WEDNESDAY
The nightmare gripped her, tearing at her subconscious, clawing across her skin. The more she tried to fight it the more it dragged her down. "No! Don't!"
The first words uttered in terror, penetrated Bobby's own sleep, he lifted his head as he felt Lindsay's hand held beneath his, ball into a fist and then tear free. "Lindsay?" He said gently.
"Leave me alone!" Trapped between consciousness and unconsciousness she watched as her attacker wrapped his fingers around her throat, actually felt the pressure he asserted. But in her mind she could do as she hadn't been able to in reality, she could fight back.
Bobby sat back abruptly as her fingers came millimetres from clawing at his skin. She writhed in apparent agony as she fought her invisible assailant. Trying to be mindful of her injuries but worried about the damage she'd do to herself he wrapped his hands around her wrists and after a brief struggle held them down. Her body thrashed beneath him. "Lindsay, you're having a nightmare, you need to wake up." He tried to keep his voice calm, but was very much aware he wasn't successful.
"You're killing me." Tears fell from beneath closed eyelids.
"No I'm not. It's Bobby, Lindsay. You're safe, but you need to wake up." Taking a chance he released one of her wrists, and rested his hand on her cheek. "Come on sweetie, wake up now."
"Bobby?" Disoriented, shaking and not entirely sure of herself, Lindsay struggled into awareness.
"It's me" He said, letting go of her other wrist, and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm right here."
"I can't go back there, if I go back he'll kill me."
He leant back slightly so that he could look at her. "You're not going back there, Lindsay. They've got him now, he can't hurt you anymore." He wrapped his arms around her and waited for the tremors to stop. "Do you want me to get a nurse?"
"No. I'm okay." Calmer now, but far from steady, she buried her face in his shoulder. "I just need a minute."
When he felt another tremor, he honestly couldn't have said whether it came from himself or her. Pulling her closer he tightened his hold. "Take all the time you need."
* * *
"Are you sure?" Scully sat on the bed in Mulder's hotel room, her legs tucked up beneath her, the phone pressed to her ear. "When can we see him?" She watched as Mulder haphazardly tossed clothes into his suitcase. "Alright, we'll be there then, thanks."
He gave her a questioning look as she disconnected the phone call. "The Doctors have given him the all clear. He's being prepped for transfer right now, he wants us to see him sometime today. Mulder are you going to fold any of those?"
"Nope."
"That's what I thought." Sighing, she moved her legs and scooted over until she was at the edge of the bed. "Move over." Giving him a shove she pulled the suitcase closer to her and emptied it.
"Hey! I just put all that stuff in there."
The eyebrow lifted. "Your point being?"
He tried for a put upon sigh, that was far from convincing. "You know I don't think I really have one."
Her smile was quick, and full of humor. "I've waited a long time to hear that."
"Ooh nasty, Scully." Wandering into the bathroom he came back with his toiletries bag. "This needs to fit in there as well."
"I live in hope that one of these day's you'll learn to do this for yourself Mulder."
"But then what will you do?" He winced as a pair of balled up socks bounced off his forehead. "Ow, good aim." Deciding it was infinitely safer to change the subject he handed her back the socks. "What do you say when we're…" He looked over at her suitcase standing neatly by the door. "…I'm all packed, we go and grab some breakfast, then head over to the hospital?"
"Sounds good."
"So what did they say about Ed's injury?"
She started putting piles of folded clothes in the case. "It's not as serious as they first thought. The swellings gone down, and there hasn't been any bleeding for a few hours now. He'll be fine as long as he doesn't bump it again until it's healed."
"What are the chances of that happening?"
"Of not re-hurting it until it's better?" When he nodded, she continued. "Well considering he's going to be in prison, I'd say it's pretty slim."
He allowed a small smile. "Yeah that's what I thought."
She closed and zipped the suitcase then pushed it over to him. "Well I'm finished here and I'm starving, so lets get going."
Taking it, he nodded his thanks then made a sweeping gesture with his free hand. "After you."
* * *
The office was quiet.
It was the first thing that Eugene noticed as he walked through the door. He couldn't actually remember the last time he'd walked into silence, normally there was arguing or laughter, or somebody talking on the phone. But this morning there was nothing. It's not as if it were empty, Jimmy, Rebecca and Lucy were all sitting at their desks, they just weren't making any noise, as such the sound of the door closing reverberated.
Rebecca looked over at him. "Hey."
"Hey." He greeted in return.
"Did you go by and see them?"
He shook his head and leant against Lindsay's desk. "No, I didn't want to bother them, they need some time together."
"Yeah." Lucy joined in the conversation. "This is going to be a lot for them to come to terms with."
"Well at least they got her out alright though, that's the main thing isn't it?" Jimmy asked.
"You'd think." Rebecca agreed. "But she was pretty close to the edge with Hinks and Bobby's involvement, now with this on the heels of that." She sighed. "I just wish there was something we could do."
"The only thing we can do is be there for them if they need us." Eugene said. "And I guess take as much pressure off them here as we can."
Rebecca rested her chin on her hand. "It doesn't seem enough."
Eugene shrugged. "I don't know what else there is."
"Is Lindsay definitely being released today?" Lucy asked.
"As far as I know."
"Well maybe we should go over this afternoon. You know, keep her occupied, let her know we're here for her."
"And bring them some food." Jimmy jumped in. "So they don't have to worry about cooking."
Eugene shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I think they might need some space today. We can visit them tomorrow."
They all looked like they wanted to object, until Rebecca nodded. "I think you're right. Bobby's the best thing for Lindsay now. He'll be able to help her a lot more than we can."
"At least she has peace of mind that they've caught the guy, and that he can't hurt her anymore." Jimmy added.
"That's true." Rebecca agreed. "You know it's times like this I really wish I was a prosecutor. I'd love to throw the book at him."
"Do you know what sentence he's going to get?" Jimmy asked Eugene.
"No idea." Eugene shrugged. "That's up to the Feds, but considering how much trouble Agent Mulder went to too catch him I don't think they'll be that eager to let him go in a hurry."
* * *
"Knock, knock." Mulder taped lightly on the side of the wall before stepping inside the room. Lindsay was lying on the bed, propped up against the pillows, while Bobby sat in the uncomfortable chair beside her. They both looked over as Mulder and Scully entered.
"Hi." Bobby stood as they came further into the room. "Lindsay, this is Agents Mulder and Scully, they were investigating your case."
Scully gave a small nod of her head. "We met yesterday, briefly."
"Oh." Bobby jammed his hands in his pockets. "Of course you did."
"How are you feeling?" Mulder asked.
"A little sore." Instinctively Lindsay reached up to touch the bandaging beside her eye. "I think I'll feel better when I can go home."
"We spoke to your doctor on the way in, you should be released this afternoon."
"That's great." Idly she played with the edges of the sheet, before raising her eyes to meet Mulder's. "You've really got him haven't you, he's not going to off?"
"No." Mulder reassured her. "He won't get off, he's going to jail for a very long time."
"It's just….." Her fingers clutched at the sheet again. "I'm a defense attorney, I know sometimes there's loopholes, and…."
"You don't need to worry about that." Scully told her. "We've got a strong case against him, he won't walk away from this. We're going to have someone from the field office come by later and take your statement."
Bobby looked at her in surprise. "You won't be doing it?"
"No." Scully shook her head. "We have to get back to Washington, so the field office will be taking over the case."
"You don't need to worry though, Agents Miller and Griffin have been investigating with us, they're very familiar with the details. You're in good hands." Mulder added.
Scully looked at her watch. "Actually if we want enough time to stop by the jail before our flight, we should probably get going." She smiled at Lindsay. "We just wanted to stop by and make sure you were alright."
Bobby frowned. "I thought you said the field office was taking over the case."
"They are." Mulder confirmed. "But Edmund asked to speak to us before we left. We have a history." He shrugged uncomfortably.
Scully cleared her throat. "Well anyway…."
"Thank you both so much for everything." Lindsay blinked back tears. "Sorry, I'm still a bit emotional."
"We're just glad everything worked out for you." Scully gave her an understanding smile.
Mulder looked over at Bobby. "I don't suppose you'd like to walk us out?"
Lindsay looked between them. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no everything's fine, I just want to follow up on a conversation we were having earlier."
Bobby looked down at her. "Will you be alright for a couple of minutes?"
She nodded. "I'll be fine."
Leaning down he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I won't be long." He let Mulder and Scully lead the way out of the room and down the short corridor to the elevators. "What's the matter?" He asked.
They were interrupted by the dinging of the elevator and the doors opening. Helen stepped out almost right on top of them. "Where are you going?" She asked Bobby, surprised.
"I'm just walking Agents Mulder and Scully to their car."
"Is Lindsay awake?"
He nodded. "Yeah, actually if you could keep her company until I get back that'd be great."
"No problem." She turned to Mulder and Scully. "I didn't get a chance to thank you yesterday. If you hadn't found Lindsay when you did….." She started rapidly blinking. "I promised myself I wasn't going to cry today." She sniffed and started rummaging around in her bag for a tissue. "But when I think about what might have happened…" Locating one she blew her nose loudly. "Well, we all owe you a great debt. Thank you so much." The end of the sentence was muffled as she blew her nose again.
"We're just happy we could help." Mulder answered.
"Well, I'm going to go and see Lindsay. Take your time." She told Bobby.
They all stepped into the elevator as Helen hurried down the corridor. "Sorry about that, Lindsay's her best friend." Bobby said, as the doors opened to the car park. They all started walking. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Actually I was wondering if you'd be interested in following up on the subconscious link you developed with Lindsay?"
Bobby stopped and turned towards Mulder. "What do you mean?"
"Well I have some experience with unexplained phenomenon, I could help you explore it. Maybe through hypnosis, memory regression…."
"Agent Mulder…."
"Bobby as much as everyone's thanking us for solving this case, we all know that we were only half of the solution. Your dreams were pinpoint accurate, the description of the room, of Lindsay's wounds, of the knife. Don't you want to know how or why it was possible?"
Bobby thought about it for a moment. "Honestly, I'd have to say no." When Mulder opened his mouth to protest, he held up a hand. "Agent Mulder words can't describe how grateful I am to you for what you've done for us. You gave me back Lindsay, and if my dreams helped you out that's great. But all I ever wanted since this whole thing began was to have her back safely, and she is. Now all I want is to take her home, watch her play with our son and help her get through this. I can't focus on anything else but that, I'm sorry."
"Won't you always wonder?" Mulder asked him.
Bobby shrugged. "Not really, I love Lindsay, she loves me, if you need to put a title on our link you can always use that one."
Understanding that the conversation wasn't going to go any further, Mulder nodded. "Well if you ever change your mind you have my number."
"Okay." Bobby shook Mulder's hand and then Scully's. "Thank you again."
* * *
"You're looking better." Helen took in Lindsay's appearance, the swollen eye, the white bandages covering pale skin.
"Really?" Lindsay asked.
Helen turned her head to the side, thoughtfully. "No. Not really."
"Gee thanks."
"Anytime babe." She sat down and reached out to touch Lindsay's arm. "God Lindsay, just yesterday I was sitting in my office wondering if I'd ever get to see you again, and now you're here in front of me. I can't believe it." She started to check her pockets for the tissue again, before giving up and plucking one out of the box beside the bed. "And now I'm gonna start crying again, even though I promised myself I wouldn't."
Lindsay reached for one herself. "If you start I will." She dabbed lightly at her good eye. "And it hurts more when I do it."
"Okay." Taking a deep breath Helen forced herself to calm down. "We'll both be strong." She managed to hold out for about two seconds before her eyes filled again. "It's just we were all so worried about you." Balling the wet tissue up she tossed it in the bin and reached for another one. "Poor Bobby was a wreck. I've never seen him like that before."
Tears welled in Lindsay's eyes again. "Really?"
"He was so upset and worried, we couldn't comfort him. Eugene and Rebecca stayed with him the whole time, but even then he kept to himself."
"That sounds like Bobby."
"And it only got worse once the dreams started……"
"What dreams?" Lindsay interrupted.
"Oh." Helen started to back pedal. "Umm he hasn't mentioned them?"
"No. What are you talking about Helen?"
"Maybe…." Helen looked towards the door. "Maybe we should just wait for Bobby to come back, I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"Just tell me."
Helen sighed. "Alright. Bobby started having these dreams about you. Where you were being held, what was happening to you, that kind of thing. He was convinced they were real."
"What happened?"
"Well, we didn't really believe him, we thought it was just because he missed you so much. I mean it was a bit far fetched." She said defensively.
"It's okay Helen, keep going."
"He talked to Agent Mulder about them, he was telling him what happened and he described this knife with a red stone in the handle…."
A shiver ran up Lindsay's spine. "With a snake engraved on it?"
"Yes." Helen nodded in understanding. "Only an hour before they'd found it in the man that Edmund had killed. That got everyone's attention, Bobby could describe the room you were in, how you were hurt."
"How?" Lindsay could barely work the word past the lump in her throat.
"I don't know." Helen took hold of Lindsay's hand. "I can't explain it. But the next night he dreamt about you trying to escape, trying to break a window with your fists." Gently she lifted one of Lindsay's battered hands. "He could give a description of the yard the street. When the F.B.I. figured out what area you were being held in, they used Bobby's description to find you." She paused as she looked at Lindsay's confused eyes. "Lindsay, Mike went into the room that you were being held in, he said it fit Bobby's description exactly."
"That…." Lindsay swallowed. "That doesn't make sense, Bobby was never there."
"We know. After the second dream Bobby was certain you were trying to communicate with him, he became obsessed about trying to reach you. He shut himself in your study all day, I've never seen him look so lost when he came back out."
"It didn't work?"
Helen shook her head. "He loves you so much Lindsay. Even I was ready to put it down to wishful thinking on his behalf."
"But that wouldn't explain how he knew all the details."
"Maybe you should ask him about it."
"Yeah."
"In the meantime," Helen sat back in the chair. "Lets talk about me."
* * *
A guard met them at the gate of the maximum security lock up that now housed Edmund. They were led through one locked door after another, asked at one point to hand in their weapons and sign their names, before finally being shown to the holding room. The guard released the lock, with the finale advice to yell if they needed help, before letting them enter. Edmund sat, clothed in the standard orange prison jumpsuit, shackled to the edge of the table, his face a multitude of colours from the bruising.
"Hello Ed." Mulder walked towards him, pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down. Scully did the same.
"Agent Mulder." Edmund nodded his head in greeting, and then turned to Scully. "Agent Scully, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Is it Ed?" Mulder drew Edmund's gaze back to him. "If things had gone according to your plan, you wouldn't have seen either of us?"
"Well that is true." He tried for a casual shrug, "You know what they say about best laid plans."
"Yes I do." Mulder sat back in his chair and made himself more comfortable. "And I have to say Ed, you're taking losing a lot better than I thought you would."
"Well." Edmund gave Mulder an amused smirk. "Maybe I don't see the game as being over yet. I mean I haven't had my trial yet Agent Mulder. The outcome is still to be decided."
"We have a pretty tight case against you Ed, I'm not that worried."
"Well it won't be your first mistake, to relax your guard against me."
Scully raised an eyebrow. "Or yours apparently."
Edmund glared at her. "You both think you're so smart. Patting yourselves on the back for putting the bad guy behind bars." He brought his hands together in a mock clap, and the chains jangled. "But you'd still be scratching your heads if it wasn't for me."
"Is that why you brought us here Ed, to try to make yourself feel better about your part in all of this?"
Anger boiled inside him. "I don't need to feel better about my part Agent Mulder. I have no guilt about any of it."
"Then what are we talking about?"
"You Agent Mulder, we're talking about you. You wanted to hurt me yesterday, everybody in this room knows it." He held his fingers close together. "You came this close to crossing the line. You can go home feeling all good about yourself, but something tells me when you're lying in bed at night trying to sleep, you're going to be thinking about that."
"Maybe." Mulder barely resisted the urge to move in his seat. "Or maybe I'll just be content with the fact that the only place you'll be going for the next 20 years is back to your cell."
A smug grin came over Edmunds face. "Oh I don't think it'll be that long before we play again Agent Mulder." He let his gaze drift slowly over Scully. "In fact I think I already have an idea who my next choice will be."
Before he could think Mulder was on his feet, leaning over the table. Scully was standing as well, her hand restraining him. "He's taunting you Mulder."
Edmund kept his gaze locked on Mulder's. "You don't want to hurt me do you Agent Mulder. An upstanding member of the law enforcement community wouldn't possibly be harbouring any bad intentions towards an unarmed prisoner would they?" He clucked his tongue. "Do your superiors know about this violent streak of yours?"
"Let's go, Mulder." Scully squeezed his arm, and pulled him back a step. "He's baiting you, you have to stop playing his game. It's over." She turned towards Edmund, purposely putting herself between the two men. "It's over." She repeated, and walked with Mulder towards the door.
"Agent Mulder." Edmund called out to him, and waited until Mulder turned around. "You know what they say, 'he who laughs last, laughs loudest.'"
"Something tells me you're not going to have much to laugh about in here Ed, but give it a shot." And without looking back, Mulder turned and left the room, Scully right behind him.
* * *
"Hey." Lindsay looked up as Bobby entered the room. "Where have you been?"
"I was just taking a walk, thought I'd get a bit of fresh air." He walked around to the far side of the bed and sat down.
"Well…" Helen looked down at her watch. "Is that the time already? I really should get going."
Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright Helen?"
"Me? I'm fine, I just have to…. uh… be somewhere." She squeezed Lindsay's hand. "I'll talk to you soon, bye." They both watched as she scurried from the room.
Bobby turned to Lindsay with an inquisitive look. "What was all that about?"
"She told me about your dreams."
"Oh." He looked down, then up, then down again. "Oh, yeah I was going to mention those."
"Why didn't you Bobby?"
"I don't know."
"Look at me."
After a moment he did. "I guess I was just worried that it would sound strange. God knows I had enough trouble convincing the others."
"Tell me."
Getting to his feet he started pacing the room. "It's hard to explain, it was more than a dream, I didn't just see what was happening, I could feel it too." He paused his pacing when he got to the foot of her bed. "Sometimes it was a little confusing, at first I'd think it was me but then I'd see your reflection, or hear your voice. I watched him attack you Lindsay, I watched you try to escape, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to experience."
"But how?"
He shrugged, took a few more paces and then slumped back down in the chair. "I don't know. Agent Mulder's best theory was that we've suffered one to many tragedies, your stabbing, when I was held hostage, William Hinks." He reached for her hand. "He thought that somehow we managed to create a bond. He was really very open to the whole thing."
"Is that what he wanted to talk to you about?"
"Yeah, he asked me if I was interested in studying it. Maybe with hypnosis, so they could see how it came about."
"What did you tell him."
He shifted his hand so his fingers linked with hers. "I told him I wasn't interested. That all I wanted to do was take my wife home, pick up my son, and take care of my family. You're safe Lindsay and that's all I need to know."
She'd lost count of how many tears she'd shed that morning, but again she felt her eyes fill. "I love you."
He lifted their joined hands and brushed his lips over her knuckles. "I love you too."
* * *
"Are you alright?" Scully turned her head to where Mulder sat brooding beside her. They'd been sitting in the crowded airport for half and hour waiting for their flight.
"Do you think he could be right, Scully?"
Closing the file on her lap, she sat up straighter. "Mulder I think this is exactly what he wanted. He wants you to think of him, and he wants you to doubt yourself. You're playing right into his hands."
He shifted in his seat. "Yes but…"
"But what?"
"For a moment yesterday I really did want to hurt him Scully. I mean consequences be damned I wanted to punish him. I wanted the same thing today."
"But you didn't."
"Only because both times you were there to stop me. What would have happened if you hadn't been?"
"I don't think it would have made any difference. You would have handled it Mulder, the same way you have in the past."
"I hope so. He just made me so angry."
"He did that deliberately Mulder." She sighed when he frowned at her. "You've been so close to this case the entire time, so wrapped up in finding Lindsay, that you couldn't see that Edmund was really playing you. It was you who put him away, Lindsay was incidental to him in the grand scheme of things. He chose her at random as a means to get to you. The one he wanted all along."
She leant down to pack the file back in her overnight bag, before sitting up and looking at him. "And when he couldn't prove his superiority to you by beating you at his so called game, he tried anther tact. If he can get you to doubt yourself, the next time you're in a similar position you might question yourself, which could possibly get you killed and then he'd win. Mulder, he's spent nine years studying you, he knows what buttons to push, and nothing gets you madder than having someone you care about threatened. Don't keep playing his game, you've already won."
The announcer called their flight, but they continued to sit there as Mulder just stared at her. "How'd you get so smart, Scully?"
She gave him a small smile, then stood and picked up her carry on. "I don't know, it must be the company I keep."
He stood beside her and picked up his own bag. "I don't know, I think you're smarter than that guy you work with."
She pondered for a moment. "Oh you'd be surprised, he has his moments."
"Really?" When she nodded, he gave her a cheeky smile. "Maybe you can tell me about them on the flight home."
Returning his smile, she handed their boarding passes, to the stewardess. "Maybe I will."
As one they turned and walked up the ramp.
THE END
The nightmare gripped her, tearing at her subconscious, clawing across her skin. The more she tried to fight it the more it dragged her down. "No! Don't!"
The first words uttered in terror, penetrated Bobby's own sleep, he lifted his head as he felt Lindsay's hand held beneath his, ball into a fist and then tear free. "Lindsay?" He said gently.
"Leave me alone!" Trapped between consciousness and unconsciousness she watched as her attacker wrapped his fingers around her throat, actually felt the pressure he asserted. But in her mind she could do as she hadn't been able to in reality, she could fight back.
Bobby sat back abruptly as her fingers came millimetres from clawing at his skin. She writhed in apparent agony as she fought her invisible assailant. Trying to be mindful of her injuries but worried about the damage she'd do to herself he wrapped his hands around her wrists and after a brief struggle held them down. Her body thrashed beneath him. "Lindsay, you're having a nightmare, you need to wake up." He tried to keep his voice calm, but was very much aware he wasn't successful.
"You're killing me." Tears fell from beneath closed eyelids.
"No I'm not. It's Bobby, Lindsay. You're safe, but you need to wake up." Taking a chance he released one of her wrists, and rested his hand on her cheek. "Come on sweetie, wake up now."
"Bobby?" Disoriented, shaking and not entirely sure of herself, Lindsay struggled into awareness.
"It's me" He said, letting go of her other wrist, and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm right here."
"I can't go back there, if I go back he'll kill me."
He leant back slightly so that he could look at her. "You're not going back there, Lindsay. They've got him now, he can't hurt you anymore." He wrapped his arms around her and waited for the tremors to stop. "Do you want me to get a nurse?"
"No. I'm okay." Calmer now, but far from steady, she buried her face in his shoulder. "I just need a minute."
When he felt another tremor, he honestly couldn't have said whether it came from himself or her. Pulling her closer he tightened his hold. "Take all the time you need."
* * *
"Are you sure?" Scully sat on the bed in Mulder's hotel room, her legs tucked up beneath her, the phone pressed to her ear. "When can we see him?" She watched as Mulder haphazardly tossed clothes into his suitcase. "Alright, we'll be there then, thanks."
He gave her a questioning look as she disconnected the phone call. "The Doctors have given him the all clear. He's being prepped for transfer right now, he wants us to see him sometime today. Mulder are you going to fold any of those?"
"Nope."
"That's what I thought." Sighing, she moved her legs and scooted over until she was at the edge of the bed. "Move over." Giving him a shove she pulled the suitcase closer to her and emptied it.
"Hey! I just put all that stuff in there."
The eyebrow lifted. "Your point being?"
He tried for a put upon sigh, that was far from convincing. "You know I don't think I really have one."
Her smile was quick, and full of humor. "I've waited a long time to hear that."
"Ooh nasty, Scully." Wandering into the bathroom he came back with his toiletries bag. "This needs to fit in there as well."
"I live in hope that one of these day's you'll learn to do this for yourself Mulder."
"But then what will you do?" He winced as a pair of balled up socks bounced off his forehead. "Ow, good aim." Deciding it was infinitely safer to change the subject he handed her back the socks. "What do you say when we're…" He looked over at her suitcase standing neatly by the door. "…I'm all packed, we go and grab some breakfast, then head over to the hospital?"
"Sounds good."
"So what did they say about Ed's injury?"
She started putting piles of folded clothes in the case. "It's not as serious as they first thought. The swellings gone down, and there hasn't been any bleeding for a few hours now. He'll be fine as long as he doesn't bump it again until it's healed."
"What are the chances of that happening?"
"Of not re-hurting it until it's better?" When he nodded, she continued. "Well considering he's going to be in prison, I'd say it's pretty slim."
He allowed a small smile. "Yeah that's what I thought."
She closed and zipped the suitcase then pushed it over to him. "Well I'm finished here and I'm starving, so lets get going."
Taking it, he nodded his thanks then made a sweeping gesture with his free hand. "After you."
* * *
The office was quiet.
It was the first thing that Eugene noticed as he walked through the door. He couldn't actually remember the last time he'd walked into silence, normally there was arguing or laughter, or somebody talking on the phone. But this morning there was nothing. It's not as if it were empty, Jimmy, Rebecca and Lucy were all sitting at their desks, they just weren't making any noise, as such the sound of the door closing reverberated.
Rebecca looked over at him. "Hey."
"Hey." He greeted in return.
"Did you go by and see them?"
He shook his head and leant against Lindsay's desk. "No, I didn't want to bother them, they need some time together."
"Yeah." Lucy joined in the conversation. "This is going to be a lot for them to come to terms with."
"Well at least they got her out alright though, that's the main thing isn't it?" Jimmy asked.
"You'd think." Rebecca agreed. "But she was pretty close to the edge with Hinks and Bobby's involvement, now with this on the heels of that." She sighed. "I just wish there was something we could do."
"The only thing we can do is be there for them if they need us." Eugene said. "And I guess take as much pressure off them here as we can."
Rebecca rested her chin on her hand. "It doesn't seem enough."
Eugene shrugged. "I don't know what else there is."
"Is Lindsay definitely being released today?" Lucy asked.
"As far as I know."
"Well maybe we should go over this afternoon. You know, keep her occupied, let her know we're here for her."
"And bring them some food." Jimmy jumped in. "So they don't have to worry about cooking."
Eugene shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I think they might need some space today. We can visit them tomorrow."
They all looked like they wanted to object, until Rebecca nodded. "I think you're right. Bobby's the best thing for Lindsay now. He'll be able to help her a lot more than we can."
"At least she has peace of mind that they've caught the guy, and that he can't hurt her anymore." Jimmy added.
"That's true." Rebecca agreed. "You know it's times like this I really wish I was a prosecutor. I'd love to throw the book at him."
"Do you know what sentence he's going to get?" Jimmy asked Eugene.
"No idea." Eugene shrugged. "That's up to the Feds, but considering how much trouble Agent Mulder went to too catch him I don't think they'll be that eager to let him go in a hurry."
* * *
"Knock, knock." Mulder taped lightly on the side of the wall before stepping inside the room. Lindsay was lying on the bed, propped up against the pillows, while Bobby sat in the uncomfortable chair beside her. They both looked over as Mulder and Scully entered.
"Hi." Bobby stood as they came further into the room. "Lindsay, this is Agents Mulder and Scully, they were investigating your case."
Scully gave a small nod of her head. "We met yesterday, briefly."
"Oh." Bobby jammed his hands in his pockets. "Of course you did."
"How are you feeling?" Mulder asked.
"A little sore." Instinctively Lindsay reached up to touch the bandaging beside her eye. "I think I'll feel better when I can go home."
"We spoke to your doctor on the way in, you should be released this afternoon."
"That's great." Idly she played with the edges of the sheet, before raising her eyes to meet Mulder's. "You've really got him haven't you, he's not going to off?"
"No." Mulder reassured her. "He won't get off, he's going to jail for a very long time."
"It's just….." Her fingers clutched at the sheet again. "I'm a defense attorney, I know sometimes there's loopholes, and…."
"You don't need to worry about that." Scully told her. "We've got a strong case against him, he won't walk away from this. We're going to have someone from the field office come by later and take your statement."
Bobby looked at her in surprise. "You won't be doing it?"
"No." Scully shook her head. "We have to get back to Washington, so the field office will be taking over the case."
"You don't need to worry though, Agents Miller and Griffin have been investigating with us, they're very familiar with the details. You're in good hands." Mulder added.
Scully looked at her watch. "Actually if we want enough time to stop by the jail before our flight, we should probably get going." She smiled at Lindsay. "We just wanted to stop by and make sure you were alright."
Bobby frowned. "I thought you said the field office was taking over the case."
"They are." Mulder confirmed. "But Edmund asked to speak to us before we left. We have a history." He shrugged uncomfortably.
Scully cleared her throat. "Well anyway…."
"Thank you both so much for everything." Lindsay blinked back tears. "Sorry, I'm still a bit emotional."
"We're just glad everything worked out for you." Scully gave her an understanding smile.
Mulder looked over at Bobby. "I don't suppose you'd like to walk us out?"
Lindsay looked between them. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no everything's fine, I just want to follow up on a conversation we were having earlier."
Bobby looked down at her. "Will you be alright for a couple of minutes?"
She nodded. "I'll be fine."
Leaning down he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I won't be long." He let Mulder and Scully lead the way out of the room and down the short corridor to the elevators. "What's the matter?" He asked.
They were interrupted by the dinging of the elevator and the doors opening. Helen stepped out almost right on top of them. "Where are you going?" She asked Bobby, surprised.
"I'm just walking Agents Mulder and Scully to their car."
"Is Lindsay awake?"
He nodded. "Yeah, actually if you could keep her company until I get back that'd be great."
"No problem." She turned to Mulder and Scully. "I didn't get a chance to thank you yesterday. If you hadn't found Lindsay when you did….." She started rapidly blinking. "I promised myself I wasn't going to cry today." She sniffed and started rummaging around in her bag for a tissue. "But when I think about what might have happened…" Locating one she blew her nose loudly. "Well, we all owe you a great debt. Thank you so much." The end of the sentence was muffled as she blew her nose again.
"We're just happy we could help." Mulder answered.
"Well, I'm going to go and see Lindsay. Take your time." She told Bobby.
They all stepped into the elevator as Helen hurried down the corridor. "Sorry about that, Lindsay's her best friend." Bobby said, as the doors opened to the car park. They all started walking. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Actually I was wondering if you'd be interested in following up on the subconscious link you developed with Lindsay?"
Bobby stopped and turned towards Mulder. "What do you mean?"
"Well I have some experience with unexplained phenomenon, I could help you explore it. Maybe through hypnosis, memory regression…."
"Agent Mulder…."
"Bobby as much as everyone's thanking us for solving this case, we all know that we were only half of the solution. Your dreams were pinpoint accurate, the description of the room, of Lindsay's wounds, of the knife. Don't you want to know how or why it was possible?"
Bobby thought about it for a moment. "Honestly, I'd have to say no." When Mulder opened his mouth to protest, he held up a hand. "Agent Mulder words can't describe how grateful I am to you for what you've done for us. You gave me back Lindsay, and if my dreams helped you out that's great. But all I ever wanted since this whole thing began was to have her back safely, and she is. Now all I want is to take her home, watch her play with our son and help her get through this. I can't focus on anything else but that, I'm sorry."
"Won't you always wonder?" Mulder asked him.
Bobby shrugged. "Not really, I love Lindsay, she loves me, if you need to put a title on our link you can always use that one."
Understanding that the conversation wasn't going to go any further, Mulder nodded. "Well if you ever change your mind you have my number."
"Okay." Bobby shook Mulder's hand and then Scully's. "Thank you again."
* * *
"You're looking better." Helen took in Lindsay's appearance, the swollen eye, the white bandages covering pale skin.
"Really?" Lindsay asked.
Helen turned her head to the side, thoughtfully. "No. Not really."
"Gee thanks."
"Anytime babe." She sat down and reached out to touch Lindsay's arm. "God Lindsay, just yesterday I was sitting in my office wondering if I'd ever get to see you again, and now you're here in front of me. I can't believe it." She started to check her pockets for the tissue again, before giving up and plucking one out of the box beside the bed. "And now I'm gonna start crying again, even though I promised myself I wouldn't."
Lindsay reached for one herself. "If you start I will." She dabbed lightly at her good eye. "And it hurts more when I do it."
"Okay." Taking a deep breath Helen forced herself to calm down. "We'll both be strong." She managed to hold out for about two seconds before her eyes filled again. "It's just we were all so worried about you." Balling the wet tissue up she tossed it in the bin and reached for another one. "Poor Bobby was a wreck. I've never seen him like that before."
Tears welled in Lindsay's eyes again. "Really?"
"He was so upset and worried, we couldn't comfort him. Eugene and Rebecca stayed with him the whole time, but even then he kept to himself."
"That sounds like Bobby."
"And it only got worse once the dreams started……"
"What dreams?" Lindsay interrupted.
"Oh." Helen started to back pedal. "Umm he hasn't mentioned them?"
"No. What are you talking about Helen?"
"Maybe…." Helen looked towards the door. "Maybe we should just wait for Bobby to come back, I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"Just tell me."
Helen sighed. "Alright. Bobby started having these dreams about you. Where you were being held, what was happening to you, that kind of thing. He was convinced they were real."
"What happened?"
"Well, we didn't really believe him, we thought it was just because he missed you so much. I mean it was a bit far fetched." She said defensively.
"It's okay Helen, keep going."
"He talked to Agent Mulder about them, he was telling him what happened and he described this knife with a red stone in the handle…."
A shiver ran up Lindsay's spine. "With a snake engraved on it?"
"Yes." Helen nodded in understanding. "Only an hour before they'd found it in the man that Edmund had killed. That got everyone's attention, Bobby could describe the room you were in, how you were hurt."
"How?" Lindsay could barely work the word past the lump in her throat.
"I don't know." Helen took hold of Lindsay's hand. "I can't explain it. But the next night he dreamt about you trying to escape, trying to break a window with your fists." Gently she lifted one of Lindsay's battered hands. "He could give a description of the yard the street. When the F.B.I. figured out what area you were being held in, they used Bobby's description to find you." She paused as she looked at Lindsay's confused eyes. "Lindsay, Mike went into the room that you were being held in, he said it fit Bobby's description exactly."
"That…." Lindsay swallowed. "That doesn't make sense, Bobby was never there."
"We know. After the second dream Bobby was certain you were trying to communicate with him, he became obsessed about trying to reach you. He shut himself in your study all day, I've never seen him look so lost when he came back out."
"It didn't work?"
Helen shook her head. "He loves you so much Lindsay. Even I was ready to put it down to wishful thinking on his behalf."
"But that wouldn't explain how he knew all the details."
"Maybe you should ask him about it."
"Yeah."
"In the meantime," Helen sat back in the chair. "Lets talk about me."
* * *
A guard met them at the gate of the maximum security lock up that now housed Edmund. They were led through one locked door after another, asked at one point to hand in their weapons and sign their names, before finally being shown to the holding room. The guard released the lock, with the finale advice to yell if they needed help, before letting them enter. Edmund sat, clothed in the standard orange prison jumpsuit, shackled to the edge of the table, his face a multitude of colours from the bruising.
"Hello Ed." Mulder walked towards him, pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down. Scully did the same.
"Agent Mulder." Edmund nodded his head in greeting, and then turned to Scully. "Agent Scully, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Is it Ed?" Mulder drew Edmund's gaze back to him. "If things had gone according to your plan, you wouldn't have seen either of us?"
"Well that is true." He tried for a casual shrug, "You know what they say about best laid plans."
"Yes I do." Mulder sat back in his chair and made himself more comfortable. "And I have to say Ed, you're taking losing a lot better than I thought you would."
"Well." Edmund gave Mulder an amused smirk. "Maybe I don't see the game as being over yet. I mean I haven't had my trial yet Agent Mulder. The outcome is still to be decided."
"We have a pretty tight case against you Ed, I'm not that worried."
"Well it won't be your first mistake, to relax your guard against me."
Scully raised an eyebrow. "Or yours apparently."
Edmund glared at her. "You both think you're so smart. Patting yourselves on the back for putting the bad guy behind bars." He brought his hands together in a mock clap, and the chains jangled. "But you'd still be scratching your heads if it wasn't for me."
"Is that why you brought us here Ed, to try to make yourself feel better about your part in all of this?"
Anger boiled inside him. "I don't need to feel better about my part Agent Mulder. I have no guilt about any of it."
"Then what are we talking about?"
"You Agent Mulder, we're talking about you. You wanted to hurt me yesterday, everybody in this room knows it." He held his fingers close together. "You came this close to crossing the line. You can go home feeling all good about yourself, but something tells me when you're lying in bed at night trying to sleep, you're going to be thinking about that."
"Maybe." Mulder barely resisted the urge to move in his seat. "Or maybe I'll just be content with the fact that the only place you'll be going for the next 20 years is back to your cell."
A smug grin came over Edmunds face. "Oh I don't think it'll be that long before we play again Agent Mulder." He let his gaze drift slowly over Scully. "In fact I think I already have an idea who my next choice will be."
Before he could think Mulder was on his feet, leaning over the table. Scully was standing as well, her hand restraining him. "He's taunting you Mulder."
Edmund kept his gaze locked on Mulder's. "You don't want to hurt me do you Agent Mulder. An upstanding member of the law enforcement community wouldn't possibly be harbouring any bad intentions towards an unarmed prisoner would they?" He clucked his tongue. "Do your superiors know about this violent streak of yours?"
"Let's go, Mulder." Scully squeezed his arm, and pulled him back a step. "He's baiting you, you have to stop playing his game. It's over." She turned towards Edmund, purposely putting herself between the two men. "It's over." She repeated, and walked with Mulder towards the door.
"Agent Mulder." Edmund called out to him, and waited until Mulder turned around. "You know what they say, 'he who laughs last, laughs loudest.'"
"Something tells me you're not going to have much to laugh about in here Ed, but give it a shot." And without looking back, Mulder turned and left the room, Scully right behind him.
* * *
"Hey." Lindsay looked up as Bobby entered the room. "Where have you been?"
"I was just taking a walk, thought I'd get a bit of fresh air." He walked around to the far side of the bed and sat down.
"Well…" Helen looked down at her watch. "Is that the time already? I really should get going."
Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright Helen?"
"Me? I'm fine, I just have to…. uh… be somewhere." She squeezed Lindsay's hand. "I'll talk to you soon, bye." They both watched as she scurried from the room.
Bobby turned to Lindsay with an inquisitive look. "What was all that about?"
"She told me about your dreams."
"Oh." He looked down, then up, then down again. "Oh, yeah I was going to mention those."
"Why didn't you Bobby?"
"I don't know."
"Look at me."
After a moment he did. "I guess I was just worried that it would sound strange. God knows I had enough trouble convincing the others."
"Tell me."
Getting to his feet he started pacing the room. "It's hard to explain, it was more than a dream, I didn't just see what was happening, I could feel it too." He paused his pacing when he got to the foot of her bed. "Sometimes it was a little confusing, at first I'd think it was me but then I'd see your reflection, or hear your voice. I watched him attack you Lindsay, I watched you try to escape, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to experience."
"But how?"
He shrugged, took a few more paces and then slumped back down in the chair. "I don't know. Agent Mulder's best theory was that we've suffered one to many tragedies, your stabbing, when I was held hostage, William Hinks." He reached for her hand. "He thought that somehow we managed to create a bond. He was really very open to the whole thing."
"Is that what he wanted to talk to you about?"
"Yeah, he asked me if I was interested in studying it. Maybe with hypnosis, so they could see how it came about."
"What did you tell him."
He shifted his hand so his fingers linked with hers. "I told him I wasn't interested. That all I wanted to do was take my wife home, pick up my son, and take care of my family. You're safe Lindsay and that's all I need to know."
She'd lost count of how many tears she'd shed that morning, but again she felt her eyes fill. "I love you."
He lifted their joined hands and brushed his lips over her knuckles. "I love you too."
* * *
"Are you alright?" Scully turned her head to where Mulder sat brooding beside her. They'd been sitting in the crowded airport for half and hour waiting for their flight.
"Do you think he could be right, Scully?"
Closing the file on her lap, she sat up straighter. "Mulder I think this is exactly what he wanted. He wants you to think of him, and he wants you to doubt yourself. You're playing right into his hands."
He shifted in his seat. "Yes but…"
"But what?"
"For a moment yesterday I really did want to hurt him Scully. I mean consequences be damned I wanted to punish him. I wanted the same thing today."
"But you didn't."
"Only because both times you were there to stop me. What would have happened if you hadn't been?"
"I don't think it would have made any difference. You would have handled it Mulder, the same way you have in the past."
"I hope so. He just made me so angry."
"He did that deliberately Mulder." She sighed when he frowned at her. "You've been so close to this case the entire time, so wrapped up in finding Lindsay, that you couldn't see that Edmund was really playing you. It was you who put him away, Lindsay was incidental to him in the grand scheme of things. He chose her at random as a means to get to you. The one he wanted all along."
She leant down to pack the file back in her overnight bag, before sitting up and looking at him. "And when he couldn't prove his superiority to you by beating you at his so called game, he tried anther tact. If he can get you to doubt yourself, the next time you're in a similar position you might question yourself, which could possibly get you killed and then he'd win. Mulder, he's spent nine years studying you, he knows what buttons to push, and nothing gets you madder than having someone you care about threatened. Don't keep playing his game, you've already won."
The announcer called their flight, but they continued to sit there as Mulder just stared at her. "How'd you get so smart, Scully?"
She gave him a small smile, then stood and picked up her carry on. "I don't know, it must be the company I keep."
He stood beside her and picked up his own bag. "I don't know, I think you're smarter than that guy you work with."
She pondered for a moment. "Oh you'd be surprised, he has his moments."
"Really?" When she nodded, he gave her a cheeky smile. "Maybe you can tell me about them on the flight home."
Returning his smile, she handed their boarding passes, to the stewardess. "Maybe I will."
As one they turned and walked up the ramp.
THE END
