A/N: Happy Holidays and all that jazz to all of you! Yes, I took a week off for two reasons, one last Friday, Saturday and Sunday were INSANE for me and then instead of trying to get these posted on a day that wasn't my usual Friday, I decided to work on a bunch of new stuff for the new year and I will be posted beginning chapters of a bunch of stuff as preview stories for the New Year! All different genres but this Supernatural/X-files story is almost finished, I think I have two or three chapters left to go and then most of the new stuff will be Supernatural! So those of you reading this one should totally go check out the new stuff!

Enjoy and I wish you all the best in the new year! Cheers!

Chapter 37: State Lines

Scully coughed and gasped for air, in the seat next to Sam, as he drove as fast as he could away from the scene of the fire. In the falling silence, and as sirens started to fill the air, Sam finally heard his phone ringing.

"We're okay, or relatively so," he said by way of an answer when he finally got the phone free and heard his brother curse over the line. "We'll meet you at the state lines, as planned," he said and ended the call.

"Are they all right?" Scully asked after a few long moments of both of them trying to catch their breath and steady themselves. Sam got his nerves in check and slowed his driving to a more legal pace, and watched Scully carefully out of the corner of his eye.

"They'll be fine once we meet up with them but you may need to see a doctor," Sam said as calmly as he could. "Smoke inhalation is bad enough but I can't pretend to know what that ghost did to you."

"Neither will an ER doctor," Scully said as she breathed deeply again, opened a windows and sat up a little straighter. "I'll be okay, I'm a doctor, and I know what they will tell me to do. Besides, we can't go back into town now."

"No, but Kansas is our destination and you might want to consider it then. New state new anonymity," he countered.

"I've got not broken bones, no open wounds, nothing that needs patching or stitching, they won't have anything to say other than look at you as an abusive companion and that could get us into more trouble then it is worth," Scully explained. "There is nothing left of the ectoplasm, and a little fresh air should clear my lungs well enough. I don't need a hospital," she finished her diagnosis and fell silent.

"If that's how you feel, I'll not argue with you," Sam said and turned his attention to the road.

"Just get us to the state lines," she said almost angrily and sighed. "I'm sorry, that really wasn't what I expected and you did warn us about what might happen. I shouldn't take it out on you Sam."

"It wasn't what I was expecting either, and I don't blame you, but then again, in this line of work you never get the same thing twice and people never react the same way," Sam said with understanding in his tone for her stress level and not to take offence to her anger.

"I've been through abductions, alien viruses, cancer, near death by fungi, worms, and even really messed up serial killers with no paranormal ties whatsoever, but this was new for me. I could feel my body but I couldn't control it. I could see and hear everything but I couldn't stop what I was saying, and I knew things about her, felt her pains, her fatigue, her sorrows so deep and debilitating that I understood why she was doing what she was doing but I couldn't stop her. It was no wonder she was so violent," Dana explained. "I just hope she's at peace now."

"That's about par for the course when it comes to possessions," Sam said with a nod of understanding.

"Really?" She asked fearfully.

"Sometimes you wont remember a thing, other times they want you to know what they put you through. They can destroy your body, the vessel for them, and you know that it's happening but you can't do anything to prevent it, or fix it, and then when they leave you, you die of the injuries. You're very lucky you came out of that alive," he explained. "Not many people do, or fully intact."

"It's happened to you, hasn't it Sam?" She asked.

"Yeah, enough times that Dean and I have warding etched into our ribs so that angels can't find us and anti possession sigils tattooed to our chests to keep out demons. Ghost follow different rules, but we usually have salt enough to prevent it. I guess I could have given you some charms to avoid what happened," Sam said apologetically. "But at least you came out of it alive and with your soul. Mine got locked in a hell cage with Lucifer when he possessed me. It took a lot to get it back and nearly killed me in the progress."

"Hindsight," she said by way of accepting his apology and shaking her head at the idea of him being possessed by the devil himself.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," Sam said with a laugh.

"Lucifer himself possessed you?" She asked in shock.

"Yes, I had to give him permission, but it was our Hail Mary to ending the apocalypse, so I said yes. Angels always need permission," Sam explained.

"Angel?" Scully asked and instinctively reached for the crucifies she wore. "The morning star, light bringer, that's right he's an archangel," she added as she remembered her catechism.

"And a royal pain in the ass," Sam continued.

"Well we'll keep that between the two of us, Mulder may lose his mind when he knows what possession can do," She said and looked out the window. "Once he's over the fear of it all, Mulder will want it to happen to him, but we'll talk him out of it."

"Would not recommend," Sam said with a laugh and a shake of his head.

"Nah, he'd just the jealous type because this always happens to me," she said and turned her eyes away to hide her tears.

"If it means anything, in my experience, possession happens to the strongest among us. Strong vessels for all who try to walk this earth, who aren't supposed to," Sam explained to try and put the ordeal into perspective. "It went for you for a reason, because it was sure you could take me on."

"I had a gun," She said in contradiction.

"Exactly."

"You're pretty quick for a giant, and I'm a really good shot. I guess the ghost underestimated both of us," she said and dried her eyes.

Sam laughed heartily at the comment and then the conversation died away as the night road stretched out before them.

Dean and Mulder waited for the fire at the gave to die down and the bones to burn to ash before they began the tedious task of filling it back in.

"Gotta leave it as close to how we found it as we possibly can, it's still a grave site," Dean had said through his anger and anxiety after finally hearing from his brother.

They finished what they had to do and piled back into the car as sirens filled the night air in sleepy little Hannibal Missouri.

"Let's get out of here before people can start asking question," Dean finished as he threw his shovel into the trunk of the Impala.

"They're going to make it to the state line before we do," Mulder said to make conversation as he walked around to the passenger side of the car.

"At least they'll make it," Dean said and fell into his baby.

They drove on in silence, both men exhausted from the labour. Mulder dozed while Dean listened to his tapes to keep him awake and brooded until finally they reached the rest stop just on the other side of the state line and found Sam and Scully seated at a picnic table waiting for them under the light of a single street lamp.

"Rough night," Sam said as his brother walked over and Mulder followed.

"I don't like it when we split up," Dean responded as he checked his brother over in the dim light of the street lamp.

"We didn't have much of a choice," Sam countered.

Mulder and Scully simply hugged one another and no words were spoken between them.

"If we leave now we'll make the bunker by day break," Dean said to end the awkwardness of the situation. "I know we're all tired but it's only a few more hours and we will be safe once we get there."

"I think it's our best bet," Mulder agreed and Scully nodded. "We have to get out of sight and go underground for a while, at least until the smoke clears, literally."

"Then let's go, you follow us," Dean said and handed the keys to his car to his brother, "you feeling up to driving?" He asked.

"I didn't spend the night digging, so sure," Sam answered.

"No, just attacked by a ghost," Dean countered and turned to Dana. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"I'll be all right," She answered and followed Mulder to their vehicle.

"Rookies," Dean huffed under his breath, rounded the Impala, and fell into the passenger seat.

"It wasn't her fault," Sam said as he fell into his seat as well.

"No, it's just the job," Dean said, slumped in his seat and rested his head on the back of the bench. "Let's go home brother."

"Sounds good to me," Sam said, started the car and watched in the rearview mirror as Mulder and Scully followed.