Sorry for the lack of updates lot of life stuff getting in my way at the moment. I had also written this chapter previously but when i re-read it I hated every word so I started from scratch. Enjoy. Reviews as always welcome.

The door clicked shut behind them as Mulder watched Scully walk slowly into the utility room at the back of the kitchen. He could hear the faint noise of the tumble dryer that Maggie must have put on previous.

After a series of rustles that felt like they lasted forever, Scully promptly returned carrying a dark grey t-shirt, that judging by the size must belong to Bill.

She held the t-shirt out towards Mulder, her eyes carefully averted to the floor throughout the transition. When he did not retrieve it she placed it on the counter top, slightly out of reach.

Mulder's shirt now, see-through had stuck to his chest and without removing his eyes from his partners form he began the task of unbuttoning it. "Are we gonna talk about this Scully" he said as he delicately unbuttoned his sodden stained shirt.

"I don't know what you and Missy were arguing about Mulder but its really none of my…"

"No" He interrupted quickly, yet softly. Making his position clear. "That's not what I mean Scully. This. I mean, are we gonna talk about what's going on here, with you, this erm. Situation."

Scully's eyes now lifted heavily from the position they held on the kitchen tiles and bore into the brown haze that was Mulder's. She felt an inexplicable heat rise within her forming from her toes reaching fever pitch over her chest to her cheeks. Burning like fire. She knew this was her chance to break the chain that had somehow entrapped her and yet she remained characteristically reserved. Here they were again. Same scenario different circumstances. He wanted her to yield. He was once again asking her to bare her soul without offering anything in return. Stoically Scully pulled her chin inwards and regarded him before answering. Tilting her head to one-side she replied;

"I'm not quite sure what you mean Mulder". her eye lids like rapid gun fire in the way they fluttered open to close. "There is no 'situation'. I'm getting married". The words felt like acid as they fell from her tongue. "There's really nothing more to talk about. I'm fine. I'm happy."

Sighing heavily Mulder nodded slowly and finished unbuttoning the remaining red wine stained buttons, removing his shirt and placing it on the counter top in a crumpled heap.

He stood tall in front of Scully. His chest rising and falling steadily in contrast to the heavy thudding of his heart. A faint sheen of red wine that coated his torso glistened against the lights of the kitchen. He knew the signs all too well. She was shutting him out. If he didn't recognise these signs by now he was a fool and if he didn't offer her a way out he was an even bigger one. They were in too deep to behave like the kids they once were. In all great stories, when something is desired something must be given in return. An attempt to weaken the warrior before passage towards the truth is granted. He knew she wasn't about the give the information he craved lightly, nor was he about to abandon his quest so easily. Not this time.

She had averted her eyes back towards the kitchen floor. Bottom lip trapped lightly between her teeth.

In a bid to secure her trust Mulder grasped the blade that hung between them he would pay in blood to secure her trust.

Scully reached for the t-shit behind her and handed it towards him without making eye contact. As she reached forward with her offering her hand was grasped and pulled thus lifting her gaze upwards.

With bloodstained hands, this weakened warrior was prepared to take the leap. He was prepared to take the leap for her.

"Hmm" A throaty groan he all but choked out. His emotions were failing him before he had even begun. "Happy?" he was dangerously teetering on betraying his position. "If you'll permit me an observation Scully, you look about as happy as a convict on death row. As for getting married, tell me, because I'm just slightly confused here" His feelings were much harder to reign in that he imagined, a raised tone peeling away the disguise that this wasn't personal for him. "Because when you initially left DC for a 'family get together' two weeks ago, you had never even heard of this guy let alone jumping into bed with him and, and agreeing to spend the rest of your life with him".

That was messy, emotional and so badly complied it made Mulder cringe inwardly. He had lost the ability to form a coherent sentence. There was no logic when it came to this woman his words fell from his mouth like a cascade of vomit. "So I'm gonna ask you again, are we gonna talk about this." Mulder's arm had flung behind him to emphasise his point, his final stutter a giveaway of the insecurities he felt from the silence that hung between them.

Her eyes fluttered closed for a split second before raising the courage to respond to her partner. She glided her tongue across her chewed bottom lip, a failed cover attempt to mask the quiver that preceded.

"Don't speak to me like that Mulder. Please, I don't think I could take that from you. I'm not strong enough." Scully all but whispered in reply, now directly facing him fondling the t-shirt in her hands, her eyes focused on the arm stitching.

He stepped towards her and placed his hand right hand on her cheek caressing the falling tears with his thumb.

"Scully" A whispered plea to his lost partner. Her eyes met with his. Her own plea echoed back as her cheek nuzzled into his warm palm. Tears gaining heat as they fell and trickled down onto his wrist.

"Scully I, I'm not questioning your choices." He all but whispered. "But I need to know that they are YOUR choices and that you're all-right. I need to know that you're safe and this is what you really want, more than anything. I can't just walk away from you, from this without that knowledge I can't. Tell me to leave and I'll go. Sucker punch me and tell me to get lost and I will Scully, I'll go… but only if YOU want me to only if it's YOUR choice."

She could no longer see him properly behind the flood of salty water that had built in her eyes but the sincerity in his words choked away any response that may have escaped from her.

The t-shirt dropped from her hands to the floor and pooled at her feet as she gasped silently for air and reached out like a lost child for her partner.

Mulder's hand in response slid around her face to the back of her head and pulled her into the tight warmth of his chest muffling her sobs as she fell against him.

"Mulder I'm so scared" she finally breathed, "God please don't, don't leave me." A quick escape of air shot from Mulder's mouth as he tried and failed to keep his emotions in check. Tears threatened to fall as he slightly leant back and held Scully so he could observe her.

"I'm not going anywhere without you." His hands now holding her face firmly in front of his. His temple pressed against the softness of hers.

"I'm getting you out of here Scully. We're gonna go, okay, you and me. Just you and me. Now."

His tears fell. She nodded as best she could with him holding her. Swallowing away the onslaught of sobs threatening to give away their position to the rest of her family.

Mulder lent down, retrieved the shirt and quickly pulled in on over his head before turning back to Scully.

"Is there another way out of here than through the main house?" he whispered carefully.

Nodding softly she replied. "There's a hole in the fence at the bottom of the garden behind the tree that we used to sneak though as kids. It leads to the other street behind us" she confirmed quietly as the noise level grew louder from the other room.

He reached and held her protectively as the noise came closer.

"We have to move now. You take it and hide in the next block. I'll be there in 3. My keys are in the other room in my coat. I'm going to get them and come get you. Then we'll go. Okay?".

Nodding she sniffed and licked her lips processing her route in her mind. Pulling her close he kissed the top of Scully's head. "Everything is gonna be all right Scully. Your not alone, I'm not going anywhere okay. Now go quickly".

He watched her quietly open the door to the garden and sneak outside before beginning to run down towards the black hole of darkness at the bottom of the garden. Once he was sure she could no longer be seen from the house he locked the door from the kitchen to the garden and placed the key inside his trouser pocket ensuring she could not be followed if somebody caught on that she was missing.

He quickly rubbed any evidence of motion from his face before opening the door to the living room. Mulder entered and was almost immediately blocked by Jack.

"Where's Dana?." came the words Mulder dreaded. He knew someone would ask but he reckoned he would have had the opportunity to grab his coat and keys before they asked.

"Putting my shirt in the wash" he replied calmly. As much as he wanted to rial this guy he had to buy some time. "I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Blocking any further interactions Mulder strode quickly across the room grabbing his coat from the stand by the door. His eyes scanned the room, acquiring his target he threw a quick nod in Maggie's direction. It told a thousand words and with the hope that even if she didn't understand him she trusted him, he opened the from door and ran towards his car.

Slamming the door closed Mulder thrust the key into the ignition and screeched away from the sidewalk. A thin film of sweat appeared on the palms of his hands. He quickly rubbed each one individually down his legs.

Turning quickly he entered the block adjacent to Mrs Scully's house and slowed, scanning his surroundings for her. Nowhere. As panic began to creep into the forefront of his mind he edged the car silently around following the trend of the road. As he approached the upcoming bend his passenger side door flung open and she climbed in. A wave of relief crashed through him as he clicked the doors locked from his side.

"Go please" she begged and he slammed his foot into the peddle as the car yanked away from the street and into the distance of the night.

Jack walked carefully through the kitchen observing the crumpled shirt that lay on the counter top.

"Dana" his words boomed out in search of his fiance. They were met with no reply.

Jakc's eyes narrowed as he proceeded towards the back of the kitchen and towards the utility room, his feet heavily clunking across the tiles.

"Dana". A little louder this time. Silence.

The only reply, the soft hum of the tumble dryer reaching the end of its run.

Jacks breathing turned heavy as the reality of the situation dawned on him.

"BASTARD! . DANA, DANA, DANA, DANA!" The rage he had held throughout this transition of events imploded through his veins and hurtled at break neck speed out of his mouth filling the surrounding air.

Flinging his arms wildly he tore through the kitchen throwing anything in his wake to one side as if he was going to find her hiding in a crevice or crack in the wall.

The co-motion of smashing utensils had reached the small crowd of Scully's now left in the living room. Advancing on the kitchen Bill and Melissa jostled through the door.

Charlie ensuring his mom was nowhere near the unfolding violence within her home.

"Jack, Sir" Bill attempted shouting over the smashing of his mothers belongings in from of him.

"WHERE… IS… SHE" was his slow response. Jack clocked the stained shirt laying on the counter top and lifted it to his nostrils. Inhaling deeply his eyes closed he hummed loudly as he fingered the fabric slowly.

Wide eyed Melissa and Bill acknowledged each others uneasiness of the situation as they watched Jack lower the fabric.

His eyes flashed open and fixated on Melissa. Her blood ran cold through her veins as Jacks now black shark like eyes bore into her soul.

"You" he began calmly. "You know where she is, where he's taken her" Melissa froze. She couldn't move it felt like her feet had been anchored to the tiles beneath her feet.

"Don't be a fool Jack. Missy was with us the whole time how could she possibly know where…"

Bills attempts were cut short as Jack lifted the shirt in front of a frozen Melissa his eyes never moving from her. Holding her gaze firmly as he began.

Jack lifted Mulder's shirt in front of her face and pulled. A neat tear appearing in the fabric.

"Ahgrgh" Melissa clutched her chest as she struggled to remain standing. A searing pain ran through her body. Every nerve ending on fire as if she was being stretched. Torn in two.

Rip. The next tear came. A scream escaped Melissa as she struggled to breathe. Each breath feeling like a razor cutting her throat on its way out of her body. She stumbled forward and clutched the counter in front of her.

"Enough" yelled Bill seeing his sister collapse sent a short wave message to his primal brain and kick started his defence mechanism. He lunged forward knocking jack backwards breaking the connection between him and Melissa. Bill flipped his boss forwards and held him over the marble as he restrained him.

A quick glance behind to check his sister saw Melissa lurched forwards clutching her chest but calm. This reassured Bill enough to carry on. "You don't get to touch my sister" Bill breathed heavily, in the ear of his boss. The weight of the situation dawning on him that these actions may loose him his job. Bill quickly ran through the scenario in his mind. He couldn't give a shit. He should have done this a long time ago and now he may have left it too late. Bill swallowed hard and pressed into his boss. A twitch at the back of Jacks neck caught Bills attention. Bill glared down at the cylindrical object that appeared to sit underneath the skin of his bosses neck. His better self told him not to touch it and instead released his grip on Jack and turning his attentions to his sister.

"Get out of this house" barked Bill as he held Melissa loosely to one side ensuring he maintained a physical barrier between his sister and his boss,

Jack raised himself up slowly from over the counter and turned to regard Bill and Melissa. He moved closer to Bill and commanded contact with his eyes. Bill obliged freely, observing that jacks eyes had seemed to return to a normal state.

"Don't question things you are never going to comprehend" He steadily spoke, breathing heavy and slow.

Bill swallowed and raised his head. He turned his body directly towards Jack, allowing time for him to construct his response before replying. "I try to never concentrate on general impressions sir, instead I prefer to focus on details. Good evening sir".

A series of blinks from Jack and a glance at a now upright Melissa concluded the exchange between the pair and has quickly as he appeared to have entered their lives, Jack left.

A breath Bill didn't realise he was holding was released into the newly cleansed atmosphere.

"That was the biggest load of shit I've ever heard" came the laugh of Melissa's voice from behind her brother. "I prefer to focus on details. Are you kidding me" she chuckled at Bill as she held her side. Somehow still emitting a slight pain that had since left the rest of her body.

"Shut up, sis" Bill laughed as he reached for her and pulled her into a hug. "Did he hurt you?" he pulled away to observe her still holding her side.

"No not really, I have no idea what the hell happened back there though."

"No, Me neither" mused Bill. "Question is what hold did he have over Dana and where is she. Is she safe? Missy I saw.. fuck.. I don't know what I saw we need to find them both."

"I wouldn't worry about Dana for the moment. She's with Mulder. She's as safe as she could ever be."

Bill didn't argue with her words. He reconciled with a truth that rung through them. While it was evident he wasn't Mulder's greatest fan he knew that he would never place his baby sister in harms way. She was at least safe with him.

"lets go back through to Mom she must be worried sick having listened to all that." Bill held out his arm for Melissa to take but she shook her head politely.

"I'm okay thanks." Bill nodded and headed for the connecting door. "Oh Bill" Melissa smirked "If you think for one second I'm not gonna tell everyone, when this is all over, you ripped off Sherlock Holmes you don't know me well."

Bills laugh resonated through the walls of the house a welcome release from the darkness that had recently taken hold of their family.