Destiny's Light

by mercury999

The end is finally upon them, and Mulder and Scully have to fight to survive the dark world the Colonists have created.

Title: Destiny's Light
Author: mercury_999
Rating: R for violence and sexual material
Spoilers: Mytharc, up to Requiem.
Category: Colonization Fic
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I wish I did! Don't we all... All
characters belong to Chris Carter, FOX and 1013.... yadda
yadda yadda
Distribution: Ask me first, but I'll always say yes :)
Summary: The end is finally upon them, and Scully and Mulder
fight to survive the dark world that the Colonists have created.
Author's Notes: Thank you Frohike for everything you've done.
Thanks to Kristen, who's idea's helped me continue with this! I
could have never written this without the two of you!
Feedback: As Mulder would say "Bring it on"
[mercury_999@hotmail.com]
Dedication: For Marissa. :) The one who finally brought me to
write this.

XxXxX

May 14, 2000
3:27 a.m.

Scully kicked the last of the blankets off of her bed. She rolled
onto her back and sighed. The unusually warm May left the
nights hot and humid. Mulder's hand moved over her hip, then
stilled; Scully realized he was still asleep.

She was careful not to wake him, as she rolled over in his arms
to face the window. The curtains fluttered gently in the warm
breeze that filled the room. Using the back of her hand, she
wiped the perspiration from her forehead, then settled back
down beside Mulder.

Just as her eyelids began to get heavy, a bright white light filled
the room from the window. Then blood-chilling screams filled
the air.

Scully and Mulder sat bolt right in bed, Mulder wrapped his arm
around Scully. Her heart pounding and her breath coming in
gasps. Her mind raced as she wondered what was going on.

The white light was so intense she could barely make out the
furniture in the bedroom.

"Scully?" Mulder's voice was hoarse; she could feel his arms
tightening around her body.

"Mulder-" she started, but couldn't finish.

Thinking of Samantha, he shook his head. "It wasn't like this...."

"What's happening?" Her voice could barely be heard over the
near screams. The light was starting to warm their bodies even
more.

Mulder slid out of the bed. "Stay here," he commanded, and
Scully hesitantly obeyed. His hand rested on her gun that was
sitting on the bedside table and he clutched it in his sweaty
palm. Creeping to the window, he drew back the curtains an
inch.

"Oh God," he whispered, staring at the scene before him.

"What?" Scully asked, nervously holding the bed sheet she had
recently kicked off.

"They've come."

Scully stumbled out of the bed and met him at the window.
'Mulder' was forming on her lips, as she peered out the window
at the blinding light.

The light was coming from above the city; people were
emerging from various buildings on the street, then erupting into
flames.

Scully gripped Mulder's arm, and began to tremble. "I saw this.
On the bridge. With Cassandra." Was all she managed to say
before her knees grew weak and she fell against him.

"Scully? Scully!!" Mulder shouted, cradling her body against
him. Her breath was slow, but her heart was racing. He laid her
on the bed, as the light began to fade. The screams were
silenced; just a few lingered in the air. The light disappeared as
quick as it came, and Scully opened her eyes.

"Mulder?" She asked, trying to sit up. Dizziness overcame her
and she collapsed on the bed.

"You've seen this before?" he whimpered, holding her against
him.

She nodded. "When I was with Cassandra, we were on some
bridge. Then this space ship came, and all of the others... the
ones without the faces, I think, were burning us. Then the other
ship came and burned them with this fire wand thing from the
space ship. Then I don't remember anything."

"Mass abductions signify the beginning of colonization," he said.
"We have to get out of here. We can't become infected, you
were vaccinated with the vaccine in Antarctica, and I was given
it at a Russian testing facility. Can you get dressed?"

She pushed away from him. "Yeah, I think so. Things are a little
fuzzy around the edges, but not too bad." She stepped toward
the dresser and starting to dress. "Where are we going?"

A quiet knock on the door accented her question. It was just
past 3 a.m., and the world was quiet yet again. Mulder grabbed
his gun again, and went to answer the door. Scully listened from
the bedroom, attempting to make herself look decent. She
heard low voices; Mulder was talking to someone. She threw on
a T-shirt and jeans and moved into the living room where Marita
Covarubias was sitting. Before Scully could ask what was going
on, she started speaking.

"Agent's Mulder and Scully, I've come to warn you," Marita said

"Of what?" Scully asked suspiciously.

"The Colonists... the bright light you saw. They're here." Her
words were crisp and her tone dead serious.

"They've come? Just now?" Mulder asked. Marita nodded.

"The date was set.... supposedly 15 years from 1998, but that
was cut short because of your visit to Antarctica. When you
gave Scully the vaccine, it infected all of the aliens on the ship,
causing them to break free of their human hosts, letting the
Colonists know that we have a way to protect ourselves from
them. All along we had been stalling the Colonization; creating
that vaccine you used. It was a way to remove the virus from
humans, and prevent it from infecting them. Little did we know
that they were using us all along. There was one stage in the
alien gestation that went unknown to us. We call it the Mutation.
It is a ferocious and instinctive alien that gestates out of the
torso of the infected human. I believe you are familiar with this,
a case assigned to Spender and Fowley right after the
Antarctica incident. The gestation was a surprise to us all, but
only happens with high temperature."

"So they were working with them all along, to save themselves,"
Mulder said, his tone bitter. He sat down on the couch.

"They were the first creatures on the planet, but most left before
the Ice Age. The others remained dormant underground for
millions of years, in the stage we call Purity, the thick oil
substance. Then we learned that after a person is infected, and
the mutation occurs, the mutation can easily reproduce, infecting
entire populations with the alien virus.

"The Syndicate was helping the Colonists in many ways. They
were working together on a project called The Method, to create
hybrids from human and alien DNA, who would be immune to
the black oil. The humans used in this experiment were the
ones who were brought by The Project. The Colonists gave the
Syndicate an embryo of a grey alien, so the hybrids could be
created. The deal with the aliens was: when the perfect hybrid
was created, it would be given to the aliens, the embryo would
be returned, and in return the Syndicate would see the children
they gave up for The Project again, and be given the genes of
the perfect hybrid, so they would survive colonization." Marita
sighed. "But the Rebels beat them and killed most of the
members of the Syndicate, stole the embryo, and took or even
killed the perfect hybrid, Cassandra Spender.

"Tonight, there was a mass abduction. Some of the multiple
abductees through the years were taken, for what we believe to
be, the final preparations of colonization. I cannot tell you
whether people were infected with Purity tonight, but we will
know very soon. The only physical sign that a person has been
infected is the oil swimming over the person's eyes.

"We don't know what is going to happen. They've taken
advantage of us and started to create their own hybrids using
abductees. They, and anyone else immune to the black oil, will
become the slave race after colonization. There are only a few
of us who are immune, the living members of the Syndicate,
myself, Krycek, C.G.B. Spender, Strughold, the Tunguska test
subjects." She looked at Mulder and Scully. "And the two of
you. There is no escape from the Colonists. We fear that this
newest generation will have developed the means to adapt to
the cold climate in the north, taking away our last safe
environment."

Scully looked at Mulder in disbelief. Mulder closed his eyes and
tilted his head back.

"I'm not telling you this because I want to; I'm telling you this
because you need to know. It's all over. They win," she said,
standing up. "My time with you is up, the remaining members of
the Syndicate are taking cover in the colder areas of the world,
and I would recommend that you do so as well." Then she was
gone.

Scully crept over to where Mulder was slumped in his chair and
put a hand on his arm. "It's so unbelievable," she whispered,
lowering her lips to his ear. He didn't answer. Instead he
wrapped his arms around her waist, then gently pulled her onto
his lap. Mulder held her against him without speaking, burying
his face in her hair. Scully moved her hands up his arms, and
slid them down his back. "What are we going to do?" She tried
again.

Silence.

Scully bit her lip. "I'm scared, Mulder," she whimpered. His
head lifted and he stared at her.

"I'm scared, too." He traced the outline of her face with his
fingers. "But after all we've been through, we have to fight. We
have to.... go North."

Scully nodded. Mulder stood up, carrying Scully in his arms to
their bedroom, then placing her on her feet in front of the
dresser.

"We might be gone a very long time," he said, pulling a suitcase
from the closet.

XxXxX

6:49 a.m.

"Oh my God, Mulder look at the news!" Scully yelled from their
living room. Mulder ran from the kitchen with his eyes glued to
the screen. The television projected pictures of infected
humans, with black oil swimming over their eyes.

"That's not possible... it's too soon for people to be infected,"
Mulder started.

"They are infected and that means that they can gestate soon.
God, Mulder, we have to go now!"

He picked up the suitcase and Scully grabbed their jackets as
they fled from the future.

XxXxX

9:12 a.m.

After fighting the backed up traffic in the city, they finally pulled
onto the Interstate. The road was full of cars, the honking of
horns was repeating over and over again in their heads. No one
could stop what was happening, and people were on the brink of
sanity. The laws couldn't hold anyone back, as the traffic raced
down the freeway.

"Mulder be careful," Scully murmured as they went around a
corner at a fast speed. He removed his right hand from the
steering wheel and placed it over Scully's. So far it had been a
hard trip, Scully had wanted to pick up her mother, but Mulder
told her that no one who hadn't been vaccinated could come.
He felt a dull pain in his temple as he replayed the conversation.

'Scully we can't. Believe me, if there was one person we could
take with us, it would be your mother-'
'Mulder! You can't tell me what to do. I can't just leave her
here... to die.'
'What would happen if she came with us, and somehow got
infected? It would be suicide.'
'You...Bastard. I need her, Mulder. I won't stand around and let
them kill her.'
He remembered Scully starting to cry then, turning as far away
from him as the seat belt had allowed her to. He had tried to
comfort her, but she didn't want his comfort. He offered her the
cell phone to say good bye and Scully angrily spat at him that
calling would be even worse. So they sat in silence, Mulder
driving in and out of lanes trying to get out of the city, while
Scully stared blankly out the window.

Pulling himself out of his memories, he glanced at Scully. This
time she was looking at him. "You're all I have, Scully. I can't
lose you," he said softly.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Mulder. I'm not going anywhere,"
she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He rested his hand on her thigh, as she settled back into her
seat. They had agreed to drive shifts, with him starting and
switching every three hours. He didn't know what to talk about,
nothing seemed appropriate. They couldn't talk about anyone,
or anything that they were leaving behind. And their relationship
didn't seem right to talk about at a time like this. They couldn't
have a 'good time' when they were both scared to death of what
was
happening around them. So they sat in silence, his hand on her
thigh, until she forced him to allow her to take her shift driving.
Then their places had been switched, she was the one reaching
to him, their fingers entwined.

XxXxX

May 16, 2000
2:37 a.m.

On the second day of driving they began to relax. Between both
of them, they had driven all through the night, as traffic thinned.
The Interstate had only a few cars traveling on it. They stopped
for gas often, each time restocking their food supplies and taking
a pit stop. Then they got back in their car and headed north with
more determination then before. But after almost two days of
driving both were exhausted.

Mulder struggled to keep his eyes open and his focus on the
road. Scully was still awake, he hadn't seen her sleep yet, and
he hadn't slept either.

"Mulder," Scully said softly. "Pull over."

"We have to keep going," he said tensely.

She shook her head. "No we don't. It's not going to do us any
good to get in an accident." She touched his arm softly. "We
haven't slept in two days."

"I won't get us into an accident."

"Mulder, please. I need you. Stop for the night," she whispered,
brushing her fingers against his arm.

He sighed and pulled onto the shoulder of the road. "Come
here." He slid his lanky frame into the back seat and held his
arms out for her. She accepted the invitation and crawled into
the back seat with him. "You're shaking," he whispered,
untucking her shirt.

She brought her hand to the back of his head. Taking a deep
breath she murmured, "I need you, Mulder." He kissed her
softly, sliding one of his hands over her hip. She pulled away to
clarify what she meant, but he placed his finger against her lips.

"I know what you meant," he said softly. The hand that was
resting on her hip pulled her t-shirt up, over her head. He lifted
his body off of the seat, and unclasped her bra. She shrugged
out of it, and peeled Mulder's shirt off him. He unbuttoned and
unzipped her jeans, then slid both her jeans and panties down to
mid thigh. Scully straightened her legs, kicking the clothes off.
Her fingers unfastened his jeans, then together they managed to
shed Mulder's boxers and jeans in the small back seat of the
car.

He kissed her gently, as he laid her back down on the seat. Her
arms slid across his body in quick, seducing movements. She
parted her legs, as she pulled him down on top of her. Mulder
cupped her breast with one hand, thumbing the erect nipple.
Her kisses deepened with desire, as he caressed her body,
while moving his other hand down to her core. He rubbed her
clit, then entered her with his finger.

She moaned into his mouth, grinding her hips against his finger.
He moved it in and out of her, then added another finger inside
her slick opening. Scully parted her legs more, urging him on.
Her hand moved down to his erection, cupping him tightly in the
palm of her hand. She massaged him with her fingertips,
receiving a moan in return. He quickened the rhythm of his
fingers inside her, and she moved her hips sharply.

"God.... Mulllllder," she moaned, closing her eyes and gripping
his shoulder with her other hand. "I'm going to..." Mulder pulled
his fingers out of her, and positioned himself between her legs.
She guided his cock inside her, then brought her hands to his
back.

He thrust into her, as Scully moaned again. She wrapped her
legs around his waist and felt one of Mulder's hands cup her ass
and press her harder against him. The other slid over her
stomach, reaching its final destination between them. He traced
circles around her clit; Scully arched her back and climaxed.
Her body trembled as the waves of passion came over her, and
with a final thrust, Mulder came inside her, calling out her name.

Once his orgasm was over, he pulled out of her. Scully smiled
sleepily, as he repositioned their bodies so they could lay as
comfortable as possible. Mulder was stretched out along the
seat and Scully was sprawled on top of him. She rolled onto her
stomach, lazily stretching a leg over his hip.

Mulder saw Scully close her eyes as her head rested against his
shoulder; he smiled, closing his eyes.

XxXxX

May 16, 2000
5:03 a.m.

Mulder pulled Scully closer as he tried to erase the images of the
past few days from of his mind. The first day of their escapade
they learned that spaceships had been sighted over ten other
major cities of the US and dozens more throughout the world. It
really was over and sometimes he wondered why they even
tried.

Scully rolled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. With
one hand he pulled the comforter up higher over her bare
shoulders. He knew they would have to get up soon and keep
going.

He wanted her to sleep more, so he tried to carefully roll her
onto the back seat without waking her and wrapped the
comforter around her to keep her warm. The air inside the car
was warm, and Mulder awkwardly pulled on his boxers, jeans
and t-shirt before climbing into the driver's seat.

He pulled back onto the Interstate and saw how empty it looked,
compared to the past few days. There were only a dozen cars
in sight, which wasn't much compared to the packed lanes and
bumper-to-bumper traffic they were used to. The sun had yet to
come up and he determined that they were somewhere in New
York State. Mulder adjusted the rear view mirror so he could
see Scully laying across the backseat. She was exhausted.
The emotional and physical drain from the past two days had
really gotten to her.

A motorist came up behind them quickly and passed leaving
only inches to spare, then cut off in front of him. The President
had declared a National Disaster, allowing Federal Emergency
Management Agency to take over, but it didn't matter anymore.

Dawn was breaking over the rustic hills, breaking through the
mist that blanketed the countryside. The mailboxes grew further
apart as Mulder kept driving. He had to make it. Nothing else
mattered to him anymore, except Scully. He glanced back at
her sleeping form again and smiled. He was getting hungry, but
he decided to wait until Scully woke before stopping to get some
breakfast. And by the looks of the land, there wasn't going to be
a gas station any time soon.

The edges of the road were bordered with thick evergreen trees,
only dotted with a few houses. Out of the corner of his eye
Mulder saw the headlights coming at him from a road on the
passenger side. Mulder didn't have time to swerve or even cry
out as the older car hit his car with such an impact that it sent
both vehicles across the two-lane highway, and into the ditch on
the other side. Metal and glass shattered as the hood of the car
punctured the passenger door of Mulder's car; air bags flew
open, as Mulder tried to lift his hands to shield his face from the
glass.

When all was finally still, Mulder opened his eyes. It took him a
moment to realize what had happened, then he looked around
the remains of his car. The other vehicle had become dislodged
from his on the way down the bank, and his car had rolled onto
its side. Mulder tried to unbuckle his seat belt and felt shooting
pain up his left arm. Gritting his teeth he tried again, this time
groaning in pain, but completing the task. He was pinned
against the door by the steering wheel and what was left of the
air bags. He maneuvered slowly, seeing a gaping hole in the
windshield that he could crawl out of. The glass splinters tore
his clothing, and cut into him as he slid over the dashboard and
onto the hood of the car.

He stood up and looked at the wreck, then his heart dropped
into his stomach when he remembered Scully sleeping in the
backseat. He ran around to the back of the car calling to her,
but he didn't get any response. Finally, with no other choices,
he grabbed a rock and smashed the rear window of the car.

"Scully?" He called, pushing the glass aside and leaning into the
back seat. Her head had been on the driver's side, saving her
life. He shuddered to think of what might have happened if she
had been sitting in the passenger seat. The blanket had
managed to shield her from most of the glass, except for the
large scrape on
her face. He leaned further into the car, ignoring the pain in his
arm and felt for her pulse. It was there, but awfully slow.
"Scully?" He asked again, pinching her shoulders. She stirred
slightly, moaning in pain. He repeated her name, until she
slowly opened her eyes.

"Mulder?" she asked, wincing.

"I'm going to get you out of there," he promised, moving his right
hand to her waist.

"My feet are stuck," she murmured, looking at the bent metal
close to where the hood of the other car had entered the
passenger door.

"Hold on," he grunted, pulling the blanket over her head. He
grabbed the rock and shattered the rest of the window. He
removed the blanket from her face and concentrated on freeing
her feet.

"What happened?" she asked, then cried out as Mulder pushed
the part of the door away from one of her feet.

He didn't answer, only bit his lip at an effort to keep from hurting
her. He couldn't move the metal frame of the car by himself.
"Scully you are going to have to try and pull your foot out," he
instructed. The blanket was still wrapped around her feet, so
Mulder hoped that it would help cushion her foot in the tight
squeeze. "On three... One... Two... Three!" He put the last of
his strength into pushing the frame up 1/2 inch and Scully
screamed as she pulled her foot through.

As soon as she was free, Mulder tore the blankets from her feet,
inspecting the damages. The metal hadn't broken the skin, but
one of her ankles was badly bruised. It was already turning a
light shade of purple. He rubbed her foot trying to get the
circulation back as Scully closed her eyes and took deep
breaths.

"Come on Scully. Let's get you out of this car," Mulder said,
leaning into it once more and wrapping his right arm around her
waist, while his left cradled her upper body against him. He lifted
her carefully, but the blanket was stuck, confining her within the
thick material. "I'm going to have to cut you out," he said,
popping the trunk to reveal their suitcase and a toolbox. He
pulled out both items, then shut the trunk.

The toolbox contained a small jack knife, and he cut the
protesting comforter off Scully. The cool air hit her naked skin
and she began to shiver. As soon as Mulder finished, she
wrapped her arms around his neck and waited for him to lift her
out.

Cradling her against him, so she wouldn't get cut by the glass,
he carefully guided her out of the backseat. Then he opened
the suitcase and helped her get dressed.

"Mulder... your arm," she noticed, as he dug through the
suitcase.

"I landed on it when we hit. I'm fine," he said, pulling out a sweat
suit for Scully to wear.

"You're hurt, let me see your arm," Scully said, putting her hand
carefully on his sore arm. Mulder pulled the sweatshirt over her
head, and guided the pants over her ankles. Once Scully was
dressed, he sat down.

"Can you take off your shirt?" she asked.

"Are you making a pass at me, Agent Scully?" Mulder smirked.

"Don't get your hopes up until I can see the arm," she said.

"Yes ma'am," Mulder replied and the two of them struggled to
get him out of the shirt.

"You're lucky you can move your arm," she said softly. Hand
me that scarf." Scully made a makeshift sling with it in hopes of
restraining Mulder from using his arm.

"What happened?" she asked, glancing at the other car.

"They pulled out and hit us, knocking both vehicles into the ditch.
Scully you are really lucky you weren't sitting in that passenger
seat," Mulder swallowed. "Can you stand?"

"Yes, I'm fine. My ankles are just bruised. We can't carry all this
stuff," she gestured to the suitcase.

"Then we'll have to take only what we need," Mulder said,
opening the trunk and revealing a knapsack. "Couple changes
of clothes and some money."

They quickly repacked the essentials into the smaller bag and
stood up. Scully walked over to the car that had hit them.

"Mulder, look at this," she said quietly. Hoisting the bag onto his
shoulders he moved to where Scully was peering into the
driver's window of their attacker.

A man was sprawled in an unnatural position against the
steering wheel, and from a large wound on his face, a dark
substance dripped, instead of blood.

"He was infected," Mulder said. "Now the question is, did the
black oil make him do that? Or did he do it on his own?"

"If it controlled him..." Scully couldn't bring herself to say what
they were both thinking. If the black oil controlled its host, then
they could be in for a difficult journey to the North.

"We've got to keep moving," Mulder said, taking Scully's hand
and leading her up the bank. The sun had risen, casting long
shadows of trees over the road.

XxXxX

6:17 a.m.

Mulder froze, listening intently. "There's a car coming," he said.
Scully stopped as well, glad to rest her feet. A small car
approached them slowly, then stopped beside them. There
were five passengers in the car. The driver lowered his window
a crack.

"Are you infected?" the man asked suspiciously.

"No," Mulder replied, Scully shook her head.

"Look at the eyes," a person in the back said tensely.

"Let me see your eyes," the driver commanded. Both agents
peered into the window. "Clean. Get in."

"Wait. Let us see your eyes," Mulder said, looking into the
window. All of the passengers stared at him, finally convincing
him that they were good too. He opened the door to the back
seat and sat down, then Scully sat on his lap.

They drove for an hour, all terrified strangers. A gas station was
situated to their left, and the driver decided they needed a pit
stop. They entered the parking look and looked around in
amazement, there were several cars parked. There had been
no traffic on the highway. No people were lingering around
outside.

They entered the small convenience store, which was crowded
with people.

"What is everyone doing in here?" Scully asked Mulder, picking
up a large bottle of water.

"I don't know and I don't like it. Let's just get what we need and
keep going," Mulder said. Scully nodded in agreement and went
into the next aisle.

Her arms full of groceries, Scully made her way to the front of
the store. A scream pierced the air inside the shop. Scully
looked around in bewilderment for Mulder, then at the woman.
More people were joining her frightened cries. Scully looked at
the floor and saw what was terrifying them. The black oil was
crawling across the floor and entering people. She looked at her
own feet and yelped in surprise.

"Scully!" Mulder yelled.

"Mulder!!" she cried. "It's on me!"

"It can't infect you, come on!"

Her feet were planted in terror. Her eyes widened as it moved
over her sneakers.

"Scully, come on! Get out of there!!" she heard Mulder's yell
from a distance.

The other people were getting infected and moving around in
the room infecting the rest. Mulder ran to Scully.

"No!" she shrieked. "Don't let it get you."

Mulder picked her up over his shoulder and retreated out of the
store. Scully shook and gripped the back of his shirt tightly.

"They're all infected. We need to find a car," he looked around
the parking lot, eyeing a truck that was in front of the gas pumps.
He looked in the window and saw the keys, then opened the
door and put Scully inside. He ran to the driver's side, and
jumped in, turned on the ignition and they pulled out of the
parking lot. Scully sat still in her seat, with her eyes half closed.
"Are you ok?" Mulder asked, putting his hand on her knee.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No Mulder, I'm not
okay," she sniffed. "This has to be a nightmare, it all has to just
go away." A tear escaped her eyes. "I don't think I can do this."

"Scully," he said, sliding his hand around to her hip, then pulled
her against him. He wrapped his right arm around her waist and
rested his chin against her head. He kept his eyes on the road
and steered with his left hand. "We can't let them win. Not here,
not now."

"They've already won," she whimpered, burying her face in his
neck.

"They don't win, unless we give up," he replied. "And I'm not
going to let you give up. You are the only thing that is keeping
me going. I love you."

"I know," she whispered. "I love you, too." She shifted so she
was facing ahead, but still rested her head on his shoulder.

"If we quit now, they win," he murmured into her hair, only then
allowing his own tears to fall.

XxXxX

12:28 p.m.

They were approaching the Canadian Border that was set up on
the Expressway to Montreal.

"Scully? What's that?" Mulder asked, pointing to the orange
barricade blocking the road. Several officers where stationed
along side of it.

She squinted to see what Mulder was pointing at. "Looks like
they don't want anyone getting in... or out."

"If we stop, they won't let us through," Mulder said. "Tighten
your seat belt, Scully."

The words of protest were forming on her lips, but she obeyed.
Mulder floored the gas pedal and steered the car in direction of
the barricade. The Custom's Office was approaching quickly on
her right. Uniformed guards were hollering and jumping out of
the way, as the truck burst through the orange boards.

Once they overcame that obstacle, Mulder kept speeding out of
sight of the Custom's Office, and prayed that they wouldn't hear
sirens. His prayers were answered, because the only sound he
heard was the engine of the truck.

Scully loosened her seat belt and glanced at a road sign. "58
km to Montreal," she said. "Where in Quebec are we going?"

"I don't know. We're going to need to get some gas soon and
we should pick up some road maps. The roads are as deserted
here as they were back in New York," Mulder commented.
"There's one, we should stop and stock up on supplies, because
I don't know what the traffic will be like in Montreal."

He turned off of the Expressway and into the Irving Convenience
Store. Opposite of the last one, this store was completely
deserted. There were no cars in the parking lot, nor any
customers in the store. There wasn't even a cashier. Scully and
Mulder exchanged a look and helped themselves to the
groceries they needed; Scully grabbed a map on their way out.
Mulder refilled the tank with gas and they were back on their
way.

Once they were back on the highway, Mulder looked at Scully.

"What's on your mind, Mulder?" Scully asked with a smile. It
was only the second time he had seen her smile since the
morning of the attack.

"Nothing," he said with a sly grin.

"You have that look," Scully insisted, digging into their food
supply.

"What look?" Mulder asked, smirking.

"That one," Scully said. Mulder chuckled and watched Scully out
of the corner of his eye. When she pulled out a bag of sunflower
seeds, he swerved dangerously. "Oh, would you like some?"

"Of course," he said, holding out his hand. Scully poured a
handful in his hand.

"So, seriously Mulder, what's up?"

"I was just thinking..." he started, immediately killing the carefree
mood. Scully looked at him expectantly. "What is the one thing
you would go back and do differently?"

A sigh escaped her lips. "There's lots of things I would like to
have done differently in my life. Nothing major," she added,
seeing his look of guilt. "I believe in fate... that we all have our
destiny's written for us. Everything happens for a reason, and
not all of it is good. I know that being here with you, right now, is
what was meant to happen. I just wish..." she paused. Mulder
remained silent, glancing back and forth between Scully and the
road. "I wish our relationship had begun sooner."

"So do I, but Scully, if everything happens for a reason, there
must have been a reason why we didn't become involved
sooner," Mulder said. Scully stared at him. "Whether it was
because this way we both live, or so Bill didn't kick my ass, we'll
never know." The corners of her mouth twitched and her gaze
softened.

"So what was the thing that you would have liked to change?"
she asked.

"There isn't just one thing," he said quietly. "I would change a lot
of it, not listening to everything They said, not bringing you on
every single wild goose chase I could possibly find, just to learn
something more of what happened that night. Knowing that all I
ever learned was what they led me to. All of my life searching
for answers, when I didn't want to face the truth. But most of all,
I wish that I hadn't gotten you involved in this. Don't get me
wrong, there is no one else I'd rather be with, but all that you've
lost... it's irreplaceable. Now, you've lost everything."

"Mulder," Scully said. "I didn't lose everything, I still have you. If
I could only have one thing, it would be you. Don't torture
yourself thinking that it was all your fault. It isn't, I hold no blame
of anything that happened, to you."

"Scully, I destroyed the world!"

"But you saved me. Mulder, to look back and remember what
you did in Antarctica, is almost impossible! Sounds more like a
movie, than real life," Scully said. "You didn't destroy the world,
the plans for its destruction are millions of years old. Maybe you
even saved people."

"Tell me how the Hell I saved people," Mulder replied bitterly. "If
Colonization had occurred in 13 years... then it would have been
a lot more advanced. Maybe even painful. At least we know
those who are infected aren't in pain," Scully whispered.
"Mulder, you did the right thing."

He sighed in frustration.

"Come on Mulder, you've been driving for a long time, let me
drive now," Scully said quietly. He nodded and pulled over.

XxXxX

6:42 p.m.

"So we're driving through La Vern-dry Provincial Park?" Mulder
asked, squinting at the road sign.

"La Verendrye," Scully corrected.

"Well I'm glad at least one of us knows French," Mulder said,
sitting back in his seat. "Are you hungry Scully?"

"A little, what do you have in mind?" Scully winked.

"Agent Scully! No one warned me about your dirty mind!"
Mulder exclaimed. Then a grin came over his face. "Well.... we
could eat Rolo's off each other, but that isn't exactly what I
meant."

"Sounds... exotic. Maybe some other time," Scully grinned.
"What else is in the bag?"

"Um... hmm. We have peppermints, chips, sunflower seeds,
and sandwiches. Oh! There are some cookies in here too."

"Pass me half of a sandwich," Scully blindly reached toward him,
while watching the road. Mulder took her hand and moved it
closer to him, then began to suck on her index finger.

Scully turned her head toward him sharply, then smiled. "That
feels really good."

"Anywhere else I can put my... expertise to work?" he leered.
Scully blushed and pulled her hand away from him, snatching
the sandwich from his other hand.

"Where are we headed?" Scully asked.

"A place called Nouveau-Comptoir. Its a very small fishing
village, only 350 year round residents," Mulder said. "It's far
enough north that its isolated and very cold."

Scully nodded and kept driving. The scenery was much
different then that of DC, there was a thin layer of snow covering
the ground. The temperature outside was below freezing,
providing a safe haven from the aliens for the time being.

"How much further is Nouveau-Comptoir?" Scully asked.

"Several hours yet. Are you getting tired? You've been driving
for almost four hours, take a rest," Mulder said. Scully pulled
over, and they exchanged positions. Scully relaxed in the
passenger seat and closed her eyes.

"I think I'm going to," Scully yawned. "Take a nap. Wake me
when you get tired."

"Okay, sweet dreams, Scully," Mulder murmured, but she was
already out cold. He convinced himself that it was from
exhaustion, and pulled back onto the highway.

XxXxX

May 17, 2000
12:29 a.m.

Mulder had been driving for almost five hours since Scully fell
asleep. He was starting to feel the sleep overcoming his body,
but the lingering sound of his conscience told him that he had to
keep driving. They'd never make it if they kept sleeping during
the night.

He looked at his sleeping lover and sighed. Using his jacket as
a pillow, Scully rested her head against the door of the pickup
truck. Her feet were curled up by Mulder's thigh, her hands
rested on her lap. Her chest rose and fell softly, her facial
expression was calm.

Calm. There was something he hadn't experienced lately. The
past week at the office had been torture, with paperwork piled
upon paperwork. They worked through their lunch breaks trying
to get everything straightened up. But nothing mattered
anymore. He closed his eyes briefly and thought of Samantha.
He had devoted his life to finding her, allowing her to be the only
thing that mattered. Inside, after all the hypnosis, the clones, the
lies, he had never thought that he would really find her. She was
already there, in a different sense, guiding him and protecting
him as he unveiled more of the conspiracy. He couldn't
describe the night he had finally seen her. The only word that
came to mind was 'closure'. He had finally found what he had
been looking for all along. The quest had changed, now it was
to find the truth. The truth about those men, and their horrible
secrets. Now it was different. His enemies are his only allies. If
he couldn't find the truth, then he would save Scully from it. That
was the only thing that mattered to him now.

He skidded off onto the opposite side of the road and jumped
awake. His heart pounding he slowed to a stop. 'And she's not
going to be saved if you don't get some sleep,' he told himself,
turning off the truck. He laid his head down and watched Scully.
Within moments, he was asleep.

XxXxX

6:21 a.m.

"Mulder?" Scully murmured as she woke up. Her neck was stiff
and her body cramped. Mulder was sitting up at the driver's
seat, his head resting against the window. She glanced at her
watch and sighed in frustration. They should have started going
by now.

"Sweetheart?" she murmured, crawling over him. "Wake up."

"I'm..." he yawned. "Awake."

"I told you to wake me when you got tired," she lectured, sitting
in the middle seat of the vehicle.

"I forgot?" he offered, turning the key, and bringing the car to life
once again. "We're low on gas and I could use a pit stop."
Scully nodded in agreement, unfolding the map.

"This says that there should be a store about 30 kms from our
area. Where are we, exactly, Mulder?"

He squinted and tried to remember the last road signs he had
seen the night before. "Uh, I think the last I saw was Fort
George."

"Well! Then the store should be... just up here," Scully said.

Sure enough, the store was situated not far from them. There
were a few cars parked, but the morning air was silent. They
gassed up, then entered the store. Both headed for the
washrooms in the back.

Scully splashed water on her face, then stared at her reflection
as water dripped into the sink. Dark circles spread under her
eyes from lack of sleep and stress. Her eyes and lips were
swollen slightly. She hadn't washed her hair in days, nor bathed
properly. For the few moments that they stopped at stores she
managed to clean herself up as much as possible. Her clothes
were wrinkled and worn. Scully sighed, drying her face with a
paper towel. This was a nightmare.

She left the ladies room, and spotted Mulder going up and down
an aisle. Unlike the other stores, this one had a cashier, and a
few customers. She walked to the front to pay for the gas, when
the door burst open.

"No one move!" A masked man shouted, pointing a gun at the
cashier. She screamed and cowered behind the register. The
man looked at Scully and the cashier and took a menacing step
toward them. Mulder reached for his gun, but realized with a
sickening feeling that he had left it in the truck. Scully also
reached for hers, as the masked man fired his weapon.

The shot rang out in Mulder's ears as he lounged for the man.
Tackling him from behind and knocking him unconscious,
Mulder kicked the gun out of his hand, while Scully slumped to
the floor.

"Scully!" He yelled, forgetting about the shooter and stumbling
to her side. Her hands clutched her right side, applying as much
pressure as she could gather.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she wheezed, gasping for air. "The
bullet..." His face went white. The cashier grabbed a first aid kit
from under the counter and hurried over to them. Mulder laid
her down carefully on the floor, then pulled her sweatshirt up, to
reveal the wound. "... skimmed me," she murmured.

The entrance of the bullet was on the outer most part of her
side, removing a small portion of flesh. There was blood
covering her stomach, and dripping onto the floor. He opened
the first aid kit.

"Hold on, Scully. Go get something to clean her up with," he
barked at the cashier. She obeyed him, scurrying to the
washrooms.

Mulder pressed a wad of gauze against her side, making Scully
gasp in pain. Tears filled her eyes, and her bloody fingers
gripped his arms. The cashier returned with her arms filled with
wet paper towels. He scrubbed some of the blood off from
around the wound, but didn't cease on the pressure he applied
to her. Tears fell soundlessly down her temples, as Scully
gazed at the ceiling from where her head rested against the
floor.

"Scully you're going to be ok, just relax," Mulder whispered,
replacing the used gauze with fresh bandages. He taped it
securely over her hip and across her stomach, stopping the
blood flow. Then he wrapped her waist, to prevent irritation to
the wound. "Scully."

"Yeah," she replied slowly.

"How do you feel?" Mulder asked.

"Faint... dizzy," she moaned. Mulder carefully lifted her up and
carried her to the door. The cashier followed them.

"Take what you need, please." Then she eyed the man lying on
the ground and shuddered. "And take this, too," she called,
holding up the first aid kit. She picked up the items that Mulder
had dropped, and grabbed some extra strength Tylenol on her
way to their truck.

"If I were you, I'd run," Mulder said, accepting the items. And
pulling away from the store. He hated leaving the poor girl there,
but he couldn't do anything else. Scully was lying across the
seat, her feet resting on Mulder's lap. Her head was on the seat
as well, and she tried to completely relax her body. The load the
cashier had given them remained on the floor by the passenger
seat.

"Do you want some Tylenol?" Mulder asked, covering her with
his jacket. She nodded her head slightly, aware of the
pounding. He pulled over and dug out the medication and a
bottle of water. Mulder handed her some pills, slid his left hand
behind her and slowly propped her up enough to drink without
choking.

She gratefully accepted them and took a tiny sip of water. Her
face paled even more then it already was.

"Did you drink it too fast? Are you going to be sick?" Mulder
asked in concern.

She didn't say anything for a moment. Then she shook her
head, "No, I'm fine." She paused again. "Mulder?"

"Yes?"

"Can you help me switch positions?" she asked quietly.

"How do you want to be moved?" He replied, pulling over again.
He hated seeing her like this, only because she hated seeing
herself like this. Dana Scully hated being weak.

"I want to put my head on your lap, so my feet are against the
door," Scully said, struggling to get up.

"Scully, stop moving," he said, getting out and walking around
the truck. He opened the passenger door. He lifted her
completely out of the car, then turned her around and carefully
slid her back in again. He heard her faint whimper as she bit her
lip to hide her cry.

"God, Scully, I'm sorry," Mulder laid her down again. "I didn't
mean to hurt-"

Scully put her finger to Mulder's lips. "I know," she whispered.
"Don't worry about it, please, Mulder. You could never hurt me."
He looked doubtful, then hesitantly leaned down and kissed her
cheek. Moving around the truck he got back in and cradled her
head against his thighs.

Scully looked up at him; tears pooled in her eyes, and bit her lip.
Then she slowly brought her left hand up, and placed it on his
knee, squeezing softly.

XxXxX

1:12 p.m.

"Scully?!" Mulder called. "Scully, wake up!" Mulder grasped her
shoulders. Scully's eyes opened instantly, a look of horror
written all over her face.

"God Mulder," was all that she could say, before she started to
cry.

He picked her up as much as he could, and held her tightly.
"What happened?" She buried her face in his neck and cried
softly. He waited for her to gather herself together, before trying
to jump in again. Whatever she had been dreaming had made
her upset enough to cry out and scream in her sleep. When she
finally pushed away from him, turning into the untouchable Dana
Scully, she murmured, "Thanks." Then relaxed against him, this
time not shutting her eyes.

"What happened, Scully?" Mulder asked. She sighed, then
dried off the new tears forming with the back of her hand.

"Nothing, it was just a dream," she mumbled, trying to pull away
from him, but gasped in pain.

"Scully," he said sternly.

"Please, Mulder, just drop it," she asked quietly, averting his
gaze.

"I'm just worried about you," Mulder replied, brushing her hair
away from her face.

"I know," she whispered. "I know."

XxXxX

4:08 p.m.

A large road sign announced their arrival in Nouveau-Comptoir.
The streets were slick with ice and the houses were one story
cabins along the Hudson Bay. The town square was a small
array of shops, a grocery store, post office, gas station, hospital
and police/fire station. To their amazement, it wasn't deserted.

"We finally made it?" Scully choked out.

Mulder nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "We're here."

A car drove up to them and stopped. A light haired man rolled
down his window, and shuddered at the cold. He was quite tall,
with red hair and blue eyes. His eyes showed that he wasn't
infected.

"Salute," he said.

"Hi," Mulder replied, after he rolled down the window. "Kurt
Crawford." He gasped at the temperature change; it was a lot
colder then it had been at their last pit stop. The wind was
coming from the water, leaving the town in a light blanket of ice.

Scully struggled to sit up; Mulder had only mentioned him to her
once. Mulder's surprised tone forced her body into a sitting
position, leaning heavily against him.

"Agent Mulder," Kurt said, nodding to Mulder. Then he gazed at
Scully. "Agent Scully. I see Agent Mulder succeeded." Scully's
eyes widened, then she glanced at Mulder.

"I'll tell you later," Mulder whispered to Scully.

"I thought they had killed you," Mulder said.

"No, we were their employees, they didn't harm us. They
couldn't, without the stiletto," Kurt explained. "I know why you're
here," Mulder sat up straighter.

"How do you know?"

"You were drawn here, to us. We've been expecting you since
the day They came," Kurt started. "You wanted to find the truth,
we are part of that truth you've searched so dearly for. We've
been waiting to meet you for a very long time, Agent Mulder."

"What? Who's we?" Scully asked.

"Me... and my brothers. You are one of our mothers." Scully's
jaw dropped.

"I thought they killed you," Mulder said.

"Yes. We escaped from Lombard Research Facility the night
Colonization started, and sought refuge up here. We were
supposed to carry through the final plans. But you know that we
were working secretly against them, in hopes to save our
mothers from the illnesses they were given. We escaped not
from the Purity, we are immune to that, but from becoming the
slave race to the Colonists once they succeed. There is one
thing about this town that you don't know, something so obvious
you should be able to point it out on a map."

"What don't we know about this place?" Mulder asked. Scully
rested her chin on his shoulder and stared at the man. Too
many secrets about this project, so much finally coming out in
the open, when it was too late.

"Do you have a map?" Kurt asked, getting out of his car and
standing next to the window. Scully passed him their road map.
Kurt folded it to the place where you can see all of Quebec.
"This bay, a little north of this outpost, on the Eastern side of the
Hudson Bay; Home of the Hopewell and Nastapoka Islands."

Mulder paused to see if Kurt was going to continue. When he
didn't, Mulder said, "That bay was put there when the Jacques
Comet crashed to Earth millions of years ago. Most of it is
submerged, but erosion is beginning to bring the Belcher Islands
to surface."

Kurt nodded his head. "Impressive," he announced, "But that is
what They wanted everyone to believe. All of the remaining
ships are much smaller than the mother ship you destroyed in
Antarctica, and are buried deep within the oceans. Black Oil can
survive water, but remains dormant in the cold. Once
Colonization is upon us..."

"Are you trying to tell us that this semi-circular shape in the land
is really a space ship grounded underneath billions of tons of
water?" Mulder sputtered.

"Does the hole look like it could have been the formation of a
UFO, Agent Mulder?" Kurt said seriously. "Once the aliens
mutate, the ship will be raised and Purity set out to destroy this
part of the world. There's no stopping it."

Mulder studied the picture long and hard before admitting that it
could have some possibilities.

"Come with me, we've prepared a cottage for you, then you can
meet my brothers," Kurt replied.

"How do we know that you are telling us the truth?" Mulder
asked.

"Truth? We give you the truth, because we have nothing to
lose. All you can do is believe us and allow us to help, or go
your own way and allow us to watch you die," Kurt muttered.

Mulder shifted into drive, while Kurt got back in his car. The
agents followed Kurt down the deserted streets to a small house
overlooking the bay. The windows were small, with large
shutters over them, and the house looked cold and uninviting.

"I'll meet you back here in a couple of hours," Kurt said, passing
them the key to the house. Mulder got out of the truck and went
around to Scully's side. He opened her door, then slid her
across the seat and into his arms.

He carried her to the front of the house, then opened the door
with his weak arm. He turned on the light as they entered the
small foyer. The house was basically furnished, the living room
consisted of a small sofa set with a fireplace, and the kitchen's
cupboards were well stocked with food. A dinette set was
pushed into the corner of the crowded kitchen. There was a
bedroom that had only enough room for a double bed and a
dresser and a small bathroom.

"Well, at least it's shelter from the cold," Mulder offered, putting
Scully down on the bed and frowning at her blood-stained
sweatshirt. Scully allowed her eyes to wander down to her hip,
where the blood had dried hours ago. A dark red stain covered
almost the length of the shirt. "I'm going to find you something
else to wear," Mulder said, opening the dresser. To his surprise,
it as well, was stocked with warm clothes. He lifted another
sweater out and sat down on the bed beside Scully.

"Are you going to tell me?" She asked quietly, as Mulder pulled
the sweatshirt over her bandages.

"Tell you what?" Mulder said, pulling her arms back through the
sleeves.

"In the truck, about Kurt, and you were trying to save me?"
Scully's voice wavered, then Mulder guided the shirt over her
head and replaced it with the sweater. He shivered, then got up
and turned the thermostat higher and listened for the furnace to
kick on.

"When you were in the hospital the first time, with Penny,"
Mulder paused, waiting for her reaction. Her lips moved slightly,
and Mulder carefully wrapped his arms around her and drew her
against him. "I tried desperately to get a cure for you. I got into
the Lombard Research Facility, and found more of the Kurt
Crawfords. They are scientists, working like my father did."

"Against the project?"

Mulder nodded. "They are hybrids, created just like Emily."
Scully closed her eyes, as her child's face appeared in her mind.
Mulder wiped the tear that formed in the corner of her eye.
"Their mothers, were... the female abductees. He showed me,
and told me, that they were trying to save their mothers, find a
cure for the cancer. He led me to this chamber which contained
human ova, taken from," he couldn't continue.

"Mine was there?" Scully asked, pressing her face against his
chest.

He nodded. "Yes, and I.. I took it with me."

"You what?" Scully pushed away from him.

"I kept it," Mulder stuttered.

"And you didn't bother to tell me?" Anger rose in Scully's voice,
as she tried to maneuver out of his embrace.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Mulder said softly. "There was so
much going on for you, you didn't even know you were barren
then."

"Let go of me." She gave a muffled cry, and Mulder immediately
released her. She pulled herself up so she was balancing on
her hands. "You didn't tell me."

"I wanted to, God Scully I wanted to!" Mulder exclaimed. "There
was never the right time. You were in the hospital for that
cancer, we were close-"

"Is that all you can manage to think about?" she said bitterly,
kicking her legs off the bed and making an attempt to stand.

"Scully!" Mulder cried as her legs buckled beneath her, sending
her toppling onto the floor. He raced around the bed and
reached for her.

"No," she whispered. Mulder let his hand drop. "Don't touch
me, I-I can't deal with all this," Scully murmured, from the
awkward position on her back. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Silence blanketed the room for a few minutes, then Scully
opened her eyes. "What else happened that you didn't bother to
tell me?" she pleaded. Mulder knelt beside her.

"I found the cure for Emily," escaped his lips before he had time
to think. Her body flew to a sitting position, causing her to cry
out in pain.

"Mulder," Scully's voice was accented by a sharp tone of anger
he had never heard before. "How could you," her voice
cracked. "How could you not tell me." Tears slid down her
cheeks, as she gasped for air.

"I wanted to, but it was too late. I followed Emily's doctor, and I
found myself in a refrigerated storage area. I-I found your name
on a list, and an alien fetus. Then there were some vials with
some liquid; I took one with me. When I finally got to you, you
told me it what meant to be," he stopped and looked at her.
Scully started to sob quietly. "Then I asked you what you would
do if you could treat her, and you said that you wouldn't. I asked
you if you were sure, and you told me again. I wanted to tell
you, I wanted to stay and tell you. I never meant to hurt you."
Tears were falling down his cheeks. "That's the last thing I ever
wanted to do. Then it was too late to ever bring it up again."

Scully didn't say anything, so Mulder rested his hand on her
shoulder. She didn't pull back this time. He moved his hand
over her shoulder and down her back. He lifted her up, and laid
her on the bed, holding her close to him. Neither spoke, nor
moved. They just rested within the comfort of each other.

XxXxX

7:39 p.m.

"Every house has a generator, because we are known for our
frequent surprise blizzards. People usually keep the houses
stocked up, in case they are snowed in for days. Although it's
May, I've heard some awful stories about those caught in the
blizzards unprepared in July," Kurt said to Mulder, as they
walked through the small house later that evening. "The
fireplace in the living room is your central heat source, firewood
is stored in that closet." He pointed at a small closet near the
fireplace. "The wood shed is out back. You also have the
furnace."

Mulder nodded, absorbing the information, then asked
suspiciously, "Why are you helping us so much?"

"Dana is the only one of our mothers who survived the terminal
cancer given to her. We had always been the ones delaying the
work on the new hybrids, in hopes of finding a cure for that
cancer for our mothers. Now she's the only one," Kurt said. "My
brothers are working in the underground laboratory, still trying to
find a way of permanent escape from the Colonists."

"So this is only temporary?" Mulder asked.

"Once the ship near us raises, then the cold part of the world is
no longer safe. The oil won't kill us, or you, but the mutation
will," Kurt said gravely. "I've got to be going, there is much to be
done. If you need to contact me, use the radio, we'll be the only
one's picking up." Mulder said his good byes then stared out
into the blackness around them. The waves from the bay near
by crashed noisily onto the shore. Tiny snowflakes fell down
onto the porch, as Mulder tried to peer through the dark clouds
and for a glimpse of the stars.

Scully was in the bedroom; he had managed to untwine his body
from hers and leave her sleeping while he talked to Kurt. He
wanted to take a look at the bullet wound, and debated waking
her up to do so. He crept into the dark bedroom and watched
her.

Scully was rested on her left hip, using her left arm to rest her
chin on. Her right hand was gripping the blankets where Mulder
had been laying. She reached further, trying to find his warmth,
then started trembling. Mulder moved to her side, just as she
cried out in fright.

"Scully! Wake up," Mulder said, trying to make his voice sound
calm. She opened her eyes, and relief flooded her face when
she saw him. "It's okay," Mulder whispered, holding her against
him, rubbing up and down her back.

"I-I thought," Scully gasped, burying her face further into his
chest. "They took you," she whispered. "You were gone and I
couldn't find you. I was so scared, so scared Mulder," she
whimpered.

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere," Mulder coaxed. "Is this what
you dreamt in the car?"

She shook her head no and gripped his biceps.

"Do you want to talk about them?" Mulder asked, softly. Scully
didn't move. "Scully?"

"I-I... dreamt that you ditched me, to go chase after the aliens,"
she sobbed. "I don't want to be alone Mulder, I don't think I
could do it."

"I'm not going to leave you, Scully. I love you; nothing is going
to change that. I am going to stay by your side until the very
end," Mulder murmured.

She stopped crying. "Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise," Mulder whispered. Scully sighed, and relaxed
against him.

"Can I see your side?" Mulder asked, his fingers brushing over
the bandage. Scully nodded, and pulled away from him
tenderly. Her fingertips rested on his shoulders, as he laid her
on back. He pushed the shirt up until it was level with her
breasts, then he unwound the bandage. It stuck against the
dried blood all over her stomach, and Scully tensed.

"I think you need to get cleaned up," Mulder suggested, slowly
pulling the wrap off her.

"I think a hot bath would be good," Scully replied, allowing
Mulder to finish taking off the wrap. The bandage was still over
the direct wound. "Okay then," Mulder said, "I'll run the water."
He got up and disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of
water running started immediately. Mulder reappeared and lifted
Scully up and carried her into the bathroom.

"Can you stand by yourself?" Mulder asked.

"Yes, my legs are cramped from the trip, and I feel physically
weak right now, but I think I can stand as long as I don't move,"
Scully said, as Mulder slowly set her down on her feet. Scully
held on to his biceps for a moment, before letting go of him
completely.

"I'll be as good as new in a few days," she diagnosed. "Until
then, I'll have to let you take care of me." Scully smiled briefly.

"I can't argue with doctor's orders," Mulder said, returning the
smile. He pulled the sweater over her head, then unclasped her
bra. His fingers dipped under the waistband of her sweat pants
and panties, then he pulled both down to the floor. Scully rested
her hands on his shoulders as she stepped out of them
awkwardly. Mulder rose to his knees, then untaped the bandage
from her side. Scully had been right, it wasn't much. The
bleeding had completely stopped, leaving dried blood plastered
all around it. The bullet had been small and only managed to
pierce a small amount of skin. He sighed with relief then stood
up.

"Are you ready?" Mulder asked.

"Yes," Scully said. Mulder moved his hands to her hips and
guided her closer to the tub. He lifted her up and over the edge,
then dipped her feet into the warm water. He lowered her into
the water slowly, receiving a soft gasp as the water hit the raw
skin.

"Is it too hot?" Mulder asked.

"No, it's perfect," Scully said, as Mulder moved her shoulder's
against the porcelain tub. Mulder rubbed the wash cloth across
her stomach, then over her injured side. "Are you going to join
me?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Mulder said, brushing the cloth over
the wound.

"You can't hurt me, Mulder," Scully replied, placing her hand
over his. She moved both of their hands over her the wound,
cleaning it thoroughly. Once it was finished, she released his
hand and moved her legs over, creating room for him in the tub.

Mulder smiled warmly at her and forced all the rest of his
thoughts into the back of his mind. He quickly undressed and
slipped into the warm water. Mulder brought the cloth to her
shoulder and squeezed the excess water out, so it dripped down
her shoulder and over the curve of her breast, then into the
water.

Scully sunk deeper into the water as Mulder continued to bathe
her. His hands caressed her intimately, massaging her body
thoroughly. "I like that," Scully murmured, as Mulder ran his
hand from the back of her knee, down her thigh, to cup her
bottom.

"The water is getting awfully cold now," Mulder said, releasing
her. Scully opened her eyes and stared at him.

"I was just beginning to warm up," she whispered. Mulder
grinned.

"You'll just have to wait, my dear," he said, getting out and
drying his body off quickly. He put on a pair of sweatpants, and
threw a towel over his shoulder. Scully pouted, then allowed
Mulder to lift her into his arms. He stood her in front of the tub,
then rubbed her body clean of water drops. He took out a fresh
bandage and applied it to the wound.

"Do you want me to go find you some pajamas?" Mulder
smirked, holding her against him.

"It would be helpful, unless you are considering going against
your little 'you'll just have to wait, my dear' bit," Scully said.

"Ok then, I'll be right back," Mulder replied, releasing her and
dashing into the bedroom. After the sound of drawers
slamming, Mulder reappeared with a pair of flannel pajamas.

After helping her dress, Scully insisted on trying to walk back into
the bedroom. It wasn't far, but Mulder didn't want her to hurt
herself more, so they agreed with walking with his arm around
her waist.

Mulder pulled back the blankets and covered Scully.

"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat or drink?"
Mulder asked.

"No thanks, I'm just tired. I need a good night's sleep," Scully
sighed. Mulder joined her in the bed. Spooning up behind her,
he reached for the bedside lamp and turned it off. Thick
darkness swallowed the room.

"Scully?" Mulder asked, holding her closer.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I'm scared too," he whispered. Scully hesitated a moment
before sliding her hand over his.

XxXxX

May 18, 2000
8:56 a.m.

Scully woke up slowly. The temperature in the room was still
warm, and she was buried in thick blankets. She could feel
Mulder's body behind her and the dull throb on her side. She
opened her eyes, and looked around the room.

The day's events came whipping back to her, causing her to
groan softly. She shifted enough so she could see Mulder, and
then noticed that he was still asleep. She drew in closer to him
again, savoring the amount of body heat between the two of
them.

She let her mind unravel everything that had happened the
previous day, and before she knew it, she had tears streaming
down her face.

She was stuck with guilt of leaving everyone back home to die.
She didn't have many close friends, but her biggest concern was
her mother. And Bill and Charles. She'd betrayed them by
leaving to save herself. Another wave of guilt washed over her.
Emily. Her heart thudded. She could have saved her daughter,
the only child she would ever have. Mulder. Anger bubbled
within her. He had known but hadn't shared two major things
that could have changed a lot in her life. She could have had
children, damnit. But for what? For them to be left behind while
the parents fled from the enemy who couldn't lose? She
swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't be mad at
Mulder, he meant too much to her. She loved him; she couldn't
blame him for her misfortunes. He blamed himself, he had
already confessed on this trip. She let out a soft sob.

Mulder awoke and cradled Scully. He gave her a look of
concern seeing her eyes red and swollen from crying. "What's
wrong?" he asked softly.

Scully shook her head violently, trying to clear the depressing
images. All she could see was the people from the past whom
she loved. She let out a cry of defeat, then collapsed sobbing
into Mulder's arms.

He held her tightly in amazement. Scully was physically and
emotionally weak. He had been wondering exactly how much
she had been able to take. She was always the strong one, the
one with the barriers between her and her emotions. Four days
ago the walls had finally capsized, unleashing a flood of
ScullyAngst he had never seen before. She was always so
distant, lost in her own world. He knew she'd never be the
same.

"I left them," she sobbed. "I left them to die, I just ran... away
with you."

"Is that what this is all about?" Mulder asked. "Scully you didn't
betray them. The ones who really loved you, they would have
preferred you go off and be saved, than to stay in the world of
terror until the final blow arrived. They will rest in peace, you've
just got to have faith in your decisions." Scully was silent.

"I'm just so scared. Scared for what they're going through,
scared for all I've been through. I was thinking... I could have
children now, but this wouldn't be the perfect world. We would
have struggled to survive with our children. Nothing is ever what
it seems, one path only leads you so far, and each decision you
make changes the course of your life forever."

"You've got to pull through this, I know it's harder for you than it
is for me. We've got a long way to go, but at least we're
together, we're healthy, and we have all we need for survival."

Scully nodded against him. "I know," she whimpered. "I know."

He held her for a few more minutes, then quietly asked, "Are you
hungry?"

"Starved," she replied, wriggling out of his grasp. She pushed
the blankets back, then slid her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Scully can you walk?" Mulder asked, crawling up behind her.
She slowly stood up, keeping her hands on the bed.

"Yes, I think I can. It doesn't hurt very much any more," she
said, taking a small step.

Mulder sighed with relief.

"Can you make it to the kitchen?" he asked, getting out of the
bed and following her to the doorway of the bedroom. She
nodded and they slowly made their way into the kitchen.

He guided her into the kitchen, and looked at the well-stocked
cupboards. "What'll it be, Scully? Doctor's orders... I have to
take care of you," he said when she opened her mouth to
protest.

"Ok then," Scully said with a wink. "I can think up some more
doctor's orders that I'd like you to follow." Mulder's eyes
widened, and he forced himself to swallow.

"And what would those be, Agent Scully?"

"You'll see," she replied, smiling innocently at him.

XxXxX

May 19, 2000
11:21 a.m.

"Agent Scully, Agent Mulder!" Kurt pounded on the door of the
small cabin.

"What is it?" Mulder asked, opening the door.

"You're both in grave danger, the Bounty Hunter, is looking for
you. Only we hybrids can tell who he is."

Mulder looked at him. "This guy is trying to find us? Why?"

"He's an alien, and they know it was you who vaccinated the
entire ship. Now they are going to 'repay' you for the damages
you've caused," Kurt said. "You've got to come with me."

Mulder led Kurt into the house as Scully came to the door.
"What's the problem?" she asked.

"They're looking for us," Mulder replied. A moment of confusion
crossed Scully's face for a moment, before she retreated into
the bedroom. Over the past 24 hours her injury had healed
considerably.

Mulder led Kurt into the house, then followed Scully into the
bedroom. She was pacing nervously in the small space at the
end of the bed.

"Scully?" Mulder asked. She let out a sigh.

"I'm not going to give up, Mulder," Scully said softly. "I'm just
scared, and frustrated, and .... I just want it all to be over." He
placed his palm on her shoulder.

"Me too."

They stood in silence, listening to the faint sounds of Kurt
scurrying around in the kitchen.

"I, uh, think we should gather some clothes to take with us,
wherever Kurt decides to take us," Mulder said. Scully nodded,
then started pulling out some sweaters.

"Where do you think he is taking us?" Scully asked, as Mulder
brought a suitcase out from under the bed.

"I don't know, I guess we'll see soon enough," Mulder replied, as
they hurriedly packed the suitcase.

When they finally emerged from the bedroom, Kurt was sitting
on the sofa frowning at his watch. "We don't have much time,
he could show up at anytime. There is one important thing, you
must never leave my side," Kurt said sternly. Both agents
nodded, then followed him out of the cabin.

They drove to the small police/fire station, then got out of the
car. "It's in here," Kurt led them into the building. Without
turning on a light, he walked across the room, to an unmarked
door. He opened it, and led them through. Immediately they
were faced with another door. Kurt slid his key card through and
punched in the password. "For security measures," he
explained. The doors opened and revealed an elevator; they
got in and dropped a few floors before the doors reopened.

It was the underground lab that Kurt had spoken of. The layout
seemed a bit familiar to Mulder, when he had seen all the Kurt
Crawfords while searching for a cure for Scully's cancer. Large
tanks were set up in the room, but all remained empty. The
computers beside them were blank and the room was still.
Filing cabinets were arranged along the back wall, with
refrigerated cabinets and a vault was on another wall. On the
third wall, there was another door. Mulder glanced at Scully and
he took her hand. Kurt led them through the door and they
found themselves in a high tech research facility. Several other
hybrids looking exactly like Kurt monitored computers, while
others were busy inputting data into the mainframe.

"This is how we hope to save the uninfected world. That space
ship on the coast of the bay will be rising soon. Our only hopes
are if we can hijack it with the data and passwords we are
accumulating right now. Then, over the years we have created
another means to kill the aliens, but it's very dangerous. We
have to go inside the space ship and inject an alien, like what
you did to Agent Scully, and that will kill all the rest of the aliens
in their pods. Their blood is acid, as is ours, and the compound
is very basic. The substance will leave their blood relatively
neutral. Then we have to find the main control station and
enable the alien control from their base station. After all that is
accomplished, we must make a quick trip around the world, to
gather the uninfected humans left, if any, then find a new home."

"That sounds like something out of a science fiction movie,"
Scully said.

"We only wish this were all a movie," Kurt said sadly.

"How are they doing?" Mulder asked, gesturing at the hybrids.

"We think we will be ready tonight, the ship should be rising
within a few days," Kurt explained. "Then we wait."

Suddenly the ground shifted, causing the computers to slide on
their tables, lights to flicker and commotion to arise in the small
laboratory.

"What's going on?" a voice yelled.

"Did anyone press anything?" another asked.

The lights turned back on, and the hybrids looked at the mess.
The room was sloping at a slight angle, throwing off some
experiments.

"What was that all about? Did the ship move?" Kurt asked,
rushing over to the mainframe. The data was going off the
charts. "I don't believe this!"

"What?" Mulder asked.

"The ship shifted upward by 20 degrees toward our town. It
caused some slight earthquakes, and on the other end, flooding
on the coast," a different hybrid explained.

"Do we know why the ship could just move like that?" Scully
asked.

"There are a number of factors that could account for the why.
Now, if you could excuse me, there are many preparations that
have to be made for tonight," he replied, busying himself in the
data on the computer screen in front of him.

Mulder guided Scully to the corner of the room. "I'm worried
about this, Scully. Their plan doesn't seem as solid as I hoped it
would be."

Kurt approached them. "I'm sorry, you two are going to have to
come up with me to get the final adjustments."

The Agents followed him back into the elevator and emerged
inside the police/fire station once again.

"I've got to check a few things out back. Could you check the
satellite view of the Hudson Bay area? We need to see an
assessment of the damages, and we can't get a clear reading
from underground anymore," Kurt said, disappearing out back.

XxXxX

1:02 p.m.

"Mr. Crawford," a man spoke in the darkness before Kurt had a
chance to turn on the light.

"Who's there?" he asked nervously, his hand on the light switch.

"You know who I am, and what I came for," the man replied,
grasping an object in his right hand, and stepping closer to Kurt.

"Stay away from me!" Kurt exclaimed, turning on the light. The
Bounty Hunter stood in front of him, blocking his path.

"Now it's time for me to collect those things," the Bounty Hunter
said. Kurt dodged behind him and toward the window of the
back room. The Bounty Hunter followed, then cornered him.
"There is no escape...." He held the stiletto in front of him.
"..from the end." He punctured the back of Kurt's neck, leaving
the green blood oozing out of him. The Bounty Hunter grabbed
the key card from Kurt's pocket, and a small piece of paper with
the password written on it. Then he smiled as he changed his
face to look identical to the Kurt Crawfords.

"Agents Mulder and Scully, I'm ready. We can return below
now," the Bounty Hunter said.

"Don't you want the pictures?" Mulder asked from the computer
screen.

"Of course, do you have them?"

"Yes, we're ready."

"Good, come on then," the Bounty Hunter said, going to the
unmarked door, and opening it. Mulder and Scully got up and
followed Kurt. By the time they reached him, he had already
opened the second door and was holding the elevator for them.

"I think that most of the preparations are complete," Kurt said
with a grin. "So we'll be able to take charge almost immediately"

"I thought you were waiting for the ship to rise?" Mulder asked.

"We are... but it should come up fairly soon." Mulder and Scully
exchanged a curious glance, as the elevator landed at the
laboratory. The doors opened and they walked to the room with
the hybrids. Kurt walked in front of them, and as soon as he
entered the room, the hybrids all looked up. Their mouths
opened, and they cowered from Kurt. Slowly the hybrids backed
away from their work, some shutting down completely, into a
corner the furthest away from Kurt. Kurt slowly walked toward
them, forgetting Mulder and Scully for the time being.

The Kurts yelled out, then the agents finally realized what had
happened. As Kurt walked toward the rest of the hybrids,
Mulder and Scully crept out of the room in silence. Once they
exited the room, they tore across the room with the tanks, then
into the elevator. They had almost reached the station, when
the elevator stopped. The lights immediately went out.

"Mulder?" Scully asked, her breath heavy, and her side hurting.
"What are we going to do?" Panic gripped her voice.

"These things have emergency trap doors, right?" he asked, a
sick
feeling overcoming him.

"I think so," Scully replied, she felt Mulder's hands brush her
waist.

"I'm going to lift you up to try to find a lever to open it," Mulder
said, his hands settling on her hips.

"Okay," she replied. She took a deep breath, as Mulder lifted
her up to the top. She slid her hands over the smooth surface of
the ceiling of the elevator. "Mulder, I can't find anything," she
said in frustration.

"Keep looking," Mulder urged, walking around slowly. Her
fingers brushed a small object.

"Go back a step," she said, and he complied. She found the
object. It seemed too small to be a release of a trap door, but
she played with it with her fingers. She pushed against it, and a
panel slid back on the ceiling.

Mulder let out a grunt of joy, then hoisted her up further. Scully
grasped the edge of the door and with the help of Mulder, she
crawled onto the roof of the elevator.

"Mulder how are you going to get out?" She asked.

"There is a hand bar around the room, I'm going to step on it,
and then I'm going to need you to help pull me out," Mulder
answered. A few seconds later, she saw his fingers grip the
edge of the door.

"Take my hand," Scully said, moving her hand over his. He
grasped it firmly and she planted her body around the thick
cables that held the elevator up.

She pulled Mulder further up, so she could see his face. She
adjusted her position, held her other hand out to him and pulled
him entirely up, then they both laid on the roof of the elevator for
a moment.

"Come on Scully, the door is just up there a little bit, and it's
open," Mulder urged. "We just have to climb the cables about
ten feet."
slowly got to her feet and looked up.

"Come on, I'll give you a boost," Mulder said. He lifted her up
and she grasped the cords. She remembered the tedious FBI
training, as she wrapped her legs around the cords and pulled
her body up the length of cord.

Once she reached the doorway, she pulled herself out of the
elevator shaft, then turned to help Mulder out. He finished
climbing, then slid out of the shaft.

"We've got to keep going," Scully said, standing up and opening
the door to the station.

XxXxX

4:28 p.m.

The Bounty Hunter looked smugly at the pile of dead hybrids in
the corner of the room. He typed another password into the
mainframe and a series of warning lights lit up next to him. A
countdown started on a clock, giving them fifteen minutes to
prepare for the rising of the ship.

The Bounty Hunter punched in a final code, creating a low
rumble in the ground. It echoed in the small room, and he
turned the elevator back on.

XxXxX

"Do you hear that?" Scully asked as they ran out of the building.
Mulder listened, then shook his head.

"Hear what?"

The low rumble was steadily getting louder.

Scully looked at him. "That rumble."

Mulder listened again, then his eyes widened when he heard it.

"Do you think the ship is rising?" Scully asked.

"I think we better take cover somewhere," Mulder said. They
started running toward Kurt's car and grasped the door handles.

"Why is it locked? We're the only ones here!" Scully cried.

"You must be mistaken," a voice said from behind them. Scully
tried to slow her racing heart, as she turned around. The Bounty
Hunter stood behind them. "Going somewhere?" he asked,
pulling something out of his pocket.

"Scully! Run!" Mulder yelled, as the Bounty Hunter produced
the stiletto. Scully ducked under the Bounty Hunter's arm and
ran with Mulder down the street. They turned into the alley
between the post office and the hospital.

The sound of a car engine alarmed them, as the automobile
chased them down the alley.

"Mulder! What are we going to do?" Scully yelled, her breath
coming out in short gasps.

"We've got to hide," he said, as the car gained on them. They
were almost out of the alley, as the car sped up until it was mere
feet from them. Just as Mulder and Scully ran out of the alley,
Mulder jumped sideways, wrapping his arms around Scully, and
knocking both of them out of the path of the car. They rolled
from the impact, then Mulder jumped up, and grabbed Scully's
hand. He pulled her up with him, and they ran in the opposite
direction.

"Got to stop," Scully gasped, clutching her side with her other
hand.

"Scully!" Mulder yelled as her legs gave out on her. She let out
a muffled cry as she tumbled to the ground. He cradled her
against him as she opened her eyes. Blood was starting to
show through the sweater she was wearing. He lifted her up and
kept running. Scully wrapped her arms around his neck, and
looked over his shoulder. The car was parked with the driver's
door open and empty inside.

"He's gone," Scully murmured to Mulder's ear.

She could hear his breaths coming in deep gasps, as his legs
pumped carrying them to safety.

The ground shook roughly, causing Mulder to lose his balance
and they crashed to the ground again. This time it took them
longer to right themselves. The ground continued shaking,
making buildings start to tremble.

"Shit!" He yelled, as the foundation of the building next to them
gave away, and the cabin toppled toward them. Mulder started
running on the vibrating ground, biting his lip. Scully held on
tighter to him, as more buildings began to fall.

The ground started to shake more, causing large cracks to
appear in the asphalt streets. The ground started separating in
large clumps, as pieces lifted up higher. The ground spilt in front
of them, blocking their path.

"I'm going to jump," Mulder warned, quickening his pace. Scully
held back her fears, as she glanced at the large crack that was
getting closer and closer to them. As Mulder leapt across it,
Scully buried her face in his neck, and prayed that they'd make
the large gash in the earth's soil. Mulder landed on his knees,
crying out in pain and triumph, as he fell down on top of Scully.
They sprawled on the ground, as the Bounty Hunter appeared
on the other side.

Mulder slowly got to his feet, shaking.

"Mulder, we've got to take cover, find shelter," Scully gasped.
"There." She pointed at a cabin a head of them.

"It's not safe, Scully. The ground could cave and we could all be
in the water," he said, looking around in panic. The ground
continued to violently shake.

"Where?" Scully asked in panic. "There's no where to hide!"

Mulder started running in another direction, to the side of the
small town that wasn't against the water. Then the ground
stopped shaking.

"Mulder, I can run on my own," Scully said, "we can go faster."

Mulder gently put Scully on the ground, and the two of them ran
side by side. "Why did it stop? Is it over?" Mulder asked.

His question was left unanswered. The ship rose out of the
ground completely, and flew over them. The ship blocked the
sun, leaving the ground in complete darkness. It hovered over
them.

Scully grasped Mulder's hand. Suddenly hundreds of lights
turned on from the underside of the space ship. They were
frozen in awe staring at the remarkable sight above them. A
beam of light settled on the ground where the Bounty Hunter
was standing. He was lifted into the spaceship slowly. Mulder
and Scully started running blindly away from the spaceship,
determined to escape. It started to move through the skies, just
as the Agents stepped into nothingness.

Their hands grasped on the rough rock as they fell into a crack
in the ground. The ship flew into the distance, allowing the sun
to shine on the earth again. Beneath them, ice water from the
Hudson Bay rippled from the little rocks that fell into it.

"Pull yourself up, Scully," Mulder grunted, slowly pulling his body
out of the crack. His fingers were raw and bloody from grasping
the sharp edge, and his arms were weak from the strain. Scully
tried to pull herself up, but her arms wouldn't comply.

"I can't," she gasped.

"Hold on," Mulder said, as he got his body out to his waist, then
swung his legs out. Scully's fingers were slipping on the hard
ground. He grabbed her wrists as she slipped completely from
the ledge.

Mulder grimaced as he pulled Scully out of the crack. Once she
was sprawled beside him on solid ground she whispered softly,
"Mulder, we've got to stop."

He looked at her, defeat was written all over his face. He hung
his head and nodded.

XxXxX

6:21 p.m.

"It's all over," Scully whispered. Mulder nodded. She pulled
herself onto his lap, and wrapped her arms around him. They
were sitting on a bed in a cabin, after stumbling to it. He leaned
back, and took her with him. "Mulder, please talk to me," Scully
murmured, her eyes filling with tears. He hadn't said anything
since he pulled her out of the crack.

"I'm sorry, Scully," Mulder whimpered. "I can't protect you, I
can't save you from this."

"You've already saved me," Scully said, propping herself up on
her elbows. "So many times." Mulder moved his hands to the
small of her back. "You're too hard on yourself." She leaned
her face toward him, so their foreheads rested against each
other's. "I love you."

He kissed her softly and slowly, then pulled away. He brushed
his lips over her eyelids, then she opened her eyes. He rolled
over, so that Scully was on her back, then continued kissing her
softly.

Mulder's hand slid under her shirt to cup her breast. Scully
pressed her body closer to Mulder, and peeled his shirt off him.
Her hands fumbled over his muscular arms, then down his
chest. Mulder moved both of his hands down her back, then
under the elastic of her sweat pants. His fingers pushed against
the waistband of her panties, then under it. He guided both
garments down her legs, then over her feet.

Scully shifted under him, then unbuttoned his jeans. Mulder
kissed her softly again, unclasping her bra from behind. She
unzipped the jeans, then pushed both his jeans and his boxers
down to his knees. Mulder kicked them off, then rolled her shirt
up over her head.

Mulder stared at her face, where her lips cracked a smile, but
her eyes were bright pools of sorrow. "Mulder?" she whispered.

"Yes?" His voice cracked.

She stared at him for a long time. His eyes were rapidly filling
with tears, then his hand caressed her cheek.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I know and I love you, too," he whispered.

She kissed him slowly again, wrapping one arm under his arm to
press against him, while the other made a path to his erection.
She spread her legs further apart, and guided him into her. He
moaned, then slowly moved within her. Scully gasped, then
thrust against him. It went on for a while; they stared at each
other passionately, moving in unison. Finally, Scully came and
Mulder followed then they both lay still entwined in each other's
arms.

A loud scream cut through the silence. It didn't sound animal,
nor human. They looked at each other calmly, then sank back
into the comfort.

Another scream sounded in the distance. Followed by another.

XxXxX

7:13 p.m.

The screams were still lingering in the air. Each time one
erupted from somewhere in the distance, their blood ran cold.
Mulder tightened his grip around Scully, and she moved in
closer to him. She stared at the ceiling, allowing the slow tears
to fall down the side of her cheek, around her ear. Mulder felt
each one drop and couldn't do anything to comfort her.

"I can't sleep," Scully murmured.

"Me neither," Mulder replied. "Do you want to get up?"

Scully nodded and sat up from his warmth, then shuddered at
the cold.

"We should start a fire," Scully said softly. Mulder agreed, and
got out of bed. They slipped back into their clothes and made
their way out into the living room. The cabin was almost
identical to the one that they had stayed in. Mulder got the wood
out of the small closet, while Scully found some newspaper and
matches. Once the fire was crackling, Mulder and Scully curled
up together in front of it. The flames danced around the room,
creating shadows in the dark cabin.

The screams were getting closer.

They both tried to keep that off their minds, as they laid in the
comfort of one another but it was almost impossible.

Suddenly, something bounced against the outside wall. They
both jumped to their feet and looked around in shock. The
screams were right outside of the cabin. The creatures were
throwing themselves against the sides of the house.

Mulder grabbed Scully's hand, and pulled her into the small
bathroom; it was the only room without a window. She started
shaking and he wrapped his arms around her. He bolted the
door, then stepped into the tub. Scully got in with him and they
sat down in the furthest corner from the doorway. Mulder held
her on his lap tightly and Scully buried her face in Mulder's neck.
Both had tears streaming down their faces. Scully grasped the
back of his shirt with her fingernails. "I don't want to die," she
whispered. There was the sound of glass breaking, then the
screams were louder still. Shrieking creatures ran through the
small cabin, destroying everything in their paths, slashing the
walls, the furniture, and the cupboards. Something thudded
against the bathroom door. Mulder sucked in a breath.

He rocked her in his arms. "I know," he repeated into her hair.
She raised her head, and Mulder kissed her. "We'll be together
again."

She didn't question him, instead she lowered her head once
again, and listened to the beating of his heart. His hands
gripped her back and he dropped his forehead to her shoulder.
The screams were right outside the door. The aliens slashed
and threw themselves at the door. Mulder held her closer.

"I love you Mulder," she whispered. It was barely heard over the
shrieks.

"I love you too, Scully," Mulder murmured.

She closed her eyes and waited for the screaming to be over.
She could feel Mulder's tears on her shoulder. She tightened
her grip around his neck.

The bathroom door started to splinter and the screams roared in
triumph. A moment later the door was no longer an obstacle for
them, and they quickly approached the tub. The screams were
deafening.

Then there was nothing.

XxXxX

finis

mercury_999@hotmail.com
XxXxX