From: Amy McClure Date: 24 Jun 1999 14:10:21 -0700 Subject: xfc Strangers - Part 1 of 8 From: Amy McClure Title: "Strangers" Author: Amy McClure Spoilers: Anything through Season 6 is fair game Rating: R Keywords: X-File, Mulder Angst, Scully Angst Summary: Mulder is acting rather strange...even for him. Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Fox Mulder is not mine. Neither is Scully, Skinner, Diana Fowley (thank God!!) or anyone else I may mention in this story. They all belong to Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions. I also just started reading fanfic, so any similarity between this and someone else's story is purely unintentional. This is my VERY FIRST attempt at fanfic, so please be gentle. Constructive criticism welcome to mulder89@hotmail.com. Strangers - Part 1 of 8 His grip on her wrists tightened. He began moving faster on top of her. He shuddered as he finished himself off. He looked down and kissed her. The kiss was not returned. "That was amazing." He let her wrists go and got up off the bed to get dressed. She turned away from him, unable to believe what he had done to her. She lay on her bed, still naked and shaking with fright and shock. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as he ran his fingers through her red hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, babe. I can't believe we waited as long as we did." With that, he walked out of her apartment. Mulder had raped her. The words swirled around in her head as she tried to make sense of all of this. How could he have done this to her? The only man she trusted...the only man she loved...how did this happen? 12 Hours Earlier "Do you have any idea when Mulder is going to grace us with his presence? He is now 45 minutes late." "I'm sorry A.D. Skinner. Something must have happened. He knew our meeting was at 9:00 sharp." "Well, Agent Scully, what can you tell us about what has happened?" "Sir, I...I would feel more comfortable with Agent Mulder here. He has the evidence with him. Without that evidence, the case isn't going to make any sense." "Agent Scully, I don't have all day. If you want to postpone the meet..." With that, Agent Mulder entered. He looked flustered and a little disheveled. "Sorry." "That's all you have to say, Agent Mulder? We've been waiting for 45 minutes!" "I'm sorry. I got tied up." "Tied up. That's your excuse?" "Yes, sir." "Well, please, go ahead and tell us your big news. It better be good for the amount of time we waited to hear it." "Sir, at this point in time, I think it would be best to postpone this meeting." "Mulder?!" Scully couldn't believe the nerve of her partner. "Agent Mulder...let me make sure I heard you correctly. You ask us to meet you here at 9:00, don't show up until 9:45, and then tell us you want the meeting postponed?" "I'm sorry, Assistant Director, but I received some new information this morning..." "Agent Mulder, the next time you call a meeting like this, you'd better be damn sure you're going to have something to tell us. Meeting is adjourned, people." "Mulder, what the hell is going on?!" "Scully, I'm sorry. I just don't think we should make this public just yet." "Last night that's all you could talk about! What ever happened to exposing it? Expose these people...expose what they're doing?" "I know, I know. I need to get more information before I'm sure enough to tell Skinner." "What happened to you in the last 12 hours to make you change your thinking so radically, Mulder? Are you alright? Did something happen?" "No, no. Everything's fine. I just..." "Just what?" "Look, Scully, I have to go. I'll be back in a couple hours." "Mulder?!!" That was it. He didn't even turn around to acknowledge her shouting his name. He was in the elevator and gone before she could even really process what had just happened. She was used to some strange behavior coming from her partner, but last night he was so sure about everything. He had finally uncovered hard evidence of a UFO. Even Scully, the skeptic, the disbeliever, had a hard time disputing what he had found. And now he suddenly didn't want to tell anyone about it? It didn't make sense to her. Mulder continued out of the Federal Building and got into his car. He had to get out of here. He had to get to her before she found out somehow. He knew she had connections, so she might even know about him already. He had stalled Skinner and Scully, but not for long. He needed a plan. He sped out of the parking structure and heard a phone ringing as he turned onto the street. He fumbled around trying to find it. It's got to be in this jacket - where the hell is it? After the fifth ring, he finally found it - it was in the same jacket pocket he had always kept it in. "Hello." "Mulder, it's me." "Yeah?" "Mulder, what the hell happened? Where are you?" Okay, better question - who the hell is this? It was a woman's voice, but... "I'm sorry...who is this?" "Mulder, it's me! It's Scully!" "Oh, Scully. I told you, I'd be back in a couple of hours. I just have to take care of a couple of things." "Mulder, I need to know what's...." With that, he hung up the phone. "Damnit!" He wondered if she was going to know something was up. He should have guessed it was her on the phone, but how did he know? He'd never spoken to her before this morning! Scully sat in their office shaking her head and looking at the phone. This was weird, even for Mulder. She knew it wouldn't do her any good to try to get him to talk. The last six years had taught her that he could be stubborn when he wanted to be, and this was one of those times. She hung up the phone and proceeded to go through some of the files that were piled on her desk. Mulder knocked on the door of apartment 26. "Come on, be home...be home..." The door opened and revealed a woman in her mid-thirties. She had straight dark hair that was just past her shoulders. A smile of recognition came across her face as she looked at her visitor. "Fox. What are you doing here?" "Hello, Diana. Can I come in, please? I have to talk to you about something." "Sure, Fox, of course you can come in. Why don't you have a seat? I'm just finishing up something in the other room. I'll just be a minute." "Okay." He spotted a photo album on her bookshelf, and went for it as soon as Diana disappeared into the other room. He began thumbing through the pictures until he found the ones he wanted to see. Sure enough, this must be Diana Fowley. Fox Mulder's girlfriend at the FBI Academy. There were pages and pages full of photos of the two of them together. A smile crossed his face as he paged through - he had no memory of this woman or the times they shared, but he actually looked happy in these pictures. It was a happiness that wasn't seen on his face very often anymore. He must have lost a lot when he lost her... He heard her walking back in his direction. He swiftly closed the photo album and put it back on its rightful place on the bookshelf. "So, Fox. What did you want to talk to me about?" "Actually, I just wanted to do some catching up with you. It's been a long time, Diana." "Yes, it has. I'm so glad you came over, Fox. I was afraid that you weren't all that happy I had come back." "Diana, I've spent the last 8 years hoping you would come back to me." Her eyes lit up and a smile that hadn't surfaced since the photos Mulder was just looking at were taken crossed her face. "Fox...I, I don't even know what to..." "You don't have to say anything, Diana." With that, he took her hand and lifted her off the couch. He gently pulled her close to him and kissed her. While one hand was on her hip, he took his other hand and, very slowly so she wouldn't notice, took out his weapon and left it at his side. "Oh, Fox. I've been waiting to be with you again for so long." Diana slid her hands down his chest as she went to her knees. Just as she was reaching up for his zipper, he grabbed her hair and forced her head back. "Sorry, Diana. I know we could have had some fun together, but that's not what I came here to do." With that, he pressed the gun against her forehead and pulled the trigger. Her lifeless body fell in a heap on the floor and he put his gun down beside her. Just to be sure his fingerprints were on it, he picked the gun up one more time before leaving. That took care of one of his problems. She was one of the only ones who believed in him. This was going to be easier than he thought. He crossed Diana's name off his list. "One down, three to go," he said as he looked over the short list of people. Diana Fowley, Walter Skinner, Teena Mulder and Dana Scully. Yeah, this would be no problem at all. To be continued in part 2..... From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 2 of 8 It was 6:00 before Scully finally decided to go home. Mulder had said he'd be back in a couple of hours, and she hadn't heard from him. This was all very unlike him. She had tried his cell phone a few times, and kept getting his voice mail. She had left one very irritated message telling him to call her right away, but that had obviously been ignored. She tried his home number one more time and got the answering machine once again. "Where the hell is he?" She was worried and decided to stop by his apartment before going home to at least see if his car was there or not. He waited patiently in his car that was parked across the street from the parking structure of the Federal Building. He wasn't worried about anyone recognizing him - no one around here had ever seen him before. They wouldn't even recognize the car as he had left his car in the parking lot of Diana's building and stolen the one he was now sitting in. He wanted to make damn sure the cops would know who had pulled the trigger on her this morning. "Come on, damnit! I can't sit here and wait all night!" He looked in the rearview mirror and smiled when he saw his own face. Yeah, he supposed some people would consider Agent Mulder to be a good-looking guy, but he was happier looking like himself. The blond hair, the rugged-looking face, the blue eyes...it may not be a perfect face, but at least it was his own. Walter Skinner's car came down the ramp of the parking structure and pulled into the street. He wasn't alone, though. He had 3 other men with him. "Shit!" Skinner had to be alone for him to succeed in his plans. He tailed the blue Nissan anyway - maybe he was just dropping the other men off somewhere. Fifteen miles later, he knew that tonight wouldn't be the night for Skinner. All four of the men from the car had gone into a restaurant together. He couldn't do it here - not in a public place - and not with people so close at hand. He'd have to wait on this one. Teena Mulder was way up in Martha's Vineyard. She would be his last stop - she was an old defenseless lady and the easiest of his prey. Yeah, he'd expend his energy on these two and save Mrs. Mulder for last. "Georgetown, huh? Good evening, Ms. Scully. Could I have just a moment of your time?" He chuckled at the thought of it. She would let him into her apartment without a second thought. There would be no forced entry, no struggle. She trusted him completely. Yeah, this was gonna be easy.... It was now 7:30 and she still hadn't heard from her partner. She had gone to his apartment and found no one to be home. At first, she was concerned. Now she was just angry. She had no idea where he was or if he was okay. Six years of worrying about him was getting to be too much for her. A knock on her apartment door startled her and she jumped off the couch to see who it was. She saw Mulder through the peephole and toyed with the idea of not letting him in. She didn't even know if she wanted to see him - she might end up saying some things to him right now that she would regret later. "Mulder, where the hell have you been? I've been going crazy here wondering if you were alive or dead!" "I'm sorry. I had to go see someone." "What happened to your cell phone? I called you on it at least 10 times!" "Yeah, I guess I must have accidentally turned it off. Can I come in, please?" She opened the door enough to let him by and gave it a good slam after he passed her. "Could I maybe have a glass of water?" "Well of course, no problem whatsoever." She didn't even try to mask the sarcasm in her voice as she went in the kitchen. "Anything you want, Mulder. As usual." He kicked back on the couch and just smiled. Scully came out with his water and proceeded to sit down on the chair that was furthest away from him. As subtly as possible, he eyed her up and down. She had changed when she got home from work - the stuffy skirt and blazer had been discarded for an oversized blue button-up shirt and tight black leggings. Her shirt was unbuttoned just enough to let him see a little cleavage. God, she was gorgeous - how had this guy managed to keep his hands off of her for so many years? Was he just a wimp or was he gay or.... "Mulder! Are you going to tell me what is going on with you or are you just gonna sit there staring at me??!!" Okay, so she was a little pissed at him. He could smooth this over..."I'd really like to just sit here and stare at you." Scully was too stunned to even say anything. "You know, Scully, I don't think I've ever told you this before, but I think you are incredible. I don't know how I've managed to keep this platonic for so many years. You are a beautiful woman." "You think sweet-talk is gonna get you out of this?! You've got a lot of nerve, Mulder! First, you made a fool out of me this morning - you make me call this meeting and then you leave me sitting there like an idiot waiting for you to show up. When you finally decide to come to your own damn meeting, you call it off! What the..." He wasn't listening to her anymore. She was pretty cute when she was angry. You know, I think I'm gonna have a little fun with Ms. Scully this evening. It would be a shame to kill such a beautiful woman before.... "Scully." "Oh so you finally want to say something to me?" He got up from the couch and walked over to her. He gently took her hands and pulled her up off the chair. While one hand instinctively went to her waist, the other was slowly and tenderly stroking her cheek. "Scully, I'm so sorry. Not just for today, but for the past six years. I know I've put you through a lot and I haven't always been the most caring or supportive friend to you. And for that, I really am sorry." Where was this coming from? Yeah, sure, this was quite possibly the moment she had been dreaming about for so long. But why now? Because I'm angry with him? Is he just trying to butter me up so I'll forgive him and... It was then she noticed the look in his eyes. It was the same look he had in the hallway - right before that damn bee stung her. "Scully, I...God, you're so beautiful." The tenderness in his voice made all the anger she just had disappear without a trace. She tilted her head up in anticipation of what was sure to come. Their lips met...it was soft and tender at first...his hand was still caressing her face. Then, after a little coaxing, she allowed his tongue to penetrate her open mouth. Things began to heat up...their tongues were eagerly tasting each other's mouths...breathing got heavier...hands started wandering a little bit...Scully felt a moan emanating from deep inside... He took his hand that had been on her hip this whole time and slowly slid it up her body. He cupped his hand over her right breast. She did nothing to stop this, so he proceeded to guide his hand under her shirt. He felt her suddenly stiffen as he made contact with the lacy material of her bra. "Mulder, I....I don't think we should...." "Scully, please don't think. I've been wanting this for so long." "Mulder, please, I don't think we're ready." With this, she tried to pull away from him. His arms weren't going to let her. "Please let me go." "You're not going anywhere." He pressed his body up against hers. "You feel that?" Scully could feel his anticipation against her body. "Mulder, I mean it. Let me go." His grip on her only tightened. "Mulder, what is wrong with you?! I said let me go!!" "Not gonna happen, red. With that, he grabbed her, spun her around and held both of her wrists behind her back. He pushed her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed. Scully found herself not even really trying to fight back. She wondered about this later and came to the conclusion that she was probably just too stunned to fight. The events that followed are somewhat blurry - she remembers him ripping off her shirt and bra, and also stripping her naked from the waist down. He didn't bother to take his shirt off for fear that she'd start to fight back and get away from him. He forced her legs apart and laid down directly on top of her - hoping his weight alone would prevent her from being able to get out from under him. He undid the button and zipper on his pants and pulled them down only as far as he had to. He grabbed her hands and put them up over her head. He held them there with one hand while he guided himself inside her with the other. Scully couldn't recall how long it went on. She just closed her eyes and hoped that she would wake up from this nightmare. Mulder...the one person she truly trusted and loved. The one person she thought would never, ever hurt her...here he was raping her. She had told him to stop, hadn't she? She couldn't remember clearly the events that had led up to this. Thoughts were swirling around in her head faster than she could comprehend them. Did I tell him no? Did I lead him on? Did I start this? Is this really happening, or am I dreaming? God, this just didn't make sense. He left her apartment with no apology, no explanation, no nothing. All she remembers him saying was he'd see her at work tomorrow. Scully just laid there for hours trying to comprehend what had just gone on. She could have thought about it for years and still never figured out why. She had seen some bizarre behavior in him before, but he had never done anything to hurt her. He had punched Skinner once, but it turned out there had been a rational explanation for that. He had threatened Spender, but no one could really blame him for that. He had done some things in the six years she had known him that might not have made sense at first, but there always seemed to be a reason. How could there possibly be a reason for this? To be continued in part 3....... From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 3 of 8 Agent Mulder awoke to find himself sprawled out on a cold, damp floor. The pain in his head hit him first - it was pounding with an ache so severe he found he couldn't even open his eyes. Every muscle in his body was screaming in agony. He tried lifting his hands up to his head to see if he was bleeding, but found both hands to be shackled down to the floor. Where in the hell was he? How did he get here? His thoughts were interrupted with the sound of a door closing. "Aw shit." The whispered words barely even escaped his lips. He struggled as hard as he could to get his eyes open. When they finally opened, he realized he should have kept them closed - he couldn't see anything anyway. Was it the darkness of the room or the injuries he had sustained to his head? He didn't know and didn't much care at this point. All he knew was that footsteps were coming closer and closer to him and he couldn't even see let alone try to defend himself against whoever it was. The footsteps stopped just as they reached the left side of his body. "Well, well, well...look who finally came to. How ya feelin' Agent Mulder? A sharp surge of pain ripped through him as the stranger kicked him swiftly in the ribcage. "Wh..." No more than a whisper could come out as he had just had all the wind knocked out of him. "Well, come on, tough boy. Whatcha tryin' to say FBI man?" "Wh...who...who are you? What do you want with me?" "Who am I? Well, that's easy...I'm you." "What?" "I'm you, Agent Mulder. I can turn into you anytime I want." What the hell was this guy talking about???? "I'm you, moron! And you've been a bad, bad boy today G-man." "What the fuck are you trying to tell me?!" "Hmmm, well how can I explain this to you? Let's just say that a man matching your description perfectly entered the apartment of one Miss Diana Fowley this morning and blew her brains out at point-blank range." "Diana? What did you do to her, you bastard?!" "I didn't do anything to her - YOU did!! I'd be willing to bet that your fingerprints will be found all over the murder weapon too. You know, I'm gonna give you a little piece of advice - next time you blow someone's head off, you might want to invest in a pair of gloves beforehand. Being a G-man, you should probably know that." Mulder opened his eyes again. This time he was able to make out a few things, but the man standing over him was still just a black shadow. He couldn't make out the face at all. "You sick, twisted..." "You better watch what you say to me, boy! Obviously you're too stupid to figure out what's going on here, so I'll have to show you." The dark figure made his way over to the other side of the room. Mulder heard a switch being turned on and suddenly found he had to squint to shield his eyes from the lights that illuminated the room. He tried to look around the room to see where he was, but all he could figure was he was in an abandoned building - maybe a warehouse. As the footsteps grew nearer, he looked up to finally see the face of his attacker. He was a little better than 6 feet tall, blond hair, muscular build. There was a rugged look to his face, but Mulder didn't recognize him. "Who are you? How do you know me?" The stranger chuckled. "I am you. Watch this." Mulder's eyes widened and his broken jaw dropped as far down as it could. He must still be delirious from the blows he had obviously received to his head. "Don't believe it, do you? You wanna see it again?" Mulder just stared up at the stranger, not able to comprehend what had just happened. He closed his eyes tight, hoping he would open them up to find he had imagined the whole thing. He cautiously opened his eyes again to the sight he had not wanted to see again. The figure above him still looked the same. It couldn't be. The figure looming above him had changed shape in a matter of seconds. This had apparently happened before, but Mulder had never actually seen it. The alien bounty hunter had done it to fool Scully into letting him into her hotel room...Eddie Van Blundt had done the same to try to get Scully into bed. Or so he had heard, anyway....he was never sure how it happened - mind control, some kind of a magic trick...no, it was no trick. He had watched this figure transform in front of his own eyes. He was now looking up into his own face. "What the....how did you...who...." "Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Jesus, this guy not only looked like him, but he sounded like him. Everything was the same...HIS face, HIS hair, HIS clothes, HIS voice. "I gotta tell ya Mulder, you've got a sweet little partner. You're a lucky, lucky man." Scully. Oh god...Scully. "If you touch one hair on her head, I swear to God I will kill you. I won't just kill you, I'll kill you in the slowest, most painful way possible." He watched himself start laughing - a sinister, almost mocking laugh. "You should have warned me sooner. I touched a lot more than one hair on her head a little while ago. I think she kind of enjoyed it, too. Well, she did at first anyway." Mulder's blood started to boil. "What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?!!!!!!" "I didn't do anything to her - you did. She told you to stop, but you just wouldn't listen. What would you FBI folks call it...sexual assault...molestation...rape? Don't worry, though. She won't be able to tell anyone. See, before I left, I strangled her. The funny thing is, she didn't even resist. All she did was look at me, or actually she was looking at you, with this incredible disbelief in her eyes. She went quietly, though. And I made sure there was no pulse when I left." Mulder watched himself transform back into the blond haired figure he had seen at first. The stranger simply turned and walked away. Not another word was exchanged. All Mulder could do was close his eyes. Close his eyes and pray this was a dream. Pray that he would wake up back in his own apartment. Wake up and call Scully to find that she was okay. What he wouldn't do to hear her sweet voice right now. Hear her sweet voice tell him everything was alright, hold her in his arms and smell her, stroke her hair, wrap his arms around her and never let her go. Silent tears began streaming down his face as he thought of her - all the things he never did - all the things he never said. Now she was gone forever. "Scully, wherever you are now, I pray that you hear this because it's something I always wanted to say but just never could. I love you. I've always loved you, Scully." With that, he fell into unconsciousness again. The blackness was welcome - the blackness encircling him was the only thing that could comfort him now. He silently wished he would never wake up... Walter Skinner's Residence The following morning. 6:00 a.m. Walter Skinner was just finishing up his morning routine. He had completed his 3-mile jog, showered, shaved and dressed for work. He had a bad feeling about something, but he couldn't quite figure out why. His gut was telling him to just get back in bed and stay there, but he really wasn't one for heeding his intuitive thoughts anyway. He grabbed his briefcase, locked his apartment door and descended the stairway. It was a gorgeous day - the sun was so bright it was almost blinding. The gut feeling he had was getting stronger. He stopped walking toward his car and looked around - nothing suspicious. "Walter, don't be an idiot. Just get in your car and go to work." He walked over to his car and unlocked the driver's side door. The bad feeling he had got suddenly stronger. He shook it off and turned the key that was now in the ignition. The explosion that followed could be heard from miles away. Flaming debris flew in all directions, littering the surrounding streets and sidewalks. Some unfortunate passersby were thrown back with a force equal a speeding vehicle hitting them. In all, five people were killed instantly - Walter Skinner among them. From a safe distance down the road, a blond haired man smiled triumphantly before turning his car around and speeding down the street. "Two down." Federal Building, Washington DC 6:30 a.m. The blond haired man pulled into the parking garage and made it past security using the credentials he'd been given. He proceeded to the elevator and exited on the 6th floor. He headed down the hallway to a private office in the corner. A man granted him entrance and then proceeded out of the office, shutting the door behind him. "How far have you gotten?" The man speaking to him didn't even bother to turn his chair away from the window. "Diana Fowley and Walter Skinner are dead." "What about Agent Scully and Mrs. Mulder?" "I'm on my way to Martha's Vineyard now." "What are your plans for Agent Scully?" "Agent Scully is complicated, sir." The man facing the window reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of Morleys. A shroud of smoke circled his head as he turned around to face the man he had hired to do the job. "Complicated?" "Yes, sir." "Do you care to elaborate on that statement?" "Well, sir, I went to her apartment last night as I was instructed to. I assaulted her just as you had asked." "But you didn't kill her?" "No, but Agent Mulder thinks she is dead." CGB Spender smiled when he heard this news. "You make sure that he continues to believe that and you might not have to kill her. The thought of losing her will be too much for him to bear. Continue with the plans for Mrs. Mulder. Make it quick and painless. I don't want her to suffer." He turned back toward the window, signaling the end of the conversation. "Remember, quick and painless." Martha's Vineyard 11:00 a.m. Teena Mulder was on her way back from visiting a friend. She had pretty much been keeping to herself lately, but she always made time for Sara. Sara was in the same situation as Teena was - she had lost her husband - her daughter married against her will and had not spoken to her in 15 years - and her and her son had basically no relationship at all. They had both suffered similar family hardships in their lives, which was the bond that held their friendship together. Teena noticed a silver Buick parked on the road next to her driveway. She stopped when she saw it - she didn't know who the car belonged to, but there must be a reason it was parked by her driveway. As she ascended the steps to her home, she saw him sitting on the top step. He stood up and smiled when he saw her. Was her mind playing tricks on her? She hadn't seen or spoken to her son since -- since she had slapped him for questioning her fidelity to his father. "Fox?" "Hi mom. How are you? You look well." She wanted to embrace him, but didn't know if she should or not. He was the only family she had left and he meant he world to her, but they had left things so horribly. She had wanted to call him so many times, but her stubbornness wouldn't let her. Unfortunately, that was a trait he had inherited from her. "It's been a long time, Fox." "Yeah, yeah it has...too long." "Would you like to come inside?" "Yes. There's something I want to talk to you about." "Why don't you have a seat in the living room, Fox. I'll make some iced tea." "Okay, mom." Quick and painless, huh? If that's the way he wanted it... He quietly made his way to the kitchen and eased the swinging door open. She was facing away from him stirring the iced tea. He was glad to see that - even he couldn't bear to look this woman in the eye while he killed her. He slowly pulled his gun out of his jacket and aimed it at the back of Teena Mulder's head. Fox Mulder's Residence 4:00 p.m. Police cars could be found up and down the street. They had busted down the door of apartment 42, but the man they were searching for was nowhere to be found. There was an A.P.B. out for one Fox Mulder. He was the suspect in the murder of Diana Fowley, the rape of Dana Scully, and now just recently, the death of his own mother. The police had multiple witnesses that placed him at both Diana Fowley's apartment building and Teena Mulder's home around the times of the killings. Suspicion was high that he was behind the death of Walter Skinner, but no evidence had been turned up yet. This morning his own partner had reported the rape to the authorities. The investigators had pulled several hairs belonging to the perpetrator from various parts of Scully's body. The tests concluded that the hairs did indeed belong to Fox Mulder. Scully had initially considered not reporting it to anyone, but she needed the evidence to prove it was him. There must be an explanation, and Scully was determined to find out what that was. But for now, she agreed with the rest of the members of local law enforcement - Fox Mulder needed to be put behind bars before he hurt anyone else. To be continued in Part 4 From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 4 of 8 For disclaimer & description, see Part 1 Scully waited with the police for better than five hours. She didn't quite know why. Yes, he was obviously out of his mind right now, but not enough to show his face here. He had to know that every police officer and FBI agent in Washington D.C. and all of the surrounding areas were on the lookout for him. She felt she should be doing more, but what that was, she didn't know. Waiting here felt like the right - not to mention the only - thing she could do. How could he have been so incredibly stupid? His fingerprints were all over Diana's apartment and the murder weapon. The gun left at his mother's house had his prints on it as well. It was as if he wanted to get caught. As if he wanted to get caught... This wasn't like Mulder at all. What if...Jesus...maybe it wasn't even... "Agent Scully?" "Uh...I...you, you guys have it covered pretty well here. I'm gonna go check into some other possibilities." With that, she ran to her car and sped off. God, how could she not have thought of this sooner? 9:30 p.m. She stood outside the door for what seemed like an eternity. How many locks could these guys possibly have on this door? She teased Mulder about being paranoid, but at least he didn't barricade himself into his apartment like this. "Hello? Is someone going to let me in today?!" "Yeah, Scully. Sorry for the wait - I'm coming," Frohike had bolted into his room to change back into his clothes when he saw who was at the door. "Just a minute, Scully." Why had he picked tonight of all nights to wear his Mr. T pajamas? He had enough trouble catching the eye of the voluptuous Dana Scully when he was dressed like a human being. He opened the door and couldn't help but gawk at the gorgeous woman who was asking to come in. "Well, it's about time, Frohike." "Sorry, Scully. You caught me just getting ready to get into the shower." "Well, I guess I should be thankful you came to the door in more than just a towel. I've had enough to deal with today without seeing that." Frohike blushed with embarrassment and struggled to come up with a witty comeback. "We've been listening to the police scanners all night. He couldn't have really done any of this, could he?" Byers appeared out of the back room with Langley two steps behind him. "I wish I could tell you that with certainty, Byers. All evidence seems to be pointing right at him." "Yeah, that's exactly what doesn't make sense," Langley exclaimed as he turned down the volume on the scanner they'd been listening intently to. "I have to tell you guys something, and please...please just try to keep an open mind while I'm saying this." The faces of the three men considerably brightened with curiosity. "Of course we will." "I don't think I have to tell you that I have never been one to profess to Mulder's theories and ideas. What I'm about to say sounds like something he would come up with, but I don't know what else to think right now." "What is it Scully?" Byers offered her a seat on the couch as he asked her. Much to her dismay, Frohike chose to sit in the small space she left just to the right of her. "The fingerprints found at both murder scenes were Mulder's. Evidence gathered from my...my, uh, apartment points toward him as well." Frohike got even closer. "Your apartment? What did he - did this person - do in your apartment?" "Lets just say that Mulder did something to me last night that Mulder would never do." "What?" "What is not important, Frohike. All I know is that Mulder wouldn't have done to me what Mulder did to me last night." The three men became silent and looked nervously at the floor when they began to realize what Scully was getting at. "The evidence pulled off of you pointed toward Mulder?" "Yes, Langley it did. Either Agent Mulder has completely gone over the edge or..." "Or what?" "Well, I don't know exactly how to say this. Things have happened before. Things that I have absolutely no scientific explanation for." The three men couldn't take their eyes off of her as they waited for her to elaborate on her last comment. "A few years ago, Mulder and I were working on a case. One night I was followed back to my apartment. The next day I checked into a hotel room to try to elude whoever it was who had followed me the night before. That night, there was a knock on the door. I looked outside and saw Mulder. I, of course, let him in. This man looked like Mulder, dressed like Mulder, sounded like Mulder, smelled like Mulder...well, you get it. While he was in the room, my cell phone rang. I answered and heard Mulder's voice on the other end. I found myself listening to Mulder's voice on the phone while he was standing there watching me." By this time, the jaws of the Lone Gunmen were just an inch or two off the floor. "He picked me up off the floor by my throat and started asking me 'where is he?' He threw me into a glass table, and while he was hovering over me...he...he changed." "He what, Scully?" "He changed. Right before my eyes, he changed. A second before, the face had been Mulder's. A second later, it was someone else. This man - or thing, whatever it was - physically changed into another human form right in front of my eyes." The three men were speechless. It wasn't really that they didn't believe her - if Mulder had been telling the story, they would have believed him in a second. But this was Scully. Scully the rational one. Scully the scientific one. Scully the disbeliever. "A couple of years later, a similar thing happened." "This happened more that once?!" Langley was the only one of the three who was able to verbalize anything at this point. "A man named Edward Van Blundt had the same ability. He showed up at my apartment one night - looking like Mulder - and just as we were about to...." The looks on the three men's faces told her not to go into the gory details. "...the real Mulder walked in. Van Blundt changed back into his own form right there in front of me." "So you think that it isn't really Mulder doing all of this. It's someone who has taken his form?" Frohike couldn't quite hide his amazement as he said this to her. "I don't know what else to think. But, the fact that someone could take on all the physical characteristics of someone else is impossible." "But you said you've seen it yourself, Scully. Not once, but twice." "Yes I know. But how is it possible for one to not only take all of Mulder's characteristics, but also replicate his fingerprints and the DNA structure needed to match his hair? Frohike almost asked her to elaborate on this last statement, but decided not to. "Well, for Mulder's sake I think we'd better figure out a way that it's possible." 10:00 p.m. "Here you go, FBI. Enjoy - it will be your last meal as a free man." "You call this being free? If I'm not mistaken, I'm shackled down to the floor. If that's your idea of freedom..." "Shut the hell up and eat." "How am I supposed to eat, genius? My hands and feet are tied down to the floor. I can't move any part of my body more than 2 inches." The man leaned over and unlocked the shackle that had been holding down Mulder's right hand. "There. Now shut up and eat. I'll be back. You'd better not try anything while I'm gone." "Why would I want to try anything? I feel like I'm in a five-star hotel." "Oh, you're just a frickin' comedian tonight. Careful, I can only take so many jokes before I shut you up for good." Mulder watched his captor walk back across the room and exit the door just to the left of the staircase he usually ascended. This was it. He had to try to get out of here before this maniac did any more damage. Scully was dead. Nothing was more damaging than that. This thought was almost enough to make him give up. As soon as he thought about her, the intensity melted off his face, his body slumped forward. Scully is dead. He forced her image out of his head - he had to get this son of a bitch for what he had done to her. He had managed to keep a butter knife this asshole had given him to eat with the day before. He had no idea if it would work or not, but it was worth a shot. He reached down his pants to retrieve the knife. Okay, so it wasn't the most comfortable place to stash it, but he figured it was the one place on his body this guy wouldn't touch. He went to work on the lock that held his left hand prisoner. After some fumbling around and cursing, his left hand was free. He looked up anxiously to make sure his attacker wasn't coming back through the door. No sign of him yet, but Mulder knew he'd have to work fast. Just then, a shot rang out just over his head. To his horror, Mulder looked up to see that his captor had returned just a little too soon. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Gee, what could he really say to that one? The man came running over to him, re-shackled both of his hands back to the floor, and grabbed the knife out of Mulder's hand. "I guess I won't be getting any dessert now, will I?" "Shut your mouth, asshole! You're lucky I don't blow your brains out right here and now." "If that's what you were ordered to do, you would have done it long ago. What do you want with me?" "I don't want anything from you. If it were up to me, I would have let your sorry ass go already." "What are you waiting for?" The man just looked down at the ground and shook his head. His voice became a little softer and his stiff demeanor lost some of its edge. "Can't tell you that." "Why? What difference does it make? It doesn't look like you're too thrilled to be a part of whatever it is they're doing." "I'm NOT a part of what they're doing!! I just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time! I don't agree with any of it!!" "You don't agree with what? What are they doing?" "No! I can't tell you!!! I want to, but they'll know - they'll find out somehow." "I'm obviously in no position to tell anyone anything. Why don't you just tell me what you know." "I can't." The voice was almost a whisper now. "Look, this is almost over. I should be able to let you go soon." "Yeah, and then what? I get hunted down like an animal for what I've supposedly done?" "That's the plan." "Who's giving you these orders?" "I don't know his name. All I know is he told me it was either you or me." "I had gotten too close again, hadn't I?" "Too close to what?" "The truth!" "What are you..." "Of course! This son of a bitch knows what I found the other night. He knows what I found and knows what I had planned to do with it. Damnit! I never should have called that meeting with Skinner." Skinner...could he have? Skinner and Scully were the only two people who knew something was up. "What have you done over the last few days?" The man looked away from Mulder's eyes. "Please tell me exactly what you did when you were...well, when you were me. You said you killed Diana Fowley?" The man nodded. "What else?" The one person he wanted the most to ask about was the one name he couldn't force himself to say. The man pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and threw it down in front of Mulder. Without another word, he left. Mulder strained to reach the paper that was on the floor next to him. When he finally reached it, he saw 4 names...Diana Fowley, Walter Skinner, Teena Mulder and Dana Scully. All the names were crossed off the list - except for Scully. A wave of hope washed over him as he saw her name. Was she still alive or did he just forget to cross her name off? He couldn't think straight anymore. His mother was dead? Skinner? Diana? Possibly Scully? All the people who meant anything to him were quite possibly gone. And supposedly, HE had killed them. Even if he got out of this warehouse, or wherever he was, how would he be able to do anything about any of this? The police would be scouring every inch of D.C. for him. After all, he had killed 2 - maybe 3 - FBI agents. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to comprehend all of the information he'd just been given. All he wanted to do was curl up into a corner and lose himself in the blackness of the warehouse, but he knew neither one of those things were possible. He laid his head back on the cold, damp floor and wept. He wept for Scully, he wept for his mother, he wept for what his life would soon become, but mostly he wept for Scully. The man holding Mulder captive had gone out to take a walk. He had to clear his head somehow. This was supposed to be so easy - kidnap Mulder, take his form, kill four people, and let him go. His debt would finally be repaid. He had risked exposing the project a few years back and he knew he'd pay for it someday. But this wasn't in his nature. He wasn't used to killing people. He wasn't used to ruining other people's lives. Yet that's exactly what he had done. Three people were dead at his hands. But he hadn't had a choice! Kill these people or be killed himself. "How do I know they're not going to kill me anyway?" He knew these people better than that. They had no feelings. No souls. They cared about one thing and one thing only - the project. Maybe they'd kill him no matter what. Mulder didn't deserve this. His life was going to be ruined by the things he had done. And for what? Mulder had only found one tiny piece of what was really out there for him to find. CGB Spender had said it was only a matter of time before he found more. They almost had him beat down to the point of giving up a while back, but Mulder had bounced back. He was suddenly reinvested in his beliefs, his passion. He had always liked Mulder - always respected him. People constantly ridiculed him - tried to make him feel that his beliefs were wrong. When he learned he would have to destroy Mulder to save his own life, he felt awful. He had been watching Mulder and Scully for 6 years along with the other members of the project. Mulder's passion and obsession never ceased to amaze him. He had to do something. He couldn't let this man's life be ruined. Maybe that's why he couldn't go through with killing Scully. He had gone to her apartment to do just that. But he just couldn't. He knew Mulder was nothing without her - he'd never recover from losing her. 3:30 a.m. Dana Scully's Apartment After spending time with the Lone Gunmen trying to figure this whole thing out, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to get away from everything and everyone and get her thoughts together. Maybe it was Mulder doing all these things. Maybe he had finally gone over the edge. She heard a knock on her door. It was 3:30 in the morning! The only person she'd ever known to pay visits at this hour was..."Mulder?" When she looked through the peephole, she saw a blond man she'd never seen before. "Who is it?" "Ms. Scully. I need to talk to you about your partner. Can I please come in? Or...wait, you don't have to let me in. I know you don't know me, just please come out in the hall. It's urgent that I speak with you right away." "Just a minute." Scully tied her robe closed and got her gun off the table. She made sure it was loaded and ready to fire before opening the door. She opened the door with extreme caution and pointed her gun directly at the man's head. "Who are you? What do you want?" "Ms. Scully, please don't be frightened. I'm not here to hurt you. I hurt you the other night, and for that I truly am sorry." "What are you talking about?" "Dana, I'm sorry." Her hands were visibly shaking as she still held the gun to his head. "Who are you?" "That's not important, Dana. What is important is that your partner didn't kill anyone. He didn't rape you the other night. He's been locked up in an abandoned warehouse for the last few days." "Why are you telling me all of this?" "Because I don't think your partner should suffer for the small piece of evidence he found the other night." "How do you know about that?" "I know a lot about you and Agent Mulder. I can't tell you anymore than that." "Then why are you here?" "Because I wanted you to see this." Scully's eyes widened and she almost lost her grip on the gun. She recovered slightly only to realize that she was now holding a gun on her partner. Her lips began to move, but no sound was coming out of them. "Mulder needs your help, Dana. He needs your help because of me - because of all the horrible things I've done over the last couple of days. I'm sorry for what I have done, and even sorrier that an innocent man is going to get blamed for all of it." "But you...you can help him." He chuckled as she said it. "I can't help him, Dana. Only you can do that. I truly am sorry for what I did to you last night. You were right to think your partner could never do that to you - he didn't." With that, he changed back into the blond stranger he'd been before she opened the door. "Help him, Dana. Believe what he tells you." He began to walk away from her. She knew she should stop him, hold him here, make him take her to him. "Wait! Where is he?!" "You'll see him soon enough." 4:00 a.m. Mulder was still lying on the floor staring up at the ceiling. The tears had stopped, but his mind still focused on her. He had turned both of their lives into a living hell. He had been nothing but trouble for her since the day they'd met. Poor Scully had been through so much in the last six years. She'd been abducted, battled cancer, put her life on the line more times than he could even remember. And for what? To help him prove the existence of aliens? The quest for finding little green men. That's what his life had become. How pathetic. He was no further along in his quest now than he'd been when he met her. Sure, he'd seen things, discovered bits and pieces here and there, but what good was it? He didn't have anywhere near the proof he needed to expose anything. The last six years had been one lie after another. Every time he got close to something, it was ripped away from him. He couldn't keep his thoughts from coming back to her. He'd give up everything right now if he could just see her again. Hold her close to him, apologize for being such an ass, beg for her forgiveness. Tell her how much he adored her. Yeah, right. I'm sorry for killing three people and raping you. Oh by the way, I'm in love with you. Scully had forgiven him so many times. Not this time, though...if she was even still alive. To be continued in Part 5... From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 5 of 8 Disclaimer and other info in Part 1 6:00 a.m. Mulder had finally been able to fall asleep. Pure exhaustion had overtaken him after the physical and emotional hell he had been through for the last few days. He didn't dream - he was too tired to dream. The sound of ten police officers busting through the door to the warehouse wasn't even enough to awaken him from the darkness that had swallowed him. "Agent Mulder - don't move! You are under arrest!" The figure on the floor didn't move. "Agent Mulder!?" The officers leaned over him to see if he was alive or dead. He was alive all right. Mulder finally awoke to find three uniformed police officers standing over him. Three service weapons were pointed at various parts of his body. "Get on your feet." "Well, I'd love to, but if you take a look at my hands and feet, you'll see that I'm unable to." "Sir?" "I'm kind of chained to the..." Mulder lifted his right hand and was surprised to feel that the shackles had been removed. They were off both of his hands and his feet. "What the..." "I'll say this one more time, Agent Mulder. Get up on your feet - slowly." Pain coarsed through his body as he rose to his feet. His head began to spin and he thought for sure he was going to pass out. "Up against the wall. Let's go. Slowly...there are ten officers here watching your every move. Don't try anything." The officer speaking to him proceeded to frisk him and found no weapon on him. "I've got something up here!" An officer had ascended the stairs to find a makeshift bedroom along with three handguns and a rifle. An officer grabbed Mulder's shoulder, turned him around and led him out the door into a waiting squad car. Mulder said nothing as he was read his rights and continued with his silence during the ride to the police station. Once there, he was photographed, fingerprinted, strip searched and given an orange convict's uniform to put on. Other prisoners hollored obscenities, threats, compliments...anything one could think of at him as he was escorted to cell #1121. The door slammed shut behind him as he looked around at his small, dirty, dark cell. He didn't even want to think about where that smell was coming from or what was causing it. "Hey pretty boy, what'd they get you for?" Mulder looked over to the next cell to put a face with the voice. "I didn't do anything." "Yeah, that's what all the newbies say. Piece of advice - liars aren't taken well here. Murderers get a certain amount of respect - the amount depends on who you killed. Robberies get pretty much ignored. Rapists get raped themselves. But liars aren't tolerated. Got it?" "Yeah." The man speaking to him was a little taller than him, he had short dark hair and about 3-days worth of scruff on his face. "So I'll ask you again. What'd they get you for?" "I supposedly murdered 2, maybe 3 people." "Yeah?" His fellow prisoner seemed rather impressed. "So, did you lose count between one and three, or you just can't remember?" Mulder said nothing. "Yeah all right. I get it. Pretty boy don't wanna talk to me. You'll learn soon enough. You make friends with the right people and you're golden. You make enemies with the wrong ones, you're toast. I could help you fit in here, but not if you're too fuckin' good to talk to me." Mulder lowered himself onto the cot that was to be his bed for God knows how long. He was silent as he studied the floor. "Watch yourself. A guy like you is bound to become somebody's bitch in here." Yeah that's just what he wanted to hear right now. He figured he'd better get used to this. All the evidence must be pointing right at him. That blond son of a bitch had told him that his fingerprints were found all over the first murder scene. Why would any of the others be different? None of this even seemed to matter much to him anyway. Only one thought was going through his mind. Scully. Is she alive or dead? If she's alive, would she believe him? Stand by him yet again? Defend him after what "he" had done to her? xxxxx Scully had gotten the call at 8:00 that morning. They had found and arrested Mulder. Was it actually Mulder, or was it one of the seemingly endless people who could look like Mulder whenever they wanted to? She supposed it must actually be him. No one in their right mind would take his form out in public right now. If the real Mulder could transform himself into someone else, he would have done it by now as well. As she drove to the prison where her partner was being held, she couldn't help but think about the rape. It was him - his face - his body - his eyes...God those eyes. That's all she could look at while he was raping her. Those beautiful eyes of his. Usually so serious, his eyes had an excitement in them while he was having sex with her. She'd seen them twinkle sometimes - when he was teasing her or making one of his wry jokes. But when he was raping her, there was a definite excitement she'd never seen before. "How can I ever look into those eyes again after all this?" xxxxxx She was escorted down a cold dreary hallway and told to take a seat behind the glass. God this place was awful. She'd seen the inside of prisons countless times before, but this seemed to be the worst of them. Cold cement floors, walls and ceilings surrounded her. The place was dirty, walls were cracked, and she forced herself no to think about the horrors that went on further inside the prison. She probably had seen worse places than this in her years as an investigator, but now he was trapped inside. The man she'd come to care about so deeply was a prisoner within these walls. That's why this place seemed so horrible to her. It wasn't the structure itself or the dirt or the rotten smell that seeped through the walls and threatened to make her throw up the bagel she'd eaten earlier. It was the fact that Mulder was here, and she somehow had to get him out of here. The prosecution had so much evidence she couldn't see how a trial would even be necessary. Countless eye witnesses. His fingerprints on the two murder weapons. They had no evidence against him for what happened to Skinner, but she was sure that was only a matter of time. She herself had allowed the semen and hairs left behind to be taken off of her as evidence against him. God how could she have been so stupid? It seemed like the right thing to do at the time - he had obviously been out of his mind and needed help. Now her reaction felt like the ultimate betrayal to the man she had put all of her trust in for so many years. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two figures approaching her. She could see that one wore a police uniform and the other wore an orange prisoner's uniform. Her eyes fixated on the figure in orange - his feet were bound together with shackles and chains. His hands were cuffed in front of him. He stood in front of her for a moment, but she was unable to look any further than his hands. The figure sat in front of her and she had to look away from him. She couldn't look at his face, couldn't face his stare. His fingers reached up and tapped at the glass. She took a deep breath and told herself that this was not the man who was in her apartment the other night. Her gaze turned to face his. She stopped herself before looking into his eyes - she didn't need to look there to figure out he was trying to get her to pick up the phone that was to her left. The receiver was cold against her ear and she had to fight the urge to drop it and run - run as far away from him as possible. "Scully?" That voice sent shivers up and down her spine. Her stomach was doing somersaults and her skin was crawling with fear and anger. That was the voice from the other night. 'I've been wanting this for so long. You're not going anywhere...' "Scully are you...he told me he'd..." Her eyes never left his chest. She couldn't make them go any higher. "He told me you were dead. I thought I had lost you." "I'm fine." Yeah right. That's what she always told him. I'm fine Mulder. How many times had he heard that over the last six years? "If you're fine why can't you look at me?" "I am looking at you." "Scully please..." Her eyes still never left his chest. "I can imagine what you must be feeling right now Scully. He told me that he ra...told me what he did to you." Scully just nodded her head slightly and brushed a tear away from her right eye. "God Scully. It wasn't me. I would never do something like that to you. You have to know that. I would never do anything at all to hurt you. Never." Another slight nod of her head. "Scully please look at me." Her insides trembled and her mind screamed at her to look away and run as fast as she could. At the same time her heart was telling her to look into his eyes. The truth about this whole ordeal was in those beautiful eyes of his. Those eyes can't lie, not where she's concerned anyway. After all the times he's protected you, been there for you when you needed him, swore revenge on anyone who threatened to hurt you...it couldn't have been him. His heart shattered when her gaze finally met his. He'd never seen so much pain, confusion and terror in them before. He was actually grateful when more tears began to well up - they at least partially covered the hurt and betrayal that lay within her. Christ he hated to see her cry, but he guessed it was better than having the cold stare of anger piercing through him. That was what he'd been most afraid of when he learned she was still alive. The anger at what he had done to her might be too much for either one of them. "Scully I'm sorry. Sorry that you had to go through what you did. I'm sorry for what he did to you. But it wasn't me. Do you understand that?" Her eyes had found their way back down to his chest as he spoke to her. All she could manage was another nod to tell him she understood. "Scully you have to believe me. I can't make it in here if I don't have your trust." "I believe you Mulder." The words were barely even audible. "He showed me." "Showed you what?" "Last night. He came to my apartment and he...he changed into you right in front of me." "You know the truth then. You saw it with your own eyes." "Yes Mulder I know the truth." There was an edge in her voice now as she got louder. "I know the truth, but that doesn't make this any easier. He was you when he raped me. He was you. He looked like you. He had your voice. He smelled like you. He...he...felt like you! I can't even look at you without thinking about what you...what he did to me!" Mulder couldn't find the words to combat what she was saying to him. Of course she'd feel this way. How could he expect her not to? All the trust she'd put into him over the last six years had been, for now, wiped away with one act. It must have felt like the end of the world to her that night. The ultimate betrayal of trust had been committed by the one person who always told her she could trust him with anything. She had admitted him into her home most likely without a second thought, opened her door to the terror that was about to fall upon her. Tears streamed down his face as his entire body screamed to reach out to her. If he could just hold her, stroke her hair, kiss the tears away from her face. His body began to convulse when he realized she would have had to push him away. She wouldn't have been able to let him touch her right now. The tears came quicker now as he imagined her cringing at his loving touch. Through his tears he was barely able to see her shadow rising before him. "Mulder I can't do this right now." "Scully please don't..." "I'm sorry. I just can't." She hung up the phone and turned away from him. The guard standing watch behind her put his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the room. He threw the phone down and stood up so forcefully that his chair crashed onto the cement floor behind him."SCULLY!" She hesitated for a second. The glass that separated them should have blocked the sound of his voice, but she had heard it. She had heard the pain and desparation as he called her name. She didn't look back. She couldn't. The guard applied more pressure with his hand, and she exited the room. "SCULLY!! GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!! SCULLY!!! SCULLY!" His face was met with the cold damp of the floor as another guard came up behind him and threw him to the floor. Mulder struggled violently to get out of the guard's grasp, but it was no use. The guard outweighed him by a good margin and the fact that his hands and feet were shackled together didn't help either. He was escorted back to his cell with guards on either side of him. Sneering and snickering came from every cell they passed, but Mulder didn't even notice. "What's wrong pretty boy? You're momma leave you here all alone?" "Come in here baby. I'll make you feel better." "I'll give you something to cry about, big boy." The guards who were holding Mulder did nothing to try and stop the remarks. They were actually enjoying it. The big FBI man wasn't so tough in here now was he? He was thrown back into his cell with a force that made him stumble and almost fall into the back wall. The guards didn't remove the cuffs on his hands or his feet. The taller one gave the door a good slam and took one last look at the prisoner. "You better watch your back shithead." xxxxx Scully had sat in her car for an hour before she was able to regain her composure enough to drive herself safely home. Home. Yeah right. She couldn't go back there. That's where it had all happened. The couch she had been sitting on when he knocked on the door. The peephole she had seen him through. The doorknob she had turned to let him in. The chair he had sat in. Her bedroom. Her bed where he had... The half empty glass of water he had asked her for that night still sat on one of her tables. She couldn't bear to touch it. It was the last thing he had touched before... A car horn sounding pulled hour out of her thoughts. As she came back to reality, she realized she had just run a stop sign - luckily it was a four-way stop or that other car might not have stopped in time. Okay, she had to stop driving before she killed herself, but where could she go? She certainly couldn't go home. She could go to her mom's - it wasn't too far away. Then she'd have to tell her though. She'd have to tell her that Mulder had raped her. Damnit Dana!! You HAVE to quit saying that! MULDER did not rape you! It was NOT him!! God, she couldn't go to her mom's. She couldn't face telling anyone what had happened. A hotel? Yeah there were plenty to choose from around here, but...she didn't want to be alone. Couldn't face being alone was more like it. She'd end up going crazy alone in a hotel room. She could go to Skinner's apartment. He would understand - let her stay there - talk... Oh my God. The realization hit her like a punch in the stomach. Skinner was dead. Their superior officer, their ally, their friend, had been killed and she hadn't really even thought twice about it. Too many other things had been whirling around in her head and she hadn't even taken the time to even think about Skinner, much less mourn for him. She silently wondered if she'd missed his funeral. xxxxx "Well, well, well. Two visits in one week. We'll have to get Mulder in trouble more often." "Can I come in Frohike?" "Of course you can. Our door is always open for a beautiful woman like yourself." Scully sat down on the couch and sighed. Frohike sat down beside her and finally noticed the swelling and puffiness around her eyes and the pain eminating from there. "Scully I'm sorry. I know this must be very hard for you." Under normal circumstances, she would have cringed and threw him off the couch, but these were no ordinary circumstances. His arm around her shoulders actually offered the comfort she was so desperately seeking. She laid her left cheek on his shoulder and felt him stiffen as she did so. "Calm down Frohike. I'm not putting the moves on you." "Well a man can dream, can't he?" A smile crossed her lips and a small laugh was threatening to escape her mouth. How could she laugh at a time like this? She had never felt so lost or alone or helpless. And Mulder. God she couldn't bear to think of what might be happening behind those cold cement walls right now. She heard footsteps entering the room from behind them. "Scully! Where's Mulder?" "They found him this morning. He is in jail." "What? But he didn't do..." "Langley I know that and you know that, but that doesn't change the fact that his fingerprints were found on the murder weapons and multiple eye witnesses place him at the scene of the crimes." "You're one of those eye witnesses aren't you?" Frohike bolted off the couch and took a few steps toward Langley. "That's just about the shittiest thing you could have said to her! Why don't you use your head every once in a while? Or does that blond mop of yours prohibit common sense from leaking through?!" "Frohike, it's okay. He's right. I'm one of the people who put Mulder where he is right now. It seemed like the right thing to do when I was doing it, but now..." "Do you know for sure it wasn't him?" Scully let another heavy sigh escape from her lips before she continued. "Yes. A man came to my apartment last night and took Mulder's form right before my eyes. He told me he was sorry for what he had done to me and to believe what my partner told me." "Why? Why would he have done that?! He came to your apartment and admitted that he was the one who raped you (shit, he didn't mean to say that word out loud) and killed those other people and then just walked away?! That doesn't make any sense!!" "I don't think he wanted to do any of the things he did. I think he was being forced to do it by someone else." "Who?" "That I don't know Byers. But it was obviously someone who wants to see Mulder go down." xxxxx From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 6 of 8 Disclaimer and Summary in Part 1 The prison had gone silent - most everyone was asleep except for him. It felt like it was about midnight, but he had no way of knowing for sure. It was hard for him to believe that he'd been here for less than a day. It felt like years since he had seen Scully, but in reality it had only been about 14 hours ago. His thoughts were filled with visions of her. He found himself thinking about all they had been through - not necessarily the big things that had happened. No he was focusing on the little things, those short stolen moments in time that told him they'd be together forever. He remembered the first case they had ever been on together. She had come to him, terrified by those bumps she'd found on her lower back. They'd known each other for such a short time, but she must have had a sense of trust in him from the first day. She had dropped her robe down to her knees and stood there before him in nothing but a bra and panties. After he'd convinced her that they were mosquito bites and nothing more, she had stayed and listen to him ramble about his beliefs, his sister, his life. He remembered her singing to him when they were stranded in the woods. His head cradled in her lap, her arms wrapped around him to try and keep him warm. He'd asked her to sing so he'd know she was awake. She had a terrible singing voice, but to him, Joy to the World had never sounded so good. He remembered her admission to him in the hospital after she had suspected he'd betrayed her. The coil that had been put into the cable wires had subjected the viewer to hallucinations that brought to life their greatest fear. Scully's greatest fear had in fact, been his betrayal. Scully's greatest fear had come true. It hadn't been him, but... All the little moments of the last six years were flashing before his eyes. The stolen glances, the brush of her hand against his, the slight hint of a smile when he was flirting with her, the arch of her eyebrow as he was explaining one of his bizarre theories. The feel of her lips against his forehead. A huge smile crossed his face as he again heard her say those words to him. She'd only said it to him once, but he was certain she had thought it hundreds of times. What was that one for? Something about cockroaches mortally attacking people? Well it was probably something like that anyway. He'd surely spend the rest of his life in prison. She would have to move on with her life without him. Actually, she might not ever be able to face him again. Those eyes from this morning came back to haunt him. He had seen a lot of emotions in those eyes over the years, but he'd never seen anything quite like that. What if this truly was the end? The end of our partnership, our friendship? The end of us? xxxxx The next morning - 9:00 a.m. "Should we wake her?" "It is 9:00 already." "She'll probably be mad we let her sleep this long." "Okay, you wake her up." "No way Byers! You do it!" "Come on Langley. She won't get mad when she sees you." "Yeah huh! I'm not doing it!" "Hey! Neither one of you has to do it. I'm awake okay? Your arguing was enough!" "Sorry Scully." "Why were you guys so afraid to wake me up anyway?" "Well Mulder...uh..." Scully arched her eyebrow. "Mulder what?" "He kind of told us once that you, uh, aren't exactly always in the...best mood in the morning." "Oh he did, did he?" "Anyway Scully, it's 9:00. We thought..." "9:00! I've got to get home and shower. I'm already an hour late for work!" "Scully, I don't think anyone you work with is really going to care that you're late." "Yeah I suppose you're right. I should call Skinner though." Damnit! She was doing it again. "I mean, uh, jeez I don't even know who to call. Doesn't matter - I still have to go." "Send him our best Scully." "I will Byers. Thanks for the hospitality." "Anytime. I know if Frohike were still here, he'd say the same thing." "Yeah I'm sure he would too." Mulder. God he must be feeling like the end of the world is upon him. Now that she'd finally gotten some sleep, she couldn't believe what had transpired between them yesterday. That had to have been the last thing he needed. Of course it wasn't him who had hurt her. She'd seen that for herself - the bastard who had done it had revealed that fact to her. She had to get to the prison and apologize. She had to figure out a way to get him out of there. He was being held without bail. Being held on suspicion of three murders will do that - especially when one of them was an Assistant Director at the FBI. xxxxx "Hey! On your feet!" "What for? You busting me out?" "You've got a visitor smartass." "Who?" "Some redhead. I don't know who she is." Scully. Thank God. Hopefully things would go a tad better today. The cuffs that held his feet and his hands hadn't been taken off of him since her visit yesterday. "Like to sleep in your cuffs?" "Yeah. It's a fuckin' pleasure. It made the sex I had last night much more exciting. I'd highly recommend it for the next time you're going solo." The guard chuckled a little bit as he shook his head. "No misbehaving today and I'll make sure they come off." "Gee thanks teach. If I'm really good can I stay and clean the erasers for you after class?" "You stupid son of a bitch. You might have been hot shit on the outside, but inside, you're the scum that I wipe off my shoes at night." "Yeah that's what my last date said to me." Mulder's mood soon changed when he saw her through the plexiglass window. As he walked over to her, he noticed her eyes - they didn't hold the same fear or anger they did yesterday. Normally he would have started out with a conjugal visit crack, but even he had more tact than that. "Scully." "I'm sorry Mulder. I'm so sorry." "You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand this must be hard for you." "Yes it is, but that still didn't give me the right to storm out of here yesterday. I think I just needed some time to clear my head." "A little clearer today?" "Yes. Somewhat anyway. The three stooges kept me company last night. Believe it or not, it helped." Now it was Mulder's turn to arch an eyebrow back at her. "Frohike must have been in heaven. Did he let you sleep with his Spiderman doll?" "Actually, I think it was Superman." "Ahhh, faster than a speeding bullet." Scully smiled and looked down at the table in front of her. "How are you holding up?" "It's not so bad. I miss my movie collection, but other than that, it's okay." "Mulder please don't joke with me. I'm serious." "I'm fine Scully. I don't want to spend the rest of my life here, but it doesn't look like I'll have much of a choice." "We'll get you out of here." "Don't worry about it. The guy next to me said I'm the prime candidate to become someone's...companion in here. So it sounds like I'll never be lonely." "Mulder." "Scully how are we ever going to prove that I didn't do these things? Eye witnesses, fingerprints, DNA matches." Oops, he instantly wished he could take that last one back. Tears began to well up in her eyes once again. "Mulder I'm so sorry about that. I thought I had to, I thought you had gone out of your mind. I thought you needed help - and I knew I'd need hard evidence to prove that to you." "That's a switch. I never thought I'd hear you say that to me of all people." "Yeah well I never did either, but I...I just didn't know what else to do." "It's okay Scully. You did what you thought you had to do to help me." "If I could take it back I would." "I know you would. But what's done is done and now I have to face the fact that I could be in here for the rest of my life." The tears were threatening to overtake her now. Her head dropped down and she was once again studying the filthy table before her. "Hey Scully." She glanced up and saw his hand pressed against the glass. Her hand instinctively went up to touch it. God she wanted to break down this stupid glass and hold him. Cradle his head in her hands and tell him it will be all right. She'd take care of him, wouldn't let anyone hurt him. "Scully, even without the evidence taken off of you, I'd still be in the same position. This is not your fault." "I know." Her voice cracked and the words came out as nothing more but a whisper. "What are we going to do?" "I don't know Mulder. I really just don't know." xxxxx "You let him go too soon." "Sir, I..." "No. You shut up and listen to me. You weren't supposed to let him go until Scully was dead." "But you said I wouldn't have to kill her." "I said you MIGHT not have to kill her if you could keep him believing that she was dead. There's a big difference. I assure you that by now he knows she's still alive. You know what that means?" "No sir." "It means he feels he still has something to live for, something to fight for. This whole thing was meant to destroy everything and everyone that meant anything to him!" "I apologize sir. I thought..." "DON'T THINK! That's MY responsibility. I am the brains behind this and you are simply a pawn I'm using in my game." The man paused to light yet another Morley. The smoke enshrouded his head, dancing and flying away from him quickly, as if it too was terrified of him. "We'll just have to get someone else to finish off Miss Scully." "I'll do it." "You were supposed to do it the first time and you failed. I'm not big on giving second chances." "Sir please, I'm begging you. I'll finish the job tonight." There was a long silence as the man thought about it. Most of his cigarette was gone before he again spoke. "Tonight. You finish off your job tonight. If you fail me again...I don't think I have to tell you what will happen." "No sir. I understand." xxxxx Scully's head was buried in a mound of paperwork when she heard the phone ring. "Scully." "Hello Dana." Oh God, she didn't want to deal with this right now. "Hi mom. How are you?" "Dana, I was just watching the news." Shit! She hadn't even thought about that. The wonderful world of the press must be all over this story. Special Agent Fox "Spooky" Mulder Goes on Killing Spree. "Yes?" "Well is it true?" "Is what true Mom?" "Dana! They're saying that Fox is in jail being charged with three murders and a rape!" Okay, deep breath. How is she ever going to explain this? "Mulder is in jail right now, but he didn't do anything." "They're saying they have witnesses and fingerprints! How could he not have done anything?" "Mom it's very complicated and it's a very long story. I doubt you'd believe me if I told it to you anyway." "Try me Dana. This is the same man you've spent every day for the last six years with. Forgive me for being concerned." "I assure you that he's completely innocent of everything he's being charged with." "Who did he assault?" "What do you mean?" "They're saying he raped someone. Who was it?!" "I don't know Mom." "Dana tell me. It wasn't...it wasn't...you was it?" "No it wasn't me." "Don't lie to me Dana. I know you better than that. You can't lie to me, you never could." "Mom this whole case is very complicated. I'm fine. Mulder didn't hurt me or anyone else." "Please tell me what's going on. I need to know." "You know I can't do that. I'm not allowed to discuss the details of cases with anyone. All I can tell you is that I'm fine, and I'm doing everything in my power to help get Mulder out of prison. He doesn't belong there. He's completely innocent of everything they're saying." xxxxx After she'd finally calmed her mom down somewhat, she again buried her head in the mound of paperwork. Eyewitness testimony, matching fingerprints, Mulder's service weapon found on Diana Fowley's floor. This was impossible. How would she even begin to try and clear his name? Her thoughts were once again interrupted by a knock on her door. "Probably just one of the three stooges. Frohike's probably missing me right about now." When she looked through the peephole, her knees almost buckled underneath her. She didn't think she'd ever see his face again. It was him, the man who had put Mulder in this position. She grabbed her gun and opened the door. She pointed her weapon directly at the blond man's chest. "What do you want?" "Miss Scully, please. I'm not here to hurt you." "Just like last time?" "I'm sorry for that. I had no choice in the matter. I had no choice in any of this." "Why are you here?" "Can I please come in?" "Walk very slowly and keep your hands where I can see them. Stand over against the wall with your hands up. Now I'll ask you one more time, what do you want?" "I want to help you and Mulder." Scully couldn't help but laugh in his face. "You've done so much to help us already. I don't know what more you could possibly do." "Look Dana, I'll be honest with you, I was sent here to finish the job." "You were sent here to kill me." "Yes I was. They were going to send someone else, but I managed to convince them that I could finish." "So what's stopping you?" "My conscience. Mulder doesn't deserve this and neither do you." "Now's a hell of a time for you to figure that out." "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused both of you. I know my words probably don't help much, but..." "You son of a bitch! How dare you come here after everything you've done and expect me to accept your apology!!" "I don't expect you to do that. I came here to help." "You expect me to believe that?" "I'm risking my life to help him. They'll know I didn't kill you. I'll be dead by tomorrow night. If that truth doesn't make you believe me I don't know what will." "Who are you working for? Why did they do this to him?" "I think you know Agent Scully. He needs Mulder on his side now or it's over for him. Most of the Consortium is dead, and he's trying to rebuild a network of people who can help him. Mulder used to be a harmless puppet, someone who fought so hard to expose those very things that would help them cover up the truth." "What are you talking about?" "Mulder used to be of help to this man. He helped to perpetuate the stories of alien abduction so the government could keep taking people. It's men like Mulder who helped the project for so many years - helped them cover up what was really happening. But now, after all that has happened, Mulder is a threat to him." "So why not just kill him?" "Too many people believe him now. Too many people would take Mulder's death as a signal that the things he fought so hard to uncover were true. Killing him would result in an army of Mulder-wannabe's." "God, these people." "He offered Mulder a deal once - when he killed the defense department employee who was spying on him. Complete immunity if he came and worked for him. Mulder obviously refused, and now...now the only option is to make sure Mulder loses his credibility and stays locked up for the rest of his life." "How can you help him?" "I have an idea, but I'm going to need your help to pull if off." To be continued in Part 7... From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 7 of 8 Disclaimer and other info in Part 1 xxxxx He figured something like this would happen, but he never imagined it would occur so soon. He had noticed a man twice his size eying him up and down in the shower. He looked around in the locker room and saw plenty of guards posted. That's when he felt someone behind him. "You're new here ain't ya?" "Too good to talk to me pretty boy?" He hadn't even had a chance to dry himself off - all he had on was a towel that he was now clutching around his hips. "Wanna have some fun with him now, or should we wait?" "Now sounds good to me." xxxxx As his cell door shut behind him, he reached over and gave it a good tug just to make sure it was shut. He tried not to think about what had just happened to him, but the images wouldn't stay out of his head. The towel was ripped from his body and thrown onto the floor. Guys came at him from each side, held his arms and bent him over. The other prisoners were cheering on his attackers. The guards had managed to break it up after a couple of minutes, but those minutes were forever scorched into his near-perfect memory. He collapsed on his mattress and turned onto his side. His knees came up to his chest and he buried his head between them as the tears poured down his cheeks. xxxxx Scully parked in the employee lot of the prison. Her companion had taken the form of a police officer. It was amazing to watch. One second, he had sported his own face and his own clothes. The next, his face and hair changed. The blue jeans and t-shirt he had been wearing were suddenly a police uniform. The disguise was perfect, right down to the service weapon and credentials he now carried. Scully gasped when she looked into the man's face. His features were very similar to Mulder's, but not exactly this time. He noticed the surprise in her eyes as she looked over at him. "I have to make sure he's able to pass back through security with the photo identification I am giving to him." Scully nodded and looked over at the building. "Don't worry. We'll get him out." "But then what? What kind of a life is he going to have?" "A better one than he'd have in there." "I guess you're right." "There's no other way, Agent Scully." "Let's go." xxxxx The clerk at the desk gave them a disgusted look as they walked toward him. "Little late for a visit isn't it?" "We're here to see Fox Mulder." "The prisoner's are locked down for the night. He'll still be here in the morning." "We're here on orders from the bureau. We need to question him about the death of Assistant Director Walter Skinner immediately." "You know, I took the night shift so I could take it a little easier for once." "So sorry to have disturbed you, but three people are dead, and we need answers." The guard sighed heavily before getting up to lead them to an interrogation room. "Have a seat. I'll have the prisoner brought in." The guard shut the door behind him and Scully looked nervously at her companion. "Are you sure this is going to work?" "It has to Agent Scully. There's no other way to get him out of here." xxxxx Two guards shoved Mulder into the room and stopped for just a moment to admire the redhead who was now standing in the far corner. "Knock on the door when you're done with him." The door slammed shut and Mulder stood before them. "Scully?" "Mulder we don't have much time." "Time for what?" "We have to get you out of here now." "I'd love to go with you Scully, but I think someone's going to notice a guy in a bright orange prisoner's uniform walking out the door." The officer spoke up. "It will be as if you never left." Mulder shot Scully a confused look and began to say something. "Just trust us Mulder. Just do what he says." "Take your clothes off." "Don't I at least get dinner first?" The officer frowned at him and suddenly Mulder realized just how much the face he was staring at resembled his own. "Mulder, please just do what he says. We know what we're doing." The officer began removing his clothes while Mulder did the same. Scully stared silently at the floor as the two men finished exchanging uniforms. "You should be able to pass back through with the identification I've given you. You look enough like the man in that picture to pass by night security." "What about you?" With that, the man's features changed just slightly and Mulder found himself looking at his mirror image. The realization dawned on him and he felt like he'd just been punched in the stomach. The guy who had come to help him was the same one who had held him prisoner not so long ago. "Why? After everything you did to put me in this position...why help me now?" "Agent Mulder, we've all done things for the wrong reasons at some point in our lives. I didn't kill those people or hurt your partner because I wanted to. You know these people as well as I do, and at the time I thought it was what I had to do to save my own life. I realized that I would rather live whatever might be left of my life knowing that I did something to correct the evils I had committed." "Who exactly sent you to do this to me?" "I think you know that." "I want names. I want to know where I can find these bastards." "Mulder, it's not important anymore. We need to go." "How can you say it's not important Scully?! My mother is dead, Diana and Skinner are dead. Are you going to let them all die in vain?" "Mr. Mulder, your partner is right. You need to go now." "Go where? Leave here so I can be hunted like an animal for the rest of my life?" "The choice is yours Mr. Mulder. Go now and disappear into the woodwork, or stay here and live the rest of your life in prison for crimes you didn't commit." Mulder turned to face his partner. He knew her eyes would tell him what he needed to know. Her eyes would always lead him home. "Come on Mulder. We have to go." They turned and Scully was about to knock on the door signaling the guard to let them out when Mulder reached for her hand and stopped her. He turned to face himself. "What about you?" "I'll be fine. Go." "But..." "It's not your concern Mr. Mulder. I will stay here for a few weeks to give you some time to disappear. Once those few weeks are up, I'll have no trouble getting out of here. Choose your new identity and location carefully and keep a low profile. If they sense no further danger from you, they will not come looking for you. Go now and don't look back...ever." A small smile creeped across Mulder's face. "Careful in the shower. Some of the boys have taken a liking to you here." "Thanks for the warning. I imagine it's tough being tall, dark and handsome in a place like this." "Hell, it's tough anywhere you go." xxxxx They passed by the security desk without incident. The clerk on duty barely even looked up at them as he reached for the buzzer that would unlock the door to the outside world. The pair hurried through the parking lot towards Scully's car and sped off into the cold DC evening. Neither one of them spoke for what seemed like an eternity. "Hey Scully?" "Yeah?" "Thank you." "You're welcome. I couldn't leave you in that place." "No I mean, thank you for...for believing in me even after...what happened." Scully took one hand off the steering wheel and intertwined her fingers with his. "I'm just sorry that I thought it was you even for a second." "I'd never do that to you." "I know you wouldn't." "So what's next?" "I used my key to your apartment and packed a suitcase for you. I got you a plane ticket to Toronto. I thought it was best to get you out of the country." Her voice suddenly became very soft. "I guess you'll have to figure it out from there." "I'll have to figure it out?" "Yes. I suggest heading as far north into Canada as you can. And please keep in mind what he said back there - keep a low profile and don't cause any trouble. You'll be fine." "So that's it?" "Mulder..." "I don't...I can't..." "You can't continue your quest Mulder. Every law enforcement officer in the country will be looking for you once *you* escape from prison. The X-Files are going to have to be a thing of the past. I'm sorry." "I'm not talking about the X-Files." "You're not?" "No. I'm talking about you. I don't want to...lose you Scully. I can't lose you." "Mul..." She couldn't even get the second syllable out because of the lump that was suddenly caught in her throat. Tears began to stream down her face with such force she had to pull the car over before she accidentally killed them both. He reached over and pulled her as close to him as he could. His fingers gently stroked her hair as she sobbed in his arms. "Come with me Scully. Please." Tears were rolling heavy down his cheeks now as he held onto her for dear life. Thoughts were swirling madly through her head - her mother, her brothers, nieces and nephews. She'd never be able to see any of them again. Her career would be gone - not that she would have returned to the Bureau without him anyway. A new identity, a new life, a second chance... "Why?" Mulder leaned back slightly and cupped her face in his hands. He pushed her chin up and forced her to look at him. The desperation she saw in his eyes almost tore her apart. Her head was screaming at her to get out of the car and run as fast and as far away as she possibly could, but her heart was telling her that this was right. "Why do you want me to come with you Mulder? I need to know." "I can't exist without you Scully. I'd rather spend every day of the rest of my life in a cold dark prison cell and see you once a year than never see you again." "Oh God Mulder." "You're my life Scully. You're the one and only thing that keeps me going. I'd never needed anyone in my life until I met you." "Mulder I don't know what to say." "All you have to say is that you'll come with me. Please Scully. I can't do this without you. I...I love you." Scully leaned over and kissed the burning hot tears off of her partner's face. Without a word, she leaned back into the driver's seat and put the car in gear. "Where are we going?" "Georgetown. I can't very well fly to Toronto empty-handed, now can I?" xxxxx To be concluded in Part 8... 7From: Amy McClure Strangers - Part 8 of 8 Disclaimer and other info in Part 1 June 23, 2004 Shelly Stevens sat on the front porch and smiled as she saw her husband's car pull up in the driveway. Even at 43, he was still stunningly handsome. His hair had grayed slightly, but the top still parted and fell beautifully to the sides of his forehead. His body was still lean and muscular from the swimming and jogging he still partook in. "Hey hon." "Mmmm...come here you." She stood and held her arms out to the magnificent man walking towards her. "You've really got to quit working so late Matthew." "Miss me?" "I always miss you when you're not around." He chuckled as he cradled his beautiful redhead in his arms. "Yeah right. Those rugrats you take care of all day must keep you too busy to miss me." True, the day care center she ran out of their home was more than enough to keep her occupied while he was gone. "No one could keep me too busy to miss you." God if someone had told him five years ago that he'd be happy pusing papers at a real estate office, he would have told them they were crazier than he was. It wasn't all bad though, some of the houses his company was trying to unload were rumored to be haunted by the tortured souls who used to occupy them. She seemed happy with their life as well. It wasn't quite the "normal life" she had once told him she wanted, but it was closer than what they had before. He'd never seen her as someone who'd be happy staying at home, but taking care of kids seemed to make it okay for her. They were never able to have their own, and they'd feared that an adoption would raise too many questions they wouldn't have been able to answer. The lives they had once led were, in effect, completely erased. Neither of them ever really spoke of the years they had spent together chasing aliens, mutants and liver-eating psychopaths. Too many questions had been left unanswered, too many people had been left unpunished, and it hurt both of them to think about the unfinished work they had left behind. Matthew had no family to speak of, other than Shelly, and that made his transition a little easier than hers had been. She still spoke of her mother from time to time. He knew it had hurt her very deeply to leave without ever really saying goodbye. A quick letter thrown in the mail before they had left her Georgetown apartment was all she'd had time for. `Mom, I'm sorry to do this. I'm sorry I can't be with you as I bid you my final farewell. In time I hope you will understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, and I hope that someday you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive me. I've been given a second chance at life and at love, and I have to take it. My only regret is that you will not be able to share in this life. It would be too dangerous for myself and for you. Please know that I love you and will miss you every day for the rest of my life. Love to Bill, Charlie and the rest of the family. God bless you. I love you more than words could ever say. Dana' They both knew they'd never be able to lead completely normal lives. Ghosts from the past haunted both of them each day, and they each found themselves constantly on guard. The smell of cigarette smoke still made them both stand at attention - expecting to see CGB Spender himself standing behind them laughing. They had spent the first three years moving around a lot - never staying in one spot long enough to be found. The last two years had been spent in the same house in a small town outside of Seattle, Washington. All the moving around didn't phase him at all. He'd feel at home in a cardboard box on the side of the street if she was there with him. "No dinner tonight?" "Do I look like Martha Stewart? I spent the day chasing five kids around." "Come on Martha. I'll take you someplace nice." "A place that doesn't have a drive-thru window please." "Scout's honor. Just as long as they have sunflower seeds on the menu." "Ha ha. I'm gonna go change." He reached out and touched her shoulder to stop her retreat from him. Damn if he didn't still feel electricity coarsing through his veins everytime he touched her. He lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "I love you Scully." "I love you Mulder." Strange how calling each other by their real last names had become the most intimate thing they could ever say to one another. Neither ever dared say those names too loudly, or for that matter, use them very often. She heard him flip the stereo on as she walked away from him and a grin crossed her face as she heard the familiar sound of her favorite song - Walking In Memphis. On her way to their bedroom, she thanked God for sending an angel to her and for giving them both a second chance. xxxxxxxxxx