In a few moments, Scully opened her eyes, slowly glancing around the hospital room, she closed her eyes once again and her mother came into view, although her vision was blurred she could make out a bodily form.

"Mom, is that you?" she whispered.

"Yeah, Dana. I'm here." Maggie held out her hand giving Dana's hand a quick squeeze.

"Where's Mulder?" she started to get up from the bed but her mother held her in place.

"He's right over there. He's been awake for five minutes, asking about you. The doctor came in the room to monitor his vitals, and then you started to show some sign of improvement."

"Dana, you and your partner, Agent Mulder were knocked unconscious in the automobile accident. Do you remember at all what happened?" Dr. Vercetti asked and then Skinner walked in followed by Agents Reyes and Doggett.

"Well, I'm not sure. I think we were being followed then I believe we got run off the road." Dana closed her eyes and then looked over at Mulder.

"Mulder, what you were doing in Louisiana?" Doggett questioned him.

"It's not your business, Agent Doggett." He winced in pain holding his head, lying back down on the bed.

"John, I don't think this is a good time to question Mulder. Let's leave him rest and maybe in the morning he'll be in a better mood." Monica said and looked back over at Scully's resting form.

"Maybe you're right. We'll stop by tomorrow and see if they remember anything that would help us find out what happened to them?" John walked out the door with Monica and Skinner followed them.

"I'll see you tomorrow, honey. I love you Dana. I knew you two would recover it was a matter of time." Maggie kissed her daughter and squeezed her hand, and wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"I love you Mom," Scully said and glanced over at Mulder.

"Get some rest, honey. I'll be back tomorrow."

XXXXXX

Friday

8:30 a.m.

Gateway Hospital

The nurse reviewed both agents medical report and couldn't believe how well they showed improvement just over a couple of days. Maggie arrived early to check on Dana but when she entered the room, the nurse was checking the vitals on her daughter and then walked over to Mulder.

"How they doing this morning?" Maggie inquired, walking quietly over to Dana's bed.

"They're showing a lot of improvement and healing quite well." The nurse turned her attention back to the monitor and wrote down their vitals before walking out the door.

"Dana, honey?" Maggie whispered.

"Mom?" Scully slowly opened her eyes to see her mother standing before her.

"Honey, can I get you anything?"

"I would like a glass of water though, my mouth is a little dry."

"Sure." Maggie poured the ice water from the pitcher and handed Dana the cup. Her mother smiled as she noticed much more improvement in her daughter from the last couple of days. Mulder awoke shortly after Maggie had arrived, immediately asking her about Dana. Maggie assured him that she was fine and that they both needed some rest. That rest was short lived as the Assistant Director walked into the room with Agent Doggett and Reyes only a few moments later.

"Mrs. Scully?"

"Oh, hello, Mr. Skinner."

"Agent Mulder, how you doing this morning?" Reyes said as Doggett joined her at his bedside.

"I feel like I had too many beers. I've got a hangover that just won't go away."

"Agent Mulder, what were you and Agent Scully doing in Louisiana?" Doggett inquired, skipping to the point.

"I didn't know the X-files were your concern Agent Doggett."

"It is my business though," Assistant Director spoke up, walking over to Mulder's bed.

"I went looking for confidential files. I did actually have the files in hand, but suddenly all I remember was being surrounded by several SUV's. Then I blacked out, and woke up here. I just regret taking Scully with me. If she hadn't come along she wouldn't be here in this condition."

"Dana, I'll be right back. I'm going to the cafeteria for some breakfast. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." Maggie gave her hand a quick squeeze and left.

"Was it that important enough to risk both your lives?" Skinner asked when Maggie Scully walked out of the room, trying to get some answers.

"No, because it's a losing game." Mulder said trying to get to his feet to go to Scully.

"Mulder, what are you doing? You should be in bed." Skinner put his hand on Mulder's shoulder, but Mulder brushed him off, and walked to Scully's bedside.

"Scully, are you awake?" Mulder grasped her hand, squeezing it and brushing his hand through her hair.

"Mulder?" Scully pushed herself up from the bed, hugging him. He placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"You feeling any better, Scully?"

"Yeah, I'm not in pain like I was yesterday and you?"

"I'll be fine once this damn headache goes away." He gave her a small smile.

"How are you Mr. Mulder?" Just then the doctor walked in with his assistant, noticing his patients were feeling better.

"I've been better. So, when can we get out of here?"

"Mr. Mulder, we'll move you out of the ICU to monitor you for a few more days. I think then you'll be ready to go home if you and Ms. Scully show no signs of permanent damage. Mr. Skinner, your agents will be out for two weeks I suggest you give them some time off." Dr. Vercetti advised and walked out the door toward his office.

"Yes, Doctor."

"I guess this was a waste of time, Agent Reyes. We better get back to Washington."

"So, Mulder what did you find in those files?" Skinner questioned him.

"I glanced through the files but I didn't read all the details. All I remember is that it defiantly was an extraterrestrial life form. The documents described two autopsies of an alien being in 1947 Roswell, New Mexico. Another recent document reports a couple months ago in a small town in Utah. I can't remember the name, it was so vague." Mulder looked down at Scully, knowing that they held the truth so close, just only to slip through their hands once again.

"I tried to figure out who was behind this but I was warned to stay away from the case by Krycek."

"He told you to stay away? The nerve of that rat bastard, he's probably the one that caused all this."

"No, I don't believe so. I had Reyes and Doggett go look for some clues back at your office to see if they found anything suspicious."

"Did they find anything?"

"Yes they did. They found a note written by Diana Fowley that was left behind in your desk drawer. They went to her apartment and found more clues that would lead us to believe that she was the whole mastermind behind all this. Why would you believe anything that she proposed to you even after you knew that she was involved with Spender?"

"I'm not sure why I trusted her. I wanted to find hard evidence of extraterrestrial life." He lowered his head in defeat, looking at Scully then back at Skinner.

"I'm going back to Washington. I expect to see you two in the next two weeks, get some rest."

"Mulder, I knew Diana would betray you." Scully spoke up, after Skinner had left the room.

"I just didn't think she would betray me. I knew she was working with Spender but I didn't know how far she would go to kill us both."

"I don't know what I would do if you never regained consciousness."

"You would eventually move on with your life without me? Wouldn't you?"

"I would go insane or the conspiracy would at least put me out of my misery. You know I wouldn't want to go alone without you." He leaned into her personal space giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"My world would be lost without you, Mulder." Scully smiled at him with loving eyes.

Started: November 2004

Finished: February 2005