Wild Eyes

By Foxhunt2blue
foxhunter2blue@yaoo.com or Kitsunegari2001@aol.com


RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: A wild creature she might have been, yet there
was a beauty in her wildness. I tried to save her, but the bastards
shot her down like a rabid dog.
AUTHORS NOTE: Written for the After the Fact Post-ep
Challenge for "Jersey Devil" May 13, 2002
DISCLAIMER: Wish I owned them, but I don't.
ARCHIVE: Please do! Just let me know :D
FEEDBACK: I live & breath for it...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wild Eyes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is something I never experience.

Not in the city streets.

A peace so freeing it brings tears to my eyes.

If Scully knew I was out here she would have my ass in
a sling. After all I'm 'injured' and should be resting per
my doctor's orders, but I couldn't stop thinking about
that woman.

A wild creature she might have been, yet there was a
beauty in her wildness. I tried to save her, but the bastards
shot her down like a rabid dog.

Exausted by the hike into the woods I drop the backpack
with a hiss between clenched teeth. Scully is probably right
about me resting. She wouldn't come back here though, not
to the woods.

Folding my legs beneath me I settle onto a half rotten log
trying to catch a breath as I consider my reasons for this
trip.

A child.

She had given birth to a baby.

Scully thought I was insane for even suggesting the child might
still be there in the woods.

<There's no reason to believe the child even survived it's birth
Mulder. Why is this so important to you? You need to let it
go there was no sign of a child and the state police combed
those woods.>

<But Scully her and her mate were there for years. No one
found them either.>

<They weren't looking Mulder!>

I take a deep breath trying to focus on the here and now. She's
wrong I feel it in my gut...in my soul. Her child is here and I can feel
it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her protector was gone.

Taken by the ones in strange skins.

There were the loud noises...the grey mist...she fell.

Then they came...feeding her to the beast that cried with blinding
blue and red eyes.

No more warmth.

No more protection.

She taught well...showed hiding places...good food.

Must stay hidden from the ones with strange skins.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a short rest I trudged further into the woods, watching as
the sun begins to fade behind me. The wounds in my chest are
aching, my head is throbbing as I force my feet to lift one at a time
through the rising mist.

I should stop, make camp, but the thought of a child alone in the
darkness makes my stomach squirm.

What if her child is dead?

What if I'm to late?

The pain has went from a dull throb to a burning sensation. I should
have taken the antibiotics...Scully's going to have my nuts in a vice
if I make it out of here.

Finally my knees can't hold me up and the ground is rushing up to
meet my face. As my chin connects my vision bursts into sparks of
gold against the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon the cold comes.

The strange skinned ones did not find her dark place. It was well
hidden from their eyes, far back in the cliffs hidden in the thick
vegetation.

She had been building their sleeping place when she had been
taken away. So now it was left to her to finish.

As the warm sky light vanished into the ground she heard the
stranger. His scent was familiar...a scent she knew her mother
had followed. Followed and did not return.

Peering through the gathering night, she watches as he stumbles
against the trees. Instinctively she knows he is sick, she can
smell it on him. Following she studies him with wild eyes, a look
of what humans would call curiosity, playing across her tiny
features.

He begins to fall, her eyes widening in the twilight.

His body thumps causing her to jump, but he doesn't move. There
is only silence. As the darkness deepens she waits, crouched in
the thick brush, but he doesn't stand.

As her curiosity grows, she works her way through the brush
until she is closer than she has ever been to one of them. With
trembling fingers she reaches out stroking the hair on his head.

"....uuuhhh...scu...uuulllyy...,"

The noise he makes causes her to scuttle backwards. Her eyes
widening even further, when he rolls over on his side. Sniffing
the air she creeps close again, her eyes meeting his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heat.

I was so hot...choking for a breath. Dampness causing my
clothes to stick to me, coating my skin.

Pain.

It greeted me even through the fog of the fever. That's what I
thought it was at first. A hallucination from the fire that raged
beneath my skin.

A tiny face.

Dark with sun and dirt.

A mass of dark tangled curls fell around the child's shoulders. It's
dark eyes glittered in the darkness with a wildness, yet a sharpness
of mind that they had all refused to see in the child's mother.

"..won't hurt...you...," I whispered against the dryness of my lips.

It moved closer, it's head cocked to the side as if it were contemplating
my words. Slowly arms and legs shifted allowing me to see, but just a
glimpse of the tiny body.

A little girl.

"...please...help," my chest ached with each breath.

I lay still, swallowing the bile that rises on my tongue, as she begins
scenting the darkness around us. I wonder what she smells on the
night wind?

An animal?

A human?

This is to much to deal with, even though I've found what I sought. With
a gasp I feel myself falling into that darkness which is deeper than sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man is sick.

She wants to help, but there is a pain...a pain where her heart aches,
the same pain she felt when her protector died.

Reaching out she strokes the man's dark hair from his forehead. Once
there had been one like him with her protector. Her protector had
layed beside him as she feed at her breast.

Glancing around she scented the air, then squatted next to the man, her
tiny fingers curling around his ankle. A soft grunt escaped her as she
tugged at his body.

She would take care of him.

She would be his protector.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fur?

I was sure I could feel fur beneath my cheek...rabbit? It had to be rabbit
with its silky warmth beneath my cheek.

The desire to open my eyes seemed to burn the very air from my lungs.

Lifting my lids I tried to focus, but all there was...all there had been before
was darkness. I forced myself to focus my eyes and slowly the darkness
began to soften to a charcoal grey around the edges. Blinking I concentrated
harder, my breath coming in ragged pants.

Your going to kill me Scully.

Her palm is cool against my feverish skin...soothing somehow. At her gentle
touch the floodgates opened wide. She was why I was here. I knew she
existed, but I couldn't give Scully her proof.

So I went on a teensy...tiny field trip.

"..he..hello...," I croak out.

She is setting on her haunches, rocking as she knaws at what appears to
be a piece of fruit. Juices glisten on her chin and I am reminded of the
fact she probably doesn't speak. At least not like us 'evolved humans'
do. Deep in her throat she makes a soft growling noise, then moves
away to a darkened corner.

That's when it hits me.

There's light here...in this...cave?

I slowly take in my surroundings wondering how long I've been wherever
here is. Through a dense layer of vegetation that covers what must be
the mouth of the cave I see gentle sparks of sunlight. The light though is
coming from what appears to be phosphorus in the stone walls.

Drawn from my thoughts I see she has brought me what appears to be
a bowl. I reach out with shaking hands only to realize its a stone with
a hollow worn in to the center. I lift the hollowed stone to my lips, smiling
weakly at her as I let the water fill my dry mouth.

God it was heaven.

My head begins to spin as I finished gulping the water down. Stupid,
stupid, I hear Scully clucking inside my head. She comes closer as
I fall back on the furs, her face fading out. All I want is to help her,
but now she's saving me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He wakes after the darkness passes.

She smelled the death on him...on the wound her protector had left in his
body. Taking what her protector had taught, she packed the wound with
mud and leaves.

When he woke the burning had left him, but he was still weak. She brought
water for him to drink. The water did not bring him back as it should, it
only made him paler.

Food.

He needed food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dana Scully was furious.

Stomping through the woods she mumbled to herself as the sun slowly
began to set. She couldn't believe he had took off as soon as she turned
her back.

Was this the way to start a partnership?

In the distance she could hear the other officers calling out his name. With
a sigh she opened her mouth to call out when she tripped over it.

Mulder's backpack.

"Oh, God...," she whispered.

Fighting her way to her knees she looked around wildly. If his pack was here
he had to be close.

"MULDER!! MULDER!!!" Her voice cracked as she pulled herself to her
feet. "Dammit! MULDER!!!"

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw a flicker of movement. Just
a shadow maybe? Maybe not...

Taking off at a dead run she saw the shadow again.

A child, she thought, my god Mulder had been right.

The child stopped just long enough to glance back, then took off again
at a fast pace. Scully fought her way through the brush her eyes never
straying from the tiny darting shadow. Just as she reached a clearing
the child vanished into what appeared to be a solid rock wall that rose
fifty feet into the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She remembered the woman.

Outside in the gathering dusk she had been searching for some more
fruit when she smelled the ones with strange skins. They were there
in the woods searching for the one she had saved from the final
darkness.

Ducking beneath the vines she turned to peer between the leaves.

The woman was there staring wide eyed at her den. She didn't seem
to understand where she had went.

She thought perhaps this woman was his mate, that she wanted to
take him back to wherever they had come from. That was the moment
she decided to show her where he was. Lifting her hand she ran her
fingertips over the vines causing them to sway, then slipped back
away into her den.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scully moved towards the wall of dense vegetation sure she had seen
the leaves move. Sliding her fingers through the thick leaves she pushed
forward only to feel rock. Inch by inch she moved along the wall until
suddenly her arm vanished. The sudden lose of solidity beneath her
palm sent her sprawling head first into the vines.

Laying in the cool darkness she wondered if she should call for back
up. On second thought she decided that was silly. If she couldn't
handle one small child then what kind of FBI agent was she.

With a soft grunt she pulled herself up on bruised, skinned knees and
pulled her flashlight out of her jacket pocket. As silently as possible
she worked her way along the damp floor of the cavern.

As she moved deeper the ceiling began to lower. If Mulder was in
here he sure the hell wasn't standing, she thought. She was just about
ready to turn around when she noticed the soft glow of the phosphorus
along the dark, damp walls. Seconds later she saw Mulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mulder? Can you hear me? It's Scully."

I guess I'm in deep now I can hear Scully's insistent whispering in my
ear. Flowers...Camilla?

Am I really crazy? I think I might be I can smell her perfume.

"Listen to me Mulder enough already! You've proven your point, open
your eyes. Your scaring me now...open your eyes you bastard."

I fight my way to the surface of the darkness, my breath coming in
ragged gasps. My skin feels sticky like drying syrup, but I'm cooler. I
open my eyes slowly to the twilight dimness of the cave and see her
pale face floating above me.

"...been called worse...," I whisper.

Her eyes light up with relief as I struggle to set up. My vision swims
as I reach out with a trembling hand to grasp her shoulder.

"It's okay Mulder...just lay back. I'll call for some paramedics."

"...no scully...they'll find her...," I squeeze her shoulder as she presses
me back to the nest I lay in.

Her sapphire eyes widen at my mention of the child. Finally it's become
clear to me...she was lead here by the little girl. Nodding her head she
reaches out checking the primative bandaging that criss crosses my chest.

"She did this?" her eyes met mine as she probes the healing wound.

"Yes," my voice is coming back. "I'm sorry Scully...but I was...was,"

"Scared for her?" Her fingers move to my throat, fluttering over my
pulse.

She smiles that soft smile I've come to know over the past few
weeks. When I see that smile I know I'm in trouble, but not until
I heal completely. Slowly she draws me to her as she gets to her
feet. There's no way I'll be able to stand, but she'll help me to where
there is no chance of the other officers finding my little saviour.

As we reach the mouth of her den I finally speak, my voice a dry
croak. "Please don't let them know."

All she does is smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SIX YEARS LATER

I set silently by the stream waiting patiently for his appearance.

It's late autumn again. Once each cycle he comes to me here in the
only place I know as home. He is one of the outsiders with the strange
skins, but I remember him from when he was hurt.

I remember him trying to save my protector.

Lifting my head I sniff the air, his scent drifting to me.

He appears between the thick underbrush, eyes searching the clearing,
his brow furrowed. When our eyes meet his mouth stretches into what he
calls a smile. I feel my own mouth tighten as I return his smile.

I wonder, as he settles on the ground, why he comes to me in the
dying time. Each time he comes he brings things to me from his world.

"Hi Wild Eyes," his voice is soft and soothing.

I move closer ready to flee if others have come. But as with each time
we meet he is alone, no other scents on the wind. This time he has brought
me fruit, the large bright colored ones that remind me of the great sky light.

"Or..ange...," he slowly speaks as I study him.

"...ooo..ooo...rain...gg...," I sound it out taking the fruit from his hand.

"Good," he answers.

I look up at the light in his eyes. My heart thumps loudly as I think of
what I have been trying to learn. A part of me wants to see him smile,
to hear the sound he makes when he smiles.

"..mmm...mu..mul...ddddr," I grunt it out slowly. His eyes widen at
the sound I make. Then his mouth widens in the smile, followed by his
smile sound.

"Yes, Wild Eyes my name is Mulder," he pats his hand against his
body. Then I see the moisture well in his eyes, trickling down his
face in tiny trails.

I reach out wiping the moisture from his face.

"...mmul...dderrr," I whisper once more knowing he is happy and he will
always be here. He will always come to me when the world begins to
die away.

THE END