finally finished this! I started writing this almost a year ago lol! this is the first chapter to a story that'll take place while mulder and scully are on the run between 'the truth' and IWTB. not sure how many chapters it will be.

anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! if you could spare the time to review I would very much so appreciate it :)


The hum of the car's engine and the tires grinding against the rubble were the only sounds she heard.

Scully leaned on the car door, tapping her fingers aimlessly on the door handle. She glanced momentarily towards Mulder, who was focused on the road ahead, his hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel. He looked tired, but then again so was she.

How long had it been?

Three weeks? Definitely not.

A month? No.

Three months ? Maybe.

She'd lost track after the first few days. It all had become a blur of cheap hotels ,fast food dinners and long days and nights of driving. In some ways it faintly reminded her of all the times she and Mulder had driven out to investigate countless absurd cases of alien abductions, psychics and who really knew what. But at the same time, it was completely different. They weren't FBI agents anymore. How she wished they still were. But they were fugitives now, or at least he was, hiding from a government they used to work for. A government they- or at least she- used to trust.

On the run the both of them had been since Mulder had broken out of prison-

" Scully." Mulder's voice shattered her thoughts.

"Hm?"

" I've been talking to you for the past five minutes."

" Oh, sorry." She was still facing to the window, watching the barren landscape and it's tiny pale bushes race past the car. Scully turned to Mulder. " What were you saying?" She added tonelessly.

"That I have no idea where we are."

"Oh. " Scully replied. She turned back to watch the tumbleweeds pass by the window.

" Isn't this the part where you insist we stop for directions and I insist I know where I'm going?" Mulder joked.

Scully looked at her partner again to give him a one of her looks, only to find Mulder appearing even more exhausted since the last time she looked at him.

" Mulder, why don't you let me drive? You've been driving nonstop for hours." She murmured softly." You're exhausted." Scully reached out to touch his arm. " C'mon Mulder, let me drive."

" I'm fine." He pulled away from her touch.

" Mulder-"

" No, really, I'm fine, Scully. " He turned to her briefly to flash her a brisk smile that seemed just a tad too forced.

She sighed irritably, leaning back on the seat. Scully debated in her head whether to speak her mind. After sighing, and crossly tapping on the armrest for a few moments she finally decided to speak her mind.

" I don't understand it. " Scully grumbled, biting at her lip.

" What?"

" I don't get why you always insist to drive. You did it when we worked together." He seemed to ignore her comment. She raised her voice " Is it some sort of male dominance thing?"

Mulder ignored her again. He clenched his jaw- that was his only response.

" That's it, isn't it? It's you establishing dominance. It's your way of making me submit to you."

" I'm not establishing dominance." He finally responded, sounding as irritable as her. " I just want to drive. Okay? "

" Fine, whatever. " She muttered under her breath, turning back to the window disgruntled. The arguing always got worse between them the more exhausted the two were. And they were both, very very tired at the moment.

The road had just begun to get unexpected bumpy, the car rocking inharmoniously with every turn of the wheel. Scully felt sick to her stomach. It felt almost as if she had been thrown onto a roller coaster without warning. She winced at every bump.

"You look tired, Scully. " He said slightly apologetically, obviously trying to lessen the tension that filled the air.

" I am."

" Try to get some sleep." Mulder replies gently, looking over at her.

" I can't sleep like this. Not with all these bumps."

He stayed quiet, continuing to focus on the wheel.

" Does it really bother you to not be driving?" Mulder spoke again as he stared ahead.

" It bothers me to see you drive yourself to exhaustion, yes. You've barely gotten any sleep in the past few days and neither of us have eaten anything besides for cheap drive-through fries. Running ourselves ragged won't help anything." Scully replied. " The next motel we drive by, we should stop at, get a room, and rest for a day or two. "

He again stopped responding. " Okay, Mulder?" She rose her voice.

"...Y'know Scully, the phrase 'get a room' isn't usually synonymous with resting." Mulder looked briefly at Scully, grinning from ear to ear mischievously, but his comicality was clearly not appreciated by Scully. She glared at him from the passenger seat .

" Mulder." She said firmly.

" Alright. We'll stop at the next motel we pass by. "

" Thank you." Scully smiled weakly.

As they both became quiet , once again the hum of the car's engine and the tires grinding against the rubble were the only sounds she heard.