Title: The Truth Is Not Enough Part Two
Author: Dana_Maru
Summary: Day after birthday of the twins and Angelle. A day at the beach ends badly.

Disclaimer: None of the characters you recognize are mine but I do own Angelle, Helene and Aimee - and of course Willow, Storme and Rogue...

Chapter Four

Angelle remains frozen in time as the waves crash around and above her. She tries to fight against the waves and reach the surface but the seaweed wrapped around her ankle prevents her making any progress. She fights for breath, the waves swarming more fiercely by the second. All the fight has left her body, she gives up struggling with the seaweed and soon lack of oxygen knocks the petrified girl out. Aimee finally breaks free from the terrified grips of Helene and runs as fast as her little legs can carry her with Helene dragging behind her.

"Mommy! Daddy! Angelle's gone!"

"What? Are you sure she's not here?"

"No, she's gone under the waves, mommy!"

Helene bursts into tears, and Aimee soon follows suit as they both collapse on the dry golden sand. Sobbing and afraid, they lay together, cuddled up to their mom. Mulder and John quickly sprint down to the edge of the sand and find Angelle floating lifelessly in the water. The seaweed tangled around her leg stops the waves from dragging her out into the endless ocean. Both men are soon in the water that laps around their waists. The waves have calmed. Mulder lifts the limp body above the level of the water as John rips the seaweed from around her. John stands staring at his daughter in disbelief, her pale face is expressionless and her lips are tinged with blue.

They lay her on the sand and attempt to resuscitate her, her little chest rises and falls but she doesn't wake up. John, sobbing his heart out, carries her back to Monica and Scully.

"Call an ambulance!"

"I already have, John, it's on its way."

"What the hell is going on with the lifeguards? They're supposed to be here to watch for something like this happen!"

"I'm sorry Uncle John! We didn't mean to go under the water!"

"Oh, Helene, it's not your fault. You didn't know that was gonna happen."

"The waves were coming to hard Auntie Mon - we couldn't get her"

Monica was too dazed too hear what Aimee said to her, her breathing had quickened and become harsh.

"Auntie Mon? It wasn't our fault, was it?"

Finally she turned to listen to the twins.

"No, baby, it's not your fault. How were you to know something like this would happen when you were having fun?"

At last the wail of ambulance sirens could be heard. John just sat on the sand beside his daughter, still trying, in vain, to revive her and the paramedics ran out to put the tiny limp body on the stretcher "Mulder, can you take the twins back home? They're exhausted and they aren't gonna do much good at the hospital anyway. They'll just get in the way."

"Sure, honey, no problem. Just give me a call when you hear anything, okay?"

"Yeah, I will."

He gave his wife a quick kiss and picked up one of his daughters under each arm and carried them back to the car. John got up to go with them, he didn't want to have to handle any medical terms in his state of mind.

After a half hour drive that seemed ten times longer for Scully and Monica, the ambulance pulled in at the hospital and the paramedics rushed Angelle inside, she had an oxygen mask around her mouth and nose but her skin was still tinged with blue. Doctors rallied round, trying to help her breath. In the end, her mother and 'auntie' sat by her bed in the intensive care unit, she was hooked up to a life-support machine.

"Dana, why is it like this? You understand the stupid medical terms more than me, what does it all mean?"

"Oh Monica, her um...lungs aren't working. They collapsed with the weight of water in them, she inhaled more than they would hold."

Monica burst into tears that she had been too numb to let shed and sobbed of her daughter's lifeless body. The blue color to her skin was slowly fading but it stood out starkly against the crisp white sheets.

"I can't stand this Dana, all these wires and tubes and everything."

"I know, but she needs them until her lungs get stronger again. You know that."

"I know I do, but what if she doesn't come out of the coma?"

"Don't think like that, it gets you nowhere, you just have to put as much faith as possible into her recovery."

"But if I'd have watched her properly this wouldn't have happened."

"You can't blame yourself, you should go home and get some rest."

"No, I can't leave her."

"Okay I'll get someone to bring in an extra cot, if they can."