The Quick A/N: This is the last chapter. I wanted to say it when I posted chapter 10, but I wanted to be sure before I said it. So after writing this during an earthquake, a hurricane, and some other tropical moisture related flooding, it was high time to finish this before Mother Nature threw anything else in my direction. Keep in mind too, that I am trying to give the impression of an episode of The X-Files. I hope I've succeeded in that respect.
Standard Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight characters and Chris Carter owns the X-Files characters. I just had an enormous amount of fun playing with both sets of characters. I love complicated.
Chapter 11
Isn't This Interesting
Bella stood riveted to the center of the small clearing following her mad dash out of the tent. As if in a daze, she observed the action around her. Seth had Victoria's denim clad leg in his mouth. He flung it aside soon after he wrenched it from her hip and moved in to grab more. Edward was free from Victoria's grasp. He now had her head under his arm. He spun around to face Bella, standing there still and wide-eyed.
"Bella, love. You should go back to the tent. You don't want to see this."
She made no move to return to the tent. Edward dropped the head and rushed to her side. He had never seen Bella so unresponsive before; she must be in shock. "Bella? Bella, can you hear me? It's all right now, love. She's gone." Edward pulled her to him, embracing her tightly. He felt her body relax into his and heard her draw in a shuddering breath.
"Oh, Edward. I thought she killed you. I know you told me to stay in the tent, but I had to do something. I couldn't just watch her tear your head off."
"I'm fine. What you heard was Seth pulling her leg off. I'm sorry you had to see her destruction. Are you sure you're okay? Do you feel faint? Nauseous?"
She shook her head. "No I'm fine. Relieved, actually."
Edward looked at her questioningly. "You're certain?"
"Absolutely."
"All right. Please go back to the tent. I won't be long." He felt for the blue lighter, Alice's gift, in his pocket. Bella still looked a little too disturbed. She might have another panic attack or worse, if she saw what he was about to do next. Behind him, he heard Seth still tearing away at what was left of Victoria and her partner. In the distance, the forest still reverberated with the sound of screeching metal and, to a human's ears, the rumble of thunder. The smell from the funeral pyres grew, lacing the air with the scent of death. He only hoped it was Victoria's army and not his family burning in those flames.
Bella made no move to leave Edward's arms. "Bella, please, I don't want you to see this. Go back to the tent."
"No." Her voice shook with a steady determination. "I need to see that she's really gone. I need to see she isn't coming back to hurt me or you, ever again."
Edward nodded reluctantly. He didn't want her to see him like this, see him dealing death, but he understood the need for proof. He pulled the lighter from his pocket and went to work.
(*)
The solemn looks meeting Carlisle's gaze made him want to panic. All that carnage and Victoria was not among the fallen. They had failed. The threat hadn't been removed. "Alice..."
She held up a restraining hand. "Hang on a sec. I told him he needed to stay at least six feet from Seth." Her lips narrowed and she huffed out a breath. She felt the anxious eyes of her family on her, waiting for an answer. She couldn't see anything but the tent and the clearing.
Emmett was the first to crack under the pressure of waiting. "Why don't Jasper and I just run up and see?" He made a move to start running. Jasper hesitated, wanting to hear Alice's decision first.
Before she could answer, violent growls and snarls erupted from the relative quiet. This time, Emmett didn't wait for anyone's decision. He took off following the sounds, vaguely aware the rest of his family was right on his heels. He arrived in time to see one of the wolves dive in and scuffle with an unaccounted for vamp. Emmett prepared to jump into the fray as well, since the wolf was making some yelping noises now, but he heard the frightened pulse of a human heart. Turning, he saw a petite red-headed woman actually walking toward the fight. She must be the FBI agent Alice mentioned earlier. Without another thought, other than this chick was crazy for a whole lot of reasons, he grabbed her and pulled her away from the tangle of marble and fur.
And of course, she had to scream. He slipped his hand loosely over her mouth. She faced him, eyes wide with fear or knowledge, hell, he didn't even know which at this point. "Hey, hey. Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, but you've got to get out of here." He tried to move her away and she struggled. "A little help here, people. She's freaking out on me."
There was a piercing yelp of pain from the wolf and it rolled away from the vamp. Jasper finished off the vamp, lighting up the torn pieces, while Carlisle cautiously leaned over the phasing wolf. Alice was lost in a vision; Emmett could tell by the way her eyes glazed over and her head tilted off to the right.
"Rosie? Esme? Can you help me get her out of here? I think she's seen too much already." At his quiet request, they stepped up beside him. Looking down at the fragile human in his arms, he eased his grip slightly. "I'm going to let you go. Whatever you do, don't start screaming. Just go with the nice ladies away from here before the shit gets too deep. All right?"
She nodded and Emmett released her. Rosalie and Esme ushered her away from the scene. Emmett turned back to where Carlisle and Jasper were kneeling by a naked form. Then he realized who was injured.
"Aw hell, Jacob. Bella's going to be pissed."
Carlisle turned his head away from his patient. "Emmett, I'm going to need your help and yours too, Jasper. His arm's been broken in several places. Thanks to his species rapid healing, the bones have begun to fuse at all the wrong angles. I'm going to have to re-set them so they'll mend correctly," Carlisle cast a sidelong glance at a still frozen Alice. "I don't think there's time for me to get any morphine in his system, if it would do any good. If I wait until all of this settles down, the re-setting will be even more painful. I know it's a lot to ask of you Jasper, but can you keep him calm?"
"Of course." Jasper placed his hands on Jacob's shoulders.
"Emmett, hold his legs still while I re-break the bones." Emmett obliged Carlisle, looking away when Carlisle took up the twisted arm.
The sickening snapping of bones and Jacob's muddled groans brought Alice out of her trance. She stepped in one direction and then another, uncharacteristic indecision written on her face. She stopped and made a frustrated gesture with her hands. "Oh. My. God. Seriously? All at once?" She shook her head. With a final huff, her bossy look took over as she began directing the next events.
"Carlisle, you have to get him out of here and the rest of the wolves too. We've got like five minutes before the Volturi get here. They can't know about the wolves." She motioned toward a patch of brush, where several pairs of eyes gleamed. The wolves kept themselves hidden since there was an unknown human around. "We especially have to get Jacob out of here before..."
"Jake!"
Alice caught Bella around the waist before she made it to her prone friend. Seth, still in wolf form, whined at the sight of his injured pack mate. "He's fine, Bella. His arm's been broken, but he'll live." They watched as Jasper and Emmett lifted a weak Jacob off the ground, guiding him to the rest of his pack. As he walked, he seemed more aware of his surroundings and eventually, he shrugged off his assistants, wincing as he moved his now bandaged arm.
"See? Now, where's Edward?"
"Right behind you."
"You did get Victoria? I couldn't see anything when we realized she wasn't in our group. I told you to keep at least six feet away from Seth." Alice punched Edward in the shoulder in agitation.
"Calm down, Alice. Seth and I took her down. Actually, Seth did most of the work. He took her leg right off at the hip. She was much easier to handle afterward. Sorry you couldn't see us."
"Whatever, it doesn't matter now so long as she's gone. Where are Rose and Esme? We have to be one, big happy family when the Volturi arrive."
"The Volturi?" Bella blanched.
"Don't worry about them. Where..."
"Rosie and Esme are with the FBI agent. She was going to check on the wolf/vamp fight, crazy chick." Emmett shook his head at the memory.
Alice stared at Emmett. "What do you mean the FBI agent? There should be two. Where's the other one?"
(*)
They kept touching her with their cold hands, the touch reminding her of granite counter tops in a kitchen, slightly cooler than the ambient temperature, and just as hard and unforgiving. It was unnerving. She slipped from them, turned and looked at them both.
"Look, I don't know who or what you are, I just want to find my partner and get the hell out of here. Can you help me find him?"
The two exchanged glances. They had heard Alice's vision of the Volturi. They couldn't let her go wandering off alone, nor could they escort her to safety. The woman tried to move past them. Rosalie pulled her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" Rosalie inquired coolly.
"If you aren't going to help me find my partner, then I'm going to keep looking for him."
Esme cast a sympathetic glance at the human held in place by Rosalie's hands. The panic in the woman's voice reminded her of the anxiety she felt in her early life, when Carlisle left for work. She had never heard of humans forming such strong bonds before, but then this woman and her partner were in law enforcement. Obviously, the bond between professional partners must be different. "We will help you find him, but it's too dangerous right now."
"Exactly. That's all the more reason why we need to find him."
The women exchanged glances again. This time though, it appeared like they were listening. The friendlier looking woman bent down to face her and the blonde relinquished the cool grip on her shoulders. "You must stay here. As soon as we can, we'll help you search for your partner. We'll be back."
With that, the two disappeared at an impossibly fast pace.
Looking over the facts, Scully recalled the legends Mulder told her last night. Those legends could not be true. There had to be another explanation for the cadaver-like hands touching her, for the deathly pallor of their skin. There was a logical explanation for it all, even if she couldn't think of a better on than Mulder's.
If she was able to get Mulder back, safe and sound, she might indulge him by admitting he was right.
(*)
Esme took her place by Carlisle's side moments before the Volturi approached. He wasn't quite sure what to expect from this confrontation. For the most part, in the past, he had trusted them. Now, he was wary. If they were a threat to his family, the Volturi could not be trusted. He pressed his wife closer to his side.
"This battle isn't over. There are more lives at stake. I've heard the FBI agent's mind. If you insist no one believes him, maybe Jane will back down. Besides, she has made an assumption that will displease Aro and the rest, a very dangerous assumption," Edward whispered urgently in Carlisle's ear.
"What assumption? You've heard the male FBI agent's mind?"
Edward shrugged. "I only got a brief glimpse through the static. He's with the Volturi and if you want to save him and his partner, you've got to threaten Jane. She'll make it easy." He slipped away, crouching in front of Bella protectively as the Volturi approached through the shadows cast by the dying flames. Felix was half-dragging the FBI agent and Jane was in the lead, flanked by her twin.
"Well, looky here. It's the Brainwave Duo and the Meat Head Posse," Emmett called out sourly.
"Emmett," Carlisle warned softly. "Jane, how nice of you to show up. It appears you are a little late though. We've taken care of the threat against my family." The forced nicety felt unfamiliar in Carlisle's mouth, but he needed to judge Jane's reactions.
"We're terribly sorry, but it looks as though you did quite well." And there it was, a faint trace of anger running through her typically apathetic voice. The fight had not gone the way she wished. Carlisle could no longer trust the Volturi.
"Now that we are here, perhaps we should discuss the type of pets you've been keeping, Carlisle. I see the blank slate's heart still beats." Edward growled at her mean spirited insult against his mate. "I'm sure Aro will find the news very intriguing. But you've been keeping other pets too. You really should be careful when selecting a pet. Some are more dangerous than others." She jerked the FBI agent roughly from Felix's grasp and he fell to the ground in the no-man's land between the Cullens and the Volturi. "I believe this one is yours."
"He's not."
"Oh really. You expect me to believe he's really an FBI agent. Had you stayed in Volterra instead of creating a family," Jane choked on the word, "you might know what he is already. He's a threat to our lifestyle, even yours. When his kind take over, there will be nothing left for us, nothing at all."
The man on the ground stirred. He rose to his full height, towering over Jane. "Look, I still don't know what you think I am, but I'm getting an idea. I'm not plotting anything. I'm just looking for the truth and thanks to you, I've found it. I'm pretty sure my blood's still red and not green. Maybe you'd like a taste."
Jane's eyes flew open wide in shock. Before anyone said anything else, Jasper pulled Mulder away from the Volturi. "Don't make her an offer she can't refuse," Jasper whispered harshly as he pushed the agent behind Emmett and himself, forming a barrier to protect the vulnerable agent from Jane's wrath.
"I'm certain Aro will find your visit very interesting, especially the part where you exposed a vital secret. I wonder what he'll do to you?" Carlisle asked humorlessly.
In a flash Jane was standing in front of him. "I never once said anything about what we were."
"Perhaps, but you also assumed he wasn't human, thus giving him too much information. If you ever got to know them, you would have found that they are quite smart and resourceful. It has been awhile since you were last one. I suppose you've forgotten what it's like."
"You know what has to happen. He must be changed or he must be killed. " There was a faint note of panic in her voice as she attempted to backtrack on her actions. She was certain he was one of the Colonists. His scent smelled of them. He must die. If she could toss him in the fire, it would finish him, whatever he may be, and she would save face with Aro. But no, the supposed agent, supposed human, was behind the scarred empath and his boulder-like coven mate. She had strict instructions not to harm the Cullens, unless they had been harmed by Victoria first. It was a good thing Victoria was reduced to ashes by now, otherwise she would have to dirty her hands and light up the ineffective witch for lying to a Volturi guard member.
"If he told anyone about us, no one would believe him. Let him live, but of course, you were the one that left the cat out of the bag. It's your decision." Carlisle hoped this was enough to dissuade Jane from killing the man. It was the only way to save this man's life. Doing anything to actually injure Jane or the rest of the Guard would bring a sure and swift death to his family.
Jane stepped closer. "How do you know this? From your mind reader or your oracle?" She hissed. She turned sharply and moved toward Edward. She hated these particular Cullens most of all. Aro was most delighted by their gifts several months ago when they were in Volterra. They threatened her centuries of security. "Is this true?" She stopped in front of Edward, glaring up at him menacingly.
Edward growled, barely audible, but threatening nonetheless. "Yes. He makes his living in the paranormal; his views and findings are often discredited or ignored entirely his higher ups. He is closely monitored as well. I'm sure the Volturi reach is even further than the US government's. You can keep tabs on him if you'd like. You won't be the first to do so, nor will you be the last."
"Fine. Let him live, for now." She glared over Jasper's shoulder to Mulder. "We'll be watching." She strode away soundlessly, returning to the other Volturi members. "You really should keep more control over your pet, Edward. The next trouble that finds her might be the end of her. Come, we have a flight to catch." They turned and left as quietly as they came.
"What no goodbye? I thought they were classier than that." Emmett uncrossed his arms, relaxing his posture.
"I certainly wasn't going to sit and hold hands with Jane, singing Kumbaya around the campfire. She gives evil a bad name." Rosalie kissed her husband's cheek.
"Thanks, Jasper, for reciting his personnel information. I didn't think Jane would back down so easily." Edward fist bumped his brother.
"No problem."
"Would anybody care to explain what in the hell just happened?"
(*)
She must be dehydrated. Scully thought she heard voices, but it couldn't be voices. The sound was wrong, too fast, too high. Like the sound of angels. Yeah, she was definitely dehydrated and having aural hallucinations.
No one was coming back to help her find Mulder. What could be more important than finding a man missing in the dark, damp forests of the Pacific Northwest. Forests, which obviously were chock full of dangerous wolves and God knows what else.
So she started walking in the direction the two women had gone some minutes earlier. She heard voices again. This time they were slower, more distinct. Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Mulder!"
(*)
He turned around at the frantic sound of her voice. Scully jogged toward him. He never saw a more beautiful sight. She looked exhausted and relieved, but she was safe. Princess Apathy and Rage hadn't found Scully first.
Scully stopped just short of hugging Mulder, clutching his arm instead. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine and I was just about to find out. Care to answer?"
"I'm afraid we can't give you the answers you want," Carlisle said slowly.
"Any answers will do."
"My son and I may have spared you today, but if I give you too much information, that will change."
"Can you tell me who the red eyed monks and their pain queen are?"
Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "They belong to an international governing body, overseeing people similar to us."
"Similar how?"
A silent discussion passed between Carlisle and his son, Edward. Edward shook his head, before Carlisle continued. "Similar needs."
"Dietary needs?"
Carlisle didn't answer.
"Okay." Mulder decided to let the subject drop. "So what happened here?" he motioned to the dying fires surrounding the group.
"A threat to my family, to the whole area, was eliminated."
Mulder had gathered that much already and Carlisle's answer wasn't quite satisfactory. "Was this threat the same group we've been looking for, first in Seattle, then here?"
After a moment's hesitation, Carlisle answered. "Yes."
"The one you called Jane, do you have any idea whom she mistook me for?" Mulder already knew, but he wasn't one of them. Or was he? What really happened to him in Russia?
"I truthfully can't answer. It's been many years since I was with this governing body. I have no knowledge of any alliances they have made. We do have means of finding out, if you'd like us to find the answer..."
"I have a feeling we already know. It's been a really long day. How about we get out of the woods?"
"Of course. Our home isn't far from here. You're welcome to stay the night there."
"No, we'd better find our car. It's a rental and we left it somewhere." Mulder looked around, getting back some sense of direction. Bella was standing behind Edward, but Jacob was nowhere to be seen. How had she gotten here and where did Jacob go? Mulder got the feeling he and Scully missed something very big.
"When we get back to the house, Edward will drive you back to your car. He should be getting Bella back home as well."
(*)
They slipped in behind the rest of the crowd filling the gymnasium. A sea of yellow robed students sat near the front. From the eager look on their faces and the way the speaker at the podium was increasing his speech pattern, the ceremony was near the end. The speaker wrapped up a little breathlessly and the crowd applauded loudly, punctuated by cheers and mortarboards tossed high in the air. The crowd got to its feet and happy voices buzzed through the room.
"Some of the graduates look more ecstatic than others." Mulder nodded to where a group of Cullen children were gathered, taking photos. "Bet nobody would guess they're vampires."
"We have no proof if they are or not. I think it's best to leave this one alone."
"Come on, Scully. You have to know what they are."
"I have suspicions as to what they are, but no way to prove it to anyone else. It's probably for best, anyway. We're already tangled in conspiracies and government plots, we don't need to add more people to the list."
"I wouldn't exactly call some of them people," Mulder muttered, recalling the painful imaginary flames Jane unleashed on him. "So is that what you're saying in the report?"
"Not exactly. I'm just reporting what we can prove as the truth. We followed up on leads in Forks, which proved to be weak. Upon concluding our investigation in Forks, we contacted Seattle authorities, who reported no new cases. Our involvement in the case has been suspended, at which point we return to Washington DC tomorrow. Another branch of the FBI will take a look at the missing person cases and eventually those cases will become cold. There are no answers, no suspects, nothing for years."
"Until somebody working in the X-Files digs it up."
"At which point, the people involved will be impossible to find. Almost as if it never happened."
"But a few will remember."
"Yes." Scully glanced at the Cullen family leaving. "I'm sure some will never forget. You're right you know."
Mulder felt faint. Did Scully just say he was right? "About what?"
"Legends. There is some truth behind them, more than you might think."
They fell into silence, watching the rest of the happy graduates and their families trickling out of the gymnasium. Chief Swan was talking with a man in a wheelchair and his tall son. Billy and Jacob Black.
"See you tomorrow, Billy. Jake are you sure you can manage? I've had a dislocated shoulder before and it hurt like hell for a couple of days. You really need to be more careful on your motorcycle."
"I'm good, really." Jacob made a muscle with his good arm. "I've got enough strength to take on the whole football team. See you later, Charlie." Jacob laughed and pushed his father through the door.
Charlie turned around, smiling back proudly at the temporary stage erected in the front of the gym. Besides Bella's birth, this was the second happiest day in his life, although he suspected the next happy moment in his life might have something to do with the funky antique currently adorning his daughter's left hand. But that better not happen anytime soon.
Turning back, he caught sight of the FBI agents lingering by one of the exits. Bella would be out most of the night at the graduation party Alice had planned and it looked like they weren't in a hurry to get back to DC.
"Congratulations, Chief Swan." Mulder offered him as he approached.
"Thanks, one of the best days of my life. You two heading back yet?"
"We have a late flight out of Seattle tomorrow," Scully answered.
"Would you like to go out and get some coffee later tonight? Or tea, whatever you like." He was surprised at how smooth he sounded. Well, except for the last bit. That might have been a little clumsy.
"Yes, I'd like too. And coffee's fine."
Epilogue
Red Eyes and Cigarette Smoke
He didn't hear his visitor enter, but he had expected this visit. Not many things surprised him. He remained in front of the window, looking out at the night darkened city. "What brings you here? We haven't heard from Italy in decades."
"You know why. Keep your little spies away from our dealings." The perfect voice answered. The sound of a file being pushed across polished wood filled the room.
"My spies? You're quite mistaken. They aren't spies, but they are very important to our cause. I'd appreciate if you didn't kill them just yet." He turned away from the window and picked up the file, paging through it. "You've been keeping tabs on them?"
"Yes. We don't trust them."
He reached for his cigarettes, selecting one from the pack, and lit it with a methodical coolness. The red eyes across the room gleamed faintly in the shadowy light cast by the light pollution outside the window. "It's quite unnecessary, you know. We watch them carefully. Besides, they aren't interested in your truth. It's ours they're after."
"Let's strike a deal here, shall we? We'll back off on our surveillance, but should they come our way again, no matter how innocent it seems, we will provide them with some answers. I'm sure you know what answers we'll give them. They'll be free to tell anyone that listens and then, well, they'll be our pets, to do with as we please. Since they'll be under our protection, if you will, you won't be able to stop them. Is this agreeable?"
The man took a deep drag from the cigarette, holding his breath thoughtfully, before expelling the smoke. He rolled the cigarette between his fingers, admiring the soft orange glow from the end, before he gave his answer. "It is agreeable, yes." He turned back to gaze out of the window. "Are we finished here?"
"Quite." The visitor with the red eyes left without a sound.
Some minutes later, when he was sure no one would hear him, he laughed. If those fools only knew how pointless this new agreement was, how it didn't change a thing, they'd give up this game of smoke and mirrors. They had nothing on their group. The Colonists would finish them without a second thought.
(*)
The cloaked visitor with red eyes slipped into the waiting limo. As it pulled away from the curb, the visitor laughed. Those fools, didn't they realize all their agreements were impotent? They hadn't learned anything over the millennia. Their deal with these Colonists was as bogus as the Volturi's deal with the same group. The Volturi only agreed to it because it kept the Colonists out of their way. The first chance they got to destroy the Colonists, they would. Those ridiculous humans honestly believed the Colonists would spare them.
The visitor sat back against the seat with a sigh. It really pays to be on the top of the food chain.
The End...
Extremely Long A/N:
First off, thanks to Roswell 1828 for looking over this and guest beta Nayarit. A big thanks to readers who have been following and pimping this story, Bow to your sensei and Camilla10, and anyone else who may have been following anonymously.
Another thanks to some helpful tools used in the development of this story: Google Earth, Twilight Lexicon, The Twilight Saga Official Illustrated Guide, IMDb, Netflix and Pandora radio.
Thanks again for reading this oddly twisted tale. It's been loads of fun and tons of driving me crazy, but I don't regret this awesome experience. Yes, I do have plans on writing other things for Twilight and possibly The X-Files.
I have decided to post the outtakes separate from the main story. Not all of the outtakes are complete yet, so if you're waiting for Charlie and Scully's date (Scully swears it's not a date btw), it will be up a little later.
Again, I sincerely hope you have had as much fun reading this crazy story as I have had writing it. I hope I've changed your mind about crossovers. They're much more than crackfic, sometimes.
