Temple

by duckys-dream

Mulder and Scully venture to the unknown to find out about a divine being. They get more then they bargained for when the deity throws a choice to Mulder.

Title - Temple

Author - Duckys_dream

Disclaimer - FOX, Chris Carter, and 1013 productions own The X-Files and all its characters and episodes, all rights reserved. This story was written without their permission and is not meant to offend anyone.

Spoilers - None

Rating – NC-17 – some language and rape

Summary – Mulder and Scully venture to the unknown to find out about a divine being. They get more then they bargained for when the deity throws a choice to Mulder.

Feedback – duckys_dream@hotmail.com

"Did you ever see Ace Ventura Scully?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" She said a little stunned.

"Obviously not."

"You poking fun at me Agent Mulder?" She asked raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms.

"Never," I shook my head and smiled. "There's a scene like this in the movie."

"Oh," she nodded. "Ok,"

"How long you reckon it'll take us to walk up there?" I asked motioning my head towards the stairs in front of us.

"I don't know, you think you can handle it G-Man?" She asked.

"Sure," I nodded. "You?"

"Sure, I've been taking the stairs in my apartment and in the office in preparation." She smiled.

"They say there's one thousand stairs here." I said.

"You're going to count them aren't you?" She said. I nodded.

"Care to give me a second opinion?" I smiled. She sighed again and started walking up the stairs. I hesitated a second and followed. When we reached the top she looked across at me.

"A thousand and one." She said. I nodded. We walked across to the large doors of the temple. I was about to knock but I hesitated. "What?" I took something out of my bag and set it beside the door. Scully looked down and saw the slinky.

"It's a guy thing." I offered as my explanation. I knocked on the large wooden door. An old man in a brown robe opened the door. He bowed his head. Scully and I did the same. "We're looking for someone. A girl, she's said to be more perfect than any other human."

The monk nodded and led us inside. We walked along a long hallway and were met by another monk. The first monk bowed again and walked off.

"How can we help you? You must have traveled so far. Let us take you in and help you gain refreshment." He said. From nowhere other monks appeared and led Scully and I in different directions.

I was stripped naked and washed. Then I was clothed and fed. I could imagine Scully's reactions to being stripped down to her birthday suit. The thought caught in my mind and I smiled. After resting for a little while I got up and walked out of my room. I walked down a hallway and into a courtyard. There was a large tree and a patch of soft-looking green grass around it. I walked over and sat down. A few minutes later Scully sat down beside me.

"Nice threads." I said and smiled. The smallest of the small monks was obviously bigger than Scully or not willing to lend her a robe. "You're swimming in that thing."

"Mm, what's that saying about a gift horse." She said and lay back against the tree.

"How long do you think 'til we get what we came here for?"

"I don't know." She shrugged.

"Are you all right?" I asked. "You seem,"

"Sleepy." She offered. I smiled and chuckled slightly. "What?" She asked.

"You sounded so cute, so innocent." I smiled. "Like a little kid."

"I'm glad I can amuse you." She said. "I couldn't sleep, I don't know why."

"Anticipation." He smiled. "That's what kept me awake these last few nights. I slept like a baby just now though."

"How'd you hear about this girl anyway?" She asked sitting up again.

"There's a report in a journal I read. She's supposed to be the ultimate everything. Raised by these monks. No one knows how she got here. She just sort of appeared one day. They think she's a gift from God. Like the second coming."

"Jesus?" Scully said. I smiled and shrugged.

"You're the catholic." I said. She lent back against the tree again.

"Tell me something boring Mulder. Something that'll put me to sleep." She said.

"What makes you think I'd know something boring?" I asked.

"Please just talk, I'm so tired. I know you can help me."

"You think my voice is soothing?"

"Mhm," She nodded.

"Case number X-10-01-01," I started. I was hardly through the date and she was asleep. I smiled and looked up at the sky. I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up Scully was curled into my side. Her head was resting on my chest and one of my arms was around her shoulders. I lifted my fingers and rubbed the small of her back. I didn't want to wake her so I stayed as still as I could and just looked at the clouds and the mountains.

A few minutes later she stirred. It took her a few seconds to realise she was hugged against me. She lifted her head and looked up at me. I feigned sleep. Looking at her through a small slit in my eyelids. She smiled and put her head back on my chest. She raised one of her hands and made small circles on my chest. I lifted my fingers again and rubbed her back. She looked up at me.

"You big faker." She smiled.

"Sleep good?" I asked. She nodded. "Come on, we've got a case to investigate." I said.

"I don't want to move. I'm comfortable." She said. I reached across her with my other arm and rolled over taking her with me. She shrieked. I rolled a little too far and ended up on top of her. She smiled and pushed me off her. I stood up and reached down to her. Once on our feet, we walked into the main monastery again.

"Here monkey, monkey, monk." I whispered. She smiled. We eventually found the monk that had ordered us cleaned and fed. He was obviously the head of the monastery.

"How may we help you?" he asked again.

"We're looking for the girl." I said. "We've heard about her and we really want to learn more."

"Of course, please follow me." He said and led us down hallway after hallway. We stopped outside a large door. There were flowers placed on the floor around the door.

"She is very special. She is a light in the dark, she heals those who are wounded she is a godly touch, she hears thoughts, she is pure of soul. If she wishes not to see you, let her door be jammed." He said and pushed on the large door. It swung open. "May she be what you are looking for and may she make your dream real." He said and walked away.

"Wow, she's like a genie in a bottle." Scully said. I smiled and walked into the room. Scully followed me and the door closed behind us. In the middle of the room sat the girl.

She was sitting cross-legged on a purple cushion. She had a plain white robe and golden blonde hair. We walked over and sat down in front of her. Her eyes were amazing. I could see oceans and lands in them. As she looked at us I wasn't sure if she was looking into me and reading my heart and soul or looking straight through me.

"Mulder," Scully said and broke the hypnotic gaze I had with her. I looked across at her. She was looking around the room. "There's no window in this room." She said.

On further inspection I found it was true. "So where's the light coming from?" I asked.

"Her," Scully said. She was indeed glowing a dazzling white light. "She's light in the dark." Scully said.

"My dream really has become real." I said. "You're not a skeptic anymore."

"I'm having a temporary laps of skepticism."

"Ok," I nodded. "I'll buy that."

"Good,"

"For now."

"Do you speak?" Scully asked. The girl looked across at her. I watched Scully's face as she looked into the girl's eyes. After a few minutes I reached out and put my hand gently on Scully's shoulder. She looked across at me and a tear flowed down her cheek.

"Scully," I said. "What's the matter? Scully?" I got onto my knees and moved closer to her. She got up on her knees also. "Shh," I said taking her in my arms. "Don't cry? Oh Honey, what's the matter?" I asked. She cried heavily into my shoulder. "Shh,"

"Oh Fox." She whimpered. As I tried to comfort Scully I looked around at the girl. I'd moved my body and Scully's so I could see her. She closed her eyes for a second. Then opened them again.

"You never told me you were going to quit the FBI. Just because I wasn't there. You never said, you should have. So much love Fox, so much love and you never told me. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, I'll never leave you again, never. You and I will never be apart. I promise I'll never leave you."

"Shh, don't cry. It's not your fault. I know you would've been with me if you could've been. I know that. I'll never leave you either. I'll never ditch you again."

"So much love," She whispered again.

"You're right, there was a lot of love. There is. But I'm afraid to show it because of what might happen."

"What? What could happen?"

"Everything I love dies, or I loose it. I'd never stand to loose you to loose what we had."

"But that won't happen." She said.

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm afraid of the same things." She said and started to cry again.

"Shh," I whispered and kissed her on top of the head. After a few minutes I felt her form go heavy in my arms. I looked down and realized she was asleep again. I looked up at the girl.

"What did you do?"

"I showed her," A soft heavenly voice inside my head said. "I showed her the truth."

"Whose truth? Which truth?"

"The truth that is in you and in her. They are the same truth. Love."

"Love, my love of Scully or her love of me?"

"Both."

"She loves me?"

"You love each other. Always fear has stopped your true feelings. There should be no fear here. Your love of each other is true and equal. It is pure and it will always last. Soul mates may never find each other. It is a gift when they are together. Though you may not believe it, the soul of Dana Katherine Scully is destined be with yours."

"Soul mates." I said.

"Can you not see? Your soul and hers are destined to be together. You have come too far to loose each other now. You have seen hell and been there many times. Never will you let the other walk that road alone."

"You're alluding to a point aren't you?"

"I am." She said and closed her eyes again. "I cannot change that which must happen." She said and her eyes opened. "Certain things must happen in one form or another. Now I throw down the choice to you. Either you can let it happen now with full knowledge, or you can leave here and wait until it happens else where."

"What? What is 'it'?"

"For a time you will be separated. I am not to say what will happen in that time."

"You said we couldn't let each other walk the roads of Hell alone. So what can I do?"

"Be taken as well."

"I choose to know, I want to know so I can go with her."

"Out side a war will rage. Men will come, they come in search of me. They search for me but me they will not find."

"How does that affect us?"

"A girl they seek, she and I be the only ones. Me they will not find." She said again.

"Well let them find you. Don't let them take her."

"If you wish it. Then you choose not to know when and where she will be taken."

"There's really no way that I can't loose her."

"You and she must always be together. Let them this be told. Let them not be told that she is not I."

"What? You mean tell them that if they take her then they have to take me. But don't tell them that she's not a holy whatever. That she's not what they're looking for."

"Yes."

"You can't lie can you?"

"I cannot." She shook her head.

"But she won't be hurt if they take her, some how we'll get out of it."

"Get out of it you will. I cannot promise that you will not be hurt. Killed you will not be."

"Can't they just take me? With all the powers accredited to you, you must be able keep her safe. You say we have to be separated. Can't you just make them take me?"

"A girl they seek." She said. "Separation is not the right word. Suffering, be it together or apart. Either way both will suffer. The separation is only from the life you know."

I didn't realise it until Scully stirred that I hadn't been speaking out loud. I'd only been thinking and she'd been sending thoughts to me.

"When?"

"Before your lips meet."

"A kiss?"

"The most innocent of gestures. She will sleep, she will not be scared."

"When?"

"Soon, too soon for your liking. But it must be done."

"The sooner it starts the sooner it's over." I sighed. The doors opened behind us. I stood up and lifted Scully off the ground. My knees ached from kneeling so long. A flower from outside was carried into the room on a mysterious breeze. I looked back to the girl.

"Together you will always be." She said. The flower started to move again. I followed it to the door then stopped and turned around.

"Do you have name?"

"I have many, each person whom I meet gives me a name that they think suits."

"Are you really a gift of God?"

"Every man woman and child is a gift of god."

"Are you like Jesus?"

"Jesus was shaped in the form of man. In this way we are all like Jesus."

"You're very illusive. You should be in the Consortium."

"I seek only to help you. Knowledge is a dangerous thing at times. Blessed is the man who is uninformed. He is happy because he knows all that he needs to know and nothing more. Such a man is not concerned with trivialities."

"Let me hear your real voice."

"In time."

I turned and followed the flower down the halls of the monastery. Eventually I came to Scully's room. I opened the door and walked inside. I put her gently on the cushions that formed her bed. She stirred again a little but didn't wake. I lay down gently behind Scully. She curled into me and sighed.

Scully slept an hour longer. She wasn't woken by a man in a dark jumpsuit busting into the room. I immediately took a defensive stance in front of Scully.

"I found her." The man said talking into his radio.

"Take her, kill the rest." Someone responded.

"No," I said. "You have to take me as well. We have to be together. Anything you want from her you need me to get."

"What?"

"Don't kill the others. We'll come without a fight. But please, don't separate us. Leave the other monks here. They're simple they won't make a fuss. There's nothing they can do."

"Boss," He said into his radio. He relayed the information I'd just given him through his radio.

"Ok," Came the reply. I stood and lifted Scully. I followed the man in the jumpsuit out of the room and to a helicopter that had landed in the courtyard.

NEXT

He'd lost track of the days. At first, he had tried so hard to keep track of time, they both had, but as the pattern of their captivity emerged, it seemed less important than other things.

They'd had no food since the first day. He'd been told he could eat, but she could not. He had refused, and she had argued, and he'd given in, but he'd slipped bits and pieces to her, and they'd been caught. She'd been punished, but now, neither one of them got food.

It should have been a warning to him. He should have seen it coming. It set the tone for the remaining days. Always, he was treated gently, carefully, no injury at all. But Scully, Scully was slowly being killed. And he was being made to watch.

Sometimes they'd beat her. Sometimes they'd humiliate her with their words and actions. Sometimes they did...other things. And, through it all, he was always, carefully, gently, tenderly restrained in velvet lined padded cuffs, against a soft wall. Always present to watch as they destroyed her bit by bit, unable to save her, unable to hurt himself.

He'd fought them at first, resisting when they came for him. Lashing out with fists and feet. They simply sent more men, and he was always overpowered. And she was always punished for his actions. He quickly stopped resisting.

After they'd discovered that Scully wasn't what they thought they started to treat her this way. To begin with they were both treated gently and fed and unrestrained. Now it was just inflicting pain. She was hurt and they simply made him watch.

It was the most potent torment they could use on him, and he was rapidly falling into an abyss from which there was no way out.

She'd been fitted with an ankle bracelet, a security monitor that sent a surge of electricity through her small body if she tried to cross the unseen halfway point between his side of the room and hers. He could go to her, but she could not come to him.

At first, she had comforted him. Reassured him that she didn't blame him. Told him there was nothing he could do.  Wiped the tears from his face with her bloodied, broken fingers. That was when she could still stand to touch him, and to let him touch her. But as the days progressed, she withdrew. Now, she wanted no one near her body. She was so beaten down, she had no resources left for him.

She might fall unconscious during one of their 'interrogations'. Then he would hold her till she roused, releasing her reluctantly at her command.

He would slink quietly to his side of the room, leaving her the blanket, the sheets, the pillow from the cot they had supplied him, but deemed off limits to her. They'd both been nude when they were taken, and while he had been supplied clothing, she hadn't. He'd refused to dress at first, but after the first rape, he had been concerned his nudity would distress her more, and he wore the pants he had been given.

They had water - there was a sink and a toilet, but they were on his side and she was not allowed to use them. She'd designated a corner for her necessity, and used it with dignity. God, he admired her. He took her water, in his hand, and they allowed that. But as the days progressed, she refused the water. Her refusal weakened her further, and he was afraid it was deliberate, an attempt to put an end to this once and for all. He refused to drink as well.

There were long periods when they left them alone. Sometimes she would talk to him then. An attempt to let him know she still didn't blame him. Normal conversation - how bout those Knicks? He'd try to go to her then, but she'd flinch, and tremble, and pull away without even realizing she was doing it. And it broke his heart and killed his spirit, but he answered, and talked, and laughed at her jokes, because it was all he could give her now.

She slept often, seeking surcease from the pain and torment in the embrace of Morpheus. He would creep silently to her side, and kneel beside her, watching her, denying himself a touch, a kiss, anything that would relieve his own pain, his own torment. Then, when she would begin to stir, he would steal silently back to his own side of the room, and sit and wait, and see if this time, for these moments, she would be able to face him, to talk to him, to be with him in any small way.

He was destroyed, and he was waiting to die.

NEXT

Scully was secured to a table in the middle of the room. I was secured to my padded wall. Scully's screams filled the room. There was one guard in the room. Positioned directly between Scully's legs. He was the one that made her scream.

Another guard walked into the room a few minutes later. It was time for his 'shift'. "Hey you're late," The first guard said.

"I just wanted to give you time and make sure you were finished." The second said. I'd never seen him before. He wore a black beanie and sunglasses, he also had a mustache.

"You're not so bad kid." The first guard said. "I'm going to make sure you get time to do what you need to do."

"Great. Thanks."

"No worries." He said. "Now, this is your first time isn't it?"

"Ah, yeh," The kid said.

"Do you know the rules about protection?"

"No,"

"Don't use any. There's a bet going. Who can get the bitch pregnant. They'll do a DNA blood test thing to prove it. Winner gets something really fantastic apparently."

"Won't that take a long time? Nine months."

"She's not going to term kid. When they find she is pregnant, they'll let her go to six weeks and abort. Then do the test."

"Oh,"

"I'll let you get to it. And remember you've got all the time you need." The first guard left the room.

"I'll tell you this much." The second guard said to Scully. She was unconscious on the table. "If I did get you pregnant, and believe me, it's not going to happen, I'd let you go to term and keep the child as my prize."

"How sweet of you." I said. He looked across at me.

"Now then," He said and loosened Scully's ropes. When she was free he walked over to me and did the same. I punched him. "I really hate it when that happens. So much for gratitude." He said. He handed me a bundle of black cloth. "Dress her and dress yourself." He said and walked away. While I was dressing he cut the security tag off Scully's ankle.

I stood stunned for a second then did as he'd asked. When we were dressed he put Scully over one of his shoulders and carried her out of the room.

"Hey, be careful with her." I said.

"I didn't come all this way to hurt you, you know." He said and walked down the stairs. He stopped and pulled me into a doorway. A few seconds later another man walked passed. When he was gone we walked out of the room again.

Once out the front door we paused for a few seconds another guard walked passed. We hurried down the path and into trees. He set Scully down after a mile or so of walking. We'd come to a cave.

"Stay here with her." He said. "There are some things I need to finish. There's food in that pack. I'll be back in an hour. There's a watch in there as well and blankets. There's a syringe filled with painkillers. Give it to her if she needs it. It'll put her back to sleep." With that he left us alone. About a half hour later there was a large explosion. Scully woke up.

"Please don't touch me." She whispered.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It's over, we're out."

She didn't believe me at first but after looking around she realized it was true. "Free?" She whispered.

"Scully?"

"Mm?"

"Will you drink some water now?"

She looked at me again, her eyes struggling to focus. "It's really over?"

"Yeah. Some kid got us out."

"You have water?"

I rose, tripping over my own feet in his haste to get the canteen. I started to help her sit, but withdrew when she flinched from my reaching hand.

"I'm sorry, Mulder," she said. "I know you won't hurt me; I just can't help it."  I nodded, head lowered to hide the tears that gathered in my eyes.

She reached out her hand. "You'll have to help me." I smiled, I lifted her up, holding her securely in my arms, and held the canteen to her lips. She hadn't flinched
at all that time, and had even rested her head against my chest for a moment before laying back down.

"A kid?"

"He'll be back soon. I don't know how but he's going to get us a long way from here." Scully closed her eyes.

"Hm. Hurts." She said weakly.

"I know, Scully, I know." I was on my feet again, going for the pack. I pulled the syringe. "He left this sedative and pain reliever. Tell me when you're ready."

She nodded, and then said. "Not your fault, Mulder." Her eyes sought out mine, as she went on. "You know that, right? It's not your fault."

I reached for her, then pulled my arm back quickly before she could flinch again. But she raised her hand, lifting it toward me, and I went to her slowly, carefully, taking her gently into my arms. I held her for a long time, and she seemed content to be with me. At last, she had asked tentatively, "Mulder?"

"Yeah, Scully?"

"Are you ok, Mulder?"

"I'm great, Scully. Everything's great."

She laughed softly, then said, "Well, I could be greater if you wanted to give me that pain reliever now."

I looked down at her, snuggled in my lap securely, and saw the pain etched across her features. How long had she been fighting it to give me this time?  "Sure, Scully." I put her back on the blanket, helping her settle comfortably, then lifted the syringe.

"Ready?"

"Mm hm," she nodded.

I gave her the injection, then sat with her while she drifted away again.

I turned to look at her once more. She was sleeping peacefully, still curled on her side. I jumped when the kid touched my shoulder. "Can you carry her?" He asked. I nodded. "Let's get the hell out of here."

NEXT

We boarded a small boat that was anchored about a mile off shore. Scully was still sleeping soundly. I put her down on one of the bunks. "Get settled eat, there's dry clothes in there, a galley and a bath." He said. "Make yourself at home. It's going to be a long slow trip without lights."

"Why no lights?"

"The explosion. There's planes and choppers circling the area. We have to stay out of sight. Wouldn't want to have come all this way for nothing."

"Ok," I nodded. With that, he disappeared back up to the deck of the ship. I got into dry clothes, then redressed Scully.

The sun was coming up when the boat stopped and the man returned.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked.

"Just someone doing what they were put here to do." He said and walked into the small bathroom. "You'll never believe what washes off." I heard him say before the door closed. A few minutes later he reappeared rubbing a towel through his hair.

"What the hell," I said jumping to my feet. Before me stood the girl from the temple.

"I told you, you wouldn't believe what washes off in the shower." She smiled.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm saving your butt." She said.

"You're not the same girl as in the temple." I said. "You're speaking with your mouth and you're not being illusive."

"No, we are different people."

"Different people? Like twins?"

"Exactly like twins." She nodded. "I'm the less Heavenly sister." She said extending her hand. "I won't bite you." She said. I took her hand and shook it firmly.

"What's your name?"

"I have many." She said. "Everyone I meet give me a name they think fits my personality. Cat is popular. I've had Xena once or twice. Um, Gidget. You name it though I've probably been called it."

"That's not really what you look like is it? The name thing, it's the same with the way you're seen." I said. She nodded. "Why then am I seeing you like I saw your sister? Shouldn't you look different?"

"We're twins, you saw her first."

"But why am I seeing you the same if I didn't know you were sisters?"

"Well if I didn't look like she did you'd never believe that we were sisters."

"I suppose. How did you hide who you were, how'd you change your voice."

"Easy, I can make you see me like this, I can make myself look totally different. I really only had a beanie on to cover this gorgeous hair you've given me, and glasses to hide my eyes and bit more of my face."

"There's no way I could've given you eyes like that. They're more beautiful than anything I've seen."

"We always have eyes like this." She said. "Always.

"And the voice. How'd you hide it?"

"Did you see my lips move once?"

"No,"

"That's why I had a mustache." She smiled.

"What do you really look like?"

"I'll show you if you like, it's kind of hard to explain."

"Ok," I nodded. She transformed in front of me into a ball of white light. "Can you and your sister do everything that the other can do?"

"Yes," She nodded. "It's handy to be able to hear peoples thoughts. Then you know what they're looking at and whether you've been seen and when someone's coming. The glow's a bit of a tragedy though. Not much point being able to walk an inch above the ground if people can see you're spectral light coming."

"But you can glow."

"She is light in the dark." She smiled and started glowing.

"You said a lot of people called you Cat?"

"Uh huh, slink like a cat, stealthy like a cat."

"No, that won't fit at all. Not for me." I said. "If I had twin daughters. I'd call one Grace." I mused.

"I bet I can guess which one that is." She smiled.

"And one Sarah."

"Sarah, wow, I like it. Nice choice."

"I wouldn't actually call her Sarah though, I'd call her Princess, which is what her name means."

"Princess? Do I really strike you as the Princess type?"

"Not really." I smiled. "Serendipity though, that holds a lot more meaning."

"Serendipity. Ok, I can live with that. You're very kind to put so much thought into it. Some people give me terrible names. Like a dog, a pet. Shadow, kid, girl, sport, champ. Ah, they get so annoying."

"I'll bet." I nodded. "How often do you do this?"

"It depends. Some times a few times in a year some times not for a length of years. I'm a lot older than I look you know."

"How old?"

"A lady never tells." She smiled

"You're not a lady to me, you're a kid. About twenty."

"Twenty, wow, thank you. I don't feel twenty at the moment."

"How old do you feel?"

"About four thousand, much closer to my actual age."

"Four thousand? Well there goes the second coming theory."

"Second coming? Jesus, well even if I was who'd believe it, a woman the child of God. No, I don't think so."

"So maybe the prophecy's right, but the church got it backwards. Maybe you were first and Jesus was second."

"If you want to believe that then go ahead. I'm hardly Son of God material though. Do you hear about Jesus going around and telling people they could choose to know or not, then having his twin brother rescue those who chose to know."

"Rescue?"

"In your case yes, in some cases no. Sometimes I'm just company, sometimes I'm the doctor that removes the tumor, some times I'm the child sitter that saves the baby. Sometimes I'm the wind that brings in the storm clouds. It all depends. Alpha gives the choice. If the subject accepts, then I shows up to return things to the way they were before."

"Alpha?"

"Sure, Alpha, Beta, and Delta. Alpha being not oneself, I'm Delta."

"Delta, what does Beta do?"

"We don't talk much about Beta."

"Why not,"

"Alpha is pure as heaven, Delta is pure but in a more human way, like a virgin I guess. What's left over?"

"All the bad stuff."

"Hey, he's on the FBI payroll for a reason." She smiled. "Exactly, all the bad stuff. Beta, being more unlucky than number thirteen in this case."

"So the bad guy is a girl."

"We aren't really anything. It's just that for this instant you heard that she was a girl and so now I am a girl. I prefer things this way anyway. It's much easier to get things I think." She shrugged.

"But you're only showing yourself to me this way. So that means that the big evil ball of light could be anyone. Could look like anyone."

"One would think. Luckily Beta is condemned to one form for the duration of a lifetime. He's assigned a new form every time around. His powers are obsolete and negligible. The power of persuasion gets you almost nowhere these days. Believe me, I've been around a long time."

"So you say." I smiled. "So what does he look like?"

"Now that would be giving it away. I am here to help you play the game but you've got to follow the rules. I can't give you that particular advantage. I can tell you how to get rid of him for good. You have to figure out who it is all by yourself."

"Ok,"

"I can also tell you that you already know him and know him fairly well."

"As a good guy or a bad guy."

"To get rid of him." She started avoiding my question with a devastating smile. "It's quite simple, all you need to do is have him admit who he is."

"Any suggestions as to how exactly I'd do that?"

"You've got quite a right hook, you could try that."

"I'm really sorry about that."

"That's all right, it happens to me all the time. I'm starting to get used to it. At least you weren't armed. I've been run through and shot a couple of times."

"I've been shot, I know how much it hurts."

"Mm, so I see. She had the best of intentions. It was for your own good and if she didn't shoot you someone else would have or something. You weren't meant to kill Alex Krychech on that night."

"You know that?"

"Sure, I know everything that's happened to you and your partner. To anyone whether they've been touched by one of us or not. That's how I learn. A lot of things have changed in the last four thousand years."

"I believe that." Mulder nodded.

"I get inside people's heads and learn their feelings and the sorts of things that provokes them. I learn how to pick a person's attitude and mood and stimulate them accordingly. To follow my plan of things."

"Handy,"

"You betcha."

"Why are you waiting for me to ask questions then?"

"Unlike my sister, I prefer conversation. The worlds a lonely place when you float around on your own personal cloud. I can be more like her if you like." She said.

I shrugged. "I don't mind."

"I don't mind either. I sort of like my voice with the heavenly accent. Things move a lot quicker to I suppose. Thought travels faster than speech." She said inside my head. I nodded.

There was a few seconds of silence and I tried to get my thoughts under control. "Typical male." She said when pictures of nude women flashed through my mind. I blushed. I blushed further when a fantasy image of me kissing Scully appeared. I panicked and the thought progressed.

"Let me help you," She said and closed her eyes. Every thought I'd had left my mind. I saw myself standing alone in blackness. "Now," She said appearing in front of me. "Look at me, look at every aspect of me and get it out of the way. This is like the mainframe of a computer game and you're like the guy with the keyboard. You can do anything, add things to our surroundings take things away at any time. I'm a puppet."

"I don't think the innocence of your mind can fully comprehend the consequences of that action."

"Trust me." She smiled.

"I do, but I don't think you understand."

"Just undress me with your eyes and get it over with. Once it's done we can move on." She said. I was a little embarrassed at first and I turned away.

"I can't, it's embarrassing. It's not every day a beautiful woman asks me to undress them. I know it has to be gotten out of the way but I can't do it on command."

"Fine, I'll undress myself." She said and started to undress. I was suddenly snapped back to the present by Scully's voice calling me.

"Mulder," She whispered. All thoughts of naked women left my head and I turned to Scully.

"Hey, nice to see you back in the land of the living. How are you feeling?"

"It still hurts."

"I think I have a solution." Sarah said kneeling beside the bunk.

"You," Scully said.

"It's a long story. I'll explain later." I said.

"Do you remember what they said about me, about us? Particularly the part about healing." She said and gently lay her hand on a bruise on Scully's arm. When she lifted her hand the bruise was gone.

"I can heal physical wounds. Emotional healing takes a lot more time and a lot of love ok."

"I have a lot of love right here." Scully said taking my hand.

"Good," Sarah nodded. "This is going to feel a little bit funny, I don't know if it will hurt you or not. It's different for everyone. Ok?"

"Yes," Scully nodded. Sarah started at Scully's head and worked her way down to her toes. Gently putting her hands on Scully and moving them on.

"Could you get her pregnant?" I asked when Sarah's hands were hovering above Scully's stomach.

"Excuse me?" Scully said.

"I'm a little inadequately equipped." Sarah smiled.

"I mean,"

"I know what you mean." She cut me off.

"I don't." Scully said.

"It's been said that you can make dreams real. What if that's my dream, Scully pregnant. With her permission." I added.

"I don't think I'd make a very good father." Sarah smiled. "Yes," She said before I could say anything else. "Yes I could make her pregnant to you if that's what you both wanted and I know it is. But I'm not willing to bring a child into this world until you're both ready and at the moment you're not."

"But you could." Scully said. "I can be,"

"Sure, you know those things that have to happen? Well they happen for a reason. One of them just happens to be that you guys'll have a child." She said as she finished her work. "There." She smiled. "Another thing that has to happen." She said sitting down on the floor. "Is this." She sighed. She made a strangled sound a few seconds later and fell sideways.

I looked up at the door and saw a man with a pipe gun. I grabbed a gun I'd seen Sarah put down and aimed it at the door. "Freeze." I commanded. I got up and walked across to him. "How many?" I asked. When he didn't answer I pushed the barrel into his temple.

"Three," He said.

"What did you shoot her with?"

"It's a poison. If you don't get treatment in the next twenty four hours she'll die, if she makes it that long at all."

"Do you have the antidote?"

"No," He shook his head. "There isn't one, it's just a treatment of symptoms." I turned him around and pushed him up the stairs. After a small fist fight I got all three men back on their own boat and heading away from us. I hurried back downstairs.

"Scully," I said. I pulled a small dart out of Sarah's back and picked her up. I carried her across the room and put her on another bunk. Scully knelt beside her.

"She's burning up. Is there a first aid kit?"

"Yeh," I walked away and retrieved the first aid kit. I set it down at Scully's side. She searched through it and eventually produced a thermometer. She placed it under Sarah's tongue.

"Look through the fridge and the freezer. I need anything cold that you can find. Ice, steak, peas, anything." She said after a few minutes. I walked over to the galley.

"There's nothing." I said. "It's empty."

"Ok, wet me a face cloth." She said. She pressed the wet cloth to Sarah's forehead. "Ok, we have to keep her cool Mulder. Wet bath towels and hand towels and put them in the freezer. Turn the thermostat as cold as it'll go. Find a big bowl and fill it with water and put it in there as well."

After I'd completed this I walked back to her side. I was in awe of how calm Scully was being. I felt myself panicking but didn't let it show.

"How high is her temperature?" I asked at last.

"When I first took it it was a hundred and four. Now it's a hundred and five and still rising." Scully said digging through the first aid kit. She pulled out a small box and opened it. It contained five syringes and a place for a sixth. "Ok," She said and read the labels on each of them. She looked up at me.

"What?"  I asked.

"After you injected me with the pain killer. What did you do with the syringe?" She asked. I walked over to the bundle of wet clothes and picked up my pants. I removed the small syringe from the pocket and carried it back to her.

"Why?"

"Oh God." Scully said reading the label.

"What?" I asked. "Jesus Scully, are you all right?"

"She knew this was going to happen. She had to have known, and she still used this on me."

"What? Scully I don't understand. Did it hurt you?"

"No, but it may have been my only way to save her. All these are sedatives and pain relievers that she could have given you to use. This combination one is the only one that would reduce a temperature as high as hers. It has an antipyretic component."

"So, what do we do instead?"

"We have to get her to a hospital." Scully said. "We have to get her out of here."

"You'll have to do it. I don't know how to drive a boat or read charts, anything. God, this is all my fault, all of it. You now her. What's next?"

"Mulder, this is not your fault. I know that you chose to be taken as well. You didn't have to do that. You were hurt in that place too. But don't worry about it because I'm fine and we're out of there. All you need to do to help this girl is be calm and do everything I tell you."

"Ok," I nodded.

"Good. Now get a bath towel and a hand towel out of the freezer. Check how cold the water is. Don't let it freeze but keep it chilled. When it's nice and cold move it into the fridge." I walked over and retrieved the towels. Scully folded the bath towel and placed it on Sarah's chest and stomach. She put the hand towel around her head.

"Change these towels when they start to warm up. Wet them and put them back in the freezer then get out a new set. Wet the face cloth with the water and press it to her forehead every time you change the towels ok. To keep her vital organs cool. I'm going to get us out of here."

"Ok," I nodded.

"Did you see her with charts or maps or something.

"No, she had a pack, but I don't know where it is. Maybe on the deck.

"Ok, I'll be back down later to check on her. You're going to have to come upstairs and help me pull the anchor in. She'll be all right for a few minutes."

Scully and I walked upstairs. I pulled the anchor up then walked back downstairs. About an hour later Scully came back down to check on us.

"We're docked, can you carry her?" She asked. I nodded and lifted Sarah gently off the bed. "We're a family." Scully said. "When they ask. Rob and Laura Petrie and our daughter,"

"Sarah." I said. "I called her Sarah." Scully looked up at me and nodded.

"Ok," She said softly. "We don't know what happened to her though ok. Just that she has a high temp."

"Ok," I nodded.

"Excuse me." Scully said to a passing woman. "Can you tell me where the nearest hospital is?"

"Next town over." She said. "About six miles." She walked on.

"Six miles?"

"We have to get her there Mulder, even if it means walking. Can you carry her that far?"

"Yeh," He nodded.

"You have to get us out of here." Sarah whispered.

"We will," I said softly. "We're almost there."

"I have to get home. I'll miss my cartoons and the fish needs to be fed." She said.

"Shh," Scully whispered and stroked her forehead.

"A delirious deity." I mused and smiled a weak smile.

"Her temperature is still rising." Scully said.

"I don't feel well mommy." She said looking at Scully.

"I know you don't sweetie. We're going to take you somewhere and they'll fix you up."

"I'll tell you a secret." She whispered. Scully moved closer and smiled. "You have to promise not to tell Daddy. It'll make him scared."

"Ok, I promise." Scully nodded. "Is this your Daddy?" She said pointing at me.

"Course silly." Sarah said. I smiled.

"I won't tell him, I promise." Scully nodded.

"I'm not going to make it to the hospital." She said.

"Of course you are." Scully said. "Of course you are. You're going to be fine Sarah, you're going to be just fine. Look, I can see the city, can you? See it there. The doctors are going to make you much better."

"But they'll have to, you have to know that," She stopped and her eyes fluttered closed then open again.

"Know what? Sarah, what's the matter?"

"That I," She stopped and passed out.

"Mulder," Scully said. I looked across at her. "She's not breathing. Put her down."

I stopped and put Sarah gently on the ground beside the road. Scully checked her pulse and breathing again. She started resuscitation. "Come on, breathe, breathe," She said.

"Don't you do this." I said. "Don't you leave. Serendipity," I said and squeezed her hand. I looked up and realized that Scully had tears streaming down her cheeks like I did. She stopped her attempts to make Sarah breathe when I put a hand gently on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. She wouldn't breathe, she wouldn't. I'm sorry."

"Shh, I know. You tried, that's all you could do." I said and put my arms around her shoulders. She cried into my chest. I kissed the top of her head. She looked up at me. Just as our lips were about to touch Sarah gasped for air and started coughing. Scully turned to her immediately and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Don't you ever do that to me again. Don't you scare me like that again."

"Mommy." Sarah whispered.

"Yeh, that's right kiddo and don't you forget it." Scully whispered and kissed Sarah's hair. "You're still so hot." Scully said. "The fever hasn't broken."

"Come on, we're almost there." I said and lifted her up again.

NEXT

"You say she just said she felt sick?" The doctor said.

"That's right." Scully nodded.

"Your daughter has a temperature of one hundred and five point five. It doesn't seem to be slowing with the medicine we gave her. You say she stopped breathing once already, and she's arrested since we've had her here. She's in a very critical condition and I'm not sure what we can do for her."

"Anything you can. Anything."

"You may be prolonging her suffering. There's a form. A DNR order. That's,"

"Do not resuscitate." I said standing up. "No, don't you dare. Don't you do that. She will get better. You do what ever you can until this fever breaks and she gets better."

"You don't seem to understand that there will be a lot of damage to her brain and other organs if she recovers from this."

"I don't care. Don't let my daughter die." I said and sat down again. The doctor walked away and Scully sat next to me.

"Mulder," She said.

"No Scully, no. Don't try and talk me into that stupid DNR. If her heart stops again they can start it. I won't let her die. When she comes out of this, no matter what damage is done we can take her to see Grace. Grace can heal her like she healed you.

"Grace?"

"They're twins," I said and continued to explain Alpha Beta and Delta.

"But she didn't tell you what he looked like." She said. I shook my head. "That's going to bug me you know. And it is a man?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"Are you Beta?"

"Nope," I shook my head. "You?"

"Uh uh," She smiled. Alarms rang out from the room behind us. Nurses ran into the room. Scully burst into tears.

"Shh," I said pulling her closer to me. "Shh, don't cry, she'll be all right, she'll be fine." I hugged Scully tightly. "Don't cry,"

"Mulder." Scully said.

"Uh huh," I said looking down at her.

"Was I dreaming? Is Sarah really sick?" She asked. I nodded slowly.

"She's sick. She's arrested three more times since you've been asleep. They're going to ask us about the DNR again. Her temperature's still higher." I said. She groaned and buried her head in my chest.

"Mr and Mrs Petrie," The doctor said. Scully turned her tear stained face up towards him. "I'm going to ask you to consider how much pain your daughter is in." He said. Scully turned her head back into my chest.

"We don't want to hear." She mumbled.

"There is no chance she'll come out of this without brain damage. This fever, whatever brought it on, it will not break. We've tried everything. Her temperature is up at one hundred and six. If the fever doesn't break in the next hour it will not break. It doesn't look hopeful, I'm afraid your daughter is going to die." He said.

"Where are we?" Scully asked into my chest. "How far away from the temple are we?"

"Too far, she'll never make it." I said.

"She has to," Scully said. "I won't let her die."

"Laura, we might have to bring Grace here." I said. "If Sarah can't leave the hospital. Unless Grace can resurrect the dead."

"She won't leave. You know that, she's settled in up there. Don't you think she would have come already?"

"Doctor," A nurse said from the doorway of Sarah's room. "You better take a look at this." She said. The three of us walked into the room. Sarah looked so pale.

The doctor walked to the bed. Scully walked over as well. I followed slowly. Her temperature was rising fast. It went all the way up to one hundred and seven. Then stopped. Scully gripped my hand tightly.

"It's all right," I whispered. Sarah started to convulse. Her small body shook violently for a minute. Then stopped. Scully smiled and turned around to hug me.

"She's sweating." She said. "The fever broke."

"We can only wait and see if her temperature drops before her heart refuses to start again." The doctor said and walked out of the room. Scully took one of Sarah's hands. I put my arms around Scully.

"Come on Serendipity." I whispered. "Come on,"

Scully and I spent that night in the hospital. We slept in chairs next to each other and next to Sarah's bed. When we woke up the next morning Sarah's temperature was still one hundred and five.

"Tomorrow, if nothing's changed for the worst, we'll take her and see Grace." Scully said. I nodded.

NEXT

"I thought this was hard the first time." I said.

"You strapped in?" She asked.

"Yeh," I nodded. "I'm not cutting of her air supply or anything?"

"No, all tubes are clear." Scully said.

"Lets go." I said and started to walk up the stairs in front of us. When we got to the top the door was open. There was a small white flower on the ground just inside the door.

"Do you want me to take her down?" Scully asked.

"No, I'm fine, lets just keep going."

"Which way?"

"Follow that flower." I said as it started to blow away. Scully and I followed it through the halls and finally came to a door surrounded by flowers. As we got closer the door opened. We walked in and it closed behind us. I knelt down and Scully un-strapped Sarah from my back.

I turned around and picked Sarah up gently off the ground. Scully carried the small tank of oxygen and the bag of clear liquid that flowed to Sarah's arm.

Grace was sitting where she'd been sitting the first time we were here. I carried Sarah across and put her on the ground in front of Grace.

"You have traveled far." Grace said inside my head. Scully nodded and I knew she could hear it too. "You wish for Delta to live as she once did."

"Yes," I said.

"She is very ill and in much pain."

"We couldn't let her die." Scully said. "She's special and even though we haven't known her long, she means a lot to both of us. So do you."

"You feel for her like you feel for your own child. You feel differently for me."

"You are different, you're different people and you've both helped us but in different ways." I said.

"Yes," Grace said.

"Can you help her?" Scully asked. "Please, you have to make her better. It has to be all right. It's not fair that she should be like this."

"She is trapped in this body. She would not be trapped had you let her die."

"But we couldn't let her die. Even if we'd known that. Maybe you don't understand, but it'd hurt us terribly if this Sarah died, even if she could come back, it's not the same. Not for us."

"I do understand." Grace said. "But I cannot help you. To do what you have asked of me I must touch her and I cannot."

"Why?"

"You have investigated matters similar. Two beings so closely related molecularly with the universe trying to keep them apart when they come into close proximity of each other the consequences are catastrophic."

"I remember." I nodded. Scully nodded as well.

"We are one being separated into parts. If two parts should come together they will be combined inseparably into one being."

"No," I shook my head. "I don't believe it, there has to be something you can do there has to be something to make her better. It's not fair. She's like this because of me, I won't let her stay this way. Not when someone like you can heal her."

"It's not your fault Mulder. She said this had to happen, she said it happened for a reason. Maybe it's our acceptance of loss."

"No," Mulder said. "I won't let her die. I won't."

"Mulder, there's nothing you could have done. There's nothing you can do."

"There is," He said.

"What? Are you going to give yourself up in her place?" She asked skeptically.

"Exactly." I said.

"Give me your hands and I will begin." Grace said. I reached forward. Scully put a hand on my arm.

"What?" She said. "No, no," She said. "Don't do it, don't leave me. You promised you'd never leave me."

"And I won't." I said. "They can't touch each other but they can touch me. I'll take her place and let them heal me. The only other way to get Serendipity out of this state is to kill her and I don't want to do that."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"It's ok Scully," I said taking her hands. "It's all right."

"No," Scully said and grabbed Grace's hands. She gasped and cried out in pain.

"Scully," I said and caught her as she fell backwards.

Sarah started to glow. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around.

"Scully," I whispered. "It's all right, just hang on." I rocked gently back and forward with her in my arms. Sarah got up onto her knees and reached towards Scully. She yelped as she was thrown backwards. She hit the wall and groaned.

"Not funny," She said and got up slowly. "What are you doing? This is no time for games and riddles. She doesn't have much time left. Don't you feel her slipping?" She was thrown backwards again.

"I am Alpha, I do as I please."

"No," Sarah said stumbling forward. "You're not, you're not who you say you are."

"I am,"

"You aren't." She said summoning any strength she had she pushed Grace backwards with a strong wind. While Grace was recovering Sarah ran across to Scully and I.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked as Sarah put her hands on Scully's forehead. She went flying backwards again.

"She is Beta, Grace and he have forged."

"I am Alpha," Grace said. A stream of light ran from her outstretched hands to Sarah. Sarah screamed. Light poured from her mouth nose and eyes. Her screaming suddenly stopped and she fell to the floor. Grace walked towards her.

"I will be all." She said. I grabbed her legs as she walked and tripped her over. She turned and looked down at me. "You think you can stop me."

"No," I said. "I'm giving her time to recover." I said. Sarah was on her feet again. She sent her own stream of light towards Grace.

"Good. Will. Always. Win." She said slowly. Grace fell to the floor. A ball of light split from her body. It formed it's self into another girl. The form on the floor changed to a small box. Sarah looked at me for a second.

"Life returns with an innocent gesture." She said and collapsed. I thought for a minute then bent forward and kissed Scully gently. Her lips were cold but suddenly they warmed up. She took a deep breath and looked up at me. Then she started to kiss me again.

"I thought I'd lost you." I whispered.

"Where's Sarah?" She asked after a minute. I turned around and looked at her on the ground. Scully sat up. I walked over and crouched beside Sarah. Scully was beside me a second later. I rolled Sarah over.

"Oh God." Scully said. Blood covered her face and chest. "It looks like somebody slit her throat."

"Can you help her?"

"Yes," Grace said and knelt down beside Sarah. "My dearest sister." She said and put a hand gently on Sarah's throat. The blood disappeared and Sarah took a deep breath.

"You're famous for those scares you know." I said.

"Visitors approach from the south side." Sarah smiled and bit her bottom lip. "I love an adventure." She stood up.

"The monks will give us time." Grace said.

Scully and I stood up. Sarah hugged us both. "You're both the dearest of people and I wish you all the best. You've been the best company I've had for a long time."

"That's it. It's over."

"You're alive, you're back where you started before herself led you away. My job is done. I'll visit you during a dry period."

"Do we at least get to know why all this happened?" Scully asked.

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "You were taken to prove to you both that your love can withstand anything. I was poisoned to show you Fox William Mulder, that you can still fight your own battles, and for Dana Katherine Scully to show you that your medical skills and your presence are always needed."

"What about this fight just now?" I asked.

"Ah," She cleared her throat. "D'you know about that?" She asked looking at Grace.

"No," Grace shook her head and sat back on her cushion. "Beta is unpredictable."

"Just another battle to be fought." Sarah shrugged.

"And fought well dearest Sister." Grace said. Sarah smiled.

"Pandora's box." Sarah smiled looking at Scully who was examining the box.

"He'll have to be returned."

"Can't we just leave him there Sis?" Sarah asked. "It's easy for you sitting up here with your mountain air. I gotta do all the hard work."

"There must always be a balance." Grace said and lifted the box up.

"Can I have something easy to deal with, a little boy instead of it's preceding monster of a man. Or someone with not quite so many 'friends'."

"His body still lives. Mind out of body is only a temporary state."

"Can we hang around?" I asked. "I want to see how you work."

"Knowledge is a dangerous thing." Grace said.

"It couldn't hurt." Sarah smiled. "Give me some company for a while."

"Oneself can be the best of company."

"Oh, I'm great company, just ask me, I keep brilliant philosophical conversations going with myself for hours. But it's unhealthy and I always win. I'd like, with Alpha's permission, a companion on my journeys."

"Companions, create difficulties."

"I can handle it. I don't know if you noticed but I just kicked some serious Beta butt."

"You are an innocent and it's unlikely that you understand fully the consequences of your actions."

"I can see as much of the future as you can I can interpret it just as well. I read signs for a living. I'm always the one who's sent in to rectify the situations that occur. I don't mind that, that's what I was put here to do. I just don't wanna do it by myself anymore."

"As Delta wishes."

"Excellent." Sarah smiled. She took Scully's hand and mine and led us across the room. You're going to see us a little differently. She said. You're going to see us the way that these people see us."

"What do they want?" I asked.

"You'll see." Sarah smiled.

"You're the baby of the family. The evil big brother, the sensible big sister and the baby who's sick of being treated like a child. I bet all you want is a chance to grow up."

"Almost." Sarah said. "I've had multiple chances to prove that I'm grown up, but everyone disregards them. I don't mind though. It's kind of cool being the baby. Truthfully I think Alpha's afraid to admit that I'm a lot more sensible than I appear. But that's what I was put here to do. And I don't mind doing it because it helps people and that makes me feel good about myself."

"By the way." Scully started. "Correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't Delta the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. I thought Gamma was the third."

"It is." Sarah nodded. Scully and I exchanged glances with each other. Then looked back at Sarah. She was smiling broadly. She giggled.

AND THE NEXT ADVENTURE STARTS WITH..........