Don't Look Any Further

By

The X-Filer

Scully pulled herself towards her gun. The broken glass from the mirror penetrating her skin with small cuts. She was exhausted but with every painstaking movement she knew she had to get her weapon. She could hear footsteps coming. Her heart rate increased; she was almost there… almost. Just as she made that final reach for her gun something slammed into her knocking her hard into the floor. She cried out in pain as she felt scissors dig into her shoulder blade. She heard the gun slide across the floor as it was kicked in the opposite direction.

The blow had stunned her for a second, then she felt hands grab her a pull her to her feet. She gritted her teeth as Donnie pulled her towards the bathroom door, her feet slipping on the broken glass unable to gain traction. She could feel a wet stain on her shoulder as blood started to seep onto her shirt.

"It's time for your bath" was all he said as he pushed her through the door and onto the floor face first, but as she started to turn, ready to fight, he was on her back, winding her with the impact as his knee held her forcefully on the ground. Suddenly there was another rip of pain radiating from her shoulder as he pulled the scissors out. Underneath her body, she was constantly working her hands in her binding, and was relieved momentarily when one slipped out of the restraint, but she didn't dare let Donnie know that.

"I'm going to kill you, you sick son of a b…" Scully gritted her teeth as the scent of candles filled her nose, she managed to peer slightly up and noticed the line of candles. She suddenly felt like a sacrificial lamb ready for slaughter.

"I've dreamed about this day. You were in my head. You're the one that got away." Then he leaned down and whispered "and when you're dead, I'm going to enjoy exploring your body more girly girl. You'll be my first one."

"Argh!" Scully screamed as the next level of adrenaline kicked in. She pushed back with all her might knocking Donnie unexpectedly off balance. This gave Scully a chance to get to the door. She managed to spin and run towards the door, but his hand caught her leg causing her to fall hard against the floor. She spun and kicked but he managed to dodge her foot. Then he grabbed her as he half stood and pushed her forcefully towards the bath, her chest hitting the side making her catch her breath. But as she started to push back off the bath, he was right there behind her, slamming her back into the bath again, crushing her so she couldn't get away.

Her hands went instinctively to the sides of the bath, trying to gain some leverage but they kept slipping. This was all Donnie needed, he grabbed her hair and pushed her head under the water. Scully's hands scrambled for the sides of the tub and pushed forcefully against him, managing to push her head out of the water only momentarily, gasping for air, before he gripped her hair tighter and pushed it back under the water.

It was a tug-of-war battle which felt like an eternity, but slowly she started to feel the fight within her dying with every breath she struggled to get. Her heart was now pounding heavy in her ears, slowing, she realised as her mind started to become hazy. Her body also started to give in to the pain in her lungs. She was running out of air. She tried again to push herself off the tub, water splashed in all directions as she thrashed, but it was to no avail, her hands kept slipping. She had to breathe, she had to, but she couldn't get her head above water. As she drew a breath under water, she felt her nose and lungs burn as it choked her. Her body involuntarily taking one breath after another, after another. She felt her body burning from the inside, then suddenly her body went limp.

'Mulder' was her last thought as the bottom of the bathtub burned into her mind. The last sound she heard was the phone ringing in the background as she felt her whole body being dumped into the water. Pain erupted from her wrist and then everything went black.

...

Mulder drove hard to her apartment running red lights as he went, on the way he tried to ring her several times, but it only went to voicemail.

'Damn it!' he cursed as he skidded the car to a halt right outside on the footpath. Without stopping he flew from the car and ran. Drawing his gun, he edged towards the door and turned the knob, opening it slowly. He peered in and saw a mess of furniture, books and papers strewn across the floor. He pushed the door open and slowly made his way in.

He was on high alert, watching every corner the lamplight did and didn't dance in. His heart sunk as he rounded the small hallway area to see broken glass across the bedroom floor from a distance. Then he heard it, a small sound of metal clinking together… scissors. They sounded like they were snipping away at something, and the thought sent a chill through his body.

He hastened his movements until he rounded the corner facing the bathroom where the door was half closed. He didn't hesitate, he kicked the door forcefully.

"FBI get down! On the ground now" He screamed as he pointed his gun at Donnie who fell backwards, dropping the scissors in a pool of bloodied water, and backed up against the wall of the bathroom with his hands in front of his face in a cowering position.

Mulders mind raced as the scene before him sunk in. Candles, lot of candles. Donnie Pfaster cowering against the wall, and then his head moved towards the bath… the reddened water dripped from the sides, encasing a body, her body. Her red hair floating on the water. He felt sick.

"Scully!" without thinking, without feeling, he fired all rounds of bullets into Donnie's chest. All a perfect shot. Before he fell sideways and hit the floor Mulder was already at the bath pulling Scully up and over the sides. She fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Shit, no, no, no, no!" He scrambled to feel her pulse as he pulled out his phone and dialled 911 "I have an agent down I need an ambulance here right now. Address is…." Mulders mind was in autopilot as he rambled the address to the operator. Then without hesitation he began CPR. Her mouth and skin were cold as he kept breathing for her and pumping her chest. As he worked on her, he noticed redness coming from her hands which were by her side, then he saw the deep cuts on her wrists.

"Damn it!" without hesitation he ripped his shirt several times and managed to tie tight bands around her wrists to try to stop any more blood loss. He wasn't going to lose her, he wasn't. It seemed like an eternity before he heard voices coming from the other room.

"In here!" he screamed. He jumped back letting the paramedics take over. His breath was ragged. "Come on Scully" he breathed under his breath. It felt like a never ending war of compressions and breaths. He felt his heart slip; they were fighting a losing battle.

"I'm sorry, she's gone" the female paramedic finally said in a sympathetic voice.

"No, no keep trying" Mulder flung himself to the floor and started to continue the compressions.

"It's too late" they insisted again. Mulder kept on pulsing the compressions until he felt hands pull him off.

"No, I have to save her" he pleaded. "I have to save…" it was like he was in slow motion. He couldn't breathe. The scene in front of him played out to the beat of his heart. He saw Scully's body, lifeless, blue and limp. Her hair fell beside her beautiful face but was disproportioned and hacked from the scissors he had heard earlier. He watched as they lifted her onto a stretcher and pulled a sheet over her. The last thing he saw was her eyes through the slits of her eyelids. They were glassy. They were… dead.

As they pulled the stretcher out of the room, he felt his blood starting to boil as his eye cast across the crumpled form on the floor. If he wasn't already dead, Donnie would have been in that moment. The forensic team that entered the room broke him of his trance. He saw people talking to him but didn't hear a word they said as he pushed passed them and followed the stretcher out into the lounge area where it was placed ready for transit.

He walked over slowly to the sheet which was covering Scully's body and placed a hand on it. He felt her arm underneath, it felt so cold. Taking a deep breath, he slowly reached for the layer that was covering her face and pulled it back.

"Sir, I recommend you…" The lead officer started but Mulder silenced him with a single stare. Mulder looked back down at Scully's blue face. His breath became laboured as he choked back the urge to scream. Reaching out he placed the side of her face in the palm of his hands.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry…" He sucked in sharply as a tear fell from his eye "…I'm sorry I never told you…" He couldn't finish as his cool exterior started to break. This is goodbye. No, this is their goodbye, only she wouldn't hear his words. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, she has to go now." He heard a paramedic say. He nodded slowly but before he let them take her, he bent down and pressed his lips against her cold ones. His heart pounded in his chest as their lips parted and he stepped back.

"Goodbye Scully" he whispered, numb, as the paramedics stepped in and pulled the sheet back over her face and started slowly to proceed towards the door. Mulder threw his hands to his face and exhaled as the vice around his heart gripped tighter. But before the tears fell, there was a sudden sharp familiar coughing sound echoed throughout the room. Everyone in the room turned sharply towards the stretcher where the sheet suddenly started moving. "Scully!"

"She's alive!" A paramedic yelled as he ripped the sheet off her. She was spluttering, and water was spewing out of her mouth onto the floor as she gasped for air. The paramedics moved her onto her side to help. Mulder was across the room in seconds as Scully started to violently move and shake on the stretcher.

"Scully, Scully it's ok, you're ok, help is here." Mulder reassured but it was like she couldn't hear him. He body slowed for a second then suddenly jerked violently again and crashed onto the floor before the paramedics could catch her.

"Make room!" The paramedic yelled as another pushed the stretcher away. Her arms swung in defence against anyone and everyone around her.

Scully mind was a blur, all she could see was Donnie's face and then water as she gasped for air.

'Who does your nails girly girl?' The echo pounded on repeat through her mind and her mouth managed to scream between coughs which startled those in the room. In the distance a low familiar voice hummed trying to penetrate the echo of evil.

'Who does your nails… Scully!... Who does your nails… Scully!" Suddenly her eyes flew open as she took one large gasp of air. Her vision slowly making out shapes and object around her.

"Scully!" she heard it again, this time clearer "Scully!" then in her panicked state she saw Mulder directly on the floor in front of her. She breathed and swallowed "Scully, it's ok, I'm here, help is here. You're going to be ok" She stared at Mulder for a moment before laying her head in the puddle of bloodied water on the floor. She laid there exhausted. In the distance she heard voices.

"We need to get her to the hospital now" a voice said urgently and that's when she felt herself being lifted once more onto the stretcher and wheeled quickly out the door. The last thing she remembered seeing was Mulder standing their hand outstretched as their hands parted from a hand hold, she wasn't even aware of. Then the pain and exhaustion hit her, and she fell unconscious.

Mulder watched her go, a mix of relief and an overwhelming urge to cry crept over him. He felt like life was giving her, no, giving them a second chance. She was alive... for whatever reason she was alive. He wasn't going to question it; he didn't dare to. Then in the background he heard the click of her radio turn on, but no one was near it. The melody sang like warning bells in Mulder's mind.

"…don't look any further"

And he definitely wasn't planning to as he made his way out the door towards the hospital.

...

THE END

...

Hey all, wow I think it's been over 10+ years since I last wrote a fanfiction. This was something I've always wanted to write and wished would have happened in the Orison episode.

I hope you enjoyed it!