i do not own x files in anyway. blah blah, you get the point.

this fan fic takes place during Lazarus, Season 1.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Blood is pounding in my ears. All I can hear is my breath, harsh and ragged. When had I become so nervous? Everything was going as planned. From the phone call earlier, Lula Phillips had been located. But the knowledge that Scully was still alive was not given to me, or the team working on this hostage case. The briefing had cleared up any questions. Everyone knew his or her assignment. It was a simple hostage situation, but why did this one feel so different, making him this nervous. It was just like any other assignment, the F.B.I would not meet their demands. But the fact that scully is the hostage makes me uneasy. If she had just listened to me easier, maybe given my theory a little more thought, she would not be in this situation now. But that was scully for you. Always the logical one. That thought alone made me laugh.

" Agent moulder?" the voice came from beside him, the driver of the car spending towards the home of Lula Phillips.

" Huh" I turned my head to the side, only to see that the house was now in plain view. it was only a matter of time. " That's it..." the words ran off my tongue. " that's the place."

All I could do was think back to the briefing, the words I said. ' this one means a lot to me.' of course it was because scully is his partner. What more could it mean. Scully was...well scully, always with him. Always by his side when he needed her. How many times had they risked their lives for the other already? And here I am, about to do it again. And I know, that if it was me in there instead of her, she would do the same. She is one of the only people I can trust. I am not willing to lose that.

The car stopped, along with all the others that were following them. immediately, doors were opened, carefully shut so as to not make a sound. From here on out, everything was a blur to me, F.B.I running around the perimeter, but I was at the head of it all. my gun was in hand, sliding up against the side of the house. It looked run down, falling apart at places. But I hardly had the time to inspect the condition further. My mind was on scully, and if she was still alive. If I thought the pounding of my chest was bad before, it was hell now. the two of us had been in worse situations than this, so why was this bothering me.

" Jack...put down the gun..." those words alone froze me, I couldn't move. Time stopped for me. If they laid one finger on scully, they would regret it. I would make sure of it.

BANG

my blood ran cold. My instincts took over. Immediately I kicked open the door. " F.B.I." I was scared. For once, I was scared. Was it because I was not sure what I would find? Or was it how I would find scully. I needed to know. Running through the door, more than a hand full of officers piling through the door, I turned the corner. And there she was, hand cuffed to the radiator, tears rolling down her face. That site alone lifted a burden from my shoulders. I just stood there, looking at her. I don't think she knew, maybe that was for the best. I was relieved. Scully was alive, right here in front of me. And all I wanted to do was reached down and hold her, make sure that she was actually for real. I had been afraid of the unknown, of what might have happened to her. But what scared me more at that moment was why I was feeling this way. When had scully meant more to me than I had originally thought.

" He's already dead..." her voice brought me out of my thoughts. I turned to the body of her friend, or had been her friend at one point. Part of me wanted to take her away from this hurt and pain. But we are F.B.I, and that was part of the line of work. For now, all I could do was look over her. Protect her, and push these feelings, what ever they are away.