Hey, I know it's been awhile I'M SORRY! lots and lots of stuff going on at the moment! But I am getting back into control of it all so it's going better. Just wanted to say thanks to Ruth for taking so much time to respond to my story and answer all my silly questions… and for beta'ing my latest chapter! Thanks! As always, read and review and ENJOY!

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Mulder's heart raced as he pulled his car to a stop in front of his apartment. He waited for ten agonizing minutes when his cell phone finally rang. This was it, the instructions to lead him to his fate and to save the life of his partner.

"What now?" he asked without a greeting.

"Come on upstairs. Agent Scully and I are waiting for you," the man whispered with a menacing tone. Mulder winced when the line went dead. The demand was simple.

He sat and contemplated it for a few, brief moments. Finally, figuring he had left them waiting long enough, he pulled himself from the car and made his way to the apartment with the awaiting occupants.

Once upstairs, he twisted the doorknob to find it was unlock as he expected. Mulder braced himself for the sight he might see and pushed the door opened. At first, he saw nothing that would arouse pain or suspicion until he walked into his living room to find Scully tied tightly to a chair and gagged with tape. Her moans and panicked; suppressed grunts were loud but ignored. He pulled his gun from the holster and surveyed his surroundings. Once he was satisfied that the person pulling the strings was not close, he pulled off her gag and whispered to her silently, "Shh, I'll get you out of here."

"Mulder, no, please. Don't do this." He moved away from her and moved to the other rooms that he had not secured. He stopped short when a morbid whisper from behind him pulled his attention.

"Hello, Agent Mulder." He turned violently and looked to the direction of the voice. His view of the man before him was distorted by darkness that masked his face. He strained his eyes with no avail in hopes of recognizing the mastermind behind the murders.

"Let her go. You have me," Mulder snapped.

"In due time, Mulder," he hissed.

"Mulder," Scully started when the dark figure lunged forward and slapped her face. Mulder jerked and screamed at her captor.

"Leave her alone!" he screamed to the shadow. "You have me! Let her go!" He ordered.

"I want silence while I speak." He waited to make sure his pawns would obey. After a painful minute, he continued. "Now that I have your attention, there is only one way to remove yourself from this situation that would allow Agent Scully to come away alive." He looked at the pain that passed over the Agents' faces. "You'll come with me, but she must suffer pain that you must inflict on her. You must make her forget what has happened here tonight. She knows who I am and where I am going. She will come out of this alive if you agree but she must suffer as you will." Scully's face revealed the panic that she was facing, but her eyes conveyed trust that he knew could only come from years of partnership.

"What are you asking?" Mulder ventured.

"Put her in a coma." There it was; the pain that he was expecting.

"No." His words were stern. "I will not hurt her."

"Will you hurt her to save her?" the man asked.

"Mulder, don't. It's not worth it," Scully pleaded. He ignored her.

"I've caused her too much pain." Mulder muttered, grief filling his heart.

"I know of the pain you think you have felt. I can show you pain if you want, Mr. Mulder." The man stopped and moved quickly to the figure in the chair and pulled a knife from behind his back. As smoothly as it appeared the knife was now positioned under his beautiful partner's chin. Resting uncomfortably against her porcelain skin. "One flick of my wrist, Mr. Mulder, and I can show you pain."

Mulder's heart wrenched. "Why are you doing this!" he screamed.

"You haven't figured it out yet, have you? You have had her in your life for years, yet you have not acted on the one solid thing that you have had to hold you back from the darkness that has plagued your life. Why is that? What invitation have you been waiting for?" Mulder looked at his partner, watching her eyes for any glimmer of hope.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I've been asked to teach you to respect what other men have died to obtain that you have thrown away at every prime opportunity." The frustration was evident on the man's face. "We've waited long enough. Either do it now or leave here less of a man then you were when you arrived." The man's grip tightened over Scully's neck to express his seriousness.

"All right! I'll do it!" His grip loosened as Mulder lowered his gun and walked over to where they stood. He gazed down at Scully, tears glistening in his eyes, and raised the butt of his gun. "I'm so sorry, Dana." He whispered tenderly, using her first name as emphasis.

"Mulder, NO!" She screamed as he swung his arm down. The handle of his gun came into contact with her head, and she slumped over in a severely painful silence. Mulder collapsed over in agony and whimpered at his partner's fallen body. He barely heard the words of the man that caused this as he called for paramedics to come collect the agent's unconscious form. His attention was so consumed by his guilt that he didn't even feel the needle prick his arm. His consciousness began to slip just moments later.

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I'm sorry! It was for her own good!