Chapter Nineteen:

Mulder grabbed his car keys and ran out to his car. The tires squealed against the pavement as he peeled out of the parking lot. At a stop sign, Mulder quickly called the Lone Gunmen, asking them to try to contact Dana and to meet him at the church in the meantime. Five minutes later, as Mulder was doing 60 mph through a residential area, his cell phone rang. It was Frohike.

"We couldn't get a hold of her. The bastard must have discovered her ear piece," Frohike said without muttering a greeting.

"What about the camera? Do we have a picture?" Mulder asked hoping that this was not a tragic mistake.

"Nope, no picture. Someone found us out."

"When you arrive at the church, try to find her. Just bring Scully and William out safe," Mulder replied, trying not to sound desperate.

"Okay, man," Frohike agreed before hanging up.

Back at the church, Dana Gordon was battling against her own demon without any of her guardian angels. "Leave me alone," Dana said calmly.

"You don't think I'd hurt you, do you Dana?" the Cigarette Smoking Man leered.

"I have to go. I have a meeting with someone."

"Who?" he replied, mockingly.

Dana's mind raced, searching for someone's name. "Donald, my husband."

"But darling, I'm right here," a voice drawled behind her.

Dana spun around to see her husband. A voice in her head screamed in warning. "Stay calm, but be careful." The mantra repeated in her head.

"From what I've heard, Dana, you have been very sinful," Donald chided condescendingly.

"I'm sorry," Dana mumbled, for he had hit a soft spot.

"You know that God has awesome wrath," he continued chiding. The Cigarette Smoking Man just stood in the shadows.

"On the day when the Lord shows his fury, not even all their silver and gold will save them. The whole earth will be destroyed by the fire of his anger. He will put an end- a sudden end- to everyone who lives on earth," Dana mumbled, quoting Zephaniah.

"You have betrayed God. Now, you must be punished!" Donald declared.

"What will happen to me?" Dana asked fearfully.

"You will die in fulfillment of the scriptures!"

"Noo!!" Dana pleaded as the Cigarette Smoking Man and Donald left, locking the door of the church behind them. Dana ran through the church, looking for an escape; suddenly, she stopped. Something smelled funny, but she was not sure what it was. It reminded her of road trips; she closed her eyes, and the agent inside of her screamed "Gasoline!"

Mulder pulled up simultaneously with the Lone Gunmen in their rented van. The four of them leapt out of the cars in time to see the church burst into flames.

Mulder cried as he did that night his Scully vanished into the night sky in the forest. The sound he uttered was indescribable. It emanated anguish. He fought against the hold of Frohike, Langly, and Byers as he tried to enter the church after her. Mulder's true desires were to save Scully or to die in there with her.

Finally, he calmed and collapsed onto the pavement as firemen swirled around him. His screams were reduced to whimperings.

"Scully."

"Scully."

"Come back."

A/N: Do not despair! Just keep reading! Only one more chapter after this one. Between updates (my next one will be soon, promise!), think about the following questions:

Why did Donald Gordon blow up his own church? What about William?

And remember that the woman in the building was Dana Gordon, not Scully. But no, the fire does not kill Dana and let Scully live. It wouldn't make too much sense for a fire to kill one personality but not the other. That's too soap opera-ish, even for this story!