VS 13X01 Children of the Damned

Georgetown Medical Center

"Your films are fine, Fox," Leonard said abruptly stepping closer to Dana. "I'd like to keep you for the standard 24 hours but your 'doctor' insists she can observe you at home."

Mulder looked from Leonard to Scully and back, "So, I can leave?"

Leonard retreated to his office and closed the door. Picking up the phone he dialed the familiar number and was put through to his contact. "Yes, he was admitted here again. No, nothing like before; the police found him trying to jump off a bridge. Dana came in with him -- I don't know for sure. If he were any other patient I'd say he was definitely delusional to the extent of being suicidal. No, she wouldn't let me. She's taking him home. I prescribed some sleeping pills for him that should slow him down. I'll get in touch with her in a few days and let you know."

Later at Milford Bridge

Charlie swallowed bitter tears as he squared his jaw. "Dana, you and that partner of yours have become a bigger problem than I thought. You made your bed. I'd hoped you'd come to your senses, but you just can't leave it alone. You have that stupid stubborn streak, just like Bill. And we all know what happened to him."

The pilot and the co-pilot exchanged shrugs. "Sir, do you want to put down? There's a clearing -- "

"No, Lieutenant. Head back to base. There are contingency plans to make."

VS 13X11 AT LAST

Craddock Marine Bank

Mulder looked to John and then turned to his partner.  "John brought it to my attention that some accounts I have here should have counter signatures on them."  When Scully looked at him questioningly, he continued.  "In case something should happen to me—someone should have access to the funds."  Scully felt that uneasiness again as she took the pen John offered her.

Georgetown Hospital

"Bad dream, really bad dream," her eyes begged him to continue.  "I've been catching bits and pieces of it for the past week, when I was alone last night it unfolded in all it's glory."

"Oh, Mulder."

He shook his head, "I was in some sort of antiquated medical facility, strapped down on a table and surrounded by a group of German doctors…"

"They'd shaved my head and imbedded some sort of electrodes into my brain.  One of them injected me with something, God Scully, it burned through every part of my body. There were others there, I could hear them screaming.  The gulag at Tunguska had been a health spa compared to this.  I don't remember anything else.  I woke up to my own screams drenched in sweat."

************

He looked down at her hands that continued to play with his hat.  "I asked because I got to thinking about what Tara said to me about the time we have left; and what your family has always thought of me and because I thought our relationship had become something that maybe you wanted to sanctify in the eyes of God but didn’t think that I did," he looked up.  "I want you to know what you mean to me.  You're all I have left Scully. I can't lose you either."

She did know, how could he think she didn't?  Words had never seemed necessary where her devotion to him was concerned.  She'd proved it over and again and her family knew it too.  But when he'd asked her for the ultimate commitment, she'd turned him down. It saddened her to think she hadn't realized this, that maybe now for some reason, it was too late.

"Mulder, what do you mean, the time we have left?  We have all kinds of time don't we?"

When he didn't answer her, she asked him again, "Don't we?"

"They both know what it's like to lose a partner, Scully.  To have that bond and lose it."

She reached out to still his hand, "They accept my lifestyle Mulder. Tara is grateful, and mom loves you.  Besides, it doesn’t matter what they think, I love you, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until -- for as long as we both shall live.  I do."

VS13X13 Z1372

Mulder sighed. "He’s back there, Scully," he said, wearily, waving toward the counter. Scully slumped in relief.

"What happened, Mulder?" she asked, squeezing his hand. Malone hefted his weapon and edged around the deli counter.

"Shit, Mulder, what did you do?" the older agent drawled. Scully stared briefly into Mulder’s eyes, then joined Malone.

He was in the corner, curled into a fetal crouch. Adam’s eyes were wide and filled with horror, his lips quivering, his red hair sharply contrasted against his ghastly white pallor.

"Just keep him away," the boy rasped, hugging the wall. "Fucking keep him away from me."

Scully stared questioningly over the counter. Mulder’s face was buried in his hand. She left the traumatized boy to Malone.

Mulder looked up as she approached.

"He got into my head," he said, almost inaudibly.

"How did you--?"

Mulder closed his eyes. "He found something."

VS 13X15 Tenebrous

Los Angeles

Anger surged through her as she grabbed for her cell phone.  She punched three buttons and started looking for clothes to throw on as she listened to the rings.  He was smart enough to pick up on the second ring.

"Mulder," he said in a hushed voice.

"Where the hell are you and what the fuck do you think you're doing?" she growled.

"Scully," he breathed.  "Um, look -- "

"No, Mulder, you look.  What were you thinking, ditching me like this?  No," she stopped him before he could even answer.  "Let me tell you what you were thinking.  You were thinking that you knew from that vision you had this morning exactly where the kids are and you were going to go in like the Lone Ranger -- "

"Scully, that's not fair!  I left you a note, damn it," he hissed.  "Look, this is all fine, but I'm kinda busy right now."

"Where are you?"

"A warehouse district down by the railroad tracks.  Yes, you're right, I had a vision today.  And it was just like Milford Bridge, Scully.  Remember Milford Bridge?  The one where only three people died instead of dozens?  So I'm here now and I think I need to check this out, don't you?"

"Scully, I see something.  There's a place where the paint must have peeled off.  I can see movement in there, Scully.  I think it's the kids."

"Is there a back door -- "

"No!" he shouted and then lowered his voice.  "No, no good.  Can't go in the back door."

"Mulder, if you have your lock pick -- "

"Bad idea, Scully.  Trust me on this one."

"OK, then let me call the police.  They can get the door open -- "

"Scully, look, the fewer people around here, the better.  Besides, I found a basement window and the bars are pretty deteriorated.  Let me try something -- "

She waited breathlessly while she heard him grunting and the sounds of metal scraping.  "Scully?" he asked.

"I'm still here, Mulder."

"OK, I got the bars off and the window opened.  I'm going in."

"Mulder, I'm calling the police now."

"I see stairs, Scully.  I'm going up them."

"Mulder, please, be careful.  The police are on their way.  Why don't you just wait -- "

"I see the kids, Scully.  I see them.  They're both tied up and they looked drugged, but they're alive.  I'm --

She heard a thud, the sound of a cell phone hitting a hard surface, followed immediately by a sound that almost burst her eardrum.  The cell phone went dead; the display saying the call was lost.

She knew what it sounded like -- an explosion. 

*************

X Files Office

Without warning, she started to shake.  She trembled so hard she crumbled the tickets in her palm.  Angrily, she tossed the stiff paper to the floor but it didn't feel like the expense of energy she needed.  She strode the four steps to Mulder's desk and swept everything on it to the floor in a loud crash.  That felt a little better, but she was just getting started.

One by one, she cleared the shelves of books and paraphernalia.  A strange feeling overtook her and it was as if she were watching herself from a great distance.  A tiny part of her mind tried to understand her need for violence, screamed at her to stop, but she quickly ignored it.  His basketball bounced into a corner so she grabbed it and threw it as hard as she could at the skylight, frustrated when it bounced back without the expected satisfying crash of glass.  She needed sound.  She needed something to break through the ice that had engulfed her in the last 18 hours.

Systematically she tore through the office, smashing monitors, tossing keyboards to the ground and stomping on them, tipping over chairs, pulling out file drawers and scattering the contents.  As she extracted some of the folders, she tore through them, ripping the covers and pictures and reports, destroying his work as efficiently as it had destroyed him.  She wanted to destroy everything; destruction was all she knew.  She was panting, heaving with the effort when she spied something that would truly give her some satisfaction.

Without a second thought, she pulled back her right fist and smashed it through the glass door of the case just over her worktable.   

The sound of the tempered glass cracking and finally giving way, falling to the floor in a sound not unlike ice giving way on a frozen lake was exactly what she was waiting for.

She pulled her arm back and prepared to take another shot, not realizing a jagged piece of glass had torn through the skin the entire length of her forearm.  She punched through the second glass door with her other fist, gleeful at the crystalline sounds of annihilation.   With a perplexed _expression she looked down and saw that she'd managed to slice through a major vein in one arm, possibly an artery in the other.  As blood shot from her arms with each beat of her heart, her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground.