by Caroline O'Callaghan
caroline.o@virgin.net
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997
Do NOT post to Atxc - already been there
Rating: NC-17
Category: MSR/adventure/mythology
Summary: Mulder discovers clues to the circumstances
behind his sister's disappearance, whilst Scully
battles fatal illness.
Disclaimer: Oh, do I have to? Okay - nobody belongs
to me - nuff said!
Spoilers: Up to Small Potatoes (in this universe
Gethesmane has not yet happened).
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a continuation of an
earlier story 'The Lure of the Fox' in which Mulder
and Scully became lovers.
Fox Mulder's office
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
1.05a.m.
Mulder crushed the piece of paper, on which he'd been
scribbling random notes, into a ball and threw it in the
direction of the bin. It missed by a few good inches and
he sighed.
His mind was full, but not of the reports he'd received
a couple of hours ago from the police department at
Martha's Vineyard.
He was still struggling to focus; his thoughts on the
woman he had left at her apartment five hours ago.
He looked across the room at the space she normally
occupied.
Her desk. He smiled, but it was bittersweet. It wasn't
really her desk, it was just the spare desk that had
been there long before she had. After the Ed Jerse fiasco
he had made an obvious effort to treat it like it was hers.
He no longer used it as extra storage space for himself,
and Scully had tidied it up and filled it with her things.
He got out of his chair and wandered across to it. It
was tidy. The blotter clean, the computer screen
without dust, the pens and pencils stored in a tub.
He sat down in her chair and studied a framed photograph
that sat in prime position. Scully wasn't really one for
clogging up the workplace with personal items, but
she'd made room for this picture. She and her mother,
theirs arms around each other smiled at the camera.
Maggie's face was split into a broad grin, whilst Scully's
was a little more restrained and self-conscious.
He reached out with his forefinger and touched the
image of her face and then laughed at himself. "What
are you doing Mulder?"
The ring of his telephone made him jump a little and
he crossed the room to answer it. "Mulder."
"Mulder why don't you go home and get some sleep."
He sat down in his own chair with a smile. Her voice
was full of drowsiness and he pressed the receiver
close to his ear, eager for it to work its magic on him.
"I think you need to take some of your own advice
Doc, why are you still up? You looked like you were
in bad need of some zzz's when I left you."
He heard her yawn, and imagined her in her pyjamas,
an arm stretching lazily over her head. He wanted to
see it, to be with her.
"I've had a few hours. I just woke up and somehow
knew you'd still be at the office. Go home Mulder."
"I got reports from the Vineyard Scully, I think we
should take a trip up there."
She paused, and it was enough for him to sense her
reluctance.
"Something wrong?"
She paused again. "No...I."
"I could go on my own, if there's a problem."
"No Mulder. We'll go together. We're partners."
He nodded, and then wondered why. It wasn't as if
she could see him to acknowledge it.
"How are you feeling Scully?" He noticed his voice
slip into a softer tone as he spoke.
She sighed. "I'm fine. I was a little tired that's all."
"Are you in bed?"
"Yes."
He hesitated. He wanted to ask to come over, but it
was all still new, still fragile. He was swimming in
uncharted waters.
After her treatment Scully had joined him in the
waiting room of Holy Cross Hospital looking woozy
and exhausted. He hadn't said much, just helped her
on with her coat, taken her car keys from her and driven
her home. She'd fallen asleep during the drive and he'd
had to wake her when they reached her apartment block.
She'd leaned against him as he helped her up the path,
opened her door and ushered her inside. She'd
gone straight into the bathroom and begun to run
a bath. He'd stood nervously at her bathroom door
and asked whether he should go or stay. She'd
given him a soft, small smile and he'd nodded his
understanding as he prepared to go.
He'd wanted to force the issue, to find some reason
for staying, but had felt too uncomfortable to do so.
He was on 'Scully territory'. He'd felt like an invader
in her sanctuary-like apartment with its soft pastels,
comfortable furniture and feminine touches, and so
he'd accepted her decision.
'I should have kissed her' he reprimanded himself.
He should have cemented the words he had spoken
earlier with actions. He had taken the terrifying plunge
and decided he wanted to be with her in every way
possible, and he had been filled with blessed relief
when he'd discovered she wanted the same, and then
he had stood like a tenth grader at her bathroom door;
shuffling his feet and mumbling his goodbye. He'd
practically run out of her apartment.
"You still with me Mulder?"
"Huh? Yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking. Would you
like me to come over?"
"Mulder. There's no need."
"No, but..."
"I'll be asleep as soon as I hang up anyway."
He knew that, but he still wanted to crawl into bed
beside her. He knew what she'd be wearing. She'd want
to feel comforted tonight, after her treatment, so she'd
have slipped into those blue, jersey pyjamas, that looked
so soft to the touch. He wanted to snuggle up behind
her sleeping form and press his nose between her
shoulder blades, drape his arm around her waist, breathe
in her soapy scent. But she didn't want him there.
He prayed to God she wasn't having second thoughts
about changing the nature of their relationship; a small
voice told him that it might not be such a bad thing if
she were, but he swept it aside. He reminded himself
that she had called him; that she had wanted to talk to
him, and that even after cancer therapy that must make
her feel weak and sickly, she had been worried about
him.
"I'll pick you up in the morning."
He heard her sigh. "That's not necessary Mulder."
"I think it is Scully, I have your car."
"Oh, right. Of course."
"Eight a.m?"
"Fine. Should I pack for the Vineyard?"
"Why not? Your finest debutante clothing Scully."
"Taking me to the country club?"
"They won't let me in there Scully. Not since I tried
to look up Jackie O's dress, when I was eight."
"You're kidding me Mulder?"
He chuckled. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Mmm."
Her voice was soft and low and he didn't want
the conversation to end. "Sleep well."
"You too. Go home now."
"I will."
He replaced the receiver, a second after she did,
both of them recognising that it was time to hang
up, even though they hadn't exchanged a formal
goodbye.
He looked hard at the phone for a moment and then
got to his feet and collected his coat from the stand.
The phone rang again and he snatched it up quickly.
"Okay Scully, I'm leaving. I swear."
"Agent Mulder?"
He froze slightly at the sound of the voice.
"Yes."
"I have something you might want to hear."
Marita's tone was cold and hard.
"Yeah well I'm afraid I'm a little busy at the moment.
I don't have time to fly to New York to lap up the
little snippets you've deigned to throw me."
"You sound bitter Agent Mulder. Don't you want to
know what I have to tell you? I assure you it concerns
a matter that seems to be close to your heart."
He spoke through gritted teeth. "Maybe I've decided
to seek my own answers, instead of relying on others,
from whom information seems to come only when I
dutifully perform for it."
"I'm on your side. I will help whenever I can, but you
have to understand that everything comes at a price."
"I'm not sure that I'm willing to pay anymore."
"If that's your decision, very well, but I warn you, you
may never hear from me again, all contact will cease."
He considered for a while. He couldn't trust her. He
didn't have faith in Marita Covarrubias, the way he
had in Deep Throat and X, his previous 'informants',
but he couldn't ignore what she had to say either. His
need to know outweighed the growing dislike he felt
for her.
"I can't come to New York right now."
"I'm in D.C. The Watergate Hotel."
Mulder almost laughed at the irony. The leaker of
information staying at a hotel named after the
biggest leak of all time. "I'll be there in forty minutes."
He replaced the receiver again, none too gently,
snatched up the files that lay on his desk and left his
office.
Room 1121
Watergate Hotel
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
2.02 a.m.
She opened the door dressed in a white robe, a scotch
on the rocks in one hand. She said nothing, and stepped
back from the door to let him enter.
Shutting the door behind him she went to a table on
the far side of the room and sat down in a chair next to
it, crossing her legs to reveal a shapely thigh. Mulder
couldn't help but look.
"Won't you sit down."
"I wasn't planning on staying very long."
"Can I get you a drink?"
"No thanks. Like I said, I'm not stopping."
"Somewhere you have to be?"
"Anywhere but here."
"I get the feeling you don't like me very much."
He began to pace slowly. Trying not to look at her. She
was attractive, no doubt about that. Tall, slim, high
cheekbones, blue eyes, but it was all false, all coiffured
and pampered. Too perfect.
"What I don't like is being jerked around."
She nodded and took a sip of her drink. "I know.
I've never tried to do that. I've tried to give you what
you required."
"So why am I thrown a few crumbs at a time. Why
don't you just tell me all you know now."
She stood and crossed over to him. Standing so close
that he could smell her perfume. "Because I probably
know even less than you do. I'm just a messenger."
"For who?"
She bowed her head and stepped away. "I don't know."
Mulder gave a sad laugh. "So what is it this time?"
"You're looking into cases in the Martha's Vineyard
area, concerning children who were taken and then
returned to their parents."
"How do you know that?"
"They've been waiting for you to ask the police
department for those records for years Agent Mulder.
It was an obvious area for investigation, they're
amazed you never looked before. They have friends
everywhere. They were alerted, and then they sent me
to you."
"Who is 'they'?" His voice betrayed his exasperation.
She looked up at him defiantly. "I've already told
you. I don't know."
"So what do they want you to tell me?"
She walked back to the table and picked up a folder
that lay on it. She held it out to him and he took it
warily.
"What is this?"
"Virginia wasn't the only laboratory. There were others,
some are still in operation. That's an address."
He opened the folder glancing at the page of type
that lay inside it.
"The Vineyard."
"Its tightly secured, almost impossible to penetrate."
"And I suppose 'they' expect me to achieve the
impossible, do their work for them?"
"You might have much to gain if you do."
He nodded, and turned to leave. "Well, its been
delightful as always."
He reached the door when she caught him by the arm.
Her eyes gazed into his and a hand came to rest on his
chest.
"Mulder, I always thought it was delightful. Has
something changed?"
"Yes. Me. I've changed."
He removed her hand and left.
Watergate Hotel car park
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
2.35 a.m.
Mulder got back in the car, but didn't start the engine,
instead he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and
dialled a number. His call was answered with a gruff
hello.
"Good evening Sir."
"Mulder. It isn't evening, its morning, and you'd
better have a damn fine reason for waking me up
at this hour."
"I want to request permission to follow a lead in a
case, up to Martha's Vineyard."
He heard Skinner sigh. "What kind of case? You
haven't been assigned anything?"
"No sir, I have a lead into possible illegal experiments
being conducted on civilians, at a Government
laboratory."
"I have to say Mulder, that I'm surprised you're
bothering to inform me. Its not like you to follow
procedure."
Mulder ignored the sarcasm in Skinner's voice.
"I want to take Agent Scully with me."
"I see, and you didn't want her to be reprimanded
for not filing a 302?"
"Yes sir."
"I have to tell you Mulder, that I'm sometimes not
inclined to let you follow your instincts. At times
you've acted rashly and put lives at stake."
"I've made mistakes in the past I know, but.."
"I'd prefer it if you presented this case to me
tomorrow in my office."
"I don't want to waste any time sir. This lead, it
might shed some light on what happened to
Agent Scully while she missing."
He could almost hear the battle that he knew was
raging in Skinner. He was placing the man in a
difficult position, but he knew that bringing
Scully into the equation would help to persuade
Skinner to grant permission. He had long thought
that their boss had an admiration and respect for
Scully that influenced him when making decisions
on the X Files. He wasn't sure what Skinner's
feelings for her we're; whether he viewed her simply
as a good agent, a friend, as the daughter he'd
never had, or even as a possible lover. The last
possibility made him recoil a little, but it wasn't
so far fetched. Hell, he'd fallen for Scully's many
charms, so there was no reason why Skinner
shouldn't have.
Mulder was pretty positive that Skinner would do
almost anything for Scully; just as he would himself.
"Okay Mulder. I'll make sure its officially recorded
that you requested permission, and that permission
was granted. Just try not to make me regret my
decision."
His superior hung up before Mulder could thank him.
He put the phone back in his pocket and was about
to turn the key in the ignition when a sign caught his
eye.
'Parking is reserved for staff and
guests of the Watergate Hotel'.
He smiled. He'd been here before. When Scully and he
had been separated, when the X Files had been closed,
they'd met here. He had been filled with despair and she
had given him new hope, with supportive words and a
kind hand that had brushed gently and quickly through
his hair.
He suddenly became angry at himself for sitting
immobile, staring into space like a lovesick jerk,
while there was work to be done.
He started the engine and pulled out of the car park with
a squeal of tires.
Dana Scully's apartment
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
2.10 a.m.
After talking to Mulder, Scully had replaced the receiver
and fallen quickly asleep again, but now she was awake
once more. Unsure what had disturbed her, she stared up
at the ceiling, listening carefully, but there was nothing,
not a sound.
She sighed and yawned. It was a cool night and she
pulled the covers up right under her chin. She almost
regretted not asking Mulder to stay with her. His body
would have been warm wrapped around hers. He had
offered his presence, but something within her had
rebelled at the idea.
Two nights lying by his side would have been too much,
after four years of sleeping alone, with only a deeply
buried, secret desire for him, to keep her company. She
was still having trouble accepting that last night had
actually happened. She needed time for it to become
a reality; time away from him to begin believing in it.
She also hadn't felt up to entertaining anyone. She'd
just needed to wash and sleep. Talking, or any other
activity, had been beyond her.
And if she was honest with herself, she would have to
admit that she was still a little afraid of what changes
the altering of their relationship would bring. She was
worried that Mulder might begin to look at her differently,
and was concerned that it might damage them, rather than
bring them closer together.
With a lazy smile, she remembered the night before,
surely nothing that good could be wrong, it had to
be right. Her body tingled a little when she relived, in
her mind, the feeling of his skin against hers.
She groaned quietly, knowing that sleep wouldn't
come easily again; now that her mind was beginning
to traverse all kinds of highways.
She threw back the covers and quickly reached for
the robe that she'd discarded. Shrugging it on, she
padded out into the kitchen, without bothering to
turn on the lights. She knew where everything was,
and there was enough light shed from the moon,
through her window, in order for her to make some
hot milk.
She opened the refrigerator door and as she reached
down for the milk carton, the hairs on the back of her
neck stood up. She took a deep breath. Suddenly, she
knew what had awakened her. Someone was in her
apartment. She felt it, and whoever it was, was staring
at her back.
She forced herself to speak, hoping that it was who she
thought it was. "Mulder?"
She turned slowly, the milk carton in hand. "Mulder,
trying to scare me is not funny."
"I think its hysterical."
She flinched at the voice, knowing that she knew it from
somewhere, but that it wasn't Mulder's.
Her heart pounded as the living room lights came on. When
she looked up towards the direction of the light switch by
the front door, and saw the intruder's face, she let go of the
milk carton in shock. It hit the floor and the creamy liquid
splattered everywhere. She gazed dumbly down it, and
then up again.
Her voice was no more than a stunned whisper.
"Krycek?"
"Nice to see you again Agent Scully." He waved a
small automatic weapon at her by way of greeting.
Scully was desperately running through her options.
Where was her gun? She'd been so tired when she'd
got in that she just dropped it where she'd been
standing. It must be in the bathroom.
Krycek smirked at her. "I have your sig in my pocket.
But don't worry, you won't be needing it, I'm just here
for a nice friendly chat. Come out here and take a seat."
He waved his gun and pointed towards the living room.
Trying to remain calm, she walked out of the kitchen
and into the living room and sank into her armchair.
When Krycek took a seat on her couch she noticed
the artificial limb he wore and her eyes shot up to look
into his.
His gun was still pointed at her and he gave a little nod
of his head. "Thank you for your sympathy. You're a
very kind person Scully, you know that. I spied on your
partner, I assisted in your abduction, I was there when
your sister was shot, and here I am breaking into your
apartment, and yet you still manage to look at me with
compassion."
She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.
"Don't try and deny it, I saw it in your eyes. It must be
wonderful to be such a good person Scully. No wonder
you sleep so easy at night." He sighed. "I don't sleep
very well, too much on my conscience."
She was shocked to realise that he was speaking
sincerely.
"I didn't think you had a conscience Krycek. What do
you want?"
His gaze dropped to her bathrobe and for a moment she
was filled with fear. He must have noticed a change in
the tension in the room because he looked back up into
her face.
"Don't worry Dana, I'm not here to ravish you." He
smiled in a way that made Scully want to smack his
mouth back into place. "I'll leave that to Mulder."
She licked her upper lip, unsure of how to answer. He
spoke instead.
"I've been following you for a couple of days. That was
a pretty hot scene outside the motel."
Scully felt herself blushing and the knowledge made her
more angry. "Just tell me what you want and get the hell
out of here."
"I want to apologise."
She raised her eyebrow at him in disbelief, an expression
she had used on Mulder a thousand times in response to
his more 'way-out' theories. "For which of the particular
crimes that you've committed are you saying sorry for?"
"All of them. Well, all of them that affected you. You
were innocent Scully. When I heard what...what they'd
done to you... I was just following orders, I had no
choice."
Scully swallowed hard and fingered the tie on her robe
nervously. "You played a part in my abduction?"
"I stopped Mulder from getting to you in time."
"I see, and you knew what they were going to do to me?"
"I had an idea, but they never really explain anything
properly. I know that what they did to you, the
procedures, gave you cancer, like it did with the other
women they took."
Scully remained silent and looked down at her fidgeting
hands.
Krycek spoke in a saddened tone, as if he already knew
the answer to the question he was asking. "Are all the
other women dead?"
Scully looked up, memories of Penny Northern penetrated
her mind and she willed herself not to cry in front
of this man, who had once seemed so evil, but now
seemed so contrite. "Yes."
Krycek nodded. "The treatment you're receiving Scully,
it won't do any good."
Her heart missed a beat. "How do you know?"
"They gave it to you. They're the only one's with the
cure."
Scully looked around her apartment walls, trying to
gather her thoughts, and then back at her captor.
"Why this change of heart, Krycek?"
He got to his feet. "As a man gets older, as things
happen to him." He touched his prosthetic hand
with his real hand and Scully shivered slightly. "He
begins to reassess his life."
He moved towards the door and Scully felt a sense of
relief wash over her. He stopped and turned.
"You understand the significance of you being the last
one, don't you Scully?"
"You mean that I'm the only evidence left?"
"Yes, and they always like to get rid of the evidence.
Remember also that you've managed to survive far
longer than any of their other victims. That may be
interesting to them. Watch your back."
He moved the gun into his false hand and opened the
door with his other hand. "Oh, and tell my old friend
Mulder that he's close. Closer perhaps than he's ever
been."
With that, he left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Scully looked down at the place he'd occupied on her
couch and noticed he had placed her sig on the cushion.
She grabbed it quickly and ran to the door, flinging it
open, she ran into the corridor. All this took her no more
than 30 seconds, but he had already disappeared. Breathing
heavily she went back inside her apartment, slammed
the door shut and leant against it. Her legs gave way
and she sank to the floor, where she sat for a long
time, hugging her knees and gripping the handle of
her sig sauer.
Office of the Lone Gunmen
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
4.35 a.m.
Mulder yawned and leaned back in his chair. He looked
over at Langly and Frohike who were bent over a
computer screen, which they were viewing with intense
expressions.
"You guys better be looking up the laboratory. If I find
out you've been checking out the Playboy web site for
the past two hours, while I've been cooling my heels,
there's gonna be trouble."
Langly looked around at Mulder, a smirk crossing his
deceptively boyish face. "Unlike you Mulder, we don't
have to get our kicks from exploitative, 12-inch-high,
bit-mapped images."
Frohike shot him a defensive glare. "Yeah, you should
try real women for a change Mulder. You never know
you might like it."
Mulder smirked back. He had tried a real woman. A
very, very real woman.
"That's rich Frohike, from someone who's spent the last
four years mooning over my partner and is still scared
to do anything about it." Assessing what he'd just said
he decided to change the subject. After all, he was
accusing Frohike of doing exactly what he was guilty of.
Well, what he had been guilty of, until last night.
"So did you find anything?"
Frohike and Langly made some space for him between
them at the terminal and Mulder joined them, looking
down at the screen.
"We hacked in. There's a few records, lists."
"Can you print them out for me?"
Frohike clicked on the items and sent them to print.
Langly looked up at Mulder. "Dr Scanlon's name is
mentioned."
Mulder looked at Langly, his surprise showing in his
expression. "The Doctor at the hospital in Allentown?
The one who murdered the other abduction victims?"
Langly. "Yep, the same one. He would have done the
same thing to Scully."
All three men swallowed silently.
"While pretending to cure her." Frohike spoke with
hatred in his voice, and Mulder patted his shoulder.
Clearing his throat Mulder tried to focus his mind.
"Anything else of interest in here?"
Langly shrugged. "Hard to tell. A lot of its in code, and
some of it is password protected."
"Is the code Navajo?"
Both men shook their heads at his question. "No.
Its something we've never seen before."
"Print it anyway." He shrugged. "You never know.
What about the password stuff? Can't you get past
it?"
Langly gave Mulder a grave look. "It would take quite a
while. We might have to run several programs, and if we
stay in here for too long we might get noticed. We need to
hit and run here Mulder."
"Okay, print what we can and shut it down."
Frohike tapped away furiously and Mulder gathered the
sheets of paper from the printer.
He picked up his coat and prepared to leave.
Frohike looked up at him as he exited the laboratory
files. "Give my regards to Scully. Tell her she's still my
pin up girl."
Mulder rolled his eyes, and then looked at Frohike's
computer in amazement, as the screen saver came up
with an image of Scully on it. He shook his head at the
little man.
"I don't know how you got that picture. But if she ever
comes here you'd better ditch it fast. I can personally
attest to her proficiency with a firearm."
He heard Langly laugh as he left their office.
Back in his car, he switched on the interior light and
scanned the printed pages. He was looking for a name
that was dear to him and he quickly found it on a list
labelled 'acquisitions'. He sucked in a breath as he
read the entry.
August 1994
Scully, Dana Katherine
Under each month heading were approximately five
or six names. Wondering if the 'acquisitions' were
still continuing, he turned to last page. What he saw
there made his heart stop and his lungs crash.
July 1997
Scully, Dana Katherine.
Managing to breathe again, despite being struck
with fear, he jabbed the key into the ignition, started
the engine and began what was to be the fastest
drive of his life, towards Scully's apartment.
Continued in Part 2.
Armistice (2/11)
by Caroline O'Callaghan
caroline.o@virgin.net
Do NOT post to atxc - already been there
Rating: NC-17
Category: MSR/adventure/mythology
Summary: Mulder discovers clues to the circumstances
behind his sister's disappearance, whilst Scully
battles fatal illness.
Disclaimer: Oh, do I have to? Okay - nobody belongs
to me - nuff said!
Spoilers: Up to Small Potatoes (in this universe
Gethesmane has not yet happened).
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a continuation of an
earlier story 'The Lure of the Fox' in which Mulder
and Scully became lovers.
Dana Scully's apartment
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
5.05 a.m.
After Krycek's departure, Scully had sat silent and
still for a long time, trying to calm her turbulent
thoughts and shaking body. She didn't know what
scared her most. The thought of the consortium
eradicating her as they did other 'evidence', or dying
slowly from a cancer for which there was no cure.
She had put such faith in the experimental treatment
she'd been having. She'd had no choice, it had been
her only option; but she had looked upon it positively,
hoping that it would produce a miracle cure, where
she knew conventional treatments would fail.
She had fought the temptation to call Mulder; wanting
to get past the worst of the mental pain first. She needed
to have her control back by the time she saw him again.
She didn't want him to see her with her defences down.
She was afraid that he would consider her too disturbed,
or too weak to work, to travel with him, to watch his
back. Her mind had been screaming 'I'm gonna die',
'I'm dying', 'I don't want to die', but she had spent long
minutes breathing deeply and quelling her fears, and then
she had got up, got dressed, packed, thrown up, tidied
her apartment, made coffee, and now she sat quietly on
her couch just waiting for Mulder. He'd be three hours
yet, but she'd just sit and wait.
The knock on her door made her jump in surprise, but
she reacted quickly, whipping her gun from the holster
at the small of her back and pointing it at the door.
"Scully, its me."
Her brow creased in confusion. Mulder sounded frantic,
and he was early, far too early. Her heart was beating
furiously as she remembered that she had once been
fooled into opening the door to Mulder before, when
it hadn't really been Mulder at all, but an enemy with
the ability to take on his shape.
"Scully, are you in there please? Open up."
He was banging on the door so hard it was rattling on
its hinges.
She licked her upper lip and spoke hesitantly. "Mulder?"
She heard him exhale in what she thought was relief.
"Thank God. Are you alright, are you okay? Let me in
Scully."
She went to the door and looked through the peephole.
It looked like Mulder, wearing the same clothes he'd
had on last night, but she couldn't be sure.
Keeping her gun pointed at the door, she undid the
locks quickly and stepped back.
When Mulder entered her apartment he was greeted
with a small automatic weapon pointed at his head,
and Scully looking like she was just waiting for the
right moment for him to blow him into his next
lifetime.
He put his hands up, palms out, in a defensive gesture.
"What's going on here Scully?"
"Don't move".
She clicked the safety off and Mulder began seriously
fearing for his life. But then, instantly, he understood.
"Its okay, its me. Trust me."
Their breathing was the only sound in the apartment,
while he watched her trying to make her decision.
"Jesus, Scully, if you keep pointing guns at me all the
time I might start to think you don't like me."
That did it. Her face crumpled and her firing arm
dropped. She threw herself at him and he enveloped her
in his arms.
He noted the trembling of her body as he rubbed her
back to soothe her. The front door was still open and
he used his foot to kick it closed, relieved that their
exchange hadn't woken any enquiring neighbours up.
"Why did you think it wasn't me Scully, what's
happened?"
She shook her head against his chest, indicating that
she couldn't tell him now, and he understood. He ran
a hand over her hair. "You're a frightening woman
when you want to be, you know that? I nearly peed
my pants for the first time since I was four."
He felt her smile but couldn't see it, her head was still
leaning against his right shoulder blade. He took a moment
to enjoy the feel of her in his arms. Her little body crushed
against his, her thighs rubbing his lower thighs, her breasts
distinguishable where they touched him, even through her
heavy suit jacket. He felt the beginnings of arousal and
decided to shift a little. His shirt was growing moist, and
he became aware that she was crying, silently. For the first
time he noted that she was dressed, and that her packed
bag was sitting by the door. Why was she ready so early?
She loosened her grip on him and turned away, bringing
her hands up to her eyes to dry them.
"Do you want coffee Mulder? I know I could use some."
She walked into the kitchen briskly, holstering her gun
on the way. He sensed, as he wandered in after her and
took a seat at her kitchen table, that she had regained
control of herself again. He wished she hadn't. He
wanted her to be able to lose some of the tension that
was packed into her small frame and was visible on her
face.
"Scully, are you gonna tell me what's happened?"
She shot him a brief, tight-lipped smile as she set a
mug in front of him and poured his coffee. "Why don't
you tell me why you were trying to break down my
door at five o'clock in the morning?"
She poured herself a mug full and sat opposite him. He
winced at the briskness of her movements and the way
she avoided eye contact with him. She was like a tightly-
coiled spring just waiting to unravel. Her tears at the
door had exercised some of what was bothering her, but
he sensed there was still much more she had to let go of.
He sighed and pulled the computer print-outs that
Frohike had given him from his inside pocket.
"Since we spoke on the phone I've gathered some
more information."
He shoved the lists across the table and she took them
and started to read.
"What are these?"
"I had the guys at the Lone Gunmen hack into the files
of a top secret Government laboratory up in the
Vineyard. This is what they retrieved. Some of it is in
code, but there are lists with names of civilians on."
Scully nodded, flicking through the sheets of paper.
"Your name is in there Scully."
She didn't even flinch and for a moment he thought
she hadn't heard him.
"Where?"
"The list labelled 'acquisitions'. You're listed under
the date of your abduction, and...also...under this
month."
Again, she didn't flinch, didn't react at all, and for
some reason it scared the hell out of him.
"That's why I raced over here Scully. I was afraid
that..." He didn't finish the sentence.
Scully downed almost half a cup of coffee in one
swallow and got up from the table, snatching
her mug, and his, before he'd even had a chance to
take a single sip. She threw the black liquid down
the sink and rinsed the mugs, when she turned
back to him he was looking at her, his mouth
hanging open in surprise, and his eyes wide. The
expression almost made her laugh.
"You're afraid that I'm going to be taken again?"
He nodded mutely.
"Well, maybe." She leaned over to switch the coffee
pot off and walked out of the kitchen and grabbed
her coat from the back of couch where it had rested.
"Let's go then, I don't want to wait around here like
a sitting duck."
Route 27
Washington D.C.
July 1st, 1997
6.02 p.m.
Mulder slammed the wheel of the car in frustration,
but saw little point in honking the horn as he glared
at the bumper-to-bumper traffic in front of him.
"Where is everybody going? Its six o'clock in the
morning?"
Scully didn't answer and when Mulder looked around
at her, she was gazing out of the window, seemingly
lost in some kind of trance.
He ran a hand through his hair. They were making
their way, slowly, to the airport, after they'd stopped
quickly at his apartment to grab him a few changes
of clothes. Scully had barely spoken five words in the
last hour. In his apartment, she had stared long and hard
at his fish tank, which hadn't contained any fish for as
long as he could remember. Then she'd walked over to
the window, gazed out of there for at least five
minutes, before resting her eyes on his photograph
of Samantha. He had the feeling that she hadn't
actually been looking at any of the things that
she'd gazed at.
He did honk the horn then and Scully jumped a little
in surprise.
"Earth to Scully."
"I was listening Mulder. If you want an answer, these
people are likely to be all going the same place we're
going, the airport."
"Sometimes I think it might be quicker to drive. By
the time you buy tickets, wait for the plane, get on
the plane, get off the plane, hire a car..."
"All of which takes around three hours, max. Driving
would take around six hours, maybe more."
He snapped suddenly at her cool tone, signalled, and
pulled off the freeway and into the parking lot of a
small roadside diner.
Scully glanced at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"
He swung the car into a parking place, put the brake
on and switched off the engine. "We're not getting far
anyway, and I'm hungry, I want breakfast." He gave her
a final glance before snapping his seat belt off and getting
out of the car. "And you need breakfast."
He was already at the diner door before she caught up
with him. He strode to a booth and sat down in it with
a thud. She sat opposite him carefully, trying to gauge
his mood. He looked pissed, he sounded pissed. He slid
a menu across the table at her.
She glanced at it briefly, but her stomach lurched and
when the waitress approached them, she asked for
coffee. Mulder glared at her as ordered. "Bacon and
eggs, toast, orange juice."
The waitress grinned at him. "Will that be all?"
"Yeah, but I want it all twice."
Scully watched the waitress leave, before pinning
Mulder with a 'what the hell was that about?' look.
"You need to eat Scully, when was the last time you
ate?"
Her mouth hung open. "What exactly are you trying to
say Mulder?"
Silences between them were often friendly,
companionable, the one that developed now was
the complete opposite of that; it was downright
unpleasant.
Eventually Mulder shrugged and looked away, unable
to take the intense, crystal blue glare of her eyes.
"Nothing, forget I said it."
She was going to let it ride when he spoke again.
"You're as thin as a rake Scully. You need to eat
to keep your strength up. You have cancer."
Her face displayed the gamut of emotions that went
through her as his words sank in. Hurt, confusion,
anger, sadness. He saw them all.
She placed her palms on the table and used them to
lever herself up. She spoke in low, warning tones.
"Thank you Mulder. I'm well aware that I have
cancer, its something I live with twenty-four hours
a day. I don't need reminding."
With that she left the booth and he watched her
graceful strides as she walked towards the ladies
room. He admired the way she held her head up.
He felt about two feet tall.
He slammed a hand against his forehead, just as the
waitress appeared with their order. She gave him a
quizzical look and he smiled politely at her to let her
know she wasn't dealing with a lunatic.
When Scully came back, he was still trying to decide
what to say to her. She took her seat, without looking
at him and turned her nose up at the greasy food in front
of her.
Then, to his surprise, she stabbed at a piece of bacon
and shovelled it into her mouth. He watched her
face in fascination as she chewed it. When she'd
swallowed, she looked at him levelly. "Happy now?"
"I don't..." He looked around the diner to avoid her
eyes, because he thought if he looked into their
depths he might actually cry, such was the pain. "I
don't know how to handle it Scully."
She understood, because she always understood. She
dropped her fork and reached across the table to
take his hand. "Its okay Mulder, neither do I."
Feeling more in control of himself he looked at her
again. She gave him an unexpected, full-blown
smile. He couldn't remember if he'd ever seen her
grin properly like that; enough to show him a
row of perfect, small white teeth. Her eyes were
shinning and it shook him to the core.
She squeezed his hand. "We'll just make the rules up
as we go along. You're good at that." She let go
and took up the fork again, popping another piece of
bacon in her mouth to chew.
"You want something else Scully? Its not really you're
kind of meal."
"Its fine. To be honest Mulder I can't really taste it
anyway. Its the treatment, the drugs, they've
dulled my taste buds, and I don't have much of an
appetite either." She sighed. "Which is probably why
I've been losing weight."
When he looked at her he tried to keep the pity out
of his eyes. Scully didn't accept anyone's pity.
"Do you forget to eat sometimes?"
She reddened a little. "I suppose I do."
"Okay if I nag you about it when you do?"
She took a sip of orange juice and looked at him
over the glass. "Sure. As long I can nag you about
your awful choice in neckwear, your partner ditching
tendencies and the fact that you don't get enough
sleep." Her head cocked to one side as she examined
his face. "Did you sleep at all last night?"
"Did you?"
She set the glass down. "For a while. I had a visitor."
Mulder looked at her curiously.
She tried to say the words calmly, knowing that Mulder
was likely to explode when he heard them. "Alex
Krycek came to see me."
Mulder's jaw clenched and she quickly interjected when
his mouth opened to speak.
"He didn't harm me, or threaten me in any way. He came
to talk."
Mulder's voice, when he found it, was an angry whisper.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me? Call me."
She swallowed. "There was no need."
"No need..." He sighed and his tone became a little
softer. "What did he want?"
"To warn me."
"About what?"
"The same thing you warned me about. That whoever
took me the first time, might be back for seconds. Or,
worse, that they may try to eliminate me."
Mulder now understood why she hadn't been surprised
by his news that morning.
Her gaze drifted away. "They could just pick me off
any time, Mulder, I could just be walking down the
street and..."
He reached under the table and grasped her knee,
bringing her eyes back to his. "No Scully, they don't
want to kill you, at least not yet. Those files from the
lab prove they have other plans."
She gave a sad little laugh. "Is that supposed to make
me feel better Mulder?"
He stroked knee he held. "I hope you realise I'm not
letting you out of my sight for a second."
She reached under the table and put her hand on top
of his. "There might have been a time when I would
have objected to a statement like that Mulder, but at
the moment, it sounds like a pretty good plan."
"What else did Krycek say?"
"Nothing." Her gaze floated towards her unfinished
breakfast
"You're a terrible liar Scully."
He was a little stunned when he saw tears form in her
eyes. Scully didn't cry easily, and now she was on the
brink of it for the second time in the space of as many
hours.
"Tell me Scully." He stroked her knee again, and she
squeezed his hand.
"He said the treatment I've been receiving won't help
me at all." She blinked back the tears from her eyes.
"Mulder, all that pain, the bruising, the sickness from
the drugs. It was all for nothing."
She looked like she wanted to hit something and her
grip on his hand made him wince a little in pain.
"I don't know what to say Scully. Except I believe...
I've always believed, that together, we'll find a way
to beat this."
She withdrew her hand and moved her knee so his
hand fell away. "But its not you that's dying Mulder."
He nodded, a thousand answers formed in his mind,
'but if you die Scully, I'll die too' was among them.
Instead, he said nothing.
A minute's silence ensued before she turned to him
again, looking deep into his hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry Mulder."
"It's okay. You can take it out on me any time you
want."
She gave him a brief, barely there, smile, before
becoming business-like again. "So what do we do
when we get up to the Vineyard?"
He shrugged. "Play it carefully. Talk to a few parents,
and abductees. Try and gain access to the laboratory by
flashing our i.d.'s. Of course, we'll get turned away. So
we might have to explore other avenues."
"By other avenues, you wouldn't mean breaking into
Government property would you?"
"Who me? As if I'd do such a thing."
He took a few spoonfuls of breakfast. "We'll play it nice
and easy at first Scully. Pretend we've lost interest for
a few days, do a little sight-seeing, play tourist, before
we make any kind of move."
"Speaking of making a move. We should get going."
He nodded and swallowed most of his orange juice in
one gulp. Scully caught the waitresses eye and
asked for the check. They drank their coffee without
words and wandered out into the parking lot. Scully
was walking in front of him when Mulder caught her by
her coat collar and spun her around.
She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but her
words were taken away by his kiss. She pressed her
lips against his eagerly, and he returned the passion,
slightly disturbed by the effect, even this simple kiss,
was having on his body. His hands went through her
hair, and he felt her arms go around his waist, sneaking
under his suit jacket and overcoat, as his tongue delved
into her mouth. She made a small sound, that could
have been born either from contentment, or arousal.
He pulled away and planted a kiss on her forehead.
She leaned against him and he held her head against
his chest.
"What took you so long Mulder, I've been waiting
for that."
He smiled down at her. "The truth Scully, is that I'm
a little scared."
"Of me?"
"Of us."
She looked up at him and planted a kiss on his chin.
"Me too, I know its terrifying Mulder, but I want this.
I'm sure of that. I thought we'd decided it was what we
both wanted."
"I just don't understand."
"What?"
"Why you want me. You know that I could easily
make things worse between us, rather than better. I'm
terrible at relationships Scully."
She inched away from him and grabbed him by the
lapels of his coat to bring his face down to hers.
"We've been in a relationship for four years
Mulder, and we've done okay so far, we we're
together long before we..." She felt herself blush
a little, "Before the other night." She gave him a
quick kiss on the lips, before turning and walking to
the car. "Come on, we have work to do."
His mood brighter, Mulder walked ahead to open
her car door for her. Before she got in she looked at
him, and then at their surroundings. "Parking lot
Mulder. Why do you always kiss me in parking lots?"
"You think I might have a fixation?"
"I think its a definite possibility."
"It would interesting though Scully. Think about it,
we could traverse the country, stopping to neck
at every parking lot we see."
She shook her head at him and sank into the seat.
Scanlon Bed and Breakfast
West Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st, 1997
2.47 p.m.
Scully watched Mulder run into the bed and breakfast
as she leaned against the hood of the car taking in
the scenery. It was beautiful, lush and green, and the
sun was high in the sky. She closed her eyes and turned
her face towards it.
Her mind was reeling a little. So much had happened,
in the last twenty-four hours, some good, some bad,
and she was still processing it all. She felt some
despair, some hope; much happiness, much sadness.
On the flight to Boston, Mulder had insisted she tell him
all about Krycek's visit. Word for word. He had
threatened to shoot Krycek on sight, the next time he
met him, just for scaring her. They'd discussed whether
what he had told her was the truth, but had come up
with no plausible explanation for why he would want to
lie to her.
Then they'd both fallen asleep. Her head on his
shoulder, a hand resting lightly on his thigh. On descent
they'd woken together, smiling softly at each other,
sharing a gaze that was so intense and so laden with
promise of things to come, that Scully had had to look
away, embarrassed at the direction her thoughts were
taking.
And on the drive down to the Vineyard, and the trip over
to the island on the ferry, she'd had to force herself to
stop touching him. She wasn't a 'touchy' person, but
every couple of minutes she had felt the need to reach
out and brush his coat sleeve, straighten his hair, or
remove imaginary fluff from his trousers. She'd done
a pretty good job of restraining herself, but there had
been a few times when her hand had moved seemingly
of its own accord, and when it did, its reward was
always a smile from Mulder, which would send shivers
down her spine.
There lay the hope, the happiness. The sadness lie in
the fact that she was now aware; there was no more
denying it, that she may not have long to revel in the
joy of being by Mulder's side as more than just his
partner and friend, but as his lover.
He came bounding back from the bed and breakfast,
a definite spring in his step that she hadn't seen in years.
He dangled a key to indicate that he'd managed to
book them in. She nodded and leaned into the car
to pop the trunk open. Mulder lifted their bags and
she locked the doors. The two of them moving as
a team, doing what needed to be done, without any
confusion as to what should be done and who was
going to do it.
She surveyed the building as they approached it.
"Pretty nice Mulder. Not your usual taste."
He just shrugged and she knew then that he had
chosen it because he thought she might like it, and
the knowledge filled her with warmth for him.
"If it would make you feel more at home Scully, I
could find somewhere with friendly roaches and
peeling wallpaper."
She shook her head.
It was only three stories high and Mulder led her to
the second floor and down a corridor. He stopped
in front of room number six and dropped the bags,
fishing in his pocket for the key. He opened the door
as she held out a hand for her key.
He looked down at her outstretched hand and Scully
believed she actually saw him blush. Realising her
mistake, she pulled her hand away.
"I...uh, only got the one room...."
She interrupted a little too quickly. "Its fine."
"It was presumptuous, I...."
"Its okay."
"I can get another room..."
"Mulder, shut up." She brushed past him and into the
room, with a slight smile that she hid from him.
He followed her in and put the bags on the four-poster
bed. He had seen Scully eye the bed and then move
quickly to the window.
"Its lovely Mulder." She gave him a quick glance
before walking to the bathroom.
It was a beautiful room. Lush furnishings and ornate
fittings, a real fireplace and a spectacular view. He
had often driven past, or walked past, the bed and
breakfast in his youth, and had always wondered
what it would be like inside. Now he knew.
He had wanted to please Scully so much; take her
somewhere nice. Although doing so had made him
feel a little foolish. He felt like he was back in high
school and trying to impress a girl on whom he had a
crush.
He watched Scully walk back into the room, drinking
in the way she moved, her every expression. Yes, he
had a crush, an enormous crush.
He cleared his throat, still a little embarrassed at
assuming that she would want to share a bed with
him. "It'll be easier for me to keep an eye on you if
we're in the same room, and there's safety in numbers."
She gave him an unreadable look. There was still so
much about her didn't know. She was often a
complete mystery to him.
He knew he was babbling a little, but he couldn't keep
quiet. "...though I won't be offended, if you want
to get another room. If it makes you uncomfortable
..."
He faltered in the sentence as Scully sat down on the
edge of the bed and gave it a little bounce. "On the
contrary Mulder, it feels very comfortable."
She glanced slyly up at him, and he realised that she
was playing with him. Teasing him the way he
sometimes teased her.
He smiled. "Come on Agent Scully, lets go see a few
witnesses. "
Jacobs Residence
East Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st, 1997
4.28 p.m.
Megan Jacobs cradled her four month old son in her
arms, and looked at the two very-formal, very stern
looking FBI agents who were sitting across from her.
The tall, dark-haired man was asking most of the
questions, whilst his companion; a pretty, petite,
auburn-haired woman, sat mostly in silence, gazing
around the room now and again, but her eyes falling
mostly on the infant in his mother's arms.
Megan interrupted the man's questions with one of her
own. "I just don't understand what this is about. I
don't remember much about what happened to me."
The man nodded. "I appreciate that Mrs Jacobs, but we
need you to remember anything you can. Its very
important."
"Why? All this happened ...years ago"
Mulder cleared his throat a little and leaned forward.
"We have reason to believe that you may have been
subjected to..."
Scully interjected before Mulder had a chance to
mention Government cover-ups, alien connections, or
clones, knowing that it would be most people's
inclination to freak out and clam up at the suggestion
that they were part of a grand conspiracy against the
American public.
"Mrs Jacobs. The FBI has noticed that around the
time you were taken, several other children disappeared
too. All we're returned to their parents unharmed. We're
just looking into the case as a formality. We just need to
establish that nothing untoward happened to you so that
we can stamp the cases closed."
She felt Mulder giving her a 'cut the bullshit' glare, but
ignored it and pressed on. "All we need you to do is to
tell us anything you remember at all from the time you
we're abducted."
Megan thought carefully. "I don't remember being taken
as such, just waking up in a bright room."
Scully leaned forward. "Can you describe it all?"
"There were lights that made it hot. I'd been dressed in
a hospital gown, but I was aware that I wasn't in
hospital, although there were men there, dressed as
doctors."
"Can you describe any of the men?"
She shook her head. "Not properly, they all wore
masks, but I think one of them might have been
Japanese."
Mulder watched Scully carefully and admired the
way she hid any kind of reaction to Megan's last
statement. He wondered how close Megan's
experiences were to Scully's partial memories of
being taken, but he was still somewhat agitated at
his partner for taking over an interview that he'd
been conducting. He knew why she had, but that
just made it seem worse. Why did she feel like she
had to protect people from him?
Megan continued. "I remember them giving me an
injection, and me screaming. As a child, I hated
needles." She sighed. "And I'm afraid that's it,
oh apart from the fact that I was aware there were
other children there too, one of them comforted me.
I knew the name, but it escapes me now."
Scully got to her feet and nodded. "Thank you."
Mulder stood also and walked past Scully and through
the door, without bidding their witness goodbye. Scully
could tell he was pissed at her for taking over the
questioning, and prepared herself for any disagreement
that might follow.
Megan seemed not to notice Mulder's rudeness. She
smiled and got to her feet, gazing fondly at her son,
who had drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Scully looked down at the infant and then back at the
mother. "He's beautiful, how old is he?"
"Four months." Megan looked into the FBI agent's
eyes as she answered and swore she saw a hint of
jealousy in them.
Scully went towards the door. "Sorry to have taken up
your time Mrs Jacobs."
"No problem."
Scully stopped, and turned, gripping the door handle.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but did you have
any trouble conceiving?"
Confused, Megan shook her head before she had time
to wonder at the strangeness of the question. "No,
none."
Scully nodded again and walked into the hall. Mulder
had left the door open, and she bid Megan goodbye
as she walked through it and out to the car. When
she settled herself in the passenger seat beside
Mulder, she tried to ignore his clenched jaw. He
glared at her, but she shot him a cool 'we'll discuss
it later' look.
He started the engine and was about to pull away,
when he noticed Mrs Jacobs coming out of the house,
waving to them to stop. He rolled down the window
and she approached the car, leaning down to speak
to them.
"I remembered the name. The one who comforted me.
It was Samantha."
Continued in Part 3
Armistice (3/11)
by Caroline O'Callaghan
caroline.o@virgin.net
Do NOT post to atxc - already been there
Rating: NC-17
Category: MSR/adventure/mythology
Summary: Mulder discovers clues to the circumstances
behind his sister's disappearance, whilst Scully
battles fatal illness.
Disclaimer: Oh, do I have to? Okay - nobody belongs
to me - nuff said!
Spoilers: Up to Small Potatoes (in this universe
Gethesmane has not yet happened). Particular
reference to Nesei and 731.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a continuation of an
earlier story 'The Lure of the Fox' in which Mulder
and Scully became lovers.
Outside the Jacobs Residence
East Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st, 1997
4.42 p.m.
Mulder stared at Megan Jacobs like she had slapped him.
The woman looked confused and Scully leaned over to
appease the situation.
"Thank you Mrs Jacobs, you've been a big help."
Megan nodded, gave them both another wary look, and
turned and walked back into her house.
Scully glanced at Mulder, who was now gazing at the
windshield, seemingly a million miles away. She
gently touched his arm to bring him back and he
turned to her, a face full of wonder.
"She was here all the time Scully, right here in the
Vineyard. I looked everywhere, and she was right here."
"Mulder you don't know that. It might be a coincidence,
maybe she's talking about another Samantha."
Mulder gave her a look that she read as 'c'mon Scully,
cut the crap'.
She wanted to pull his head to her chest to comfort
him, but she settled for stroking his arm lightly. "I can
guess where were going now, but take it easy Mulder,
don't let them know what you know."
"Give me a little credit Scully."
She pulled her hand away, aware that his harshness
and restrained anger, were not meant for her, even if
they were directed at her at the moment.
"Okay, let's go."
J.E.M. Laboratory
West Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
5.20 p.m.
Mulder pulled the car to a stop, and looked quickly
at his partner, who was gazing at the building with
a troubled expression . He was eager to try and gain
access to the laboratory, but took a moment to see
if everything was alright with Scully. "Something
wrong?"
She cleared her throat and shook her head. "Deja
Vu."
"You've been here before?"
"No, I don't think so, it just felt like I'd seen or
done this before."
The tension that had been present at the start of the
journey had eased slightly with each mile, as he
came to regret being harsh with her outside the
Jacobs residence. Now, more than ever, he needed
Scully by his side.
He leaned over and peered into her eyes. "Scully,
is that you? My real partner would never admit the
possibility that her cognitive mind had conjured up
a false memory so strong that it had felt like a real
occurrence."
His face was just in front of hers, she could see
every pore; the whiskers of his five o'clock shadow;
his full bottom lip. It was too much to resist and she
leaned in and kissed him, quickly, but not chastely.
He looked at her, his expression betraying
surprise and pleasure.
"There's a logical reason for Deja Vu Mulder."
He smiled. "That's better."
"Although I've never been to this place before, I've
probably been somewhere very similar, under similar
circumstances, but the memory is so dormant..."
He cut her off by giving her a kiss in return. When he
pulled away she licked her lips, capturing the lingering
taste of him. Caffine and sunflower seeds. She reached
out a hand to pull him to her again, but he pulled back
to his side of the car.
She tried to ignore the small pang of rejection that
entered her heart and slipped to her stomach. She
understood Mulder's retreat, they were here for
work, not play. And work came first, Samantha came
first; Mulder had warned her of that. Even so, a part
of her wished that he didn't find it so easy to
resist her.
He reached over and pushed a strand of errant
hair behind her ear. She gave him a look that she knew
was full of longing and he smiled.
"Oh Scully." He sighed. "You'd better stop looking
at me like that. We're probably on Candid Camera."
He gestured up towards the security camera on the
perimeter fence of the building.
She sighed. "Great, they're really going take me
seriously, now they've seen us......" She gestured with
her hand, unable to find the right word.
He made a similar gesture with his hand and got out
of the car. Scully followed him and they walked
towards the gate of the laboratory together.
"We're not being very discreet Mulder."
He gave her a side look, but he was becoming more
focused on the task at hand now.
She continued. "The parking lot this morning, sharing
the same room...now here in..." She looked around
and realised they were in another parking lot. Mulder
must have been listening more closely than she had
thought and the realisation dawned on him at the same
time.
He grinned. "Must be the smell of gasoline or
something."
She shook her head at him. "You have any other
fetishes I should know about."
"Only my one for women who carry firearms and
handcuffs."
"Seriously though Mulder, don't you think we ought
to be a little careful?"
"We'll talk about it later Scully."
She started to speak again, but he put a finger to his lips.
She obeyed his request when she saw the security guard
appear at the gate. He gave them a questioning look up
and down.
"Can I help you?"
"We'd like to see Mr Nolan, I understand he's the director
of this facility."
"Do you have an appointment?"
Mulder exchanged glances with Scully and they
simultaneously pulled out their FBI badges for inspection.
"We're here on an investigation, we don't need an
appointment."
The Guard nodded politely, but he seemed to be hiding a
sneer. "This is a high-level security, Government facility.
Even the president would need an appointment."
Scully noted how the two men we're squaring up to each
other now. Mulder stood with his hands on hips, jacket
pulled back to reveal his firearm.
"I'd ask Mr Nolan if he would like to see Agent Scully
and I personally if I were you. I doubt that decisions
about visitors to this facility are yours to make."
The Guard sucked in a breath, making his chest look
even wider than it was. "And if I were you Agent
Mulder, I'd leave and not come back till you have an
appointment." He looked down at Scully with a leer.
"I'm sure you'll find something else to do."
Mulder glanced at Scully to gauge her reaction. She
met the Guard's look with a cool gaze and a sweet tone.
"I'm sure we all have other things to do. So why don't
you please ask Mr Nolan if he'll see us. If he says no,
we'll go away. Fair enough?"
The request was put so nicely, in such a non-threatening
manner, that the Guard seemed to not know how to
react. He bustled a little, nodded, and walked over to
a security hut at the gate and picked up an internal
telephone line.
Mulder looked at his partner in surprise.
"Manners cost nothing Mulder."
"I'll have to remember that. Maybe that's where I've
been going wrong all these years."
Five minutes later they were met at the gate by Nolan's
assistant and driven into the laboratory. Mulder and
Scully scanned every inch of the property on the way
in, looking for any piece of evidence that would help
them in their quest.
They were shown to Nolan's office. He stood to greet
them. He was a odd-looking man with bulging eyes, a
broken nose and a head that seemed too big for his
body. When he stood to greet them, Mulder noted
that Scully, in her heels, was a good few inches taller
than the director.
His thoughts wandered at the observation, and for some
reason, conjured up an image of Scully in nothing but her
heels, which he filed away in his mind for later, under 'I'
for 'Inappropriate at this time'.
Nolan spoke in a ridiculously squeaky, high pitched tone.
"Now, what possible reason could the FBI have for
coming to this facility?"
He looked at Mulder for an explanation, but it was Scully
who spoke. "We're investigating a case. Its come to our
attention that several children on the Vineyard, over a
certain time span in the late 1960's and 70's, were
taken and later returned to their parents. During the time
they were missing, they all have memories of being held
in a laboratory and experimented upon.
Nolan laughed, reminding Mulder of a leprechaun. He
was really starting to hate the man.
"You don't think the J.E.M. facility had any thing to do
with these cases surely? Look around you Ms Scully,
its patently obvious that this building is only a few years
old."
Mulder interrupted. "What was here before it was built?"
The man shrugged. "I have no idea. Why don't you check
the local library? This meeting is starting to sound like
a waste of my time."
"What kind of work are you carrying out here?"
"That's classified."
"Can you tell us what Government department finances
your work?"
"No, I'm afraid I can't."
Scully leaned forward. "Then I suppose a tour of the
laboratory is out of the question?"
Nolan looked at Scully as if she were stupid, and
Mulder saw his partner bristle with restrained
anger, but she said nothing.
He admired her control, he was losing patience fast.
He was on the verge of standing up and shouting.
'Where's my sister you son-of-a-bitch?' followed by
'What the fuck are you covering up you little toad?'
"Sir, you are hampering our investigation."
Nolan got to his feet to indicate he was about to
show them the door. "I would have thought the
FBI had better things to do than disrupt important
Government work because a few hysterical people
imagine they were experimented on by aliens."
Mulder exchanged a look with Scully, before
glancing back at Nolan. "I never mentioned aliens
Sir."
"Well that's what you two do, isn't it? Chase aliens?"
Scully stood and shot a fierce look at Nolan. The
man almost recoiled from it. "No, that's not what we
do. But you've obviously heard of us, can I ask how?"
The man chuckled, but Mulder noticed that he'd
suddenly become nervous and his mouth twitched
as he spoke. "You're the laughing stock of Washington,
that's how I know you."
Mulder stood, knowing their time was up. "Spend a lot
of time in Washington do you Mr Nolan?"
"I have enough contacts there to make sure that your
ass is grass if you try to come here again and make
accusations about me or this laboratory."
Scully shot him another withering look before moving
to the door. "Accusations. I don't remember making
any accusations, do you Mulder?"
He shook his head. "No Scully I don't."
Nolan reached over his desk to press an intercom button.
Mulder waved a hand in the air. "Don't bother calling
security, we're on our way out."
He joined Scully at the door and opened it, but before
they exited he shot one last question at Nolan. "Your
contacts in Washington Mr Nolan. Any of them smoke?"
The director looked at him in open-mouthed astonishment.
Mulder nodded as he and Scully left the room.
They didn't speak until they were sitting back in the car
and Scully was pulling on her seatbelt while Mulder
started the engine.
"So Mulder, what happened to playing it cool and not
letting them know too much?"
He shrugged. It could have been a criticism, but he knew
Scully didn't mean it as one, she just wanted to know
what was going on his mind. "Change of plan."
"Oh, you mean you actually have a plan?"
To her surprise he reached over and squeezed her hand.
"We'll talk back at the room."
They didn't speak as he drove them along the quiet lanes
of the Island. Each was comfortable with the silence,
lost in their own thoughts.
Scanlon Bed and Breakfast
West Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st, 1997
7.05 p.m.
Back in their room, Scully yawned, sat wearily on the
bed and waited for Mulder to gather his thoughts. He
was pacing and she watched him move.
"Did you see his face when I mentioned Cancer Man?
Nolan definitely knows him."
Scully nodded. "He was defensive from the first moment
we were in there, he's obviously hiding something."
"What do you think goes on at that laboratory Scully?"
She shrugged. "I honestly don't know Mulder, and I
wouldn't like to surmise anything. Although its unlikely
that building was the same laboratory the children were
taken to. Like Nolan said, its only been there a few
years."
Mulder ran a hand through his hair and sat on the edge
of the bed, a few inches away from her. "What if the
original laboratory was underground, like the one in
Virginia? What if this building has been built on top of
the original? There may still be evidence underneath.
Maybe there are tunnels leading to it, like there was in
Breakspeare."
Scully sat up a little and gave him a questioning look.
"Mulder, what are you suggesting?"
"That there's another way in. Just because we can't
get in the front door...."
She gave him another stern look. "You want to go
searching the surrounding undergrowth for tunnels
that may not even be there?"
He shrugged. "Yes."
"Tonight?"
He nodded.
She sighed. "I don't think its a good idea. We've
alerted them now Mulder. They know were here
and they'll be expecting us to make a move. I think
your original plan was better. We should lay low
for a few days, play tourist..."
He cut her off and got to his feet. "What if there's no
time for that?"
Scully knew why he wanted to speed things up.
Samantha. His driving force. Tomorrow wasn't
good enough where his sister was concerned. She knew,
when he had booked this room, that he had done so with
the intention of making love to her in it, and she had
looked forward to the coming of the evening with a thrill.
Now she was to be denied that. Instead she had to go
trawling through trees and bushes in search of secret
passages, like some heroine out of a children's adventure
book. She almost laughed at herself when she realised
she was jealous. Jealous of her lover's sister, who may
or may not be alive, and who hadn't been in his life
since he was twelve. As much as she wanted Mulder
to find Samantha, or what had happened to her,
sometimes she couldn't help but hate the search for her
that controlled Mulder, and sometimes influenced his
actions to the point where he seemed to be acting in
madness.
She got to her feet and began rooting through her
luggage. Mulder came to stand over her. "Scully,
can I count on your help?"
She found her sleepwear and stood up to face him.
"Of course you can, always Mulder."
He looked as if he might kiss her but she stepped
backwards.
"I'm going to change, and grab a couple of hours
sleep. Everything that's happened, and the travelling
...well I'm tired. Wake me up later and we'll go."
He nodded and she went into the bathroom to change.
He noted that she locked the door. He wondered if
it was habit, shyness, or whether she was withdrawing
from him.
He shook the anxiety from his mind and forced himself
to concentrate on the job in hand. He sought out the
lists from the laboratory and sat down in a chair to
peruse them again, in case anything had been missed.
When Scully came out of the bathroom, Mulder felt
his mouth go dry, his heart constrict and another part
of his anatomy harden. She wore a deep blue, silk,
nightgown that fell to just above her knees. She shot
him a quick, unreadable look as she walked towards
the bed. He watched the way the silk played around her
body, showing her curves and dips to such an effect
that he couldn't take his eyes off her. He noted the
elegance in her neck and shoulders, revealed by the
thin spaghetti straps and the delightful way the material
hugged her breasts. He shifted in the chair and wondered
whether she had worn the wonderful piece of clothing
to drive him crazy on purpose. 'Take that Fox Mulder,
this is what you're missing'.
She laid down, pulling the covers up and shutting her
eyes.
************
end of part 3a
continued in part 3b
************
Armistice (3b/11)
by Caroline O'Callaghan
***************
Scanlon Bed and Breakfast
West Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st, 1997
9.05 p.m.
Scully awoke to an unfamiliar sound
and a strange feeling.
A snoring Mulder, draped over her. A leg between
her legs, face buried in her neck and hair, and a hand
lightly resting on her left breast. She lay still, a quiet
smile on her lips, enjoying the moment, despite a
thick fuzziness that seemed to be occupying her brain.
He snored louder and she nudged his leg with one of
her own, hoping to disturb him just enough to quell
the sound. He shifted and she felt his arousal brush her
thigh through the material of the sweat pants he had
changed into. Her body tingled with the knowledge
that he wanted her, and sparks of desire flew through
her when he tightened his hold on her breast. She
resisted a moan of pleasure, but gloried in the
thought that she had the ability to turn him on.
His head lifted up and his eyes opened. His hair was
poking out in all directions and his eyes were dark as they
met hers. She felt herself melt a little. He smiled sleepily
at her and then must have realised where his hand was
because he pulled it away sharply. "Sorry...I"
She kissed him. "There's nothing to apologise for
Mulder. Decided to join me for a nap huh?"
"Well you looked so cosy in here, I couldn't resist."
He touched the strap of her nightgown and she sucked
in a breath. "This is nice."
"My mother bought it for me, I think she was hoping
it might encourage me to find someone I could wear
it for." She wondered whether Mulder thought she had
worn it for him. The truth was that, with him dragging
her off at the last minute all the time, she hadn't had
much time to do laundry lately and it had been the only
clean nightwear she'd had to pack.
He shifted his legs a little, so she wasn't able to feel
his erection anymore. He probably thought she hadn't noticed
in the first place. She remembered suddenly an
important conversation they had postponed.
"Mulder, what happens if the Bureau finds out?"
He shrugged. "Scully I'm paying for this hotel, not
the Bureau. It won't go through expenses, they
won't know we played roomies."
"But should we be, you know....displaying our...
feelings for one another out in the open? I mean..."
He cut her off with a kiss. "I don't care who knows,
I'm not going to hide it."
"But it could give them a justified reason to separate
us as partners, maybe even dissolve the X Files."
"Scully, I hate to break this to you, but most people in
the Bureau already think we're sleeping together."
Her eyebrow arched up and he did something he had
wanted to do for the longest time. He kissed it.
"They do?"
"They think we've been at it like bunnies for years. I'm
sure even Skinner suspects we're involved."
"Suspecting and knowing are two different things Mulder.
As much as Skinner purports to be on our side, if he had
actual evidence that we're sleeping together, he might
have no choice but to take action."
"Scully, I'm not going to try and take you on the reception
desk of the Hoover Building or anything." The words
conjured up an image which he struggled to put aside.
"We won't be obvious, but I'm not going to hide in the
shadows either."
He kissed her, deeply, loving the softness of her lips. She
sighed, opened her mouth to him and his tongue sank
inside, glorying in her taste.
Scully kissed him back with fervour as they lay on their
sides. She thought she knew why Mulder felt so reckless
about their relationship. Because he knew they didn't have
much time left anyway; he knew that they would
be separated soon, either by her death, or this case, which
felt like it would solve many of the answers they had
been seeking for so long. The whereabouts of Samantha,
the nature of the 'tests' that she and other women had
been subjected too. Much was likely to be revealed, and
who knew where it would leave the two of them when it
was.
They kissed for a long time, tasting, nibbling, sucking, and
inevitably hands came into play as Scully sneaked hers
under his t-shirt to feel his chest and his moved lower, past
her waist and onto her backside where they stroked and then
pulled her towards him so that her stomach was against
his arousal.
She managed to disentangle their mouths long enough to
work his t-shirt over his head and then she dipped her
head to his chest, running a tongue over his nipple, he
ran a hand through her hair and ground his hips towards
her.
Her right hand moved devilishly downwards and took a
tight hold of him. When he gulped for air she kissed his
adams apple and released him just long enough to sneak
the hand inside the sweatpants. She smiled against his
chest when no underwear barred her way. She wasn't
wearing any either. She ran her hand along his length in
slow, tight strokes and pulled her head back to look at his
face, just to assure herself that she was giving pleasure, not
pain, because she couldn't tell either way from the groans
she was eliciting from him.
His face was screwed up, but he was definitely enjoying
her touch. His hips began to thrust into her hand.
Her name was a choke. "Scully." The hand that had
been in her hair moved down between their bodies
and sneaked between her thighs.
Her own voice was deep and hoarse with desire "Yes
Mulder."
She didn't know whether he'd been asking permission,
but she'd given it anyway and shifted her position so
her legs fell open. When his fingers found her she groaned
loudly and struggled to keep up the rhythm she had found
in stroking him.
The kissed deeply as their lower bodies moved desperately.
Each thrusting into the other's hand as fingers played,
danced, stroked, gripped.
Scully smiled against his lips, reminded of early sexual
experiences when she hadn't dared have actual intercourse,
but had wanted the physical contact. The memory of the
back seat of a car, a nervous hand inside her underwear
fumbling with her, while she struggled with a stubborn
zipper.
But then suddenly, Mulder touched her just there, right
where she longed to have him touch her, and two fingers
slipped inside her, and all other thoughts were lost. There
was nobody else but Mulder. Nothing else but the feel of
him, the taste of him, the smell of him.
She increased her pace on him and he groaned. "Scully."
The fuzziness in her head began turning into an ache,
and she knew that she was unlikely to get total satisfaction
from his lovemaking, even though he was doing everything
right and giving much pleasure.
She let go of him and pushed away the hand that had
been stroking her. His eyes sought hers to ask what she
wanted. She made it clear by kissing him and pushing
his sweatpants down by the waistband. He kicked them
off, and grabbed the edge of her nightgown, but she
shook her head.
"I want to see you. I don't care about..."
She cut him off with another kiss. She hated the ugly,
treatment-induced bruises that covered her back, didn't
want them to be revealed and hoped he wouldn't force
the issue. He didn't. He kissed her forehead, snaked
his hips between her thighs and pushed up into her with
a loud moan.
Scully caught her bottom lip between her teeth. God, he
filled her so well, so completely. A perfect fit. He
wasn't too large, and he certainly wasn't too small. Just
right. He rocked them slowly at first, gazing down at
her with intensity, then quickened the pace to fit his
growing need. Scully's fingers pressed into his behind,
pulling him back in when he withdrew. Her hips rushing
to meet every thrust.
Mentally Mulder knew he ought to slow things down.
Scully hadn't come and didn't look as if she were just about
to either, but his body betrayed him, quickening the pace
despite his concerns. It was too glorious, being inside her,
being enveloped by her. Watching the wonderful expressions
that lit up her face as he began to pound in and out of her,
increasingly faster.
His blood was rushing, his heart beating frantically. "Scully
..." She understood him, even though he couldn't find the
words.
"Its okay Mulder. Come for me."
He went wild then and she stopped trying to match his
pace because it became impossible. The ache in her head
was now a searing pain and she cursed it, for if it hadn't
been there she would be enjoying the friction to the utmost,
and reaching high points of pleasure in Mulder's arms.
With a smile she thought about how his frantic pace was
going leave a lasting impression on her body. She probably
wouldn't be able to walk straight for the next few days.
He exploded inside her with a yell and his body collapsed
heavily on top of her. She held him to her and stroked
back his sweat-soaked hair. He gasped into her ear.
"Scully."
"Yes I'm here."
He gripped her tightly and her heart swelled.
He raised his face to look into her eyes. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Although you're a little heavy."
He grinned and left her. Rolling over so that he lay next
to her on his back. "Sorry."
She regretted saying anything, wanting him back inside
her, now that he was gone.
He stroked her hair and watched her closely. "I'm sorry,
you didn't..."
She put a finger to his lips and he kissed it.
Her voice was soft. "Don't worry about it."
"But I do. Its kind of a blow to my sexual ego Scully."
She shook her head at him. "Nothing to do with you
Mulder. Don't go getting performance anxiety on me
will you?"
"I want to pleasure you every time."
She kissed him. "Its a lovely thought, but I've never
been one of those women that it happens easily
for. It usually takes a lot for me to...well...you
know."
She lay on her side and boosted herself up on her
elbow to look down at him. "In fact the other night,
with you. That's the first time that its ever happened
twice for me, in one night."
He looked a little proud of himself and she hid her
smile from him behind her long fringe of hair. "Don't
expect that that's going to happen every night."
"Ahh, but Scully..." He looked over at the clock.
"This particular night is still very young, and I think we
have a little time to see just what can be accomplished
when we set our minds to it."
He pushed her onto her back and laid over her again.
"Already Mulder. That's fast re-loading."
He smiled down at her. "'Fraid not Scully, but there's
more than one way to make love to a woman."
He kissed her neck first and then began working his
way down, nuzzling her breasts through the silk
material of her gown. When he reached her stomach,
he pushed it up and kissed the flesh around her
belly button.
Scully lay back, enjoying the sensations. The pounding
in her head was subsiding slightly and her body came
alive at the thought of what he was going to do to her.
His mouth was nearly there; just a couple of inches
lower.
Mulder looked up, eager to see what kind of expressions
were crossing her exquisite face. He froze. "Scully."
Hearing the concern in his face she sat up. "What?"
"You have a nosebleed, Scully."
"Oh." Her hand flew to her upper lip and she pushed
him roughly off her, got out of bed and rushed to
the bathroom.
She shut the door firmly. Mulder got up and found his
sweatpants, pulling them on as he went to the door
and knocked lightly on it. "Scully. Is there anything I
can do."
"No. Its okay. Well, there's some tablets in my medical
kit, in a green bottle, could you get them for me?"
"Sure." When he found the bottle he frowned at the
label, recognising the medical term for what were
essentially pain-killers.
He opened the bathroom door and walked in, ignoring
the fact that she had shut him out. She looked at him
accusingly, then her expression softened when he held
out the pills, which she took from him.
"Pain-killers Scully?"
She was dabbing at her nose with a flannel. The blood
had almost stopped. "I have a headache, that's all."
"Must be a pretty bad one if you don't think Asprin
will cure it."
"Could you get me a glass of water Mulder."
He did as asked and watched as she swallowed the
pills down. She handed the glass back to him.
"I guess we should getting ready to go."
He laughed in amazement and shook his head at her.
"The only place you're going is the emergency room
Scully. That's two nosebleeds in three days, and now
you have this headache."
She raised her voice. "Its just a headache. You're not
ditching me, I'm going with you."
The glared at one another for a long time. Silence
echoed around the small bathroom. Mulder gave
in first.
"I'm just concerned Dana, I think you need to get
yourself checked out."
Hearing her first name fired her temper. She hated the
way Mulder used it when he thought she was feeling
vulnerable. He used it as a weapon, to get to her; to
try and persuade her. "No, what I need is to go with
you and find out why this is happening to me.
I need to fight back, take some action. Sitting in a
waiting room or hospital bed is not an option, I don't
have time for it." She sighed heavily and leaned against
the sink. "This case might give you some answers, but it
could also give me some."
When she had finished she lifted her chin in defiance,
and he had half formed an argument in his mind when
he noticed that her eyes were secretly pleading with
him. He was helpless against their appeal. "Okay. I
can't make you do anything. Its your choice. Let's get
ready."
Woods outside the J.E.M. Laboratory
West Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st
10.58 p.m.
Mulder cursed when he stubbed his toe on a felled
tree trunk. His partner shot him a sympathetic
glance, which was tinged with a look that screamed
'that's what you get for walking around woods in
the middle of the night'.
"Why are you so sure there's going to be another
way in?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Let's just say I have a
big hunch."
"I thought we already took care of your big hunch."
He laughed, then looked at her in shock.
"What Mulder? You think I've worked with you all
these years and not learned a little about the art of
innuendo?"
"Well its nice to know I've taught you something."
They'd worked their way to the top of a hill that looked
down over the laboratory. Mulder pulled out his
binoculars.
Scully looked up at him expectantly. "Something going
on down there?"
"Yeah. It looks like they're moving house."
"What?" She grabbed the binoculars herself and looked
through them to see men at the back entrance of the
laboratory loading large boxes into removal trucks. She
noted the name on the side of the trucks before looking
back up at Mulder.
"You don't suppose our visit freaked them so much,
that they've been forced to move premises do you?"
"Nolan was pretty uptight about us being there, but I
can't see us as that much of a threat. This is a pretty big
operation. Moving it would take a lot of planning, maybe
they've been arranging this for a while and our arrival was
a coincidence. Perhaps that's why Nolan was so edgy, he
was afraid we'd see this, all his secrets in transit." He
looked down at her, eyes full of excitement. "We have
to get in there before everything disappears Scully. Its
a good thing we came tonight instead of waiting."
"The question is how. Look at the security they have.
There must be fifty guards down there, and dogs and
cameras."
Mulder reclaimed his binoculars from her and raised
them to look down at the laboratory grounds. He was
quiet for a long time and she jumped when he
eventually spoke. "I can't believe we didn't see it
before."
"What?"
"Rail tracks. There are rail tracks. They go from one
outbuilding to another, and then..." He pocketed
the binoculars and grinned down at her. "Then they
disappear."
She looked up at him doubtfully. "Railtracks?"
He nodded eagerly. "A tradesman's entrance."
"But you said they disappeared."
"Disappear from view Scully."
"You mean you think they're underground?"
"A tunnel. Which would make sense, I mean
we're on an island. If the track is connected to the
mainland, it would have to go under the water."
He headed quickly off in a direction east of the
laboratory. She struggled to catch up with his
movement and his thoughts. "Mulder. I don't
understand."
He turned and stopped. "Don't you see Scully?
They have their own railroad. I've travelled on
it before, and so have you."
She suddenly remembered being shown a train car
fitted out like an operating theatre in Perky, West
Virginia, and knowing that she had been in it before.
She also recalled Mulder jumping onto a moving train,
convinced that it was transporting an alien life form.
"My God, Mulder..."
"All the time Scully, when I was looking up at the
sky, I should have been checking out the choo-choos.
I'll bet there was a track in Virginia and one on
Skyland Mountain where Duane Barry took you.
They were just very well hidden. Better hidden than
this one probably is."
He rushed into the trees again. She paused briefly
before she followed.
They found it within thirty minutes. The track surfaced
for about half a mile before it disappeared into tunnels,
one heading into the laboratory grounds and the other
heading away, in the direction of the mainland. Mulder
paused at the edge of the tunnel and looked down at
his partner. They both wore black jackets, sweaters, jeans
and boots. She provided the only colour around. Her hair
looked like fire in the night sky, her eyes were flashing an
extraordinary blue, and her lips were cherry red. He took
a moment just to study her; to commit this particular image
of her to memory - utterly gorgeous whilst scurrying
around train tracks in the middle of night, looking like a pint-
sized member of the S.A.S.
Scully shone her flashlight down the tunnel and then gazed
up at him with a sense of foreboding. "Mulder this tunnel
has been built just wide enough for a train."
He looked at her blankly and she sighed at his lack of
practicality.
"What I'm saying is, that if we go down here, and a train
comes. We're hamburger."
"You have such a nice way of putting things Scully."
"I suppose you still want to risk it?"
"What are the chances of them sending a train down
here now? I mean, you saw them, they're packing up.
They're not expecting any more deliveries." He put a hand
on her arm. "Scully, I just feel that we're so close..."
"Okay, okay." She gave him a shove towards the tunnel.
"Lead on MacDuff."
He walked eagerly into the damp, dark, brick tunnel. Scully
followed more warily, consoling herself with the thought
that at least if she were to get mowed down by a train, she
was with Mulder, and he was wearing that black leather
jacket and jeans outfit that did wonderful things for him.
She'd die, but at least her last view would be of Mulder,
and he was looking damn fine.
************
Continued in part 4
Armistice (4a/11)
by Caroline O'Callaghan
caroline.o@virgin.net
Do NOT post to atxc - already there
Rating: NC-17
Category: MSR/adventure/mythology
Summary: Mulder discovers clues to the circumstances
behind his sister's disappearance, whilst Scully
battles fatal illness.
Disclaimer: Oh, do I have to? Okay - nobody belongs
to me - nuff said!
Spoilers: Up to Small Potatoes (in this universe
Gethesmane has not yet happened). Particular
reference to Nesei and 731.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a continuation of an
earlier story 'The Lure of the Fox' in which Mulder
and Scully became lovers.
*********
Train tunnel heading into the J.E.M. Laboratory
West Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 1st, 1997
10.58 p.m.
They didn't speak as they walked, Scully following
carefully behind Mulder. She knew they were walking
into dangerous territory. Even putting aside the fact
that they could be mowed down by a train at any moment,
there was still the possibility that they would be caught
and killed to ensure their silence.
Scully cursed every sound they made in the dark, dank
tunnel; their footsteps, and even the breaths they took.
They walked for around half a mile before they saw the
the end of the tunnel. As they approached it, Mulder
looked around at her in an 'are you ready for this'
kind of way. She nodded, and they put their backs
against the tunnel wall as they edged into an outbuilding
with a makeshift train platform. Hearing no voices or
activity, Mulder shone his torch around and whispered
to his partner. "Looks like were alone."
She whispered back. "They've must have finished
packing here. Do we go on?"
Mulder licked his dry lips. "Yes?"
"Mulder..." She let the sentence trail off, knowing
he didn't want to hear her warnings; her telling him that
they should be careful. He was searching for the truth
now and nothing or no-one was going to stop him.
They followed the track through the empty building,
until they reached the grounds of the laboratory. The
track went on, but there was no tunnel, if they wanted
to go further they would have to walk across in plain
sight.
Scully could hear voices in the distance and peeked out
of the building to see groups of men, about a hundred
yards away, still loading the trucks. She shot a look at
Mulder.
He was looking down the train tracks to the building
across the way. If they were going to make it there,
they'd have to dodge the security and removal men.
She tossed her head in the direction of the men and
Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "We'll run for it."
She sighed and switched off her torch, tucking it into
the waistband of her jeans whilst removing her gun.
She clicked the safety off, deciding that if she was
caught, she at least wanted some form of defence.
"On three?"
She found Mulder's eyes in the moonlight. Her heart
was beating with excitement and the adrenaline was
flowing. Mulder must have recognised it, because he
suddenly grinned at her. She frowned at him.
"Did I ever tell you I think you're amazing Scully?"
She grinned back. "Let's do it Mulder."
She thought for a moment he was going to throw a
suggestive comment at her in reply but he merely
nodded, and then they ran.
The fear of getting caught must have increased her
normal sprint capabilities because she beat Mulder
across the yard. Although, she was panting furiously
when she reached the other side and flung herself
against the wall; whilst Mulder was barely out of
breath and joined her a moment later.
The tracks disappeared behind huge double doors.
Mulder looked everywhere for a way to open
them, before sighing heavily and shrugging at
Scully. "They must open from the inside."
After glancing nervously at the laboratory
personnel who were carrying on their tasks, oblivious
to the intruders, she looked back at Mulder. "Then let's
find another way in, I'm not going back empty handed
after risking life and limb getting this far."
They walked slowly around the main laboratory
building, keeping close to the wall and in the
shadows.
Nevertheless, three minutes later they were caught.
A tall, broad figure stepped out of a doorway and
pointed a large automatic weapon at them. "Hold it."
They both stilled instantly.
Their captor looked them up and down and then, to
their surprise, lowered his weapon. He spoke roughly
to Mulder. "What are you doing out here, why aern't
you helping with the loading?"
Mulder didn't dare look at Scully, afraid any movement
might give them away. He realised that the man was
dressed in roughly the same attire he was. Black jeans,
black t-shirt, black leather jacket. It was obviously
some kind of uniform, and his clothes looked so similar
in the dark that he had been mistaken for a member of
the security team. But what the hell was the man going
to think when he saw Scully? She definitely wasn't big
enough to be mistaken for anybody's paid gorilla.
The guard's eyes shifted towards her, narrowed and then
turned on Mulder. "Why is she out here? She should be
ready for transportation by now."
Mulder thought quickly, his brain running on over-time,
he just prayed that Scully hadn't shown too much of a
reaction to the question. Mulder cleared his throat.
"She was restless. I was asked to take her for a walk. I'm
taking her back in again now."
The guard looked at Mulder, as if he might interrogate him
further, but then calmly stepped aside and opened the
door for them.
Mulder took Scully by the elbow, as if she were his
prisoner and practically hauled her through the door.
Once it was shut behind them and the guard out of sight,
Scully breathed again for what felt like the first time in
five minutes.
Mulder looked around the brightly-lit corridor, which was
empty with the exception of a few boxes and themselves.
He loosened his grip on Scully's elbow and tried not to be
too affected by the small face that was looking up at him
with a mixture of confusion, terror and relief. "I say we
look around and then get out of here before he realises
that we're not who he thought we were."
He began to move off down the corridor, but Scully
stopped him with a hand on his forearm. "Mulder, he knew
me."
"They may have test subjects held here Scully, he
probably just thought you were one of them."
"No Mulder. He looked right at me. And he knew me."
He cupped her face with both his hands and looked
down at her pleadingly. "I know Scully. It was strange,
I admit, but we don't have time to think about it
now. We have to get in and out of here quickly."
Regaining her composure a little, she nodded and
jerked her face away. Mulder went ahead and after
passing by several locked doors he was beginning to
lose hope of finding anything significant. The
corridor came to a stop eventually and another one
crossed it, leading left and right. He hesitated, looking
to make sure no-one was around and then chose to
go left. Behind him, he heard Scully stop and
he turned to see if there was a problem.
"Its the other way Mulder."
He looked at her incredulously. "What?"
"Trust me, its the other way."
She jogged off and he had no choice but to follow her,
and wonder at how on earth she knew where she was
going.
After a few hundred metres she stopped again, her
attention focused on a set of double doors to her
right. She looked at the doorknob desperately, as if
she were almost afraid to see what lay beyond. Mulder
reached out and turned it for her. To his surprise, it
opened and together they walked into what seemed to
be an operating theatre. It was in darkness, and most of
its fixtures and fittings had been removed.
Mulder shone his torch around at Scully, only to see
her blinking furiously, holding back tears that threatened
her composure. He walked across and laid a hand on her
arm.
"Scully, do you remember this place?"
She nodded, her voice cracking as she spoke, fighting to
form her words. "It wasn't de ja vu this morning Mulder.
It was my memory coming back."
"Your memories from your abduction?"
"Yes. This is where..." She faltered, but then found the
strength to go on. "This is where they put the microchip
in my neck. Right here. There was an operating table. I
was awake when they did it. I couldn't move, it was like
I was paralysed, they must have given me some kind of
drug, but I could see everything. Once they'd inserted
it, they tested it, to see if it was working. There were
rows of computer monitors, all along this wall." She
walked over and started at the now featureless wall.
Mulder came up behind her. "Scully. Before, you said
that everything had happened in the train car, and now
you're telling me things happened here..."
She whirled around to face him. "I was experimented
on in the train car, while I was brought here...on the
way here. I think they were testing me to make sure I
was healthy. Some of the tests were very ordinary, like
a medical exam, and others...." She closed her eyes.
"You don't have to remember everything now. You can
tell me the rest later, but is there anything we should see,
before we leave?"
"Oh Mulder, there's so much more."
She walked to the back of the room and found a door
controlled by an electronic key pad.
Mulder looked at the security device and then at Scully.
"I don't suppose you remember the number do you?"
"No, but you might."
He looked at her quizzically, before smiling; remembering
another keypad, when he had been locked inside a train car
that was just about to explode, and Scully reading out the
code over the phone, that she had discovered by watching a
video of the consortium's activities; his alien autopsy video.
If the number was the same, it was going to be well worth
the $29.99 he had paid for it. He shut his eyes, forcing his
near-eidetic memory to recall the code.
Scully watched him anxiously.
"One, zero, one, three, three, one."
"You sure Mulder?"
He shrugged. She tapped the number in and they were
both a little shocked when the automatic door slid open.
The stepped through cautiously. Looking around for any
signs of security guards. They walked into a long, dark
corridor and Mulder saw Scully shiver. The place wasn't
cold; he knew why she was shivering, because her mind
was suddenly being assaulted with bleak, cruel memories.
He let her go ahead of him. This was her journey, not
his.
"It seems so deserted." She flicked on her flashlight.
"Yeah, well, we're watching a evacuation operation.
Most people are probably gone."
"Its strange. Its different, but the same. This was all
lit up. There were so many bright lights...." Her voice
trailed off when they heard faint conversation from
afar and saw a light in the distance. Light coming from
a window. They approached it cautiously, putting their
backs against the wall and looking through it with side
glances.
They were looking down into a huge convention room,
which must have been in the heart of the building.
A meeting was taking place. The soundproofed window
blocked any chance of them knowing what was being
said, but it looked to Mulder like some kind of
de-briefing. Around fifty people stood listening to a
man in a neatly-pressed grey suit.
"I know that man Mulder. He was the one who warned
me when I thought you were dead. The one who told
me that I might be killed."
He nodded. "He looks like he's in charge here." She saw
Mulder's jaw stiffen as he focused on one of the faces in
the room.
She followed his gaze. "Krycek. I thought he wasn't
working for them anymore?"
"Well, you know Krycek, he sells his soul to the highest
bidder."
"When I saw him last night, I thought maybe he regretted
the past."
"He can never be trusted Scully, and neither can she..."
Again, she followed his gaze. It was resting on a tall,
ice-cool blonde. "Who is that Mulder?"
"Marita, my informant."
She listened to the inflection in his voice and studied
his face. There was suddenly something she wanted to
ask him about Marita, but she'd save it for later.
She looked around the room again. Her jaw dropped
when she saw yet another face she recognised. "I don't
believe it."
"What Scully?"
"Oh God. Please tell me its not him. Please don't tell
me he's gone to the other side."
Mulder was looking around the room frantically.
"Scully, who? Where?
"Skinner."
Mulder's eyes fell on their boss at the same time his
partner said the name. He turned back to Scully.
"There may be an explanation for him being here...
it doesn't necessarily mean that he's turned on us."
"An explanation..." She looked at him with such
disappointed eyes. He knew that Scully had always had
respect for Skinner, and considered him an ally. It was
painful to watch her faith in him withering away.
They were disturbed by the sound of boots coming
along the corridor and looked at each other in
desperation. Mulder became aware that whoever it
was, was approaching from the same direction they
had. Their escape route through the laboratory was
blocked. Scully took off in a light jog, hoping that their
feet wouldn't make too much noise, and that Mulder
would follow her.
She wasn't sure if it was instinct or memory that
told her where to go, but she found what she had
been subconsciously looking for. A metal gate to
their right, which swung open noiselessly. She
practically hauled Mulder in after her, and they both
pressed their backs tight against the wall as they
watched the security guard walk past the gate and
on down the corridor. When he was out of sight
they both sighed.
"We're having some pretty close calls tonight
Scully." He looked around him. "Where are we?"
"Holding cells." Anybody but him would have thought
she was speaking dispassionately, but he knew her
so well that he heard the ever-so-slight tremor in her
voice. "Where they kept us."
That was all Mulder needed to know. He walked
along to find that she was right. There were eight by
ten cells. Badly lit and unheated. In them were cots with
thin mattresses, tiny skinks and a single shelf. He didn't
dare look at Scully right now, for he was afraid of showing
his anger at the men who had kept her, locked up like a
criminal, for three months. He could imagine her
when she had first arrived. Curled up in a corner, holding
her knees to her chest. Terrified of what they had done to
her, what they might do to her in the future.
He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going
through her mind. He suspected she was recalling it in
vivid detail. He shuddered.
"Come on Mulder, let's get out of here. The guard
is gone, we can try and go back the way we came."
He nodded, still not able to meet her eyes, and was
about to move away with her when he heard a noise
from the end cell. He walked to it quickly to see a
figure huddled up on the cot. He could tell it was
a woman, but her hair hid her face.
"Scully get over here. There's somebody here."
She crossed to his side immediately, and they both
jumped when the object of their gaze sat up and hissed
at them.
"Get away from me, no more, I can't take anymore."
Mulder tried to speak soothingly. "Its okay, we're not
here to hurt you."
She eyed them both suspiciously, and pushed her hair
back from her face. "Who are you?"
"We'll try and get you out of here. Okay?" He began
looking around the area for a key.
Scully put a hand on his arm to stop him. "What are
you doing Mulder?"
"We have to take her with us. We have to save her."
"Mulder, you can't touch...."
He put his hand on the bars of the cell, at the same
time as heard Scully telling him not to. It was too
late. He made contact with the cold metal and all hell
seemed to break loose. Bells started ringing and a
yellow light started flashing on and off above their
heads.
Scully had her hands over her ears and seemed to be in
some kind of pain. He wasn't sure if it was physical,
mental or emotional, but her face was screwed up tightly
in a way that he had never seen before. He grabbed her
hand, giving the trapped woman a last regretful look,
knowing that it was too late to try and save her. He had
to get Scully out of here, and fast, before those bells
alerted the security forces.
She wouldn't move at first. She seemed to be struck
dumb and immobile in a kind of terror trance. He
considered throwing her over his shoulder, but as light
as she was, he knew that would slow him down too
much. He did the only thing he could think to do. He
raised his other hand and slapped her face. Hard. She
came too and shot him a furious look, realising that
he had struck her, but then she seemed to know why,
and when he pulled on her hand again, she followed
him, and they both raced out of the holding cells, and
back out into the corridor. Praying that they had enough
time to make it out before someone came to check on
the raised alarm. As they made it to the laboratory door
they heard someone behind them.
"Hey you two...stop."
But they didn't, they kept running. Through the lab, down
the corridor, through the main door and out into the night
air. All the while hoping that their pursuer, who seemed
to be gaining on them, didn't just draw his weapon and
decide to gun them down.
They sped across the yard and into the outbuilding,
back the way they had come, following the train tracks
again. Down into the tunnel. A shot ran out and they
both ducked a little, and then glanced at each other to
make sure they were both still standing and unhurt. They
pressed on. Another shot rang out. It was fortunate that
the shooter was firing into the blackness, otherwise he
probably would have hit them. As it was he was just firing
at the noise of their boots on the tracks, and he thankfully
missed again. Mulder knew they were almost there. He
could almost see the end of the tunnel. Once they were
out in the open, they could probably find something to
duck behind and return fire if they had to. Until then,
they'd just have to keep running. And he did, until he
saw and heard the train.
He stopped, and so did Scully. They both stood, mouths
agape as they watched the train bear down on them. The
warning Scully had given him earlier, raged through his
mind. 'What I'm saying is, that if we go down here, and
a train comes. We're hamburger.'
They were mere moments from becoming hamburger.
Even if the train saw them it wouldn't be able to stop in
time. It was way too fast for them to outrun it by heading
back the other way, and Scully was right. Even if they
held themselves against the wall and breathed in, there
was not enough width in the tunnel for the train to pass
them.
He looked at her in desperation. "I'm sorry Scully."
"For what Mulder?" She threw herself to the ground,
in between the tracks, grabbing him by the collar of his
jacket so her fell with her. She was just in time. As he
fell, he realised what she was doing and ducked his head,
and the train began to pass over them.
The noise was deafening, but they still heard the scream
of the guard, and a thump as the train hit his body.
Mulder looked for Scully's eyes, even as the tonnes of
lethal machinery rattled over them, they were shinning
brightly. He realised that he loved her. It wasn't a sudden,
shocking epiphany, more of a quiet acceptance of
something he hadn't allowed himself to admit before.
He wondered if he should say it out loud and realised
that she probably wouldn't be able to hear him, and even
if he did, it perhaps wasn't the right moment to tell her;
while cheating death, under a moving train.
It seemed like the train would never pass over them
completely. It seemed to go on forever. When it did,
and rumbled on its way down the tunnel, they both
got shakily to their feet. He grabbed her hand and
they ran out of the tunnel and into the forest. He stopped
behind a tree, and gathered her to him, hugging her
fiercely. His chin resting on her head.
"What would I do without you Scully?"
"You'd be somebody's Big Mac Mulder."
He grinned. "I think we're safe. They probably think
we're dead."
She pushed a little at his chest, to part them slightly,
so she could look up at him. "There's something
I have to tell you Mulder. Back there, in that cell.
That was Samantha."
He looked at her incredulously, and swallowed hard.
"What? That woman?"
She nodded and he noted that tears were brimming
in her eyes. "I'm sorry Mulder. I'm sorry we had to
leave her behind."
"You're sure about this Scully?"
"I remember her. I remember everything."
Another question formed in his mind, but he never asked
it, because she collapsed in arms. Her eyes shut, her legs
gave way and she slumped against him. Feeling panic
rise in his chest, he lowered her to the ground and began
trying to rouse her by touching her face and speaking
softly to her.
"Scully, come on, wake up."
He shook her shoulder gently and realised with a lurch
in his stomach that she hadn't just fainted. She was
unconscious.
***********
end part 4a
continued in part 4b
*************
Armistice (4b/11)
by Caroline O'Callaghan
************
St Mary's Hospital
East Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 2nd, 1997
2.20 a.m.
Mulder rubbed his eyes as he slumped against the wall of
the cold, clinical, hospital corridor. He'd been waiting for
two hours now, ever since he'd strode in the A&E
department with a still unconscious Dana Scully in
his arms.
He'd briefed the doctors about her tumour, and was
then relegated to the corridor, while they went about
assessing her immediate condition.
He was trying to convince himself that this was just
exhaustion, that it wasn't related to her cancer, but it
was increasingly difficult for him to do so.
He hated the fact that a large part of him wanted to forget
that Scully was somewhere in this hospital undergoing
tests, and race back to the laboratory to see if he could get
inside again to see his sister. Samantha. That was what his
life was about wasn't it? So what was he doing sitting
around here, while she languished in a cell, under the
control of heinous men and women. Scully. His life was
about her also, wasn't it? He was aware that somewhere
along the line she had become as an important part of his
existence as Samantha was. Yet it was so hard to have to
chose between them.
Perhaps once he had news of Scully's condition, his
attention would be back on Samantha, yet he felt so torn.
Around his head floated questions. Skinner, Marita,
Krycek; were they all in on the 'project'? And, why had
the security guard recognised Scully?
It was the waiting that was destroying him. If he could act
on something he wouldn't have to think. He saw a tired
and harassed doctor approach him and he stood a little
straighter.
"Mr Mulder?"
"Yes."
"My name is Doctor Warren. I'm an oncologist. I've
been examining Miss Scully. Are you family?"
"No, I'm her partner."
He saw the man nod, and realised that the Doctor thought
he meant 'partner', as in 'life-partner' rather than 'work-
partner', but he felt no need to correct him.
"We're running a few tests and we've requested her
medical records to be sent down from Washington."
"How is she? Do you know why she collapsed?"
"She's still unconscious, and I really don't want to try
and guess at why she's had this collapse until I get the
results of the tests back. Are you her next of kin?"
The words frightened the hell out of Mulder. "No, her
Mother is."
The Doctor looked at him sympathetically. "Then I
suggest you contact her. Or we can if you wish?"
"No, I'll call her."
"Okay, I'll inform you if I have any more news."
"Thank you."
Mulder watched the Doctor walk away, before he
turned and wandered over to the payphone.
Margaret Scully answered on the third ring. Mulder felt
like puking.
"Hello Mrs Scully. Its Fox Mulder, sorry to disturb you."
"No, that's okay, I was up, I couldn't sleep." Her tone
changed and Mulder could almost hear her mind stepping
up a gear. "Oh my God. What's wrong Fox. Where's
Dana?"
"She's in the hospital I'm afraid. We're on the Vineyard
...Martha's Vineyard, on a case...and she just kind of...
well, she's had a few nosebleeds, and a headache, and
she's unconscious now." He tried to stop himself babbling,
but couldn't. "It might just be a set-back I don't know,
but they asked me to call you...the Doctor asked me to
call you."
"Is it the cancer, the tumour?"
"I think so."
He heard Maggie give an anguished sigh. "I'm coming
up there Fox."
"Okay. Do you want me to make any travel arrangements
for you?"
"No, my son Charlie is here. He'll probably fly up with
me."
"Okay. I'll see you when you get here then."
"Fox. Just look after her...take care of her till I get there
will you?"
"Of course. Goodbye."
He heard Mrs Scully put down the receiver and he did the
same.
St Mary's Hospital
East Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 2nd, 1997
8.15 a.m.
Mulder awoke with a start when he heard her call his name.
He was instantly alert and leaned forward in the chair
beside her bed to look into her eyes.
"Hey sleepyhead."
She looked pale and frightened. He ran a hand over her
hair to soothe her.
"Where am I?"
"In hospital."
Her lips twitched in an almost smile. "I guessed that."
"Still in the Vineyard. St Mary's Hospital. I called your
Mother, she's on her way. And I spoke to the Doctor
who's treating you, he seems okay."
"What happened?"
"You passed out. They've run some tests. Doctor
Warren said he'd tell me the results as soon as he
had them."
She made a move to sit up, but he stilled her with a firm
hand on her arm. "Just lay still, you have an IV in."
She twisted a little instead, to get herself more
comfortable. "Am I allowed to drink?"
"Sure what can I get you? Scotch on the rocks?"
She chuckled weakly. "Glass of water."
He looked at the pitcher of water that sat on the bedside
table and realised it had been sitting there all night,
probably gathering all sorts of germs. He decided he'd
get some fresh water for her.
He picked up the pitcher. "I'll be back in a second okay?"
She nodded, and he leaned in to place a kiss on her lips.
He broke it off quickly when he heard the door behind
him open. He turned to see Maggie Scully in the doorway,
with an unreadable expression on her face. "Mrs Scully,
hi. She just woke up."
Maggie brushed past him to go to her daughter. She leaned
down and stroked her cheek. "How are you feeling honey?"
"A little strange. Not sick. Just weird."
Mulder moved to the doorway with the pitcher of water,
only to find it blocked by a huge pair of shoulders, attached
to a face and body that screamed 'Scully' at him. The man
nodded at him in greeting and gave him a wary look. Mulder
nodded back.
"You must be Mulder?"
"Yes. Charles?"
He nodded again, and for a moment Mulder was fascinated
by the man's small roman nose, his bright blue eyes,
and deep red hair. He looked more like Scully's twin than
just a brother.
"Charlie."
Mulder gulped at the sound of Scully's voice. So soft, so
gentle, so delighted.
Charles brushed past him and moved to his sister's side.
"Yeah. Good to see you again D, just wish it was under
better circumstances."
"Me too Charlie."
"What did the Doctor say?"
"He hasn't been yet."
He kissed his sister's forehead. "Well, I'd better go make
a fuss so we find something out then. I'll be back in a
while."
Charles left and Mulder made a little coughing noise and
went about his mission to get fresh water.
Maggie Scully sat on the edge of Dana's bed. "So, what
happened to 'we're just good friends' and 'its not like that
with Mulder and I?"
Scully smiled. "I guess you could say things have changed."
"I see."
"Mom. You sound like you don't approve."
"No, I... If he makes you happy..."
"I thought you liked Mulder."
"I do, its just that...Oh, I stopped by your apartment to
get you fresh clothes. Do you know how much laundry you
have to do? I couldn't find any clean pyjamas, so I bought
some on the way."
"Thank you."
"It was nice that Charlie was home, so that he could come
with me."
"Yeah. Mom..."
"Dana, it doesn't matter what I think. We'll talk about it
another time."
Scully lay back and resigned herself to the fact that she
wasn't going to get her Mother to open up any more than
she already had.
St Mary's Hospital
East Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 2nd, 1997
8.45 a.m.
Mulder was refilling Scully's water jug when his cell
phone rang in his pocket. A passing nurse gave him an
accusing look as he answered it.
"Mulder."
"I have news. I need to meet you."
Mulder bristled at the sound of Marita's voice. "That's
not possible at the moment. My partner is sick."
"I know. I also know that the two of you broke into
the laboratory last night. You were caught on the security
cameras."
"Hope they got my best side."
"Mulder. Do you know that your sister is being held by
them?"
He hesitated before answering, not wanting to give
anything away. "I know that you were with them
willingly."
"I understand if you don't trust me. But I have information
for you. Meet me in your room at the Bed and Breakfast
in thirty minutes."
"I am so sick of this. If you're jerking me around
again..."
"I've never jerked you around, at least not intentionally.
If you want Samantha back, meet me."
She hung up. Mulder stared at his cell phone and barely
resisted the urge to throw it all the wall. He finished
filling the jug and strode back to Scully's room.
Her Mother was fussing over her when he burst through
the door. They both turned to look at him. He slammed
the water down.
"I'm sorry. I have to go..somewhere...I'm sorry."
Scully opened her mouth to demand an explanation
from him, but he was gone before she had a chance to
voice one word.
******
Continued in Part V
Armistice (5/11)
by Caroline O'Callaghan
caroline.o@virgin.net
Do NOT post to atxc - already there
Rating: NC-17
Category:MSR/adventure/mythology
Summary: Mulder discovers clues to the circumstances
behind his sister's disappearance, whilst Scully
battles fatal illness.
Disclaimer: Oh, do I have to? Okay - nobody belongs
to me - nuff said!
Spoilers: Up to Small Potatoes (in this universe
Gethesmane has not yet happened). Particular
reference to Nesei and 731.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a continuation of an
earlier story 'The Lure of the Fox' in which Mulder
and Scully became lovers.
St Mary's Hospital
East Tisbury
Martha's Vineyard
July 2nd, 1997
9.15 a.m.
Scully lay down on the flat hospital pillows, trying to
resist scratching at the itchy patch on her right arm where
the I.V. had been inserted.
Her mind worked feverishly against the thick, pain-
killer, induced fog that surrounded it. 'What's happened
Mulder, where have you gone? Gone to find Samanatha?'
She almost wished she hadn't told him she remembered
his sister, but that would be unfair. Yet, she knew how
rashly he could act sometimes when he thought he was
close to finding her. She prayed he hadn't returned to the
laboratory. That would be downright foolish after their
narrow escape last night.
Memories of her time trapped there were still assaulting
her now. She remembered being strapped down to an
operating table, a needle injected into her, and her ankles
being raised into stirrups, ready for a Japanese-looking
doctor to perform some kind of gynaecological
procedure on her. She twisted a little in the bed and her
Mother was instantly at her side.
"Okay sweetie?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
Her brother came back to the room with a Doctor in tow.
"Dana, this is Doctor Warren. He's been up all night
running some tests on you."
She and the Doctor exchanged an appraising look and she
nodded her hello at him.
"Nice to see you awake Doctor Scully."
"Dana's fine. Or just Scully. I don't use my title very
often."
"Really. What's your speciality?"
She really didn't feel in the mood for small talk. "I cut
up dead people."
"Uh, huh."
Her Mother spoke to admonish her. "Dana."
Doctor Warren smiled at her Mother. "Its okay. Doctor's
ma