Chapter Twenty Nine

After briefing the soliders their plan, they were taken up another set of steps which they had entered the bunker from. Suddenly Scully heard a cry from behind her, and her voice ripped through her heart. Mulder turned to see her stop and turn around to face her mother at the bottom of the stairs. Mulder frowned in concern and was desperate for Scully to hurry, they needed to leave now, but he knew he couldn't say that to her now. The soliders hurried past them, up the stairs and to the roof of the bunker where they would take helicopters to the nearest army base to get supplies.

Scully swallowed hard and her mother's desperate eyes burned into hers. She felt guilty, she had hoped this wasn't going to happen.

'Mom!' She called out. Making her way back down the stairs, being careful not to be hit by a running solider's gun. She slipped past them and finally reached the bottom. 'Mom, I have to go. I have to go now.' She said desperately. The look on Margaret's face was heart breaking.

'You're just going to leave me here?' She asked in shock.

'You're safer here. When this is all over, we'll come to get you. Mom you have to stay here with the President and the others. We're going to fight. I can't let you come with us.' She said passionately, and then Mulder called her from the top of the stairs. Scully's heartstrings pulled towards him, then towards her mother, and she felt hot tears sting her eyes.

'But Dana, it's so dangerous..' Margaret said, teary eyed. Scully sighed heavily and then threw her arms around her mother and held her tight. She felt her touch, smelt her scent, the familiar way that she fit inside her mother's arms, and closed her eyes just in case she would never be with her again. Scully stifled back tears and pushed her mother away softly.

'I have to go now. Stay here, you'll be safe. I'll see you soon.' Scully said looking into her mother's eyes.

'Sweetheart..'

'I love you Mom.' Scully said earnestly, just as Mulder called her again.

'I love you too darling.' Margaret said, accepting she was going to have to leave her daughter. 'Win it for us, kill those monsters.' She said, with a small smile of confidence. Scully felt overjoyed with her mother's confidence and she broke into a smile, then with one last look at her mother's face, she turned and ran up the stairs as fast as she could and grabbed onto Mulder's hand as he whisked her towards the landing deck, not looking back as she went.

X x x x x x x x x x x

Mulder looked across at his wife as she passed him and made her way out of the door and into the open air where two large army helicopters sat waiting to take off. He saw that she looked distressed, and he wanted to help her but he knew that she didn't want to hear it now, she had to be strong. Taking one last look around their surroundings, Mulder and Scully stepped into the helicopter and they set off over the skies. But nothing could compare them for the sight they were about to see next.

X x x x x x x x x x

Walter Skinner looked across the street and waited to see if there was movement from the broken into house. He narrowed his eyes and felt Lucille behind him, panting loudly. He wanted to calm her down, to tell her everything was going to be fine, but to be honest he wasn't sure anymore.

Less than two minutes before, the rebels had broken into the house they were sheltering in and had forced them out. Skinner had managed to get them to safety, but they had to find a new shelter.

But something had been happening recently. The aliens seemed to be talking to each other. Skinner had watched for days out of the window, keeping guard, and as the days went by their behaviour had changed. Their horrible rasping voices had filled the air making his skin crawl, but they weren't speaking in english when they were together, they spoke in their own language. Skinner had tried desperately to work out what they were saying, and the only solution he could come to was that something was happening, either they were getting stronger or getting weaker. He hoped to god that it was the second outcome. He could sense something was happening, he could still sense Mulder and Scully out there somewhere. Skinner just hoped that they had found out a way to stop this.

'Walter!' Lucille whispered to him frantically, and Skinner turned to face her but she was pointing to her left. He twisted round quickly and got his gun ready to shoot.

A group of rebels were coming towards them. They hadn't seen them, but they were walking in their direction. Skinner felt his heart beat rise in his chest as he scanned the area for a quick escape. He turned back to beautiful Lucille.

'Run. Across the street. Now!' He urged desperately. Lucille looked at him with wide, terrified eyes.

'But..'

'Go.. NOW!' He shouted and she had no choice but to run across the street into the empty broken down house. Luckily, Skinner saw that she had gotten across with Sarah without being noticed. Slowly he turned and crouched lower to hide from the rebels. He spotted a low hanging branch to the right of him just up against the wall and rolled over to hide underneath it.

Skinner breathed quietly as he waited for the rebels to come pass him. He tried not to breathe, tried not to make a sound. He heard the crunching of the ground under their feet as they neared him.

Skinner watched out of the corner of his eye as he saw the feet of the rebels pass by him, their shoes were human, their appearance was a disguise, a fooling device for unsuspecting humans. Skinner felt his body roll with rage. He felt disgusted, he wished he could rip these creatures apart, but he knew he couldn't, so all he could do was hide.

When they had passed Skinner rolled out from under the branches and then scrambled to his feet. He ran across the street and into the deserted house, to find Lucille and Sarah hunched in a corner, where someone's kitchen had once been.

'Lucille, are you all right?' He asked urgently, running towards them. Skinner knelt down in front of them and Sarah lay, sleeping in Lucille's arms. Skinner looked into Lucille's deep eyes and saw that she looked lost and afraid. He had seen strength in her eyes before, but now she was changed. Skinner sighed heavily and tried to look confident.

'They're talking, I think something is happening. I think they're starting to get nervous.'

'No one can kill them.' She said in a small voice. Skinner studied her face with concern.

'Don't say that. We'll beat them. My friends are working on a way to kill them, they'll do it.' He said, and Lucille suddenly looked at him like he was mad.

'Your friends?' She said, looking at him with a new expression which looked a bit fearful.

'Lucille, I told you, I know things about what's happening.'

'I know. I know that.' She said, as if trying to convince herself that he wasn't a stranger.

'It's all right.' Skinner said, and to his surprise he found himself putting a hand on her cheek. Lucille didn't flinch. She stared deep into his eyes and found herself lost in them. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest.

'Can you friends kill the aliens?' She asked in a whisper.

'Yes.' He said back softly, and he looked into her eyes, he was locked. He wanted to kiss her desperately, he couldn't control it anymore. Before he could stop himself, he moved in towards her swiftly and his lips met hers softly. Lucille didn't pull back, but she welcomed his kiss and kissed him back. Skinner felt his stomach flip over and he wanted to grab her and kiss her passionately, but he knew that Sarah was asleep in her arms. He ran a hand through her long, beautiful dark hair and touched her cheek, felt her cheek bones and ran a finger to her lips. Lucille sighed as he kissed her cheek, her forehead, her nose and her throat. They kissed softly, finding release and comfort in each other.

Skinnerrrrrrr! K I S S I N G.

Lol.

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