From: risamy@epix.net (Amy Schatz) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: SPELLBOUND - part 7/11 Date: 8 Nov 1995 23:20:28 GMT Spellbound part 7/11 by Amy Schatz Sorry about that other one. It seems that I am eternally predestined to hit the wrong button. :) ________________________________________ Seven Daybreak found the storm still going strong, but it was still quite dark outside. It seemed that the night was trying desperately to hold on; as if what happened the night before was special and important, and shouldn't be forgotten quickly. The thunder and lightening had abated during the night, but the rain still fell heavily. The clouds loomed low and were thick and dark. It wasn't hot because the rain had cooled off the atmosphere; in fact, it was slightly cold. Mulder lay on the other bed, sleeping. The previous day and night had been quite horrific for him and he needed rest. After Scully had fallen asleep, he had moved to the other bed. Last night had been his first good night's sleep in about three days, and he had needed it. His gun lay on the nightstand between the beds, and a glass of water sat next to it. Scully was covered with a sheet, for Mulder hadn't put the pajama top on her, in fear that movement would reopen her wounds. Her bra was also slightly stained with blood, but, as with the shirt, Mulder didn't want to move her too much. The curtains were pulled shut, but a thin sliver of grey light managed to cut through and fall on Scully's face. She wasn't sleeping. Her eyes were closed, but she was no longer completely under the spell of pain. It was still there, but at least she was lucid and awake. She had awakened half an hour ago, and was simply thinking how good it felt to be safe again. She could feel Mulder's presence in the room. It was like a protective shield that engulfed her. She thought back to the previous night, when she had been unconscious. She couldn't exactly remember being asleep, or waking up, but she did remember one thing. All through it, she felt that Mulder was there, urging her to live. Just as he had done when she had appeared at that Georgetown hospital. Mulder had spent that last night with her. The night that could have ended in two ways: her life or her death. Her mother had sister were sure that it would in the latter, but Mulder wouldn't give up; couldn't give up. He stayed with her the whole night, and held her cold, lifeless hand, and in the end, he helped Scully make the decision to come back to her life. To him. The next morning she awoke. She knew that both times, she had come through because of him. It almost annoyed her to think that her mother or her sister couldn't bring her back, but her partner could. Fox Mulder could bring her back to life; could save her life, just by his being there. But just then, as she lay in the motel room, the pain in her side, she really didn't care why her subconscious or her soul responded to Mulder, she just knew it did. And right now, she was thankful that it did. Because without him there last night to help her, and jog her back to life, she knew she would have died. Scully still had her eyes closed. She didn't want to open them and have to look at her wounds. She sighed, and realized that she was thirsty. Turning her head to the right, and away from the window, she saw the nightstand and the glass of water. Scully reached with her left hand, and tried to get the water, but as she did, extreme pain shot through her wound and up and down the whole left side of her body. Scully tried to hold the pain in check, and not yell out. She didn't want to awake Mulder. But, she just couldn't. She let out a low moan, unable to handle the discomfort. Mulder was immediately awake, sat up and had hold of his gun. "...Mulder...it's okay," said Scully faintly. "It's...just me..." Mulder put the gun down, and rubbed his eyes. "Scully, what are you doing? Why didn't you just ask me?" Scully eased back down onto the bed, and sighed, biting down on the pain. "I didn't want to wake you." A small smile. Mulder grabbed the glass, and knelt beside her bed. "Here," he said as he held the glass to her lips. "Just a little at a time, though." When she had finished half the glass, he put the glass down and placed his hand on her forehead. He was quiet for a few moments as he decided on his diagnosis. Scully waited, a half smile on her lips. "Well, what's the prognosis, Doctor? Will I live?" Mulder looked at her, and his eyes were intense. "Don't joke about that, Scully." Scully's smiled faded, as fatigue came over her. "Well?" "Your fever's gone down, but you're still hot. So, no moving around, okay?" Scully nodded, and looked at Mulder. Mulder smiled. Her eyes had a haunted look to them, as if she had endured much more than she could stand. She must have been awfully scared when Louis had her. He wondered if she wanted to talk about it. "Scully, you know that you can tell me anything." Scully reached out and took Mulder's hand, and he could feel her trembling. "I was never so scared, Mulder. Not even when...not even when Pfaster had me." Mulder looked away, and swallowed hard. Memories of Scully falling to pieces in his arms floated in and through his mind. He had never seen her so scared, and he thought and hoped he never would again. Scully was his anchor to reality and the stability that he needed. If she crumbled, where would he be? He also knew that if Scully had been more scared with Louis than she had been with Pfaster, then something terribly awful must have happened to her. He couldn't even bear to think what it could be. He looked back at Scully, and she could see the tears in his eyes. "Scully, did he...did he...?" Scully shook her head. "No, no. All he cared about was for me to get better so we could get married." "Married?" Mulder said, his eyes on fire. Scully looked away, then. All the memories were too much for her. She couldn't handle them. "Mulder, have you tried to call the paramedics? I'm sure that I need stitches." Mulder nodded, sitting down on his own bed. "They can't get through because of the storm. They promised they'd get here as soon as the roads are cleared." Scully nodded, and then forced herself to look down at her injury. She looked at the bandage that Mulder had fashioned from part of his T-shirt and some gauze. She smiled lightly. "You did a good job on the bandage, Mulder." Mulder bowed slightly. "Why, thank you, m'lady. I do try." Scully smiled again. It felt so good to be with Mulder again; to be safe again. Suddenly, she felt her stomach growl. "Mulder, I haven't eaten since I was captured. Do you have anything to eat here, besides-" Mulder's eyes lit up and he cut her off. "I have sunflower seeds." Scully continued as if he had said nothing. "...sunflower seeds?" Mulder kept his smile. He stood up and walked over to the dresser. He began to rummage through one of his bags. "I think I have some cupcakes, or something." He searched a few minutes more, and came up with a crackling package. "Paydirt! Cupcakes! Would you like to sample some, m'lady?" Scully nodded vigorously. The site of the pastry made her stomach do somersaults. She pushed herself up to an almost sitting position. Mulder walked over, pulled the wrapper off, and broke one cupcake in two. He handed one half to Scully, and took the other half for himself. As Scully chewed, she looked at Mulder. He looked harried, at the very least. He had bags under his eyes, and he looked like he hadn't shaved in about two days. She knew that she wasn't the picture of beauty, but he looked worse than she felt. The doctor in her took over. "Mulder, are you feeling okay?" He gazed solemnly at her, his deep hazel eyes trimmed with a watery lining from the anguish and pathos that raged behind them. "Yes, why do you ask?" Scully swallowed. "You look terrible. Did something happen?" Mulder looked at her in disbelief. "Um, yes, Scully, something did happen. Some maniac who has unbelievable powers kidnapped you. Now, maybe you think I should have been out painting the town while this was happening, but I just couldn't pencil it in." Scully smiled warmly. It was all for her. He looked like death warmed over because of his worry for her. It was touching, in a weird, psychotic, Mulder kind of a way. "Mulder, you were all upset over me." Mulder looked at her hard. "Scully, I can't believe that you are really surprised by all this. What kind of a person do you think I am? Do you think I only care about aliens and abductees?" Scully's eyes fell. She had hurt him. "Well..." "I mean, do you think that all my mind is filled with is the Loch Ness Monster and cattle mutilations? Well, it's not." Scully was starting to feel really bad. "Mulder, I..." Mulder kept on talking. It was the only way he could deal with the surfacing feelings he was having. All of the grief and pain and loss he had felt when he thought Scully was dead was resurfacing, and it was overwhelming him. "Scully, I care about more than all that. I care about you. I couldn't stand to lose you again. I just..." He looked away, then, and Scully could feel the power of his emotions. They were a presence in the room. When Mulder turned back to her, his eyes were filled with tears that threatened to fall. "Scully, it's like I told you last night when you were unconscious. You're my-" "...One truth," Scully finished for him. The minute she said it, she wondered how she had known what he was going to say. Had she heard him the night before? Was he the only person who could connect to her soul? Mulder looked at her for a long time from his seat on the other bed. Then, slowly, he moved forward to her. He took her hand and tears fell from his eyes. "Scully, yesterday I found the place where Louis had you, and I saw the cot you had slept on. And I saw the blood. There was so much blood I was sure that you had to be dead." Scully reached a hand up to his cheek and touched it gently. "Mulder, I'm okay. Everything will be fine, now." He shook his head. "That's what I told myself after you recovered from the coma, and after Pfaster kidnapped you, but it's not the truth, Scully. We're lying to ourselves." "What are you saying, Mulder?" Scully was worried for him. "The X-Files are bad for you, Scully. *I'm* bad for you. I couldn't take it if something happened to you again, and it was my fault." "Mulder, this wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known that this would happen." "If it weren't for me you would still be at Quantico, and you'd be safe." Scully nodded. "Yes, I would be. But, Mulder, if I was still at Quantico, we would have never met." He nodded. "I would rather have never met you than have you die before my eyes one day." Scully's eyes took on a painful look. "You don't mean that." Mulder began to nod, but stopped. "No, I don't. But, Scully, you should leave the X-Files. It's what's best for you." Scully's mouth set in a grim line of determination. She shook her head. "And leave you all alone? No way. Besides, who'd be there to save your ass?" Mulder forced a smile. "But, Scully-" Scully waved her finger at him. "No buts. I'm not leaving you, Mulder. You need me. If I left, they'd shut down the X-Files in a matter of months. You'd have no one there to keep you within screaming distance of reason. You'd go after some nutty case, give a nutty reason, and that would be it. You'd be shut down. So, there's no way that I'm leaving." Mulder looked at her affectionately. No one had ever said that they would stay with him no matter what. He didn't know what to say. So Scully said it for him. "Mulder, I know that things have happened to me, and you feel as though they're you fault. They weren't, so accept it. Secondly, you are not God, as much as you like to think you are. You are not omniscient. You can't see everything that's going to happen, so stop beating yourself up about it. Finally, when I joined the FBI I took an oath. I swore to do my job to the best of my abilities. I didn't say that if an assignment was too dangerous, I would go running back to my safe little lab room in Quantico. Besides, you're my partner now, and I have a responsibility to you. So, I'm not leaving. Okay?" Mulder thought about what she had said. "Okay," he said finally. "But you have to promise that nothing bad will ever happen to you again. Deal?" Scully nodded, and shook his hand. "Deal. Now give me that other cupcake." Mulder smiled. "Your wish is my command, m'lady." =========================================================================== From: risamy@epix.net (Amy Schatz) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: SPELLBOUND - part 8/11 Date: 8 Nov 1995 23:26:06 GMT Spellbound part 8/11 by Amy Schatz ___________________________ Eight The morning passed by slowly for the two agents. Scully fell back to sleep after finishing the cupcake, and her sleep seemed peaceful. Mulder lay on the other bed and tried to sleep, but after an hour, he gave up on that idea. He then moved to the bathroom, and took his usual cold shower. In the shower, he allowed himself a few moments of emotion, as he placed a hand on the wall, and silent tears of relief fell from his eyes. His breath came in huge gasps, and he had to stop himself from totally breaking down. Part of him still couldn't believe that Scully, that *Dana*, was alive and still with him. His center was still there. The focus that kept him from going completely insane from loneliness and anger was with him still. A small, uncharacteristic smile crept onto Mulder's face, then. And the water seemed to turn a bit warmer. Mulder grabbed the bottle of shampoo, doled some out, and began to work it through his hair. Soon, he rinsed his hair, and was about to turn the water even warmer still, when his well trained ears caught the smallest of sounds. Turning the water off, he slipped into his robe, and stood in the bathroom, listening. His muscles tensed as the noise floated to his ears again. Over the sound of the rain, he could hear it. It sounded like someone was mumbling. Mulder's eyes scanned the bathroom for- Damn! His gun was sitting on the nightstand! Slowly and quietly, he eased the bathroom door open, and slid out and along the wall. From this vantage point, he could see that there was no one in the room, but they could be on the beds or under them. On the beds! Scully. The noise came again, and Mulder chanced a look around the corner. When he did, he saw Scully asleep, but her head thrashed from side to side, and her face was wet with sweat. Mulder moved quickly to her side, and stood above her. He knew all too well about nightmares. Dana was dreaming... ...of a lake...misty and cool. ...of a woman standing on a dock that lay close to the bank. ...feeling close to this woman; loving her. Then the scenery changed. Dana's vision blurred, and she was lying on a table in a room void of everything and nothing. It was a room that held secrets. She dreamed... ...of wearing a long white dress. ...her eyes being closed, but her mind and soul open. ...of her father standing before her. ...looking like his soul had been torn from him ...of him telling her how he felt. ...of her spirit smiling. Suddenly the room melted away, and Dana was in complete darkness. And she was afraid. She was afraid for her life. Afraid she wouldn't live to see her family again. To see Mulder again. She dreamed still... ...of the light that pierced the darkness...sharp and painful. ...of her gaze falling upon his face...the face that struck horror into the very depths of her soul. ...of him pulling her out and into the wilderness. ...of being in the night...and the night seemed to have a color all its own...being carried to the top of a hill. ...of a new light...even more sharp and painful. ...of being taken...given over to them Suddenly she felt as though she were floating and then she was on a table again. She could feel them around her; watching her. Her dream continued... ...hearing a noise above her...getting louder. ...of opening her eyes...of something coming down on her...passing out. ...of such pain...both physical and emotional...pain that seared across her soul and threatened to tear her apart. ...of being so frightened and in such agony that she begged to die. ...remembering Mulder...and knowing that she couldn't die and leave him. Suddenly Louis was above her. His face was a mask. Her dream went on... ...of Louis touching her hair...feeling fear again. ...of yellow eyes...and a claw coming out of the dark. ...of pain...making her remember the last time she felt such pain...such terrible pain. ...of being forever lost...alone...with the pain forever...no one left to find her...Mulder would go on alone...He would forget her. ...of crying out helplessly to him, again and again. ...mulder...Mulder...MULDER! * * * Mulder stood very still as he witnessed Dana's nightmare becoming progressively worse. Her thrashing continued to elevate, and soon, he came down close to her, wrapping his arms around her to stop her from hurting herself. The psychologist in Mulder took over and he listened closely to her mumblings. He couldn't make anything out. Until... It started low and inaudible, but soon, it grew in intensity. Soon he could make it out quite clearly. She was calling out for him. The memories of that terrible message left on his answering machine ricocheted around in his mind. In his arms, Scully called out to him, her voice full of fear. "Mulder...Mulder...Mulder!" Mulder smoothed the hair away from her face, and whispered to her. "Shh, Dana, it's all right. I'm right here. You're all right." Then, Scully came awake so quickly that it even startled Mulder. Her eyes flicked open, and their intensity was almost unnerving. She looked about herself, and Mulder could tell that she was trying to remember where she was. And he could see the memories of the dream washing across her face. "It's okay, Dana. It's Fox. I'm right here. It's Mulder." That seemed to have some affect on her, as her body relaxed the smallest amount. "You were having a bad dream," he told her. he thought. At first, she didn't seem to be able to summon up her voice. Finally, she swallowed. "Mulder, I..." He nodded, and loosened his grasp on her, thinking that she didn't want to be coddled. But, to his amazement, his arms hadn't moved far, when she spoke out quickly. "No, don't let me go!" Her voice seemed small. Mulder resumed his original position. "Okay, Dana. I won't. Do you remember where you are?" he asked, as he looked about the half lit room. He felt rather than saw her nod. "Yes." Her voice seemed to be detached from her. It seemed to come from everywhere in the room. "I'm in the motel room, with you." "That's right. Would you like to tell me about your nightmare?" Dana thought about it. She was so scared at that moment, still not sure if she was dreaming or not. She had to talk to someone, and who better than the person she trusted with her life? "I don't really remember that much of it." "What *do* you remember?" Dana closed her eyes. She tried to conjure up the images from her dream, even though she didn't really want to relive them. "A lake...cool air...and a woman." "What else?" Dana's eyes remained closed. "I see my father. Oh, Mulder, he looks good, and happy." A single tear coursed a path down her cheek. Mulder moved quickly and deftly from behind her, to alongside her, being careful not to move her too much. He was still afraid that her wounds would reopen. He lay her head down on his shoulder, and then leaned against the headboard. To his utter astonishment, Scully refused none of this. Rather, he felt that she wanted it. Needed it. Needed him. When he was settled, Dana slipped her arms around his waist, and let out a long sigh. She was safe again. With him. Mulder decided to push her. She needed to talk about this. "Dana, do you remember anything else?" Scully's eyes opened, and they were a pale blue. "Yes. I remember a light, Mulder. It was so bright. And I see Duane Barry, and he's pulling me out of something, and we're going up a hill. And then..." Mulder held his breath. If she could remember something, anything. "And then...now I'm on a table, and I can feel somebody watching me. I open my eyes, and I see something coming at me...and then..." Scully began to tremble, then. It started small, and Mulder was so entranced by her words that he didn't notice it. After a few moments, though, it became so bad, that he felt it to the core of his being. But Scully pushed ahead. Tears formed in her eyes, and threatened to fall. "And then...then I feel pain...terrible, awful pain, that...that makes me want to die to escape it." By now Scully was crying. Suddenly, she felt as though she were back in the dream, and she wanted to die. Her tears turned into racking sobs, and she held onto Mulder as though he were her lifeline, which he was. "...I want to die...I want to die..." she said over and over. "Please, kill me...don't let this go on...let me die..." Mulder sat up quickly, pulling her with him, now suddenly unaware of her wounds. Nothing was as important as preserving her will to live. He took hold of her bare shoulders, for she still only wore her bra, and shook her hard. "Scully, come out of it! Stop it now, Scully! You're not with them anymore! You're here with me! You're safe, Scully! I won't let them hurt you anymore!" Scully's eyes opened suddenly, and for a few brief seconds blue met hazel as she looked at him. Then, her eyes rolled back and she fell limply against him. * * * Scully sagged against Mulder's body, and his only reflex was to catch her. His eyes wide with amazement and worry, he set her gently down onto the bed, and laid her head onto the pillow. He smoothed her sweat-drenched hair away from her forehead and eyes, and then lay the back of his hand on her brow. It was burning up! That was what had caused her to fall unconscious. He breathed a silent, quick prayer, but then rethought his diagnosis. It must have been a combination of the fever, and remembering. Mulder sat back and looked at her. She was so pale, and he thought that she must have lost a lot of weight during her kidnapping. Slipping off the bed, he pulled the sheet up and covered her. Then, he turned to the small table that sat before the windows, and began searching for his cell phone. By the sound of the rain outside, the storm was past them, and he might be able to get through. Upon finding the phone, he pulled up the antenna, dialed in Garrett's number, and pushed the SEND button. He waited breathlessly for the sound of ringing to fill his ears, and most miraculously, it did. "Chief Garrett," came the greeting. A large, warm smile spread across Mulder's face at the sound of that voice. "Chief, this is Agent Mulder." Mulder heard Garrett sigh in what he could only term relief. "Mulder, where are you? I've been trying to call you for hours." "I'm at the Tularosa motel. I didn't have my phone on because I didn't want to waste the power. You wouldn't have been able to get through anyway, because of the rain. Besides, the power went off here around twelve last night, and it still hasn't come back on." "Are you okay, Agent Mulder?" Garrett's voice was soft and consoling. "I know how worried you must be about Agent Scully. I'm also sorry to report that we don't have any other leads." Mulder's smile widened. "Chief, I have some good news." "You found a clue at Louis Mallory's house?" "Better than that. I found Agent Scully." "She was at his house?" "No, when I returned from there, I found her collapsed in front of our motel room. Chief, she is badly wounded. Is there any way that you could get to us? I've already called the ambulance, and they can't get through because of a washed out road." "First of all, let me say how happy I am that you found your partner, Agent Mulder. Secondly, yes, I can get to you two, but it may take a while. How badly is she injured?" "She has some deep cuts on her side." "Is she conscious?" Mulder's gaze returned to Scully. She was as still as death. "No. She's got a pretty high fever, though. So that could be the cause." "Okay, Mulder. I'll call ahead to Las Cruces Medical Center and inform them of her condition. I'll leave right now, and get there as quickly as the weather permits." Mulder said goodbye and ended the call. Putting the phone down, he sat down next to Scully. He took her hand in his, and touched her cheek gently. "Wake up, Scully," he said softly. "Don't leave me now. Come back to me." There was no response. Only the sound and movement of her breathing proved that she was alive. Mulder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to stay in control. he said to himself, He looked down at her, his hand still on her cheek, and this time he spoke aloud. "I'm not going to lose you again, Scully. You're too important to me." As he spoke Scully's face contorted and he could see a thousand emotions flicker across it. She began to mumble, and toss and turn in the bed. Mulder knew that she must be having another nightmare, but he didn't know what to do. Should he wake her, and risk her passing out again from the memories? Or should he let her ride the dream out, and just be there to comfort her? He didn't know. Suddenly, Scully's mutterings became clearer and he could understand what she was saying. Beneath her fevered brow, her eyebrows distorted from their usually impeccably groomed form, and her eyes opened the smallest amount. Mulder was then able to see pale blue eyes that looked glazed and frightened. "Louis...Louis..." she mumbled. "...Let me go...I'm...bleeding...going to die..." Mulder's face took on that puppy-dog look that he often let loose on Scully when he wanted his own way. Now he turned it on her because his heart was breaking for her and the pain she had endured. "Shh, Scul...Dana. Everything's going to be all right. Chief Garrett is coming for us. Just hang on." Scully behaved as though she hadn't heard him at all, and in truth, she hadn't. She was really still unconscious, even though, her eyes were open. "...Louis...Mulder...find me...won't let...me go....Louis...I'm going...to...die...going...to...die...." Mulder was becoming concerned. If Scully believed that she was still back with Louis and still thought that she was dying, her health could worsen. Mulder took Scully's hand again, and leaned down very close to her. "Scully, wake up now. You've got to wake up. You're not with Louis, Scully. You're with me. You're safe." There was no response from her. Her rantings continued. "Scully!" he shouted. Her eyes opened slowly, and to his delight, she attempted to give him "The Look"; the way she always looked at him when he voiced one of his unreal theories. "...Mulder, why are you yelling at me?" she asked, in a voice that was edged with weakness and fatigue. Mulder smiled. "That's the Scully I know. How do you feel?" "Like I walked...two miles in the desert...in the rain, with a bleeding wound," she said with a deadpan expression. She sighed then, and the memories of the dream, and the pain she felt when she remembered it drifted through her mind. Suddenly, the memories assaulted her again, and she had to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She saw a bright light that scared her as nothing ever had. She saw Donny Pfaster coming at her. She saw them falling down the stairs, fighting for the gun. She remembered physical pain that was as none she had ever experienced. She saw Louis and his anger coming for her. She saw Pfaster and Louis coming at her; working in concert. She saw her own blood pooling on the cement floor beside her. She saw the face of Duane Barry and felt his insanity. Tears fell from Scully's eyes, and slid down her cheeks. Mulder reacted quickly when he realized that she was experiencing flashbacks. He leaned down and took her in his arms, murmuring calming and soothing things to her. She did not resist. Scully realized that, once again, she was crying in Fox Mulder's arms. He must think her the weakest person he had ever met. But then she decided that she didn't care. It felt good to be held by him. She felt safe with him. She felt loved by him. Somehow, when he was with her, all her fear melted away. Scully's arms moved upwards from her side. One arm curled around his neck, and the other snaked up and under his arm to rest on his back. Then, she did something she never would have done before she met this man. She accepted help and comfort. She pulled him close to her in an embrace that seemed to last forever. Then, she pulled him down next to her, so that he, too, was lying on the bed. Mulder pulled the sheet over the both of them, and he heard Scully sigh in solace. She rested her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. Once again she felt that shroud of safety descend upon her, as it always did whenever Mulder was with her. It was the shroud of trust. She trusted this man with her life, and her emotions. She knew he would always be there to protect her, even if she didn't need it. She also knew that no matter how many times she was reduced to tears, he would always think her the most courageous and strong person he had ever met. He would always be the light in her darkly cynical and serious world; her true best friend; and the only person she would risk everything for. She also knew that he trusted her as he did no one else, and he would gladly die to protect her. And he knew that she was the only person who accepted him as he was, and respected him. He trusted her with his life and his secrets. And he knew that she would give her life for his in a second. He knew that she would always be his only anchor to reality; his only friend; and the only thing in his life that was as important as the search for his sister. They fell asleep in each other's arms; secure in the knowledge that nowhere else could they be as safe, as accepted or as loved. She was his world. And he was hers. =========================================================================== From: risamy@epix.net (Amy Schatz) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: SPELLBOUND - part 9/11 Date: 8 Nov 1995 23:44:43 GMT Spellbound part 9/11 by Amy Schatz **Credit - There is one line in here from a Sarah McLachlan song called "Into the Fire." __________________________ Nine He had waited long enough. he thought to himself, He had to go back and see if she was still alive. He hoped that she was. Despite all his anger, and all he had done to her, Louis really did love her. At least, in his mind he did. He still intended to marry her and take her away. After all, Gabrielle had given her consent. He had seen the lightening last night; had heard the thunder. And Louis had felt her presence. His new capabilities made him more sensitive and aware. He knew she had been with him. And she had agreed that the woman was good for him. He would take his new *Gabrielle* away. He would love her as he had loved his other. Louis still had the car he had stolen, so he arrived at his house in Three Rivers fairly quickly. He had been in another town, just sitting in a diner, thinking. He had also been trying desperately to control his mind. Everyone else seemed so weak to him. If he let his guard down for one moment, someone could end up dead. As he got out of the car, something felt wrong to him. With his heightened sense, Louis had come to be able to sense when Scully was near. He did not feel her near now. Pushing through the front door, he headed directly for the basement. He had only been gone for a day, maybe a bit more. He had a strange feeling; something was tugging at his mind. What was it? He found out when he opened the basement door, and his anger flared white hot before his eyes. She was gone! Oh, he could tell that she had been there. He knew she had been. He had left her there. Louis' eyes flicked to the blood on the walls, floor, and blankets. Judging by all this blood, he guessed that she was probably dead. Now Louis was really angry. Whomever had let his *Gabrielle* go, would have to pay. His angry gaze swept the room looking for clues, but he found none. he thought. Louis almost believed that, but pushed it aside. Mulder didn't even know who he was. No, it had to be someone else. And then the answer came. he thought. Louis quickly left the house, not bothering to lock any doors. It didn't matter now. What he treasured most was gone. He slipped into the stolen car and sped away from the house, never intending to return. As he drove, one thought resounded in his mind. * * * A loud knock on the door forced Mulder to open his eyes. Diffused light filtered through the crack in the blinds, but it was so soft, it didn't even bother him. He instinctually pulled Scully closer to him and was about to drift off again when he heard the knock a second time. And this time it was louder. And then a voice: "Mulder! Agent Mulder, are you in there?" Smiling at the sound of Garrett's voice, Mulder forced himself to get up. He crossed to the door and opened it. Quite a scene was revealed to him. There was an ambulance off to the right, Garrett's squad car, a small cluster of on-lookers, EMT's, and the manager. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. Mulder smiled again and extended his hand. "Chief Garrett, you don't know how good it is to see you," he said sleepily. Garrett shook Mulder's hand warmly, while trying to take a look inside. "Is she in there?" he asked quietly, almost solemnly. Mulder fondly looked over his shoulder at Scully. "Yeah, she's still sleeping." Garrett nodded. "Should I have the EMT's come in, or do you want to bring her out yourself?" Mulder bit down the urge to over-protect her and forced himself to trust, at least for a little while. He shook his head. "No, you better call the EMT's. She has some bad cuts and I just got them to stop bleeding." Garrett nodded and looked to a man and a woman who were standing nearby. They wore blue work shirts, black pants, and some patches were sewn onto the shoulders of their shirts. "You can come in, guys!" he called out. The two nodded and pushed past Mulder to get into the room. Mulder allowed them entry and watched them closely. Scully was still asleep, but when the two people began examining her, her eyes snapped open. She stared wildly about herself, wondering where she was. Mulder saw her confusion and fear and moved forward to stand at the foot of the bed. "Scully, it's okay. The ambulance is here, now, and we're going to the hospital. Just take it easy." The moment she heard his voice, her breathing deepened and she relaxed. She nodded and closed her eyes, feeling completely safe as long as Mulder was there. The EMT's lifted her onto a gurney and began to wheel her out of the room. As they passed Mulder, Scully reached out and took his hand, holding it tightly. On the ride to the hospital, Mulder sat right beside her, still holding her hand. * * * The building stood tall and impassive before him, like a silent sentry daring him to enter. It was still morning, just after nine, and so the sky was still pale and waking. The air was cool, but the usually sweet smell of flowers was absent. Instead, a bitter, palpable, oppressive odor hung in the air. Louis fancied it to be the smell of revenge. He stepped forward, opened the door, and disappeared inside. * * * Megan sat at her computer, feverishly typing. Suddenly, and with determination, she pushed a disk into the computer, hit a few more keys, and then got up. As her files were copied over to disk, she threw reports, files, printouts, and other things into boxes. As she worked, she hoped that Elliot was almost through collecting the video tapes, and clearing the lab room. She knew that they had to leave quickly or risk the wrath of Louis. Her heart was pounding with millions of years of instinct behind it. She felt hunted. She could feel his eyes on her. She could almost imagine his breath on her cheek. Taking a deep breath, she tried to shrug it off; to pass it off as nerves. But, in the back of her mind she *knew* the truth. She knew *what* the truth was. And the truth was out there. The *truth* was Louis. She could hear the wind outside and she could hear her own heart beating. As she resumed her hurried packing she almost felt calm. What she would later know as the calm before the storm. Then the lights went out. * * * Her pain was gone. It was gone and replaced with a sweet, pleasant numbness that flowed through her whole body. She felt at peace for the first time in a long while. She had almost dozed off when she heard footsteps coming towards her. Momentarily, fear rose up in her and it ruled her so, that she couldn't open her eyes. Her heart pounding, she attempted to sit up so she would be ready to flee. And then she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She was about to scream when she heard the softest voice in the world. "It's okay, Scully." Scully's heart left her throat and she exhaled. "Oh, Mulder, it's you." She finally opened her eyes. She thought that he was the most beautiful thing to see. "I didn't mean to scare you." She smiled faintly and relaxed. "That's okay. I guess it's going to happen for a while." Mulder nodded and took a seat beside the bed. He looked over at her, lying there, trying valiantly to act like every little sound didn't scare her to death. He admired her for being strong. However, physically, he knew she was very exhausted. She looked pale and quite thin. Even her eyes looked very light and her eyelids hung low and heavy. He reached out tentatively and covered her hand with his. When he spoke, his voice was soft, kind, and affectionate. "How are you feeling, Scully?" "Good, now that my new best friend is morphine." Mulder's lips curved into a lopsided smile. "Hey, I thought that I was your best friend." He squeezed her hand and his gaze drifted to the window. It was still overcast and drizzling. "You should get some sleep," he said finally. Scully studied him intently. Finally, she asked, "Where are you going?" Mulder visibly winced. he thought wryly. "To check out some leads." "Mulder, I don't think-" He held up a hand. "Don't think, Scully. I've got to find him. He can't get away with what he did to you. I let him go once because you asked me to." He looked at her intensely, his hazel eyes flickering with anger. "Don't ask me to do that again. I want to do this for you." Scully was silent for long moments as she searched his eyes and her feelings. In the end, she only said two words, but they said everything that she couldn't. "Thank you." Mulder could only smile. * * * Megan was frantic. She had long ago surpassed surprise, fear, and even panic. She was running on instinct and it told her to hide. The office was dark and very quiet. It was so quiet that Megan could hear her own breathing. She wondered where Elliot was and if he were all right. She kept trying to tell herself that it was just another power outage. After all, the power had been off for most of the night, and had just recently come back on. But in her heart, Megan knew that it was Louis. And she knew that he was here for her. Megan wanted to get up and try to get away, but her fear kept her hidden in the corner. Her knees were drawn up and her arms were wrapped around them. Her eyes were wide and filled with the knowledge that she was being hunted. She was the prey. The wind picked up speed and it howled around the building. Megan closed her eyes and desperately tried to calm herself. She knew that if she was to get out of this alive, she would need to keep a cool head. Just then her computer beeped, telling her that her files had been copied. Without thinking she reached up to take the disk and keep it safe. It held all of their research and data. She snatched the disk out of the drive and was about to pull her hand back when something akin to a vise took hold of her wrist. Then she felt the hot breath on her cheek. "You betrayed me..." The voice was raspy and low. It was the voice of her nightmares. It struck fear into Megan's heart and her mind began to conjure up images of what could have a hold of her. Her mind seemed to be working without her consent. As if someone else was doing it. Megan swallowed dryly and tried to summon up enough courage to speak. "I did no such thing." The vise tightened around her wrist and she gasped in pain. Her imagination seemed to be working overtime. Even though logic told her that it must be Louis who had her, primitive fear told her that it was a terrible creature. She was sure she could see claws and fangs, and maybe yellow eyes.... "Do not lie to me. I know what you did. You let my *Gabrielle* go free." Megan sighed sadly. "She was sick. She was going to die. I couldn't let that happen." Megan waited a few seconds before pressing onwards. "Where have you been? What have you been doing besides hurting an innocent woman?" Louis chuckled wickedly and it was an awful sound. "I've been thinking of ways to kill you." He laughed and Megan screamed as she saw claws rip into the flesh of her wrist. Then she heard the sickening sound of bone breaking as the world faded to black. * * * Mulder pulled up in front of a large building. It was constructed mostly of glass and seemed to stretch up to the sky at odd angles. The sky was still slightly grey from the passing storm, but it was nearly eleven o'clock now, and the temperature was rising. A white sign with blue and green letters stood before a long walkway that led to the main entrance. The sign read: Gateway Research: the road to the future will be bright. "Yeah, right," Mulder mumbled as he passed the sign and walked up to the doors. They swung open easily and he proceeded on to the receptionist's desk. But there was no one there. He found this slightly strange, and headed to the elevators. On a board beside the elevator he found a listing of all the labs and scientists in the building. He ran his finger down the list until he found two names. Feller, Elliot, PhD Hutchinson, Megan, PhD. --room 524 He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for floor number five. The elevator hummed along quietly and soon a ding resounded through the air indicating that the ride was over. The doors swished open and Mulder stepped out. "The wonders of modern technology..." he mumbled. He breezed down the hall silently, his eyes looking in every direction. At the end of the hall, there was one last door, and it was slightly ajar. He immediately drew his weapon and gently pushed the door open further. He was confronted with a dark room in disarray. Papers, files, and folders were strewn all about the floor, the computer screen was cracked, and a lamp lay broken on the floor. Mulder entered the room slowly, cautiously. he thought. He did not call out or even whisper because he knew that it was all too possible for someone to be hiding in this room. Also, with the lights out he was at a bit of a disadvantage. He stepped forward and made a quick surveillance of the room. He checked in the closet and out in the hall again. Then he made his way to the computer desk. What he found there made him sick. He felt the bile rising in his throat, but swallowed it down. He looked at the body on the floor before him. Kneeling down, he attempted to take her pulse, but the body was so cold, he knew she was dead. Besides, no one could survive the wounds she had received. One person had already died from them. He looked at what was left of Megan Hutchinson, PhD. Her whole body had been torn to shreds and she was soaked in her own blood. Her neck had been ripped out, as if by a wolf or tiger, and in some places, the cuts were so deep that her bones were exposed. <...Into the fire...I'm reunited...> Mulder shook the darkness away from his mind and stood up slowly. He scanned the rest of the room quickly. Mulder began to make his way out of the room again when he heard frantic footsteps coming down the hall. Mulder stood straight and aimed his gun at the door, his breath coming short. He waited. Seconds later, Elliot Feller skidded through the doorway. "STOP! Federal Agent! Hands in the air!" Elliot slid to a halt and shoved his hands up into the air. In them he held three videocassettes. "Okay, okay, just don't shoot me," Elliot whimpered. Mulder advanced to him, and took the cassettes from him. "Are you Dr. Elliot Feller?" Elliot nodded. "Yes. Who are you?" Mulder didn't put his gun away but he did lower it considerably. "I am Special Agent Fox Mulder of the FBI." Elliot nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to find us." Mulder nodded and gestured to Megan's body, which was hidden from Elliot's view by the desk. "Do you know what happened to this woman?" Elliot's brow knitted in confusion. "What woman?" Suddenly, the answer dawned on him. "Not Megan!" He ran to the desk, unaware of Mulder's gun. He fell to his knees beside Megan's broken tattered body and touched her hair. "No, no...not you, Megan! I should have been here...to help you." Mulder let Elliot have a few moments before he spoke up. "Dr. Feller, did Louis kill this woman?" Elliot looked up at Mulder and wiped a few stray tears away. "Yes, he must have. Louis has lost all control of his abilities." Mulder holstered his gun. He was sure that Elliot was no threat. "You mean his powers; his mind control powers." Elliot thought about lying, but decided against it. This man seemed to believe that Louis had done this awful thing, and perhaps he could help. "Yes. He can now use 30 40% of his brain power. He has almost unlimited capabilities, some of which are good, and some of which are not. The tragedy of it all is that he can't control his powers. He can't control his killing." Mulder nodded. "I think that perhaps he did control it this time, Dr. Feller. I think that he wanted to kill Dr. Hutchinson. She must have betrayed him in some way. Do you have any ideas?" Elliot looked back at Megan and then stood up, unable to take the sight any longer. Megan had been so innocent and open-minded. She had been so optimistic about their project and Louis had repaid her by killing her. Louis had to be punished for that. Megan deserved that much. "I told Megan to go and find the FBI agent that Louis had taken. I told her to let her go so Louis wouldn't hurt her." Elliot sighed as he surveyed the office. "Apparently, Louis found out what Megan did." Mulder nodded. "And apparently he wasn't very happy." Elliot nodded. "Yes, but why didn't he come after me? Why did he only kill...Megan?" Suddenly Mulder realized where Louis would most likely be headed. There was one thing that he loved above all else and that was Gabrielle. He would want her back. Mulder gestured for Elliot to follow him out of the room. As they walked down the hall to the elevator, Mulder voiced his theory. "I think that Louis had other things on his mind. Things like getting *Gabrielle* back." Elliot looked at Mulder, confused. "But Gabrielle is dead, Agent Mulder." Mulder shook his head as they stepped into the elevator. "Not to Louis, she isn't. To Louis she is alive and well and just happens to look like my partner. He'll try to get her back. We have to stop him." Elliot's eyes widened. "We?" Mulder nodded and pressed the button for the lobby. "Yes, we." * * * Louis parked his stolen car and slipped out and into the night. He headed for the main entrance to the Las Cruces Medical Center and walked in quickly. After asking directions, he headed up to the right floor. As he stepped out from the elevator, Scully, who was still in her room, was just falling asleep. =========================================================================== From: risamy@epix.net (Amy Schatz) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: SPELLBOUND - part 10/11 Date: 8 Nov 1995 23:49:59 GMT Hang on. We're almost done! :) Spellbound part 10/11 by Amy Schatz ________________________________ Ten Scully turned over onto her right side and sighed deeply. She wasn't really awake, but her body knew enough to not turn over onto her injured side. Her room was dark; the nurses had pulled all the shades, and it almost felt like night. The placid and even beeps of the EKG monitor lulled her into sleep and for once, a rather sweet dream. In it she and Mulder were sitting on their bench alongside the Potomac and it was night. But they weren't talking. They were quiet as they listened to the wind, the water lapping and each other's even breathing. They didn't have to talk. They were happy just being together. Scully smiled in her sleep and pulled her pillow closer. She was turned away from the door so she never saw or heard it open nor did she see the light that fell across her prone form. Louis stepped into Scully's room and his fevered gaze fell upon her and he smiled. There she was, his Gabrielle. All he had to do was walk over there, pick her up and take her with him. It was almost too easy. And that made him think it might be a trap. So, he advanced slowly, almost expecting Mulder to leap out at him at any moment. Soon he was standing beside her bed, deciding how he should wake her. He smiled again and gently touched her shoulder. She stirred and mumbled, "...M-Mulder, is that you...?" Louis' dark brown eyes turned even darker as he heard her say the most hated of names. "Hello, Gabrielle." Scully was still ruled by sleep and she didn't recognize the voice. She still thought it was Mulder. "...Don't tease me like...that, Mulder." Louis was trying valiantly to control his anger and his rage but he felt like she was betraying him. How dare she compare him to that tall lanky idiot? There *was* no comparison. He would have to make her see that. "No, Gabrielle, it's Louis. Your Louis." This time the voice and words found Scully and her eyes snapped open in fear but she didn't move. She forced herself to breathe deeply and think clearly. "Louis, what are you doing here?" she asked shakily. Louis smiled and started to pull the covers off of her. "I came for you. I came back for you." Scully felt as though her heart had stopped and her breath wouldn't come. "...I'm not coming with you, Louis..." she managed to mumble. Louis' anger flared again but he was still able to keep it in check. "Yes, you are, Gabrielle. You don't have a choice." Scully still hadn't turned over to face him. She couldn't look at him, she knew. If she did it would all be over. She would be under his control. Even now she felt the presence of his mind in hers and she was fighting it with every bit of her strength. "...Yes I do have a choice. I can't walk very well, Louis...." "Look at me, Gabrielle!" Louis hissed angrily. Scully stood her ground. She had to fight him even if it meant her death. If she acquiesced now, there would be no going back and she would be lost forever. her soul cried out. But, he wasn't there and she had to accept that and try to make Louis understand. "I don't want to look at you, Louis. You hurt me." Louis ripped the covers off the bed violently but Scully didn't even flinch. "You love me!" he said rather loudly. Scully kept her back to him and didn't move. "No I don't, Louis. I never did. I'm not *your* Gabrielle." This was too much for Louis. "You love *him*, don't you?" he seethed. "Get out, Louis," she said quietly. "It's Mulder, isn't it? You love him!" "Louis..." The tone in her voice was as good as an answer for Louis and he lost all sense of control. His eyes burned darkly with fury and he advanced towards Scully. Since she had her back to him, she never saw him coming, so when he grabbed her around the neck in a headlock she was completely surprised. "Louis!" she managed to shout in a muffled tone. "Everyone has betrayed me," he fumed. Louis began to pull Scully off the bed. She tried to fight him but she couldn't get any leverage. There was nothing for her hands to grab onto and her legs were just as useless. Plus this exertion was bringing her pain back even through the drugs and the last thing she needed was for her wound to reopen. "Louis...stop..." she mumbled. But Louis couldn't stop. He was so angry that all he could see was his Gabrielle and that she had betrayed him. His Gabrielle loved another man and the pain of that realization stabbed him like a dagger. He dragged Scully off the bed and she crashed to the linoleum floor with a painful grunt. But Louis didn't stop there. He straightened up and pulled her across the floor, still in a headlock, and to the door. "I never thought that you would betray me, Gabrielle. I thought that you loved me. You once did." Scully was having serious trouble breathing and the pain from her wound was increasing to an almost unbearable level. <...Mulder...Mulder...> her mind chanted. Louis looked down the hall one way, then the other and then he looked down to Scully. His grip on her was rough but he didn't intend for her to escape him again. His dark eyes burned brightly with purpose. His gaze was frightening and Scully could feel her mind slipping away. "You will have to pay for what you did, Gabrielle. * * * Dr. Elliot Feller was very scared. He had never been in a car that traveled across the ground as fast as this car was going. His closed his eyes and prayed to God that Mulder was some sort of ex-stunt driver, because only such a person could handle a car at those speeds. Mulder said nothing because his mind was racing faster than the car. All he could see was Scully laying on the floor, her body torn to pieces as Megan's had been. He tried to keep calm and keep his fears at bay, but it was hard to do. This was Scully, after all; his best friend, his partner. She was the most important person in his life. And he couldn't lose her twice in two days. Hell, he couldn't lose her at all. It would destroy him. It was early afternoon now but the sky was still grey. Mulder managed to regulate his breathing and he stole a glance at Elliot. He saw the man cowering in the passenger's seat, his eyes closed tightly. "Are you feeling all right, Dr. Feller?" "Could we slow down just a bit, Agent Mulder? I'm afraid that my stomach can't handle such high speeds." Mulder grinned faintly. "Sorry, Dr. Feller, but I can't do that. Louis is probably heading for the hospital. He might even be there by now. My partner was seriously injured by Louis and she is in no condition to fight him off. I have to get there quickly. I have to make sure she's all right." Elliot kept his eyes closed. * * * Louis pulled Scully up to her full height and put his arm across her stomach roughly; right across her injuries. "Louis!" she whispered hoarsely. "You're hurting me!" Louis' face portrayed no emotion. He no longer cared if Scully felt any pain. His pain was all encompassing and he wanted her to feel the same pain as he did. He knew what he had to do. She had to pay for her treachery and he already knew the how he would do it. "I don't care, Gabrielle. You have to pay for what you did and you're going to pay tonight." That said, he took another glance down the hallway and then pulled her out of the room, her feet sliding across the floor. He only took a few steps down the hall when he came to a stairwell. Opening the door, he hauled her inside and began to descend the steps. He had to get her off of that floor because that would be where Mulder would look first. Louis and Scully had only gotten three steps when Scully decided to make her move and she jabbed Louis in the ribs. He gasped and his grip on her loosened. Adrenaline had temporarily made her pain abate so she was able to pull free from him and head down the stairs. She had to get away from him before his mind took total control. Almost losing her footing, she got to the landing and then headed towards the door. All she had to do was find a nurse or an orderly. Anybody. But she knew that just anybody would not do. She needed Mulder. Bursting through the door she found herself on quite a deserted floor. It appeared that it was being renovated because cans and drop clothes lay all about. She took a deep breath and stumbled down the hallway looking for a place to hide. * * * Mulder ran into the lobby of the hotel and skidded to a halt in front of the reception desk. His eyes were wild and his hair stuck out oddly, seeming to defy gravity. "Excuse me, nurse?" The woman looked up from her paperwork. "Yes, sir?" Mulder dug into his coat pocket and pulled out his ID. He held it before her face. "I am Special Agent Fox Mulder and I need you to send security up to Agent Dana Scully's room immediately." The woman's eyes were wide as she nodded her head. "Okay, I'll do it right away." As Mulder turned away he saw her picking up a phone and he heard her speaking hastily. He headed straight for the elevators, Elliot trailing along. As they stepped inside, Elliot swallowed hard and looked at Mulder. "Agent Mulder, what are you going to do? How do you expect to subdue Louis." "By shooting him." Elliot's jaw dropped. Mulder didn't notice. His gaze was locked on the LED display as the floors ticked by. Scully was on the sixth floor in a private room. At least, he hoped it was still private. "But Louis is valuable. You just can't kill him." Mulder finally turned his head to look at Elliot and when he did, it was with cold eyes. "Louis is dangerous, Dr. Feller. He almost killed my partner. She would have died if your friend hadn't saved her and I thank you for that. But, I just can't let him go." Elliot realized that the conversation was over. He could tell by Mulder's tone. He hoped that Louis would be reasonable and wouldn't put up a fight. * * * Scully slipped inside an empty room and tried to see what was before her. The room wasn't pitch black, but it was dark enough that she could only see outlines of things. Soon, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she saw that she was in a normal hospital room. It was just like hers, except there was no bed. It appeared that someone had been doing some repainting. Scully stepped forward, hoping desperately that she could find some place to hide. And maybe something she could use as a weapon. She soon found that there was nothing in the room that she could use to defend herself. Walking slowly, with her hands running up and down the wall, she made her way around the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest and it was making her head hurt. And she knew that Louis was looking for her. She could feel the power of his mind. It was a presence and it was crowding in on her on all sides. It was suffocating her. She knew that all this walking had to be aggravating her wounds and the stitches. She just hoped that her cuts wouldn't start bleeding again. However, she was in such a state of shock and primal instinct, that she didn't feel the blood that was seeping from her cuts. She took a deep breath and forced herself to keep some sense of calm. Since there was nothing that she could use as a weapon, she had to find somewhere to hide and wait for Mulder to come. Taking another step forward, her eyes focused on a door; a door to a bathroom. Sighing in a small measure of relief, she walked inside and found a tub, sink, and toilet. She immediately turned to the tub and the idea that she could hide in it and pull the shower curtain around, occurred to her. In the semi-darkness, she knelt down before the tub and reached her hand inside. She felt water. She was about to reach down into the water to grab the plug when she stopped, fear clouding her eyes. She felt his eyes on her. "Did you think you would escape me, Gabrielle?" His voice was low and raspy and in her mind she saw her own body lying torn and bloody on the floor. * * * Mulder flung the door to Scully's room open and was greeted with the sight of an empty bed. The sheets were tangled and pulled away. A security guard flicked the lights on as Mulder advanced to the bed. He looked it over quickly and then turned back to Elliot and the guards. "He's got her." Elliot gulped. "We don't know that, Agent Mulder. Maybe she was taken for x-rays. Maybe..." Elliot trailed off as his gaze followed Mulder's and he looked to the floor below him. He was standing on top of a red stain. A fresh red stain. Mulder walked forward and knelt next to Elliot. He touched the stain and his fingers came up wet and dark red. His heart lurched in his chest as he said, "This is her blood." Elliot shook his head. "How do you know? It could be anything. It could-" He was cut short when Mulder stood up, towering above him. His eyes were very dark and Elliot could feel his rage. "He has her and we have to find them. They're probably still in the building. Now, are you going to help me, or can you live with the death of a woman on your conscience?" Elliot closed his eyes. "I'll help you. I'll help you." Mulder looked at him a while longer and then turned away. He turned to the guards. "Stay here in case either of them return." The guards nodded and watched as Mulder exited the room. He stood in the middle of the hallway for a while, trying to collect his thoughts. His looked down the hallway both ways and was about to go down to the nurse's station to question them, when his gaze stopped on a patch of red on the floor before a door. He pulled out his gun and walked towards it, Elliot following. * * * Before Scully could move or answer Louis, he charged her and closed his hand around her neck, while the other took hold of her left arm. "Louis!" she cried out. Louis smiled wickedly and began to push her downwards to the water. "You have to pay." Scully swore that she could feel claws cutting into the flesh of her upper arm and around her throat. But her train of thought was halted when her head was forced under water. Suddenly, water was everywhere and she couldn't breathe. She tried to push herself up, but she didn't have enough strength with Louis on top of her. After some seconds had passed, Louis pulled her up and out of the water. Her head hung low as she gasped for breath. But Louis only let her breathe for a few seconds before he pushed her down again. "Stop!" she managed to scream before the water was all around her again. As he held her under, his eyes gleamed with anger. "If your love for me has ended, so must your life." * * * Mulder followed the trail of blood drops down the stairs, listening intently. A moment before he thought he had heard something: a voice, but he wasn't sure. He glanced back at Elliot. "Get ready, Dr. Feller, I think we're close." * * * Scully almost blacked-out as Louis pulled her head out of the water again. He had kept her under for much longer that time. If he put her under again, she doubted she would come back up still breathing. "...Lou...Louis...why...you...doing this?" she managed to sputter as he held her head against his chest. "I told you, Gabrielle. You betrayed me and you wanted to leave me. You must be punished." His grip tightened and the claws bit down into her flesh cruelly. "Louis!" she screamed as the pain bore down on her. And then, something very primal in Scully took over and she screamed out the only name that meant safety to her. The name that she called out during her nightmares. The name that was her whole world. "Mulder! I need your help! MULDER!!" * * * Mulder's breath caught as he heard that all-too- familiar cry for help. He broke into a run and headed down the hall. * * * Louis grinned evilly. "He can't help you now, Gabrielle. Goodbye." And then he pushed her head into the water again, never intending her to live through it. Scully fought with every ounce of strength she had left, because she knew that this was her last chance. If something didn't happen now, she would die. Louis' grin spread into a satisfied smile as he watched Scully's writhings growing weaker and finally stop. And then a shot rang out through the air. The bullet pierced Louis' back and tore through his heart. His eyes rolled back and he fell backwards and away from Scully. And his last thoughts were of holding Gabrielle. Mulder rushed forward, stepped over Louis' body, and gathered Scully up into his arms. She wasn't breathing. * * * Mulder pulled Scully's limp body away from the tub and gently set her head down onto the floor. She still wasn't breathing. His eyes were frantic as he looked up at Elliot. "I need some paramedics! NOW!" Elliot scurried from the room and Mulder turned back to Scully. Her hair was completely soaked as was most of her hospital gown. Mulder's gaze drifted down to a red blotch that was spreading out from a darker area on her midsection. He took a deep breath and knelt down close to her. Her lips were a deathly blue and he had to blink back tears as he looked at her. Then he gently pinched her nose shut, tilted her head back and lowered his mouth onto hers. He breathed into her twice and then crossed his hands and placed them on her chest. Pushing down gently but firmly, he counted off. "One, two, three, four, five." He waited two heartbeats to see if there would be a reaction. When there wasn't, he again brought his mouth to hers and exhaled two times. He pulled his mouth away again and began to push down on her chest. "Come on, Scully! Come on!" he shouted as he tried to make her heart beat; make her lungs breathe. Dropping his mouth to cover hers for a third time, he pushed two great breaths of air into her lungs. He knew she had to come back soon or it would be all over. She had to come back. "Don't you leave me!" he shouted in a panicked voice. "Don't give up, Dana! Don't leave me!" He pushed down onto her chest again, harder than the last times, and was about to close his mouth over hers for a fourth time, when he saw her eyelids move. And then her head moved slightly as water gurgled in the back of her throat. And then she was coughing, as she tried to get the water out of her mouth and throat. Mulder sighed in relief and smiled widely. Quickly, he turned her onto her side so that the water wouldn't choke her, and rubbed her back. As she spit the water from her mouth, she began to moan and mumble. "...Get...away..." "It's okay, Dana. It's me. It's Mulder." Scully's head felt like it was going to explode and she felt like her lungs were half-filled with water. Her mind was still clouded and all she knew was that someone was above her and that that someone wanted her dead. She weakly pushed away an arm that tried to touch her. "...Stay...away...from me..." Mulder's eyes widened. "Scully, it's *me*. It's Mulder. *Mulder*." His voice was soft and gentle and it finally reached Scully. She slowly turned her head and hoped that the face she saw would be Mulder's. Her pale blue eyes softened as she saw that it was Mulder. And then they filled with tears as she realized that she was safe. Mulder reached out, pulled her close and felt her sag against him. Then he heard her crying softly as she reached out with her left arm and encircled his waist. The other reached up to his coat sleeve and held onto it tightly. As she lay there in Mulder's lap, he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Everything's okay now, Scully. I'm here. You're safe." She nodded and then looked up into his deep hazel eyes and saw the affection in them. "Th-Thank you...Mulder." He smiled, his lips curling sardonically. "For what?" "...For saving my...life..." she murmured. Mulder was floored. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. It made his heart swell with devotion and tenderness for the woman he held in his arms. She was so special and important to him. She was his everything. But it also made him feel guilty. If only he had gotten there sooner or had just stayed with her, nothing like this would have happened to her. He had already lost her once because he hadn't been where he should have been. And tonight he had almost lost her again. That thought scared Mulder horribly and he pulled Scully even closer. "You're welcome, Scully." She smiled softly and reached up to touch his cheek in such a way as Mulder had never felt. "I love you, Mulder. You're my best friend." Mulder smiled and touched her cheek as well. Then he pulled her into an embrace that seemed to last forever. And he felt like he was holding the whole world in his arms. =========================================================================== From: risamy@epix.net (Amy Schatz) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: SPELLBOUND - part 11/11 Date: 9 Nov 1995 01:02:37 GMT Well, here's the end! I hope that all of you like it! Please write to me and tell me what you think! I love mail! Send it to: risamy@epix.net Spellbound part 11/11 by Amy Schatz ______________________________________ Eleven Mulder heard the sound of footsteps pounding down the hallway and he turned his head in their direction. Soon, two nurses and a doctor came running into the room, breathless, wielding flashlights. They saw nothing at first, until Mulder called out to them. "Over here!" The doctor turned her head and flashlight in the direction of the bathroom. Her eyes widened as the grisly scene was revealed to her. "Agent Mulder, is that you?" she called out, advancing slowly. "Yes! Please get a gurney for Agent Scully. I don't think she'll be able to walk," said Mulder calmly. He then directed his gaze to his partner and found that she had slipped into a light sleep. The doctor nodded. "We have one outside. Nurse Corre, would you bring it in, please?" The nurse nodded and stepped outside of the room. Mere seconds later she pushed a gurney inside and right up to the doorway of the bathroom. "Agent Mulder, what happened here?" asked the doctor. Mulder slipped his arms under Scully and easily lifted her up into his protective embrace. He stepped around Louis' body and over to the gurney. As he gently set Scully down, he looked at the doctor. "I'm not exactly sure what happened here, Dr. Walker. But I do know that it's over and I know that Agent Scully needs your help." Dr. Walker nodded and started for the hallway. "We'll get her into another room and check her out. It looks like her wounds have reopened." Mulder followed them out of the room and down the hall. He wanted to take a look at Louis, but he wasn't going anywhere. Besides, he wanted to make sure that Scully was all right and he didn't want her to wake up alone. As they proceeded down the hall, Scully's eyes opened slightly and her head moved slowly from side to side. "...Mulder...Mulder..." she called softly. Immediately, Mulder was by her side and took her hand in his. He smoothed the wet hair away from her face and said, "I'm right here, Scully. You're not alone. I'm here." Her worried complexion eased and a small smile appeared. She squeezed his hand and closed her eyes again. "Just...don't leave me..." she said sleepily. Mulder's mouth twisted into a wry grin. "Never," he said softly. * * * After Scully had fallen asleep, Mulder quietly left her room and headed to the nurses station on that floor. He walked up to the desk. "Nurse Corre?" The nurse looked up from a computer monitor and into the eyes of the man that she knew as Agent Mulder. A man who was very protective of one Agent Dana Scully. "Yes, Agent Mulder?" "I'd like someone to bring up the body from downstairs. I need to examine it." Nurse Corre frowned. "I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, but one of our orderlies already took it to the police station. He said that you asked him to do it." Mulder's eyebrows raised. "He?" Nurse Corre nodded. "Yes," she said. "A thin man with blonde hair. He was about this tall," she said holding her hand up to the proper height. thought Mulder. "Well, then, I need you to call Chief Garrett in Tularosa and ask him to put an-" "Agent Mulder?" said a deep voice. Mulder turned around and found himself face to face with Chief Garrett. "Garrett? What are you doing here?" Garrett shrugged. "I came here to see how Scully was doing. Why? What's happened?" Mulder led Garrett away from the nurses' station and they began to walk down the hall to Scully's room. "Louis killed one of the scientists who worked at Gateway Research." "What? Which one?" asked Garrett shock permeating his voice. "Dr. Megan Hutchinson. It was very bloody. You should send some of your men over there to collect the body." "What about Louis? Where is he?" Mulder sighed and they stopped outside of Scully's room. "After he killed Dr. Hutchinson, he came over here and attempted to kill Agent Scully." "Is she all right?" Mulder nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "She is now. I almost didn't get to her in time. Louis nearly drowned her. He almost killed her, Garrett." Garrett nodded. "I assume, then, that Louis is dead." "I shot him." Garrett saw the fire that was in Mulder's eyes and knew not to say any more. "How's Scully?" "She's sleeping now. Her cuts reopened and Louis gave her a few more on her arm and neck, but other than that, she's all right. The doctors say that she'll recover fully." "I suppose that you'll want to examine Louis' body." "I'd like to, but I'm afraid that's not going to happen," said Mulder sadly. "Why not? I know that you'd prefer it if Scully did it, but I'm sure that we could find someone capable." Mulder grinned faintly and shook his head. "No, that's not it, Garrett. It appears that in my haste to save Scully, I let Dr. Feller go." Garrett shrugged. "So?" "One of the nurses just told me that a tall orderly with blonde hair took the body to the police station. Garrett, I didn't ask for anyone to take Louis' body anywhere. That orderly was Dr. Elliot Feller." Garrett closed his eyes briefly. "All right, then. We'll put an APB out on him." Mulder shook his head. "That won't do any good. If Drs. Feller and Hutchinson were performing these experiments under the auspices of the government, as I believe they were, then we'll never find him. They'll hide him away somewhere where he can continue his dirty work. We'll never see him again." Garrett looked at Mulder incredulously. "You think that the government was secretly having these two scientists perform experiments on people to increase human brain power?" Mulder's face didn't betray anything as he nodded. "Of course." "*And* you think that Louis Mallory had this ability?" "Yes. He was able to use his brain in ways that are still only fantasy to most people. It's how he killed Robin Waters, Dr. Hutchinson, and almost...almost Scully." Garrett was silent for a few moments as he tried to grasp the ideas. Finally, he shook his head and turned his gaze to Scully's door. "Can I take a look at her?" Mulder let the previous conversation go and smiled. "Sure, but we have to be quiet." Garrett smiled. "Or what? The nurses will scold us?" As Mulder pushed the door open he said, "They already grounded me..." * * * Later, after Garrett had left, Mulder walked out into the hall and called Skinner. He probably had half of the agents in the Bureau out looking for them. "Skinner." "Um...this is Agent Mulder, sir." "Where have you been, Agent Mulder?" "Well, I'm afraid that's a long story, sir." "And I look forward to hearing it. But, before I do, I would like to know if you have found Agent Scully yet." Mulder sighed, thinking that he would rather be having a route canal than doing this. "Yes, I have, sir. As we speak, she is resting comfortably in her room." Mulder heard a pencil tapping. "Her room?" Mulder swallowed. "Yes, sir. Her hospital room." There was a short pause, before Skinner said, "I see. Well, Agent Mulder, I suppose that I should let you go, but I expect to see a full report on this case upon your return." "Yes, sir. You will." "Good, Agent Mulder." Mulder was about to end the call when Skinner said, "Oh, and Agent Mulder?" "Yes, sir?" Mulder had thought that he had escaped. "Make sure that Agent Scully gets the best care." "I will, sir." Mulder hit the END button and slipped the phone into his jacket pocket. He smiled. Would wonders never cease? Skinner had been worried about Scully. * * * The desert sky was colored a light red, purple and orange and the sun was halfway hidden behind the mountains. Its light cast a glow upon the desert and the building named the Las Cruces Medical Center. The Center was bathed in a warm light, as was its small garden. The administrators of the hospital thought that it would be good for the patients. It was. Dana Scully sat in a wheelchair in front of a sliding door. Her hair was brushed back from her face and her eyes were clear and shining. A bandage covered the cut on her forehead and her arm and neck were also bandaged. The cuts on her side had been restitched and the pain was much better. She wore a hospital gown and over top of that a white robe that the hospital offered. As she looked outside at the beautiful scenery and horizon line, she allowed herself to smile. she thought. Disjointed memories of the past few days swam through her mind, but she didn't let them bother her. She wouldn't allow it. Instead, she let them float away, downstream. Dana closed her eyes and sighed. Where was he? She wanted to go out into the garden, smell the flowers, feel the fading sun, feel *him* near her, and know she was alive. she asked herself. Suddenly, she felt two strong hands cover her eyes. For a second, fear and panic rose in Dana and her whole body stiffened. "Guess who?" came the sweet voice from behind her. That sweet voice that was her anchor. Dana exhaled in relief and smiled. "The Easter Bunny?" His hands did not move from her eyes. They were warm, soft and made her feel safe. "No...." "Marvin the Martian?" She felt him smile; felt its warmth. "No, earthling." She brought her hands up to cover his, kept them there for a while relishing in the physical contact, and then pulled his and hers away. She turned a bit and her eyes said everything that words could not. "My best friend." It was a statement. Mulder's hazel eyes looked down softly and affectionately at her. He knelt down next to her, searched for her hand and held it in his. "Always." Scully smiled and gently touched his cheek. They stayed that way for a long time; eons it seemed. Then, Mulder straightened up an went to stand behind her. Gripping her wheelchair, he sighed happily. "Are you ready, m'lady?" Scully smiled. "Yes, my dark prince." "Okay..." he said as he pushed the chair forward and the door slid open. Slightly cool but sweet air blew past them and Scully breathed in deeply. This was the first time that she had been outside since...since that woman, who she know knew as Megan, had dropped her off on that lonely road. she told herself. Mulder pushed her out and into the middle of the garden. Wisteria, juniper, violets and cottonwood surrounded them like a sweet-smelling blanket. The sky was a pastel canvas with high wispy clouds floating overhead, as if an artist's brush had placed them there. They stopped at a stone bench and Dana smiled up at Mulder. "Would you like to sit here a while?" he asked softly, running a hand through his unruly dark-brown hair. Dana loved his hair. It looked so soft. She nodded and pushed on the arms of the chair in an attempt to get up. However, she found that she had no strength to accomplish such a task. Besides, such exertion made the wounds on her side quite painful. Then she felt Mulder's hand on her shoulder and she slumped back down. "Take it easy, Scully. You're not Wonder Woman, you know." Scully smirked. "Gee, thanks, Mulder. You know just what to say to a girl. Got any other compliments?" Mulder grinned. "Not right now, Scully. I'm saving the others for the flight home." "Oh, goody. I can't wait," she intoned softly. He chuckled and bent down. Slipping his left arm behind her back and his right under her knees, he easily lifted her slight frame out of the chair and onto the bench. She still hadn't regained the weight that she had lost. To his surprise and chagrin, Scully did not protest. He sat down next to her and for a while they were silent. They listened to the wind and the sounds of the awakening night animals. Finally, Mulder turned and looked at Scully. She looked very young and beautiful to him as they sat in the small garden. But her eyes had a faraway look about them. She was still pale and a bit too thin, but her wounds were healing nicely. She would be back to normal in no time. he thought. After a while, Scully turned to face him. "Mulder, you're developing a bad habit." "And what might that be?" he asked, liking the look of mischief in her eyes. "Staring at me." "That's bad?" he asked, laughter in his beautiful eyes. "I think I'd call it more of an addiction than a habit." Color rose up in her cheeks and she looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed. The desert seemed so peaceful now. So incapable of causing the pain and horror it had brought upon both of them. She sighed and looked back at Mulder. He was staring at her again. "Mulder..." she began in a stern tone, but trailed off. "Yeah, Scully?" Her eyes softened and a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Thank you." "For what?" he asked innocently. "For saving my life...for taking care of me...for...being my best friend." Mulder pushed away his feelings of guilt and smiled sweetly at her. "You're welcome, Scully. Besides, I like taking care of you." She playfully slapped his shoulder. "There's that habit rearing its ugly head again." Mulder looked confused. "I thought that staring was my habit?" She nodded. "It is, but it's only a symptom of a much larger problem, which is your need to over-protect me." Mulder smirked. "Problem? Gee, I had no idea. Well, they say that the first step is admitting you have a problem..." Suddenly, he stood up. "Hello. My name's Fox and I'm an over-protector." Scully yanked him back down beside her. She shook her head. "I don't suppose a 12-step program *would* help, would it?" He shook his head back at her. "Nope. I'm afraid not. Looks like I'll be watching over you for a long time." She sighed in contentment. "Joy." He looked at her seriously, then. "Does it really bother you, Scully?" She looked at him tenderly. "I'm going to say something now, Mulder, that you can never repeat. Nor will I mention it again." She took a deep breath. "I kind of like it when you look out for me. I do the same for you. I'm just not as neurotic about it. But I really appreciate that you care for me because I care for you." Mulder smiled and it was one of his rare, full, beautiful smiles. He reached out and took her hand in his. Scully leaned closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. She felt safe and happy when she was with him, even if he did drive her crazy half of the time. A few minutes later the sun disappeared and the night grew colder. "Mulder, can we go back inside? I'm freezing," she said softly, not really wanting their closeness to end. Mulder got up and lifted her back into the wheelchair. "As you wish, m'lady." As they passed through the sliding door, Scully looked up at Mulder and took one of his hands. "Can we stop off at the vending machine?" "Why?" he asked, noting the mischief in her eyes. It was good to see after all that had happened. She winked at him. "Maybe they have cupcakes." He smiled and whisked her off down the hall, still holding her hand. THE END!!