. "Elisabeth?" Dana gasped. Her once white nurse's uniform was dirty and torn. The shoes were gone, having been thrown off long ago. Her long auburn hair was tangled and had bits of leaves in it. The Pendant was around her neck. The man in charge spoke, "So it was true. You did survive." "You know?" Elisabeth narrowed her eyes. "Where is she?" "Samantha?" the man laughed. Mulder jerked. "She was gone before we got there. They had evacuated long before we could get in." "What do you know about me?" "Enough." "What about Samantha?" Mulder yelled. "What about her, Agent Mulder? She's alive, isn't that what you want to hear? Isn't she," he pointed to Elisabeth, "enough proof of that?" Seeing that Muder was confused, the man explained. "Haven't you figured it out? Look at her, Agent Mulder. Don't you see your sister in her? Don't you see your partner?" Suddenly, Dana knew, "No. God, no." "He's right, Dana. I'm sorry. That's one of the things I learned from the Pendant. I'm connected to you and her because I am you and Samantha." "What the hell is going on?" Mulder yelled. "She's an experiment, Agent Mulder, a prototype if you will. Her creators decided to use not one but two models. They took DNA from your sister and from your partner to make her. But enough of this." The man motioned to one of soldiers. "She will be coming with us, I think. We have so many questions that need to be answered." "No." Elisabeth stood firm. The Pendant began to glow. One of the soldiers reached out to touch her and all hell broke loose. The soldier flew backwards as if thrown. Elisabeth moved forward. Several soldiers had noticed what was going on and moved in. Each was thrown back if they got too close. One fired and almost too quick to be seen she moved out of the bullets path. Mulder and Dana just stood there. Dana was in shock. Mulder was close. When Elisabeth reached the man and touched him, when his screams made the other soldiers turn and run, Mulder passed out. ***** So Close (part ten) Mulder woke up but didn't open his eyes. His head was pillowed on something soft and warm. He could hear talking around him and tried to focus on it. "... happened?" "When? Just now or before?" "Let's start with now. How did you get out of hospital?" "I walked?" Whatever was under him shifted. "You walked? The entire way?" "Well, I ran most of it." "We'll come back to that. How did you find us?" "I just knew. The Pendant told me where you were." "That stone? What is it? How did it know where we were?" "I don't know what it is, but it seems to harness my... abilities. I am connected to you and it helped show me the way." "I'm not sure I want to here this." "Samantha once told me that the Pendant doesn't create any new powers. It just amplifies the abilities of the person it was meant for. Every Pendant is attuned to only one person." "You said you are connected to me. Does that mean you're connected to Samantha as well?" Mulder waited for her answer. "He's awake." "Mulder?" Dana gently shook him. "Get up. You're cutting off the circulation to me legs." Mulder sat up and watched Dana stretch her legs. "What about Samantha?" he asked. Mulder noticed that they were sitting on the blanket he had set out for the picnic. They were surrounded by the remains of the picnic. It was close to dawn by the look of the sky. "What happened?" he asked Dana. "I don't know. I must have blacked out, when I came to we were here." "I brought the two of you here," Elisabeth said. Mulder looked back towards the woods. "It's gone." At Dana's horrified look Elisabeth rushed on, "No. I didn't do it. They began to dismantle the camp even as I left." "I don't understand," Dana spoke to her. "Let me tell you what I know. I don't even know all of it. The Pendant brought most of it to me, but only what I knew before." Elisabeth waited until Dana and Mulder were settled. "The first thing I remember is Samantha. As a matter of fact, everything is Samantha. Where ever I was, who ever... made me, I have no idea. I just remember being warm and safe and Samantha talking to me, teaching me. I don't know how long I was there, time had no meaning." Elisabeth stopped to take a few deep breaths. "Then, something happened. When Samantha came to me, she was urgent, worried. She gave me the Pendant and explained it's use. She said I had to leave, that there was danger. She told me to sleep and I did." "When I woke up, I was someplace new. I was outside. I had never been outside before. Then there was the explosion. The ones who had saved me had died, I knew it inside. I could almost feel the pain myself. The rest you know." "What happened at the camp?" Mulder asked. Elisabeth looked off into the woods. "I won't tell you, but I promise that no one died by my hand." Mulder started to protest. Dana softly asked, "What happens now?" "Now... now, I need to find some answers." Elisabeth stood up. "Wait. Where's Samantha? Where are you going?" Elisabeth looked down at Mulder. "I don't know, Mulder. I can only sense what direction to go." She reached out and touched his cheek, "I need to find out why I'm here. What my purpose is. Samantha can tell me." She shook her head at Mulder before he could even say it. "I have to go alone. But I will be back." Elisabeth turned and walked a few steps. "My destiny is tied to your's. Both of your's." Mulder stood up to follow her. "Wait, Elisabeth!" "She's gone, Mulder. But she'll be back." ***** Fox Mulder looked up as Dana Scully entered their office and began to skirt around the mess around his desk. In the week since they had gotten back from Louisburg, she had been quite. Just within the last day or so she had started to tease him like old times. "What?" Dana asked, Mulder had been staring at her a lot lately. "Anything new happened?" "Since lunch, Mulder?" He shrugged. She glared at him and opened her top drawer. She pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. "Need some help?" Mulder offered, seeing that Dana was having problems opening the bottle. Dana looked up to glare at him just as the cap came off. Pills flew everywhere. "Don't talk to me!" She got on the floor behind her desk to pick up the pills. "Uhh, Sir." It was the file clerk again. "Yes?" Mulder leaned back in his chair. "I have a package for you and Agent Scully. I need both of you to sign the reciept." He looked around. "Do you know where Agent Scully is?" Dana looked up over the desk, "What?" "Uhh... here." The clerk shoved the reciept at her and Dana signed it. He handed it to Mulder and then gave him the package. The clerk glanced back at Dana. "Uhh..." Then he turned and fled. Mulder chuckled while he looked at the envelope addressed to him and Dana at the bureau. No return address. "Want me to read it out loud?" "I don't care, Mulder," came the reply from behind the desk. He opened the letter and began to read. "Dear Mulder and Dana. I decided to take this time to inform you of the progress of my search. I wish I could say there was some, but I can't. Samantha seems to be moving. I am following the best that I can. However; something new has come up these last few days. Her signal, for lack of a better word, has disappeared for long periods of time. The last time was over a day. I think it might be connected to her Pendant in someway. I have stopped moving for the moment until I get another signal." Dana sat on the corner of Mulder's desk. "Go on." "I am doing well. I have found that I don't require more than a few hours of sleep each night. I also found out that it's easier to travel at night. I've been living from one homeless shelter to another. I'm staying healthy, but didn't Dana say that was one of my abilities? I'm making money doing odd jobs." "I'll write when I have more news. Mulder, remember this. Samantha is out there and I'll find her. Dana, remember that I'm part of you. I'll know when you're hurting and I'll do my best to make you better. Connected with love, Elisabeth Stone." "P.S. I thought the last name was amusing." Mulder looked up. "What do you make of that?" Dana stood up and moved to her desk. "I think that she's doing okay." Her phone rang. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Yes. Where? Moscow?! How did it get there? Where is it now? What do you mean you don't know?! I am not yelling! Wait... don't hang up... damn it." She hung up the phone. Mulder raised an eyebrow. "K.C.I. airport. They called to tell me that they had a positive ID of my luggage in Moscow. But somehow it's gone again. It's not funny, Mulder. Stop laughing. I'm warning you!" Dana reached across her desk for her stapler. ***** That's it. No more, until next time that is. (evil laughter). Reality is for people who lack imagination. Sno - - - - - End forwarded mail - - - - -