From: md1016@aol.com (MD1016) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: New: The Way 1 Date: 7 Feb 1996 01:50:02 -0500 The Way By KMNAHILL@aol.com and MD1016@aol.com OK...here comes the usual legal stuff... get ready... This story is based on the characters and situations created by Chris Carter, The Fox Network and Ten Thirteen Productions. They are being used without permission, though no infringement is intended. All other contents are copywrited to the authors. The following work was submitted to the AOL EMXC recently, so if you're on that list you've already gotten this. And just so you know, it's coming in at just over 31,300 words which makes it about 75 pages, more or less. Lord only knows when this story was started (and it has since taken on a life of its own) but it takes place before Anasazi; before we knew about the implant, before other bad things happened - Melissa is still ALIVE. It is rated R for romantic situations (Mulder and Scully) and adultish content (nothing too graphic). You've been warned if you don't like this sort of thing! Please send comments to the authors (unless they are negative. Then you can just send them *all* to KMNAHILL) but be nice--it's our first time out and we're nervous. The Way What is in the end to be shrunk Must first be stretched. Whatever is to be weakened Must begin by being made strong. What is to be overthrown Must begin by being set up. He who would be a taker Must begin as a giver. This is called 'dimming' one's light. It is thus that the soft overcomes the hard And the weak, the strong. 'It is best to leave the fish down in his pool; Best to leave the State's sharpest weapons where none can see them.' Tao Te Ching J. Edgar Hoover Building Washington, D.C. The basement office in the J. Edgar Hoover Building seemed dimmer than usual that morning. Special Agent Fox Mulder sat behind his desk with his necktie askew and his sleeves partially rolled up. There was a file opened on his lap and a bag of sunflower seeds opened on the desk. As was his wont when working alone, there was a single lamp lit ; its light illuminating the pages. He wasn't really concentrating well on the task at hand, however, as his mind kept wandering to past cases he and Scully had worked on together. He hated it when Scully was away. Nothing seemed complete. He didn't want to explore the causes for this too deeply but he had his suspicions. He sighed, shutting his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. His daydreaming wasn't getting this case solved. After all, it wasn't his partner's fault that she was called back to Quantico for two weeks of refresher courses. It was odd that he hadn't heard from her though. Mulder looked up as the office door opened, then sat up as well, a grin spreading over his face. " So how was school?", he said as Dana Scully stood in the doorway. " I didn't expect you back until Monday." " You know Mulder, you are not personally responsible for the electric bill of the FBI. I really think they can afford a little more light." She flipped on a couple more switches, lighting the room to more conventional levels. This was a long standing argument. Mulder gave her his boyish smile, knowing that this was the expected response. He stood up and walked around the desk. He had a momentary impulse to hug her by way of welcome but suppressed it. " How was it?" he repeated. She turned away to hang her coat on the hook. She took a moment to pat her hair into place and then sighed. Mulder noticed the slight tremor in her hands. He took a step closer, frowning. She glanced at him, smiled briefly and moved away. She retreated to his chair behind the desk and sat down. " It was fine, Mulder. You know how these things are. Nothing really new." " So how come you're back early?" "As I said-- nothing new. I'm going to get some coffee." She practically jumped from the chair and hurried from the room. Mulder frowned after her again. Scully slowed down as she reached the hallway. She suspected that she had given herself away to Mulder. How could she not when she had run out of the office that way? She had to calm down. Nothing was happening. She *was* fine! There was nothing going on. As she poured her coffee, she noticed her hands. They were trembling again and it was getting worse. Everything was getting worse. She wasn't sleeping well. She was having nightmares; nothing that she could remember distinctly, but it was enough to wake her and leave her too frightened to go back to sleep. Her headaches were coming more frequently and this scared her as well. It was becoming increasingly obvious that the exercises that Melissa and she had been practicing weren't working as well anymore. Worse yet to Scully's thinking, her emotions were getting the better of her. She was losing control and Scully was a person who had always treasured her self-control. She had found herself actually yelling at an elderly neighbor who had irritated her. She apologized but the incident had left her shaking badly. When she'd gone to visit her mother during last weekend's break, she had cried uncontrollably when she looked at a picture of her late father. Her mother was seriously concerned and it had taken all of Scully's persuasion to convince her not to call "Fox". Mulder and her mother had become close while Scully was missing for those three months. NO!!! her mind screamed at her. I can't think about that! Nothing is happening now. Everything is fine. I'm just tired, that's all it is. And if it is something more, I'm doing all I can to make it right again. If only I could remember.... " Agent Scully, are you all right?", asked a young agent standing behind her. Dana jumped. She realized that she had been standing there, staring at her hands. " Yes, yes. I'm fine. Just thinking.", she mumbled to the agent and then hurried back to the office. If Scully had thought that her partner wouldn't have notice her strange behavior, she was wrong. Mulder looked even more concerned as she stepped into the office, without her coffee. " Scully are you sure you're OK? Maybe you should go home for the rest of the day, start fresh on Monday." Mulder tried to keep his voice neutral but failed dismally. " I'm fine, Mulder." God, how many times had he heard that line, Mulder thought. OK, maybe it was better if she stayed so he could keep an eye on her. Be there if she wanted to talk. " OK. Whatever you want to do," he replied. " Let me show you this case Skinner asked us to look at." They settled down and he began to brief her, occasionally glancing from the file to look at her face. Scully felt herself beginning to blush as he continued to talk. She was losing the thread of the conversation and his voice seemed to lull her into a reverie of random images. She felt so close to her partner. No, he was more than that, she thought idly. He was her friend. No, even more. What then? She looked up at him as he continued his reading. Why is he reading, she thought dreamingly, why aren't we doing what we've wanted to do for so long? A part of Dana's mind was trying to pull itself together, to put a stop to this dangerous train of thought. Something is wrong here, she thought, but she couldn't hold on to the warning. She was too busy studying his face. Mulder glanced up and was stopped by the look on Scully's face. She was staring but it was the something in her eyes that caused his heart to suddenly speed up. They were sitting next to each other and she was leaning over just a little too close. " Scully?" " Fox, " she answered and began to kiss him. It was a soft kiss, hardly more that a fleeting touch of her lips to his, as unreal as her dreams had been. Yet, it was filled with a kind of tenderness that only seems to occur in old romantic movies and she sighed as might a leading lady of the thirties. Mulder was stunned. He didn't move because of his surprise and because he was afraid they would both fall off their chairs if he did something precipitous. Mostly, he was stunned. The kiss was starting to become a bit more serious, weightier with reality, when Scully jerked away from him. " Oh, God! What am I doing? What's happening to me?" she moaned. Her face was flushed and her hands flew to her mouth to cover her embarrassment. " Mulder, I'm so sorry!" This time she did jump from the chair and literally flew from the office. Mulder didn't know how to react. He was always a little unsure of how to proceed when Scully lost her composure. It didn't happen often. What the Hell was going on! He couldn't answer that but he did know that his partner was in trouble. That was enough. He got up to follow her out of the room. Scully knew she should slow down. She was causing a commotion. Federal agents do not run down the corridors of a Federal building. But she couldn't stop. She kept repeating the scene which had just occurred between her and Mulder in her head. What had she done? Why? She had to get out, go home, figure all this out. There had to be a reason. It had to make sense, somehow. I have to remember! As she rounded a corner, she ran straight into the arms of Assistant Director Skinner. He had to hold her for a moment before she could regain her balance. "Agent Scully?" His voice indicated his surprise, as did his raised eyebrows. "What's going on here?" Dana jumped back. Her usual response of , "Nothing, sir," died on her lips. Obviously something was going on. She just couldn't figure out what it was. All she could do was look at the man who was sometimes friend, sometimes not. There was no escape. It was becoming to strong to fight. Dana suddenly knew what she had to do, it was the only way to stop it, stop them. Oh Missy, Scully thought, I hope I do this right. Just then, Mulder appeared around the same corner. He wasn't going as fast as Scully had been so he had time to stop before causing another accident. "What is going on here?" Skinner repeated, looking from one agent to another. He had just enough time for the look of worry on Mulder's face to register before Scully collapsed in his arms. ****************************** Agent Mulder sat in front of Assistant Director Skinner's desk with a distracted, worried frown on his face. He should be at the hospital. He needed to be there in case she woke up. He needed to be doing something. He sighed instead. This interview wasn't going well. There was little to tell Skinner and that frustrated both men. " Alright Agent Mulder, let's go over it again." Walter Skinner wasn't any happier than Mulder. He liked Agent Scully, thought her a definite asset to the Bureau, and a good person. She was good for Mulder as well. He didn't like mysteries. What had happened yesterday was a mystery. Scully was still unconscious for no discernible reason. Before that, she was behaving, to say the least, out of character. "Preliminary investigations report that orders had come through for her to go to Quantico for routine refresher training. We knew this," Mulder began, hardly glancing at the files in his hand. He had committed them to memory long ago. " Agent Scully attended her classes for the first four days as expected. No noticeable problems. Then her attendance had become more erratic. Her instructors had been told that she was on special assignment and that they should expect these absences. Further inquiries, however, revealed that no one could be sure where these instructions had originated. No one saw her during these unexplained assignments. She seems to have vanished off grounds." He paused to gather his thoughts and took a deep breath before continuing. "Several of her classmates and instructors verified that Scully was becoming more tense as time went on. She had been involved in a couple of arguments, nothing really major. She had reported on several occasions to the infirmary complaining of a severe headache. She told the base physician that she had been having difficulty sleeping. Since this wasn't a new complaint among agents involved in the strenuous classes the physician apparently passed off her symptoms as stress related, gave her some mild pain relievers, and told her to try and get more rest." He snorted his opinion of the base physician. "Continue, Agent Mulder," replied Skinner though he held the same opinion. "Two days before classes were scheduled to end, Scully packed her bags and left. Once again word came down that she was to be excused from further classes. No one can trace where that word came from. Until she arrived at FBI headquarters in Washington yesterday morning, Scully had had no contact with any known person." He stopped as he finished the official report. "That's all I know, sir. I wasn't expecting Scully until Monday. I hadn't talked with her since she had left." Mulder had told Skinner about her behavior when she had arrived in the office but not about the kiss. That was private. They would need to deal with that together. Skinner looked up from the notes he had been taking to study the man sitting before him. Mulder looked like shit if truth be told. He hadn't slept, probably hadn't been back to his apartment. There was something more that Mulder hadn't told him Skinner assessed but trusted that Mulder knew what he was doing. If anyone could find out what was going on, this man could do it. Technically, Mulder should not be involved with this investigation. He was too close to the situation to be objective. On paper, Mulder wouldn't be involved. In reality, Skinner knew how pointless in would be to tell Scully's partner to back away. He didn't even bother to try. " That will be all for now Agent Mulder. Report to the hospital and check on Agent Scully's status." Mulder stood and headed for the door. " Oh, and Agent Mulder, keep me informed." Mulder nodded. There was nothing more to say. Mulder was relieved. He was half afraid that Skinner would order him to stay away from Scully. By sending him to the hospital, he was giving Mulder tacit permission to continue his search for the truth. The problem was he didn't know where else to search. As Mulder walked down the hospital hallway towards Scully's room, he wasn't surprised to see Margaret Scully standing in corridor. She was waiting for him. She watched him approach as she had all those times they met while Scully was missing. She even had the same look on her face. "What happened to my daughter? ", her eyes seemed to say. There was never any blame in that look, just the question. That and the trust that he would find the answer. " Hello, Fox," Margaret said. She never called him Mulder. Mulder nodded. " How is she?", he asked, afraid of what answer he'd get. " About the same. The doctor just left but...", she left the sentence hang in midair. Again Mulder nodded, there was little need for words when he was with Margaret. He smiled to himself. Like mother, like daughter, he thought. Mulder opened the door to Scully's room and stopped. There stood Melissa, Scully's sister, holding a crystal over Dana's body. Mulder caught his breath. Memories flooded him. As he watched the tableau before him, his feelings of guilt and frustration overwhelmed him. Last time, Scully was dying. This couldn't be happening again. " Hello, Mulder. Come in and shut the door. I've been waiting for you." Melissa looked up and smiled briefly. She and Mulder had never really gotten along but they weren't enemies either. This was too important for past misunderstandings to interfere. She was used to people who held different beliefs and who were intolerant to hers. " She's not dying this time, at least not physically. This may be worse." " What do you mean by ' something worse'?", Mulder asked suspiciously. He had little patience for Melissa's crap right now. Melissa's gaze was steady and held his eyes. The silence between them lengthened. It was Mulder who looked away. He owed her. He may not believe in her methods, but he owed her a lot. Maybe it was time he listened to her. She noticed the shift in his stance, could follow his thoughts by watching the play in his eyes. Melissa was always amused by people who would label her "psychic". So much of her "talent" was nothing more than being quiet enough to listen to what was said and what was left unsaid. It was easy enough to fill in the blanks. The hard part was being quiet. Melissa drew that quiet around her now. She needed to focus on the man before her. He was the key to what was happening to Dana. Her sister had found her way home before. The cords which bound Dana to her family were strong but Melissa could almost see the silver links tying her to Mulder. How to make him understand? How to explain this in terms he could accept? Words were a limitation. Melissa slowed her breathing, reaching for calmness as she would for warm tea on a cold afternoon. While she acknowledged her impatience, she also realized it had no place in the current situation. It would only hamper her efforts. " Why don't we go somewhere and talk? Maybe I can explain," she said and tentatively held out her hand as if offering a truce. Mulder glanced at Scully, torn between wanting to stay and yet needing to do something. Finally he nodded and followed Melissa out the door. ************************** They met in a darkened room. One got the impression that light would only have mocked the conversation taking place. It was more appropriately held in the dark. They all wore finely tailored suits and didn't fidget with their ties. It was if they were in uniform. "Why isn't she reacting as planned?" asked the older man, his voice assuming the tone he used when addressing underlings. "That is not entirely clear, sir. Everything had seemed in order. The results of the preliminary tests were quite positive. We had initial resistance, of course, but we expected as much. We were able to re-establish linkage once we overcame her defenses. Nothing should have interfered at that point." This man was younger than the first, more unsure of his position, of his vulnerabilities. "It was a mistake. It was a mistake to send her back so soon. It was a mistake to send her back the first time! I've said that from the start." Although he spoke emphatically, the older man was smug that he was proved correct. "Separating her from Mulder was the best attack plan we had. He is less effective without her!" The third man in the room leaned forward out of the shadows. He slowly exhaled the cigarette smoke and smashed the butt into an overflowing tray. His action caught the attention of everyone else in the room. "Mistakes can be corrected." ****************************** It was a fine Spring day. One of the pleasures about this part of Washington is the number of little parks that dot the cityscape. They play havoc with traffic patterns but they were nice to have anyway. Mulder knew one such park, close to the hospital, and steered his companion towards it. The trees and bushes surrounding the bench gave an illusion of being in a quiet country setting. Even the noise from the city streets seemed muted. They were quiet as they left the hospital and the silence, as they walked to the park, had become a solid encasement which isolated them from each other as well as from passers-by. Those who witnessed their progress thought them a striking pair. Both tall and handsome, Mulder and Melissa gave the appearance of metropolitan chic. Their isolation added the aloofness that completed the picture. As Mulder seated her, he took a moment to study his partner's sister. He rarely saw Melissa. Of course he rarely saw anyone not related to work. There was little physical resemblance between Scully and her sister. He had assumed there were few similarities in other areas as well. Slowly, he began to revise this opinion. There was a strength of character, a willingness to stand by her beliefs, that allowed him to see Melissa differently. Could she know something? Was it really possible or was this wishful thinking? " Mulder have you ever heard of the Tao Te Ching?", Melissa finally asked. Of all the myriad of questions Mulder thought she would ask, of all the flaky statements she could make, Mulder was least prepared for this one. " Is this a pop quiz?" " No. The Tao Te Ching is a book of Chinese axioms, specifically describing the Tao, or The Way." Mulder could hear the capital letters in her voice. " The Way is a method of dealing with power by non-action, non- thought. The way of holding on to true power is by not holding on to it. More by giving it away. It talks about the illusion of dualistic thinking." Mulder started to shift impatiently. A discussion of Chinese philosophy wasn't what he had in mind. Again he was caught by her steady gaze and forced himself to calm down. " There's a quote that says,' Best to leave the State's sharpest weapons where none can see them'. Mulder, I think that someone is trying to use Dana. Turn her into a weapon. That's what she's fighting. You need to find the people doing this to her. You need to stop them." ***************************** There were lights, some bright, some shaded, with color and without. Voices murmured in her ear but they were indistinct. At times she thought she heard her name being called. She tried to answer, tried to respond, but couldn't remember how or why she should. If she focused, she could remember not to struggle, not to respond. What was it Melissa was trying to tell her, trying to explain? Action by non-action; being by not-being. Resist by not resisting. She felt as if she were floating. Nothing was solid around her so she couldn't claim to be in a room. She couldn't claim to be anywhere except here, now, in this time; and yet she felt as if she were everywhere. She was safe here but was alone. Something was missing. Or was it Someone? She couldn't remember but it seemed as if it was getting dark. She was suddenly afraid; afraid of being alone in the dark. Perhaps it was time. Dana wasn't sure but she had done as Melissa had suggested and it had worked. But she couldn't stay here forever. She needed to come to this place of refuge. It had been the only way. She wished she could have warned Mulder what was happening to her, what she feared they were doing to her but it had sounded foolish, paranoid. Unfortunately, there hadn't been time. Once she began piecing things together she knew she would need to act quickly. When she had kissed Mulder.... Dana shied from the thought, the feel of that kiss. That had been the signal that she was finally losing control. She had to leave. Perhaps it was now time to return. Dana began to marshal her strength and concentration. Her breathing deepened and she focused on the return of physical sensation. She could almost feel Mulder beside her. No, not Mulder! Someone else. Something was wrong. Suddenly the world around her exploded into fire and sound. She was lost. *********************************** Mulder could only stare at Melissa. Did she think he didn't know that there were people, nameless, hidden people that would like nothing better than to rid the world of Scully and himself? If he could find them, expose them he would. He started to get up. " Where are you going?", Melissa asked. " Back to the hospital. If I needed you to tell me what to do, I could have saved us this walk." " Oh sit down, Mulder! We don't have time for this. Now listen to me." Mulder sat down looking like a thunder cloud. He would give her two minutes to explain and that was it. He'd had enough. " About a month ago Dana came to see me." Melissa began. " I don't have to tell you how surprised I was to see her. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. More than you could probably appreciate." She stopped as she saw his wince of pain. " Oh God, Mulder, I'm sorry! Really! I wasn't thinking" He nodded he acceptance of her apology and urged her to continue. " Anyway, Dana came by very upset. It was early . She told me that she had been having trouble sleeping. She was having a lot of nightmares. But she could never remember them when she was awake. She thought that memories of her abduction were starting to resurface and didn't want to come to you about them." Mulder's head jerked up. " Why?" " I asked her the same question. If anyone would believe her and help understand what was happening, it would be you." Mulder grinned his appreciation of Melissa's support. " At the time, Dana was more concerned about what this might do to you, Fox. She feels the guilt you carry with you. It's misplaced but you wear it like a banner and Dana , well let's just say Dana didn't want to add to it. I did argue with her about it, thought it best that the two of you talk but...", Melissa shrugged and let the sentence hang there. " What else did she say?" " She talked about feeling as if she were losing control of her emotions. It was as if someone were erasing her ability to reason, to stay objective. Encouraging her to give vent to whatever emotion seized her. You know Dana better than any of us do, Mulder, you know what losing control would mean to her. She was more frightened than I think I ever saw her." Mulder winced again against the image that Melissa was drawing for him. He had seen Scully in frightening, terrifying situations and almost took a perverse delight in maintaining her composure. To think that she might be losing that.... On the other hand, by the very nature of their work, it was possible that Scully was beginning to burn out under the stress. Sometimes everyone lost control. " What made her think that someone else is involved in this? That someone is using her?" " She didn't. She thought she was being paranoid, cracking up. I know few saner people than my sister. She was being influenced by something or someone." Melissa hesitated as if afraid to give voice to her next statement. " I could feel this influence, see its aura, sense its maliciousness. It intends to do evil. I also sensed that its ultimate target is you, Mulder." Melissa barely said the words aloud. Her usual confidence in her beliefs sagging under the weight of responsibility she felt towards her sister. Somehow she had to convince Mulder of her sincerity and of the truth of her words. Mulder sat, his look unfocused as if trying to hear some inner voice that would confirm the truth of Melissa's words. " You said 'something' or 'someone' ", he said finally. " Yes. I don't know how they're doing to Dana what they're doing, drugs, machines, some other agency; I'm not sure. But I do know that there's a human factor in this. There is a sense of the familiar about it. You and Dana know your assailants." Mulder started to rise again. He turned to assist Melissa but she shook her head. "There's more, Mulder. I know why Dana's unconscious." Mulder was stunned. "Why?", he breathed. "When I saw what was happening and convinced Dana that she wasn't going crazy, I told her that there might be a way to counter what was going on. She didn't believe me at first but was willing to try just about anything. I began to teach her certain meditation techniques which stress the importance of giving in to your opponent and thus defeat him. It takes too long to explain the theory fully but ... " Melissa shook her head in frustration. " Think of it this way. If someone grabs you, what would that person expect you to do?" " Pull away." " Right, but it's a basic principle of most of the martial arts to push into the attack. Why?" " To push the assailant off balance." " Yes! Exactly right. The meditation I was teaching Dana was designed to do the same thing, only mentally." " But what happened? Why can't she wake up?" " I'm not sure entirely. She was making good progress when she had to leave for that training school. She told me she would continue with the exercises but the techniques take years to learn. I can only guess that Dana was desperate enough to take herself to the very edge. If she's still under attack, she'll stay there. If you can find out where the attack is coming from, I can try to reach her and help her back." " Alright, I'm going to need..." Both of them jumped at the sound of Mulder's cellular phone. Impatiently, Mulder pulled itfrom his coat and flipped it open. " Yeah, Mulder." Mulder listened for a moment turning deathly pale. "We'll be right there." He closed the phone and grabbed for Melissa's hand, pulling her to her feet in one movement. " Fox, what is it? What's wrong?" " We have to get back to the hospital," he replied grimly," Someone's shot Scully." ***************(continued in The Way 2) =========================================================================== From: md1016@aol.com (MD1016) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: New: The Way 2 Date: 7 Feb 1996 01:50:17 -0500 The Way. Part 2. By KMNAHILL and MD1016 Disclaimers in Part 1. Mulder could never remember how he got them back to the hospital. Since the call had come Assistant Director Skinner, Mulder was not surprised to see him standing in the hallway by Scully's door. Margaret Scully was there as well. Mulder noted that Skinner had an arm draped around Margaret's shoulders to comfort her. There was something about the woman that demanded that she be comforted. Despite her strength, or maybe because of it, Mulder felt very protective of this woman. Standing next to Skinner was a woman dressed in scrubs. Blood stained the left shoulder of the suit. She had long dark hair which had been pinned in the back but was beginning to fall. She held an ice pack to the side of her face where bruises were beginning to show. Melissa instantly took her mother into her arms and moved her apart from the others. Mulder glanced at the other woman then looked to Skinner for explanations. " How is she? What the Hell happened?" He was able to voice his questions without shouting but his intensity spoke volumes. " Agent Scully was attacked by an unknown male. Apparently, he had been watching for his chance. Mrs. Scully had just left to speak with the attending physician. Scully was alone." Skinner glanced at Melissa and then returned to Mulder. The question in his eyes was not yet an accusation. " We were talking. Ms. Scully has some theories about the cause of Scully's condition." Mulder knew it sounded lame but he was more concerned about Scully's current situation than Skinner just now. Skinner simply nodded, filing away the information for later. There were more important things to consider at the moment. He turned to the woman next to him. " This is Special Agent Michele Hardesty. We'd worked together at my last station and she recently transferred to Washington. I asked her to come over , undercover, and keep an eye on things. She got more than she bargained on." Skinner paused and spared her a quick look and a grim smile. " As she walked into Agent Scully's room, she found the suspect with a gun at Scully's head. She threw a chair and it deflected the shot enough to save Scully's life. Unfortunately, she got clipped by the assailant as he ran." Mulder swallowed. It had been that close. Another few seconds and.... But it didn't happen. He had to hold onto that. He looked at the agent who had saved his partner's life. " You, OK ? ", he managed to ask around the lump in his throat. " Yeah, fine. I should have grabbed the guy as he ran past but he was so damned fast. I'm sorry." Mulder could only stare. Skinner looked heavenward as if for inspiration. Or exasperation. " Agent Hardesty, you just saved Agent Scully's life, almost at the cost of your own. I don't think we need to belabor the issue that the suspect got away!" " How's Scully?", Mulder asked. " She'll be fine. The bullet only grazed her. The doctors have her sedated, however." Skinner managed to look both relieved and concerned at the same time. " She's awake?" " She was but she seemed disoriented. That's why they sedated her. They want to run some more tests to be sure that the bullet didn't do more damage." Mulder's eyes connected with Melissa's. She nodded and led Margaret into Dana's room. " Agent Hardesty, thank you." The words sounded inadequate to his ears but Mulder didn't know what else to say. He solemnly proffered his hand. " Thank you." After a quick look at Skinner, he, too, went to check on his partner. Skinner looked after him a moment, then turned his attention to Agent Hardesty, his eyes softening slightly. " Tough first day on your new assignment. You're sure you're OK, Michele?" " I'm OK, Walt. Quit worrying," Michele responded, lightly touching his arm. " You up to filing that report? I'd really like a more detailed description of this guy." " Sure thing. Let me get cleaned up then I'll head over to the office. I can't help thinking though that this guy wasn't going to kill Agent Scully until I walked in on him. He wasn't standing right." She shrugged. "I'll head for home when I'm done at the office." She turned to leave. " Michele?", Skinner said, lowering his voice and looking over his shoulder, " I'm glad you decided to come." Agent Hardesty smiled as she left. Margaret was sitting by Dana's bed, holding her hand. She couldn't have gotten much sleep in the last couple of days, Mulder thought to himself. None of us have. He was suddenly overcome with feelings of fondness and warmth for her. They had been thrown together by their mutual fear for Scully's life but now they were bound by respect and trust. Melissa was standing on the other side of the bed, one hand resting lightly on Dana's forehead. Her eyes were closed, her face calm. A self- satisfied smile appeared. She opened her eyes, sought out Mulder's, and with a slight inclination of her head, indicated she wished to speak to him out of Margaret's hearing. Mulder followed her across the room. " I think she's going to be OK, Fox. I don't sense whatever it was that was trying to control her, at least not for now. I can't be sure how long that will last though, or what else they might try." " You don't think that's because she's sedated?" " No. She's only slightly sedated according to what the doctors told Mom. She'll be waking up soon. It's getting late and I want to get Mom to eat something. You'll be here?" It was more of a statement than a question. He nodded. " Mulder, you do realize that this attack may have been precipitated by the resistance that Dana was offering, don't you? They may try again. Dana has to try to remember what happened to her while she was gone. That's going to be the key." " I know. You go eat. I'll be here." ****************************************** Melissa and Margaret had left and returned. Mulder finally convinced them to go home and to try and rest. "I promise to call when she wakes up," he said. "Now go home and get some sleep. She'll need you in the morning." That had been three hours ago. The hospital was quiet now, staff speaking in hushed voices so as not to disturbed their patients. Mulder sat next to Scully, studying her face. He was glad to finally have this time alone with her. His face mirrored the feelings that he normally kept hidden, from her and from himself. It had been so close this time. He thought about Melissa's feelings that this attack was ultimately directed at him. He had considered trying to dissolve his partnership for her sake, to distance her from his work. She might be safe then. But he knew that wasn't the case. She was too involved already, knew too much, had seen and had been through too much. It was safer if they stayed together, partners. They, whoever they were, would have to deal with Mulder and Scully together. That decided, Mulder could only wait. Scully, her face pale but calm, stirred. Mulder sat up and leaned towards her. " Scully?", he said, his fingers brushing her cheek. Scully opened her eyes and looked at him. " You're here." She smiled. " I didn't want you to wake up, alone, in the dark," he whispered. ************************************ Agent Scully's apartment, Two days later. Scully was asleep in her bed with a sheet covering her legs. The bedroom door was cracked just enough so that Mulder could hear her gently breathing while he lounged on her sofa, remote in hand. Hours ago he had muted the TV, trying to convince himself that it would disturb Dana. Although he knew she was still groggy and, at the moment, sleeping so soundly he could be drilling holes in her walls and she wouldn't stir. But, with the TV muted, he could hear her every sound. This made him feel useful. The situation was frustrating for Mulder. The doctors said there was nothing more that they could do for now - the additional tests would take a couple of days so it was decided Dana would be more comfortable at home. And safer. Agents were posted outside the apartment building, and of course, Mulder was there with her. Skinner kept Mulder off of the primary investigative team citing rules and regulations and something about being too close to the heart of the matter and clouded judgment. At least here, listening to Scully sleep, he would be ready if she woke disoriented again. Or he could soothe her through a bad dream. But, Mulder sighed, Scully was as self-sufficient sleeping as she was awake. He had been there for over twelve hours and she hadn't needed him once. He nursed a glass of ice tea, as he switched to another channel. And then another. The door bell rang. Mulder looked through the peep hole, smiling as he opened the door. "Mrs. Scully, " he greeted her in a whisper, "she's still asleep." "I know, Fox, but it's my shift. 9 pm." Margaret tossed her purse and coat on the kitchen table, and then turned back to Mulder who was still hesitating by the open door. He didn't want to leave. She saw the floundering look in his eyes as he searched for an excuse to stay just a little longer. If he wasn't here, he thought, then he'd be sitting at home. Out of ear shot. Margaret understood. "Fox, would you mind staying for a little while? I'm going to make some gingerbread cookies and I'll need a taster." His eyes whispered her a silent "thank you". They both knew, instinctively, that there was really nothing to be done, and somehow tasting gingerbread cookies would pass the time. By midnight, five batches of cookies were laid to cool on racks, the dishes had been done, the floor had been mopped (following a minor spill), and Margaret and Mulder sat at the kitchen table, a plate of cookies and two nearly empty glasses of milk before them. "So, Dana went as an angel to the Halloween Party," Margaret struggled to get out between giggles, "and her father was called at work..." she gasped, "and when he got her home, he bellowed: 'I was called out of a meeting with an Admiral to pick up my 'little angel' from Sunday school! Dana, are you trying to tell us something?'" The memory was so delicious for her, that Mulder took just as much pleasure in watching her tell the story as he did in hearing it . Margaret quieted down some and then added: "He never really understood Dana, but he did love her." Her eyes lifted and met Mulder's. "But you understand her." Mulder didn't feel uncomfortable by this last statement. It wasn't demanding anything from him, or forcing him into anything. It was simply an observation and an accurate observation at that. He nodded once and then finished off his milk. "Mom? Mulder?" Dana stood clinging to the post that separated the living room and the kitchen, still groggy and unbalanced. Mulder bolted up and immediately steadied her. "Dana, sit down. Are you OK? Sit. You should be in bed. Here, sit in the chair." Mulder helped her into the seat. Margaret poured her daughter a glass of water. "Are you feeling okay, Scully? Scully?" Now that she was seated her eyes were foggy again and her features seemed glazed over. She wasn't responding to him and it threw Mulder into a panic. "Scully!" He held her head so she had to see him. As her eyes finally came to focus on his, she felt a wave of nausea sweep over her entire body. Her arms lurched out and she balanced herself on the table. Margaret reached to her daughter and holding her arm, she pushed the glass of water closer to Dana, who, looked to first to her mother and then the glass. Slowly, she sipped the cool liquid. And slowly, as she emptied the glass, she felt her body steady and her thoughts work themselves free of the cloudy, sleepy, haze. Dana looked to Mulder crouching next to her, observing her closely, looking concerned. She inhaled and smiled at him, "I smell gingerbread." And he returned her smile. It grew from deep inside his stomach and reached out like a halo around him. Margaret felt her daughter's forehead, kissed the top of her head, and sighed, "You're feeling better, now?" Dana reassured her mother, "Yeah, fine. Tired. But fine." Tired was an understatement, but she wanted the fussing over her to end. For some reason Dana couldn't pin down, she felt very self-conscience with Mulder and her mother here. What had they been talking about? Oh, GOD! Had she said that out loud? No. Good. Dana's head began to swim again. "Then it's time for Mulder to leave. Fox," Mrs. Scully said in her most maternal voice, "go home and get some sleep. You can come back and see Dana in the morning." Mulder looked up at Margaret with a six-year old's eyes. "You do need to get some more sleep, Dana. But maybe I should stay here. Sleep on the couch. You know, just in case." "No, Fox," corrected Mrs. Scully, "I'll be here...just in case." She wrapped the cookies in plastic, and cleared the table of the glasses. "And Dana and I will see you tomorrow," she had that all-powerful "mother" look on her face - the look Mulder couldn't argue with. "Alright," he surrendered, "I'll be back tomorrow." Mulder looked back to Dana, her round, blue eyes following his every movement. He saw she was smiling at him and he touched her cheek. "Sweet dreams," he whispered. Dana could smell the ginger on his breath and she inhaled deeply, feeling sleepy all over again. A hand went to her face as she stifled a yawn, and tears moistened her eyes. She knew that she had just woken up, but she honestly couldn't recall when she had been sleepier. "I am so tired," was all she could get out. She began to lean forward against Mulder, slipping back into the realm of sleep. He held her shoulders to keep her on the chair; but, as her head nodded forward, he slipped his hands around her waist and stood her up, supporting most of her weight. "Let's get you into bed before you start dreaming." Margaret watched him scoop her up and carry her out of the room. She saw how Dana rested her head comfortably in the crook of his neck and smiled. They just naturally moved together. Dana mumbled a small: "...So tired..." and they entered the darkened bedroom. Mulder laid Dana gently on the cool sheets and covered her. "Mulder," she said, "Wake me up in time for class." "Class?" Mulder grinned, thinking that she must already be sleeping. "I think you can miss class-" "Nooooooo..." she breathed, "they made me miss class..." her face twisted in frustration. Leaning closer to her, "Who made you miss class? Dana?" She breathed with effort and her lips opened but nothing came out. "Dana?" "Let her sleep, Fox." Margaret stood at the door. She was stern, and Mulder jumped up. Margaret lead him gently, by arm, to the front door. Mulder turned to her, "I think I should stay." "No." "But what if she..." he didn't know how to finish the sentence. He was back to feeling useless. "I could...if she..." "If she needs you, Fox," Margaret smiled, "I'll call you." She understood his frustration, but Dana's health was what was important now. The lost look in his eyes, the confusion leaving his lips, it would all be cured once Dana was well, again. So, for now, Margaret would see that Dana got well. And as far as she knew, until the doctors told her otherwise, that meant rest and peace and quite. "You have my number?" "It's by the phone. Goodnight, Fox." "Alright." His eyes dropped and he turned and closed the door behind him. And after a moment, Margaret secured the lock. ************************************ Breakfast was laid out on the table when Dana woke the next morning, and Margaret and Mulder were, once again sitting and chatting. Dana stumbled into the kitchen, "Is this deja vu? Or am I still dreaming?" "Good morning sweetheart." Mrs. Scully was surprisingly chipper on just a few hours sleep. Dana found a chair and threw her body into it. Mulder handed her a glass of juice and smiled. Scully had slept hard, and it was difficult for her to get her body to respond. "I'm going to take a shower," Dana put her hand to her face and brushed her reddish bangs back and out of her eyes, "and wash my hair." She took a gulp of the juice and pushed herself out of the chair. The water felt warm and clean against her bare back. She stretched and swallowed a deep breath. Showers have a way of cleaning off the day before and starting the new day fresh. Dana loved taking morning showers with her rose scented soap. She yawned again and thoroughly enjoyed her shower. Margaret got up wiping her hands on a towel as the phone rang. "Hello." "Mom? It's Missy." "Missy, how are you dear?" "I'm fine, Mom. Is Dana OK? I need to talk with her." "She's still very tired and weak. I don't think this is a good time, Missy." "Mom, this is important. I have to talk with her about what happened." Margaret chewed on her lip for a moment. She loved Missy but didn't want her upsetting Dana. The doctors had stressed the importance of Dana getting plenty of rest. "No, Missy. Not now. Dana is in the shower and then I want her to relax. I'll tell her you called and she can talk with you tomorrow." It was Missy's turn to sigh. Mom was in her protective mode and short of storming Dana's apartment, she wouldn't be able to discuss things with her sister. "OK, Mom. Just tell her I called and she can call me in the morning." "Alright , dear. I'll tell her. Bye." She gently replaced the receiver. Once Dana was dressed, with hair blown dry, and light make-up applied, she looked like she always had - except now she was well rested. Mulder studied her over coffee and wondered why he'd never noticed how her hair glowed in the yellow morning sunlight. The extra sleep, he reasoned. Margaret finished her coffee and announced, "Well, I'm off. I've got a full day. But I'll be back by 7 o'clock to make sure everything's okay." "Mom, I'll be fine now, you don't have to keep checking up on me." Dana was getting that uncomfortable 'center of attention' feeling again. "Besides, I'm sure there's plenty of work at the office that should have a dent put in it-" "Scully, no work for you today." Mulder was adamant. "Mulder," her protest didn't get far. "Scully, I'm sure as hell not going in today, and if you go in, you'll make me look bad." Mulder raised an innocent eyebrow. Who could argue with that logic? "Dana, you have to take it easy. Pop in a movie. Read a book. The lab tests from the hospital should come back tomorrow. Don't do anything until then." Mrs. Scully collected her coat and purse. "Dana, promise me." With a huff, she responded a resolute, "Okay." "Alright, Dana. I love you sweetheart." And with that (Dana's word had always been enough for Margaret) Mrs. Scully was out the door. *************************** "I can't watch any more of this movie, Mulder." Scully lay limp across the couch, head in Mulder's lap, suffering from a serious case of TV coma. "Turn it off." One click on the remote, and the TV blinked off. Other than the click, nothing else moved. Mulder had one hand on Dana's head, his feet propped up on the coffee table. Scully had a hand on his leg just in front of her face and the other...must have been under her asleep somewhere...she couldn't feel it any more. They just sat like that. For at least ten minutes. Mulder figured she must have fallen asleep and didn't risk moving and waking her. But then she sat up abruptly, and piped in with, "Let's have ginger bread cookies." He watched her stand and make her way into the kitchen and out of view. And without even thinking he rose and followed her. They broke out the cookies, each taking a bite and moaning with pleasure. Scully reached in the fridge and retrieved the milk. Once she poured each of them a glass, she handed one to him. As Mulder took it from her, his long fingers grasped her hand by mistake. The sensation of his skin on her hand caused something inside her to jumped. This wasn't the first time that had happened, but it took her unguarded and the glass slipped and shattered. She jumped again and steadied herself on the counter. "Dana - are you all right? Dana?" "I'm fine," she breathed. And breathed again. Then she remembered the kiss. In the office. Before. It flooded through her head in slow motion. Eyes wide and mouth open she gasped, "Oh, God." "Dana?" he took a step closer to her, glass crunching under his feet. She reached out an hand to stop him, and it came to rest on his chest. "I kissed you, Mulder." He froze. He had just assumed that she had forgotten; that they would deal with it at a later time. But she had remembered it now, and she seemed shaken. He wanted desperately to calm her. To let her know that it was all alright. "No, Scully, you weren't feeling well, you just..." he looked in her wide, open eyes and actually forgot what he was saying. The voice in his head blared: "Look away, look away and find something else to focus on. Anything. Just look away from her eyes!" He glanced down at her hand on his chest, that was soon joined by another. "Well, almost anything," the voice whimpered. "And you kissed me back, Mulder." He opened his mouth to protest but the words didn't make their way out. She lowered her head and tried to remember why she had kept her distance for all these years. Bureau policies? Office politics? Why did she force the distance between herself and this man, her partner and friend? "Scully, you're not thinking clearly." "Mulder..., you're right," she took step back away from him and her socked foot graced a large piece of the glass. Automatically, she reversed, took a step closer to him - so close that he could smell the sweet ginger on her lips - and they froze. She stared up at him, her hands on his chest. She saw her fingers involuntarily trace across his chest, over his shoulders, up to his face. Mulder recognized the faint fear in her eyes. He stepped back. And she released him, too. They both stood there for a moment, not speaking, until the tension became unbearable. Mulder turned and headed for the door. "Mulder," she breathed, stopping him in his tracks, spinning him around to face her. "Scully..." She looked so small to him, standing there, surrounded by glass. Her eyes were wide and questioning. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her. Mulder needed to fix the situation, he knew, but the fear of making things any worse kept him still and silent. Scully stood her ground, but her eyes teared up, "Mulder, I'm sorry I upset you." His eyes blinked in confusion, "Upset?" "I'm sorry I kissed you," she whispered. Not wavering from his eye contact. "Scully, you don't have to apologize-" "It's just that things are happening around me," she knelt to the floor, "and I have so little control over them." The shards sparkled in the afternoon light as she carefully picked them up and cradled them in her palm. "I need control, Mulder." Each piece tinkled as it touched another. The tears finally rolled down her straight face. "I need control." Mulder's compassion for this woman became his primary focus. He dropped to the floor and knelt in front of her. "Scully, I'll go to the hospital, I'll find out what the lab results say. We'll find out what's wrong. We'll undo what ever they did-" "Mulder I know what's wrong. The tests won't find anything. There's nothing you can do." He knew she was right. These men were too good to let a public hospital lab catch them. For god's sake! They had SHOT her in the hospital and no one had caught them. "Scully, what can I do?" The frustration was there. She looked up to him and a smile grew on her pained face, "You could help me clean up this mess." And he did. ************************** (continued in The Way Part 3.) =========================================================================== From: md1016@aol.com (MD1016) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: New: The Way 3 Date: 7 Feb 1996 01:50:40 -0500 The Way. Part 3. By KMNAHILL and MD1016 Disclaimers posted in Part 1. By the time the clock read 6:18 pm, Mulder and Scully were back on the loveseat. Only this time, they were sitting at opposite ends, and neither of them were watching Casablanca, which was now in its second hour. Scully had her focus out the window watching the rain slide down the pane. Mulder had his focus on Scully. In fact, he had spent the better part of the afternoon attempting to turn his mind to anything else. He had long since given up trying to find a way of getting out of the apartment and putting some distance between him and Scully. Every time he was about to say that he had forgotten about something important he had to get done, Scully would spoil it, and run an ivory finger across her bottom lip, or gently tuck her perfect hair behind her perfect ear. Suddenly her every feature had an adjective in front of it. Mulder knew this wasn't a good situation. Scully was his partner - his trusted partner. He needed that relationship. And now for some reason he couldn't explain he wanted more. Had nearly kissed her again...and very nearly worse. And for all Mulder's intelligence and maturity, he couldn't stop obsessing over the way she felt in his arms...and hands...and on his lips...she tasted so sweet. "Mulder," Scully sighed, "I can't stay in this house tomorrow." The gloom from outside had found its way in. "Okay." She looked at him with her best 'I'm serious' look. "I want to go back to work tomorrow." Mulder paused. "Okay." Her brow tensed. He was using too much effort to say nothing. She decided he was still worried about her, and he didn't want her to know. "Mulder, what's wrong?" "Wrong?" he feigned interest in the show on the screen, "nothing." God - why did she have to say his name like that? Scully gave him a genuine smile and reached over and stroked his arm. "Mulder, I'm going to be all right. Stop acting so weird. We'll get back to work tomorrow and everything will fall back into place." His heart raced with her every touch. Her skin on his - stop it! He kept telling himself. STOP! Calm down. "Mulder?" Scully could see he wasn't listening to her. "Mulder?" What is wrong with him, she wondered. Was there something about the tests he wasn't telling her? The feel of her hand on his arm and her voice singing his name became too much for him, and he jumped up off the couch and muttered something about getting some air. Scully watched in bewilderment. He tried to explain about needing to do something important and an early start tomorrow, but all he could see was the distress on her face and it nearly broke his heart. He couldn't do this to her. He couldn't do this to himself. He began pacing the room, striding over to the window and then reversing his path, walked over to the bookcase. Scully had had enough. There was something he wasn't telling her and she intended to find out what it was. She placed herself directly in front of him. "Mulder, stop this!" "Scully..." but the words didn't come. "Dana..." without another breath he half leapt, half dove to her. He took her in his arms and pushed her towards the sofa. He caught himself with one arm on the back of the couch, the other arm locked around his partner and slowly lowered his body on top of her - waiting for any sign of resistance. None came. He stroked her hair back from her face and closed his eyes as he kissed her - gently at first, and then when she responded to his kiss with one of her own, he was more forceful, more insistent. The weight of him pressing her into the couch, his mouth on hers, his hand running down her thigh - it was all so overwhelming. She knew she had been the first to make the initial move, days before in the office, and then what ever that was earlier in the afternoon, maybe she wasn't entirely innocent there, either. Had she brought on this...this...what WAS this? All she knew was she was laying on the couch, Mulder on top of her, his hands in, well, compromising places; and, actually, come to think of it, hers were inching their way into the back of his jeans and under his boxers. The moment she recognized this thought, her hands recoiled back to the couch, obedient once again. Scully turned her head and tried to catch her breath. And Mulder stopped his rain of kisses to study her response. She breathed deeply and looked up at him. His mouth was opened slightly, inviting her in. "Mulder, " she gasped, and he immediately began to lift himself and back away in anticipation of her opposition. But instead, her hand lunged to his pant waist to stop him, and then ever so gently pulled him back on top of her. She didn't know who's fault this was. She just wanted his weight back, holding her. Mulder was hesitant. He wanted to be sure of her. And when he saw the certainty in her eyes and the gently smile across her lips, he kissed them again and relaxed down on to her warm body. As Scully felt him return, her legs parted and she wrapped one around his thigh. She pressed him to her and he responded with a gasp of pleasure. His hand made its way to her breast, and her hand went up to meet his. She held it for a moment, memorizing the sensation of his touch and then her fingers slid the buttons of her shirt out of the button holes. Mulder attentively watched her euphoric expression while he slid his fingers under the white satin of her bra and over the hard nipple underneath. Then a hard knock rapped at the door. Both Scully and Mulder froze. Several seconds passed. Another knock. Mrs. Scully opened the door and poked her head in, "Dana?" Mulder flew across the room and Scully scrambled to her feet, "Mom?" She nearly screamed the word out. Her heart was racing. Margaret's mouth gaped open at the picture that was laid before her. She watched as Mulder tried to straighten his clothing and hair and still look in control of the situation. "Dana," Margaret continued to stare at Mulder, "You left your door unlocked." Dana tried desperately to be comfortable by looking at everything in the room at once, "Yeah, well Mulder was here." She winced. Wrong response. Margaret's grin spread quickly as she turned to her daughter, "Yes, I can see that." She walked into the kitchen to set down the bulky shopping bag she was carrying, but couldn't resist a motherly: "Dana, dear, button up your blouse." Scully's eyes rolled in embarrassment and her fingers flew to her open shirt. Mulder twitched like a puppy at the vet. "Uh, I think I should be going now," he blurted while he was thinking: Why didn't I say that ten minutes ago? Dana breathed heavily, "Okay." Great. He was going to leave her there to deal with her mother's... Dana actually wasn't sure how mother would react. She looked up and saw her emptying the grocery bag and placing the objects in their proper place. Margaret paused only momentarily, "Fox. Come in here." Dana's eyes widened. Oh, no, she thought, Mom don't...please don't. Mulder responded to the summons. Maternal tones had always been able to hold him. "Here." Margaret place a head of lettuce in his hand, "Please clean this for me, and put it in a salad bowl, Fox. The rest of the salad vegetables are on the counter." Margaret stooped down and searched for a frying pan. With the lettuce in hand, Mulder looked to Scully. She shrugged and joined them in the kitchen, "Mom?" "Dana," Margaret found the pan. She stood and smiled at her daughter, "You're feeling better?" Scully paused. This was a loaded question. She had just been caught groping on the couch. That hadn't happened since...had it ever happened? Oh, God, and with Mulder. He - she looked over to him - he was washing lettuce. Margaret smiled. "I thought so." Dana shot a warning look at her mother. She didn't know exactly how to respond to this situation, but she knew Mom wasn't helping. Or was she? No, Mom DEFINITELY wasn't helping. The trouble was that all of it had happened so quickly. If it hadn't, she would have stopped it. Why hadn't he stopped it. She was developing a headache. "Dana, dear, please set the table. As soon as Fox finishes the salad, I'll have these vegetables sauteed and we can eat. Are you all right, dear? You're looking a little pale." Mulder's head shot around. "I'm fine, Mom." "Well," Margaret added with a smirk, "You'll feel even better after you've had a healthy dinner." **************************** Dinner was...quiet. Scully found it almost painful. Mulder was definitely in pain. Mrs. Scully was having the time of her life. The thrill of knowing Dana WAS in love with Fox was enough to keep her singing for days. And if it had been under any other circumstances, she probably would have left them alone to sin all night long. But Dana had been very ill - in the hospital not two days before - and she needed rest and relaxation. Fox could wait. Dana's health was priority. As Fox cleared the dinner plates, and Margaret heated the ginger cookies and poured three glasses of milk, she innocently asked, "So how was your day?" Dana closed her eyes. "Fine, Mom." Fox grabbed two of the milk glasses and handed one to Dana as Margaret opened the microwave door and the smell of ginger hit him. The memory of sweet ginger on Dana's lips just under his flashed before him, and his fingers relaxed around the glass before her hand actually touched it. It shattered on the tiled floor. Margaret jumped and spun around to see Mulder backing away from Dana who sat frozen in the chair. "Fox?" Margaret was concerned. His eyes shot to Margaret, "I broke the glass." His face was pure shock, pale. "It's okay. Glasses break." This time Margaret's tone didn't stop the racing heart in his chest. But Dana's did, "Mulder," her soft eyes reached out to him, "It's okay." And instantly he relaxed and smiled, "It's okay." IT'S OKAY! His heart soared. "IT'S OKAY!" Was he really laughing, or was that just his mind dancing? Dana laughed out load at his exuberance. He radiated. So did she, "Yes, it's okay." "Of course it's okay. It's just a glass. Here's a towel, Fox," Margaret said. "No," Dana smiled at her mother, "Mulder has to leave now." "YEAH!" he was grinning like an idiot, "I have to leave now." He backed out of the kitchen and pulled the door open. Mulder looked back at Scully. He knew at that moment that he loved her. That this wasn't a mistake. That somehow all of this would work. That together they would make it work. "Tomorrow?" Dana's smile was like a light, "Yep, tomorrow." And Mulder was out the door. Margaret's brow frowned, "Tomorrow? You're not going to work tomorrow?" Dana closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the chair, smiling, "Yes, Mom, I am." *********************** Scully was freshly bathed and tucked snugly into bed. Margaret sat next to her. Dana was into her thirties now, but her mother could still tuck her in and make her feel safe. Margaret reached over and gently stroked her daughter's hair, "I really wish you'd take another sick day, Dana and get some more rest." She knew Dana was a better doctor than she was patient. And she knew that Dana would never relax when she could be working. But she had to try anyway. "Oh, Mom," Dana protested, "I'll go stir crazy if I have to spend one more day in this apartment. Besides, I'm having to get creative in entertaining Mulder." The grin on her face set off a giggling chain reaction. And the remark let her mother know that the subject was no longer taboo. Dana was feeling better, there was no way around it. "Yes," Margaret said delicately, "I've been meaning to say something about that." Her face got very serious in an instant. "Dana, you know how much I like Fox." "Mulder," Dana playfully corrected. "And I've been watching the two of you for a while..." Dana's mood began to somber up. "And well, sweetheart, I can't really say this was a shock to me - " Dana laughed, "Mom, we kissed. You act like...like..." she was searching for the right image, and frustrated, added, "what do you mean you've been watching us for a while?" Margaret stood, "Just that." She knew she could only be protective with her daughter so far before Dana started to resist. "Good night, Dana." She kissed Dana on the forehead and switched off the light. From behind the safety of the dark Dana whispered, "Mom, thanks for coming in when you did...things got a little carried away. I'm not even sure - I mean - I didn't think he felt..." Margaret smiled a hidden smile, "He does. And so do you." Dana paused for a moment. The she exhaled, "Good night, Mom." Margaret closed the door softly. In all the excitement, she had completely forgotten about Missy's phone call. ****************************************************** Learn to yield and be soft If you want to survive. Learn to bow And you will stand in your full height. Learn to empty yourself and be filled by the Tao ... the way a valley empties itself into a river. Use up all you are And then you can be made new. Learn to have nothing And you will have everything... Tao Te Ching The next morning. Basement office. Scully's heels clicked on the tiled floor as she worked her way down to the basement of the Hoover building. It seemed like a year since she had last been here; so much had happened. And this reflection caught in her throat. She had no idea what to expect from Mulder when she went through the door and into her office. A kiss? God, she hoped not. And she reassured herself that Mulder surely didn't want that either. She loved her job, and he was obsessed with his. Neither of them was going to do anything stupid. Okay. She exhaled again as her hand turned the knob. "Scully, come in and look at this." Mulder had a collage of files open on his desk, a cup of hot coffee in his hand, and a grin on his face. "What is it?" She placed her briefcase down on her desk and leaned over his shoulder. He smelled so good. Like soap and clean laundry. Before them on the desk, were files and stacks of papers arranged in groups of three and four. "It's a lead, Scully." He pointed to a file on top. "These are the medical reports from Quantico. You weren't the only one who missed class time there. Although you definitely missed the most." She started flipping through the papers. "These are my medical files," she was stunned, "How did you get these?" Mulder gave a dismissing gesture. "They have you down for everything from headaches and insomnia to pneumonia. You were there nearly every day." Scully's face dropped, "Mulder, I don't remember ever going to the infirmary." He studied her face, "Do you remember feeling sick? Headaches?" She picked up another group of pages, "You mean other than the one I'm developing now? I think. Vaguely. My entire trip is very vague. " She read through the reports of several of her class mates. None of them seemed odd or excessive. "Mulder, where's the lead?" "Here, " he handed her a folder that was well worn. The report inside was labeled 'Kellogg, Frank, Special Agent: Official Statement.' Mulder stood back to watch her as he explained the story. "Apparently, Agent Kellogg felt that he needed to leave a statement - an official statement - on what he saw at Quantico over the last four weeks before he was accidentally shot by a customer wanting to purchase a rifle in a bait and tackle shop somewhere in Maine. The customer has since disappeared, the autopsy report arrived unsigned, and no explanation for Mr. Kellogg's presence in Maine has been given." Dana stood frozen with a blank expression as she muttered, "He was from Chicago." Mulder's ears perked up, "So you do remember him?" "Uh...yeah. He was one of the decent ones." Her eyes fell on the papers in her hands, but didn't follow the type. "He didn't try and hit on me, or make any sexist remarks." The implication that others had, indeed tried to hit on her and made remarks hit him from out of the blue. In Mulder's experience, he had rarely noticed anyone say a disparaging remark about Scully. He respected her judgment and her professionalism and had assumed that everyone else did, too. He could hear in her voice that he was way off base on this one. "When did he die?" Scully looked a little green. "Oh, he's not dead, Scully. He's in the Nan Travis Hospital in Jacksonville, Texas." "What?" Scully's eyes nearly fell out of her head, "What the hell is he doing in Texas?" Mulder's smirk and the twinkle in his eye told her everything she wanted to know. "Don't you think we should go and find out?" ****************************** The flight from D.C. to Dallas was uneventful for Scully and Mulder. Mulder got the window seat, and he slept against it with a pillow in the crook of his neck and a pair of headphones blaring Adam Ant. Scully glanced over to him and smiled. He was so unpretentious when he had his eyes closed and mouth open ever so slightly. Oh, his mouth, Scully thought, his pouty, soft, salty mouth. And then she breathed deeply, closed her eyes and focused back on the piles of files on her lap that Mulder had, no doubt, already committed to memory. The plane landed, and the two agents collected their luggage and transferred to a smaller "taxi" plane that held a maximum of six passengers. Scully was not pleased at the thought of spending forty-five minutes in this lifeboat of a plane. Mulder just smiled at her faintly green complexion. He didn't mind flying, and didn't understand her discomfort. When they arrived at the Cherokee County Airport in Jacksonville, Texas, both of the agent's hearts fell. There was a long strip of concrete which sufficed as the runway, and the rusty wooden barn was, Mulder guessed, the airplane hangar. Scully turned to Mulder, standing on the side of the runway as the plane that had brought them ascended back into the air. "So now what?" There were pine trees and red clayish dirt everywhere. Birds in the trees cooed. And that was about it. Mulder dropped his shoulder bag and cocked a half smile, "Don't worry, I'll ask directions in the control tower." He headed to the temporary building about a hundred feet away. He disappeared for a few minutes and by the time Scully wiped the small beads of sweat from her forehead, he was back and feeling proud of himself. "I've ordered a taxi. It'll be here in a few minutes." Scully just looked at him and then offered a supportive, "Yeah. Right!" No way was a taxi this lost. They were in the middle of nowhere. "Mulder, how big is this town? Will they even have a motel? Or are we going to buy a tent?" "They're big enough to have an airport." His smirk was spreading. He was really enjoying this. "Hey Scully, where's your sense of adventure? This is rural America. It's a dying culture." She was about to retort when the most horrible grinding sound pierced their ears, and a moment later their taxi - a 1979 wood paneled station wagon, complete with a rusted luggage rack and a Jesse Jackson for President bumper sticker. "Ah," Mulder proclaimed, "our love chariot has arrived." ******************** The car rental agency, know in these parts as Cousin Kenneth-Earl's Friendly Car Place, was only a five minute drive, but the stench that permeated the taxi made the ride seem like an hour. Kenneth-Earl's was in a small strip mall that actually seemed to be relatively new. This was promising, Scully thought. Inside they met Iona-Louise, Kenneth-Earl's sister who explained that there was a run on rental cars in these parts and they only had Bessy-Mae, their powder blue baby left. "Ten dollars a day, and full the gas tank before you bring it back." Mulder tossed the keys to Scully, "Bessy-Mae is calling." And he was grinning...until he saw the car. She sat out in the alley behind the strip mall, pouting from lack of attention. Bessy-Mae was a powder blue 1973 Buick Skylark; a tank of a car - easily fifteen feet long and over six feet wide. Scully groaned, "Well, if we can't find a motel, we can sleep comfortably in the back seat..." Mulder's bright eyes flashed to her, "...along with a family of six." Mulder slipped into the drivers seat and found the seat belt. He smiled at Scully, who looked six years old in the huge couch of a front seat. She pointed gaping at the control panel between them, "What the hell is that?" Mulder's eyes lit up, "What's the matter, Scully, don't you remember 8-tracks?" They found the motel, Tradewinds, which didn't help Scully's dolor, and reserved two rooms. The exquisite turquoise interior and bright orange paper machete flowers made her heart sink low; she thought that surely when interior designers weren't accepted into hell, they were sent here. Mulder came into her room, and to Scully's utter despair, he was still enjoying himself. He playfully plopped himself down on her bed, which groaned and collapsed in a cloud of dust. She moaned, "Welcome to motel negative one." Mulder was afraid to breathe and have the mattress crumble underneath him. "Uh...we can switch beds if you want...or share..." Scully just rolled her eyes and heaved her heavy body up from the folding chair. "Come on, Mulder, let's just go to the hospital and get the hell out of here." She was truly frightened of what they might consider a hospital here. But they did have a job to do, and the sooner they did it, the sooner she could get back to civilization. ******************************* Nan Travis Memorial Hospital was in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. It was the largest, most modern building around - and next to the only stop light. "Hey," Mulder chimed in, "things are looking up." Inside they talked with a receptionist who redefined the word English for them and directed them to "th' laaaast rume awn th' rayt." And there, in the last room on the right, was SpecialAgent Frank Kellogg. Scully recognized him immediately. He had a large white bandage around his head and covering his right ear and eye. Several machines were connected to his bruised arms and legs, and to the lay person, Mulder thought, the man looked like a science experience. Scully went to his bedside and spoke in low, nurturing tones, "Frank, it's Dana, from Quantico. Do you remember me?" He looked at her and he did hear her, Dana was sure of it, but he said nothing. His mouth was still. His breathing consistent. Scully bit her lip and found his chart on the inside of the door to his room. Mulder watched her as she read, page after page, putting the pieces together. Her eyes flickered with rage and hurt. He looked to the man in the bed who looked back at him. The door opened and in walked a man in a traditional white coat signifying his rank as doctor. He stopped short when he saw Scully with the file open and snatched it out of her hands. "Are you any relation to Mr. Kellogg?" He was demanding and indignant. Dana matched him stroke for stroke. "Are you the attending physician? What have you done to contact this man's family? How did he get here?" The doctor was adamant: "I will not answer these questions until I know who you are." Dana reached into her pocket and flipped out her ID. "I'm Special Agent Dana Scully, and I demand to know under what circumstances Agent Kellogg came to be here." Mulder stepped forward and offered a hand, "Hi. Agent Fox Mulder." The doctor blinked twice and took Mulder's hand. "Dr. Temple." ****************************** Once they were seated in Dr. Temple's office, he began to explain. "Mr. Kellogg was discovered about four days ago by old Dolly. She spends most of her day in and around the burned down Piggly Wiggly, and she found him along the back wall there. The police brought him to us. All we found was a drivers license. An attempt was made to get in touch with his family, but apparently they all died in a house fire about a week ago. There was no one who seemed to want the man. So we are letting him convalesce here." Scully's temper was flaring, "Why didn't you get in touch with the FBI?" Dr. Temple shrugged his bony shoulders, "The police made a missing person's report, I guess, but there wasn't anything on him to let us know he was FBI. How did you know he was here?" Scully turned and looked at Mulder. "Dr. Temple," Mulder changed the subject and began to rise, "Some one from the Bureau will be in touch with you. Agent Kellogg, was a government agent, and he's entitled to government pensions and health plans." Dr. Temple pursed his lips, "Whatever. The gunshot wounds he received will keep him mute for the rest of his life, so someone will have to take care of him for a while, until he adjusts." In the hallway Scully's earlier bad mood turned into fury. She made her way back to Agent Kellogg's room ranting, "They did this, Mulder, to keep him quiet. They killed his family and left him for dead here." Mulder winced, "Why would they go through all the trouble of dumping him here?" "Because they're animals!" She rounded the corner without slowing and burst into the hospital room like a bullet. She turned into doctor mode once she made it to Kellogg's side. "Frank, it's Dana Scully, again. We're going to get you out of here. Don't worry." He just looked up at her and blinked. Whatever recognition was there quickly faded. Dana squeezed his hand. "Frank, just try and get better." There was nothing else she could say to her friend. She couldn't promise him that everything would be okay, or that he'd be all right and not to worry. Feeling totally useless she left his room. And down the hall she saw Mulder on the phone. He hung up as she approached. "I called his partner out of the Chicago office, she's going to make arrangements to have him moved up there. It'll probably take two or three days, but that will give him some more recovery time." Scully hit the wall with the flat of her hand, "Damn it, Mulder!" and then she looked to him, "Thanks for calling." ******************************* (continued in The Way Part 4.) ===========================================================================